FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

DUCK - I used to breed them, so now it is a bit odd to eat them! They are beautiful creatures, but then again if you think this way, we would all be vegetarians! Many people just love duck and some, of course, do not like it.  I think there is an art to cooking it, and I have cooked it over the years many way. One of my favourite meals, when I eat out is Peking Duck and you can read about some of the restaurants I have tried at this link , or this link . When done correctly, duck can be tender and delicious, however getting it right is not so easy. The latest way I am doing it is in slow oven, and baking it for longer than normal.  Getting the skin crisp is an art that I sometimes achieve and sometimes not.  I have even bought an Asian speciality to make the skin look like it does in the photos on the above links, however it was difficult to work with, went a nice colour but was still not crisp. One good way to bake duck is in a clear bag that is freely availa...

Gozleme - these are Turkish and are a stuffed flat bread type of meal. The Turkish people have been making these for many years, and I have been eating them out for about a year. In fact, I have written an article about Gozleme cafes, which you can check out here .   There are all different fillings you can put in these, however they are mostly spinach and feta, or rather that is a very popular option.  You can also have them with meat however I no longer eat red meat very often. Eating them out at Turkish cafes is usually very cheap and one serving is enough for two people for lunch.  This makes them only about $6 Australian each for a lunch, which is indeed very cheap! They are always made fresh, and you can often watch the skill and dexterity which they use in making this bread - I find this fascinating to watch. I decided I would try them myself as I generally prefer home made food as I know exactly what goes in it, and there are usually less chemical...

I used to be vegetarian, however after many years, I started to eat chicken and other poultry. Now I have reverted to also eating meat occasionally and I also eat and cook with bacon, as this is one of my favourite foods. I tend to have a vegetarian meal at least once a week still and seem to make a lot of chicken dishes, as chicken is so versatile. This recipe is one that I had most of the ingredients in the house and the only thing I had to buy were the bean sprouts, which I always buy fresh. I often keep frozen chicken in the freezer for those times when I do not know what to make for dinner, and as chicken is so very versatile, it is easy to defrost and make all in the one day. For this recipe I have used chicken breasts, which you need to make sure you do not over cook as they become very dry if you over cook them.  So important - only cook chicken strips for a few minutes if you want them to be melt in your mouth fabulous! I also always have cashews in my fridge (...

Chicken parmigiana is one of my favourite ways to do chicken, however it CAN sometimes be fiddly to make. But not now, my lovelies, here is an easy way to make it, AND it is an unusual dish with the addition of Ramen noodles, mushrooms and tomato- so not your ordinary parmigiana!  Parmigiana is generally also put in the oven as well as on the stove top. Ramen noodles are an inexpensive type of noodle and I find they are very versatile. This recipe is very tasty, easy and uses just one pot, making it quicker, and my favourite point of sale - less washing up! I served this with my mini pumpkin pies, and it was all so very "yummy" that I urge you to try it. Preparation Time : 20 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Makes: 4 servings Ingredients 2 boneless chicken breasts (about 600g) 1 small egg beaten Up to ½ cup breadcrumbs 2 tbsp olive oil 500 - 600 g jar spaghetti sauce ¾ cup water 225 g mushrooms, quartered 150 g packet Ramen noodles, broken up ¼ to ½ ...

Salads are a favourite of mine, my lovelies!  However I do perhaps say many things are my favourites, as I love to eat. Which reminds me, do you eat to live, or live to eat?  Guess which one I am! Although this is a salad, I will sometimes have just a salad as my main meal as it is healthy and if you eat enough, quite filling. In this instance however, I  have eaten it with leftovers I had from my chicken filled with apricots , and the two meals married very well together. If you want to be really healthy, cut out the chorizo and make it vegetarian! Chorizo is a Spnash type pork sausage, and is not the healthiest of foods, as it is so processed, however once in a while I think Chorizo is fine, and it IS delicious. You could also use bacon instead of the Chorizo - well that is just as unhealthy and also very good.  I always use Short Cut bacon as this cut has little fat on it - so you see, even if you do eat bacon, you can buy one that is healthier! Pr...

Hello once again, my lovelies! This chicken can be served for dinner in whole breasts, or to look more spectacular, you can serve them sliced and arranged on a plate for everyone to help themselves! There are many recipes which put fruit, nuts and cheese in the middle of rolled meat, and I really enjoy the chicken ones.  This is the first in my series of fillings for chicken, so keep on the lookout for more.  These really impress visitors, even though they are quite easy to make! A beginner just learning to cook that special meal, would have no problems with this recipe - the hardest part is cutting the pocket in the chicken. In this instance, I have used small chicken breasts as I find these rolled chicken delights are tastier with thinner chicken.  I also mainly buy free range or sometimes organic chicken. I have cooked this on the barbecue, however you could also do it in a pan.  I like that "smokey" flavour of the barbecue, so thought I would try it - I...

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 ...

Barley and brown rice with honey soy prawns and smoked salmon is an unusual recipe. I have used staples that I always have in the pantry and thrown them in together to make a delicious meal! This is a healthy recipe with the addition of some barley, cooked in with the brown rice. I have used the large Australian Tiger prawns for this recipe, however any raw prawn is OK as long as you do not overcook them.  Overcooking prawns makes them tough and chewy, and they are far nicer if just cooked for a few minutes only. Prawns are a good source of protein, are low in saturated fat and calories, and this makes them a healthy food. They can also help prevent heart diseases due to the Omega 3 fatty acids which they contain.  And nowadays they are not so expensive as they used to be, and you can buy several varieties, though I only ever buy Australian ones. Preparation Time: 40 minutes (plus marinating time) Cooking Time: 45 minutes Makes: 2 servings Ingredients 1 cup...

If you like caramel, you will love this recipe - it has apples in it so it can't be unhealthy!  Doesn't an apple a day keep the doctor away? You could substitute a different nut for the pecans, however they DID give it an extra nice taste, and the combinations on this slice work brilliantly together. As with much of my other baking, I have used coconut sugar as it is an organic product that is not real sugar and is not refined, and therefore healthier,  It is also not as sweet as sugar. I have used bought caramel sauce in this instance, however you could make this yourself. Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Makes: 16 servings Ingredients ¾ cup butter, softened 1 cup coconut sugar - or brown sugar 1 cup plain flour 1 cup rolled oats 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp baking soda ½ cup finely chopped pecans 3 cups chopped unpeeled apples - about 3 ¾ cup caramel topping ¼ cup plain flour Vanilla ice cream, optional Additional caramel topping, op...