Satay Burgers

Some nights there are too many comings and goings to allow us to sit down and eat dinner together.

Those nights the boys cook their dinner on the bbq and burgers are a favourite.

I’ve used pork in this recipe but minced chicken is delicious too. As the gluten rolls that we like are long and skinny, I just make the patties to fit the roll.

Makes six burgers.

Ingredients

500g minced Pork

3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

30g fresh coriander chopped

Salt and pepper

Method

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and form into burgers.

Heat your bbq or pan over a medium flame.

Once hot cook the burgers, as it is pork, you need to cook it all the way through.

Peanut And Macadania Nut Balls

Now, I know that these aren’t healthy but they are very tasty and easy to make when you suddely have to make morning tea for your child’s cricket team, I speak from personal experience here!

I like mixing the sugars up a bit, dark muscovado sugar is a great addition in these, just omit 50g of the brown sugar and add the muscovado instead.

Makes 36 balls.

Ingredients

50g butter

175g smooth peanut butter

150g macadamia nuts

200g brown sugar

100g caster sugar

100g desiccated coconut plus extra

Method

Melt the butter and peanut butter gently in a pan.

In a food processor, blitz the macadamia nuts until fairly finely chopped.

Add the sugars and coconut to the nuts and blitz again.

Finally pour in the butters and pulse until combined.

Pour some extra coconut onto a plate.

Take small amounts of the nut ball mix and squeeze into a ball, roll in the coconut and set aside. Continue with the remaining mixture.

Once you have finished, pop the balls into the fridge to set.

Spiced Granola

Gluten free breakfast cereals here in Australia can cost an arm and a leg and quite frankly, many taste similar to cardboard so we spent last weekend experimenting with granola.

This recipe was a clear winner, made with ingredients I always have to hand and converting my eldest, six slices of toast gluten eating son to gluten free cereal was an added bonus!

Makes enough to fill a 2.8l airtight box.

Ingredients

280g honey

70g coconut oil

2-3 tablespoons vanilla extract

120g gluten free rice puffs

150g flaked almonds

50g LSA

60g pumpkin kernals

50g raw cashew nut, very roughly chopped

80g sultanas

100g desiccated coconut

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade and line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

In a pan, combine the honey, coconut oil and vanilla, bring gently up to the boil and allow to simmer for three minutes.

Combine all of the other ingredients in a large bowl, once the honey mixture has cooked for three minutes, pour it over the dry ingredients and stir very well.

Spoon the granola onto the two prepared sheets, spread out as much as you can.

Pop the sheets into the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, keeping a close eye on them in case they burn.

Once golden, remove from the oven and allow to cool on the trays.

Break the granola by hand into small pieces and store in an airtight container.

 

 

Coconut Shortbread

I grew up with this shortbread on the biscuit barrel regularly.

Mum always baked it in a tin, marked with a knife into wedges and using fork prongs to make a decorative pattern. This quantity makes four wheels.

The boys like biscuits rather than wedges, go figure, so I now roll the dough by hand and then roll it in coconut.

You can freeze the unbaked dough, I roll it into a fat sausage, double wrap in cling film and label. To bake, allow to defrost, roll the entire sausage in coconut and then cut slices and bake as below.

Makes around 36-40 depending on size.

Ingredients

450g butter, at room temperature

225g caster sugar

450g plain flour

225g desiccated coconut, plus extra

225g cornflour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Centigrade.

Line three baking sheets with baking parchment.

Cream the butter and sugar.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat to form a dough.

Pour a little extra coconut into a bowl.

Take a small piece of dough, size of a ping pong ball.

Roll it into a ball, roll it in the coconut and then gently flatten with your hand, place on the prepared baking sheet.

Repeat until all the dough is used, pop the first two trays into the oven and bake for 20-25 mins., keep an eye on them!

Once they are golden brown, allow to cool for 5mins and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely, store in an airtight container.

Coconut Kisses

These sweet treats disappear very quickly in our house!

Gluten free and only three ingredients make these a great “go to” store cupboard baked treat.

Makes 40.

Ingredients

3 egg whites

150g caster sugar

100g fine desiccated coconut

Method

Preheat the oven to 140 degrees Centigrade.

Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until forming stiff peaks.

Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, making sure it is whisked fully in before adding more.

Fold in the coconut.

Using a teaspoon, spoon small amounts of the mix onto the baking sheets.

Bake for 30mins until dried and lift off the baking sheet easily.

Allow to cool on the baking sheets.

Store in an airtight container.