Cheats Cheese & Tomato Scrolls

My kids don't eat sandwiches on their lunch, not that the dogs mind - they come running whenever they hear the sound of tupperware being opened in the kitchen these days. These cheese & tomato scrolls were very well received this morning and very quick to make. Maybe I've found a solution...

1 cup SR flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
30g butter, chopped
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp dried oregano
handful of shredded cheese
pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 200•C
Sift the flour and baking powder, then rub the butter into it with your fingers. Add the milk, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Knead with your hands or a dough hook until just combined then dust a surface with flour and roll out into a rectangle.
Spread on the pasta sauce, sprinkle with cheese and oregano and roll up into a log, then cut into 1 inches pieces. Lie them onto a tray lined with baking paper and whack into the hot oven for 20mins.
I would like to try a grown up version of this too with rosemary and chopped olives and feta...

10 Minute Double Choc Muffins

Simple enough to make before school, thrown together whilst eating a stand-up breakfast!

They are best eaten straight out of the oven - there's no butter which makes them very fast to make but the tradeoff is they don't keep so well, although the banana does make them deliciously moist! Freshen one up for your afternoon cup of tea by zapping it in the microwave for 10secs.

PS. This is a modification on a basic muffin recipe - if you omit the cocoa powder you can do almost anything. Swap half the SR flour for wholemeal, add nuts, sultanas, a chopped overripe pear or frozen blueberries, add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on the top, whatever... just keep in mind that frozen fruit will up the cooking time to about 60mins. 

Makes 6

2/3 cup SR flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)
2 heaped Tbs cocoa powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 ripe banana, mashed well

Preheat oven to 200•C
Prepare 6 squares of baking paper to line the muffin tin with - I find this works better than paper liners which stick to the muffins!
Sift the 'dry ingredients' into a bowl. (flour, cocoa & sugar)
Beat the egg and add the 'wet ingredients' (milk & oil).
Pour the wet ingredients into a well in the dry ingredients and mix quickly together - you might need to add a bit more milk if its a bit dry here, but don't overmix or the muffins will be tough.
Add the choc chips and banana and mix through briefly, then divide the mixture into the cases, putting the baking paper squares in as you go.
Pop them in the oven and in 20 minutes they're done!

Almond & Oat Biscuits

Delicious school holiday cookies that can be knocked together in a matter of minutes - perfect to take on a picnic to the park. Be warned - you won't be able to stop at just one!

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup golden caster sugar
1.1/2 cups flaked almonds
150g butter
1Tbs golden syrup

Preheat oven to 190•C.
Melt the butter in a small pot over a gentle heat.
Combine oats, sifted flour, cinnamon, caster sugar & flaked almonds in a large bowl.
When the butter is melted, mix in the golden syrup and add to the dry ingredients.
Stir well, then press tablespoons of the mixture into balls and flatten slightly.
Bake on lined trays for approx 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks & allow to cool completely before putting in an airtight container.

Choc-Chip Biscuits

Tom had a little friend over the other day and the two of them had great fun taking turns measuring, mixing and cracking the egg, then taking little spoonfuls of dough and rolling it. They made small balls and a couple of big balls and a few sausage shaped experiments which all worked really well as the big biscuits stayed deliciously chewy inside while the smaller ones were crisp! 

When they were cooked we took them down to the garden on a tray with some milk and cups and a few nice apples for a lovely Autumn picnic. 

1 egg, beaten

75g melted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup dark choc chip melts (These are better than the ones that hold their shape in my opinion!)

whole pecans to decorate

Preheat your oven to 180•c

In a big bowl mix together the sugar, beaten egg and melted butter. Then sift in the flour and baking powder and mix together with the choc chips. Then take small spoonfuls of mixture and, roll into balls and place well spaced on baking paper lined trays. 

Pop them in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes. You can start the first batch while the second tray is still being rolled then swap the position of the trays in the oven if it needs browning up a bit more by putting it up higher for the last few minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool, and when completely cooled store them in an airtight container. 

Broccoli & Tofu Salad

Chewy, tasty and wholesome - finally I know what to do with tofu, thanks to my friend Sally. It is really a great pick-me-up when I'm feeling low on energy and (amazingly) Charlotte loves the tofu and rice too.

1 packet hard tofu, cut into 1.5 cm cubes

1 cup brown rice

1 head of broccoli cut into small florets

.25kg green beans

1 avocado

3 Tbs tamari*

2 Tbs sesame oil

3 Tbs dry roasted peanuts

2 Tbs sesame seeds

1 Tbs pickled ginger finely chopped, or grated fresh ginger or fresh chopped coriander

Put the cup of brown rice in a saucepan with 6 cups of cold water. Bring to the boil then simmer gently and set your timer for 20 minutes (the rice will need to cook for 28 in total). Put an inch of water into a second pot with a steamer top and put on high heat then prepare your vegetables and tofu. Toast the peanuts and sesame seeds, tossing often in the pan. When the timer goes put the broccoli florets and green beans into the steamer and add the tofu to the brown rice pot. After 8 minutes drain the rice and tofu into a sieve and put into a large bowl with the steamed broccoli. Season with the sesame oil and tamari and toss well. Add the nuts and seeds and pickled ginger and toss again. Leave to cool a little before adding thick slices of avocado.

*Tamari is similar to soy sauce but with a milder flavour. If you don't have it you can substitute with soy sauce to your taste.

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.

Carrot Cake

Bake this easy cake with your kids in the morning. Then take it straight from the oven, wrapped in a tea towel with a knife, some fruit and a bottle of water. Put your housebound kids and dogs in the car and drive to the nearest park. Pick a spot in dappled sunlight to spread a rug and enjoy life. Eating carrot cake cut straight from the tin - the outer edge crisp and crumbly and the inside moist and still warm from the oven - is one of life's most joyful pleasures.

1.5 cups self raising flour

0.5 cups of brown sugar

1.5 cups coarsely grated carrot

0.5 cups sultanas

0.5 cups chopped walnuts

zest of 1 lemon

1tsp bicarb of soda

1tsp cinnamon 

0.5 tsp ground ginger

3 eggs

2Tbs maple syrup

3/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 180•C. Butter one large, or two small loaf tins and line the base with baking paper. Sift flour and mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk eggs and wet ingredients then add to dry ingredients and mix til just combined. Pour into loaf tins and decorate with whole pecans and demerara sugar. Bake until a skewer comes out clean, approx 35-45 mins for a small loaf tin, or 1 hour for a regular sized tin.