Click to Download

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Cook the rice in a large saucepan of boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender. Rinse under cold running water. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, cut the eggplants in half lengthways. Use a small sharp knife to cut a 1cm border around the edge of each eggplant half. Scoop out the flesh within the border, leaving about 1.5cm of flesh on the base of each eggplant half. Finely chop the flesh.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and capsicum and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, coriander, ginger, chilli and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the chopped eggplant and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until eggplant is soft. Remove from heat.
4. Add the rice, parsley, lemon rind and lemon juice to eggplant mixture, and stir to combine. Place eggplant shells in a large baking dish. Spoon rice mixture evenly among eggplant shells. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until eggplant shells are soft and filling is golden.
5. Place the yoghurt and mint in a small serving bowl and stir to combine. Serve with spicy rice-filled eggplant.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes* or crushed tomatoes
• 100g unsalted butter
• 100g (2/3 cup) plain flour
• 1L (4 cups) full-fat milk
• Good pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup good-quality pesto
• 300g fresh lasagne sheets
• 300g fresh buffalo mozzarella* or bocconcini, thinly sliced
• 200g grated parmesan
• 8 vine-ripened cherry tomatoes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 5cm deep, 20 x 30cm baking dish.
2. Drain tomatoes, reserving juice. Place juice in a pan with butter, flour and milk. Whisk over low heat for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Cook 2 minutes further and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
3. Place 1/4 of the sauce in the prepared dish, swirl through 1 tablespoon pesto and cover with a sheet of lasagne.
4. Add a little more sauce and another tablespoon pesto, then cover with half the mozzarella, half the drained tomatoes, 1/3 of the parmesan and a lasagne sheet. Repeat this layer. Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Dot vine-ripened tomatoes on top. Bake for about 35 minutes or until cooked through and golden on top. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with salad.

Notes & tips

• * Canned cherry tomatoes are from Italian grocers.
• * Buffalo mozzarella is from selected delis and specialist cheese stores.

Cooking Time
20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 eggs, lightly whisked
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 green zucchini, ends trimmed, coarsely grated
• 125g reduced-fat ricotta, coarsely crumbled
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 x 250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup loosely packed small fresh basil leaves

Method

1. Preheat grill on medium-high. Whisk the egg and garlic together in a large bowl. Gently fold in the zucchini and ricotta, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a 20cm-diameter (base measurement) non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pour in the zucchini mixture and cook for 5-6 minutes or until frittata is set around the edge but still runny in the centre.
3. Cook under preheated grill, about 6cm from the heat source, for 2 minutes or until golden brown and just set. Remove from grill. Cut the frittata into 8 wedges and place on serving plates. Divide tomatoes among serving plates and sprinkle with basil. Serve immediately.

Sticky Date Cake with Rich Caramel Sauce
Ingredients (serves 8)

• 250g pitted dates, chopped
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 125g butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

• Caramel sauce

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 60g butter, chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 7cm deep, 22cm (base) cake pan and line base with baking paper.
2. Place dates and bicarbonate of soda in a heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until dates are tender.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, stir in date mixture and flour. Mix until well combined.
4. Spoon mixture into cake pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack.
5. Make caramel sauce: Combine sugar, cream, vanilla and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until boiling. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 minutes. Pour warm sauce over warm cake. Cut into wedges. Serve.

Notes & tips

• Cake can be made up to 2 days in advance. Place in a foil-lined airtight container and store at room temperature. Sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.