Limoncello - in 2 days!!!

This is such a great recipe....so quick. I enjoy limoncello on the rocks after dinner on a special occasion. It also works well as a cocktail topped with bubbles or in a long tumbler with ice and soda which is how I served it at an Italian themed baby shower recently!


Makes 700mls

4 lemons (washed, peel on, chopped into large chunks)
2 cups castor sugar
Rind of 1 lemon
350mls vodka
375mls water

Place lemons and sugar into a large bowl and bruise the fruit to extract some of the lemon oil by squashing with the muddler. Add rind, vodka and water to the bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar. If it doesn't dissolve easily leave for an hour and then stir again.
Cover with plastic wrap, leave in a cool place and allow to infuse for 48 hours
Strain liquid through a sieve, discarding lemons. Pour through a funnel into a bottle to store in the fridge or plastic bottle in the freezer
Serve well chilled from fridge or better still from the freezer.

Spicy red lentil soup

I really love spicy food! And the spices in this recipe do wonders for the otherwise bland lentils. It's a lovely healthy & filling bowl of yumminess.

1 litre stock, could use vege to make it completely vegetarian but I used chicken
1 cup red lentils
3 large carrots
1 med onion, roughly chopped
5 vine ripened tomatoes, quartered
2 red chillis
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 tbsp olive oil

In a large saucepan, heat oil and add garlic, onion and chilli to the pan. Fry gently till soft
Add tomatoes, puree and spices to the pan and fry gently for 5 minutes. Add rest of the ingredients, stirring well, then pop a lid on the pan and simmer for 20 mins until lentils are soft. Add some water if necessary. Blend the soup until smooth and creamy
Serve with a dollop of plain unsweetened yoghurt and some chopped coriander.

Salmon & celeriac hash

This is such a tasty hash thrown together from leftovers of weekend meals. I really hate wasting good food so it's meals like this I get great satisfaction in creating.

You could use chopped corned beef or ham in place of the salmon but I particularly like the marriage of salmon with the mustardy buttered celeriac and peas.

Serves 2

1/2 cup cold smashed potato (mine is roast spud with the skins still on)

1/2 cup celeriac & pea mash (see below)

100g wood roasted salmon

Combine cold ingredients and roll into balls, then flatten and fry on a high heat for 3 minutes each side or until crisp on the outside and warmed throughout. Serve with a poached egg on top. Yum!

Celeriac & pea mash

1 celeriac, trimmed and chopped into small pieces

1 cup frozen peas

1 tbsp grainy mustard

1/2 tsp hot mustard

30g butter

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Boil celeriac for 10 mins, add peas and boil for another 5. Add all other ingredients and mash.

Toastie heaven

I've been loving this toastie combination ever nice having it for brunch at Joe's Garage in Queenstown last year.

Toast a nice grainy ficelle, Paneton half baked is what I used. Slice open longways and spread some crushed pineapple on one side, top with grated tasty cheese then some good quality bacon and smear over some brown sauce (smokey bbq). Pop it back in the oven till cheese starts melting. Delicious!!!

Spud dauphinois

This is such a yummy way to eat potato! But I'm not going to pretend its good for you as it's cooked in cream and butter but from time to time we're all allowed a treat. It's a perfect dish to go with barbecued or roasted meat and serve with something green to keep the health conscious happy.

7 large potatoes
250mls cream
1 onion
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp butter
Freshly ground black pepper and salt
1 cup tasty cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Very thinly slice potatoes and onion. The finer the better
Cut up the butter and smear a little on the bottom of a baking dish, then start layering potato, onion, a touch of garlic and butter. Be sure to season each layer. Finish with a layer of potato and then sprinkle with the grated cheese. Drizzle the cream all over and then bake for 30-40 minutes.

Carrot, zuchinni & apple slaw

You can't get much healthier than this!!
The sweetness of the apple really makes this salad, I used it to accompany pork loin chops...a fab combination, apple and pork are a classic complimentary pair.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 small carrots, grated
2 small zuchinni, grated
1 apple, grated
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Grate the carrot, zucchini and apple into a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over immediately to prevent the carrot and apple turning brown. Finely chop the mint and add to the salad
Add some salt and pepper to taste.
When about to serve, toss through the toasted seeds

Savoury Pinwheel scones

I first tried these scones at a conference in Wellington. My colleagues and I were so impressed we asked the conference centre for the recipe and they obliged. No harm in asking!
The great thing about these scones is you can adapt the filling to what you have in the fridge; use a chutney instead of pesto, shaved ham or salami instead of bacon and whatever cheese you please.

Makes 12

Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
125g butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sundried tomato pesto
2 cups baby spinach leaves
300g diced bacon, cooked
1/2 red onion, cooked and finely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Preheat oven to 200 degrees
Line a baking tray with grease proof paper
To make the dough, place flour, butter and baking powder. Process until a breadcrumb like texture. While the processor is running, add the milk and buttermilk down the feed tube. Let the ingredients combine, place onto a floured bench and form dough into a ball
With a well floured rolling pin, roll out dough into a rectangle 50x30cm and about 1/2 a cm thick.
Evenly spread pesto over the rectangle. Place on the spinach, bacon, onion, feta and grated cheese. You only want to cover 3/4 of the dough with the filling, leaving about 5cms at the top to help with rolling and stop the filling from falling out.
Roll up like a sponge roll. With a sharp knife cut log into 12. Evenly space onto the lined tray and cook for 15-20 mins. They should be golden brown and oozing cheese.