One thing you should all know is my father in law CAN COOK! he cooks the most amazing and tasty things so its only fair i share them with you. During a family dinner poppy pete released his latest secret recipe, these sweet, caramelized apple dumplings and i instantly fell in love. Serve with warm custard, cream or ice cream. 

Ingredients:
4 sheets Puff Pastry
1 cup Golden Syrup
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and quartered
1 Cup Butter
2 Cups Boiling Water
3/4 Cup Caster Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cloves


Method:
Preheat oven to 160'c. Grease a baking dish.
In a small bowl combine caster sugar and ground cloves. Coat each piece of apple in the sugar mix. Cut each piece of pastry into 4 equal squares (total of 16 squares). Place one piece of apple diagonally on a square of pastry and wrap over from corner to corner and press together firmly encasing the apple.  Place each parcel into a baking dish sealed side down.
Mix Boiling water, butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over a medium heat until dissolved. Pour hot mixture over apple dumplings. Bake in a preheated oven for 45mins or until golden brown. 

Note: As dumplings absorb alot of syrup you may want to have extra syrup for serving.

Grilled Halloumi its simple, tasty and looks an sounds fancy! what more could you want? I pair it with a sweet potato hash browns, Grilled tomatoes and basil leaves. Delicious!

Ingredients:
1 block or packet Halloumi
300g Sweet Potato, grated
2 Eggs
1/2 Teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
Oil for frying

Place the sweet potato, eggs and seasoning in a bowl and mix well. Heat a little oil in frying pan over medium heat. Cook ¼ cups of the sweet potato mixture for 2−3 minutes on each side or until they are golden and crispy. Drain on Paper towel and keep warm. Using the same frying pan add a little more oil if needed. Slice halloumi cheese into wide, 1 cm thick slices.  Place slices in frying pan for just a few minutes on each side (about 2-3 minutes), until lightly browned and gently crisped( Be careful to not overcook it as it will go rubbery) Halloumi cheese is best served immediately.

Once you make your own pasta, you will never buy brought again. I use extra yolks because i like the colour it gives. I do use my kitchenaid to start off my dough but you can use a normal food processor or just you hands. My husband recently got me the pasta roller attachment for my kitchenaid and i can honestly say i'm in love with it, it makes rolling sheets of pasta quick and super easy.

Ingredients:

3 Cups '00' Flour 
4 Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
Salt

Method:

Place flour into kitchenaid with the paddle attachment or a food processor. Whisk together eggs, yolks, oil and a pinch of salt n a small separate bowl. Add egg mixture to flour and beat until combined. Change to a dough hook (if using a kitchenaid) and mix on a low speed for 2 mins until a dough is formed. 

Sprinkle benchtop with flour and knead dough until it is soft, elastic and springs back when you touch it (this should take about 10mins) cover in cling film and let rest for 30mins at room temperature. Once this had been done you can use it for anything, spaghetti, lasagne sheets or any other pasta shapes. 

To cook, boil water with salt added (water should taste like sea water), add pasta and cook until pasta is al dente. 

A tasty Easter bun decorated with the traditional cross. You can add fruit or chocolate bits to enhance your bun.

Ingredients:

4 Cups Plain Four
1 Teaspoon Salt
30g Yeast
1 1/2 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup Sultanas
60g Butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Egg
1/2 Teaspoon Mixed spice
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Method:

Cream yeast with 1 Tablespoon of each sugar and flour, add lukewarm milk and mix well. Cover and stand in a warm place for 10-15mins or until mixture is frothy. 
Sift remaining flour, salt, sugar and spices together. Rub in butter, add beaten egg, sultanas and yeast mixture mix into a dough. Stand bowl covered with a clean teatowel in a warm place for 40mins or until dough has doubled in size. Punch down dough, turn out onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Cut dough into 3 equal pieces, cut those into 5 equal pieces to create 15. 
Pre heat oven to 200'c. Knead and shape into buns and place onto a lightly greased 18x24 tin, stand in a warm place for 10-15mins or until buns reach the top edge of tin. 
Sift 1/2 Cup of plain flour, Mix with 1/3 Cup water into a paste. Fill mixture int a piping bag with a small hole cut across the corner. Pipe crosses on each bun.
Bake in a hot oven for 15-20mins. Remove from oven and serve .

Note: To make bun look glazed brush over a glaze made of 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 Tablespoon Gelatin and 1 Tablespoon Hot Water.

A creamy simple pumpkin soup that's extremely easy to make. This recipe is from my year 10 cooking class and its my go to recipe on a cold winters day. Is there anything more comforting than a bowl of warm soup? I also serve mine with extra cream, feta and crispy bacon shards to add some texture.

Ingredients:

350g Pumpkin ( I use butternut)
1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock
1/4 Teaspoon ground Ginger
1 Medium Onion
2 Tablespoons Cream

Method:

Peel pumpkin and cut into 5cm pieces. Peel and finely chop onion. Place all ingredients, except cream, into a saucepan. Cover and bring to the boil, Stirring once or twice. Once boiling turn heat down to a simmer and cook until pumpkin is soft. Cool slightly then place in a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and reheat soup. Stir in cream and serve hot.

A tasty treat where the flavor options are endless. I first had these at a BBQ in Australia. My mother in law had brought them and from then i was hooked. I make them all the time for my daughter and she loves them as well. They are so simple to make but ridiculously tasty!

Ingredients:

2 Sheets Puff Pastry
150g Bacon Bits
200g Cheese (This can be any cheese you like, i use a mix of Parmesan and Cheddar)
80g Passata (Or a good Tomato pasta sauce)
Oil for frying


Method:

Pre heat oven to 180'c. Layer a large baking tray with baking paper.

Heat oil in a small frying pan on a medium heat. Add bacon bits and fry until golden n crispy.

Spread passata over one side of each of the puff pastry sheets. Sprinkle cheese over sauce (save some cheese for putting over the top before putting in oven). Evenly scatter the cooked bacon bits over cheese. Roll up pastry and cut each log into 12 slices, layer slices with the filling facing up on the covered baking tray. Sprinkle over remaining cheese. 

Bake in oven for 20 mins or until pastry is puffed and golden.

A simple tomato salsa on crisp bread, my go to party dish. Whenever i need to bring a share plate for a gathering this is it. I love bruschetta so much that if i go out for dinner i must try it. Ive prob tasted over 50 different types, this is still my favorite, and it's mine own recipe.

Ingredients:
6 Ripe Tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 White Onion, diced finely
1/4 Cup Basil leaves, shredded
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar (Brown or White)
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Bread to serve (I use Bruschetta Toast from the supermarket)
Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over top when serving (optional)

Method:

Place all ingredients (except bread) together and mix well. Chill for 20 mins in the fridge to marinate. Serve on warm crusty bread.

These little crunchy party snacks are the perfect as a starter with a garden salad or as a party plate. I typically use Swiss and Parmesan cheese for my tarts but this recipe is great when you have leftover cheese you need to use up.

Ingredients:

6 Medium Potatoes
2 Sheets Puff Pastry
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Grated Cheddar & Parmesan cheese
1 Teaspoon Chopped Rosemary

Method:
Pre Heat oven to 180'c. Line a tray with baking paper.
Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cut into thin slices.
Cut each pastry sheet into 9 rectangles. Score each rectangle about 1/8-inch from edge. Prick the inside of the square all over with a fork. chill 10 minutes.
Arrange 3-4 potato slices onto each pastry piece and sprinkle with salt. Combine cheese and rosemary. Sprinkle cheese mixture over each tartlet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crispy.

A mouth watering, tender beef fillet with a flavorful sauce of red wine. When my husband an I go out for dinner this is what we order, so it was only fitting i learnt to make it.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons Olive Oil
4 Beef Filet Steaks
2 Onions Halved & Sliced
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
200g Mushrooms, trimmed
2 teaspoons Tomato Paste
2 teaspoons Plain Flour
1 Cup Red Wine
1 1/2 Cups Beef Stock

Method:

Preheat oven to 180'c. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Season steak with salt and pepper and fry for 2 minutes each side. Transfer to a baking tray and place in oven for 5mins. once cooked remove from oven and let rest.

Heat remaining oil in the same frying pan over a low heat. Cook onions for 5mins until softened. Add garlic and mushrooms and stir for 1-2mins. Stir in tomato paste and flour. Add wine and let cook for 1min, add stock and bring to the boil, reduce and simmer for 5-6mins or until well reduced, season. Remove from heat and add steaks to just warm back thru. serve 

A healthy version of chicken nuggets that my daughter loves! These nuggets contain just a few ingredients, so you know exactly what your children are eating.  I mince my own chicken so its just pure chicken but you can buy chicken mince as well if you don't have a mincer.

Ingredients:

2 Large chicken Breasts or a packet of chicken mince
1 Tablespoon All purpose seasoning
Salt and pepper
1 Cup Plain Flour
2 Eggs
1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs

Method:

Mince chicken Breast, add seasoning to the chicken and mix well. Season well with salt and pepper. Shape into chicken nugget shapes and place in fridge for 15mins.

In a container whisk eggs together. Coat nuggets each with flour then,  dip in beaten eggs coating completely, transfer to breadcrumbs and coat well. 

Once nuggets are bread crumbed cook either in a preheated 180' oven for 20mins or until cooked or deep fry until golden brown and cooked thru.

Note: 
you can pre cook the nuggets until almost cooked and freeze them for later (let them cool a little before freezing)

You can add all different spices, flavorings and herbs to you chicken mince for you tastes. For adult nuggets add liquid smoke and sweet chili sauce or for a real treat add cubed cheese for that ooey gooeyness!