This is basically a cheat's sausage roll. It's easy and quick to make if you have unexpected guests coming over, or you just don't feel like cooking, but you have to feed your family.

Use any sausage you love, I just happen to love kransky. Chipolatas or frankfurts can also work, my next sausage to try is cevapi. If using thinner sausages, you could probably cut the pastry in three pieces, that is what I would do.

I love kransky with my mum's ajvar, however store bought is good to. 

This is a quick and easy party dish that we love, hope you do to. ​

​1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, optional
3 kransky sausages
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional

Ajvar, mustard or tomato sauce, to serve
​

Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Cut pastry sheets in half. Sprinkle cheese, if using, evenly over pastry, leaving a 2cm border.

Place the kransky sausages in a line along the longest edge of each pastry piece, you may need to cut up the kransky so that you can get a straight-ish line. Brush pastry borders with egg. Roll up to enclose sausages and cheese.

Cut each roll into 3-4 even pieces. Place seam-side-down onto baking tray. Brush with egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake for about 20 minutes or until puff pastry is golden and crisp.

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​1kg green (raw) prawns
2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoon white pepper
Sunflower oil, for frying
​

If using frozen prawns, defrost, rinse under cold water, drain off excess water. If using fresh prawns, remove heads and skins, leave the tails on. I like to butterfly the prawns-take a small sharp knife and cut a line along the back of each prawn, where you can see the digestive tract – from the tail end to the head end. Make sure you don’t cut right through the prawn – just three-quarters of the way. Remove the digestive tract and discard.

Use your fingers to open the prawns up from the incision and flatten them down. ​

Mix together the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. The flour must taste salty and peppery. Keep adding salt and pepper until you are happy with the taste.

Heat oil in a large frying pan, until hot. I like to deep fry them, makes it quicker to cook.

Working in batches, dust the prawns in the flour mix, add to the hot oil. If deep frying cook for 3-4 minutes, until the prawns turn orange. If your prawns are not fully submerged in the oil, turn halfway through cooking time. Drain on paper towels, serve immediately.

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​Easy drink to make for parties.

Supposedly this is to serve 8, however in my house it's 4-6, it will depend on the glasses you use.

I love the thyme in it, you can omit it, if you prefer.

​Recipe adapted from the cookbook Top 100 taste.com.au The Thrifty Pantry

​Serves 4-6

1/2 cup caster sugar
250g strawberries, hulled
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups ice cubes
750ml bottle rosé wine, chilled
2 cups chilled soda water
​

Place sugar and 1/2 cup (125ml) water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat.

Thinly slice 2 strawberries. Add to sugar syrup with ½ the thyme. Stir to combine. Set aside to cool completely.

​Thinly slice remaining strawberries. Place ice cubes in a 1.5-litre-capacity jug. Add sugar syrup mixture, strawberries, remaining thyme, wine and soda water. Stir gently to combine. Serve.

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​Recently my son requested I make my Roast Pork with Garlic and Rosemary. I needed a pork neck with no skin, but when I got to the butcher they had a pork neck, but with the skin on. I considered removing the skin, but then I figured I'd try something new, and then this recipe happened.

I baked this pork neck beautifully, the meat was soft and delicious and the crackling super crisp. I roasted potatoes, onions and pumpkin with it, served it with a green salad, and this easy dinner was delicious.

You can add fresh sage or thyme to the roasting dish around the potatoes, for added flavour.

If by chance your crackling didn't crisp up perfectly, you can turn your oven off, and put it on the grill setting now. This step needs to be watched carefully as if you don't watch it carefully it can go from crispy skin to burnt skin in no time. Grill for about 5-10 minutes or until the skin is blistering and perfectly cooked.

Here is a simple recipe that tastes great, something I will make again and again.

​Serves 6

2.4kg pork neck, skin on
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 onions, peeled, sliced into 2-3 discs
​4 cloves garlic, unpeeled, leave the skins on
4 large potatoes, peeled, cut into wedges
​1 1/2 teaspoons vegeta
1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into large wedges
​
Get your butcher to score the skin of the pork belly if it isn't already as they have far sharper knives than we do and do it with ease.

Take the pork out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before baking, leave it uncovered on the kitchen bench so the skin dries out a bit, pat dry with a paper towel if there is any moisture on the skin.

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

Season the whole pork neck with salt and white pepper. Now you need to season it well as the salt and pepper is only on the surface.
​
Drizzle olive oil in the base of your baking dish.

The onions and garlic are used to provide a base for your pork to sit on. So arrange the onion discs and garlic in the centre of your baking dish, so it is the size of your pork neck.

Place the pork neck skin side up on top of the onion and garlic. Drizzle 1 tablespoons of oil on top of the pork skin, rub it in all over the skin.

In a bowl add your potatoes, 1 teaspoon vegeta and drizzle with some olive oil. Scatter around your pork.

Cut 4 thin strips of aluminium foil about 5-10cm wide, you need to cover the sides of the baking dish (around the pork) with aluminium foil, leaving only the pork skin exposed. So all you should see is the pork skin.

​Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

In the meantime, add the pumpkin to a bowl, season with 1/2 teaspoon vegeta, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little olive oil. 

After 1 hour remove the aluminium foil,  add in the pumpkin, bake for a further 1 hour.

​Take the meat out of the oven, allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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​I am always on the lookout for something new to make. This Easter I wanted a new chocolate dessert, that was easy to make, looked nice and tasted great. Well this slice ticked all of those boxes.

These are called Cappuccino Mousse Squares in the cookbook, but I found they had more of an intense chocolate flavour over a coffee flavour, so I renamed them.

Use un-iced, unfilled plain biscuits for this recipe.

This is a delicious little slice that is packed full of chocolatey goodness.

​Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook 'Little Squares & Slices

​Makes 24

250g plain chocolate biscuits
155g unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Mousse Filling:
185g dark eating (semi-sweet) chocolate, melted
1 egg, separated
2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) thickened cream, whipped

1 cup (250ml) thickened cream, whipped
2 teaspoon cocoa powder


Grease 20cm x 30cm rectangular pan, line base and long sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm over sides.

Process biscuits until fine. Add butter, process until combined. Press mixture over base of pan. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make cappuccino mousse filling. Combine melted chocolate, egg yolk and coffee in medium bowl, fold in cream. Beat egg white and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until thick and sugar dissolved. Fold into chocolate mixture, in two batches.

Spread filling over biscuit base in pan. Cover; refrigerate 3 hours or overnight until set.

Spread whipped cream over mousse filling; dust with sifted cocoa powder.

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​I know this won't be a hugely popular dish, but I had to post it, as I love it. I love a good bean salad, always have. So for those of you that like beans like I do, this recipe is for you.

​Serves 4-6

1 x 750g can four bean mix, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, finely sliced
2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled and diced
2 tomatoes, diced
3-4 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons apple juice
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
​
Combine the beans, onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, oil, apple juice, vinegar and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until needed.

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​Torta Tenerina or Torta Montenegro is a fudgy chocolate brownie like cake that originated in Ferrara in Italy.

As I am a sucker for a good love story, this cake was made for King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Elena Petrovich from Montenegro, his bride, and is a story about tenderness. It was love at first sight for these two and they married on October 24, 1896. The queen became known as the bride with a tender heart, and the cake was also called Torta Montenegrin or Torta Regina del Montenegro in her honour. Small note Elena and I share the same birthday.

The outside of the cake has a lovely crust, but as you get to the centre it is tender and fudgy.

This is a great dessert as it is so quick and easy to make. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it's absolutely perfect.

​Recipe adapted from Silvia Colloca www.sbs.com.au/

200g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), chopped
100g unsalted butter
sea salt
4 eggs, separated
200g caster sugar
2 tablespoons plain flour
fresh berries and icing sugar for dusting, to serve


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

Grease and line a 20-22 cm round springform cake tin with baking paper.

Place the chocolate, butter and a pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of just simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water. Stir until melted and well combined, then remove from the heat and stand until completely cooled.

Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl with a pinch of salt just until firm peaks form.

Place the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until thick and pale.

Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine well. Sieve the flour on top of the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Add one third of the beaten egg whites and fold into the mixture until well combined. Add the remaining beaten egg whites and fold in very gently so you don’t beat all the air out. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes or until just firm.

Remove from the oven and stand to cool in the tin. Once cooled it will sink slightly.

To serve, top the cake with fresh berries, dust with icing sugar. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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​This recipe came about because I was in my green grocers and I saw some golden beetroot next to the 'normal' red beetroot and I just had to cook it.

So when I came home, and as I was flicking through some old recipes I had, I found this salad recipe. I had all the ingredients at home, so I thought I'd give it a go.

It was delicious, I honestly love this one.

The original recipe used store bought coleslaw salad dressing, but I hate those, I never, ever, buy salad dressings in a bottle. So after a quick google search I found a dressing I would make to go with this salad.

This is super easy, and would be great with a barbecue.

The original recipe also included 150g shaved ham which is fried until crisp. I just didn't think the salad needed it.

Now you can also omit the mayonnaise if you have people coming over that don't like mayonnaise or have allergies, just replace the mayonnaise with some extra virgin olive oil, to taste. 

So if you are looking for something different to make for your next barbecue, try this, it is really good.

Serves 6-8

4 large potatoes, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes
1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled, sliced
2 bunches fresh beetroot (8 medium sized beetroot)
1 tablespoon capers, drained
2 large dill pickles, finely chopped

Coleslaw Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt


Cut the beetroot leaves off. Wash the beetroot then place in a large saucepan. Cover beetroot with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes. The beetroot is ready when it is soft when you poke a skewer into it. Drain, allow to cool slightly, then peel the skins off the beetroot and slice thinly. Place sliced beetroot into your serving bowl.
​
Using the same saucepan (just rinse it) place the potatoes into the saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are just cooked. The potato is ready when it is soft when you poke a skewer into it. Drain, peel the skins off and slice thinly.

Place eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes. Drain, place saucepan until cold running water for a minute. Then peel and slice. Add to the beetroot and potatoes.
​
Add the chopped pickles, the sliced onion and the capers to the beetroot.
​
Coleslaw Dressing: In a medium sized bowl, add the mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and sweetness. Refrigerate until needed.

Pour the dressing over the beetroot salad, gently toss to combine. Taste for seasoning.

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​I recently bought yet another cookbook, Top 100 taste.com.au The Thrifty Pantry. It is fabulous, everything I have tried from it is delicious and these gnudi are amazing.

My husband grows silverbeet in our garden, so I was looking at different ways I could cook it, when I came across this gnudi recipe. Gnudi are featherlight clouds of fluffy fresh ricotta, they are so quick and easy to make and make a great midweek meal. 

I love the flavour of this dish, it's so simple yet perfect for me. One day I'll try the gnudi with a tomato based sauce, will let you know if I like it.

This is a simple dish, but for me absolutely delicious, something I will be making for years to come.

​Recipe adapted from the cookbook Top 100 taste.com.au The Thrifty Pantry

​Serves 4
1/2 bunch silverbeet
500g fresh ricotta
100g (2/3 cup) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
Pinch of nutmeg
40g (1/2 cup) finely grated parmesan 
100g butter, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
​

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove silverbeet leaves from stalks. Roughly shred leaves. Finely chop stalks. Set aside.

Combine ricotta, flour, salt, nutmeg and 1/2 of the parmesan in a large bowl until a soft dough forms. Divide dough into quarters. On a lightly floured bench, roll each quarter into a 34cm long log. Cut logs into 2cm lengths.

Cook gnudi, in batches, in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, for 2 minutes or until tender and gnudi float to the top. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnudi to prepared tray.

Meanwhile, melt butter with garlic and thyme in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture foams and turns light brown. Add silverbeet stalks and leaves. Stir until leaves are just wilted. Remove from heat. Add gnudi and lemon juice. Gently toss to coat. Serve, topped with remaining parmesan.

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​This twist on a mojito will become a favourite with your family and friends. It's super refreshing on a hot summers day and a perfect drink to get a party started.

You can omit the rum for a mocktail the kids or adults can also enjoy.

​For the mint ice cubes, just place fresh mint in ice cube trays and top with water. Freeze overnight to set.

​Recipe adapted from the cookbook Top 100 Taste.com.au The Thrifty Pantry

Serves 8

2 large limes, cut into wedges
2-3 tsp caster sugar, to taste
8 fresh mint sprigs
1L (4 cups) soda water, chilled
500ml (2 cups) fresh pineapple juice, chilled
310ml (1 1/4 cups) white rum
Fresh pineapple slices, to serve
Mint ice-cubes, to serve
​

Squeeze lime wedges into a large punch bowl or serving jug. Add the squeezed wedges, sugar and mint to the bowl. Use the back of a wooden spoon to muddle. Top with soda water, juice and rum. Stir to combine. Add in pineapple and mint ice-cubes just before serving.

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