Ingredients

• 500g equivalent sized, trimmed fresh green, white and purple asparagus.
• Hollandaise Sauce
• 40 g unsalted butter
• 2 beaten egg yolks
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 50 ml lemon or lime juice

Serves 2 – 3

Preparation

• Place prepared  and rinsed asparagus on a 30c.m. round ovenable glass platter in a circular configuration with tips pointing into the centre.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
• Place butter in 500ml ovenable glass jug and cook on low 30- 40 % until the butter melts.
• In a bowl whisk the egg yolks, seasoning and lemon juice until blended.
• Whisk this mixture into the melted butter.
• Place jug off the centre of the turntable and cook on Defrost (30%) in 20 second bursts whisking at each break, until thickened.
• Cover  to keep warm.
• Cook prepared asparagus on High (100%) for 3 – 4 minutes depending on the wattage of your oven.
• Serve asparagus warm with Hollandaise sauce.

Ingredients

• ½  cup plain flour
• ¼  cup buckwheat or rice flour
• 1 teasp. Baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 50g caviar
• 100g sour cream or crème fraiche
• Chives, chopped to garnish

makes 36

Preparation

• In a bowl combine plain and buckwheat flours with baking powder and salt
• Stir in milk, eggs and butter mixing w ell to form a batter
• Stand 20 minutes
• In a warm frying pan heat a little oil and make small bite sized blinis, cooking 1-2 minutes each side
• Transfer warm blinis to a platter and serve with sour cream and caviar garnished with chives

NB:  Recipe tested with Rice Flour.

Ingredients

• 1 x 440 can chickpeas drained & rinsed
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp  each fresh parsley & thyme chopped
• 6 peppercorns
• 400 g (4) Pontiac potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes
• 1 litre chicken consommé
• 100 g lean bacon, chopped
• 100 g chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Serves 4-5

Preparation

• Place the first 8 ingredients into a large saucepan, cover and bring to the boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat a non stick frypan and sauté bacon and chorizo sausage.
• Stir into the cooked bean mixture.
• Simmer for a further 10 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander and serve with crusty bread.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp plum sauce
• 1 tbsp light oil
• 250g lean pork or chicken mince
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 4 spring onions, sliced diagonally
• 4 lettuce cups, chilled

Serves 4-6

Preparation

• Mix together the soy and plum sauces in a small jug.
• Add the oil to the microwave safe container.
• Cook, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 30 seconds.
• Stir in the man and garlic.  Cook, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 3-4 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
• Add the spring onions and sauces.  Cook, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 1 ½ minutes.
• Serve in the lettuce cups.

Tip
Finely ground lean mince produces the best results in microwave cooking and is a healthier option.

Variation: add a can of drained and sliced water chestnuts to the pork stir-fry in step 3.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 ½ cups vegetable stock
• 1 kg tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 20 fresh basil leaves a few drops of balsamic vinegar
• juice of ½ a lemon
• 2/3 cup natural (plain) yoghurt
• granulated sugar and salt, to taste

For garnish

• 2 tbsp natural (plain) yoghurt
• 8 small basil leaves
• 2 tsp basil flowers, all green parts removed

Serves 4-6

Reduce tomatoes to 750g add 250g red capsicum or cucumber, seeds removed, flesh chopped.
For extra flavor add a good pinch of ground chilies to taste.

Preparation

• Place the first 10 ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
• Chill for 2 hours.
• Serve swirled with yoghurt and garnished with basil.