Broccoli Salad

2 heads broccoli
3/4 cup craisins [dried cranberries]
3/4 cup sunflower seeds and/or
3/4 cup cashews
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
pepper

Cut broccoli into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine the shredded broccoli, craisins, red onion, and almonds.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes [or an hour in the fridge] so the flavors can mingle.

Poached salmon with dill and horseradish cream

Salmon fillets
1 large red onion, quartered
a few black peppercorns
one lemon, quartered
Some fennel, chopped
Carrot, chopped
celery heads with leaves
dill

Dill and horseradish cream
150g extra-light sour cream
21/2 tbs fresh lemon juice
11/2 tbs horseradish cream
1 tbs finely chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Place onion, fennel, carrot and any other aromatics you like, into a pot, cover with water, bring to boil. Reduce heat, add salmon and allow to simmer very gently until done.

To make the dill and horseradish cream, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, horseradish and dill in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Place in a serving jug and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge until required.

Potato and cauliflower dauphinois

250ml cream
250ml full cream milk
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
Knob of butter
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
600g potato, sliced
Half a large cauliflower, sliced
Thyme (fresh is good, but dried is okay too)
Handful of grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 200C. Simmer milk, cream, garlic for five minutes. Remove from heat, then season with salt and pepper.

Butter an earthenware dish. Put a layer of potatoes on the bottom, sprinkle with thyme, and add a layer of cauliflower. Repeat, and finish with a layer of potatoes.

Pour over the infused milk and cream. Oil one side of a a piece of aluminum foil and cover the dish, oil-side down. Cook in oven for 1 hour, until potatoes are soft.

Remove foil. Sprinkle over the Parmesan. Return to oven, and cook for another 10 - 20 minutes until golden brown. You can keep this in the oven (turn to low) until you are ready to serve.

Lemon Syrup Cake

125g butter
1 tblspn grated lemon rind
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1.5 cups SR flour
1/2 cup milk

Syrup:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup caster sugar
Stir together until sugar is dissolved.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line base of 20cm round cake tin.
Mix all cake ingredients together in large bowl.  If too dry add more milk.
Spread mixture into cake tin.  Bake for 35-40 mins or until skewer comes out clean.
Leave cake in tin and prick with a fork or skewer all over.
Gently spoon syrup over cake.
Allow to stand until completely cold before turning out.

Pesto Pasta, Salmon and Avocado Salad

This was so yum........  I hope I've got the ingredients right:

Pasta shells - cook as per instructions on packet, allow to cool

Pesto sauce [make it or buy it]: [olive oil, pine nuts, basil].

Smoked salmon - cut into very thin strips

Avocado - diced into small cubes

Fresh salmon [just a small piece] - cook it any way you like, and allow to cool, flake into very small pieces

Feta cheese - flaked - optional

Green beans - blanched and cooled - optional



Mix all ingredients together, gently.

Chocolate Brownies

300g butter or margarine
300g dark chocolate
4 eggs
2 cups caster sugar
6 tablespoons SR flour
2 cups chopped walnuts

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat.
Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat until it becomes pale and thick. Add the flour and nuts and mix, and then fold in the chocolate mixture.

Pour into a large greased baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes at 180 degrees C, or until it is firm to the touch.

Allow to cool, then cut into squares.

Store in an airtight container.

Greek Salad

Ingredients (serves 12)

4 egg tomatoes, halved, each half cut into 4 wedges
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
1 red onion, quartered, each quarter cut into thin wedges
Flat parsley, shredded
250g kalamata olives
300g Greek feta, cubed


Red wine vinegar dressing
60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
50g butter, melted
1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
180g good quality white chocolate, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190 C. Place 12 large patty cases into a muffin pan. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and sugar.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk and butter. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients along with the raspberries and chocolate. Using a large spoon, mix until just combined.

3. Distribute the batter between patty cases and bake for 20-25 min, or until a skewer comes out clean and muffins are golden.

Debbie's Mushroom Soup

500g mushrooms, peeled and sliced
1 leek, sliced
1 potato, diced into small cubes
3 sticks celery, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 parve chicken stock cubes [Massel]
1 tablespoon olive oil
20g butter [optional]

Saute onions and garlic in some olive oil and a knob of butter [butter optional but it does make a difference].
Add chopped leek and celery.
Saute for a few minutes.
Then add mushrooms, potato, stock cubes, salt and pepper and enough water to just cover.
Bring to boil and simmer for about 40 minutes.
Blend and serve.

Hedy's Honey Cake

500g honey
3 eggs
One and a half cups raw sugar
3/4 cup oil
vanilla essence
3 cups SR flour
One and a half cups black coffee [not hot]
3 tablespoons of cocoa

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl of electric mixer.

Pour into one or two large pans and bake at 180 degrees until firm and skewer comes out clean. If making two cakes out of this recipe, cooking time is approx 35 mins.  Allow extra time for one big cake.

Green Eyes: A Song For Me Because I Feel Like It