Family Mess Hall - whole food meals dinners recipes

A chocolate cake like no other, panforte is packed with dried fruits and nuts and has a rich chewy, chocolatey flavour. Chocolate panforte - Italian Christmas cake Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain flour 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper 1 cup hazelnuts or pecans 1 cup roasted almonds 1 cup candied mixed peel 2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried figs 1/3 cup dried currants, cranberries or apricots 1/2 cup honey 3/4 cup soft brown sugar 30 grams butter 1/2 cup icing sugar (for serving) Method: Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan-forced. Grease a 20cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper. Sift the flour, cocoa and spices into a large bowl. Add the nuts and fruit; toss to combine. Place the honey, sugar and butter in a small saucepan; stir over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer for about 45 seconds. Pour the h...

Ricotta, cinnamon and apple muffins It's always a challenge to find tasty lunchbox recipes that pack nutritional punch.  These apple, ricotta and almond muffins are delicious to eat and are packed with fresh fruit, protein, dairy and superfood (almonds).  They're gently spiced with cinnamon and fragrant with lemon zest.   Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg 150 mL milk 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup honey 2 cups ricotta 1 tsp lemon zest 1 cup diced apple ((0.5cm cubes with skin on)) 1/2 cup flaked almonds Method: Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and then add wet ingredients excluding apples and almonds. Mix to combine. Gently fold through apples and almonds.   Bake muffins for 25 minutes or until golden and inserted skewer comes out clean.  

Here's a highly nutritious sweet treat to take with you as you go about your business.  Superfood honey oat bars are loaded with dried blueberries, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, coconut, almonds and fibre rich oats.  You'll enjoy the honey butter flavour and the mild scent of cinnamon.  Moreover, the chocolate chips take the yum factor through the roof! Superfood honey oat bars These honey oat bars are packed with delicious superfoods and will provide you with a sweet, tasty and highly nutritious snack.   2 cups oats 1/2 cup desiccated coconut 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup flaked almonds 1/2 cup dried blueberries ((or other dried fruit)) 1/2 cup chocolate chips 50 g butter ((melted but cool)) 2/3 cup honey 1/4 cup soft brown sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F. Lined a 30cm (12 inch) square oven proof dish.  Combine all dry ingredients together in a bowl.   Combine cooled melted butter with honey, brown su...

Pecan, oat and chocolate chip cookie These pecan, oat and chocolate chip cookie are crisp and sweet. Their nutty and caramelly goodness is nicely enhanced by an all important dash of salt. This recipe will yield two dozen (48) cookies. I like to bake half and  freeze the other half in a flat disc.  I save that for a rainy day.  When that rainy day comes, simply defrost your cookie dough for about 30 minutes and then cut your dough into pieces then bake. Ingredients: 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup white sugar 175 grams butter 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp salt 1/2 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon ((add to your liking)) 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp bicarb soda 1/2 cup oats 1/2 cup pecans ((roughly chopped )) 1 cup dark chocolate chips Method: Preheat oven to 180C / 350F In a bowl, mix together softened butter and sugars until creamy. Mix in salt, cinnamon, egg and vanilla extract. Fold through flour, bicarb soda to combine to form a soft dough.   Mix through oats,...

Date and pecan banana bread This date and pecan banana bread is richer in flavour than my basic date loaf due to the addition of banana, pecans and cinnamon. It's a great snack. Ingredients: 1 cup dates (chopped) 1 cup boiling water 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 bananas ((1 mashed and the other sliced lengthways into thirds)) 100 grams butter 2 tsp baking powder 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1 cup pecans / almonds ((roughly chopped)) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt Method: Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Mix together dates, sugar, butter and boiling water in a bowl.  Allow dates to soak for five minutes. Add egg, vanilla, mashed banana, salt, pecans, flour, baking soda and cinnamon.  Fold to combine. Transfer date loaf batter into a lined loaf tin.  Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes our clean.   Cool, slice and serve spread with butter.

Yeasted cardamom and cinnamon doughnut recipe These yeasted cardamom and cinnamon doughnuts are crispy on the outside and both airy and chewy on the inside. The heavenly aroma of cinnamon and cardamom made them irresistible and this batch didn't last five minutes in our household. Doughnuts Ingredients: 1 1/14 cup milk ((microwave for 30 seconds or until lukewarm)) 2 1/2 tsp dry yeast 3 tbsp sugar ((raw or white)) 2 eggs 100 grams butter ((melted)) 4 1/4 cup all purpose flour ((plus extra for shaping doughnuts)) 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 1/2 tsp salt Method: Add lukewarm milk, raw sugar and yeast to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Allow to rest for ten minutes to activate the yeast.  The mixture should become foamy.   Whisk in the eggs and melted butter. Add flour, salt and ground cardamom to the yeast mixture and combine to form a sticky dough.  You can do this quickly by hand with a wooden spoon. Drizzle over one teaspoon of oil and cover with a da...

Simple Date Loaf Here's my most basic date loaf recipe that provides vast opportunities for adding your own personal touches. Include nuts, spices, seeds or dried fruit. Ingredients: 1 cup dates ((chopped)) 1 cup boiling water 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp baking soda 75 grams butter 1 3/4 all purpose flour 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt Method: Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Mix together dates, sugar, salt, butter and boiling water in a bowl. Allow dates to soak for five minutes. d vanilla, flour and baking soda. Fold to combine.  Transfer date loaf batter into a lined loaf tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes our clean. Cool, slice and serve spread with butter.

Peanut butter, cranberry and oatmeal cookies Ingredients: 3/4 cup butter (softened) 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup peanut butter 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups flour 2 cups oats 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 cups dried cranberries Method: Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time until combined. Fold through dry ingredients to create a soft dough.  Roll dough into golf ball sized ball and place onto lined baking trays.  Press balls gently to flatten. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden.  Cool completely on cools racks before storing in airtight containers.  

Blackberry and blueberry pie recipe Ingredients: Pie crust 250 grams butter 2 1/2 cups plain flour 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar 1/4 cup water Pie filling 2 cups frozen blackberries 2 cup frozen blueberries 1 tsp cinnamon zest of 1/2 an orange 3 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar / lemon juice 2 tbsp plain flour Assembling the pie 1 tsp raw sugar 50 grams butter Method: Pie crust In a bowl, rub cold butter into flour until is resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Add salt and sugar. Add water and mix to create a soft dough.  Place in an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Pie filling Combine apple pie filling ingredients in a bowl and allow berries to defrost until the crust is prepared.   Assemble the pie Remove the pie crust dough from the refrigerator and divide it into two pieces - one (2/3 of dough) in size and one (1/3 of dough). On a floured surface, roll our large piece of dough until it is the right size for your pie dish.  I use ...

Superfood blueberry and zucchini bread Ingredients: 2/3 cup light olive oil 4 eggs 2 cups grated zucchini ((approx one large)) 1 cup brown sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 cup wholewheat flour 2 cups self raising flour 3 tsp baking powder 1 cup dried or frozen blueberries ((frozen will result in a more moist loaf)) 1/2 cup almonds ((slivered)) 3 tbsp oat ((optional topping)) Method: Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F. Mix together wet ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Fold through dry ingredients. Transfer batter to large lined loaf tin. Sprinkle with oats (optional). Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Cheat's no-cook tiramisu  I love the bittersweetness of tiramisu, the lightness of the cream layers and the soft, sponginess of the coffee soaked savoiardi.  It's definitely comfort food.  This version is kid-friendly and doesn't contain alcohol.  However, you're welcome to add a shot (or two) of Italian masala wine (as is traditional), sweet dessert wine or brandy to the coffee at the soaking stage. Ingredients: 500 g large packet of savoiardi ((Italian sponge finger biscuits)) 1 cup double strength black coffee 250 g marscapone 600 mL thickened cream ((whipped)) 300 mL store bought custard 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 100 grams dark chocolate Method: In a mixing bowl, combine mascarpone, 300mL whipped cream and custard. In a large serving bowl, make a single flat layer of savoiardi biscuits.  Sprinkle 1/3 cup coffee evenly over the biscuits. Pour over 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture and spread to cover the surface evenly.   Grate over a fine...

These honey almond cookies have a delicious honey nut flavour and are lightly scented with warm cinnamon and vanilla. They have a crunchy in texture and are quick and easy to make. Enjoy a honey almond cookie with a hot cup of tea or coffee or pop them in your lunchbox for a tasty, sweet snack. These one bowl cookies are very easy to make and result in a deliciously golden and crunchy cookie.  Ingredients: 2  cup   self raising flour 1/2 cup ground oats 175   grams softened   butter 1   egg 1/2 cup   honey 1/2   cup   brown sugar 1/2   cup   white sugar 1/2   tsp   cinnamon 1/2   tsp   salt 3/4 cup ground almonds Method: 1. Begin by preheating your oven to 180 C.  2. Combine the wet ingredients and spices in a bowl.   3. Fold through your flour to form a crumbly dough and set it aside to rest for ten minutes.   4. Roll dough into golf ball sized balls and flatten slightly by pressing...

Light and crispy toasted coconut macaroons are a delight to eat If you ever find yourself with leftover egg whites, you must make these delicious coconut macaroons.  They're perhaps the quickest and easiest cookie to make and they're an excellent lunchbox filler. Ingredients: egg whites white sugar vanilla extract shredded dried coconut Method: 1. Preheat oven to 180C. 2. Beat eggwhites and sugar in a bowl until they form stiff peaks. 3. Gently fold in coconut. 4. Spoon onto lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. 

Here's a simple but reliable buttermilk pancake recipe for every day. Buttermilk pancakes are just delicious served with a little maple syrup and fresh blueberries.  Real or cultured buttermilk can be used in this recipe.  But if you're like me and don't regularly keep some on hand, you can substitute with milk curdled with 1 tsp of cider vinegar / lemon juice. Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 2 1/2 cups milk (or buttermilk, omit lemon / cider vinegar if using buttermilk) 2 tbsp lemon or apple cider vinegar (add to milk to mimic buttermilk)) 2.5 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar 2 eggs 2 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil 1 punnet blueberries Method: Add lemon or vinegar to milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes to curdle the milk and create an excellent buttermilk substitute.  Optional: Use buttermilk if you have it on hand. Add all other ingredients to the milk and mix until just combined. Heat your fry pan to medium high heat and grease with ...