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...

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...

 Once a week I eat just 500 calories in a day for health reasons.  This is on the 5/2 diet and I do not do it to lose weight. This is a filling meal you could make and still be within your 500 calories for one of your two fasting days. I am always on the lookout for ideas for these days as a salad gets a bit boring after a year or so of being on this diet. This egg white omelette is ideal for this, or if you want an easy, low fat, low calorie meal.  It has approximately 235 calories in the whole meal! You can add whatever vegetables you like, and I have used what I had left in my fridge. I used the spinach that I grow in my garden as this climbing type variety is ideal for cooking or eating in a salad. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Makes: 1 omelette Ingredients 3 large egg whites A handful of spinach ½ stick celery, chopped fine ½ onion, chopped 25 g Mozzarella cheese (or any tasty cheese) oil, or spray 10 g parsley, chop...

Fish pie on it's own can sometimes be a bit tasteless.  So because I love prawns, I decided to add some prawns to a fish pie. Now, I have to admit I tried this twice as it did not turn out the first time!  This was really annoying as I wasted the prawns, but it made me more determined to get it right the second time. This fish pie is made more tasty by the addition of  these king prawns.  The two textures go very well together, and the prawns are nice and soft if not overcooked.  I have served it with my  quinoa salad . If you do not like prawns, I would put some soy sauce in, or extra salt and pepper, or even a bit of chili or curry to give it some extra taste. Or, the prawns could be replaced with a similar quantity of extra fish if you do not like prawns. Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Makes: 3 servings Ingredients 400g potatoes, peeled 1 medium leek, washed 65g butter 250g king prawns  20 g plain flo...

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 ...

Mandelbrot is German and literally means almond bread.  It is a biscuit similar to the Italian biscotti, which is crisp, and sliced into slices. It does have quite a lot of sugar in it, however these 20 or so servings go a long way, and you would possibly only eat a few of these at a time.  Beware however, as they are very moorish. They last for ages, and are great in lunch boxes or served on the saucer with a cup of tea or coffee - well, if you USE saucers, of course! Mandelbrot or biscotti is usually baked twice, however "Dresden" Mandelbrot is only baked once. I also made some as a plain round biscuit instead of the loaf type that is typical -hence the two types in my photos! This recipe makes a large amount, and unless you have a very large family,  I would suggest halving it. Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Makes: 20 servings Ingredients 3 large eggs 300 g sugar 300 g plain flour 1 tsp ground cloves ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp...

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...

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...

Pizza is a favourite in my household.  I no longer buy pizza bases as I used to, as it is quite easy to make this, and once again, I know what has gone into it, and there are fewer chemicals if home made. The other thing about making your own bases is that you can have them as thick or as thin as YOU like it. There is one other huge benefit - my grandchildren do not like vegetables, but you can grate vegetables into this base, and they will not even taste it.  I call this "hidden vegetables", and it is a great way to get people who do not eat vegetables to at least eat carrot. I generally always put grated carrot in my base, however this is, of course an optional extra. You can put whatever you want on the toppings, and in this case, some of the visitors did not like certain items, so I had to make a different one for everyone! The ingredients in the toppings are therefore suggestions only, and can be varied to suit. Preparation Time: 45 minutes plus standing t...