Serves 6-8

2 1/4 cups milk
3 teaspoons gelatine powder
1 x 300ml thick cream
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1 tablespoon Tia Maria
Vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)


Add milk to a medium sized saucepan. Sprinkle over the gelatine and allow to bloom for 3 minutes.

Add the cream, sugar and coffee, stir over a low-medium heat until the sugar and gelatine have dissolved and the mixture is hot (do not allow to boil).

Remove the mixture from the heat, stir in the Tia Maria. Pour the mixture into a jug. Allow to cool for 30 minutes then  pour into your prepared ramekins (or glasses), either six 1-cup capacity ramekins or eight 1/2-cup capacity plastic moulds.

Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, until set.

Just before serving, turn coffee creams onto plates (sliding a knife up one side carefully, allows an air pocket to form in the base which allows them to come out easily), or serve them in glasses. Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream.​

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Recipe adapted from 'Tradicionalna Kuhinja' by Eliana Plese, Ariana Silic and Boris Kauzlaric

4 tablespoons sunflower oil
500g pork and veal mince
2 eggs
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon vegeta
Salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoon thick cream
700g potatoes, thinly sliced
200ml sour cream

Heat half of the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and fry over medium heat until translucent.

Add the mince, salt, pepper and vegeta. Separate the mince with your spoon to remove chunks. Add the parsley and one egg (mix the egg in quickly so the egg does not scramble). Reduce the heat to low and cook this for 10-15 minutes.

Taste the mixture as it needs to taste slightly over seasoned, when you add the potatoes this will become a mild taste, if not seasoned properly, the end result will be bland. Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Add enough cream to moisten the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan forced.

​ Put 2 tablespoons of oil in the base of your baking dish. Peel and slice your potatoes thinly, season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of vegeta. Add a small drizzle of oil, give the potatoes a mix.

Place half of the sliced potatoes in your baking dish, side by side, slightly overlapping each piece.

Add the mince, spread evenly on top of the potatoes.

Add the remainder of the sliced potatoes, again side by side, slightly overlapping.

​Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes, the potatoes need to brown slightly.

In a bowl mix together the sour cream and remaining egg. After the musaka has started to brown, spoon this mixture over the potatoes, spreading evenly.

Bake for 1 hour or until the sour cream has browned and the potatoes cooked through.

Serve immediately, with a green salad or steamed broccoli.

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Recipe adapted from Janelle Bloom's cookbook 'My favourite Food for All Seasons'

Serves 4-6

250g dried rice vermicelli noodles
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 cup laksa paste
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups coconut milk
1-2 red chillies, halved, optional
4 fried bean curd puffs, thickly sliced, optional
2 teaspoons grated palm sugar or brown sugar
1/2 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons fish sauce
750g green prawns, shelled, deveined, leave tails on
250g scallops
50g bean sprouts
1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled, cut into thin strips using a peeler, then slice into thin strips
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup coriander leaves
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Fried shallots, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve


Cut the noodles in half horizontally. Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water from the kettle, cover the noodles with the water. Set aside for 3 minutes or until the noodles have softened slightly. Drain and set aside.

Heat a wok over medium heat until hot. Add the oil, swirl to coat the wok. Add the laksa paste-it will splatter a bit, cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until fragrant and the oil separates from the paste.

Add all of the stock, bring to the boil. Add the coconut milk and bean curd, reduce the heat to medium-low. (Now you need to taste the laksa base for spiciness. If you need more spice add 1-2 red chillies. Every laksa paste is different some hotter than others, by adding the chillies you control the heat). Simmer for 10 minutes.

Combine the palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce, pour it into the wok, bring to the boil.

Add the prawns and scallops, simmer 1-2 minutes, be careful to not overcook the prawns.

Divide the noodles among serving bowls, then ladle over the soup. Top with bean sprouts, cucumber, mint, coriander, green onions and the fried shallots. Serve with lime wedges.

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Serves 4-6

500g spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes or powder
2 x 425g can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon capers
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
1/4 cup black olives
Black pepper, to taste

Add spaghetti to a large pan of boiling salted water. Cook until just tender, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain the rest immediately. Return pasta to the pan.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, parsley and chilli flakes, cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add the undrained tomatoes, stir to combine. Reduce the heat, simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.

Add the capers, anchovies and olives. cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the black pepper, stir.

Add the pasta to the sauce, toss gently until evenly distributed. Add the reserved pasta water if you feel the sauce looks dry. Taste for seasoning.

​Serve immediately, with grated parmesan cheese. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil if you feel like an extra burst of flavour.

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Recipe adapted from Delicious. Simply the Best Cookbook by Valli Little

Serves 4-6

4 chicken drumsticks (skin on)
4 chicken thigh cutlets (skin on)
Lemon halves, to serve
Mixed Green Salad, to serve

Jerk Marinade:

1 onion, chopped
2 red chillies, seeds removed, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4cm piece fresh ginger, chopped
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup (125ml) apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (125ml) soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil


For the marinade: Place the onion, chilli, garlic, ginger and thyme in a food processor and blitz until chopped. Add the allspice, vinegar, soy sauce, honey and oil. Blitz until you get a thick paste. Pour the marinade into a large snap lock bag.


Place the chicken into the snap lock bag, seal the bag, and mix the chicken through the marinade. Place the snap lock bag into a large baking dish or bowl (in case of leaks) and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Every hour or so, turn the bag over so the marinade soaks into every piece of chicken evenly.


Preheat the oven to 180C/160C.

Place a wire rack over a roasting pan. Pour 1-2cm of water into your roasting pan.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Place the chicken on the wire rack. Bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, brush the chicken with the reserved marinade. bake a further 30-40 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve the jerk chicken hot (or cold) with lemon halves and a mixed green salad.

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Recipe adapted from Take 5's cookbook 'Easy as 1, 2, 3

Serves 4

400g potatoes, peeled, cut into small (1cm) cubes
100g shaved salami
6-8 x 59g eggs 
Chopped Chives, optional


Preheat your griller.

Add 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil to a large frying pan (mine is 28cm base measurement). Add the cubed potatoes and sauté over a low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the potatoes are golden and just cooked through. If you need to add a little more oil, do so, just don't over oil as the salami adds oil and you don't want any oily frittata.

Add the salami, and sauté for 2 minutes.

To a medium bowl add the eggs, season with salt and pepper and whisk until combined. I don't over whisk as I like the egg white to show a little.

Pour the eggs over the potato and salami in the frying pan, cook for 8-10 minutes or until the eggs have almost set. Now I cook this on a medium burner and I move the frying pan around so that the heat is being distributed evenly.

​Place the frying pan (but not the handle) under your preheated grill for a few minutes, keep an eye on this now, as you only want to cook it until just set.

Serve in wedges sprinkled with Chives, if using. Serve with a green salad or with some tomatoes, if you like.

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Recipe adapted from www.coolinarika.com

Serves 4-6

8-10 sheets filo pastry
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
500g pork and veal mince
3 medium potatoes, peeled, coarsely grated
1/2-1 teaspoon vegeta
Salt and pepper, to taste

Topping:

3 eggs
100ml sunflower oil
200ml Greek yoghurt
200ml mineral water
1/2-1 teaspoon salt, to taste


Add a tablespoon of oil into a large frying pan. Add the chopped onion and sauté over a low-medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, or until the onions have started to soften.

Add the mince, salt, pepper and vegeta. Increase the heat to medium-high, sauté, breaking up the mince as you stir, for about 4 minutes or until the mince has browned.

Add the grated potato, sauté for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes.

Grease a 35 x 25cm baking tray with a little oil.

Place one sheet of filo to cover the base of the tray. Place a second sheet of filo on top of the first sheet.

Now sprinkle on some of the mince mixture. You really do just put it on sparingly, the  mince is just scattered over the filo, it does not cover the filo.

Place another sheet of filo on top, then scatter over the mince, keep layering filo with a scattering of the mince until all the mince has been used up. Once the mince is used up, place two sheets of filo on top to finish, just like on the base.

Now you need to slice the pita up carefully into your serving sizes, I generally cut it up into 6 or 8 pieces. You need to do this so it is easier to serve later and also it will allow the topping to sink into the pita and spread through the layers.

Topping: In a large jug add the eggs, oil, yoghurt, mineral water and salt. Whisk together until it is well combined.

Carefully pour the topping all over the pita, it needs to cover it completely. Use a spoon or a knife to spread it out so that the topping is spread evenly and sinks into the slices, not just sits on top. Allow the topping to soak into the pita for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced.

After 30 minutes, place in your preheated oven and bake until golden. It will take about 30-40 minutes.

Once golden, remove from the oven and allow to set for about 15 minutes, before serving. Serve with a green salad.

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Recipe adapted from www.amazingribs.com

Makes 1 large jar of pickles

1 cup (250ml) white vinegar
1 1/4 cups (310ml) water
2 tablespoons sea salt flakes or 1 tablespoon table salt
1/2 tablespoon white sugar
500g firm green tomatoes
1/2-1 chilli, stem removed
2 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced in half (optional)
1 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 sprigs of  fresh dill


Start with the pickling liquid. Place the vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a small saucepan. Place over a medium heat, stir the mixture until the sugar have dissolved, then leave and allow it to come to the boil.

Whilst the liquid is coming to the boil, add to a sterilised jar the garlic, if using, the mustard seeds, black peppercorns and the fresh dill.

Wash the tomatoes (or cucumbers or chillies, whatever you are pickling). Slice, halve or quarter the tomatoes. Remove any blemishes and stem ends. Cram them into your jar, they need to fit snuggly, leave only about 1cm free at the top, no more than that.

Pour the hot pickling liquid slowly over the tomatoes, right to the top, leave about 1/2mm free space at the top. Put on the lids, seal tightly, then I place on the lichen bench lid side down to seal the mixture. Leave for two minutes, then place the jar right side up and allow to cool completely on your kitchen bench. Once cool, place in your refrigerator for at least a week before opening.

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