FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

This is quite a hot (spicy) dish, so if you do not like hot and spicy, just use less curry paste and/or less fresh chili. Potatoes and prawns go very well together, so my lovelies, this is quite an easy recipe even for the beginner.  Remember however, never over cook prawns as they then become tough. I have added broccoli which I partly microwaved first, to make it a one pot meal, and therefore less washing up.  You could serve this with any vegetables, or even a salad if you prefer.   You could also substitute chicken or any meat if you do not like or eat prawns.   I often now use coconut powder in recipes, as this is handy to keep.  This is especially so if you need small quantities, this is a great way to go as you do not waste half a tin, which I used to always do. Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Makes: 3 servings Ingredients: ½ tbsp oil ½ onion, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, chopped ½ red chilli, seeds...

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. ...

I just love salmon or tuna patties.  I do not however like bought ones generally, as they usually have too much potato in them. I often make these little morsels of goodness as they are easy to make, always turn out, and can be teamed with just about any other food. I have read a lot about quinoa over the last few years, and quite honestly, do not really believe in all these new super foods which seem to be popping up almost every month!  There are just so many, and I feel a lot of them are "gimmicky", and while they may well be healthy, they are not the "be all and end all" which the media seem to turn them into. Nor do I believe in all the different diets - the only diet I have gone on is eating less quantity at each meal, cutting out in between snacks, and the 5/2 diet.  This one I did, not to lose weight, but for the other healthy benefits, as I have mentioned before in my recipes. So, back to quinoa - I bought a packet as I wanted to see what it tastes ...

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...

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...

Potato salad makes a perfect side dish, or snack, however I ate this one with bread and some raw salad as a main meal. I often eat potato salad and you will find several recipes on my blog for different versions of potato salad. I like anything with potatoes in it and my recipes will reflect this - I far prefer potatoes to the sweeter, more healthy sweet potatoes! Potato salads are also great to take on a picnic with some thickly sliced buttered bread! This recipe has no mayonnaise in it like a conventional one, and is a nutty version of a conventional potato salad. Once again, I have used one of my favourites, peanut butter and I now always buy the "no added sugar" version of this amazing ingredient. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Makes: 3 servings, as a main Ingredients 3 medium potatoes 3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (I used a natural one which is not as sweet as supermarket ones) ½ tbsp whole grain mustard ½ tbsp vinegar 1 tbs...

I love potatoes in any form, and particularly my potato salad which I regularly make.  As the weather was slightly cold, I felt like a warm potato salad, so checked in my pantry what I could add to this, and the result was I added a tin of smoked oysters, mushrooms, and an avocado. All these ingredients "married" very well together with the textures of the potato being very good with the avocado and the saltiness of the oysters. However, if oysters are not your thing, or you do not like tinned oysters, just leave them out as this recipe could have many other things added that would also be nice teamed with this warm potato salad. However, please note that these oysters taste nothing like real, fresh oysters, and I sometimes eat them in a sandwich, and like both kinds.  Fresh oysters are very expensive nowadays and hence these tins are somewhat of a substitute if you have a craving for oysters! Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Makes: 3 serv...