Chinese squares

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
3/4 cup chopped fruit (dates)
1/2 cup walnuts
125 g butter
1 egg


Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Melt butter, beat egg well then add both to dry ingredients.
Mix well together then press into a greased swiss roll tin.
Bake in a moderate over (180 degrees for 30 minutes)
Cut into squares when cool.

Cinnamon Tea Cake

60 g butter
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg
vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cups self-raising flour


Topping:
1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon


Beat butter and sugar to a cream. Add vanilla.
Add the egg and beat well.
Sift flour and salt together and add to mixture alternately with milk.
Mix into a soft dough.
Pour into a greased and floured 18cm sponge sandwich tin.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes.
Turn onto a cooler, brush top with butter and sprinkle with amixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Helen's Chocolate Slice

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
125g butter
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients together.
Metl butter, beat eggs well. Add both to dry ingredients.
Mix well then press into a flat tin.
Bake approx 20 minutes in moderate oven.
Cut into squares.
When cool pour chocolate icing over top and leave to set. Divide squares.

Chocolate Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
vanilla
hot water

Sift icing sugar into a bowl.
Blend cocoa with a little hot water.
Add to icing sugar with enough water to make a thin paste.
Flovour with vanilla.

Digger's Rice Pudding with stewed prunes

In heavy based pan combine the following:
1 cup medium grain rice
2 tablespoons sugar
dob of butter
2 litres of full cream milk

Cook over low/medium heat for 30 minutes - stir constantly or it will catch

When rice is "soft" add 1 teaspoon vanilla

Allow to cool - IT WILL THICKEN ON STANDING

Stewed Prunes:

Combine
375 g prunes
2 cups water
1/2 cup brown sugar

simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.

The ultimate comfort pudding!

Enid's Piklets

In a bowl whisk together:
2 eggs
1 drop vanilla essence
1 tablespoon golden syrup

gradually add (in the following order)
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup self raising flour
milk (enough to make mix "creamy")
1/2 cup self raising flour

Stand mixutre for 10 minutes before cooking

Betty's Easy Pudding

Sift the following ingredients into mixing bowl:

2 cups self-raising flour
1 dessertspoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons icing sugar
pinch of salt

"rub in" 2 tablespoons butter
then stir in handful of sultanas

Slowly add enough water to make "sticky mix" batter

Place batter into ovenproof dish

Mix together 1 cup of boiling water and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Pour "syrup" over batter and cook until done

(you wind up with a "cake" on top of thick sauce)

Norma's Garlic Cream Prawns

Melt 60 g butter
Blend in - 2 tablespoons plain flour
2 cloves garlic (minimum)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Stir over heat until thickened

gradually incorporate
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cream
2 tablespoons white wine

add 1 kg peeled green prawns and cook over low/medium heat until prawns "pink"

Serve with rice

Connie's Chocolate Cake (melt and mix)

Sift into bowl of mixer:
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspons bi-carb soda

In seperate bowl combine 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar - let stand to sour (10mins?)

Melt 185g (6 oz) margarine (will not work if you use butter)

Crack 3 eggs into seperate bowl and beat well.

Pour marg and milk mixtures over dry ingredients.
Beat by hand until incorporated.
Add well beaten eggs.
Mix with electric mixer for about 6 minutes.
Mixture should be VERY runny.

Bake in 2 x 8" tins for 35 minutes at 180 degrees

Louise's Beef Casserole

500 g beef steak, diced large
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 litre vegetable stock
800 g kumara, peeled, diced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 bay leaves

Method A:
Saute onion, garlic, carrot, cook until onion is soft.
Stir in flour, cook 1 minute. Set aside

Add meat in batches and "seal". Set aside

Add sweet potato, parsley and bay leaf.
Combine all and add stock, bring to simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.

Method B:
After sealing meat and softening vegetables put the whole lot into a slow cooker and cook on low for about 5 hours.

Kumara Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 brown onions - chopped
2 kumara (orange sweet potato) - peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
1 litre chicken stock

Method:
Heat heavy based pan - add oil, onions and kumara and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
add stock, bring to boil and cook 12 - 15 minutes or until tender.
Using a hand-held stick blender - blend until smooth.

Variations:
Add curry pasts to taste
Add herbs to taste
Whatever..

Betty's Sweet Pie Pastry

250 g butter
250 g sugar
2 eggs
2 cups plain flour
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
1/4 cup cornflour

Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs
Gradually add sifted flours

Aileen's Basic Biscuit Recipe

250 g butter or marg
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
few drops of vanilla

Method:
Cream butter and sugar until pale
Add eggs and vanilla
Mix in flour - 1/2 cup at a time - do not overmix or biscuits will toughen
Spoon walnut sized balls of dough onto greased tray
Bake on tray at 180 degrees for approx 20 minutes

Variations:
Jam Drops - make indentation in uncooked biscuit and place 1/4 teaspoon of jam in middle
Corn Flakes - roll uncooked biscuit in corn flakes
Choc Chip - add 250 g choc chips to mix

Aileen's Meatloaf

1 kilo best mince
500g pork sausage mince
2 onions - finely chopped
3 slices bread - crumbed
1/2 cup milk
2 raw eggs
1 teaspoon curry
salt and pepper

Combine the above and shape into 2 "loaves".
Lightly flour loaves and place side by side in baking dish.
Bake at 180 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Sauce:
1 cup water
4 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons black sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 dessertspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons coffee
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Combine sauce ingredients in medium saucepan and boil for 5 minutes.

Pour sauce over meatloaf and cook until done - approximately 30 minutes extra.

Generously serves 6 - 8 .
Half quantities for 4.

Cheat's Rissotto "base"

40 g butter (melt in heavy based pan)
1 - 2 cloves crushed garlic (fry 30 seconds)
1 onion finely chopped (cook until starts to soften)
Add I cup of Arborio Rice (stir over heat, continuously for 2 minutes)
Add stock (2 cups of hot water with 2 teaspoons stock powder - chicken or vegetable)
Return to boil - cover - gently simmer 10 minutes or until just cooked through

Stir in grated parmesan and serve.

Extras

• add 1/2 diced bacon with the onion and continue
• or towards end of cooking time add either mushrooms/shallots/corn kernels/capsicum/asparagus cuts etc.

..or if you have time to spend add the stock ladel by ladel and stir until absorbed.

Meat Balls Napoli

Meat Balls:

400 g minced steak
250g pork mince
1 onion, grated
2 cups soft breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup finely chopped green capsicum
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Pepper

Sauce:

1 tablespoon oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 x 425 g can tomatoes
1 x 100 g can tomato paste (or less)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 chicken stock cubes
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped basil
Salt and pepper

(Serves 4 to 6)
1. Combine all of the ingredients for the meat balls and mix well. Shape into about 30 balls.
2. Place balls on baking trays (on sheet of bakeproof paper) and bake in oven (180 degrees for about 10mins or until cooked through). Place in bowl and set aside.

3. For the sauce, heat oil in a pan and cook crushed garlic for a few seconds.
4. Add vinegar, chopped tomatoes with liquid, tomato paste, sugar, water, stock cubes, herbs and seasonings.
5. Heat until boiling then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

6. Add the meat balls and coat with sauce.

Serve with pasta or noodles.



I usually double the recipe and freeze half.
The meatballs can also be served, without the sauce, as nibbles.

Recipe adapted from Day to Day Cookery high school text.

Linda