FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

This is an interesting mixture of ingredients, and is both sweet and salty. I love food cooked using Hoisin sauce - this is the sauce that is used in Peking Duck which is one of my all time favourite foods.  It has an unusual taste, and goes very well with so many other ingredients, whether they are vegetarian or meat dishes. This meal has a rich and unusual flavour, and could be also served with steamed vegetables.  Cashew nuts could replace the walnuts if need be, however I had walnuts in my fridge so that is what I used in this instance. I served it over potatoes so that I could soak the sauce into the potatoes, and then I dipped fresh home made bread into the left over sauce!  This was delicious and well worth eating a bit less so you can fit this in. And remember, as I always say, my lovelies, do NOT over cook chicken breasts - they become dry and tough when overcooked.  If you JUST cook them so the pink is only just gone, they will be melt in your ...

I made this loaf of bread in my bread-maker, and adapted it with things that I like in bread!  You could add whatever you wanted, or just have it plain. It is a 1 kg size, and I generally slice it and then put the slices individually in the freezer.  This way there is no wastage, and I just take out one piece at a time, and it is always fresh. I used Laucke bread mix as they have the European style bread, and I can add other things to many of their mixes, and get an excellent result. Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: Varies Makes: About 15 slices Ingredients I packet Laucke sourdough rye bread mix Handful of walnuts Sunflower and/or Pumpkin seeds Instructions Follow your bread-maker instructions to make rye bread. Add the nuts and seeds as per instructions - I put small seeds in with the mixture and larger ones.  I also put walnuts in the special holder that my bread-maker has for larger items. You could also add other things as w...

This recipe is very simple, quick to prepare, and also tastes very good. It is a handy "stand-by" in case you have unexpected visitors, and is a great family meal, and always impresses visitors! It is one of those recipes that just keeps improving each time you reheat it, so make double  the quantity, and freeze it, or eat it for several days. You could also add bacon or chorizo, for even more taste, and this would need to be browned first before adding to the rest of the meal. Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes Makes: 4-6 servings Ingredients 6 x skinless chicken thighs ½ cup chutney (any) ¼ cup mayonnaise (a good one) ¼ cup tomato sauce Tsp curry Potatoes (optional) Instructions Clean the thighs, and cut them again in half as they are usually large - take off some of the fat, and place the thighs in an ovenproof dish. Add the other ingredients plus a bit of salt and pepper if desired. Mix this until it is smooth, and all mixe...

This is a baked Hawaiian chicken with mustard, honey and pepper strips.  I originally made it without bacon, however the addition of bacon has given it more flavour.  I have served it with broccoli and Falafel balls which I made from a packet mix.  Falafel balls CAN be made from scratch, however on this particular occasion, I did not have spare time to make them, so used the packet.  Of course home made is always far nicer! I have also added sliced part cooked potato slices to the top, and this is also optional.  It is baked as against fried, making it a healthier option. Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes Makes: 3 servings Ingredients 3 rashers shortcut bacon (optional) ½ chicken cut to serving size 1 tblsp butter ½ small green pepper 125 g can crushed pineapple, drained 3 tsp mustard 3 tsp honey 3 tsp rum or sherry Paprika Sliced potato (optional) Instructions: Cut the bacon and fry it for a few minutes -I like bac...

Red salmon is one of the healthiest fish available partly due to the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids it has in it.  This recipe combines this salmon with spices and a base of rice noodles. It is not "hot" as in spicy but the flavour of the spices goes through the whole dish including the rice noodles.  It is not a difficult recipe to make, and is great for people who are not keen on eating fish by itself, as the flavours of the spices hides a bit of the fish taste! Buy the salmon fresh, and buying it skinless, although slightly more expensive, it is easier and no wastage. Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Makes: 3-4 servings Ingredients 2 pieces red salmon, skinless 100 - 120 g flat rice sticks or noodles ½ carrot, julienned Bok choy, washed and diced ½ red capsicum 4-5 spring onions 55 g bean sprouts ½ cup sweet chilli sauce 1½ tsp fish sauce Less than ¼ cup kecap manis 1½ tblsp lime juice Chopped peanuts for garnish - optional ...

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....

Pizza is not normally something you associate with breakfast however, as I love eggs, bacon and pizza, I decided to make one as a brunch. I don't have a cooked breakfast each morning but sometimes when I do, I like to try something different. I have tried bacon and eggs in many different forms, and they are a combination that never fails to please the pallete, and it can be served either as a savoury meal, or by adding maple syrup which goes wonderfully with these two magic ingredients. When you make these you can use Turkish bread rolls as these make a nice breakfast meal, though you could also use a large ordinary roll, or even a pizza base.  However I think for breakfast I would prefer as I have made it - with the Turkish roll. It is a quick recipe, easy and once again any beginner cannot fail with this one.  For those of you who do not like cooking, this is a quick, easy recipe which does not require a lot of work. You could possibly even use tomato sauce if yo...

I am always on the lookout for things that my grandson likes to eat, as he eats little! One of the things he likes is pineapple, and as he loves the bought pineapple rings, I decided to make my own as they would then have less sugar and oil. I baked them instead of deep frying as they do when you buy them, and I always buy these when we get fish and chips. I have read that fish and chips and Coke Cola are the two most unhealthy foods we can eat, so, much as we love my fish and chips, we only have them every few months, and generally only when my grandson stays the weekend. He is such a bad eater, however, that he only eats chips - if we order something like Red Rooster, he still only has chips. So I thought this pineapple idea was a good one. When buying pineapples, you need to be very careful.  I have found that the ones in the supermarket generally have little taste or are even sour. I therefore always buy a pineapple from an expensive fruit store, where I know the ...

I am not a vegan, however I am avoiding making recipes that have processed sugar in them.  This can be quite difficult at times, as all my favourites do have sugar in them. Unfortunately I have a sweet tooth, so after being diagnosed with high sugar levels, I decided I had to stop eating cakes, biscuits and desserts which I had on most days! I then went down the path of making sweet morsels that had fruit in them.  I realise that the fruit still has sugar in it, however it is not processed and therefore possibly healthier than ordinary sugar. I mostly use coconut sugar or similar in these recipes, however am now making ones that do not require any added sugar as the sweetness comes from the dried fruit.  These are not as sweet as commercial cakes and biscuits, however in time I have got used to having bliss balls, or raw sweets to satisfy my sweet tooth. It is with all this in mind, that I made these raw apricot slices.  I often use either dried apric...