Winter has well and truly come here in Mt Eliza, so much so that we have had to replace one fence so far this season! It's also meant that it's soup time! One flavor in particular is very versatile in the kitchen and that's tomato soup.

Believe it or not, you can actually use it for more things than just putting in a pot and serving it with hot toast.

- As a base for meatball sauce (see recipe below)
- Use it as a base for meat sauces i.e. Sloppy Joes, Spaghetti Bolognaise and Swiss Steak
- Use it to replace Passatta
- Bake a cake with it ... truly! Click here for the link to the recipe for Tomato Soup Cake!
- Add it to a beef casserole.
- Add into a Goulash or Stroganoff
- Use as a base for Tomato Pasta Sauces.
- Pasta Bake

Ingredients
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 slice onion
4 whole cloves
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar, or to taste

Method
In a stockpot, over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, cloves and chicken stock. 
Bring to a boil, and gently boil for about 20 minutes to blend all of the flavors. 
Remove from heat and run the mixture through a sieve into a large bowl, or pan. 
Discard any stuff left over in the sieve.
In the now empty stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. 
Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown. 
Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. 
Season with sugar and salt, and adjust to taste.

Ingredients
500g mince beef
1 egg
1/3 cup of white rice
1 tsp beef stock
1 tin of tomato soup
1 tin of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried Oregano
1 chopped onion
1 cup of water

Method
In a casserole dish combine soup, tomatoes, onion, water and oregano.
Combine other ingredients in a bowl and form into meatballs about the size of a walnut.
Place meatballs into sauce.
Cover and cook in a fan forced oven for 1 hour on 180C.
Serve with pasta of choice and topped with grated Parmesan.

Hint: To get more vegetables into your family add grated carrot and zucchini to the sauce.

Yoghurt is one of the world's oldest fermented food products. It can be found in just about every culture that has kept animals for milk and the word yoghurt is actually Turkish for tart, thick milk.

It is made with milk and friendly bacteria. The fermentation creates it's own preservative.

Yoghurt is a food in our house that we consume more as a snack than as an ingredient, but it can be used in all sorts of cooking. From cakes and desserts to curries and breakfast foods.

The best yoghurt to buy on and additive free diet is of course plain or Greek yoghurt. The tart, flavour free varieties are better suited for savoury cooking, so don't go puting a tablesppon of vanilla yoghurt into your curry!

Here is a list of some of the more common ways to consume yoghurt:

- Toppings for enchiladas, chilli, Tortillas, Tacos and Casseroles
- Add to smoothies
- Freeze as an Ice-cream substitute
- Parfaits
- Included in cake and muffin recipes
- Dips like Tzatiki
- Mayonnaise and sour cream substitute
- Curries
- To top muesli or porridge
- Pancake topping
- On top of baked potatoes
- Add to mash potatoes
- Add to tuna or boiled eggs for sandwiches
- A sauce in wraps
- Stirred through soups

Equipment

900ml jar with screw top lid.
Wide mouthed thermos to hold the jar or an Easyo Yoghurt Maker

Ingredients

2 cups milk powder full or skim, it’s up to you (add half a cup more for thicker yoghurt)
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt (this is the starter)
Cool water

Half fill the jar with cool water, add the milk powder and yoghurt.
Put the lid on and shake well to combine.
Make sure there are no lumps of milk powder left. Fill the jar to the top with more water, seal and shake well.
Place the jar in the thermos.
Pour boiling water around the jar until it reaches approximately 2/3 of the way up the sides.
Put the lid on the thermos sealing tightly.
Set aside for about 12 hours, depending on how thick you like it. Once it has reached the consistency that you like place the jar in the fridge to cool.
Serve 2 tablespoons of the unflavoured yoghurt to act as starter for your next batch.
Sweeten original batch with sugar or honey or added fruit. Stores up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Flavouring suggestions:
Vanilla - Add 1 tsp vanilla and 2 tsp sugar. Mix well.
Honey – Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tbsp of honey. Mix well.
Passionfruit – stir through 2 tablespoons of passionfruit pulp and sweeten to taste.
Mango – Stir through 2 tablespoons mashed mango and sweeten to taste.
Strawberry – Add half a cup of your homemade strawberry jam. Mix well.
You can use this yoghurt unflavoured, as a substitute to sour cream on baked potatoes, nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos and in dips.

For the last five years my local bakery has been the Brumby's franchise in my closest shopping center run by my lovely friend Marlene.

I recently sat down with Marlene to ask her why buying Brumby's bread was a better option for Australian mums and dads. 

We all know the various things we can do with bread. It's part of everyday staple, but why is one brand better than the other's?

Marlene has been baking for Brumby's for over 9 years and has two stores. Her belief in the product and the role her bakery plays in the local community is rock solid. Brumby's has never baked with 282 and as Marlene explained it is still just your basic flour, salt, water combination the forms the basis of all their products.

Marlene's bakers are in the store baking from between midnight and 2 am, so that means your bread is baked on the site of sale and can be on your breakfast table a mere 4 hours after it was made. There is no transporting needed and that is as fresh as you can get. Any fresher and your making your own!

But who has time for that? Sometimes you may have a special dietary need and have considered making your own bread because of it. But have you considered speaking to your baker about these needs. Because Brumby's have real bakers they can often modify or change a product to order. As Marlene explains, you can order today and pick up first thing the next morning. Would your local supermarket offer this personal service?

I love this bakery not only because I can get chemical free bread and treats for my family, but because I am also supporting a local business in my community. An Australian business that employs locals, educates the local school kids (my son had his first school excursion to Marlene's bakery!), supports charities (the kinder does a Hot Cross Bun drive) and forms connections with local farmers (one in particular swears his calves will only eat Marlene's bread!) and the Salvation Army.

So, if you happen to be in Pakenham, Victoria look up Marlene and her staff at the Heritage Springs Shopping Center Brumby's or Lakeside Shopping Center Brumby's and pick up some finger buns with cinnamon sugar. These are the best ones for your child's lunch box as recommended by Cut the Chemicals!

As I mentioned before it's summer here in Australia and that means Strawberries! You can buy strawberries all year round but they are more expensive out of season and grown in greenhouses or imported from overseas.

Summertime is a good reminder to shop in season as the produce is so much sweeter and juicier when grown in season and it's better for your shopping budget as things are less expensive when purchases in season.

Strawberries are great fun to grow in the garden so long as they have a nice sunny spot. When planting make sure they are 30 cm apart, in well drained soil and have plenty of manure and compost added to their soil. Surround the plants with straw and keep well watered over the summer.

Kids will love watching the bees pollinate the plants and seeing the little white flowers turn into lovely red fruit!

A good point to keep in mind when buying or harvesting strawberries is that they go bad fast, so the sooner you eat them the better. To keep them a little longer, when you get them home lightly wash them in a mixture of 1 part white to 2 parts water. Pat dry and store in a container. The vinegar will inhibit any mold growth but will be so subtle it won't effect their flavor.

Add to the following homemade items:

- Cakes, slices and muffins
- Ice-cream, ice lollies and yogurts
- Milkshakes and cheesecakes
- Jams
- Dips for Fruit
- Salads 
- Soft drinks

Top these favorites with Strawberries:

- Pancakes and crepes
- Cakes and slices
- Pavlova's and meringues

Ingredients
750g    Strawberries cleaned and hulled  (make sure they are sweet ones)
500g    freshly squeezed lemon juice
750g    sugar

Method

Cook ingredients for 4-5 minutes at a temperature not greater than 90 degrees Celsius otherwise the strawberries will lose their color.

Process the fruit to a smooth consistency. Keep in an airtight container or sterilized jar. 
Add a tablespoon to your favorite glass of soda water or Schweppes Lemonade - Delicious!

This is an adapted Thermomix recipe that my friend Heidi gave me. She gave us jars of this mixture as a Christmas gift. What a lovely idea!

Ingredients1.1 lb strawberries, washed, hulled and chopped
1 cup white sugar
1 large lemon, juiced

Method
Place strawberries into a 6 quart capacity microwave safe bowl. Add sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice.
Microwave uncovered for 4 minutes on high.
Stir to dissolve the sugar.
Microwave for a further 15 minutes on high (jam will still be a little runny) or until jam reaches setting point.
Spoon Jam into hot sterilized jars and seal.
Turn upside down for 2 minutes and then turn upright to allow cooling.
Once opened can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 months.

Serving Suggestion:

You can use raspberries if you prefer. Just replace strawberries with 1.1 lbs of frozen raspberries.

In my cookbook Ginger gets used a lot, it's a perfectly safe flavour alternative for cakes and cookies and is great in may savoury dishes like stir fries and curry.

During Christmas time ginger is also used a lot for puddings, Christmas Cake and Gingerbread of course! I personally put crystallized ginger like that pictured in my homemade plum pudding, and because sugar is the preservative it's perfectly safe.

Ginger is a spice and used widely through Asia for medicinal and cooking purposes. Did you know that Ginger can break up and help expel intestinal gas? This makes it excellent for all forms of nausea.

Ginger has a sweet yet warm flavour and lemony pungent aroma and really adds a zing to any recipe. Use ginger in the following foods:

- Cookies and biscuits
- Ice cream
- Puddings
- Cakes- Slices
- Stir fry's
- Curry
- Dipping sauces

Ginger in it's freshest form comes as a root that can be stored in a dark place in the pantry. To prepare just peel and chop to desired size. This is preparation is best for stir fry's.

For baking cakes and sweets buy ginger in it's powdered form and sift with the flour or straight to your baking.

Buying your ginger already crushed in a jar is perfectly acceptable (so long as there are no other additives) and super convenient for whipping up a quick stir fry for dinner.

Finally crystallized ginger which is preserved with sugar is super sweet and can be consumed as is. Chop it finely to add to puddings, cakes and ice creams.

It's Thanksgiving in the U.S. and that means this ingredient gets to shine as pie! Here in Australia the notion of eating pumpkin as other than a savory food is hard to get our heads around. 

I for instance have never ever had a sweet pumpkin pie, the idea is incredibly intriguing. Yet I have had roast pumpkin everytime we have a Sunday roast. So, for this months ingredient I thought I would share pumpkin with you as a savory option for your healthy Thanksgiving meal this year.

Pumpkin is an extremely versatile vegetable and extremely easy to grow. So long as you have lots of water, manure and a sunny patch in the garden any pumpkin vine will be quite at home. 

Once grown a pumpkin can be stored in the dark part of your pantry whole for many months. Just make sure the stem is short and woody, and once cut it must go straight in the fridge. A good tip once cut is to dust the exposed flesh with a little cornflour and then wrap in plastic wrap. This will help prevent mold.

Uses for pumpkin include:

- mashing (with potato is nice)
- roasting (in chunks, skin on - and you can eat the skin!)
- boiling 
- puree (babies will love the sweetness)
- soup (see recipe below - an absolute fav here in Oz)
- risotto (cube and add as flavoring)
- pasta (cube and add to a creamy sauce - nice with bacon)
- baked goods (hide in a cake or make pumpkin scones - see recipe below)
- curries (cube and add to Thai dishes or Indian curries)
- dry the seeds for trail mix

There are so many varieties of pumpkin and lots of pretty colors as well. Some are better to use for certain recipes than others, for example for a lovely sweet soup butternut squash would be better as it purees well, whereas a more robust firmer variety like Queensland blue in better for roasting.

As there are so many click on this link and it will take you to a great site listing lots of varieties.

Buying canned pumpkin is also quite acceptable as most varieties are additive and preservative free. The best canned sups to buy are:

- Bookbinders Vegetarian Butternut Squash & Mushroom Soup
- Pacific Natural Foods Organic Butternut Squash Bisque
- Health Valley Butternut Squash Soup

Roasting pumpkin is dead easy, just chop into large chunks, skin on, shake in a bowl with oil and then place in roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and roast until tender and brown.

What is extra yummy is if you sprinkle your pumpkin with this seasoning. Your kitchen will smell divine come Thanksgiving lunch!

Add equal parts of the following to a spice grinder and sprinkle liberally:

salt
sugar
dried garlic (or garlic powder)
pepper
dried rosemary
dried parsley

This is also delicious on baked chicken or a roast chicken!

Here in Australia we are now starting Spring, and we've had a great start with a week of unusually warm weather. Warm weather here means BBQ's! But up in the Northern Hemisphere you guys are heading into the cooler months of your year, so that means yummy stodgy foods.

The opposite changes made me think about a food that is equally at home in Summer foods as well as Winter and this lead me to Mustard!

This little jar of flavor has probably been languishing in the back of your pantry or fridge just begging to be given a new lease on life. It can be used for so much more than just adding an extra stain to your shirt while eating hot dogs, so let's see what else we can do with it.

And remember ... it's additive and preservative free! Bonus!

Mustard comes in all spectrum's of flavors and hotness so there is one to suit both adults and children alike. It can come in paste form, seed form or powder so it's very flexible in its uses. It's also calorie free so great for when your watching your waist line.

Some common uses include:

- Spread on sandwiches to add extra flavor to cold meats and salad;
- Stir through casseroles and gravies to add extra flavor;
- Add a teaspoon to your homemade salad dressings;
- Coat chicken or fish fillets in a mild mustard spread and crumb as usual, bake in a moderate oven - delicious!
- Spread over toasted bread, top with cheddar cheese and grill - great with soup!
- Add powdered mustard to burger mince;
- Make a mayonnaise with it;
- Add in powdered form to homemade breads (but note it will inhibit yeast so may require longer rising time;
- Add to savory scones or muffins;
- Dollop on your baked potato.

Listed here are the best brands to buy from your local supermarket:

U.S.A

Pathmark Classic Yellow Mustard
Kraft Yellow Mustard
Crystal Spicy Brown Mustard
Pathmark Spicy Brown Mustard
Guldens Spicy Brown Mustard
Great Value Prepared Mustard
Great Value Honey Mustard
Golds Dijon Mustard
Mister Sweet Hot Mustard
Any brand of powdered mustard.

Australia

Keens Mustard Powder
Masterfoods Australian Mustard
Masterfoods Dijon Mustard
Masterfoods Honey Wholegrain Mustard
Masterfoods Hot English Mustard
Masterfoods Wholegrain Mustard
Masterfoods Squeezy Fine Wholegrain Mustard
Masterfoods Squeezy Honey Mustard
Masterfoods Squeezy Mild American Mustard


U.K.


Colmans Original English Mustard
Colmans Original English Mustard Tube
Colmans Original English Squeezable Mustard
Colmans Mustard Powder
Colmans Wholegrain Mustard
Keens Mustard Powder

I love this recipe because it's easy, you can make it to a heat that you like (no guessing from a random jar of curry paste), it's a curry that kids will love and it's a one pot meal - which we all know I love as I'm lazy!

Serves 4

1 kg chicken thigh fillets (or breast) cut into 2 cm cubes
1 onion diced
4 tbsp butter
1/3 cup honey
3 tbsp Dijon mustard (or other mild mustard)
1 tsp mayonnaise
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 red pepper, chopped

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F

Brown chicken and onion in an oven proof casserole dish on the stove top.

Remove the chicken from pan and set aside to keep warm.

Melt the butter and honey in the pan.

Mix mustard, mayo, curry powder and salt and add to the pan and mix well.

Stir through Greek yogurt.

Add chicken, onion and pepper and coat in sauce thoroughly.

Put casserole dish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Stir the chicken once and bake for another 15 minutes.

Serve over steamed rice. You can also sprinkle with coriander leaves if you enjoy that flavor.

200 gms fresh cream
2 tbsp salad oil or refined oil
1 tsp mustard powder
3 tsp powdered sugar
3 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Method

Beat the cream until thick.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Store in the refrigerator and use within 24 hours. Serve cold.

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

1/3 cup (55g) mustard seeds
1/3 cup (80ml) white wine vinegar
1/3 cup (80ml) dry white wine (or water)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
big pinch of cayenne
2-4 tablespoons warm water, if necessary
optional: 1-3 teaspoons prepared horseradish, to taste

Method

Combine all the ingredients, except the horseradish, in a stainless-steel bowl. Cover, and let stand for 2-3 days.

Put the ingredients in a blender and whiz until as smooth as possible. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water if the mustard is too thick. Blend in the horseradish, if using.

Storage: The mustard will keep for up to 6 months refrigerated, although it’s best if used within one month.

Thank you to David Lebovitz for this recipe http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2013/03/homemade-mustard-recipe-joe-beef/