Rice paper rolls

Whatever ingredients - bbq pork, fried tofu, thinly sliced cucumber and carrot, cooked prawns, coriander, mint, vietnamese mint, crushed peanuts, lettuce. Soak vermicelli noodles then boil for a minute or so.

Make sauce - kecap manis, tomato sauce, tamarind, rice vinegar, lime, sesame oil.

Prepare rice papers on plate by brushing with warm water then wait about 30 seconds.

Result: 4.5
Preparation: easy with brushed rice papers

Asian pork balls

Pork balls: minced pork, onion, white pepper, five spice, sesame oil, rice flour, egg. Mix very well and throw hard into bowl to split fat through it. Make small balls and steam in wok for 10 mins. Fry in hot oiled wok for about 1 min, then sauce with oyster, 2 cubes chicken stock and a little soy. Serve on top of stirfried veges, with rice.

Result: 4  and kids loved it.
Preparation: meatballs a bit messy but quick to cook.

Fennel salad

Thinly slice fennel, apple and celery. Add chopped mint and parsley. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice.

Result: 4

Preparation: easy

Zucchini and corn pancakes

Pancake mix - 2 cups sr flour, 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, pinch salt. Mix with whisk and stand in fridge for 1 hour.

Grate zucchini and mix with half mixture. Add some chopped mint and parsely. Add corn kernels to other half. Cook as pancakes in a little olive oil.

Result: 5 for zucchini. 5 for corn if you are a kid.
Preparation: easy, takes a while to cook.

Sauteed Beetroot Leaves

Wash beetroot leaves and stems. Put in large frypan with lid with 1cm water and bring to boil. Blanch for about 5 mins. Drain and rinse with cold water. Chop into pieces. In pan, heat olive oil and lightly fry crushed garlic. Add leaves and sautee about 5 mins. Serve with lemon juice.

Result: 5 as a side dish, especially with home-grown leaves.
Preparation: very quick and easy. The blanching can be done ahead.

Finger-food birthday party for a crowd

For Caitlin and Anna's 4th and 1st party in the hall:

Grownups:
Hommus - home made, with crunchy bread from Cedar Bakery
Spinach cob dip
Dolmades from Royal Fields tin
Zucchini slice
Baked meatballs with sweet chilli and coriander
Breadstick
Party pies from Cedar Bakery - ricotta, and spinach + cheese
Chips

Kids:
Marshmallows
Fruit (banana, grapes, mandarine)
Vegemite sandwich triangles
Cheese sandwich triangles
Jelly cups

Dessert:
Carrot tray cake
Chocolate tray cake made as 2 birthday cakes with smarties for numbers.
Date loaf
Chocolate balls
Cornflake biscuits

Drinks:
Soda water and tap water with blackcurrant, lime and lemon cordials.
Tea & filter coffee

Notes:
Make less dip
Zucchini slice was a big hit
Kids didn't eat fruit
Simple drinks very popular

Kids' entertainment: (hugely successful)
Paper masks from Kmart, with elastic removed and paddle-pop sticks taped on.
Crayons
Stickers & stars

Vietnamese BBQ Pork

Make marinade (all minced up):
Lemongrass
Garlic
Light soy
Lime juice
Rice vinegar
Kecap manis
Crushed chilli

Marinate pork neck, cut into thick strips, for minimum 10 mins, but good for 24 hours. Cook on the very hot griddle, also good on BBQ.

Result: 5
Preparation: marinade a bit messy with all the garlic, but cooking is easy.

Cinnamon Pannacotta

(ripped off from Umberto's)

Pannacotta: make the yoghurt version of the vanilla & raspberry pannacotta in the Womens' Weekly 'Cook' book, but steep the milk with a cinnamon stick, and add a little powdered cinnamon. Pour into plastic cups and chill.

Praline: 1/2 cup caster sugar, 2 tbsp cold water. Dissolve sugar over low heat then boil for 5-7 minutes. Pour onto toasted pistachios on a lined baking tray. Leave to cool then crush.

Orange sauce: mix grated orange rind, orange juice, butter and sugar in a saucepan, and heat gently. Finish with a little Cointreau.

Turn out pannacotta by dipping base of cup into hot water for 5-10 seconds. Run knife around inside if necessary. Top with praline and orange sauce.

Result: 5
Preparation: several parts, but easy to do for a crowd, and all can be done ahead.

Kohlrabi Coleslaw

Julienne, with the 'almighty cooking':
Cabbage
Kohlrabi
Beetroot
Carrot (lots of each)
could also do lettuce and capsicum.

Chopped parsley.

Mix with crushed nuts (almonds, walnuts, whatever), sultanas.

Dressing: White wine vinegar, sugar, olive oil, mayonnaise, dijon mustard. Whisk.

Serve with a simple meat accompaniment like chicken schnitzel.

Result: 4 if veges from garden used
Preparation: very quick!

Tuna Tartlets

For an afternoon tea.

Brush muffin tins (12 in total) with melted margarine. Line with 3 layers of continental-deli filo pastry, brushing in between.

Mix two small tins of tuna, chopped spring onion, chopped parsley, chopped sun-dried tomato and 4 eggs. Pour into tins.

Top with parmesan (or not, for dairy-free version).

Bake at 170 degrees fan bake for about 15 mins.

Result: 4.5
Preparation: remarkably quick and easy, with the filo from deli rather than supermarket.

Baked Chicken Thigh

First, cook the veges - boil fennel in base of steamer, and steam cauliflower on top, about 15 mins.

Meanwhile, chop kalamata olives, pickled capsicum and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix with a little grated parmesan and mozzarella. Lay chicken thighs flat and fill with mixture, roll up and pin with toothpicks and tie with string. Spray with olive oil and place in small oven dish on paper.

Drain fennel and cauliflower. Mix fennel, in small oven dish, with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place cauli in small oven dish, pour over a little milk and sprinkle parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake all 3 dishes at 170 fan bake for 25 mins.

Result: 4
Preparation: easy

Carrot & Rye Muffins

Carrot & Rye Muffins with Raisins « e n d c a p
Used golden syryp in place of molasses; sultanas in place of oats; more of the spices too.

Dahl

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked whole masoor (puy lentils)
2 onions, diced
1 big tomato, diced
½ tsp ginger paste
½ tsp garlic paste
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
½ cup fresh yogurt
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala salt to taste
2 tsp oil
1 – 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, for garnishing

Method: The whole masoor should be well cooked but not mushy Grind the onions and tomato into a fine paste. Heat the oil and add the ginger and garlic pastes. Saute and then add the green chillies and the onion tomato paste. Over medium heat sauté till the raw smell of onion disappears. If the paste looks too dry while sautéing, add 2 tbsps of water and continue cooking. Once the paste is cooked add the turmeric, coriander, cumin and garam masala powders. Sauté a few times, and add the whole masoor/ lentils. If the lentils are too dry add enough water (between half and one cup should do) to ensure the dal is thick in consistency. Add the salt, bring to a boil, turn down the heat and cook for about 5 minutes add it. Whisk the yogurt and add to the dal, stirring continuously. Turn off the heat and mix the dal well to ensure the yogurt is well blended. Do not turn up the heat or allow the dal to boil once the yogurt has been added or it will split/ curdle spoiling the appearance of the dish. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve warm with chappathis, parathas or rice.

Very Tasty Chicken Curry

1 400ml unsweetened coconut milk
1 kg boneless skinless chicken (thighs about 3 to 4)
1 tsp salt
tin tomatoes
2 tbsps vegetable oil
1/4 cup dried currants
3 garlic cloves (smashed and chopped)
300g baby okra (frozen whole)
2 tsps curry powder (preferably madras)
1/2 cup cashews (unsalted roasted, 3 oz chopped)
1/4 tsp cayenne

1 Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
2 Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, turning over once, about 5 minutes total. Transfer chicken with tongs to a plate. Stir garlic, curry, and cayenne into fat in skillet, then add coconut milk, tomatoes with their juice, currants, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer. Add okra and chicken along with any juices accumulated on plate and briskly simmer, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cashews.

Oven baked flake

Flake, frozen is ok. Flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Spray with olive oil, bake at 190 fan bake for 20mins, sitting on a rack. Spuds, cut into chips, microwave for 6 mins, spray with olive oil and salt, bake at 190 fan bake for 20 mins, up top. Cabbage, carrot, capsicum shredded into coleslaw. Dress with mayo, dijon, white wine vinegar, olive oil.

Result: 4
Preparation: Easy and quick.

Lamb Pide

Start with leftover lamb mince (with mint, sumac, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, onion, garlic). Roll out pide base very thin from semolina bread dough in a long shape. Little bit of mozzarella on the bottom. Top with mince, parsley, cooked silverbeet, make into a boat shape. Bake at 240 degrees on pizza stone for 15-20 mins. Serve with lemon. Also make pizza with passata, salami, olive, capisicum, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, mozzarella and parmesan.

Result: off the scale. Better than Effies, and pizza way better than anything in Thornbury. Preparation: quick and easy and kid-friendly, esp if mozzarella is pre-grated in freezer.

Amazing Lamb Steaks

Lamb shoulder steaks.  Marinate in fresh oregano (half a cup of leaves), rosemary (just one sprig), spicy thyme (just a few sprigs), two cloves of garlic, tsp salt, tbsp fresh lemon juice, tsp cumin, olive oil.  Even marinating for only 2 minutes gave good results, but hours would be better.

Cook in oven on fan grill, suspended over the dish on oven rack.  Fan grill 200 degrees for a few minutes on both sides then place in the bottom of the oven.  Give a long rest after cooking.

Served this with imam byaldi and a salad of lettuce, fennel fronds and spring onion.

Result: 5, outstanding meal.  All done in an hour.

Pumpkin and oat biscuits

Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin, cooked and mashed
2 egg whites, beaten until frothy
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Method: Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. In a bowl add the flour, bicarbonate soda, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, oats and raisins. Mix well to combine. In a separate bowl, using a spoon, mix the egg whites and pumpkin. Pour the pumpkin mix into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Drop tablespoonfuls onto the tray with 3cm between each. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Green bean curry

http://norecipes.com/blog/green-bean-curry-recipe/

Easy prep. Uses lots of beans. Even better next day.

Result: 4
Preparation: easy if beans are ready

karen's slow cooked lamb with potato and barley

From karen martini feasting p8, made with bbq lamb chops.

Result: 7
Preparation: straightforward, and cooks in oven for an hour.