Some of the scrummiest flapjacks you'll ever eat.  I made these with fresh strawberries, but it should work with frozen fruit too, if strawberries aren't in season.

Natural strawberry flavour should be available from the supermarket. 

For a healthier version of this recipe take a look at the suggested variations below.  The end result is just as tasty, with the added benefit that it could even pass for a healthy snack!

INGREDIENTS
125g butter
125g sugar
125g honey
250g oats
1/2 tsp natural strawberry flavour
100g chopped strawberries

• Preheat the oven to 150C/300F.
  
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat.
• Add the sugar, honey and strawberry flavour.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the oats and mix well until the oats are well coated and the ingredients are evenly mixed.
• Add the chopped strawberries and mix gently.
• Transfer the mix to a greased 7-inch (18cm) sandwich tin (I used a round tin) and press down evenly.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes.
• Leave to cool before removing from the tin, then slice, serve and enjoy.  Tastes great with some frozen strawberry yoghurt or strawberry ice-cream.

VARIATION

For a slightly healthier option replace the sugar with chopped dates.
Use a stick blender to give the butter, date, honey and flavour mixture a thick, syrupy consistency before adding the oats.

For an even healthier option replace the butter with virgin coconut oil as well.  Make sure that you use virgin coconut oil, as the more refined stuff has much less nutritional value.

I've always wanted to try making my own lemonade, and here it is!  This is a very simple recipe that I made with my son, and it tastes fabulous - well worth the effort.

INGREDIENTS
250ml lemon juice (~5 large lemons)
250g Sugar

• Zest the lemons and place the rind in a stainless steel saucepan.
  
• Juice the lemons into the saucepan.  Don't worry about keeping out the pips or flesh.
• Add the sugar to the lemon juice and rind and place the saucepan over a low heat.
• Heat and stir the sugar/juice mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved to create a lemon sugar syrup.
• Place the lid on the saucepan and leave the syrup to cool.
• Strain and bottle. That's it!

To serve, either pour some syrup into a glass and top up with water and ice, or put the syrup into a large jug and add about 1l (sparkling) water and add some ice and a few lemon slices to decorate.  By adjusting the amount of syrup to water  you can go from a sweet lemonade to more of a bitter lemon type drink.  

Keep the cordial refrigerated.

I love mashed potatoes, especially with sausages and onion gravy.  Very simple, but there are few meals finer.  I like a stodgy mash - you can keep your potato puree type of mash that chefs in restaurants seem to favour.  But in case you're tired of the same old thing, here are 5 ways to liven up the humble mash, that you may not have thought of.  

1. Stuffing mix.  You know the stuffing mix that you get in packets?  Well, a handful in mash works really well.  My favourite is Sage & Onion, but use whatever appeals to you, and goes with the meal that you're eating.  Sprinkle some in at the same time  as the butter and milk (if using), or make a little up separately and add it to the mash.
2. Mustard.  A tablespoon or two of mustard added to mash really adds something extra.  It works really well with pork or beef.  Change the mustard according to the meal - use wholegrain with sausages or pork, use English or French mustard with beef, French mustard and honey goes really well with chicken.
3. Horseradish or wasabi.  This makes a great accompaniment to a hearty beef stew - wonderful on cold, wintry days.  Just be careful with the quantities, otherwise it might blow your head off!  Also, wasabi seems to lose its potency and aroma when it's heated up , so add it in at the last minute.
4. Peanut Butter.  What?! It might sound a bit gross on first hearing, but it's not as weird as it sounds. After all you've probably eaten Satay without a second thought. This is just an extension of the same thing.  I like to use crunchy peanut butter for a bit of extra texture.
5. Fried Onions.  Slice the onions and fry them up gently until they're golden (slightly caramelised).  Then add the onions and any residue in the pan into the mashed potato.  It's delicious!

This is a great way to use up leftover chicken from a Sunday roast. A quick and easy meal that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.

I first saw this recipe in "Easy Thai-Style Cookery" by The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbooks and it has become a firm favourite.  There's so little to it that you'd think it would be pretty unremarkable,  but it is soooooo flavourful and delicious.  

I've made a few changes to the original recipe, just because that's how I tend to cook - the spirit of the recipe remains the same, but quantities and ingredients might change a little each time, depending on who I'm cooking for or what I have available.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
Roughly 200g chicken
2 tbsp fish sauce
good pinch of sugar
1 can (400g) coconut milk
1 cup shredded basil

Serves 2 generously

• Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan.
• Add the onion and pepper and fry over a medium heat until the onions are soft and slightly translucent.
• Add the chicken and heat through. (If you are using raw chicken, cook it before adding the onions, and until the chicken is tender.)
• Add the fish sauce, sugar and coconut milk.
• Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the basil.
• Cook over a low heat for a further 2-3 mins.
• Serve with rice.

The original recipe includes a whole red chilli, which is added with the onion. The spicy version also tastes great, but I left out the chilli to cater for my son's taste.

Use virgin coconut oil for an extra coconut hit.  (It's also very good for you!)

One of the tastiest sandwiches I can remember having is a Chicken and Avocado sandwich, smothered in mayonnaise that I bought from a little sandwich shop off Oxford Street when I was at school.  It must be more than 15 years since I had that sandwich, but I still remember it with fondness.  Ever since then, whenever I find myself in possession of some chicken and some avocado I have to put them together somehow.  Throw in a little bacon as well, and I could die happy!

The vegetable shop down the road from us recently had avocados on special offer which was too good to pass up.  And then we had a roast chicken, from which there was a decent amount of leftover meat.  (I should say that prior to this it had been a pretty long while since I'd had my beloved chicken and avocado combination.)  To cap it off, there were also wraps in the cupboard.  I could hardly wait for lunch the next day to assemble the beast: roast chicken, sliced avocado, black olives, lettuce, lashings of mayonnaise, a generous twist of freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of salt and a splash of lime juice, all snugly contained in a large wheat tortilla wrap.  It isn't often that reality lives up to a fantasy, but this was one sandwich that did not disappoint.  I savoured every mouthful, something we probably don't do often enough, and was left feeling quite content. Which is why I believe that chiken and avocado is a blessed combination.

What food or meal has had a lasting impression on you?

These scones are really easy to make and give good results every time.  Delicious eaten with sliced avocado or guacamole, or cream cheese.  Serve with a simple green salad for a tasty light lunch.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp oil
3 rashers of bacon, chopped
Half an onion, chopped
250g self-raising flour
1 tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt
75g butter
1 egg
5 tbsp milk

Makes 7-8 large scones

• Heat the oil gently in a saucepan, then add the chopped bacon and onions.
• Fry until the onions are soft and slightly coloured.
• Set the saucepan aside to cool.
• Sieve the flour into a bowl.
• Add the sugar and salt.
• Cut the butter into small chunks and add to the flour, then rub in until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the cooled bacon and onion mix.
• In a separate bowl mix the egg and milk, then add to the flour.
• Stir gently until the mixture comes together in a ball.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface so that it is about 1cm thick, then cut out the scones with a 3" round cutter.  You will get 7 scones with a 3" cutter, more if you use a smaller cutter.
• Place on a greased baking sheet and bake in the middle of a pre-heated oven at 220C/425F for 8-10 minutes.

This is based on a Nigerian recipe.  It's not completely true to the traditional recipe - it has a bit of a European twist.  It's traditionally made using ground Papaya seeds, but I've used ground melon seeds as that's what I could find (you can buy melon seeds from specialist Indian food stores).  I've also dispensed with the red palm oil in favour of olive oil - mainly because that's what I had at the time. Red palm oil does have its own flavour and adds an extra dimension to the flavour of the dish, so it's worth trying.  

The soup works well with both meat and fish.  I've never tried a vegetarian version, but mushrooms do work well with the soup and could be substituted for the meat or fish. It is served with ground rice or gari - a type of maize meal.  (Ground rice is made up in the same way as  cornmeal/polenta, which actually might also work well with the soup, although I've never tried it.)

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp oil - red palm or vegetable oil
200g Melon seeds, ground
400ml fish/meat/vegetable stock
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
fish/prawns/chicken or beef
5 Mushrooms, quartered (optional)
1 tsp Fish Sauce
1tsp Shrimp Paste

1 tsp chilli powder / cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
100g spinach, finely chopped

SERVES 2-3

• Heat the oil gently in a saucepan.
• Add the ground melon seeds and fry gently for about 2 minutes.
• Add the stock, garlic, fish or meat, mushrooms (if using) and chilli powder and simmer for about 20 mins.  (NOTE - if using chicken or beef, boil the meat separately with seasoning and some stock vegetables then use that liquid for the soup. For vegetable stock I recommend Marigold Organic Swiss Vegetable Bouillon Powder (Reduced Salt).  It makes an excellent, flavourful stock).
• Add the spinach to the pan and leave until wilted (a couple of minutes).
• TO MAKE THE GROUND RICE - Add 100g ground rice to 200g cold water (per person) in a saucepan.  Place over a medium heat and beat the mixture continuously. As it heats up it should thicken, eventually becoming almost too thick to stir. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and reduce the heat to minimum. Place the lid on the saucepan and leave for 2-3 mins. Then beat the (very stiff) mixture once more until smooth and turn off the heat. 
• Serve a little ground rice with a couple of spoons of soup. Some people prefer to keep the ground rice and soup separate, but I usually eat them from the same plate.  Traditionally, the meal is eaten with the hands, but a fork or spoon will do...
• Enjoy!

This muffin recipe is really versatile and gives delicious results every time!  Have them plain or add some fruit or nuts for a little extra touch.

INGREDIENTS
300g Self-Raising Flour
225g golden sugar
150g oil (e.g. sunflower or vegetable)
3 eggs
100ml milk

Optional
 fresh fruit / dried fruit / nuts
1tsp flavour / vanilla esesence / cinnamon / spices

Makes 12 muffins

• Pre-heat the oven to 200 degC.
• Place the flour, sugar, oil, and eggs in a bowl and mix well.
• Gradually add the milk a little at a time to achieve the consistency of a thick pancake batter (you might not need all of the milk depending on the size of your eggs).
• Mix in the optional ingredients.
  
• Line the compartments of a muffin tray with muffin cases and pour the muffin mixture into the cases to about 3/4 full.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and well-risen (if the muffins are done a toothpick or knife inserted in the centre of the muffin should come out clean).
• Leave to cool, then enjoy!

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS (SUGGESTIONS)
*  100g Fresh strawberries and 1 tsp natural strawberry flavouring
*  25g poppy seeds and chopped rind of 1 lemon
*  100g chocolate chips
*  1 mashed banana, 50g chopped walnuts

The possibilites are endless...

This is such a versatile recipe.  With only small variations it can be used to make a whole variety of lovely stuff from shortbread to crumble, and even pastry.
INGREDIENTS
200g Self-Raising Flour
150g Sugar
100g Butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk

• Beat all ingredients (except milk) together until smooth.
• Add milk a little at a time to achieve a soft dropping consistency.  You may need more or less depending on the size of eggs that you used.
• Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven at 175°C for 25 minutes.
• Enough for a 6" cake tin.

I like to add a couple of tablespoons of Golden Syrup and lemon juice to the bottom of the sponge tin, and bake it in a very shallow bain-marie, then turn the whole thing upside down and smother with custard/cream/ice cream. Yumm!

Variations

• Substitute plain flour for the self-raising and leave out the eggs to get a lovely shortbread recipe.
• Substitute plain flour for the self-raising and leave out both the eggs and milk to get the perfect recipe for a crumble topping.
• Leave out the sugar, milk and one egg for a great pastry recipe for pies and quiches.