FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

Rice paper rolls are a bit fiddly but I think they are SO worth it.  With vegetables (or meat) wrapped in a wafer thin pancake type of rolls, there is no limit to your imagination when creating different versions of these! They are generally with Asian inspired vegetables, however you could really making anything inside these tiny paper thin pancakes.  I have even made a dessert using them, and they were delicious as the pancake is not sweet and the sweet of a dessert balances it out to give a great sweet! They can also be vegetarian or not!  They are often made with prawns, which is a recipe I often make, however in this instance I decided to be "vegetarian" for the night!  My partner is a meat and veggies person, and was not impressed that I left out the meat part, however he even admitted that they tasted very good. If you do not eat fish, simply leave the tuna out of this recipe, however the tuna makes it extra healthy as it is packed with Omega3 which ha...

Gnocchi is often eaten in Italy as a first course, however I always serve it as a main meal. Gnocchi is another versatile food as there are so many toppings you can make to go with it.  I generally make my own gnocchi however on this particular day I had been out all day, and was in a hurry so used a packet variety. Of course these are not as nice as home made ones, however I will do home made gnocchi in another recipe. There are several variations of gnocchi, and the softest is made with potatoes. Other types tend to be firmer whereas the potato ones have a softer texture.  They are therefore far more pleasant to eat , and if you can get the brand in the picture, I find this brand is very nice. Spinach is one of the easiest vegetables to grow yourself, and I use the variety pictured.  This one has a slightly more "peppery" taste and works well in most dishes.  It is a climbing spinach and keeps coming up year after year, and can be eaten raw in salads or coo...

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 vegetarian recipe is a meal on it's own and has an unusual, but interesting taste. If you are having guests for dinner, and one is a vegetarian, you will find that everyone will enjoy these little parcels of healthy delights. Filo pastry is unleavened flour dough and the thinnest of all the bought pastries.  It is often used in Greek cooking.  Filo pastry needs to be handled very carefully as it tears easily if allowed to dry out, so always work with a damp tea towel over it when making these parcels. You COULD use a different pastry however I have used Filo pastry as I like thin pastry, but a bought puff pastry would also work, and this would be easier to work with.....however, filo IMHO tastes much better! If you are rushed for time, you could also use tinned or frozen corn, however the fresh corn is by far a sweeter, and nicer product. Preparation Time: 35 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Makes: About 15 pastries Ingredients 3 x corn on the cob 4...

This is a very quick, simple recipe, and these chips are ideal as a snack, or with pre dinner drinks. Potato chips are so unhealthy that I am always looking for healthier alternatives so that I have something not sweet to snack on during the day, and particularly at night. These chip type snacks are made using a croissant and although these contain a lot of butter/fat, they are still much better than the much loved bought potato crisps. You could also make this recipe with a bagel instead of a croissant, and both ways turn out good. They are great to eat when you feel hungry in between meals, and there are only three ingredients needed for this recipe, and it is an unusual way to use a croissant! Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Makes: 2 - 4 servings Ingredients 1 croissant Cooking spray Salt Method Preheat the oven to 170° C, and line a baking tray with some baking paper. Using a serrated bread knife, slice the croissant as thinly as possi...

This is a simple, yet quite filling, salad that works as a main meal too.  I often have a salad as a main especially when the ingredients are a balanced meal.  This is especially good in summer and I like to eat it on my back patio area on a hot night, as it is refreshing. It tastes better with fresh peaches however it also works just fine with canned peaches, as I've used in this case. Using tinned peaches means you can make this salad at any time of the year, and they are far cheaper than fresh ones.  Note:  If you use tinned peaches, the recipe is slightly sweeter than if you use fresh peaches. This is also a fast recipe which requires no cooking, so can be made at the last minute as it is so quick! Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Makes: 4 servings Ingredients 225g cottage cheese ¼ cup sour cream 1/3 cup raisins ½ cup chopped, canned pineapple 1 tbsp lemon juice 4 fresh, or canned peach halves 2 carrots, grated Meth...

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...