Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cup blueberries

2 cups self - raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp brown sugar (caster will do fine too)

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

50 gms butter melted

3/4 cup milk

Method

1.Heat oven at 200 degrees. Grease a 12 hole muffin pan.

2.  Put the blueberries in a bowl and stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

3. Beat milk egg and butter and pour into the flour mixture. Stir to just moisten the flour. Do not over mix.

4. Spoon the mix into the muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes or till golden.

Blueberries can be substituted with chocolate chips, cranberries, nuts etc. for other varieties of muffins

Savoury cheese muffins

Ingredients
1/2 cup red/green peppers chopped fine
1/2 cup celery chopped fine
1/2 cup cheddar grated
2 cups self - raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 large pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
50 gms butter melted
3/4 cup milk

Method
1.Heat oven at 200 degrees. Grease a 12 hole muffin pan.

2.  Put the veg and cheese in a bowl. stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper.

3. Beat milk egg and butter and pour into the flour mixture. Stir to just moisten the flour. Do not over mix.

4. Spoon the mix into the muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes or till golden.

You can add pieces of ham or some relish to the mix if you want to try different flavours.

Garlic prawn couscous

Serves 2

1 cup couscous
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbsps oil
salt to taste

3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 medium - large onion finely chopped
1 small bowl frozen peas and sweet corn
8-10 small of 6 large prawns

1. In a bowl pour the water, 1/2 tbsp oil and some salt to taste and bring to boil.
2. Stir in the couscous and keep aside covered for about 15 mins or till all the water is absorbed.
3. In a pan, heat the rest of the oil and fry the onions and garlic.
4. The onion needs to be translucent. add the prawns and saute.
5. Add the peas and corn and cook.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and maybe a little chilli powder if you want.
7. With a fork, fluff out the couscous.
8. Once the veg and prawns are cooked, add the couscous to the pan and mix throughly.
9. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve hot & Enjoy!

Zopf - Swiss white bread

This is a beautiful white bread that is traditionally made for Sunday breakfast/brunch. I got the recipe from a friends and it is so easy to make and delicious I thought I must share it right away! Thanks Maria for this recipe!

500g white flour 
60 g butter 
7g dry yeast (approx. 2 1/4 tsps ) 
300 ml milk (hand warm) 
1 teaspoons salt 
1 teaspoons sugar 
1 egg yolks  

1.Combine flour, salt and sugar.  
2.Add butter and crumble into the flour evenly till it resembles breadcrumbs  
3.Dissolve the yeast in the hand-warm milk stand for about 5 mins or until creamy and foamy Pour into the flour and mixing it all together  
4.Knead the dough forcefully so as to activate the gluten  
5.Once well kneaded, set aside with a lid on the bowl and let it rise to double its size (takes a little over an hour I would say)  
6.Once risen, divide the dough into 3 equal bits and roll each piece into a long cylinder 7.Braid the pieces together and place on a baking sheet.  
8.Cover with a very light damp cloth (optional) and let rise until doubled in size, about 1/2 hour.  
9.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).  
10.In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with a tiny bit of water.Brush risen loaf with the egg yolk and bake for 35 to 45mins or until golden.  
11.To check if the bread is done, grab it with an oven mitt and tap the underneath with a wooden spoon, if it sounds hollow, it done.  

Enjoy with a spread of your choice or dunk it in a stew. I ate mine with some lemon curd 
spread on it and later with the beef stew and it was divine!