Orange Cake

Ingredients

Serves: 10

• 5 large oranges
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 2¼ cups ground almonds
• 1¼ cups caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup plain low-fat yoghurt

Preparation method

Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 3 hours

1.Wash 2 of the oranges and place in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Allow the oranges to cool, then cut open, remove the pips and roughly chop the flesh.

2.Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease and flour a 22-cm springform tin. Process the cooked oranges, eggs, ground almonds, sugar and baking powder in a food processor.

3.Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 1 hour or until the centre is firm (note that this is a very moist cake). Cool in the tin before gently turning out.

4.Peel the remaining oranges with a small paring knife. Separate the orange segments from the membranes. Serve the cake with the fresh orange segments and some yoghurt on the side.

Nutrition

• Energy 1390 kJ
• Fibre 4 g
• Protein 11 g
• Carbohydrate 37 g
• Saturated Fat 2 g
• Total Fat 16 g
• Cholesterol 130 mg

Roast Pumpkin And Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

Serves: 2

• 2 cups pumpkin, diced
• 1 chicken breast
• 1 clove garlic
• small handful Italian parsley
• small handful grated parmesan
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup cream
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups penne or similar pasta

 

Preparation method

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 40 minutes

 

1.Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Prepare pumpkin, finely dice garlic and parsley.

 

2.Toss pumpkin in half of the oil and roast for 30 minutes or until tender and golden. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to oven for the last 15-20 minutes.

 

3.Shortly before the pumpkin is finished, boil salted water for the pasta and heat oil in frypan. Add pasta to water when the pumpkin and chicken are nearly finished. Fry garlic in pan over medium heat, then turn down to low heat.

 

4.Add pumpkin to garlic, stirring. Add parsley and slowly stir in the cream. Pumpkin should go a little mushy and blend with the cream. Add lemon juice.

 

5.Shred or chop up chicken. When pasta is ready, stir the parmesan and chicken into the pumpkin mixture and season with salt and pepper.

 

6.Drain pasta and combine with pumpkin mixture. Serve with a little extra parmesan and a sprinke of pepper.

Turkey And Ricotta Pasta Bake

Ingredients

Serves: 8

• 500g ricotta cheese
• 250g grated mozzarella cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, or more to taste
• 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 500g whole-wheat penne
• 500g turkey mince
• 400g spaghetti sauce

 

Preparation method

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes

 

1.Preheat an oven to 150 degrees C.

 

2.Stir the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl; set aside on counter to allow to come to room temperature.

 

3.Bring a pot of water to a boil; cook the penne in the boiling water until cooked through yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

 

4.While the pasta cooks, place a frypan over medium heat. Crumble the turkey into the frypan; cook and stir until the turkey is completely browned. Drain and add to the pasta.

 

5.Spread 2 tablespoons of the spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a 20x30cm baking dish; stir the rest of the spaghetti sauce into the pasta and turkey mixture. Spoon about half of the pasta mixture into the baking dish; top with the cheese mixture and spread into an even layer. Spread the remaining pasta mixture over the cheese layer. Cover with aluminium foil if desired.

 

6.Bake in the preheated oven until slightly brown on top, about 30 minutes.

Cheese And Garlic Macaroni

Ingredients

Serves: 8

• 300g macaroni
• 65g butter
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup (30g) plain flour
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 250g cream cheese, cubed
• 1 cup grated Swiss cheese
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

 

Preparation method

Prep: 40 minutes | Cook: 55 minutes

 

1.Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Lightly grease a 20x30cm baking dish.

 

2.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

 

3.Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook for 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 2 minutes more. Slowly stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

 

4.Stir in the cream and milk and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in mustard powder and liquid smoke; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, along with the cream cheese, Swiss and Cheddar cheeses; stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the drained macaroni. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs over the macaroni.

 

5.Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

 

Chicken Lasagne

Ingredients

Serves: 9

• 8 sheets lasagne
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped green capsicum
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tins condensed cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 cup (190ml) milk
• 2 cups grated processed cheese
• 1 green chilli, chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 3 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 450g cottage cheese

 

Preparation method

Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes

 

1.Cook lasagne in a large pot of boiling water until done. Rinse and drain. Set aside.

 

2.In a medium saucepan, saute capsicum and onions in butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in undiluted soup, milk, garlic, cheese, and chilli.

 

3.Place half of the lasagne in a 20x30cm baking dish. Layer with half of the cream sauce, 1/2 cottage cheese, 1/2 diced chicken, and 1/2 Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers.

 

4.Bake 180 degrees C for 45 minutes.

Pasta With Roasted Potatoes And Cauliflower

Ingredients

Serves: 8

• 500g small potatoes
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons of chilli flakes
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 250g penne pasta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

 

Preparation method

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 55 minutes

 

1.Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Line a medium baking pan with heavy duty aluminium foil and spray foil with cooking spray.

 

2.Place potatoes in the prepared pan. Mix with onion, garlic, and chilli flakes. Drizzle with 1/3 cup water and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Seal pan with aluminium foil.

 

3.Bake potatoes 30 minutes in the preheated oven or until tender. Remove foil, mix in cauliflower and drizzle with remaining oil. Cover and continue baking 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 220 degrees C, remove foil and continue baking 10 minutes, or until potatoes are crisp and cauliflower is lightly browned.

 

4.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente and drain.

 

5.In a large bowl, gently toss the potato mixture with the cooked pasta. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

chicken with roasted garlic sauce

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 1 head garlic
• 250g wide egg noodles
• 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives

Preparation method

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 1 hour

 

1.Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Wrap the garlic head in foil and bake 30 minutes, until cloves are soft. Remove from heat and cool enough to handle.

 

2.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.

 

3.Slice off the top of the garlic head and squeeze the softened cloves into a medium bowl. Mix in the chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

 

4.Heat the olive oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Lightly coat the chicken breast fillets with flour and cook in the fry pan about 10 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Set chicken aside, retaining frypan juices.

 

5.Stir in the garlic mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and return chicken to the frypan. Continue cooking the chicken about 5 minutes on each side until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove chicken and arrange on plates over the egg noodles.

 

6.Mix the butter into the garlic sauce mixture in the frypan until melted and stir in the chives. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and egg noodles to serve.

 

macaroni with leeks

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 250g macaroni
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped leek
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup thickened cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
• 1 pinch black pepper

Preparation method

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

 

1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

 

2.Melt butter in a large frypan over low heat. Saute leeks and garlic until tender and translucent. Stir in cream and simmer until thickened. Toss with pasta and cheese until evenly coated and cheese is melted. Season with pepper.

coconut walnut bars

Ingredients

Serves: 24

crust

• 125g butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (185g) plain flour

top

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup (30g) plain flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation method

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 40 minutes

 

1.Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

 

2.In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the 1 1/2 cups of flour. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 20x30cm pan. Bake the crust for 15 minutes in the preheated oven until golden.

 

3.In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the 1/4 cup flour, cocoa (if desired), baking powder and salt; stir into the egg mixture. Fold in the coconut and walnuts. Pour into the pre-baked crust.

 

4.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Cool and cut into squares.