FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

This burger is almost too big to get your mouth around!  However, once you master this, you will find this a delicious recipe. Tuna mixed with capers and cheese are a very good combination, and even children will like this unusual burger. I made it as a main meal and therefore made the patty larger than normal.  I added salads to make it healthier, and served it with raw green peas, and extra lettuce. Preparation Time: 20 minutes (plus 15 minutes in the fridge, optional) Cooking Time: 10 minutes Makes: 1 serving Ingredients 1 95 g tin Tuna 1 spring onion 1 tbsp Capers 1 tbsp parsley, chopped ½ cup breadcrumbs 1 very small egg, lightly beaten ½ cup grated tasty cheese 1 tbsp olive oil TO SERVE: 2 slices tasty cheese, or grated 1 roll, halved A little mayonnaise Bit of tomato sauce (optional) ¾ cup mixed lettuce leaves ½ tomato, sliced Instructions: Combine the tuna, egg, breadcrumbs, spring onions, grated cheese, parsley and capers. Mix ...

This is a rich, very yummy tasting family pie, which is easy to make, and cannot fail! Pies are so much nicer when home made as against buying them, and particularly as you know what is going in them. You could use this as a buffet style meal where everyone helps themselves, or you could cut it into squares and serve. I served this pie with some rocket, spinach leaves, lettuce and mini tomatoes. Preparation Time : 20 minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes Serves: 4-6 servings Ingredients 1 sheet Puff pastry 1 onion, chopped 1 potato, sliced thin (optional) 4 short cut bacon rashers, diced 250g pack frozen chopped spinach 5 eggs or 4 extra large 300 ml cream ½ cup grated cheese 100 g Australian style feta Cooking oil spray Instructions Preheat the oven to 170°C or 150° if it is a fan forced oven.  Spray a 20 cm pie dish with the oil.  Defrost the pastry and put it into the dish, bringing it up the sides - use 1 ½ sheets if you prefer thicker pastry....

Potato salad is another one of my favourites. Yes, I know, my lovelies, I have a lot of favourites - probably because I eat to live, and not live to eat! I tend to make potato salad in the hotter months as it is a cold meal or accompaniment, and have always wanted to try one that would be good for the colder months, and indeed during winter. This recipe hit all the right buttons, and I was able to have my potato salad in winter! Potato salad is something that is easy to make as you can put whatever you like in it.  I tend to make the same one over the over in summer, as it is so good, and do not often vary it.  However, that recipe is for another day when it warms up here in Australia! This is a simple, yet very tasty main meal or serve it as a side to a main meal.  For vegetarians, the bacon could be omitted and a bit of salt added for flavour.  I do not add salt to meals generally if I am putting bacon in them, as bacon has so much salt on it's own. ...

BRUNCH - is something that gets eaten a little later than breakfast! Or supposedly so.  Sometimes I make a big breakfast and I usually have this a bit later than my normal uncooked breakfast, as then I do not need to have lunch as well. Well, my lovelies, here is a recipe that is great for a Sunday morning, and it will save you making lunch for everyone.  I love breakfasts as eggs are one of my favourite foods (along with bacon and Nestle Sweetened Condensed milk). Sadly, I can no longer eat the Sweetened Condensed milk as there is just too much sugar in it, so I now concentrate more on savoury dishes, as well as a few sweets with no added sugar. But this article is not about sweets or my sugar levels!  It is about a brunch pie!  In this one I have teamed my two favourites - eggs and bacon and turned them into a rustic egg, bacon and cheese pie. Each week, the consensus is different about whether eggs are bad for your cholesterol levels or not.  Curren...

Pizza is a favourite in my household.  I no longer buy pizza bases as I used to, as it is quite easy to make this, and once again, I know what has gone into it, and there are fewer chemicals if home made. The other thing about making your own bases is that you can have them as thick or as thin as YOU like it. There is one other huge benefit - my grandchildren do not like vegetables, but you can grate vegetables into this base, and they will not even taste it.  I call this "hidden vegetables", and it is a great way to get people who do not eat vegetables to at least eat carrot. I generally always put grated carrot in my base, however this is, of course an optional extra. You can put whatever you want on the toppings, and in this case, some of the visitors did not like certain items, so I had to make a different one for everyone! The ingredients in the toppings are therefore suggestions only, and can be varied to suit. Preparation Time: 45 minutes plus standing t...

Zucchini pate is a traditional Polish recipe and it can be used  in a sandwich, eaten as a snack on savoury biscuits, or eaten on its own. Either way, it is delicious! This pate is best left to cool down to room temperature, or even refrigerate overnight.  It should therefore be made before you want to use it, even a day or two ahead. Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes Makes: 4 servings Ingredients 120 g mushrooms, chopped 190 g zucchini 120 g breadcrumbs 100 g grated cheese 2 tblsp oil ½ onion, chopped 2 small or 1 large egg 1 clove garlic, crushed Pinch dried marjoram 1 tblsp chopped parsley Salt & pepper as desired Instructions Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Line a loaf tin with baking paper, or grease. Cook the chopped mushrooms in a non-stick frying pan till their liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat. Combine the zucchini, breadcrumbs, cheese, oil, and onion. Add the egg yolks, garlic, marjoram, mu...

This is a great vegetarian menu which is also once again a meal that is ideal for children who do not like vegetables.  It is also a great snack for the whole family. I am not that keen on the taste of parsnip on it's own however this is a very good way to eat parsnips, as the distinct, strong flavour seems to disappear in this recipe. I served it with my peanut noodles and celery slices It is a quick, easy meal to make, and would also be a tasty addition to a buffet  dinner, as it can be served either hot or at room temperature. Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Makes: 12 fingers Ingredients 2 tsp olive oil ½ cup firmly packed, grated zucchini ½cup firmly packed, grated carrot ½ cup firmly packed, grated parsnip 2 spring onions, finely chopped 3 eggs, lightly whisked 60g grated cheese (I used Jarlsberg, but any tasty cheese will do) 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley 1 tbsp plain flour Instructions: Preheat the oven to 180°C or sli...

This vegetarian dish consists of three different cheeses giving it a creamy, delicious flavour. Egg plant is an easy vegetable to cook with and has many uses in cooking.  Here I have teamed the eggplant with fresh ricotta, and a Parmesan pasta sauce. It is a delicious meal and one that does not take a long time to make, and it is great for all the vegetarians out there! In this instance, I have served it with polenta, but you could use rice, or even boiled potatoes instead. Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Makes: 4-5  servings Ingredients Olive oil spray 1 large eggplant or 2 small 480g fresh ricotta 2 tsp dried basil, or ½ cup fresh chopped 1 cup grated Parmesan 1 550g Primavera Pasta Sauce ¾ cup grated mozzarella Cooked polenta (optional) to serve Method Preheat the oven to 190°C.  Spray 2 large baking trays with olive oil spray to lightly grease, or use baking paper. Cut the eggplant into about sixteen 1 cm thick slice...

Cabbage rolls are traditionally a European dish filled with mince meat and/or rice.  For this recipe, I have changed the meat to potato mash with a creamy, cheesy sauce.  I have also added crispy pieces of bacon scattered on the top, however for a vegetarian dish, just omit this bacon. These are easy to make, though a little bit fiddly, however they are scrumptious and were very popular with our dinner visitors! Preparation Time: 40 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Makes: 4 servings as a main Ingredients 1 kg potatoes, peeled, chopped 40g softened butter 1 egg yolk 4 large cabbage leaves 4 bacon rashers, or 8 short cuts bacon (less fat) ¼ cup grated tasty cheese Creamy Cheese Sauce 20g butter ¼ cup plain flour 1½ cups chicken stock ½ cup cream ½ cup grated cheese ¼ cup finely chopped parsley Method I like the bacon very crispy, so I cooked this first, if you don't need it so crispy do not cook first. Boil the chopped potatoes until they are tend...