This is a great side dish with Indian style curries. The rice is sort of "dry" and that's how I like it. But sometimes I add a big dollop of natural yoghurt on top. It's magic because the rice cooks in one pan and soaks up all the liquid. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil 1 Brown Onion, halved, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon Ground Turmeric 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin  2 teaspoons Mustard Seeds 1/2 teaspoon Chilli Powder 2 cups Basmati Rice 2 cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock 1 cup frozen Peas Handful of fresh Coriander 80g  1 cup toasted Pine Nuts or Slivered Almonds  1/2 Lemon, juiced 1/4 cup Parsley, finely chopped Method: Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over Medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden. Add the garlic, turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, and chilli powder, and cook, stirring, for 30 Seconds or until aromatic.  Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat, for 30 seconds. Add the stock. Bring to the boil. Cover. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Add frozen peas. Set aside, covered, for 5 minutes to stand. Transfer the rice mixture to a serving bowl. Stir in the lemon juice. Top with the toasted nuts and parsley to serve.  

This is like Cauliflower popcorn! Try and cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces as they will cook and crisp up better. Sometimes I just add crispy chilli oil instead of making the sauce. This is a great side dish or could also be a great nibble for when guests come over. Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain flour 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp garlic powder 200ml milk 1/2 cauliflower; cut into bite sizes florets 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs 1 tsp sesame seeds 1 red chilli; finely chopped and seeds removed if you want less heat 4 spring onions/eschallots; finely chopped For the sauce 80g sweet chilli sauce 1 lime; juiced Method: Heat oven 200. C Line a baking tray with baking paper. In a bowl add flour, paprika and garlic powder. Whisk in milk until it forms a batter. In a shallow dish, add breadcrumbs. Toss cauliflower pieces in batter then breadcrumbs then place on oven tray. Cook for 30 mins. Meanwhile mix the sauce ingredients. Put cooked cauliflower in a large bowl, add sauce and toss. Place in serving bowl and sprinkle with red chilli, sesame seeds and eschallots.

This is a great way to use up leftovers and my fridge was calling out Mediterranean style flavours! But you can add whatever flavours you'd like to the egg mixture; ham, bacon, smoked salmon, canned tuna. Ingredients: 2 large free range eggs 2 tblsp milk Salt and pepper 1 small tortilla  Measure with your heart: Mushrooms; chopped Spring Onions; chopped Continental Parsley; finely chopped Sundried Tomatoes; chopped Olives; chopped  Feta; crumbled Tasty Cheese; grated  Method: Preheat oven 180. C Place tortilla into pan or pie dish.  Beat eggs and milk. Carefully add on top of tortilla.  Add the rest of your ingredients.  Place in oven and cook for 15-20 mins or until egg is set.  Let cool a little, then cut into wedges and eat like a pizza!

What a money saver! Turn your leftover veggie scraps into stock! Ingredients: Vegetable scraps like: Potato skins, Carrot peelings, Garlic skins, Broccoli stalks, Onion skins, Parsley stalks, Brussels Sprouts leaves, any vegetable scraps (think about the flavour!) Method: Begin adding veggie scraps to a large zip lock bag and place in freezer. It took me around a month to fill it.  In a large pot add frozen veggie scraps and fill with water until covered.  Add to stove top and bring to boil.  Meanwhile add 5 bay leaves, salt and pepper to pot.  Turn down to a simmer and cook 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally. It will condense to around half the size.  Then drain veggies in a large pot/bowl. Discard veggies (and thank them for their flavour!) Strain the stock through a sieve.  Ta da! You have made your own stock! Happy soup, risotto and casserole making! You can freeze portions so you've got it when you need it.

A beautiful dessert for a special occasion. You could easily leave out the pears but I loved how it was taken to another level. Ingredients: 1 cup cream 140g dark chocolate 1/2 cup plain flour 1/2 cup melted butter 4 free range eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup caster sugar 1 - 2 ripe Pears Method: In a large glass bowl or cup, microwave cream in for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot (but not boiling) then add broken up chocolate into cream to melt. Whisk. Once chocolate has melted add to a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients and whisk well. Cut pears into wedges and place in bottom of a greased and lined pie dish. Pour over the batter. Book in 180.C oven 50 mins. If you can’t wait, enjoy it warm, but for my money let it cool then place in fridge to firm. Serve with cream or ice cream.

I need to be upfront, this is Hubby’s recipe and it’s a winner every time! Because it’s so bloody easy! The key is including a bowl of water in the oven to keep the meat moist. Ingredients: 1.5kg Lamb Shoulder Bone In Olive oil Salt and pepper Small oven proof dish Method: Heat oven 140. C Add lamb to an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven along with a small overproof dish filled with water. Cook low and slow for 5-6 hours. Remove and let cool 5 mins then shred with two forks. Serve with salad, souvlaki bread, hummus and fresh herbs.

This combo is one of my favourites! And the melt in your mouth biscuits are a special treat. Ingredients: 1/2 packet Arnott’s Clix Biscuits 250g Spreadable Cream Cheese 200g Smoked Salmon; finely chopped 1/2 Red Onion OR fresh Chives 1/2 Lemon Salt and Pepper Fresh Dill Method: Place Cream Cheese, Smoked Salmon into bowl and mix. Add finely chopped Red Onion OR finely chopped fresh Chives, the juice of the lemon and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Finely chop Dill and place in a flat bowl or plate. *Spread a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto one of the Clix Biscuits then sandwich another biscuit on top. Press down. Use a bread knife to smooth the filling if necessary. Roll the sides of the sandwich in the dill. Repeat until all biscuits are used. If any mixture is left over use it on a bagel or sourdough for breakfast. Yum! Serve on a lovely platter and some bubbles with family and friends. *Assemble the sandwiches just before guests are arriving otherwise the biccies will go soggy.

My mum always made Shepherds Pie (usually with lamb) but I tried beef instead. And added potato gems which make it so easy! But you could easily add mashed potato. Thanks for the inspo Nicole from Simple Home Edit Ingredients: 1 onion, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1 kg beef mince 1 tsp freshly minced garlic Salt ½ cup tomato paste 3 tbsp plain flour 2 cups (500 ml) beef stock ⅓ cup red wine 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp cracked black pepper 2 cups frozen carrots, peas, corn, bean mix 1/2 packet frozen Potato Gems Tasty cheese, grated Method: Heat a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion and celery. Cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the beef mince. Cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until browned, breaking the beef up with your spoon as you go. Add the garlic, and salt. Continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir through the tomato paste and, once well combined, stir through the flour until it is dissolved. Add the beef stock, red wine, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to medium–low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir, remove the lid and continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened into a gravy. Add the frozen vegetables and stir through until thawed. Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture to a baking dish (roughly 1.5 litres/6 cups). Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Preheat oven 180.c Place potato gems on top of pie mixture and then sprinkle with cheese. Cook 30 mins or until gems are cooked though.

This sort of dish is a fave brunch or lunch for me anytime of the week! Thanks for the inspo Amy on Insta. Ingredients: 2 slices of sourdough bread Butter or margarine 50g fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped 100g grated tasty cheese 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 free range eggs, beaten Ham Ground black pepper Method: Preheat oven to 180C (fan) Butter one side of the bread and lay it butter side down on a lined baking tray. Mix the spinach, grated cheese, beaten eggs, mustard and black pepper together. Place some ham on top of the bread Divide the mixture evenly between the slices of bread, spreading it right up to the edges. Bake for around 15-18 minutes, until the cheesy topping is golden brown and puffed up and the bread is toasted and crisp.

I absolutely adore the combo of spinach and cheese! And using filo pastry in this makes it feel less heavy than using a puff pastry. I also love this for leftovers the next day. Ingredients: 1 packet Filo Pastry 1 Leek; top removed then cleaned and sliced 200g Baby Spinach Leaves 2 cloves Garlic; crushed 4 Free Range Eggs 1 x 250g Smooth Ricotta Cheese 1 cup Feta Cheese; crumbled 1 cup grated Tasty Cheese 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil 1/2 tsp Baking Powder Salt and pepper Oil Spray or melted Butter Method: Preheat oven to 180. c Heat pan on stove top with olive oil. Add leek and cook for 5 mins or until soft. Add spinach and wilt for 1 minute. Set aside to cool. Spray a clean rectangular oven tray with oil. Open Filo pastry and spray the first sheet with oil spray or brush with the melted butter. Add Filo to cover the bottom of oven tray. Repeat 3 times. Spray next Filo sheet and then scrunch up (like a fan) and add to oven tray, repeating until all sheets have been used and base is covered. In a large bowl add eggs, all cheeses, oil and baking powder. Mix well. Then add spinach mixture to egg mixture. Mix well. Then pour over the scrunched Filo on tray. Smooth out. Cook in oven 35-40 mins. Let cool 10 mins before cutting and serving.

A delicious Easter treat that your family will love. The sweetness of the caramel and the addition of the salty savoy biccie on the bottom is genius! Ingredients: 12 Savoy Biscuits 125g Butter 160g Brown Sugar 1/2 packet Dark or Milk Chocolate Chips 1 cup Pretzels 1 packet Darrel Lea Speckled Mini Easter Eggs Method: Grab a 12 hole muffin pan and place paper patty wrappers in the bottom of each hole.  Then add one Savoy biscuit in the bottom of each wrapper.  Melt butter with brown sugar and stir to combine.  While still warm, carefully place caramel evenly into each wrapper.  Working quickly then add dark or milk chocolate chips on top of the caramel and mix until chocolate melts.  Crush pretzels and small Speckled Easter eggs.  Add to top of each cup.  Let set in the fridge for a few hours.  Then devour!

A simple but elegant appetiser.  I adore cream cheese and Salmon and when this dish is presented its just so pretty! Ingredients: 1 x 250g Spreadable Cream Cheese 100g Smoked Salmon; chopped or torn into small pieces 1/4 Red Onion; cut in fine slivers 1/4 cup Capers 1/2 Lebanese Cucumber; thinly sliced Sprigs of fresh Dill Everything Bagel Mingle Seasoning  Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt & Pepper  2 Bagels Method: On a lovely round flat plate smooth out the Cream cheese Add the Smoked Salmon, Red Onion, Cucumber and Dill.  Drizzle over the Olive Oil and seasonings.  Toast the Bagels then when cool cut in to pieces so you can use them to devour all the yumminess!