FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

My parents were European and when they came out to Australia many years ago, my Mum brought all her recipes with her. The majority she actually knew and didn't have to refer to a cook book to make, however on thinking back, I think she just used to make them up as she went, depending on what was in the fridge at the time. This  recipe is for the "sweet tooth" or it is very impressive if you are having visitors - is a well known specialty of Austria, and is a biscuit or slice, called LINZER SCHNITTEN. They are more like a slice which gets cut up into whatever size pieces you want, and they are guaranteed not to last long! Add some thickened or whipped cream if you want them to be even moorish, and if calories do not bother you! Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Makes: About 25 pieces Ingredients 150g unsalted butter (also works with ordinary butter) 150g flour 140g almonds 130g sugar ¾ cup strawberry jam 1 egg Dash of cinnamon

Ever have one of those nights when you just do not feel like cooking a large meal? I have this quite regularly, and in this instance I decided to make this salad and use it as a main meal instead of an accompaniment. Although it IS a salad, we had it one night as a full meal, as it has vegetables, fruit and cheese and is therefore quite balanced. The combination of these ingredients is unusual and very good.  It is also very healthy as beetroot has many health qualities as they are high in immune boosting Vitamin C, figre and essential minerals, all of which are important for overall health.  Beetroots also contact folate which is a Vitamin  B.   No cooking required for this recipe! Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Makes: 3 servings as a main Ingredients 2 Large beetroots 2 ripe pears 100-150 g feta cheese Lemon/oil dressing Pepper ½ bunch mint (optional) ½ handful sunflower seeds (optional) Method Peel the raw beetroots. Peel the pears

Prawns are a very versatile food, however the downside of prawns is that if you overcook them, they become hard, and chewy. Whenever you are making a prawn dish, make sure you only cook the prawns for a few minutes and particularly if they are eaten on their own, like this dish is, and not in with other ingredients. This is another easy recipe that is quick to make and works great as an entre, lunch or as a main meal. It also looks very professional, yet it does not take long to prepare, and it is sure to impress your visitors as it looks so professional. Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Serves: 2 servings as entre Ingredients 2 large firm, but ripe tomatoes 3 hard boiled eggs 6 prawns (raw or cooked) Salt & pepper Sauce 3 tbs whole egg mayonnaise 2 tbs tomato sauce Method First boil the eggs till they are hard boiled. I prefer to buy raw prawns and cook them myself as then I know they are not overcooked, however it is quite all ri

I used to make these without the chocolate as an almond biscotti, however decided to try it with chocolate this time instead. They are very crunchy (don't break a tooth!) and last for many months if the family do not get at them first! I am a sweet tooth who has recently had to cut down on my sugar intake due to high readings, however I find that I only need to eat one or two of these with a cup of coffee to satisfy my sweet craving.  Even though there is sugar in these, one or two of them at a time does not contain a lot of sugar. They are quite easy to make and get baked twice to get that "crispness". Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes Makes: 40 -50 servings Ingredients 1 ¾ cups plain flour, sifted 1 ½ tsp baking powder ¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted ¾ cup caster sugar ¾ cup blanched almonds 3 eggs 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract Method Preheat the oven to 180°/160° fan forced. Place the flour, baking powder, cocoa, sugar and almonds

Many of us go on different diets, however I am slim and do not need to go on a diet, so it was with hesitation that I went on this "new beaut" 5/2 diet.  I did this, not to lose weight but for the various health gains it supposedly had. I found this diet worked for these problems however, in my case, I lost too much weight, so eventually I had to stop this diet! I was on the 5/2 diet for several years, and this recipe is one that I used to make on my "fast" days where I could only eat 500 calories for the whole day.  This tuna salad would be about 150 calories - add a boiled egg for another 70 calories, and it is still a very low fat, low calorie meal. It is very quick and easy to make and requires no cooking - and best of all - IT TASTES VERY GOOD - I also sometimes add olives and chilies to taste. A good recipe for one person or double it for more. Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Makes: 1 large serving Ingredients 95 g tin

This is an easy and delicious meal when you don't feel like cooking!  I love pears mixed in with savoury and the textures and the tastes are just so delectable. This is a variation on the "normal" French Croque Monsieur, easy to make and very delicious - great for a casual meal, or I made it when I was too tired to cook a large meal. You could probably use fresh trout if you prefer, but I wanted something that was quick and easy, and I served it with a bought salad. Preparation Time:  10 minutes Cooking Time:    12 minutes Serves:    2 double breads Ingredients:  4 slices of bread 4 slices of either Pecorino or Parmesan cheese Dill 1 pkt 50 g smoked trout 1 Corella pear, finely sliced Salt and pepper, to taste Butter Method  Put the two of the slices on a board.  Top each slice with a slice of cheese, then some dill.  Add the pear and smoked trout. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Top with the remaining slices of cheese. Top with the rem

These bite sized decadent sweets are great if someone drops in unexpectedly, as well as if you just want a small amount of sugar "fix".  Then again, it is hard to stop eating them. I always use Lindt 70% dark chocolate as this is far healthier than an ordinary chocolate, and it also makes all chocolate recipes taste absolutely delicious. These are an impressive snack, packed full of goodness with cashews, and I buy cashew pieces if I am going to use them in cooking as they are far cheaper than whole cashews. They are quite rich and extremely yummy, and are one of the easiest things to make! Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes-no cooking Makes: About 35 servings Ingredients ½ to ¾ cup Craisins or dried cranberries 250 g Dark Chocolate, suitable for melting ½ cup unsalted cashew pieces Method Melt the chocolate - I do this in the microwave, or it can be done over a double boiler, though this is far more work as well as washing a pot!

Fresh salmon is one of the healthiest fish you can eat, as it is packed full of Omega 3 which does a lot towards well being.  Salmon also has important amounts of the antioxidant, amino acid taurine, and the heart-healthy vitamin B12, and the omega 3 fatty acids can help as an anti inflammatory if you have aches and pains. Ideally, we should be eating some sort of fish at least twice per week, but I know I do not eat fish more than about once a fortnight.  However I am always trying to invent new recipes using salmon as it is an easy fish to cook, as long as you do not over cook it. Salmon is better slightly undercooked, and it then almost melts in your mouth. This is a great recipe if you do not feel like cooking a full meal, and it is also easy to make, and impressively delicious. Try it, perhaps on a Sunday which could be your day off from cooking a full meal! Delicious and easy sandwich! Preparation Time : 20 mins Cooking Time: 15 mins Makes: 2 servings Ingredie

This recipe is great when you don't want to do a lot of work and it is quite low in calories. Also it uses only one frypan which is something I love, as I do not like doing hand washing, and I always hand wash my pots. I always take out some of the middle of the bread rolls, which means you get less calories and more room to put the fillings in.  I used long hot dog type rolls for this one,  however you can use an ordinary hamburger rolls. This recipe can easily be doubled for more people, and it is far healthier than buying a shop made burger. I used  white Snapper however any white fish would also work well for this delicious burger. Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 6 minutes Makes: 2 servings Ingredients 2 pieces fish ½ red onion ½ avocado, mashed 1 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp ricotta or cottage cheese ½ ripe tomato 1 tbsp lemon juice ½ to ¾ tbsp sweet chili sauce 2 bread rolls, halved 1 cups mushrooms, sliced fine Black pepper & bit

These chicken burgers are quite unusual for a burger, and are great for the whole family, or you can change the quantities for less. Tandoori is an Indian spice which is often used in chicken dishes and is red in colour.  In this recipe I have bought the Tandoori paste, however I often make my own (and this will be a separate recipe), as when I make my own, I know there will be no preservatives in it and I know exactly what goes into it, unlike when you buy it ready made.  Also ready made products usually have a lot of salt included in them, and you will find I do not use much salt in most of my cooking. This is a great weekend meal, and particularly good for lunch when you cannot think of what ot make and are sick of cooking every night! Try them and be impressed as they are very tasty and this recipe is quick and easy. Preparation Time:  35 minutes Cooking Time:  10 minutes Makes:  4 servings Ingredients 4 chicken thigh fillets, trimmed (500 g) 2 tblsp Tandoori Paste

This is a very tasty, quick and easy recipe, and I served it with a red cabbage salad. I used fettuccine but any kind of pasta will work for this. The red cabbage salad was a great match for the fettuccine dish, and it was easy to make as I added apples, celery and mayonnaise which didn't take long. You could add a salad of your choice, or even any type of vegetables. Red cabbage is the healthiest of the cabbage family  and it's red colour comes from flavonoids, while the sharp taste is from the sulphur based compounds.  Cabbage is also healthy as it contains necessary fibre and several vitamins and minerals, Preparation Time:  15 minutes Cooking Time:  6-10 minutes Makes:  2 servings Ingredients 200g Fettuccine Boiling water 1 tblsp oil SAUCE 60g creamy blue cheese, crumbled ½ cup cream (I used Cream for cooking as lower in fat) 50 g smoked salmon, sliced 2 tblsp capers Juice of ½ lemon Method Boil the water and a bit of oil, and cook the fe

If you are wanting a low fat diet, then this is the way to go - whilst I prefer using the whole egg, using only the whites make this recipe healthy, and with little calories. It is another recipe that I used to make when I was on my 5/2 diet which I went on for the health benefits and not to lose weight.  I often had a problem finding things to eat as a main meal as total for the day was only 500 calories, which is not a lot! As this is an omelette, there are many other variations that you could use as a filling - it just depends on your imagination as to what you could add with the tuna, however tuna is a versatile and healthy fish, and it goes well with many other ingredients. If you are really concerned about calories, you could use less cheese in this recipe and add a bit of salt instead. Preparation Time:  10 minutes Cooking Time:  20 minutes Makes:  1 serving Ingredients 3 extra large egg whites 110 g boiled potatoes 185g tin of low fat Tuna in spring water Opti