TURKEY, MACARONI AND CHEESE BAKE

Ingredients (serves 6)
2 cups dried macaroni pasta
50g butter
1/4 cup plain flour
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup pure cream
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey (see note)
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup grated light pizza cheese
1/2 cup stale breadcrumbs salad leaves, to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 6.5cm-deep, 20cm square baking dish. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water, following packet directions, until tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until bubbling. Gradually stir in combined stock and cream. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Add turkey, peas, parsley and half the cheese. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until heated through. Season with pepper. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta.
Spoon mixture into prepared dish. Top with breadcrumbs and remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Serve with salad leaves.
Notes & tips
You will need 400g cooked turkey for this recipe.

Mexican pizzas with guacamole

Cooking Time 25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)
olive oil cooking spray
350g extra-lean beef mince
2 x 125g cans red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
35g packet taco seasoning mixture
2 x 24cm pizza bases
40g 50% reduced-fat cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
mixed salad greens, to serve
Guacamole
1/2 large avocado, chopped
1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup coriander leaves
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Lightly spray with oil. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned.
Stir in beans and seasoning. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat.
Place pizza bases on oven trays. Spread over beef mixture. Top with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until bases are crisp and cheese melted. Remove to chopping board.
Meanwhile, make guacamole. Combine avocado, cottage cheese, lemon juice, onion and garlic in a bowl. Mash with a fork to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Dollop pizzas with guacamole. Sprinkle with coriander. Cut into wedges. Serve with salad greens.
Notes & tips
For an extra 'kick', drizzle pizzas with sweet chilli sauce just before serving. Serve with light sour cream.
You could use Lebanese bread instead of the pizza bases. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp.

CLASSIC TIRAMISU

Ingredients (serves 8)
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup caster sugar
250g mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua)
200ml thickened cream
2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 cups warm water
28 sponge finger biscuits (see note)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Method
Using an electric hand mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Gently fold in mascarpone and liqueur. Wash and dry beaters. Whip cream to firm peaks. Fold into mascarpone mixture.
Wash and dry beaters. Beat eggwhites until stiff peaks form. Fold into mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Combine coffee and warm water in a shallow dish, stirring until coffee dissolves. Using half the biscuits, dip biscuits 1 at a time in coffee, turning to coat. Place, in a single layer, over the base of a 6cm-deep, 18cm x 28cm (base) baking dish.
Spread half the mascarpone mixture over biscuits to cover. Repeat layers with remaining biscuits, coffee and mascarpone mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Dust top with cocoa powder and serve.
Notes & tips
You will need 2 x 250g packets or one 500g packet of sponge finger biscuits.

CHOCOLATE CINNAMON CAKE

Cooking Time 35 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)
200g butter, chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
Icing
100g dark chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons cream
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm round cake pan. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until pale. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well-combined.
Sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda together. Fold into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk until well-combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth the surface.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool before icing.
To make icing: Combine chocolate, cream and cinnamon in a small heatproof bowl. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and spread over cake.

MARS BAR CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients (serves 16)
400g butter, chopped
400g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups caster sugar
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2 x 60g Mars Bars, chilled, chopped
double thick cream, to serve (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 4cm-deep, 22.5cm x 28cm (base) slab pan. Line with baking paper, allowing 2cm overhang at both long ends.
Combine butter and dark chocolate in a large, heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, or until almost melted. Add cocoa and whisk until smooth.
Add sugar and mix well. Add one third of the egg and stir to combine. Repeat with egg in 2 batches. Sift flour over chocolate mixture. Stir gently until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle Mars Bars over batter and press in slightly.
Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre has moist crumbs clinging. Cool completely in pan. Cut into squares. Serve with cream.

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients (serves 8)
1 1/3 cups (200g) plain flour
2 tbs cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
225g unsalted butter, softened, chopped
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
Chocolate ganache icing and chocolate curls, to decorate
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 24cm round springform cake pan.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Set aside.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (don't let bowl touch water). Cool slightly.
Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. With beaters on medium speed, add vanilla, then add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour in cooled chocolate and beat until well combined. Beat in a third of sifted ingredients, followed by a third of the milk. Repeat until all ingredients are incorporated, beating until smooth.
Pour mixture into the pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto rack to cool completely.
To serve, spread the icing over the top and sides of the cake using a hot palette knife, then decorate with chocolate curls.
To make chocolate ganache: Melt 150g chopped good-quality dark chocolate with 125ml pure cream and 20g unsalted butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Stir until well combined, then set aside for 30 minutes to cool and thicken before use.
To make chocolate curls: Using a palette knife, spread melted chocolate 2-3mm thick on a hard clean surface such as a glass chopping board or marble slab that you can move. Stand at room temperature until almost set. Shave curls using a peeler or palette knife, pulling towards you at an angle. If the chocolate breaks, it is set too hard - leave in a warm place until more pliable. To make small curls, simply run a peeler along the side of a block of chocolate.
Notes & tips
It's best to use good-quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids for cooking, but you can use milk chocolate if you prefer.
To melt chocolate, chop it, then place in a dry, heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering (not boiling) water. The bowl shouldn't touch the water. As the chocolate melts, stir very gently with a wooden or metal spoon to ensure it melts evenly. As soon as the chocolate is smooth, remove the bowl from the heat. If the chocolate overheats, or if water is in contact with it as it's melting, it will 'seize' and become hard and unusable.
Storing the cake: Cool cake completely before storing in an airtight container. Keep un-iced cake at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. You can freeze any leftover cake in plastic wrap for up to 6 months. To defrost, thaw out in the fridge, then at room temperature.
Variations
Soft-centred chocolate puddings: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease eight 200ml ramekins. Omit the cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and milk from the master recipe above, reduce the plain flour to 50g, and replace the caster sugar with 1/2 firmly packed cup (100g) brown sugar. Make a batter as per the master recipe method, adding the flour all at once rather than in stages. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until set on the surface but still slightly soft in the centre. Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with thick cream.
Choc-macadamia ice cream layer cake: Halve all the quantities for the master recipe, then make the cake as per the master recipe method, instead using a greased and lined 7cm-deep, 25cm x 10cm loaf pan. Cool as for the master recipe, then carefully cut a thin layer from the top of the cake and discard. Slice the remaining cake horizontally into 3 long pieces. Place cake slices on a tray, with plastic wrap or baking paper between each layer, and freeze for at least 1 hour. Clean loaf pan, then line with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhanging to cover the top. Return bottom layer of cake to pan. Working quickly, use a hot palette knife (dip it in hot water) to evenly spread about 1 1/2 cups ice cream (we used macadamia) over the cake, right to the edges. Repeat with another layer of cake and ice cream, then top with remaining piece of cake. Cover with overhanging plastic, then freeze for at least 3 hours. Remove cake from pan, using plastic wrap to help, then cut into 6-8 slices. Serve drizzled with chocolate sauce, if desired.
Chocolate & hazelnut petits fours: Halve all the quantities for the master recipe, then make the cake as per master recipe method, instead using a greased and lined 7cm-deep, 25cm x 10cm loaf pan. Carefully slice cooled cake in half horizontally. Cut each piece into 3 long strips, then cut each strip into 8 pieces to make 48 cubes. Set aside. To make chocolate icing, place 100g chopped good-quality dark chocolate, 60g unsalted butter and 3 tbs water in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (don't let bowl touch the water) until chocolate melts. Stir in 1/2 cup (75g) sifted icing sugar, then remove bowl from heat and cool slightly. You should have a thin, glossy icing - add a little water if too thick. Place cakes on a rack. Top each with 1/4 tsp Nutella (or other hazelnut spread). Gently press in a hazelnut or macadamia. Using a small palette knife, drizzle and spread icing over cakes. Sprinkle with flaked chocolate garnish (from supermarket baking aisle), then leave to set at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

BAKED FISH WITH STICKY SAUCE

Ingredients (serves 6)
1 large (about 1 1/2kg) whole fish (such as snapper or ocean trout)
80ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil
2 tbs sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thin strips
2 long red chillies, seeded, thinly sliced
3/4 cup grated palm sugar*
120ml (6 tbs) fish sauce
4 tbs tamarind concentrate*
100ml (5 tbs) lime juice
1 cup Thai basil leaves
2 tbs fried Asian shallots*
Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Make 3 deep slashes in one side of the fish, brush with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place in a greased baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and cook until golden (don't burn or it will taste bitter). Transfer to paper towel to drain. Add ginger and chilli to wok and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add sugar, fish sauce, tamarind and lime juice. Cook for 1-2 minutes until syrupy. Transfer to a jug and set aside. Clean and dry wok. Add remaining oil over high heat. When hot, add Thai basil (ensure basil is completely dry) and fry for 1-2 minutes until crisp.
To serve, place fish on a platter, pour sauce over and garnish with garlic, basil, shallots and coriander.