Oats combined with divine flavors make this an  extra yummy breakfast treat.

Use organic ingredients to get the maximum taste and health benefits.  We made this one cold winter morning and it was so delicious we had it three times in a row – the next porridge without it tasted very boring !  This recipe serves four people.

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Large pinch salt
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 bananas, thickly sliced
• 1/2 cup cream

Method

• Place oats, water, cinnamon, salt and maple syrup in a pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Stir constantly while cooking for about 5 minutes until it becomes thick and smooth.
• Heat butter and brown sugar in a shallow pan and cook until golden and bubbling.
• Add banana slices and saute 1 minute until nicely colored.
• Divide porridge between bowls and top with the banana slices.
• Add cream to caramel remaining in pan and heat until golden and real syrupy.
• Pour over bananas and porridge.

350 Recipe Ideas for Busy People

A Flash in the Pan: 100 Fast and Furious Recipes for Wok and Stir-Fry

Stir Fry Pork and Green Beans

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 cloves garlic – chop this finely,
250 grams pork, sliced thinly and cut into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
150 – 200 grams green beans (snake beans,runners,dwarf beans – any kind fine) cut the beans into bite sized pieces
3 Tablespoons water or stock ( this is optional depending on how much sauce you like)
Method
Heat oil in a hot Wok.
Stir fry garlic briefly
Add pork and stir fry until golden
Stir in fish and oyster sauces, pepper and sugar
Add the beans and stir fry for 1 minute
Add a little water or stock if needed to make a good amount of sauce.
Taste to see if seasoning is required.
When the pork is cooked remove from heat.
Serve with rice and garnish with roughly chopped coriander leaves

A Flash in the Pan: 100 Fast and Furious Recipes for Wok and Stir-Fry

Secret up until now

Just make sure you have lots of delicious, crusty French bread to soak up the Mussel broth left over !

Ingredients:

• Enough mussels for all your guest – naturally New Zealand green lipped ( large!) Mussels are preferable
• Lots of chopped Garlic
• Butter
• White Wine
• Lots of ground black pepper
• Crusty French – or sourdough bread
• Extras like chilli, coriander, capsicum,
• cream or coconut cream

How to

• De-beard and wash mussels
• Heat butter in a heavy pan ( one that has a close fitting lid
• Add garlic and fry until you get that delicious aroma
• Add Chilli & capsicum
• Toss in mussels with a BIG splash of white wine
• Put lid on and give the pot a few shakes, check for any open mussels and discard these
• Remove to a warm bowl or to the table
• Stir cream or coconut milk into remaining juice, pour over mussels
• Serve with bread – lots of it

Best eaten with good friends on a sunny deck or by the beach and a glass of wine

Fun loving pasta eaters, rejoice! The fennel, garlic and broccoli go very well with sliced sauteed sausage and freshly grated parmesan cheese along with the crumbled goat cheese – ciao bella! Quick and easy meal to help sneak in some veggies to unsuspecting teenagers and hubbys everywhere!

Ingredients:

2 or 3 each hot and sweet sausage links, semi-frozen

• 2 small crowns of fresh broccoli
• 3-6 cloves of fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1 or 2 bulbs fennel with their fawns
• Olive Oil
• Large pot of boiling water for pasta – try rotitini or penne
• One large deep skillet, enough that when after cooking sausages and veggies, you can also throw pasta in.
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
• A couple shakes of dried red pepper flakes
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Salt

Directions:

1. Put pot on to boil for pasta
2. Take out sausage from freezer, and slice links into 1/3 inch slices
3. Put skillet onto stove, add small drizzle of olive oil and put sliced sausages in.
4. Add red chili flakes and fresh cracked pepper – the heat from the skillet opens up their flavors.
5. While the sausage cooks, mince up garlic and set aside.
6. Rinse and break apart broccoli into small bite size pieces and set aside.
7. Cut off frawns from fennel, and with the remaining bulb, slice thin and break apart to resemble onion slices. Set aside frawns for now.
8. Once water has started to boil, add good amount of salt to water and a bit of olive oil.
9. To cooking sausage slices, add sliced fennel and broccoli to skillet.
10. Continue cooking broccoli, sausages and fennel allowing the fennel to caramelize along with sliced sausages.
11. Mince up two tablespoons fawns from the fennel and grate up your cheese.
12. Drain pasta when just al dente, but try and reserve up to 1 cup of pasta water.
13. Add drained cooked pasta to deep skillet and add freshly minced garlic to the mix.
14. Add 1/2 of the cheese and up to 1/2 cup pasta water and stir till all are combined. Continue cooking for one to 4 minutes. Add crumbled goat cheese.
15. Serve up on plates, sprinkle a little of the minced fennel frawns and extra grated cheese. Ciao Bella! Mangia Mangia pronto!

This is one of those great tasting easy dishes, and the goat cheese once is melts creates a similar feel in your mouth to alfredo sauce but without a lot of the naughty added fat.

Leah Quinn, a multi-media artist and writer whose work specializes on food, health, feng shui, and self-improvement. leahquinn.com

Cheese Frittata

This recipe is so quick and easy you can have it on the table very fast but it is still versatile enough to add extras and change it completely by different herbs or cheeses, adding a chutney to serve or as a main with veggies or green salad.

If you have more people then add more to your frittata and serve with vegetable dishes  and salads to extend it.

To serve 2

• Beat or whisk 4  large eggs or 6 small bantam eggs (organic or free range best)
• Heat olive oil (about 2 tablespoons, more or less according to size your your pan, heavy based pan best so it will not burn.
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Pour into hot pan
• When Frittata is set on the base add sliced cheese, sprinkle herbs
• Set under the grill to puff up and brown

We like this served with a peach chutney, or  tangy Tamarillo  or  Tomato salsa, crisp French Baguette  and a green salad

I use a Magic Bullet to quickly whisk it up and have it cooking in minutes

Extras to add to expand the recipe or make it a more satisfying meal

Cooked potato, pumpkin, beans, peas, celery, mushrooms, egg plant, zucchini and practically anything else you may have on hand or in the garden.

Serve with baked potato crisps and a glass of your favourite wine

In a mortar, pound coriander, lemon grass, ginger and garlic to a paste.
Heat the oil, stir in paste and add coconut milk.
Stir briefly then add potatoes, soy sauce, sugar, salt and curry.
Bring to the boil and add vegetable stock. Add onions and simmer until cooked.
This is a really scrummy curry and can be adjusted to your personal taste.
The recipe looks longer than it takes to prepare and is a dish you can fling on and sit back relaxing while it cooks and will be sure to be a favorite in your household.

A fast and refreshing quick and easy watermelon and goats cheese salad

Vegan Ebook Recipes, Kale Chips, Cookie Recipes and More !

• Cubed watermelon chunks (de-seeded)
• Soak chopped red onion in lime juice
• Goats cheese  cut into chunks
• Cubed cucumber (optional addition)
• Small amount of olive oil – enough to moisten
• Add the onion and lime juice
• Stir through
• Add chopped mint as a tasty extra
• Enjoy
• Vegan Ebook Recipes, Kale Chips, Cookie Recipes and More !

Quantities are not exact and can be varied according to how many people and what you have in the pantry and feel free to make your own additions.

Delicious Italian Primo Lentil Dish

Very simple, quick and easy to make and yet it  tastes delicious

• Take chopped onion, celery, garlic and fry until translucent, (or “blonde” as our friend calls it ) something like Wolfgang Pucks skillet would be ideal to cook it in.
• Add sausages, or spare ribs if you prefer.   Brown and cook
• Add half a glass of wine and let cook for a few minutes
• Add one tin of tomatoes ( or half a large tin)
• When all the water has evaporated and 10 minutes before you wish to serve it add  one tin of lentils including the liquid, stir through and let simmer
• Serve garnished with your favorite herbs
• We have cooked this four times since getting the recipe, once with pork and fennel sausages. Our Italian friend said it didn’t go and we thought it was extra scrummy  !
• Enjoy

Serve with your own delicious home made spaghetti, pasta or fettucini to make a quick healthy and delicious meal.

1. Saute breadcrumbs with olive oil, garlic, chilli ( small amount of chilli – always easy to add a bit more later !) saute until crisp then add parsley when cooled as well as fresh tomato, add seasonings, salt and pepper and serve with pasta. Some great fresh herbs to use are oregan0, basil and sage – not all at once of course !
2. Bacon, mushroom, tomato and onion sauteed in olive oil with garlic and chilli
3. Saute onion, chilli, garlic in olive oil, add one tin of tomatoes or fresh if you prefer and a tin of tuna ( in oil)