FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

This is an unusual recipe, looks great, and tastes absolutely delicious. It is basically chocolate covered sponge fingers, with a cream cheese mixture in the middle, stuck together with the melted chocolate! You could put any fruit on the top and I have eaten it one day with pineapple and nectarine, and the next with just kiwi fruit.  Most fruit, and particularly berries, would go very well with this combination. I generally use Lindt 70% chocolate, or a chocolate called Freys (available in Australia at Woolworths and cheaper than Lindt - just as good!) in cooking, as the finished product is as good as the quality of the chocolate in cooking.  I never use a cheaper type of chocolate, as it is like cooking with wine - the better the product, the better the outcome. Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 5 minutes Makes: 4 servings Ingredients 6 sponge fingers 100 g dark chocolate  220 g Philadelphia spreadable Light cream cheese ¼ cup icing sugar...

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 ...

Lovely ladies and men - Do you ever get tired of having plain salads with tomatoes and lettuce, and similar ingredients?  I certainly do and am therefore always looking for great combinations that are both easy to make, as well as healthy, and this recipe ticks both those boxes. This recipe also gives you sliced beetroot, or you could always increase quantities to keep more of this healthy snacks or accompaniments. I used a green apple (a Granny Smith which I believe is only available in Australia) as these, although slightly sweet, are the most tart apples we can buy.  This goes very well with the slightly sweet vegetable, beetroot. Although it takes longer to make, I usually always make my own beetroot as I find the tins or jars of these are just too sweet, and my recipe included no added sugar whatsoever! This is probably a European salad, or possibly even Israeli, and it turns out a bright pink, though I didn't put in a lot of mayonnaise. You could serve it as a ...

Traditionally strudel is made with apple, and this roulade or strudel is a similar idea but with a  different filling. Strudel originated in Europe and I learnt to make these many years ago, though it was mainly apple strudel that I used to make.  I then decided that this pastry would be nice with many varied fillings, so started experimenting with other things. They did not all work out so good, however this one is one I have made repeatedly over the years as it is just so delicious, and liked by everyone! This is a classic roulade dessert which is not over sweet, and looks and tastes impressive. Hard to resist Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Makes: 8 servings Ingredients ½ cup dried apricots, chopped 2 tbsp apricot jam 1 tsp lemon juice 50g light brown sugar, or coconut sugar 2 pears, peeled, cored & chopped 1-2 tbsp slivered almonds 50g melted butter 8 sheets filo pastry Icing sugar for dusting -optional Method Put the...

I love apple sauce however I have trouble getting buying one that has no added sugar, or even little added sugar. So, I decided to make my own as it is really so easy to do. You COULD add a bit of sugar if you want, however I found this was just right even though I used a mixture of green Granny Smith apples and the sweeter Kanzi and Pink Lady.  Any red apple would work out find for this. I usually eat it as a dessert with cream, however it would be excellent with roast pork, and other meats, as well as on sandwiches. It is also healthy and can be given to children who do not like to eat raw apples, which is a distinct advantage. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: About 35 minutes Serves: 4 as a dessert Ingredients 3 - 4 large red apples 3 Granny Smith apples Method Peel the apples - you can vary this and even cut out the Granny Smith ones for a sweeter dessert. Chop them up and put them in a saucepan - if you are not worried about sugar, add a teasp...

Home made jam is far nicer than a bought jam, and this one is not quite as sweet as those you buy in the shops. This recipe is simple to make and it lasts for a year - I have even kept it much longer in the fridge. Preparation Time: 5 minutes (plus overnight soaking) Cooking Time: 60 minutes Makes: approx. 8 jars Ingredients 500g dried apricots, chopped Juice of 3 large lemons 1 ½ kg jam sugar Method Soak apricots in 1.5 litres water, cover and leave overnight if possible. Place a small plate in the fridge to chill, in order to test the jam later.  Heat the apricots and water and add the lemon juice. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, slowly stirring till it dissolves.  Return to heat and boil rapidly for 20 minutes or till setting point is reached.  You can test this by putting a bit on the cold plate, put it back in the fridge for a few minutes and then it should wrinkle when you ...

Smoothes - they are a delight to have on a very hot summer's day, and I often substitute them instead of having cereal or the like. They are only limited to your imagination, as there are so many different ones you can make using vegetables, or fruit or even combining both together in one smoothie. This one is a great healthy smoothie to have, perhaps for breakfast, as it is quite filling. However if you are like me, and love your cooked breakfasts, you will have this WITH the breakfast instead of a cup of coffee! The quantities, of course can be altered to make more. Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Makes: 1-2 servings Ingredients 1 medium banana About 75 g frozen pineapple pieces Half a handful of frozen raspberries or mixed berries Bit of milk Method Peel banana. Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend together--I use "Ice Crush" on my blender. Pour into a glass and enjoy.