Snacks for movie night
Youngsters will gobble up this retro party spread and, even better, they could whip it up themselves, says NZ House & Garden Food Editor Sally Butters.
Malt shakes
This blast from the past is flavoured with Maltexo, a malted barley extract that you’ll find in the food supplements section at supermarkets.
4 scoops French vanilla
icecream
4 tbsp Maltexo
4 cups milk
4 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a blender or milkshake maker and blend well to combine and crush ice. Serve in bottles or glasses with straws. Serves 4
Nacho-style kumara wedges
Spiced mince, sweet baked kumara, sour cream and melted cheese are a winning combination. Bake this recipe in individual ovenproof dishes to eat it from your lap.
4 medium golden kumara Spray oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp Cajun spice mix
500g premium beef mince
2 tsp beef stock powder
400g can tomatoes, plus 1⁄2 can water
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar
1⁄2 cup sweet chilli sauce
Heat oven to 185C. Cut kumara into medium-size wedges and spray with oil (or toss with a little olive oil). Bake on a lined tray for 20-30 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot or frying pan and saute onion, garlic and Cajun spice for 2-3 minutes until onions are soft. Add mince and cook until browned and separated.
Add stock powder, tomatoes and water and simmer for 10-15 minutes until saucy.
Arrange kumara wedges in 4 ovenproof serving dishes and spoon the spicy mince over. Top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with cheese. Grill until cheese is melted and bubbling and mince and kumara are hot. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.
Serves 4
Jelly lamingtons
Few can resist a soft, creamy lamington and these are so quick and simple to whip up that they’re likely to become a standby favourite. 3 x 85g packets jelly crystals (1 each red, yellow and orange in colour)
3 cups boiling water
1 double sponge slab from
the supermarket
2-3 cups desiccated coconut
1 cup whipped cream Place jelly crystals in separate jugs and add 1 cup boiling water to each.
Stir with a fork until crystals have dissolved then pour into shallow dishes and leave to cool or chill until cold but not quite set.
Cut sponge into cubes (12 per slab works well) and divide into 3 even piles.
Working a cube at a time, dip 1 pile of cubes in first jelly colour, ensuring they are coloured all over (but take care not to soak them too much), then immediately into coconut and toss to coat.
Place on trays lined with baking paper. Do the same process with the other 2 jelly colours and piles of cubes. Chill lamingtons until required.
Split and fill with whipped cream to serve.
Makes 24