If You Ever Need This Recipe

Ah, Anzac biscuits. Oaty, syrupy goodness, baked fresh on Anzac day. I guess they can be made on other days but then they're just oat biscuits. Some people put chocolate or bits of fruit in them (weirdos :) ) but then they're technically not Anzac biscuits either. This recipe is pretty much how I remember my Mum making them. It's low fuss, pretty forgiving (even if they fail they still usually taste good as long as they're not burnt) and easy clean up with only a few dishes. Baking them for 12 minutes, and not flattening too much, gives a softer, chewier biscuit. If you want them a bit crispier then cook for an extra 2 -3 minutes, or make them a bit flatter. Quantity:  20 - 24 biscuits Prep time:  about 15 minutes Cook time:  12 - 15 minutes Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient ...

Another world famous (in our house) recipe. This is pretty quick and easy cake to make, and always turns out good. It can also be poured into a muffin tin to make muffins/cupcakes instead of a cake. Use any type (white, caster, raw, brown) of sugar. Brown sugar gives a slightly denser cake and a bit more caramel flavour, but all seem to work ok. For the oil, use one with a neutral flavour, though we usually use olive oil and that still tastes fine. Ice with cream cheese icing to get the full effect. If making the icing make sure that the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature otherwise you end up with lumps in the icing, which still tastes fine but looks a bit weird. Quantity:  1 cake or 10 - 12 muffins Prep time:  about 20 minutes Cook time:  35 - 40 minutes for a cake, 15 - 20 minutes for muffins Ingredients  Quantity In...

Quick to make and a dessert that everyone likes, apple crumble is one of those comfort foods.  We usually have a tin of apple pie filling in the cupboard to use for this, or use any apples that are available (usually the cheap/on special ones). You can use any type - some, like Granny Smith, might need a bit more sugar added to the apple mix, and the ones aimed as eating apples generally need a bit less time to cook. Use any spices to change up the flavour, or even leave the spices out to highlight the apple flavour. Cinnamon always works well, small amounts of cloves and nutmeg are also good as is mixed spice . Probably avoid spices like cumin, paprika and chilli, but that's up to you. Quantity:  serves 4 Prep time:  10 - 15 minutes Cook time:  20 minutes Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient ...

This one originally came from my Mum, but doing a web search for zucchini provencal doesn't return a recipe like this one, so I'm not sure whether this is the original recipe Mum used, or one she mashed up and then just stuck the name on - quite possible she simplified the original one to make it quicker to cook during the week, equally possible this was her own concoction and she just banged the name on because the ingredients are the same. However it came about it tastes great (and this is from someone who's not a big fan of veggies). It's simple to prepare, though does take a while to bake. Feel free to use different herbs (basil goes well) and add things like garlic if you want to mix it up. The quantities for the ingredients are pretty vague as it depends what size dish you're using. The basic principle is to layer slices of zucchini, onion and tomato with some herbs and seasonings until the dish is full. There's usually ...

A slightly different version of a cheese scone with some added yoghurt, which improves the flavour and texture. Same tips apply as the regular scones in not over working the mix and keeping everything cold. Quantity:  8 - 12 scones Prep time:  about 20 minutes Cook time:  15 minutes Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient ¾ c Milk ¾ c Plain, unsweetened yoghurt 3 c Flour 3 tsp Baking powder pinch Salt ¼ tsp Mustard powder 50 gm ...

These tortillas are great to use for burritos or wraps. They use a combination of Masa corn flour and regular wheat flour, which makes them easier to prepare than ones made from just masa, but they have a better flavour than plain flour ones. If you don't have any masa then just leave it out and use 2 cups plain flour instead, or for a full flavour use 2 cups of masa and no wheat flour, though this may need more water and is a bit more difficult to work with (but tastes better if making into corn chips or tacos). As with the other recipes on here, this one isn't culturally authentic, but is tasty and simple to prepare. Masa harina is a flour made from corn that's been dried and specially treated with limestone (a process called nixtamalisation, which makes the vitamins and minerals in the corn more bio-available), and is the traditional corn flour used in Mexican cooking. I only use the Tio Pablo brand, so can't comment on any others...

A really simple, no bake, cheesecake, I first found this on the NZ Herald site which is now pay-walled, so this is from memory and may be a bit different to the original. I change the topping to suit whatever we have in the cupboards or fridge. This makes a small, 15cm cheesecake so double everything to make a standard size one. You really need to use either a loose bottom or spring-form tin otherwise it's a mission to get the cheesecake out without destroying it. Quantity:  1 15cm/6in  Prep time:  about 20 minutes Cook time:  no cooking, but needs at least 2 hours chilling time in the fridge Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient 100 gm Gingernut biscuits. Griffins work best 60 gm Butter ...

Quick and easy mild curry that's a great way to use up left over roast pork. Works well with other meats as well, e.g. lamb. Haven't tried it with beef or chicken but I reckon it would work well for those as well. The weight of meat is just a rough guide, add in as much as you need to make a meal, and same goes for the yoghurt, just add enough to give a bit of a sauce. Tamarind paste is the only slightly obscure ingredient but does really add to the flavour. We get ours from Raj at the Indian supermarket. It's a bit expensive ($6 - 7 a jar) but lasts for ages, and is also useful for making a tamarind dipping sauce for samosa.  Quantity:  2 - 4 servings Prep time:  about 20 minutes Cook time:  15 minutes Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient ½ Onion ...

A favourite of Mum's, this is another non-authentic one, but delicious and quick to prepare.  The flour and spice coating makes quite a bit but can be stored in an airtight container for ages so that it's on hand for another meal, or just halve the quantities. The amount of liquid can be doubled as well for more portions, just double the lemon juice, chicken stock and garlic. Firm flesh fish works best, something like Tarakihi or Trevally, but Hoki works ok, it just breaks up a bit when cooked. It should be a white flesh fish too, so not suitable for salmon. Serve with couscous and salad, or roasted root vegetables.  Quantity:  however many bits of fish you have Prep time:  10 minutes Cook time:  10 minutes Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient Some ...

From the deliciousday youtube channel , this recipe was found at about the same time by 2 family members, both having the thought "we must try this!". So we did. And it was delicious It's a little different from a standard garlic bread in that the loaf is scored/cut into cubes and the garlic butter spread on top before baking. Quantity:  1 standard loaf, enough for 4 - 6 people Prep time:  about 30 minutes + rising time 1 hour Cook time:  15 minutes Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient 1 Egg, lightly beaten 20 gm Sugar 4 gm Yeast 3 gm Salt 200 gm ...

These pin-wheel scones are an easier version of the yeast dough cinnamon buns, and have always been a favourite. Using the same basic mix as the standard scones , but filled with a mix of butter, sultanas, brown sugar and cinnamon they take a bit longer to prepare but are still pretty quick and easy.  I make the dough a bit less sticky for these so that it's easier to roll out, and for the filling I don't measure the ingredients, just add things in until it looks about right Quantity:  12 Prep time:  about 20 minutes Cook time:  12 - 15 minutes Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient 3 c Flour 5 tsp Baking powder pinch Salt 75 gm Butter (needs to be cold, straight from the fridge) 1 c Milk 2 - 3 Tbsp Cold water ...

A spice mix for burritos, fajitas, nachos and anything else with a Mexican tilt. Is it authentic? I doubt it, but tastes better than a shop bought packet mix It's an easy one to make, and can be adjusted to taste. I often don't put the salt in so I can adjust that in the dish, but it's convenient to have it as part of the mix when cooking weeknight meals in a bit of a rush. Easy to scale up, I've put the measurements as tsp but usually double or triple the mix as it keeps for ages in a sealed jar. I've also stopped putting the garlic powder as it no longer agrees with me. Getting soft as I get older Quantity:  2 Tbsp Prep time:  5 minutes Cook time:  0 Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient 2 tsp Ground smoked paprika. ...

I love a good scone (or 3) and these are still a regular for Sunday morning tea. The recipe probably started out using the Edmonds cookbook one, but it's another one that's been tweaked a lot of the years until I got it just right.  The secret to a good scone (I think) is limited handling, along with cold butter and a little bit of water to thin the milk. The dough should be pretty sticky as well.  I make all the flavours of scone (cheese, date etc.) from the same basic recipe, just adding the required bits in about halfway along. I don't measure these bits either, just add things in until it looks about right Quantity:  12 standard or 8 large Prep time:  about 10 minutes Cook time:  15 minutes Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient 3c Flour 5 tsp Baking powder pinch Salt 75 ...

Mixed spice is a pretty common thing to find in any supermarket, but during the Covid lockdowns in 2020 we ran out and couldn't get it at the supermarket. Our neighbourhood Indian supermarket didn't have it either but they did have a wide range of individual spices, so after some web searching and combining a couple of the recipes I was able to get all the base spices and mix up a version that did the trick. Hot cross buns could be made and Easter was saved. Nowadays I just mix up this one rather than buying the pre-made version. For clarity, this is an English spice mix usually used in baked goods, and is what I add to the Hot Cross Buns . It's also good to flavour things like Apple Crumble. Changing the ratios of spices will give slightly different flavours and I'll often make it slightly differently depending on what spices are in the cupboard. Try adding spices like mace or cardamom to switch it up a bit. Measurements are in teaspoons, but I'll usua...

The world famous (in our house) hot cross buns. Originally an old recipe from the queen of New Zealand home cooking, Allison Holst, I've tweaked this one a bit almost every year I make them. It makes a decent amount, 30 buns, and doesn't really scale down. Mind you, 30 buns don't last long and most years I end up doing 3 or 4 batches. Try using different spice blends and different types or combinations of dried fruit, but never, ever add chocolate. This looks like quite a list of ingredients, but it's actually not that much in total. The method is a bit different too in that you start off with a yeasty liquid, almost like making ciabatta, then add the other ingredients Did I mention never, ever add chocolate Quantity: 30 buns Prep time: about 30 minutes hands on + 90 minutes rising Cook time: 15 minutes Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient 820 gm ...

This is a good, basic yeast dough that can be used for bread loaves, buns, rolls, pizza bases etc. Uses the ratios as explained in the hydration ratio post, so is easily scalable. Quantity here makes 1 bread loaf, or split into 6 - 8 burger buns, 12 dinner rolls, or 2 - 3 pizza bases. Try with different types of sugar, fats and liquid to vary the flavour. It works nicely using honey and all milk with a couple of tablespoons of cream as the liquid. Make sure to use bread making flour rather than plain baking flour too, as it is less likely to collapse when rising. Quantity: 1 loaf or 8 burger buns or 12 dinner rolls or 2 - 3 pizza bases Prep time: about 30 minutes hands on + 90 minutes rising Cook time: 20 minutes for bread, 10-12 minutes for buns Ingredients  Quantity Ingredient 450 gm Flour (high protein bread making flour) 6 gm ...

 Before we start the recipes proper I want to mention some things that have made a big difference when making yeast doughs for breads, buns etc.  Hydration Ratio  The main thing is the hydration ratio (also called the golden ratio in some places ). This is the ratio of water to flour in the mix, but also includes the ratios of yeast and salt to flour. It works like this WARNING: MATHS AHEAD First, weigh the flour and make a note of the weight. This is the measurement we'll refer to in the rest of the steps. The other main ingredients for the dough get added as percentages of the flour weight: yeast = 1.0 - 1.4% of the flour weight salt = 2% of the flour weight butter/fat/oil = 3 - 6% of the flour weight sugar/honey = 3 - 6 % of the weight Lastly is the water/liquid (e.g. milk) and this is where it gets a bit trickier. The amount of liquid added gives the hydration ratio of the dough - the more liquid the higher the hydratio...

This is the beginning, something I've been meaning to get around to for some time.   The recipes you’ll find here are the ones that keep coming up in daily meals, at family gatherings, or in those moments where someone says “how do you make ...".   So I’ve started writing them down. We'll see how it goes.   None are especially fancy. Generally pretty low fuss and easy to make, probably not authentic to the original culture, but these are the ones that were a hit when dished up and get regularly requested.   You’ll notice that not everything is perfectly measured, and some instructions are a little conversational. That’s kind of how I cook. Some recipes are more specific because I've found they work better with exact measurements. I'll try and point that out at the time, but most recipes are pretty forgiving.    Feel free to adapt and change these up - they'll all have at least started from someone else's recipe anyway.   This is just the start. I’ll ad...