Blueberry Scones

Ingredients

• 250g strong (baker's) plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 50g unsalted butter, chilled, diced, plus extra to serve
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 punnet (125g) blueberries
• 175ml buttermilk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Dust a large baking tray with flour.
2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl and mix well. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar, blueberries and buttermilk, and mix to form a dough.

1. Dust your hands with flour and form the dough into a 20cm round. Mark 8 wedges in the dough with a knife. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool, break the scones into 8, then split in half and spread with butter.
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What's in season - November

Blueberries

Native to North America, blueberries are one of very few foods that are naturally coloured blue.

What are they?

Blueberries are small in size with smooth dark skin that's covered in a fine white powder known as "bloom".

Are they good for me?

Blueberries are a good source of vitamin C and dietary fibre, and provide the body with beneficial anti-oxidants.

Buying and storing

Look for firm, plump berries. To store, place in a single layer on a plate lined with paper towel. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to five days.

Preparation

Rinse under cool water and enjoy.

Cooking tips

• Fill bought pastry tart cases with fresh ricotta. Drizzle over honey and top with blueberries.
• For a delicious fruit salad, toss blueberries, lychees and raspberries in a bowl. Serve in a halved coconut shell.

Artichokes

The globe artichoke is a flower with several layers – green outer petals, purple inner petals, a hairy, inedible ‘choke’ and a tender heart. The edible parts are the heart, stem centre and base of the petals. The heart is also available canned in brine or marinated in oil.

Buying
Look for small to medium-sized bright, heavy artichokes with tightly closed leaves and a fresh-looking stem.

Nutrition
Artichokes are a rich source of soluble fibre, which helps maintain blood glucose
levels and bowel health. They’re also high in vitamin K, vitamin C and folate.

Storage
Refrigerate artichokes in a plastic bag for up to one week.

Preparation, cooking, eating
Use stainless steel when preparing or cooking fresh artichokes, as aluminium and iron cause discolouration. Remove outer petals. Slice off the top third of the artichoke to expose the centre. Rub cut surfaces with lemon juice. Boil for 30 minutes or until base is tender. Remove a petal. Dip white base in sauce (optional). Place in mouth and pull through closed teeth to remove flesh. Discard petal. Repeat. Remove and discard the choke. Scoop out the edible heart.

Artichoke, bean & feta salad

Preparation Time - 30 minutes
Cooking Time  - 17 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 8 globe artichokes
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 x 500g pkt frozen broad beans, thawed, peeled
• 350g green beans, topped, tailed
• 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, extra
• 1 tbs tahini (sesame paste)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 200g feta cheese, crumbled

Method

• Trim each artichoke stem to 3cm. Peel away the 2 layers of outer leaves (or until the base of leaves are yellow/green in colour). Cut each artichoke in half and remove choke (furry part) near base of leaves. Place in a large bowl of water and add lemon juice.
• Cook broad beans and green beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain well. Place in a large bowl and set aside until required.
• Drain artichokes and cook in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a skewer in the thickest part. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Add to the bowl with the green beans and broad beans.
• Combine the olive oil, extra lemon juice, tahini and garlic in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, place the artichoke, green beans and broad beans on serving plates. Top with the crumbled feta and drizzle with the tahini dressing.

Notes & tips
Note: You can prepare this recipe to the end of step 3 up to 6 hours ahead. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Continue from step 4 just before serving.

Bananas

Go bananas and enjoy one of the oldest known fruits.

Thought to be native to South-East Asia, the banana is one of the oldest known fruits. There are hundreds of types of bananas, but in Australia the most common varieties are the cavendish and the lady finger.

High in natural fruit sugars, vitamins B6 and C, and potassium, this fat-free fruit is a great high-energy snack.

Buying

Bananas are available from supermarkets all year round, but are at their best in summer and autumn. Look for firm fruit with unblemished skin.

Storing

Store at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Keep bananas away from avocados, apples and other fruits that release ethylene gas, which accelerates ripening.

Cooking

Bananas are usually eaten raw, but they can also be fried and served with ice-cream, or mashed and added to cakes. Great with cream, maple syrup, honey, cinnamon, chocolate and yoghurt.

Banana cake with passionfruit icing

Preparation Time - 20 minutes

Cooking Time - 40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)

• Melted butter, to grease
• 125g butter, softened
• 155g (3/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
• 50g (1/3 cup) plain flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 160ml (2/3 cup) buttermilk
• 2 large overripe bananas, mashed

Passionfruit icing

• 25g (1/3 cup) shredded coconut
• 125g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 80g (1/2 cup) icing sugar mixture
• 2 tbs unstrained passionfruit pulp

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush an 11 x 21cm (base measurement) loaf pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 opposite long sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang slightly.
• Use an electric beater to beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until just combined.
• Stir in half the combined flours, and half the cinnamon and ginger until just combined. Stir in buttermilk, remaining combined flours, cinnamon and ginger, and banana until combined. Spoon into prepared pan and smooth the surface.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven. Set aside in the pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack for 30 minutes or until cooled completely.
• Meanwhile, to make the passionfruit icing, heat a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the coconut and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until toasted. Remove from heat. Use an electric beater to beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar and passionfruit pulp in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
• Place the cake on a serving platter. Use a round-bladed knife to spread the icing over the cake. Sprinkle with coconut and cut into slices to serve.

Notes & tips

• This cake will keep in an airtight container out of direct sunlight for up to 3 days.
• You'll need 2 passionfruit for this recipe.

Corned Beef Fritters

Ingredients

• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• Salt
• Diced corned beef
• Oil

Method

• Sift flour into bowl and make a well
• Slowly pour in milk and mix
• Beat egg - add and mix
• Mix until smooth - all lumps removed
• Add beef
• Add oil to frypan
• Pour batter into frypan (pikelet size)

• When bubbles have popped, flip over

• Cook for 2-3 mins more

• Remove from frypan and drain on paper towel
• Serve warm

What's in season - November

From blueberries to zucchini, find out which fruit and vegetables are at their very best and cheapest in November:

Fruit

Bananas

Blueberries

Carambola/starfruit

Cherries

Grapefruit

Honeydew melons

Lychees

Mangoes

Rockmelon/cantaloupe

Watermelon

Oranges

Red papaya

Passionfruit

Pineapple

Strawberries

Vegetables

Artichokes

Asparagus

Chinese greens

Gai lan (Chinese broccoli)

Green beans

Cucumber

Chillies

Hass avocado

Lettuce

Spring onions/green shallots

Peas

Potatoes

Silverbeet

Snow peas

Spinach

Sugar snap peas

Sweet corn

Zucchini

Source - Taste.com.au

Prawns, Scallops, Cream

Ingredients

1 lb. Prawns, shelled and deveined
4 oz. Scallops, cleaned
2 oz. Butter
2 cloves garlic
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup cream
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. Corn starch
1 tsp. Lemon juice
1 tbsp. Chopped parsley
3 shallots
salt and pepper

Directions

Melt butter in pan, add crushed garlic and cook 1minute.
Add wine and cream and bring to boil, boil rapidly 3 to 4 minutes.
Combine water and corn starch, pour into cream mixture, stir until mixture boils.
Add lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Add seafood to sauce and cook 2 minutes, stir in parsley and chopped shallots.

I intend to make this very soon (and ask a friend to enjoy it with me). Will post photos when I have them :)

Cupcakes

I love them!

So easy to make and great for birthdays.

More hygenic to eat than a big cake so makes it great to take to kindy and share with other kids.

Just a basic recipe with one majorly requested ingredient .....

Yellow Colouring!

Yep, they all had to be yellow with chocolate icing and sprinkles.

Gotta love a boy who knows what he wants!

They tasted great too :D