Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons SR flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons Nutella
ice cream or cream, to serve
chocolate sauce 

Method:
Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl.
Make a well in the centre and add the egg, milk and oil. Use electric beaters to beat until well combined.
Spoon into a 435ml (1 and 3/4 cup) mug. Spoon the Nutella into the centre. [Measure mug by adding water and measuring amount]
Microwave on high/1000 watts/100% for 60 seconds.
Top with ice cream and/or cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Salted Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredient
3 cups chocolate chips (milk or dark)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Method
Line a 8 x 8 inch square baking pan with baking paper. Set aside.
Place the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and beat in 30 second increments, stir after each one, until melted and smooth.
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and peanuts until combined. The mixture will be thick.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
Sprinkle with remaining peanuts.
Refrigerate for 2 - 4 hours or overnight until completely set.

Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week.
You can make ahead of time and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in fridge before serving.

Larb Chicken

Ingredients
500g chicken mince

Salad
5 x spring onions, thinly sliced
1 carrot, grated
1 red onion, thinly sliced
12 x baby cos lettuce leaves

Sauce
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup lime juice
1 pinch red chilli flakes

Topping
1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
10 x mint leaves, sliced thin
sesame seeds

Method
Cook chicken mince. Set aside.
Combine shallots, carrot, red onion and 2 tablespoons of sauce and mix to combine.
Add the chicken mince and rest of the sauce.
Add the parsley and mint leaves.
Serve 4 baby cos lettuce leaves on each plate and spoon the chicken larb mix on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Enjoy!

Variations

Use pork mince instead.

Meringues (Paleo)

Ingredients
2 egg whites (use the egg yolks in a recipe like lemon curd)
½ cup maple syrup
1 pinch salt
1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
ground cinnamon or nutmeg (for dusting)

Method
In a medium pot, bring a couple of inches of water to a low simmer.
In a large heatproof bowl, add the egg whites, maple syrup and salt. Place bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.
Whisk the egg whites over the simmering water until the mixture is warm to the touch. This may take about 3 - 5 minutes, depending on how low your simmer is. Remove from heat.
Right away, start beating the egg whites on high speed using a whisk in a stand mixer.
Beat until the egg whites have turned thick and shiny with stiff peaks.  This takes about 3 minutes.
Gently fold in the cinnamon with a spatula to combine evenly.
Line a oven tray with baking paper and preheat oven to 95°C. [200°F]
Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe meringue stars onto the baking paper lined tray. My meringue stars are about the size of a 20c coin.
Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon on top of each meringue. 
Bake in the preheated oven for about 1½ to 2 hours, or until dry to the touch. Turn off the oven, crack the door with a wooden spoon and leave the meringues in for 1 more hour to finish drying them out.

When to make
Keep in mind that humidity affects meringues. These are best made on low humidity days.

Storing
Meringues are destroyed by humid environments. Store in an airtight container at room temperature they should last for weeks.

Tuna patties with green garden salad

Ingredients

1 x 425g can of springwater tuna

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup white bread torn into small pieces or panko crumbs

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp water (or liquid from the can of tuna)

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives, green onions, or shallots

Salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)

A couple squirts of Crystal hot sauce or tabasco 

1 raw egg

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 teaspoon butter

Method

Drain tuna: Drain the liquid from the tuna cans. If you are using tuna packed in water, reserve a tablespoon of the tuna water, and add a teaspoon of olive oil to the tuna mixture in the next step.

Mix tuna with mustard, bread, zest, lemon juice, water, parsley, chives, hot sauce, salt, pepper, egg: In a medium bowl, mix together the tuna, mustard, torn white bread, lemon zest, lemon juice, water, parsley, chives, and hot sauce. Sprinkle on salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste the mixture before adding the egg to see if it needs more seasoning to your taste. Mix in the egg.

Roll tablespoon size mix into balls, chill. 

Cook in a frypan with olive oil or air fryer (basket) with baking paper lined: 

Sauté in frypan: Heat the olive oil and a little butter (for taste) in a cast iron or stick-free skillet on medium high. Gently place the patties in the pan, and cook until nicely browned, 3-4 minutes on each side.

Air fryer with a basket: I cook mine for 10 minutes on 175C degrees. 

Serve with wedges of lemon. You can also serve with garden salad, tartar sauce on slider buns for a tuna burger.

Chocolate Avocado Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour

6 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed well (1 medium size)
1½ cups water
2 Tbs white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups caster sugar
½ cup zucchini, grated and drain juice

Method
Preheat oven to 175°
Line muffin trays with muffin baking cups. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside (sugar will be added to wet ingredients).
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk vegetable oil, water, avocado, white vinegar and vanilla until combined.
Add sugar to wet ingredients and mix well, by hand with whisk.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon or a whisk until combined.
Stir in zucchini.
Pour into prepared muffin tins and bake for approximately 17-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rake. Remove from pans after 5 minutes and let cool completely before frosting.

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