Ingredients

• DULCE DI LECE (from Donna Hay) *Feel free to use store-bought dulce di lece.
• 2 cans (about 395g) of sweetened condensed milk
• BANANA BREAD CAKE (makes 3 nine inch layers)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• CHOCOLATE GANACHE
• 280g (10oz) good quality chocolate (I chose 70% Lindt)
• 400ml (14fl) oz double cream

Instructions

1. DULCE DI LECE:
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the condensed milk in an ovenproof baking dish. Press a piece of parchment paper on top of the condensed milk. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Place the baking dish in a larger deep-sided baking tray and fill with boiling water until it reaches two thirds of the way up the sides of the dish.
3. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until caramel in colour. Spoon the caramel into a bowl and whisk until smooth. Spoon into sterilized glass jars. Keep in the fridge for up to 1 month. Makes 2 cups.
4. BANANA BREAD CAKE (3 layers):
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 nine (9) inch cake pans and add a piece of cut-to-size parchment paper at the bottom of each pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat until combined.
6. In a medium bowl, quickly mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and stir until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Fold in chocolate chips, and pour into prepared pans.
7. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.
8. Once cooled, place one layer of banana cake on plate. Smear with about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of dulce di lece. Add second layer. Top with more dulce di lece and cover with last layer of cake. Since the caramel is slippery, you might want to add a skewer to avoid layers sliding around. Avoid having caramel drip onto the sides of the cake since the chocolate ganache won't adhere very well.
9. Once assembled, follow ganache instructions below and pour the icing onto the middle of the cake. Gently spread it over the top and sides of the cake and let it set. You might want use half of your chocolate for a thin coat and then add a second coat once the first coat sets. This will result in less waste of ganache and a thicker coating.
10. CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
11. Break the chocolate into pieces. Heat the cream until very hot but not boiling, remove from heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted, then cool a bit until you have coating consistency. Pour the icing on to the centre of the cake. Spread it gently over the top and down the sides, and leave to set.

Ingredients

• 2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 4 inches in size)
• 1/2 yellow, orange or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon chardonnay vinegar
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili (optional)
• 6 large shrimp, steamed, sauteed or grilled - peeled

Instructions

1. In a blender, puree tomato until almost smooth. Add cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, vinegar, and oil and season with salt, pepper and chili. Pulse until mostly smooth.
2. Chill soup in the refrigerator 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours). Adjust seasoning; thin with water if necessary. Before serving, chop 4 shrimp into small pieces. Garnish soup with chopped shrimp, a drizzle of olive oil and add one shrimp on each bowl as a garnish.

Notes

Ingredients

• 1 heaping teaspoon of NESCAFÉ instant coffee
• 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (optional)
• 4-6 ice cubes
• 1 cup of milk (optional)

Instructions

1. Add the coffee , sugar and 3 ice cubes to a cocktail shaker or water bottle. Close tightly and shake vigorously until you get a good amount of foam.
2. Pour into large glass, add additional ice cubes and fill glass with milk. (if you prefer not to use milk, add more water to fill your glass). Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of cilantro, stems included
• 3 small peeled, seedless cucumbers
• 1/2 packed cup of mint leaves
• Juice of 3 limes
• 1-2 Jalapeño peppers, seeds removed
• 2-4 teaspoons of coconut sugar, or sweetener of your choice
• 2 cups of coconut water

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients in a mixer, starting with 1 jalapeño and small amount of sweetener. Mix until well blended and very liquid. Taste and adjust sweetness and heat by adding more jalapeño and/or coconut sugar. Fill Popsicle mold with liquid and freeze 4 -6 hours until solid, or according to your mold instructions.

Notes

Ingredients

• 2 medium tortilla wraps
• 1/4 cup of chorizo sausage, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup of orange or red peppers, chopped very small
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons of Smokey Chipotle Salsa or your favorite type
• 1/2 - 1 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese
• Salt and pepper
• Cayenne and/or Smoked Chilli Powder

Instructions

1. Heat a medium sized pan on medium/high.
2. Add the sausage and chopped peppers to the hot pan and brown slightly.
3. Add your eggs and whisk rapidly, combining egg, sausage and peppers. Turn heat to medium and cook until eggs set but aren't dry. Turn down heat if needed.
4. Add salsa and stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne/chilli to taste. Turn off heat, add cheese and combine.
5. Take out another pan and heat at medium/high, or move egg mixture to a plate and wipe pan with a paper towel. Add a tortilla to the hot dry pan, add half the egg mixture. Fold tortilla into a little package with seam facing down. The heat will stabilize your burrito.
6. Repeat with second tortilla. Flip once tortilla is slightly golden and toast other side.
7. These taste great warm or at room temperature. Serve with salsa or sour cream. If you have black beans or other favorites, such as corn, sliced jalapenos or tomatillos - feel free to add them as well.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon of red Thai curry paste
• 1-2 teaspoons of fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of finely chopped cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel your hard boiled eggs and cut them in half with a sharp knife.
2. Carefully scoop out the yolks and add them to a bowl. Add the curry paste, ginger, yogurt and cilantro and combine well until smooth. Make sure that the consistency is the thickness of frosting - add a little more yogurt if needed. Fill mixture into a piping bag fitted with a very large tip. Carefully fill each egg half.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon of finely chopped capers
• 4-5 cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon of roasted garlic powder
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Peel your hard boiled eggs and cut them in half with a sharp knife.
2. Carefully scoop out the yolks and add them to a bowl.
3. In a small food processor or blender, combine egg yolks, chopped capers, cherry tomatoes, garlic powder and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Carefully fill each egg half with a spoon.

Notes

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of challa or brioche
• Nutella
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cut bread into slices and cut each slice in half. Spread each half slice with a generous swipe of Nutella and sandwich with other half of slice. Tuck Nutella sandwiches into a greased ovenproof dish alternating cut-side up and down.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs. Add milk, vanilla extract, orange juice/zest, and salt. Whisk until foamy. Pour over bread. Move the pieces around every 10 minutes or so to make sure all sides are soaking up the liquid . Let the sandwiches soak in the liquid for about 30 minutes total. You want the bread to be wet but not soggy and falling apart. When you put the dish in the oven, the sandwiches should be resting in a small pool of the liquid but not drowning in it. You might need to pour off a bit of the liquid if there's a large pool left.
4. Sprinkle turbinado sugar all over the top. Bake until the bread is puffed up and golden (30-40 minutes) and the custard is set. You might need to throw it under the broiler* for optimum crispy crunchy caramelized beauty. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and eat while warm. This recipe heats up nicely.

Notes

Ingredients

• 1 tub of mascarpone
• 1 cup of frozen or fresh strawberries
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 cups of whipping cream

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, heat strawberries with a splash of water until soft. Zip in food processor until smooth.
2. Combine mascarpone, strawberry puree and sugar with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Add whipping cream and whip at medium-high speed until the cream turns to a whipped cream consistency. Don't overwhip the mixture. Adjust sweetness to your liking.

Ingredients

• 3 cups of mushrooms of your choice, sliced if they are bigger
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 4 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of dried sage or 1/4 of fresh sage torn to pieces
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 1 cup of instant polenta
• 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan and extra shavings for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Add sliced mushrooms and garlic to a rimmed baking pan. Cover with melted butter and olive oil. Toss to cover. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and sage.
2. Bake mushrooms about 20 minutes until soft and slightly golden. If you wish, you can turn the oven to broil for 5 minutes and you'll get some extra golden parts.
3. While mushrooms are baking, bring broth and milk to a gentle boil. Add polenta and stir immediately with whisk until smooth and all lumps are gone. Adjust liquid if it turns too thick too quickly. Stir until you reach a smooth texture, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan.
4. Serve polenta immediately and scoop hot mushrooms with liquid over it. Top with shavings of Parmesan.

Ingredients

• 8-10 purple plums
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 2 pods of cardamom
• 1 1/2 cups of your favorite vanilla pudding or custard.
• 2 cups of cubed yellow cake. (I used leftover cake I had in the freezer. You can use store bought loaf cake.)
• 1 cup of whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/4 cup of crushed pistachios
• 8 whole pistachios, peeled
• 2 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds

Instructions

1. Cut plums into quarters and add to small saucepan. Add sugar, cardamom pods and a splash of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and let simmer until plums are soft and break apart. Take off heat, let cool and remove cardamom pods.
2. Fill 8 glasses with 1/4 cup of vanilla custard/pudding. Top each one with a couple of cubes of cake, distributing nicely so cake pieces are seen around the glass.
3. Once plums are cooled, spoon 2-3 tablespoons of plums on top of pudding and cake.
4. Sprinkle each glass with 2 teaspoons of crushed pistachios.
5. Whip your cream with the sugar. You can do this with a mixer, but whipping by hand will give you nicer whipped cream.
6. Gently top each glass with whipped cream.
7. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and one pistachio nut.
8. Serve immediately!