Thea's Favourite Summer Salad

Get This -

potato salad
ham
cherry tomatoes
fetta
mango
boiled egg
fresh herbs (parsley/dill/coriander/basil/chives)

Do This -

Mix together and enjoy!

4 Ingredients Beef & Coconut Satay

Serves 4

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* 500g (1 pound) diced beef (also great with pork, chicken or prawns)

* 1–2 teaspoons curry powder

* 2 tablespoons (50g) crunchy peanut butter

* 1 cup (250ml) coconut milk

Do This -

Heat a large nonstick frying pan until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cook the beef for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown.

Reduce heat, add the curry powder, mix well and cook for 1 minute. Add the peanut butter and coconut milk and stir well until combined. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Nasi kuning (yellow rice)

8 Servings

From Taste.com.au

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2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
440g (2 cups) medium-grain rice, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
400ml can coconut milk
500ml (2 cups) water or chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 lemon grass stem, broken & bruised or 1 teaspoon crushed lemon grass


Do This -

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 3 minutes or until golden. Stir in rice and turmeric.
2. Stir in coconut milk, stock, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and lemon grass. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Set aside, covered, for 5 minutes to steam.

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

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1 packet Arnott's Nice Biscuits
125g butter, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
2 lemons, juiced


Do This -

1. Line a springform pan with baking paper or tin foil.
2. Crush up biscuits in a food processor, blender or by hand until very small pieces are formed. Add enough butter to bind and stick mixture together. Press mixture into the lined tin. Place in the fridge to set.
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
4. Add the sweetened condensed milk. Beat until smooth. Then add the juice of 2 lemons and beat again until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into refrigerated biscuit base and return to the fridge until ready to serve.

Dongella's Shepherd's Pie

(From Taste.com.au)

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500g beef mince
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion chopped
clove of garlic
2 teaspoons mixed herbs
1.5 cups of beef stock
1 cup frozen peas
1 grated carrot
1 grated zucchini
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 tablespoon butter
3 potatoes


Do This -

• Heat Oil in a large frypan, Saute onion and garlic, add mince and cook until brown.
• Add tomato paste, beef stock, mixed herbs, sauce, peas, carrot and zucchini, mix thoroughly and simmer until liquid is absorbed.
• Meanwhile boil potatoes until soft. Mash with butter.
• Place mince mixture in a casserole dish, top with mashed potatoes.
• Sprinkle with cheese and bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted and is lightly brown.
• Enjoy!

Teriyaki Sauce

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 1/2 cup soy sauce
 1/4 cup mirin*
 1/4 cup caster sugar
 1 tablespoon honey
 1 tablespoon sesame oil
 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced



Do This - 

Place soy sauce, mirin, sugar, honey, sesame oil, ginger and garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.


*Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine that adds a mild acidity. If you don’t have it in your cupboard you can use dry sherry, sweet marsala wine, dry white wine, or rice vinegar and mix in about 1/2 teaspoon sugar per tablespoon. 

Ambrosia Salad

serves 4 - 6

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1 cup green grapes, cut in half
1 300g can mandarin segments, drained
1 425g can fruit cocktail, drained
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup whipped cream or cool whip
1 250g carton sour cream


Do This -

1. Mix the mandarin and grapes, fruit cocktail, and coconut in a large bowl.
2. Fold in the whipped cream, sour cream and marshmallows.
3. Chill for at least an hour.
4. Stir again before serving.

Gooey Choc/Caramel Banana Muffins

Makes 12

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1 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
60g butter, melted, cooled
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
pinch of salt
1 cup mashed banana
3 mini Mars Bars, cut into 4 slices

Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan-forced. Line a 12 hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pan with paper cases.
2. Combine flours, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add butter, milk, egg and vanilla. Mix until just combined. Fold in banana.
3. Spoon mixture evenly between paper cases. Press one Mars Bar slice into the middle of each muffin. 
4. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden and just firm to touch. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve.

Easy Lo Mein

Image found here

Serves 4 - 6

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250g chicken breast, thinly sliced (optional)
500g fresh lo mein egg noodles
1 tablespoon oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 - 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
3 - 4 cups cabbage, shredded
1 red capsicum, sliced thinly
1 carrot, sliced thinly
2 spring onions, finely sliced
2 cups bean sprouts
1 - 2 red chillies, finely sliced (optional)

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or more, to taste
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes, or more, to taste


Do This -

• In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger and chilli flakes; set aside.
• Cook egg noodles according to package instructions; drain well.
• Heat oil in a wok add oil and stir fry chicken until opaque, remove from pan.
• Add garlic, mushrooms, cabbage, capsicum and carrot. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in spring onions and sprouts.
• Return chicken, stir in egg noodles and soy sauce mixture, and gently toss to combine.
• Serve immediately.

Chocolate Crackles (without Copha!)

makes 24


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3 cups Rice Bubbles
250g chocolate buttons
1 tablespoon Nutella
1 - 2 tablespoons coconut (to taste)


Do This -

1. Pour the Rice Bubbles into a large mixing bowl. Add the coconut.
2. Melt the chocolate buttons and Nutella in a saucepan over a low heat until it is smooth and silky.
3. Pour the chocolate mixture over the Rice Bubbles.
4. Mix well and spoon into patty papers.
5. Cool in the fridge for around 10 minutes.