• 500 g cauliflower florets – about 1/2 a medium sized cauliflower
• 2 tbls olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• a big handful of fresh parsley; chopped
• 1 tbls tomato paste
• 3-4 pieces of pancetta; chopped
• 250 g long shaped pasta – such as penne , fusilli, etc
• salt/pepper
• shaved parmesan to serve

• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cook until tender; about 5 – 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the florets to a bowl; reserving the water. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in the reserved water
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic, half the parsley, then the pancetta and brown lightly. Add cooked cauliflower. Dilute the tomato pasta with 1/4 cup of water and add to the the frying pan, stir to combine. Add the cooked pasta, season well with salt and pepper and add the remaining parsley, stir to combine
• Add to plates and top with shavings of parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil

Easily serves 3 people Adapted from Twelve, A Tuscan Cookbook by Tessa Kiros

For 6 cake layers

• (halve the mixture and make 3 layers at a time. It is a lot easier to manage)
• 4 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 2 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 500 g butter , melted
• 2 cups milk
• 8 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• food colouring in red , yellow and blue (see notes)

For the vanilla icing

• 500 g butter , softened (not melted)
• 4 cups (640g) icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the fondant lego

• fondant in RED , YELLOW, GREEN and BLUE

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). If making 3 layers at a time, grease 3 cake tins; set aside. Place flour and sugar in a bowl and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time. Alternate adding the flour and milk and while beating ending in the flour.
• Using scales, divide the mixture into 3 bowls. If you don’t have scales use a cup to scoop out the mixture, cup at a time into the 3 bowl until it is divided evenly. Add the food colouring for the suitable layer and pour into the greased cake tins. Bake for approximately 30- 40 minutes or until cooked through. Test with a skewer or sharp knife. Cool slightly in the tin and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat steps to make the other 3 layers if necessary.

For the icing

• Place softened butter in a bowl and using an electric mixer, beat for approximately 5 minutes or until creamy. Add icing sugar and vanilla and beat for a further 10 minutes until light and fluffy

To assemble the cake

• Cut the tops of all the cakes. Place your purple layer on the plate you will serve it on and spread a good layer of the icing over the layer. (you can see from my pictures I didn’t use a huge amount of icing in-between each layer) Repeat with all the layers. Then spread a VERY thin layer over the entire cake (called the crumb layer). Fridge the cake now to set all the crumbs in this layer. Once cold the icing will set hard. This makes it a lot easier to ice and prevents you getting crumbs in your icing. Remove from the fridge and add the remaining icing and smooth using a large knife.

For the fondant Lego

• Roll out the fondant to a thickness of about 12mm (half and inch). Then using a sharp knife cut it into rectangles about 30mm x 15mm (1 1/4 inch by just over 1/2 inch). With the off cuts roll it out so it is a couple of millimetres thick and using a round 7mm plunger cutter (available from baking shops) cut the 6 circle and place on top of the rectangles as you go. Use a little water to moisten the top if they aren’t sticking. The lego will stick to the cake icing no problems.
• If making the cake a day or two ahead of time, keep in the refrigerator unit the day. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Please note an Australian cup is based on a 250ml cup.Food colouring for the cake layers: AmeriColor works really well to get the intense colours. I used colours: 106 Electric Blue, 107 Lemon Yellow, 119 Red Red. If buying small bottles I would recommend buying a larger bottle of the red as you will use the most of this colour.

Cake colour mixes: Red layer: just pure red. Orange layer: Yellow and Red. Yellow layer: pure yellow. Green layer: Yellow and Blue. Blue layer: Pure blue. Purple layer: Red and Blue – I used to much of both colours and it was too dark.

• 2 cups milk (animal or plant based)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• Freshly ground black pepper – to taste
• 1 teaspoon rice malt syrup (or other sugar-free sweetener)*optional

• Add all ingredient to a large saucepan and bring to the boil (watch it or it will boil over). Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the milk to infuse. Strain and serve warm. Add a little extra sweetener to suit your taste.

• 2 cups of blood orange juice (about 5 oranges) – or any juice of your choosing
• 3 passionfruit
• 1 cup water
• 5 gold gelatine leaves
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (*optional)

• Cut, then scoop the passionfruit seeds and liquid into a sieve and using the back of a spoon push the liquid through into a bowl – to just extract the juice; add to the blood orange juice
• Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. In a saucepan add the cup of water and the maple syrup if using, and heat on the stove until hot. Then squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine and add to the hot water, stir then remove from the heat. Add the mixture to the juice; stir to combine
• Pour the mixture to a mould and allow to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. To remove from the mould place in hot water for a few seconds to a minute – not too long though or it will start to melt. Then turn out onto a bench and cut into cubes

I used gold gelatine leaves so if using titanium or another variety, just check the back of the packet for the quantity you should use. If you like your jelly on the firmer side add another gelatine leave
Will keep in the fridge for a few days

• 1/2 Pumpkin
• small tin of Chickpeas
• Coriander
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Olive oil

• Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees c (374 degrees F). Remove the pumpkin skin and seeds and cut into small size chunks. Add to roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Dust with cinnamon and nutmeg. Roast for 35 minutes (this produces pumpkin that can be easily mashed with a fork. For firmer pumpkin cook for less time or cut in to larger size chunks)
• Drain and rinse chickpeas. Mash chickpeas with a fork to break then up a little. Finely chop coriander. Combine roast pumpkin, chickpeas and coriander in bowl and toss to coat the pumpkin. (optional: drizzle with olive oil)

• 8 medium sized plums
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour + a little extra for dusting fruit
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter; cut onto tiny pieces

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Cut the flesh off the plums and discard the seeds (leave the skin on the plums). Slices plums and add to a baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with flour (about a tablespoon) and mix to coat the fruit
• In a bowl combine the oats, flour, salt, and sugar. Then add the chopped butter and using two knives chop the butter into the mixture slightly. Sprinkle mixture over plums and and bake for about 40 minutes – or until the crumble is golden brown and the plums are soft

I love the tartness of the plums but if you like things a little sweeter, add a tablespoon or two of sugar to the fruit along with the additional flour

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 250 g lamb mince (preferably organic)
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups stock (beef, chicken or veggie)
• 2 big handfuls of currants
• 250 g punnet of small tomatoes (cherry or grape)
• 2 big handfuls of parsley; roughly chopped
• Natural yoghurt to serve

• Heat a frying pan over medium heat and and add the oil, cumin, cinnamon and curry powder. Stir to combine and add the mince. Stir until cooked through. Add the quinoa and stir to coat. Add the stock; bring to the boil. Cover, lower heat to as low as possible and cook for about 12 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked through and the liquid had been absorbed.
• Add the tomatoes and currants; cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir through the chopped parsley reserving a little for garnish; serve with a good dollop of natural yoghurt.

• 1 kg natural yoghurt
• olive oil
• salt (*optional)

• Place a few layers of cheese cloth or muslin over a bowl add add the yoghurt. Gather up the edges and secure. Hang the yoghurt over a large bowl so it can drip in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
• Discard the whey*. Add the salt to the labneh if using and mix to combine. Rub olive oil into your hand and roll balls about the size of golf balls with the mixture. Place the balls into a jar and cover with olive oil.
• Refrigerate and use within about a month or so

I used a clip to secure my cheesecloth and then chop stick to hang it over the bowl. Alternatively place a strainer over a large bowl and place the cheesecloth in the strainer to allow it to drip through.
*As one of my lovely readers has pointed out – the whey that has been strained is no longer required for this recipe but you can most definitely keep it and add it to other recipes, such as making bread, fermenting foods, soaking nuts/beans/grains, add to smoothies, etc.

• strawberries
• blueberries
• yellow capsicum
• watermelon
• tomato
• mint
• coconut
• chia seeds

• Chop all the fruit into bite sized pieces and thread on to the skewers. Sprinkle with chia seeds and coconut. Serve.

I’ve listed what fruit I have used but use what ever takes your fancy or is in season. Break the sharp pointy end off before serving to your little person.

• 8 flatbreads (or as many as you like)
• 1 lemon
• 4 handfuls of spinach

Filling

• Handful each of parsley and mint; chopped
• 1 block of crumbly feta; crumbled
• 1 spring onion; finely sliced
• Salt and pepper

• To make the filling combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Place the 4 flatbreads on the bench and top with a handful of spinach, divide the filling mixure between the flatbreads and add a squeeze of lemon. Top with another flatbread.
• Heat a little olive oil in a pan over low heat and add the flatbread. Give it a little shake to coat the bread in oil. Allow the spinach to wilt slightly. Have a little look under to see if it is golden brown. Flip and allow to cook until golden. The spinach should be soft and the feta shoud be melted.
• Slice and serve with a lemon wedge.

Makes 4 gozleme
Use any type of flatbread you like. I happen to come across a really thin naan bread so I used that, but any will do.