Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes : About 4 dozen

All-purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1/2 cup, softened
Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup packed
Egg - 1
Vanilla Extract - 2 tsps
Quick-cooking oats - 1 cup
Mini chocolate chips - 1/2 cup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until blended.
3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until blended.
4. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until blended. Stir in the oats and the chocolate chips.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet, at least 2" apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
6. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 1 minute.

Egg-Free Shortbread Cookies

Poor little tykes who are allergic to eggs often miss out on treats. This classic shortbread recipe that can be used for any shape of cookie. These make great holiday cookies. Try topping with coloured icings or sprinkles for Halloween, Christmas, or birthdays.

Makes: About 2 dozen

All-purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups

Sugar - 1/4 cup

Butter - 1/2 cup, cut into small pieces.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar until blended. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Using your hands, shape the dough into a ball and knead on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth.
4. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/2" thickness. Using assorted cookie cutters, cut out into desired shapes and place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 1 minute. Remove the cookies to the rack and cool completely.

For chocolate shortbread, add 1/2 cup cocoa to the flour.

Corn Pudding

A delicious, almost desert like pudding. You can use frozen or fresh corn for this recipe. Do not use canned - it's too high in sodium.

Makes: About 3 cups

Milk - 2 cups
Eggs - 3
Maple Syrup - 1 tbsp
Corn Kernels - 1 cup frozen thawed or fresh

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until smooth and a light lemony color. Gently stir in the syrup and corn.
3. Pour into a 2-quart deep, buttered baking dish. Bake for

Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables

The natural sugars in parsnips, turnips, and carrots achieve glorious warmth when roasted.

Makes : About 5 cups.

Root Vegetables, such as parsnips, turnips, carrots - 2 lbs, peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with olive oil until evenly coated. Spread in 1 layer on a baking sheet.
3. Roast in the oven for 30 min or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork.
4. Serve as a finger food or mash to a consistency appropriate for your child.

Stuffed Capsicum

Serves: 3

Capsicums - 3 halved, seeds removed
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Ricotta cheese - 1/4 cup
Cherry tomatoes - 12-15, halved
Red onion - 1 small, thinly sliced
Lemon rind - 1 grated
Garlic clove - 1 crushed
Basil leaves - 1/2 cup torn

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Toss the capsicum in half the oil, then place on a baking tray.
3. In a medium bowl, add the ricotta, tomatoes, onion, rind, garlic and half the basil. Mix well and use this to fill the capsicum.
4. Sprinkle the remaining oil on the stuffed capsicum and bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. Garnish with remaining basil.

Tomato and Fresh Basil Soup

Serves: 4

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Butter - 2 tbsp

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped

Plum tomatoes - 2 lbs, roughly chopped

Garlic clove - 1, roughly chopped

Vegetable stock - about 3 cups

Sun-dried tomato paste - 2 tbsp

Fresh basil - 2 tbsp, shredded
Heavy cream - 2/3 cup
Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste
Whole basil leaves - to garnish

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan until foaming. Add the onion and cook gently for about 5 min, stirring, until the onion is softened but not brown.
2. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes, then add the stock, sun-dried tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste. Bring it to boil, then lower the heat, half-cover the pan, and simmer gently for 20 min, stirring occasionally to keep the tomatoes sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. Process the soup with the shredded basil in a blender or food processor, then press through a sifter into a clean pan.
4. Add the cream and heat through, stirring. Do not allow the soup to approach boiling point.
5. Check the consistency and add more stock if necessary., then season with salt and pepper.

Pour into heated bowls and garnish with basil. Serve at once.

Asparagus with Eggs

Serves : 4

Fresh Asparagus - 1 lb
Butter - 5 tbsp
Eggs - 4
Fresh Parmesan Cheese - 4 tbsp, grated
Salt - to taste
Ground black Pepper - to taste

1. Cut off any woody ends from the asparagus. Peel the lower half of the spears by inserting a knife under the thick skin at the base and pulling up toward the tip. Wash the asparagus in cold water.
2. Bring a large pan of water to boil. Boil the asparagus spears until just tender.
3. While the asparagus is cooking, melt a third of the butter in a frying pan. When bubbling, break in the eggs and cook them until the whites have set but the yolks are still soft.
4. As the asparagus is cooked, remove it from the water with two slotted spoons, Place it on a wine rack covered with a clean dish towel to drain.
5. Divide the spears among warm individual serving plates. Place a fried egg on each bundle of spears and sprinkle liberally with the grated Parmesan.
6. Melt the remaining butter in the frying pan. As soon as it is bubbling, but before it browns, pour it over the cheese and eggs on the asparagus.
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Fresh crusty bread makes a delicious accomplishment to mop up the runny yolk.

Raw Banana Fry

Serves: 4

Raw Banana - 2, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes (about 2 cups)
Onion - 1, chopped
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Clove-Cinnamon Powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

1. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and add the onions
2. Once the onions are softer add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, clove-cinnamon powder and salt and stir to mix well
3. Add the diced bananas, mix, and close the pan.
4.Cook in low-medium heat while stirring occasionally, to make sure that the bananas don't stick to the bottom, for about 3-5 min. Sprinkle with a little water if the mixture is sticking to the pan.
5. Then remove the lid, and heat on medium heat until all the bananas are crisp and deep brown in color. Stir continously to make sure the bottom doesn't stick.

Baked Portobello Mushrooms

Serves: 4

Sunflower Oil - 2 tbsp
Portobello Mushrooms - 8, wiped
Onion - 1 chopped
Garlic Clove - 1 crushed
Rolled Oats - 1/4 cup
Tomato - 2 chopped
Hot Pepper Sauce - 1/2 tsp
Pine Nuts - 1/4 cup
Parmesan Cheese - 1/4 cup, finely grated
Ground Black Pepper - to taster
Salt - to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Use a little of the oil to lightly grease a shallow ovenproof dish. The dish should be large enough to hold the mushroom caps in a single layer.
2. Remove the mushroom stalks, chop them coarsely and set them aside. Reserve the whole mushroom caps.
3. Heat the oil in a small saucepan and saute the onion, garlic and mushroom stalks until softened and lightly browned.
4. Stir in the oats and cook for 1 minute more.
5. Stir in the tomatoes and hot pepper sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Arrange the mushroom caps, gills uppermost, in the prepared dish. Divide the stuffing mixture among them.
7. Sprinkle the pine nuts and Parmesan Cheese over the mushrooms.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the topping is golden brown.

Tip:
If you can't find portobello mushrooms, any of the other flavorful varieties in season will do.

Groundnut Chutney

Groundnuts - 1 cup
Dried Red Chillies - 8
Onion - 1 small, chopped into big pieces
Garlic Cloves - 2
Tamarind pulp - 2 tsps
Salt - to taste
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 5-6
Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp

1. Heat an iron skillet on medium heat, slowly roast the peanuts to golden brown color. Cool and rub the skins off. The groundnuts need to be roasted until they are uniformly crispy.
2. Heat a tbsp of oil on iron skillet and hallow fry the red chillis until their colour deepens. Take them out of the skillet.
3. Now fry the onion pieces and the garlic and fry till the onions turn golden brown and soft.
4. Wait few minutes for them to cool down. This cooling process somehow increases the chutney taste tremendously.
5. Now grind the groundnuts and the red chillies in the mixer coarsely first and then add the onions, garlic, tamarind, 1/2 cup of water and grind to a fine paste.
6. Add water as consistency is required.
Remove the chutney to a bowl.
7. For the seasoning, heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
8. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.
9. Add the seasoning to the chutney and mix well before serving.