Tomato, Basil and Tuna Quiche

Make quiche (with puff pastry base, uncooked) following Margaret Fulton's Quiche Lorraine recipe, but with tinned tuna, chopped cherry tomatoes and fresh basil instead of onion and bacon.

Result: 5
Preparation: just mix and cook

Quick Lamb and Eggplant Curry

Eggplant, diced, salted, drained and dried.
Onion, roughly chopped.
Garlic, crushed.
Lamb leg, diced.
Tomatoes (only a few), chopped.

Fry onion in ghee and oil. Add eggplant and garlic and fry for a bit. Add diced lamb and spices - Cam's Sri Lankan curry powder, black mustard seeds and turmeric. Fry for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes and water to cover about half way. Cook for about 20 mins. Serve with rice and yoghurt and/or honeyed sweet potato.

Result: 4.5. Remarkably nice curry for quick-cooked meat.
Preparation: quick and easy.

Turkish Green Bean Salad

http://www.vegan-food.net/recipe/278/Turkish-Green-Bean-Salad/

INGREDIENTS

* 450 grams / 1 pound fresh string beans
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 ripe tomato, chopped
* Salt and black pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced


METHOD
Remove stems from the beans, wash and cut into 2.5 centimeter / 1 inch pieces.

Heat oil in a lidded saucepan. Saute onions for several minutes, then add tomato and beans. Continue to toss and saute for several minutes, then add salt, pepper and water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until beans are tender. The water should have evaporated and be nearly gone. Remove from the heat, check seasonings, add lemon juice and chill. Serve at room temperature with parsley.


Result: 4.5
Preparation: quick and easy, especially if some of the tomato sauce is used for something else like eggplant parmigiana.

Zucchini Slice

INGREDIENTS

375g zucchini
1 large onion
3 rashers bacon
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup self-raising flour
½ cup oil
5 eggs
salt, pepper

METHOD

Grate unpeeled zucchini coarsely, finely chop onion and bacon.

Combine zucchini, onion, bacon, cheese, sifted flour, oil and lightly beaten eggs, season with salt and pepper.

Pour into well greased lamington tin (base measures 16cm x 26cm), bake in moderate oven 30 to 40 minutes or until browned.

Also works with ham, and is good with some chopped fresh basil.

Result: 4
Preparation: dead easy, and makes good leftovers

Prawns with Papaya Salad

Shell prawns. Marinate in lime juice, palm sugar, chilli, rice vinegar for about 2 hours. BBQ (not too hot) for about 3 minutes.

Serve with papaya salad: julienned papaya and carrot, slightly mashed in mortar and pestle with roasted peanuts, lime juice, lots of palm sugar, garlic. Leave to develop for 3 hours before serving.

Result: 5
Preparation: would be dead easy if prawns were pre-shelled.

Pumpkin Soup with Capsicum

Onion, roughly chopped.
Red capsicum, roughly chopped.
Fry onion and capsicum gently in olive oil in saucepan.

Butternut pumpkin, roughly diced. Add pumpkin to pan, then add chicken stock, salt & pepper, water. Add finely chopped fresh basil. Cook for about 10 mins. Puree in food processor. Serve with yoghurt and toasted rye bread.

Result: 4
Preparation: under 30 mins

Lamb and Mushroom Pie (plus dessert)

Lamb - diced lamb leg, marinated in oil, lemon and garlic. Cooked under the grill. (or leftover from previous day).

Pie filling: finely diced onion, diced mushrooms, finely diced cooked lamb, spinach leaves, passata, sour cream, pepper. Cook in frypan, then put in ramekin. Top with puff pastry and bake for 15 mins at 200 degrees fan bake.

Result: 4.5. Could be 5 if lamb was cooked in a tender way.
Preparation: very quick especially if lamb is already cooked.

Dessert: Green apple, apricot, peach, diced, 1 tsp sugar, mixed in ramekin and microwaved for 1 minute. Top with pastry and bake for 15 mins. Serve with vanilla yoghurt.

Result: 5. Dinner party quality.
Preparation: dead easy.