Homemade Dips

Dips are so easy and versatile to make that you'll wonder why you ever bought the tiny overpriced supermarket tubs. 

Hummus
1 tin chick peas, drained
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 lemon, juiced plus zest
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbs tahini
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbs olive oil 
salt & pepper

Toast the cumin seeds in a fry pan for a minute til they are fragrant, then wizz them in a little coffee grinder to a fine powder. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend. You can add a couple of oven roasted tomatoes or chargrilled capsicums too for variety. Garnish with parsley and serve with carrot sticks and lavosh crackers. 

Babaghanoush & Feta Dip
1 large eggplant
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tub herb marinated feta with 1-2 Tbs oil
mint, chopped
1 lemon, juiced

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend. I find adding the feta gives the dip a better texture and is a nice way to use the flavoured oil.

Leandra's Gingerbread

Christmas to me is about homemade gifts, a tradition I'm sharing with my children. This year my good friend Leandra, who is a fabulous cook, shared her wonderful gingerbread recipe with me. Tom and I wrapped our gingerbread reindeer and men in cellophane tied with red ribbon for Tim's family who were coming to stay and even a week later they were still a delicious present!

125g unsalted butter at room temperature
0.5 cup brown sugar
0.5 cup golden syrup
1 egg yolk
2.5 cups plain flour
1 Tbs ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp bicarb soda

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Then add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat well. Sift in the flour, bicarb and spices and mix. Then knead on a floured surface until smooth, wrap in gladwrap and rest in the fridge for 30mins. Preheat your oven to 180•C. 
Roll out the mixture between two sheets of baking paper and use biscuit cutters to stamp out shapes and decorate with currants. (The mixture softens really quickly so you may find you need to pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to harden it again.) Bake for 10-12 mins and cool completely on wire racks.

Summer Pavlova

This pavlova recipe is the perfect cake for a party - fresh mango & whipped cream is heavenly. But most importantly, it can be stretched to feed 20 or more with ease!

8 egg whites
500g caster sugar - look out for 'natural' sugar, not bleached.
4tsp lemon juice
2Tbs corn flour
500ml thin cream, whipped with vanilla essence 
& a little icing sugar
3-4 large mangoes, skinned and sliced
10 passionfruit

NB. The bowl & beaters you use to whisk the egg whites must be completely clean and perfectly dry otherwise the egg whites won't work. Also, if you make the pavlova on a humid day it may weep a bit but that's okay, just don't make it too early in the day and you'll get away with it. In winter you could make it a day ahead if you like and cover it with beautiful winter fruit instead.

Preheat oven to 150•C. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then whisk in the caster sugar a little at a time allowing it to dissolve between each addition. It will become very thick and glossy then add the lemon juice and sifted corn flour last. Spread evenly over two large baking trays lined with baking paper and greased lightly. The mixture should be about 3 cms thick. Bake on the lowest shelf for half an hour, turn off the heat and allow it to cool in the oven, or even sit there out of site until you're ready to assemble it.

Get a guest at the party to whip the cream. Someone else to cut up the passionfruit. If you're really organised you'll already have prepared the mangoes earlier in the day and all that needs to be done is a big assemblage. Its messy but that's one of the delights of fresh homemade pavlova!