New Idea Food

What can I inspire you to cook in this issue? As we move into spring, you’ll find recipes and helpful ideas for both mid-week and weekends, all packed with flavour, as well as saving time and money as our hip pockets continue to be stretched. Need a refresh on your menu? We have everyone’s favourite – tasty chicken mains, some with just 6 ingredients. And look at what these two handy appliances can do, easy and creative air fryer and pie maker recipes. Or if you need inspo for lunchbox fillers, weekend roasts, a couch dinner for footy finals or a much-loved burger, all these and more will make cooking at home a breeze! For something sweet, switch on the oven and whip up freshly baked cupcakes or a café…

Strawberry, Apple & Almond Shortcake SERVES 8 PREP & COOK 1 HOUR 15 MINS 150g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature⅔ cup caster sugar1 tsp almond essence1 egg, at room temperature1 cup plain flour½ cup self-raising flour⅓ cup almond meal⅓ cup flaked almondsIcing sugar mixture, to serve FILLING 2 small red apples (300g)2 tblsps caster sugar2 tsps finely grated lemon rind250g punnet strawberries, hulled, quartered 1 Invert base of a 22cm round springform pan (base measures 21cm). Grease and line base with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above pan edge. 2 To make pastry, beat butter, sugar and essence in small bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg. Beat until combined. Add sifted flours and almond meal. Beat until mixture starts to come together to form a soft dough. 3 Turn out onto…

INTO THE BLU It’s got the tick of approval from celeb chef George Calombaris and took seven years to perfect, so you know the brand new range of Blu cookware must be something special. With pots and pans that are good for both you and the planet, you can sauté and sizzle to your heart’s content knowing the range is 100 per cent toxin and PFAS free. Oh, and it promises to be 30 percent stronger than regular stainless steel cookware too. Priced from RRP $119.95, available at blucookware.com BOOKS FOR COOKS Slow cooking brings inspired flavours and comfort food to the table. From warming soups to tasty bakes and pies, saucy casseroles plus easy slow cooker meals and more, these recipes will keep everyone well fed. Remember to leave…

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes MAKES 12 PREP & COOK 1 HOUR 15 MINS 2 x 128g packets chocolate Oreo biscuits½ cup cocoa powder150g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature1 cup firmly packed brown sugar2 eggs1¼ cups plain flour1 tsp baking powder½ tsp bicarbonate of soda½ cup buttermilkChocolate topping, to serve FROSTING 150g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature1 tsp vanilla extract2½ cups icing sugar mixture2 tblsps milk 1 Line a 12-hole muffin pan (⅓-cup capacity) with large paper cases. Chop half a packet of biscuits (about 6) into small pieces. 2 Whisk ½ cup boiling water with cocoa in a heatproof jug until smooth. Cool. 3 Beat butter and sugar in small bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Reduce speed to low, beat in cocoa mixture until…

Chicken Boscaiola Pies MAKES 8 PREP & COOK 40 MINS 3 rashers short cut bacon, finely chopped150g button mushrooms, thinly sliced2 cups shredded roast chicken (300g)300mls Fresh Carbonara Sauce (see Tip)¼ cup grated parmesan, plus extra serve2 tblsps chopped fresh parsley4 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed1 tblsp sesame seeds 1 Heat a well-oiled, large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add bacon and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for about 7 minutes, or until lightly golden. Transfer to a large bowl. Add chicken, sauce, parmesan and parsley. Stir to combine. Season with pepper. 2 Spray a 4-hole (¼-cup capacity) pie maker with oil. Using the pie maker cutters, cut eight 10.5cm rounds and eight 9.5cm rounds from pastry sheets. Lightly press four 10.5cm pastry rounds into holes. 3 Fill with ⅓ cup of chicken mixture. Top with…

Roast Sweet Potato Brekkie Frittata SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 45 MINS 1 medium sweet potato (400g), peeled, cut into 2-3cm pieces1 tblsp olive oil1 tsp curry powder⅓ cup chopped roasted capsicum3 green spring onions, thinly sliced1 cup baby spinach (30g)75g Greek feta, crumbled¼ cup grated parmesan6 grape tomatoes, halved4 eggs½ cup milkTomato chutney and toasted Turkish bread, to serve 1 Grease a 20cm round cake pan (4cm-deep) . Line base and side with baking paper. 2 Toss sweet potato with oil and curry powder in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 3 Pull out pan and basket from a 7-litre air fryer. Add sweet potato to basket in an even layer. Slide pan and basket into air fryer Set temperature to 200C. Set timer and cook for 10 minutes, until just tender. 4 Transfer…