Apricot Sour Cream Bread

Ingredients:

185g butter, softened
180g castor sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped dried apricot
3/4 cup sour cream
160g self-raising flour
150g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp grated mandarin rind

• Grease a bundt pan, sprinkle with flour and shake out the excess flour.
• Sift flours with bicarbonate of soda.  Leave aside.
• Cream butter, rind and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time. Beat until well combined.
• Fold in flours and apricot alternately with sour cream. 
• Pour into prepared pan, bake for about 1 hour or until cooked.
• Stand in the pan for 10 minutes before turning the cake on to a wire rack to cool.
• When cold, dust with sifted icing sugar.
• (Optional) Serve with sour cream.

Wholemeal Coconut-Pandan Muffin

(Makes 12)

(A)
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup rice bran oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp pandan extract

(B)
260g wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
50g almond flakes
2 tbsp dessicated coconut
100g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
 

• Preheat oven at 170 degrees C.  Line muffin pan with paper cups.
• (A)  Whisk everything together in a bowl.
• (B)  Sift everything into a  separate bowl.  
• Fill the muffin cups to 2/3 full.  
• Bake for about 18- 20 minutes.

Tuna Mornay

A quick and simple dish for weekend lunch ...

Ingredients:

425g canned tuna in brine
1 small brown onion, sliced
2 cups milk
1 cup thickened cream
60g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese + 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
300g elbow macaroni

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Cook macaroni in a pan of rapidly boiling water until just tender.  Drain.
• Saute onions until softened.  Remove from saucepan.  
• Melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add flour and cook, stirring until foaming.  Gradually add in the milk and cream and stir continuously to get a smooth consistency.  Cook until the mixture thickens.  Reduce heat and cook for a further 2 minutes.  
• Then add in half of the cheese, tuna, onion and macaroni. Season well.   Stir until well combined.  
• Transfer the macaroni into an ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pasta mixture.  
• Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until golden.  Serve hot.