Creamy chicken & mushroom fettuccine

Fast & easy pasta that is as kind to your taste buds as it is to your budget ...

Serves 4

• 450g dried fettuccine pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 650g chicken tenderloins, tendons removed (or use a bbq chicken broken into pieces without the skin)
• 125g rind less bacon, diced
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 300g small cup mushrooms, sliced
• 420g can Heinz condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup light thickened cream
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large, fry pan over med heat.
2. Add chicken. cook for 4 mins on each side or until golden. Remove to plate. Cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken. Cut chicken into pieces.
3. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water. Drain pasta when tender & cooked.
4. Add bacon to fry pan. Cook for 2 mins. Add onion & mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally for 4-5 mins or until mushrooms are golden. Add soup, cream & Worcestershire sauce. Stir until well combined. Add mixture to pasta.
5. Toss to combine. Season with parsley & black pepper
6. YUMMO - ENJOY...

Mississippi mud cake

This is a dense, moist chocolate cake that can be eaten as a teatime cake or as an indulgent dessert when served with whipped cream or ice cream.

• 250g (9 oz) unsalted butter
• 175g (6 oz) plain chocolate, broken into pieces
• 340g (12 oz) light brown sugar
• 300ml (10 fl oz) hot water
• 1 tbsp instant coffee
• 200g (7 oz) plain flour
• 55g (2 oz) self-raising flour
• 55g (2 oz) cocoa powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• icing sugar, to dust

1. Preheat oven to 160C (325F / Gas mark 3).
2. Grease a 23-cm (9in) square cake tin and line with baking paper.
3. Place butter, chocolate, sugar, water & coffee in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until melted.
4. Stir until the mixture is smooth, then cool for 15 mins.
5. Transfer cooled chocolate mixture to a bowl, sift in the flours & cocoa and stir in the eggs.
6. Using an electric whisk, beat until smooth.
7. Pour batter into the cake tin and bake for 1 to 1 & 1/4 hours.
8. Remove the tin from the oven and cool for 10 mins.
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Dust with icing sugar and slice to serve.
11. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

ENJOY.....

Christmas Balls

Christmas Balls

makes approx 30

• 4 cups desiccated coconut
• 395g can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
• 1/2 cup (100g) red glace cherries, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan - forced.
2. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
3. Combine coconut, milk and lemon rind in a bowl.
4. Add cherries.
5. Stir until coconut mixture turns pink.
6. Using 1 level tablespoon mixture at at time, roll mixture into balls.
7. Place balls, 3cm apart, on prepared trays.
8. Bake, swapping trays halfway, for 12-15 mins or until balls are lightly browned.
9. Cool on trays.
10. Serve.

A simple recipe that looks great on any Christmas table...

Potato Salad

• 550g small potatoes, washed
• about 4 pieces 120g short-cut bacon, finely diced
• 3 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
• 2-3 shallots finely chopped
• 3/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
• salt to taste

1. Place unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan. Add water to cover potatoes. Cover saucepan and bring to the boil. Cool until potatoes are just tender. Drain potatoes and cool to room temperature.


2. In a small frying pan or saucepan, fry bacon over medium heat until cooked and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.


3. Remove skin from potatoes, if desired. Chop potatoes into bite sized pieces. Chop boiled eggs.


4. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir gently to combine.


5. Can be served immediately or refrigerated until cold.

This is a very easy very tasty salad.....

Banana Muffins/Loaf

• 3 or 4 ripened bananas
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 2 tablespoons milk
• pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease muffin tin or you can use loaf pan if you want to make banana loaf instead.


2. Beat eggs and bananas together, then add all other ingredients and mix well.


3. Fill muffin tin or loaf tin.


4. Cook for approx 20 mins until risen and golden.

Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Double Choc Chip Muffins

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup choc chips
• Extra choc chips to sprinkle on top (if desired)

1. Preheat oven to 200 C and prepare muffin pan by greasing or fill with paper liners.
2. In bowl, mix well the eggs, oil, milk and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, mix well the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt and choc chips.
4. Combine wet and dry mixtures and fold together gently until just mixed.
5. Spoon into prepared muffin pad and sprinkle choc chips on top of each (if required).
6. Bake at 200C for 15-20mins.
7. Remove from muffin pan and cool.
8. EAT THEM !!!!

Easy Pasta Salad

• Shell pasta
• crumbled bacon or ham
• hard boiled eggs
• halved cherry toms
• ranch dressing ( I used low fat)

This one is too easy...........cook the pasta and drain, then place pasta, bacon/ham, chopped hard boiled eggs, halved cherry tomato's into a bowl. Add ranch dressing to taste...add a little salt and pepper and you've got a nice pasta salad to serve on a bed of lettuce or it would be delicious with a nice piece of steak........