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Tasha's simple no fuss Christmas cake

I absolutely adore a rich moist fruit cake laced with brandy. We love this cake in our house and will stay fresh in a airtight tin for months.




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WARM FIGS WITH HONEY, ORANGE & CINNAMON

It's rare for me to cook fresh figs as I think there is little that can better a squishy-ripe, jammy fig eaten just as is. However just sometimes when they are cheap (well, relatively speaking!) and plentiful, I make this dish; it makes a lovely, simple summer dessert. The thing to be mindful of when you're buying figs, is that they're often picked when they're under-ripe as they're easier to handle and store, however if they're like this they're rarely worth eating; look for figs that feel softly squishy when you gently cup them in your hand, and ideally have tiny splits in the tender flesh...your care will pay off in spades.




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My Mother's Fried Rice

Lorraine Elliott is the author of Not Quite Nigella. You can find her blog at www.notquitenigella.com This recipe was featured on Foodie Tuesday, every 3:30 PM Tuesday, 774 ABC Melbourne Drive show.





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Apricot & Vanilla Jam

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment with Raf Epstein on Drive , 774, 3.30pm, courtesy of Alice Zaslavsky.





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Grilled coconut salmon

4X 200G SKINLESS SALMON FILLETS 1 TSP. HIMALAYAN PINK SALT 1 TSP. GROUND WHITE PEPPER 60ML. COCONUT CREAM 1 TSP. GROUND TURMERIC SUNFLOWER OIL FOR BRUSHING TO SERVE: STEAMED RICE AND WILTED ASIAN GREENS




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Mango Alphonso Recipe

This recipe for Mango Alphonso featured on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment with Raf Epsteion on Drive, 774 ABC Melbourne, 3.30PM, courtesy of Christy Tania, head chef at the Aldelphi Hotel's Om Nom restaurant.





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Italian tomato, saffron and mozzarella arancini

1/2 cup chicken stock 1 pinch of saffron olive oil, for cooking 1 small brown onion, diced 1 tbsp. tomato paste 150 g Carnaroli rice or Arborio rice Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper 100 ml white wine 60 g grated parmesan finely grated zest of 1 lemon 100 g grated mozzarella 3 eggs 125 ml (1/2 cup) milk 50 g plain flour 160 g panko breadcrumbs (see Note) vegetable oil, for deep-frying





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Baked figs stuffed with goat's cheese, black garlic and herbs, mint and purple basil salad

Figs are such a versatile fruit, they can be eaten raw, cooked, and sweet or savoury. Here I am baking them with goat's curd which is truly delicious. Wrapping them in prosciutto adds texture and saltiness and the mint salad adds a lovely freshness to the dish.




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Greek chicken with polenta and sumac crumb

6 chicken thighs 1 egg 1/2 cup polenta 1 tbsp. sumac 1 tsp cumin seeds salt flakes and freshly ground pepper, to season 60 ml (1/4 cup) pomegranate molasses Avocado Tzatziki: 1 cup)Greek-style yoghurt 1 ripe avocado, flesh coarsely mashed with a fork 3 Lebanese cucumbers, grated, squeeze to remove excess liquid 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves 1 tbsp. chopped mint leaves juice of 1/2 lime pinch of Himalayan salt





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Lamb kofte with lemon yogurt flatbread

700g minced lamb 30g pine nuts, roughly chopped 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1/2 onion, diced 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional) zest of 1/2 lemon pinch of salt and pepper 3 tbsp. oil Lemon Flatbread 1 cup plain flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder pinch of salt 3/4 cup plain yoghurt zest of 1/2 lemon




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SLOW-COOKED QUINCES WITH MANDARIN AND ROSEWATER

Once you've peeled and cored the quinces there's really little work to do to make this gorgeous dessert. They just bubble away happily for a few hours while the sugar and long slow cooking cast their spell, transforming the quinces' hard, ivory-coloured flesh until it's meltingly soft and an incredible deep-rose colour.




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Greek calamari with watermelon, goat's cheese and olives

1/4 small watermelon vegetable oil, for deep-frying 50 g vine leaves in brine 1/3 cup plain flour 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish 500 g calamari, cleaned, scored and cut into bite-sized pieces, tentacles reserved salt flakes and cracked pepper 200 g green olives 200 g goat's curd, broken into small pieces




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Pork and Pea Pastizzi with Mustard Mayonnnaise

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Shane Delia. This recipe is from Shane's book, and SBS series, "Shane Delia's Spice Journey".




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Pomegranate Coconut Fish

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Damo and Zoe Gaeau. Their new book is "That Sugar Guide".




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Marinated crispy skinned salmon fillets

4 salmon fillets, skin on (175g per portion) 2 tbs soy sauce 1 tbs rice wine vinegar 1 tbs olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbs ginger, mined 1 small red chilli 1 lime, juiced







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Chicken, chestnut and apple savoury crumble

A savoury crumble seems very odd at first but makes a lot of delicious sense when you eat it! Using dried chestnuts, which are available from good Italian grocers reduces the preparation time.




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Potatoes with Lemon and Oregano

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Kathy Tsaples.




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Chocolate brownies with crystallised ginger and macadamia nuts

140g unsalted butter 200g dark chocolate 100g light brown sugar 100g caster sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 egg yolk 85g plain flour 55g macadamia nuts, lightly toasted, chopped 30g crystallised ginger, chopped Sifted cocoa powder, to dust




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Flourless Chocolate Cake (almond meal)

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Tad Lombardo Director & Head Chocolatier at Cioccolato Lombardo.




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Caramel slice

Base 1 cup (150g) plain flour 1 cup (150g) plain flour 1/2 cup (40g) desiccated coconut 1/2 cup (90g) brown sugar 125g unsalted butter, melted Filling 1/3 cup (115g) golden syrup 125g unsalted butter 2 x 395g sweetened condensed milk Pinch salt Topping 200g dark chocolate 1 tbs vegetable oil




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Malaysian curry puffs

A short, crunchy crust that breaks open with a burst of flavour and just a touch of heat.




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Thai Style Fried Chicken - Gai Tod Nahm Prik Pao

A spicy Thai take on fried chicken, perfect as an entree to get the taste-buds sizzling or part of a main meal with rice and vegetables.




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Buckwheat polenta with roasted vegetables, blue cheese, pine nuts and thyme

As the cold weather sets in, this nourishing winter dish is perfect to warm hands, feet and heart. The addition of buckwheat flour to polenta gives it a delicious smoky earth flavour and adds to the nutrition level of this dish. Rich in fibre and silica, gluten free buckwheat contain rutin, a bioflavonoid that is know to increase blood circulation and reduce high blood pressure. Perfect for winter!




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Mozzarella cheese

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Mauro Montalto, Floridia Cheese




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Mocha-Cappuccino Caramel Biscuit Cheesecake

This indulgent cheesecake is as light as air, with all the ingredients of an afternoon tea rolled into one - coffee, chocolate and caramel biscuits.




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Pumpkin soup with roasted almond pesto

Pumpkin soup on it's own can be rather plain but with interesting garnishes, the ordinary becomes delicious. This variation on a classic pesto, which uses pine nuts, incorporates roasted almonds instead, giving this ubiquitous winter soup a greater depth of flavour and crunch.




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La Madre Sourdough

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Tez Kemp, La Madre Bakery




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ROASTED GREEN BEANS WITH LEMON AND ANCHOVIES

I nearly didn't write the word 'anchovies' in the name of this dish as I know that many people will pretty much automatically by-pass any recipe that has anchovies in it. It's such a shame, because (as is the case with many dishes that include them) they add a depth of flavour and intriguing background note that is perfectly delicious without being at all fishy. If you're one of my mob, and love them, then do give this recipe a try...it's such a simple dish yet full of flavour (I sometimes add a chopped red chilli at the end to give it a bit more oomph too.) The beans are terrific with any sort of grilled meat or fish.





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Choux puffs, lemon curd and whipped cream

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Nicky Riemer at Union Dining.




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Luscious lemon slice

Base 180g butter, at room temperature 80g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg 225g plain flour Topping 315g castor sugar 4 eggs 2 egg yolks 1 tbs lemon zest 160ml lemon juice 40g plain flour






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Sesame, honey, ginger and soy grilled salmon with lime

Atlantic Salmon is Australia's most popular farmed fish and is a healthy weekly staple for many people. This recipe offers a marinade more commonly thought of for chicken however is simply delicious with salmon. Enjoy with a fresh local limes, which are in season from early April to mid September.




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Creamy Mushroom Soup

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Alice Zaslavsky,




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Greek syrup drenched semolina, yoghurt and almond cake somali

1 1/2 cups fine semolina 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cups Greek yogurt 2 tsps. baking soda 1/2 tsp ground mastic resin, we are substituting ground fennel 3-4 tbsps. butter, melted slivered almonds For the syrup: 2 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups water 1 lemon, cut in half 1/2 tsp. rose water Dash of vanilla extract 1 cinnamon stick




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Freshly shucked oysters with spanner crab salad and green nam jim

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Tony Twitchett, Taxi Kitchen





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MY MUM'S PUMPKIN & DATE SCONES

I have clear memories of being about four year's old standing on a little stool next to my mum while she made batches of these golden scones. I always loved being in the kitchen with her and she was endlessly patient, letting me help mix, stir, roll and shape all manner of things (in this case turning a blind eye when I smuggled little nuggets raw dough and dates into my mouth.) We would chat away as we went and she would explain to me what she was doing. I remember to this day her telling me the secret to making good scones was to use the lightest touch possible when you're mixing the dough together...we had no food processor then so everything was mixed by hand and I loved rubbing the flour and butter together, lifting my hands high as she had taught me to help keep the scones light. Although I whiz these up in a processor now, every so often I make a batch by hand, and am immediately whisked back into that childhood kitchen and can almost feel and see Cooee, my mum, beside me in her wonderful cinch-waisted 60's polka dot dress...it's a wonderful image.




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Greek sesame crusted feta wih honey

250g Greek feta cheese 2 eggs 1 tsp. of smoked paprika 1 tsp. of freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup plain flour, enough to coat the feta 60g sesame seeds Sunflower oil for frying 4 tbsps. of local honey




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Mushroom and pearl barley soup with parmesan

Cold damp weather prompts all manner of mushrooms and fungi to emerge from the forest floor. Having neighbours willing to share their regular harvest of field mushrooms is one of the many great privileges of living in the Southern Forests. However, this hearty winter soup can be equally delicious when made with cultivated mushrooms easily purchased from supermarkets and independent grocers.




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Pumpkin lasagne

1.2kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus 12 whole leaves to serve 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 350g ricotta 1 egg 1 cup grated parmesan, plus extra to serve 8 fresh lasagne sheets 100g unsalted butter 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts