Chicken Satay Skewers

450g chicken tenderloins, halved
1/4 cup teriyaki marinade 
2 tbs crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
2 tbs light coconut milk
2 tsp ginger, freshly grated
1/3 cup coriander leaves
2 cups steamed white rice


1. Combine chicken and teriyaki marinade in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Thread chicken onto 8 wooden skewers.


2. Combine peanut butter, sauces, coconut milk, ginger and 1 tbs water in a small saucepan. Stirring over low heat for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.


3. Preheat BBQ or chargrill pan over medium high heat. Cook skewers for 4-5 minutes each side or until chicken is cooked through. 


4. Serve skewers on rice, drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with coriander.


NOTE: Soak skewers in cold water for 30 mins before using. This prevents the skewers from burning durning cooking.

Pear Crumble Cupcakes

120g butter - or spread, or whatever it is you use ;)
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 2/3 Self Raising flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
400 can halved pears, drained and chopped
1/2 cups Weight Watchers Berry Flakes Breakfast Cereal.


1. Preheat oven to 18o C or 160C fan forced. Line a 12 hole (1/2 cup) capacity muffin tin with paper cases.


2. Using an electric mixer, beat 100g of the spread, 2/3 cup of the sugar and the essence in a large bowl for 5 mins or until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.


3. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the flour and butter milk into the egg mixture, 2 tbs at a time, alternating between the flour and buttermilk. Continue until all the flour and buttermilk has been added. Gently fold through the pears until just combined.


4. To make the crumble topping, combine the berry flakes with remaining spread, sugar and flour in a medium bowl.


5. Spoon cupcake mixture into the prepared muffin cases and sprinkle with crumble topping, lightly pressing crumble into cupcakes. Bake for 30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.


6. Stand in tin for 5 mins before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pepper steak with roasted vegetables

250g pumpkin, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces

450g baby new potatoes, halved

1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges

2 small carrots, cut into 3cm pieces

1 medium red capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces

4 x 125g beef fillet steaks

1/2 tsp cracked pepper

1/2 cup (120g) Sour Cream

2 tbs bottled green peppercorns, drained, slightly crushed

1 tsp corn flour

2 tbs finely chopped fresh chives

1/ preheat oven to 180C (fan forced). Place pumpkin, potatoes, onion, carrot and capsicum in a large baking dish. Spray with oil and toss to coat. Roast for 35-40 minutes or until golden and tender.

2. Meanwhile, spray a large non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with cracked pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm. Rest beef for 5 minutes before slicing thickly.

3. Add sour cream and green peppercorns to pan. Stir until sauce is hot. Blend corn flour with 2 tsp water in a small bowl to make a smooth paste. Stir corn flour mixture  into sauce. Cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in chives.

4. Arrange steak on a serving plate and drizzle with pepper sauce. Serve with roasted vegetables. 

Mushroom Lasagna

1 packet fresh lasagna sheets or instant lasagna sheets
500 g mince
1 large onion
1 small tin mushrooms
1 tin tomatoes
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp butter
1 cup water
pinch salt and pepper


SAUCE
2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup plain flour
2 cups milk


Cook chopped onion in melted butter. Add mince and stir til mince is browning. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, water, herbs and salt and pepper and cook for about 1 hour.


Melt butter, add flour and stir to a paste. Add milk, cook and stir til the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Grease large oven dish and put a think layer of hot mince. Cover with lasagna sheets. Put the rest of the mince and cover again with more lasagna sheets. Pout over the sauce and sprinkle liberally with grated cheese. Brown in a fairly hot oven - 200C for approximately 30 minutes.

Caramel-filled Chocolate Cakes

Melted butter, for greasing
plain flour, for dusting
200g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
200g butter, chopped
4 eggs, separated
200g sugar
1 cup SR flour
12 soft caramel lollies


1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Brush 12 standard muffin tins with butter and dust with flour.


2. Put chocolate and butter into a medium heavy-based pan and stir over low heat until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stand until lukewarm.


3. Beat eggwhites until soft peaks form. Beat egg yolks with sugar until pale and creamy. Carefully stir into chocolate mixture. Fold in eggwhite. Sift over flour and fold in carefully.


4. Divide half the mixture between muffin holes, add a caramel to each and cover with remaining mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and stand on a wire rack to cool.

Quiche #1

4 eggs
2 tsp butter, melted
2/3 cup  milk
4 tbsp SR flour
3 slices lean ham, diced
1 onion, diced
1 cup cheese, grated
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 tin corn


Combine egg, butter, flour and milk. Mix well in an oven proof dish.


Add ham, onion, 1/2 cheese and corn. 


Top with tomato and 1/2 cheese. Bake for 30 mins at 180C (fan forced) or until set.






I add other items to this too. I also add grated carrot and mushrooms, amongst others.

Curried Chickpea Patties

WW 4pt

serves 4

1 x 300g chicpeas, risnsed and drained

2 cups (460g) leftover mashed potato

100g green beans, thinly sliced

1 tbs curry powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (12g) finely chopped coriander

1 tbs canola oil

80g baby spinach leaves

250g grape tomatoes

2/3 cup (190g) reduced fat Greek-style yoghurt

Pulse chickpeas in a food processor until roughly chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Add mashed potato, beans, curry powder, egg and coriander. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Stir until well combined.

Using 1/4 cup of mixture at a time, shape mixture into 12 patties. Heat oil in large non-stick frying pan over medium heat.  Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden. Serve with spinach leaves, grape tomatoes and a dollop of reduced fat yoghurt.

Lentil Burgers

WW 5.5pt

serves 4

350g sweet potato (kumara), peeled and chopped

1 x 400g can brown lentils, rinsed and drained

50g 99% fat free semi-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

3 green shallots, thinly sliced diagonally

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium brown onion, halved, thinly sliced

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tsp brown sugar

4 large round wholemeal bread rolls, halved horizontally

60g baby rocket leaves

1 large tomato, sliced

preheat oven to 200C or 180C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Steam the sweet potato for 10 mins or until tender. Mash, then cool slightly. Place sweet potato, lentils, tomato, shallots, egg and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and  freshly ground black pepper and stir well until combined.

Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shape each portion into a 9cm round patty about 1.5cm thick. Place patties onto prepared tray and spray with oil. Bake for 20 minutes, turning once, or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over low heat. Add onion and cook for 10 mins or until softened. Add vinegar and sugar, cook for a further 2 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Toast the cut side only of th bread rolls until lightly browned. Place roll bases onto serving plates and layer with patties, rocket, tomato and caramelised onion. Top with remaining toasted bread roll halves.

TIP! 

You can substitute sweet potato with any type of regular potato  when making patties.

Ginger Nuts

2 cups Self Raising flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
125g butter
1 egg
1tbsp golden syrup


Sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl.


Rub in softened butter with fingers until it resembles bread crumbs.


Melt syrup and mix together with the egg.


Add to mixture and work with hands into a firm dough.


Roll into balls, about 1 inch (2.5cm) round and place about 2 inches apart (5cm) on a greased tray and place into a 160C conventional oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Home Made Muesli Bars

125g margarine
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup sweetened, dried cranberries
1/2 cup coarsley chopped pitted dried dates
1/2 cup sultanas
 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 tbsp sesame seeds




Preheat oven to 180C  (160C fan forced). Grease a 28 x 18cm (base measurements) slice pan and line the base and two long sides with one piece of baking paper.


Stir in margarine, sugar and hone in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients.


Press the mixture  into the pan and smooth the surface. Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden. Cool in the pan. Cut into bars.


Not suitable to freeze. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Apricot Snack

2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup sultanas
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup skim milk powder
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
extra 1/4 cup desiccated coconut

Combine apricots, sultanas, water, honey, rind and lemon juice in a small pan. Simmer uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Stir in almonds, skim milk powder and coconut; mix well.

Divide mixture in half. Roll halves into 2 x 12cm long log shapes. Roll in extra coconut. Wrap in plastic wrap, place  on an oven tray. Refrigerate overnight, or until firm.

Cut into slices to serve.