Pizza Tarts

These delicious little tarts really pack a punch. They're great as a whole meal or as an appetizer. They're quick and easy to make, and once made, they're easy to freeze for lunches or big parties!

Pizza Tarts

Serves: 2
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 15 mins

Ingredients:
2 frozen short crust pastry sheets
1 cup pasta sauce
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped feta cheese
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1 small capsicum, thinly sliced
Chopped spinach leaves to garnish
Salt & Pepper

Direction:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C
2. Trim the edges of the pastry sheets, then cut each sheet in 4 quarters.
3. Line them up in the greased baking tray.
4. Spread pasta sauce over each sheet and top it up with sliced veggies.
5. Sprinkle feta and parmesan cheese.
6. Spray olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Bake for 15 mins or until golden.
8. While serving add sliced spinach leaves to garnish.

Lentil & Orange Salad

Lentil & Orange Salad

Lentil & Orange Salad

Serves: 2 
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 10 mins

Ingredients:

1 cup Lentil sprouts
Grated Rind of 1 orange
1 diced carrot
1 diced cucumber
1 small diced onion
1 Tablespoon roasted cashews
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon Moroccan seasoning 

Directions:

1. Combine all the salad ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Add with olive oil, orange juice and Moroccan seasoning.
3. Chill and serve in lunch or dinner.

Spicy Hasselback Potatoes

I tried hasselback potatoes for the first time today and I quite agree that this style is much better than roasted or jacket potatoes. Even though my potatoes were falling apart by the end, it still looked marvelous & delicious. **2 thumps up**

Spiced Hasselback Potatoes

Serves: 2
Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 35 mins

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes

2 teaspoons margarine or butter, melted

1 clove garlic, minced

For Spice Topping:

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. The oven temperature will depend on what else you are cooking at the time (e. g. a roast).
2. Anything between a 180°C to 250°C heat will be fine for these potatoes.
3. Grease a baking tin or tray.
4. Wash potatoes well but do not peel.
5. Cut a thin slice from the base of each potato so that they will sit flat on a cutting board.
6. Place a potato on the cutting board and lay a wooden spoon alongside the length of it.
7. This stops you from cutting right through to the bottom of the potato.
8. Now, using a sharp knife, held at right angles to the wooden spoon, thinly slice the potato but DO NOT CUT ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM.
9. Place potatoes into the baking tin.
10. Now, using a pastry brush, brush butter or margarine over the top of each potato and use the brush (and your fingers) to carefully push some of the butter & garlic down between the slices.
11. Reserve some butter or margarine to baste during cooking.
12. Bake for around 25 minutes at 180°-220°C.
13. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the ingredients for the spice topping in a small bowl and mix well.
14. After 25 minutes, brush the reserved melted butter or margarine over the potatoes then sprinkle the potatoes with the spice mixture.
15. Return potatoes to the oven and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until brown and crispy.

Note: If the potatoes are not browning after the first 25 minutes, simply increase the heat for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. If you are cooking a roast, you can time it so that you remove the meat to rest for 15-20 minutes before the potatoes are done.

Broccoli Salad

I don't remember how I started making this salad or where I got this recipe, but it has now become my favorite side salad.

For a quick healthy side in less than 30 mins, try this broccoli salad.

Broccoli Salad

Serves: 4
Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 15 mins + Chilling time

Ingredients:

2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups carrots, sliced
1 can boiled chickpeas
1 zucchini, sliced (optional)
1 small red onion, sliced (optional)
1 cucumber, sliced
3 tablespoon yogurt
2 tablespoon French salad dressing
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt & Pepper as per taste

Direction:

1. Steam broccoli and carrots for 5 mins or until 85% done (you still need a little bit crunch in the veggies)
2. Pan fry sliced zucchini for approximately 3-4 mins. 
3. Combine yogurt, minced garlic and french salad dressing in a big salad bowl.
4. Add all the other salad ingredients and give it a good stir.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper according to your taste.
6. Refrigerate for at least 30 mins before stirring.

Lemon Butter Pan Spinach

Tender, fresh spinach is delicious in salads, sides, soups and dips and is an easy, healthy addition to any meal. Plus it's versatile and equally tasty raw or cooked. So eat well and stay strong with this delicious, healthy spinach recipes.

                   Lemon Butter Pan Spinach

Lemon Butter Pan Spinach - served with roast meat

Serves: 4
Preparation: 1 min
Cooking: 5 mins

Ingredients:

60 gms butter
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
2 cloves garlic, crushed
400 gms baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Direction:

1. Place butter in a frying pan over high heat.
2. Add the lemon rind and garlic and cook until aromatic.
3. Add the spinach and turn with tongs until soft and wilted.
4. Pour lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Serve immediately as a side dish with your choice or roast meat.