Homemade Cherry Ripe bars
Serves:
Makes 8 bars
Ingredients
- 200g dried cranberries
- 100g sultanas
- 1 1/4 cups (100g) desiccated coconut
- 200g good quality milk chocolate (not cooking chocolate)
Method
In a blender or food processor, pulse cranberries, sultanas and coconut together until they form a well combined, thick and sticky mixture.
Scrape the mixture out onto a piece of baking paper, then gently press together to form a large disc shape. Cover with another piece of baking paper and use a rolling pin to shape into a rectangle about 10cm wide x 25cm long x 1cm thick (approx). Place in the fridge to harden – this may take up to an hour.
Remove from fridge and place on a large chopping board, then use a sharp knife to halve, then quarter and finally trim the rectangle into 8 even-sized bars.
Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, stirriing continuously. Dollop half of the chocolate on top of the bars and use a knife to smear evenly across all of them. Run a butter knife between each bar before putting them back into the fridge so the chocolate sets. This should take 30 minutes.
Once the first coat of chocolate has set, turn the bars upside down, reheat the remaining chocolate and repeat the coating process. Be sure to run the knife between each bar so that they don’t stick together.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Serving Suggestions
Note
- You can also try this recipe with dark chocolate or milk chocolate.
- If you don't like coconut, just leave it out or add some nuts instead.
- Chocoholics will also really enjoy the richness of these amazing Tim Tam brownies.
- This heavenly Toblerone cheesecake does not require baking, making it the perfect summer dessert.
- A little bit naughty but oh so nice! This Mars Bar mud cake is an absolute cinch to make.
- Lovers of chocolate spread will appreciate the magic of this Homemade Nutella. So much tastier than the shop-bought variety!
- Looking for a divine cake for a special occassion? Nothing beats the orange-choc combination in this Jaffa fudge cake.
- Spoil your party guests with a tray of these seriously good Crispy Mars Bar balls. But be warned, one will never be enough!
- For a mouth-watering twist on a traditional cupcake, give these Honeycomb tower cupcakes a go. Sweet AND crunchy.
- These Easy Oreo truffles have just 3 ingredients, but are totally divine. The kids will love them too!
- Bake, ice and serve this Coca-Cola cake in the pan, for a delish afternoon tea treat that will melt in your mouth.
- This recipe was created by Katie Rainbird for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder. You can follow Katie at Katie180.
Easy five cup loaf
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup dessicated coconut
- 1 cup sultanas
- 1 cup milk
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and set aside.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Pour into lined tin.
Bake for 40-45 mins until cake springs back when lightly touched in the centre.
Find related cake recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- This is a favourite for lunch box treats at my place.
- Make sure you don’t let it stand before it goes into the oven or all the sultanas will sink to the bottom.
- This is a recipe that you can whip up from pantry ingredients. Keep this recipe in your bag of tricks for when the budget is running low.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Spaghetti with creamy ham sauce
Serves:
Ingredients
- 500 grams spaghetti
- olive or canola oil spray
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 150 grams button mushrooms, quartered
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 375ml CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk
- 200 grams lean ham, cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
Cook pasta according to directions on pack, drain.
Spray a frying pan or wok with oil and heat.
Add the onion and mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until soft.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Put the cornflour into a small bowl and gradually add 1/4 cup CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk, stirring until smooth.
Add the remaining CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk to the pan then gradually add the cornflour mixture, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the sauce boils and thickens.
Stir in ham and parsley, season to taste.
When the pasta is al dente, drain and return to the saucepan.
Add the sauce and toss through the pasta.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Pork chops with feta and beetroot salad
Serves:
Ingredients
- 200g feta
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp mint, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 410g tin baby beetroot
- 4 pork loin chops
Method
Cut feta into a 1.5cm dice. Place in a bowl or jar with the herbs and lemon zest, and top with oil to cover. Stir or shake to combine. Leave for at least an hour to marinate.
Drain beetroot and halve or quarter, depending on size. Combine with marinated feta.
Heat a heavy frypan over medium heat. Season pork chops well and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until just cooked through.
Serve with feta and beetroot salad.
Find more dinner recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Save extra oil from the feta and use in salad dressings.
- Any leftover feta would be great on an antipasto plate or stirred through pasta.
- Recipe by Greer Worsley, a working mum whose desire to make and bake things has grown in inverse proportion to the amount of spare time she has since her three gorgeous girls came along. Her blog is typically red.
Arrowroot faces
Serves:
Ingredients
- packet of Arrowroot biscuits
- icing sugar
- colouring
- lollies of any kind
Method
Make up the icing sugar as per the instructions. Seperate into little dishes and add a different colouring into each dish for different coloured icing.
With either a butter knife or the back of a spoon, spread icing over the flat side of the biscuit and then decorate with whatever lollies the kids desire – you can make great faces with jelly beans!
Once the icing sugar has been made, this is so easy for young kids to make on their own and they love creating as many designs or characters as they can.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Eggs in a frame
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 piece of bread
- butter/margarine
Method
Cut out the centre of a slice of bread with a biscuit or cookie cutter. Butter bread generously on both sides. In a frying pan, brown bread frames on both sides.
Crack the egg into the centre of the bread and cook slowly for a few minutes then cover the pan until the white starts to set.
Sprinkle lightly with salt. Lift out carefully and serve.
Find more:
Serving Suggestions
Note
Steak with creamy mushroom sauce
Serves:
Ingredients
- 4 x 150-200g steak (I used rump)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 350g button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- half a cup white wine (optional)
- half a cup (125mL) chicken stock
- half a cup (125mL) cream (or evaporated light milk)
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (optional)
Method
Place steaks in a plastic bag with oil, salt and pepper. Vent your aggression by bashing the steak to tenderise. Store in fridge until ready to cook; remove 10 minutes before cooking.
Heat a large non-stick frypan or BBQ to high heat. Cook steak for 2-3 minutes each side for medium, or to taste, turning once only. Remove to a plate, cover with aluminium foil and keep warm.
Reduce heat to medium, melt butter in pan juices and add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden and tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add wine (if using), stock and cream. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until sauce thickens slightly. I prefer a thicker sauce, so thicken with 1 tablespoon of cornflour dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water.
Serve steak smothered in mushroom sauce with potato wedges and a green vegetable or salad.
Notes:
- Choosing the mushrooms is my 3 year old daughters current favourite helpful thing to do whilst grocery shopping. At last count we literally had 3 bags full. So this week we have creamy mushroom sauce, which is just as lovely with pork or chicken, and Sunday mushrooms on toast for leftover sauce and surplus mushrooms!
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Chilli chocolate mousse
Serves:
Ingredients
- 500ml low fat custard
- 400g Vanilla Hazelnut yoghurt
- 1/2 teaspoon optional chilli powder
- 1 cup Chocolate drinking Powder
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 3 teaspoons powdered gelatine
- 2 egg whites
- 200g optional mixed fresh berries
- 50g Milk Chocolate, grated
Method
Whisk custard, yogurt, chilli, drinking chocolate and icing sugar in a bowl until combined.
Combine gelatine and 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until gelatine dissolves and liquid is clear.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Beat eggwhites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form.
Fold eggwhites and gelatine mixture through chocolate mixture.
Divide between 6 serving glasses and refrigerate until set.
Serve topped with berries, if desired, and chocolate.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Brown sugar porridge
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 tsp roughly chopped walnuts (about 1-2 walnut halves)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup low fat milk
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup pie apples
- 1 ½ tsp brown sugar
Method
Place walnuts into a small frypan and cook over a low heat until brown and fragrant. (Keep an eye on them as nuts burn very quickly. If you think you’ll eat this more often, toast a batch of nuts and keep them in an airtight container).
Place oats, milk, ½ cup water and vanilla extract into a small saucepan and cook over a medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes. Add more water if porridge gets too dry. I like my porridge creamy and loose and so I use a little more water.
While porridge is cooking, heat apples and keep warm. Once porridge is cooked, pour into a bowl and top with apples, brown sugar and toasted nuts.
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Make sure you use traditional oats and not quick oats for this recipe.
- You can replace the apples with any tinned fruit of your choice
- This recipe was created by Jay Rogers for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Find more breakfast recipes
Ham frittata
Serves:
Ingredients
- 500g cold cooked potatoes, diced
- 300g ham, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- half a cup (125mL) cream or milk
- 8 eggs, lightly whisked
- Salt and ground black pepper (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 23cm round cake pan and line with non-stick baking paper. Heat oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan, add onion and cook until soft and golden.
Whisk the cream or milk and eggs together, then season with salt and pepper (if using). Stir ham and potato into egg mixture and pour into cake pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until frittata is set. Turn onto a wire rack to cool. Serve cut into wedges with a green salad and crusty bread.
Notes:
- I used leftover new boiled potatoes, which made this a very quick dinner to throw together.
- We had this frittata with the tomato, mozzarella and basil stacks and leftovers for lunch the next day.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Tabouli salad
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of cooked couscous
- 100g of tomato paste
- 1 stick of celery, diced
- 1 red capsicum, diced
- A few green olives halved
- A little bit of cheese (swiss or edam) diced
- 1 tbsp of mint
- 1 apple granny smith, diced
- Spring onion or red onion, diced
Method
Cook couscous according to directions on the packet.
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate a few hours.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Easy chocolate brownies
Serves:
Ingredients
- 300g butter
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 2 ½ cups brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1/4 packet milk choc bits
- 1/4 packet white choc bits
Method
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line the base of 18cm x 23xcm slice tin with baking paper.
Place butter and cocoa in large bowl and heat in microwave until butter is melted, stir. Add brown sugar and mix well.
Add eggs and flour, – 1 egg and ½ cup flour at a time – making sure to mix after each addition. Add choc bits and combine.
Bake for 30-40 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn onto wire rack.
Dust with icing sugar when cool. Nice served warm as a dessert with berries.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Healthy chicken parmigiana
Serves:
Ingredients
Tomato sauce
- 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Parmigiana
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
- 500g chicken breast
- 100g mozzarella or bocconcini
Method
Heat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced.
Place all tomato sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce is reduced a little and onions are soft. Cool slightly.
Heat oil in frying pan and add eggplant slices. Sprinkle each slice with a little salt and cook on both sides until tender (about 5 minutes per side). Cool slightly.
Slice each chicken breast horizontally through the centre to make two thin fillets.
Place each fillet in an oven proof dish and top with slices of eggplant. Spoon over tomato sauce and top with slices of mozzarella or bocconcini.
Place dish into the oven and bake for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted. Serve with a nice big salad.
Serving Suggestions
Note
- If you like your cheese really bubbly and golden, give the chicken a blast under the grill for 30-60 seconds.
- This healthy parmigiana has around half the saturated fat of a traditional parmigiana.
- This recipe was created by Jay Rogers for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Find more chicken recipes:
Meatball & Tzatziki Wraps
Serves:
Makes 4 Wraps with left over meatballs.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, very finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 500g beef mince
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 egg
Tzatziki
- ½ cup plain yoghurt (the thicker the better)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
- generous pinch of salt
- 4 Tip Top Supersoft or Oatilicious wraps
- large handful of shredded lettuce
- ¼ telegraph cucumber sliced into wedges
- drizzle of tomato sauce (optional)
Method
Combine the onion, garlic, mince, oregano, breadcrumbs, tomato sauce and egg in a bowl and mix well. If the mixture is too wet to form into balls then add some more breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Form the mixture into walnut sized balls.
Heat a film of oil in a frying pan and cook meatballs until well coloured and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
Mix the tzatziki ingredients together in a small bowl.
Distribute the lettuce between the wraps and then top with 3 meatballs, a sprinkling of cucumber and a drizzle of yoghurt and tomato sauce.
Fold in the ends and wrap into a parcel.
Find more Tip Top Wrap recipe ideas:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Recipe makes 24 meatballs
Tomato and ricotta tartlets with thyme oil
Serves:
Ingredients
- 250g baby roma tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 20ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 250g ricotta
- 1 tbsp parmesan, grated
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
Thyme oil:
- 1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Method
For thyme oil, combine ingredients and set aside.
Preheat oven to 170°C conventional (150°C fan-forced). Halve tomatoes and place in a single layer on a baking tray. Flatten garlic cloves with the side of a knife, then nestle them in amongst the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, season well and bake for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, parsley and seasoning.
Increase oven temperature to 190°C conventional (170°C fan-forced).
Cut pastry into four squares, approximately 15cm, and place on a lined baking tray. Cut 1.5cm strips from remaining pastry and layer around edge of each square. Spread ricotta mixture evenly in centre of each square.
Top with slow-roasted tomatoes and bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.
Serve drizzled with thyme oil.
Related vegetarian recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- You can roast the tomatoes ahead of time and store them in the fridge.
- Roast extra tomatoes and use the leftovers stirred through pasta or in a salad.
- Recipe by Greer Worsley, a working mum whose desire to make and bake things has grown in inverse proportion to the amount of spare time she has since her three gorgeous girls came along. Her blog is typically red.
Roasted pumpkin, garlic and ricotta lasagne
Serves:
Ingredients
Lasagne
- 1kg pumpkin, peeled and sliced (about 1 cm thick)
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 bulb garlic, cloves separated but skin still on
- Oil spray
- 6 fresh lasagne sheets
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan
Ricotta sauce
- 500g light ricotta
- Flesh from the roasted garlic cloves
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup light milk
- Pinch nutmeg
- 8-10 sage leaves, finely sliced
- Salt and pepper
Method
Preparing the ingredients:
Heat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced and line two baking trays with baking paper.
Lightly spray pumpkin slices with oil spray and sprinkle over allspice.
Lay out on baking trays and add garlic cloves.
Roast for 25-35 minutes until pumpkin is soft. Keep an eye on the garlic cloves – you don’t want them to roast dry because you need the lovely soft flesh for the ricotta sauce. Allow to cool slightly.
Making the ricotta sauce:
Whisk ricotta, flesh from the garlic cloves (just squeeze them and the flesh will drizzle out – discard the skins) and egg together.
Add milk and nutmeg and whisk until well combined. Stir through sage leaves and season well with salt and pepper.
Assembling and cooking the lasagne:
Spray a baking dish lightly with oil and line with two lasagne sheets.
Top with pumpkin and one third of the ricotta mixture.
Add another layer of lasagne sheets and top with pumpkin and ricotta.
Repeat the process once more finishing with ricotta mixture.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before sprinkling over parmesan.
Notes
- I’ve used a shallow square baking dish but use whatever you’ve got. It’s not a really high lasagne so about 28cm long x 20cm wide x 6cm deep should do it.
- Recipe written by Jay Rogers from The Moodie Foodie.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Family movie night is a great way to get the whole family together and relax at the end of the working week. Find a great movie, gather your loved ones but wait a minute, where are the snacks? You’re going to need supplies my friend and sometimes a bowl of popcorn just won’t cut it!
Super hungry?
If the family’s really hungry you will need something substantial. Nachos with gooey melted cheese is a popular choice. Toasted sandwiches will be a winner and soup with bread is a great winter warmer. Or why not try to make a stir fry and serve it in noodle boxes with disposable chopsticks and don’t forget the home made pizza. The tummy fillers will leave them happy and satisfied.
Sweet savers
The candy bar at your house can be just like the one at the cinema. Make your own choc tops ahead of time by scooping ice cream into sugar cones and dipping in homemade ice magic. Package some honey popcorn in little paper bags and pop them in a basket ready for interval. Get the fixings ready for hot chocolate and throw in some big marshmallows. You can pack disposable cups with mixed lollies (don’t forget the Jaffas) and buy some cans of drink and a packet of straws so the cleanup is easy on you.
Savoury snacks
Some people just don’t have that sweet tooth and they love a savoury or spicy snack for the movies. Make your own crunchy potato chips at home and give them a generous shake of sea salt and balsamic vinegar. Grab a bag of mixed nuts, sprinkle them with Cajun seasoning and roast them in the oven for 10 minutes. A nice cheese plate will serve the more discerning palate and it’s a great match with a glass of wine for Mum and Dad (hello it is Friday night isn’t it?)
Healthy eats
If the order of the day is healthy snacks, you can make special berry smoothies, have air popped popcorn, fruit kebabs and pack a tasty low-fat chicken salad into noodle boxes too. A cute little plate of vegies and individual dipping cups will have the kids sitting still for a while.
Movie night is a great time for your family to relax. With a little planning you can have them looking forward to this special night every week. Family, food and friends all equals fun!
Tip
Movie snacks are all about relaxing. Shared platters tend to have people bobbing up and down all the way through the movie, so opt for single serves instead. Movie night is a great night to get the disposable plates and cutlery out so Mum can just scoop it all up into a garbage bag and the washing up is done.
Orange cake
Serves:
Ingredients
- 125g butter, softened
- 1 cup caster sugar
- Zest and juice of an orange
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- ¼ cup milk
Icing
- 1½ cups icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm square or round cake tin.
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat on low speed until just combined.
Increase speed and beat until smooth.
Pour into prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then turn out onto a cake tray to cool.
To make the icing, combine icing sugar and enough orange juice to make a smooth paste.
Spread icing onto cold cake.
Notes:
- This is a great, quick cake to make and is perfect for afternoon tea and for lunch boxes.
- You will get a flatter cake using the square tin, but then it is easy to cut into squares for lunch boxes.
- Can be mixed in a food processor.
- I like to add some orange zest to the icing, but that depends on your children’s ‘bit’ tolerance.
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Spring frittata
Serves:
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 6-8 (about 200g ) small new potatoes, sliced thickly in thirds
- 6-8 asparagus spears (80g), woody ends removed, cut into bite size pieces
- 2/3 cup (125g) peas (if using frozen then thaw first)
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 2 egg whites
- zest from 1 lemon
- 40g Danish feta, crumbled
Method
Preheat grill on high heat.
Heat oil in a non-stick oven-proof frying pan and add potatoes.
Toss potatoes in oil, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes before adding asparagus, peas and spring onions.
Continue to cook for 3 minutes.
Whisk eggs, egg whites and lemon zest until light and frothy. Add eggs to frying pan and cook for 3 minutes or until the base is golden and set.
Dot with feta and place under the preheated grill for 2-3 minutes or until golden and frittata is set. Remove from heat.
Place an egg flipper underneath the frittata and gently slide out onto a plate. Alternatively you can place a board or plate over the frittata and turn upside down.
Cut into wedges and serve with salad.
Find related frittata recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- I’ve used potatoes, asparagus and peas in this frittata but feel free to use whatever ingredients you have in the house (and can get the kids to eat!). You could also replace the potato with sweet potato or pumpkin, just adjust the cooking times so the vegetables are softened.
- You could also add some bacon if you’ve got bacon lovers in your house (and who hasn’t?). I would put it in at the same stage as the asparagus.
- Swap out the feta for cheddar or tasty or any other of your favourite cheeses.
- This recipe was created by Jay Rogers for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder. You can follow Jay at The Moodie Foodie and on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.
Vanilla cupcakes
Ingredients
- 200g butter, softened
- 1å_ cups caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups self-raising flour, sifted
- 1å_ cups milk
Method
Preheat the oven to 180å¡C or 160å¡ fan-forced. Line 2 x 12-cup cupcake tins with patty pans and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until pale. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is creamy.
With the mixer still running, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix until well combined.
Add the flour and milk alternately, a little at a time, mixing until combined.
Spoon the mixture into the patty cases and bake for 18-20 minutes, until cooked and golden-brown.
Notes:
- To make orange-flavoured cupcakes, omit the vanilla and add the finely grated zest of an orange, and replace å_ a cup of the milk with freshly squeezed orange juice.
- To turn these into chocolate cupcakes, omit the vanilla and add å_ cup of sifted cocoa.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Tomato, risoni and pesto soup
Serves:
Ingredients
- 20g butter
- 2 leeks, finely chopped
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup risoni pasta
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
Method
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and gently cook for about 5 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and thin out with about 1/2 cup boiling water. Cook for about 10 minutes over low heat.
Meanwhile cook the pasta according to packet instructions and then drain.
Puree the soup until smooth. Pour into bowls, top with a couple of tablespoons of the pasta per bowl and pesto to taste.
Find related soup recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- You can puree the soup in a blender, food processor or with a stick blender (my preference is the latter as there’s less washing up).
- If the pesto isn’t enough of a flavour boost then you can add some stock to this soup in place of the boiling water.
- This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Smoked salmon and caramelised onion omelette
Serves:
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 onions, sliced
- 20ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, plus extra for serving
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- salt/pepper
- 1 tbsp (30g) butter
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for serving
- 50g smoked salmon slices
- 30g rocket
- olive oil, for serving
Method
In a small saucepan, heat oil over very gentle heat. Add onions, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar and sugar and cook for a further 3 minutes. Set aside.
Heat a medium-sized non-stick saucepan over high heat. Whisk eggs in a bowl and season well. Add half the butter to frying pan, allow to melt, then pour in half the egg mixture. Reduce heat to medium and use a spatula to pull eggs from the edge of the pan into the centre, allowing the uncooked eggs to fill the space left behind. Continue for about a minute until the eggs are almost set.
Sprinkle with half the parmesan cheese and top with half the caramelised onions, then leave to finish cooking for a further minute. You can place it under a grill if preferred.
Place onto a plate and set aside, keeping warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make a second omelette.
Place omelettes onto serving plate. Top with slices of salmon and rocket, plus extra parmesan. Drizzle with extra balsamic and olive oil.
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Spinach or mixed salad leaves would do just as nicely as the rocket.
- Serve with toast or grilled bread for a heartier meal.
- Recipe by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.
Tuna slice
Ingredients
- 1 large tin tuna, drained
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup rice, uncooked
- 1 tin cream of celery soup
- 1 cup cheese, grated
Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Mix all ingredients together.
Season to taste.
Place in pie dish.
Bake for 25-30 min or until set.
