Roast garlic with flatbread

Serves 6

• 125ml (1/2 cup) warm water
• 2 tsp (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
• 1/2 tsp caster sugar
• 2 whole garlic bulbs, tops trimmed
• 60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 200g (1 cup) mashed potato
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) plain bread flour
• 1 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley
• 1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Whisk the water, yeast and sugar in a jug. Set aside for 10 minutes or until frothy.
2. Place garlic on a 20cm piece of baking paper. Drizzle over 1 tbs oil. Season. Wrap to enclose. Wrap in foil. Roast on a tray for 1 hour 15 minutes or until tender. Open and drizzle over vinegar. Roast for 15 minutes or until browned. Cool for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the mash, flour, parsley, rosemary and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Stir in the yeast mixture and 1 tbs remaining oil until a sticky dough forms. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead gently for 5 minutes or until smooth. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
4. Preheat a closed barbecue grill over medium-high heat. Knead on a floured surface until smooth. Divide into 4 pieces. Stretch each into a 20-22cm oval. Brush with remaining oil. Sprinkle with remaining salt. Cook, covered, for 1-2 minutes each side until charred and cooked through. Serve with the garlic.

Grilled strawberries with ice-cream

Serves 8
You will need 8 bamboo skewers for this recipe.

• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 16 strawberries, hulled
• 4 tbs honey
• Ice-cream and caramel sauce, to serve

1. Soak skewers in water for at least 2 hours to prevent them burning.
2. Preheat barbecue to medium heat. (Make sure your barbecue has been cleaned after cooking savoury foods.)
3. Drizzle lemon juice over the strawberries. Warm the honey slightly (20 seconds in the microwave on high) then brush over the strawberries. Thread 4 strawberries onto each skewer and barbecue for 1 minute each side (don't move them around or they may stick). Place 2-3 scoops of ice-cream in a bowl, drizzle with caramel sauce and serve with the strawberries.

Smokey barbecued meatball skewers

Serves 4
You'll need 12 pre-soaked bamboo skewers.

• 600g beef mince
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 small brown onion, grated
• 100g rindless shortcut bacon rashers, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/3 cup smokey barbecue sauce
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Salad leaves and smokey barbecue sauce, to serve

1. Combine mince, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, bacon, garlic, barbecue sauce and chives in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on a plate.
2. Thread 3 balls onto each skewer. Spray a barbecue plate or chargrill with oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Cook skewers, turning, for 5 to 7 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Serve with salad and sauce.

Barbecued vegetable pizza

Serves 4

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 2 large red capsicums, cut into thin strips
• 1 large eggplant, trimmed, cut into 5mm-thick slices
• 2 zucchini, trimmed, sliced lengthways
• 2 x 335g pizza bases
• 2/3 cup 97% fat-free pumpkin hummus (see note)
• 3 roma tomatoes, sliced lengthways
• 120g fresh low-fat ricotta
• 80g rocket leaves

1. Preheat a barbecue plate on high heat until hot. Lightly spray capsicum, eggplant and zucchini with oil. Barbecue vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes each side or until tender.
2. Preheat oven to 220°C. Place pizza bases on 2 baking trays. Spread 1/3 cup hummus over each. Top with barbecued vegetables and tomatoes. Crumble over ricotta. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until bases are crisp. Remove to a board. Top with rocket and season with pepper. Serve.

Barbecued garlic and chilli prawns with saffron mayonnaise

Serves 8

• 16 (about 650g) large green king prawns, peeled leaving tails intact, deveined
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tbs olive oil

Saffron mayonnaise

• 2 pinches of saffron threads
• 1 tbs hot water
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup (250ml) olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbs lemon juice

1. Combine prawns, garlic, chilli and olive oil in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours to marinate.
2. Meanwhile make mayonnaise: To make the saffron mayonnaise, place saffron and 1 tbs of hot water in a small cup and set aside for 10 minutes to soak. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of a food processor and process until frothy. With motor running, gradually add oil in a thin, steady stream and process until thick. Add lemon juice and saffron water and process until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a container, or cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill.
3. Preheat a lightly greased barbecue or char-grill plate to high. Drizzle prawns with a little more oil. Cook, turning occasionally, for 2 minutes or until prawns change colour and curl. Serve immediately with the saffron mayonnaise.

Prawn skewers with pistachio dukkah

Serves 10

• 190 g (3/4 cup) bought aioli
• 2 tbs chopped fresh coriander
• 1kg (about 30) green prawns, peeled leaving tails intact, deveined
• Olive oil spray

Pistachio dukkah

• 40 g (1/4 cup) pistachio kernels, finely chopped
• 2 tbs sesame seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. Combine the aioli and coriander in a bowl. To make the pistachio dukkah, combine the pistachio, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill on medium. Thread the prawns, tail-end first, onto bamboo skewers. Roll each prawn in the pistachio dukkah and place, in a single layer, on a tray. Spray with oil.
3. Cook on the grill, turning, for 3-4 minutes or until the prawns change colour. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve with aïoli mixture.

Grilled Turkey Breast with Fresh Sage Leaves

Serves 8

• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 28 leaves fresh sage
• 4 skinless, boneless turkey breast halves
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 lemons, halved

1. Mix lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and sage leaves in a large container and place turkey breast halves into the marinade. Allow meat to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, turning turkey breasts over occasionally.
2. Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
3. Remove turkey breasts from marinade and reserve the marinade and sage leaves. Sprinkle turkey on both sides with sea salt and black pepper.
4. Grill turkey breasts on the preheated grill until they show grill marks, the meat is no longer pink inside, and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 30 minutes. Turn turkey pieces over after 15 minutes.
5. While turkey is grilling, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil with unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and bubbling. Pour reserved marinade, including sage leaves, into the oil and butter and cook, stirring often, until the marinade has evaporated and the sage leaves are crisply fried, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Transfer grilled turkey breasts to a cutting board and season again with salt and black pepper if desired; thickly slice the turkey on the diagonal and arrange on a platter, topped by fried sage leaves and garnished with lemon halves.

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Yield: 30 cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder*
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp milk or buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 5 tsp red food coloring
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup powdered sugar

1. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds, set aside. 
2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. 
3. Mix in eggs 1 at a time, blending until combined after each addition. Mix in milk, vanilla bean paste, lemon juice and red food coloring. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in white chocolate chips. 
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or until firm enough to shape into balls.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour powdered sugar into a bowl. Remove dough from refrigerator, scoop dough out and with buttered hands, shape into medium balls (about 2 1/2 Tbsp each). 
6. Roll cookie dough balls into powdered sugar and evenly coat. Transfer to Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets and flatten slightly, then bake in preheated oven 13 - 14 minutes. 
7. Allow to rest on cookie sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

*If you want them a little more chocolaty you can replace 2 - 3 Tbsp of the flour with 2 - 3 additional Tbsp of cocoa powder.

Nutella Cheesecake Mousse

Yields 5-6 Servings
Crust

• 12 Oreos (leave in cream filling. Don't use Double Stuf), finely crushed
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted

Mousse

• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
• 4 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp Nutella
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• Toasted, chopped hazelnuts (optional)
• Chocolate shavings or sprinkles (optional)

For the crust:

1. In a bowl, using a fork, blend together crushed Oreo's and melted butter until evenly coated (alternately, I just chopped the Oreos into fine crumbs in the food processor then poured the butter and and blended, scraping down sides of processor once). 
2. Divide crust mixture among 5 - 6 glass cups or dessert cups. Gently press into an even layer. Set aside in refrigerator while preparing mousse.

For the mousse:

1. In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip 1 1/3 cups heavy cream until soft peaks form. 
2. Add in 3 Tbsp granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp cocoa powder and whip until stiff peaks form. 
3. In a separate mixing bowl, using electric hand mixer, whip cream cheese and 1 Tbsp sugar until very smooth and fluffy. 
4. Add in Nutella and vanilla and whip until well blended and fluffy. Fold half of the whipped cream mixture into cream cheese mixture and fold until slightly combined, then add remaining half and fold just until no streaks remain. 
5. Transfer mixture to a large piping bag (you can also just spoon it into cups or use freezer Ziploc bags and cut corner, if you don't have piping bags). 
6. Remove cups from refrigerator and pipe mousse over crust in each cup, then transfer to refrigerator and chill 1 hour (or up to 12 hours).

For the topping:

1. In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip 2/3 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. 
2. Add in 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. 
3. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe over tops of mousse. Serve garnished with chopped hazelnuts and chocolate shavings if desired.