Simple Apple Cake

An easy home-style cake topped with cinnamon, fresh apple and crunchy flaked almonds. Be sure to use hard-textured apples for the topping. Bonza, Golden Delicious and Fuji are all good alternatives to Granny Smiths. Recipe serves 10.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup caster sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup macadamia nut oil
Topping:
4 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 ounce (25 g) flaked almonds

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Thoroughly grease and line the base of a 13 x 9 inch (33 x 23 cm) shallow slab cake tin.
2. For the topping, put the sugar and cinnamon into a bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the apples and set aside.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Stir in the caster sugar. Make a hollow in the center.
4. Mix together the eggs, milk and oil, then stir into the flour mixture with a fork until well combined. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin.
5. Place tablespoons of the topping over the cake mixture. Sprinkle with the almonds.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a warm skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Turn out the cake onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Don't worry if the cake mixture is a little lumpy when poured into the tin, as it should resemble a muffin mix.

Rice Apple Pancakes

A delicious, healthy and easy way of incorporating fresh fruit into a pancake recipe. Serves 6 for dessert.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice
1 cup reduced fat milk
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon margarine
4 ounces (125 g) self-rising (raising) flour, sifted
Grated rind of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 medium apples, grated
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 egg whites
Oil for frying
Natural yogurt to accompany

Method:

1. Simmer the cooked rice in 1/4 cup of milk until the milk is absorbed (10-15 minutes). Remove from heat, add egg yolks and remaining milk, stir in and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine honey, margarine, sifted flour, grated lemon rind, lemon juice, grated apple and nutmeg. Set aside. Whisk egg whites until peaks form.
3. Combine rice with the apple mixture and then fold in the egg white. In a lightly oiled frying pan, put separate tablespoons of mixture and cook as small pancakes.
4. Serve hot with natural yogurt and a little extra honey.

Chocolate and Apple Cake

Finely chopped apple added to this easy chocolate mixture makes it moist and fruity. Recipe Serves 8-10.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
4 ounces (125 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring essence
3/4 cup milk
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
Icing:
4 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
2 ounces (60 g) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (approximately) milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a 8 inch (20 cm) square cake tin with melted butter. Line the base and sides with buttered greaseproof paper.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Set aside.
3. Put the butter and sugar into a second mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs and vanilla.
4. Stir the flour mixture and milk alternately into the egg mixture, adding a little at a time. Stir in the apples.
5. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Stand the tin on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes, then turn onto the rack to cool completely. Place on a large serving plate.
6. For the icing, sieve the icing sugar and cocoa into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and milk and beat with an electric mixer on a low speed until creamy and smooth. Spread over the top and sides of the cake. Cut into squares and serve.

For a classic sandwich cake, cut the baked cake in half horizontally. Spread half of the icing over the bottom layer of cake. Place the other layer of cake on top. Spread the remaining icing evenly over the top.

Yogurt and Herb Bread

This easy focaccia-like bread is made particularly tasty with the addition of natural yogurt and fresh herbs. I like to use fresh oregano and rosemary and a dough made with all-purpose unbleached flour. Recipe serves 8.

Ingredients:

2 sachets dried yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose (plain) flour
2 pound (1 kg) all-purpose (plain) flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Extra flour for kneading
4 tablespoons natural yogurt
1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon oregano, finely chopped
Water at room temperature

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl put the yeast, sugar and 1 tablespoon flour. Add 2-3 tablespoons water at room temperature. Mix well and allow to stand in warm place for 15 minutes.
2. Stir in 2 pound all-purpose flour, oil, salt and about 2 2/3 cups water. When mixed, cover with damp tea towel and leave for at least 45 minutes in warm room and up to an hour in a cold one. The dough should double in size.
3. On a floured surface, knead dough for at least 15 minutes adding flour to keep dough from sticking to the fingers.
4. Split into three portions and knead each piece separately. Roll into pizza shapes before placing on oiled pizza tins, or roasting pans.
5. Spread a little yogurt onto each pizza, and press little indentations with the fingertips for the yogurt to settle. Sprinkle with salt, rosemary and/or oregano.
6. Cover again with tea towel and leave for 10 minutes.
7. Bake in very hot oven (440 degrees F/220 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes till golden on top. Serve warm.

Brandied Fig Ice Cream

An easy homemade ice cream dessert flavored with brandy and glace fruit. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

6 ounces (185 g) dessert glace figs
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy
1 pint (600 ml) cream
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 pound (250 g/punnet) strawberries

Method:

1. Puree figs in mincer or processor, add brandy, mix well. Heat cream, without boiling. Beat egg yolks and sugar together in electric mixer, gradually beat in cream. Return to pan, stir constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens slightly; do not boil.
2. Add brandied fig mixture, cool to room temperature. Pour mixture into loaf tin, cover with aluminum foil, freeze several hours or until partly set. 3. Remove from tin, beat in electric mixer until smooth, return to tin, cover with foil. Freeze several hours, or overnight.

Ice cream can be cut into slices for serving, or spooned into dessert glasses. Garnish with strawberries.

Stir-Fried Nutty Spinach

A quick, simple stir-fry of fresh spinach and pine nuts, prepared in an oriental style with a crunchy character. Recipe serves 4 as a side dish.

Ingredients:

1 bunch English spinach
2 ounces (50 g) pine nuts
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Black pepper

Method:

1. Remove stalks from spinach leaves and discard. Wash leaves in three changes of water, drain and dry on paper towel.
2. In a large non-stick frying pan, or a wok, over high heat, toast pine nuts in sesame oil until browned.
3. Add spinach and stir for one minute.
4. Stir in nutmeg and a sprinkling of pepper and continue cooking for 30 seconds or so, until spinach has softened. Serve straight from pan.

Baked Beans Deluxe

For a cheap family dinner try this easy one-pot baked bean casserole served with hot wholemeal bread or rolls. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 x 14 ounce (440 g) cans baked beans in tomato sauce
1 stick celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green capsicum (pepper), chopped
6 1/2 ounce (190 g) can champignons, drained
14 ounce (440 g) can pineapple pieces, drained
1/2 cup treacle
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash Tabasco sauce
7 ounces (200 g) smoked frankfurters, sliced

Method:

1. Combine baked beans with celery, onion, green capsicum, champignons and pineapple in large ovenproof dish. Stir in treacle, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and frankfurters. Bake, uncovered, in moderate oven 1 1/2 hours.