Slow Cooked Beef Curry

To serve 2:

I used 3 beef medallions that I had in the freezer, cut into thin strips and lightly floured, but use whatever beef you like
I also like to cut corners where poss, so I used
a frozen cube of, crushed ginger, crushed garlic, crushed green chilli and crushed coriander
1 red chilli, finely sliced
 2 spring onions, finely sliced
 3 tomatoes, roughly chopped,
1 red onion, finely diced
1 tin light coconut milk, and 1 tin of water
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika

In a frying pan I started by frying off the frozen cubes, and then added the finely diced red onion

Once the onion started to soften I added the tomatoes and the dry spices. This needs to be cooked out for a couple of mins, then put into an oven proof casserole dish.

Use the same pan to lightly brown the beef, and then put that in the same casserole dish. Now add the coconut milk, and refill the tin with water and add that too. Stir, and put in a pre-heated oven at 150'C (fan) for about 4 hours. You really want at least 3 and could probably get away with 6 if you turned the oven down a bit.

After 3 1/2 hours I added the sliced red chilli and the spring onions. I served it with a pea and garlic rice, which was nom.

Waffle Cookies

Its hard to say how many this mix will make as it depends on the shape/size of your waffle maker, but on my machine this made 25 cookies (5 'flowers')

You Need:

1/2 cup melted butter ( I use that flora cuisine stuff instead!)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl add all the ingredients and stir until a sticky dough is formed. (Yes, you can ponce about creaming the butter and sugar first, then adding the eggs etc, but I didn't and mine worked!!)
Heat your waffle iron to max, and when ready use an ice cream scoop to splodge a lump of the mixture onto the iron. Press down the lid to push the mix out to the sides of the iron. Again, how long to cook them for depends on your iron, but mine took about 2 1/2 minutes. They're ready when they are golden brown and crispy round the edges. Cool on a wire rack and then divide into individual cookies. Keep in an airtight box for 2 days (if they last that long!)
Experiment with flavours, I used milk chocolate and peanut butter chips, which were amazeballs, and am gonna try some pecan and cinnamon ones next!

Coconut Macaroons

Makes 12:
2 cups dessicated coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 egg whites
few drops food colour ( I went for pink, obv)

add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined. It's as easy as that!

Using an ice cream scoop and an egg ring/pastry cutter, add a scoopful of the mix to the ring on a lined baking sheet. press in firmly, so that it is completely compacted and smooth. Gently remove the ring. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160'C (fan) for 10-12 mins or until just starting to lightly brown at the edges.

Leave to cool on the tray and then keep in an airtight container. They are great sandwiched together with ice cream!

Honey & Lemon Chicken (Super Easy!)

So, this is a super simple dinner for 2, or can be multiplied up for 22 if you want! Quick, easy and tasty.

Serves 2:
2 Chicken breasts (skinless)
1 tbsp lemon zest (1 small lemon)
6 sprigs of lemon thyme, or about 1 tsp dried
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp runny honey

Place chicken in a shallow oven dish. Mix together the oil, zest and thyme with the honey and drizzle over the chicken. Chuck the lemon you zested in with the chicken too, it will give off loads of juice!
Roast for 20-25 mins at 180'C (fan), basting half way through. Serve with a mixed salad and salad dressing of your choice. Spoon over residual juices from pan.