This is a lovely light brunch, lunch or evening dish full of the tastes and colours of summer. A the best bit is… it doesn’t take that long to prepare so you don’t have to miss too much time in the sun.

I use a traditional flan pastry for the base and fill this with fresh wilted spinach, red capiscums and grated cheddar cheese with some grated Jarlsburgh cheese for a delicious bite.

You will need:
1/2 packet of ready made savory pastry or 1/2 quantity of homemade traditional flan pastry
Large bunch of fresh spinach, washed with hard stalks removed and leaves torn
1 Red Capsicum, roughly chopped
50g Button White Mushrooms, wiped and sliced
Splash of Olive Oil
6 Eggs
Milk
Cheddar Cheese
Jarlsburg Cheese (optional)
Seasoning

What to do:
• Roll out the pastry big enough to line the base and sides of your flan tin. Gently, prick the base with a fork, do not push the fork all the way through the pastry.
• Now, you have a couple of options:
1. You can bake the flan case blind, by covering the base with baking beans or uncooked rice, then popping into the oven until the flan begins to colour, approx. 5 min. Remove from oven and take out the beans/rice (you can save these in a jar for next time). This gives a firmer base.
2. You can make the filling and put this straight in to the flan, this gives a softer pastry base.
• Saute the mushrooms and capsicum in a little olive oil, remove from heat and add the torn spinach.
• When the vegetables are cool, put them into the flan case.
• In the saute pan, add the eggs and using a wooden fork whisk gently, until the whites and yolk are combined.
• Add a good splash of milk, don’t over do it or the flan will not set.
• Pour the mixture over the vegetables. Season.
• Cover with grated cheese and pop into the oven until golden brown. Approx. 30mins.
• Let cool slightly before serving with minted new potatoes.

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1. How To Make Traditional Flan Pastry Master this easy peasy recipe and I guarantee it will...

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Master this easy peasy recipe and I guarantee it will open up a sea of recipes only limited by your imagination:)
Think of the possibilities: flans, pasties, individual pies, children’s lunchtime snacks and more.

You now have a stepping stone for all you family baking and you can control the fat content and sugar content of all the fillings.

You will need:
250g Plain Flour
125g Butter
1 Egg (medium size)
Sprinkle of Caster Sugar

What to do:
• Put the flour in a mound on a clean work surface, this would be better if it was marble as the coolness of the marble makes the pastry easier to handle. Make a well in the centre.
• Break the butter into little pieces and pop them onto the well along with the egg and sugar.
• This is the part I like:) Using your CLEAN fingertips, mix all the ingredients in the well together.
• As you do this gradually collect the flour from the edges of the well, rubbing the mixture gently through your fingertips until everything is all mixed together and what you have resembles a sandy colour and looks rather like breadcrumbs. This is known as ‘rubbing in’
• Now I REALLY like this part… Gradually add up to a total of 40mls of cold water. Now the secret is NOT to add it all at once, otherwise you could end up with a soggy mess. Add it gradually as eggs are never uniform in size, and you may have under or over done the butter or flour measurements.
• Be patient, add enough water to make the pastry in to a light, smooth ball that doesn’t stick to the work surface or your hands.

Now you have a traditional flan pastry mix

This traditional flan pastry can be used in several ways:
• You can line a flan dish with the pastry and bake it blind, you do this by putting a piece of cooking paper on to the base of the pastry and then covering the paper with baking beans or dried uncooked rice, add just enough to weight down the pastry so it doesn’t ‘rise’ up too much. Pop the flan into a pre-heated oven and bake until it just begins to colour. Remove from the oven, remove the paper and beans/rice allow to cool then add the filling of your choice.
• this mix can be used for sweet or savory fillings
• the mix can be used as a pie crust – a topping only
• the mix can be used for the base and the tip of a pie
Infact the uses are only restricted by your imagination!! ENJOY.

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A cross between Toll House cookies and coffee cake this delicious and versatile cake works well both as a snack with coffee or tea or as a dessert after a meal.

Ingredients

1/3 cup of packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup of chopped nuts
2 cups of Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels (divided)
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of softened butter or margarine (1 stick)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup of sour cream

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

3) To make the topping, blend the brown sugar, flour and butter in a small bowl. You will use a pastry blender or two knives to create a crumbly mixture.

4) Stir in the nuts and 1/2 cup of morsels.

5) To make the cake, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

6) Beat the granulated sugar, butter and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until the ingredients become creamy.

7) Add the eggs (one at a time), making sure to beat well after each addition. Gradually add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream.

9) Fold in the remaining morsels.

10) Spread into a prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with topping.

11) Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

12) Cool the cake in the pan that has been placed on a wire rack.

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This reminds me of my childhood.. Sunday teatime, when we always had sandwiches & cake.. if we were really lucky.. we had soft boiled eggs as a treat…

What you will need:

For the cake:
200g Butter.
¾ cup Brown Sugar.
2 Eggs.
2 cups Self Raising Flour.
½ cup Buttermilk.
2 large Apples.
20g Butter, melted.
2 tsp Caster Sugar.
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon.

For the custard:
2 Tbsp Custard Powder.
¼ cup Caster Sugar.
1 cup Milk.
20g Butter.
Vanilla Essence.
2 Apples, sliced.

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare the cake tin: line the base with baking paper, grease the sides.