Baked Zucchini and Bacon Cake

This savoury slice can be served hot or cold, as a side dish or with a salad as a main meal. You will need about 3 large bacon rashers for this recipe.

Preparation time: about 35 minutes (excludes baking time)

Serves about 6 as a light meal with a salad.

We use a 20ml tablespoon and 250ml measuring cup for all of our recipes.

550g zucchini
1 medium (about 160g) onion, peeled and finely chopped
130g bacon (after fat and rind has been removed)
75g (1 cup, lightly packed) grated tasty cheddar cheese
112g (3/4 cup) self-raising flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
83ml (1/3 cup) oil (we use peanut oil but any mild-flavoured oil could be used)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced). If you are not using a fan-forced oven, adjust the oven rack to the middle of the oven.

Finely chop bacon. Heat a heavy-based nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. © exclusivelyfood.com.au

Fry bacon and onion for about six minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened but not browned. Set aside to cool.

Line an 18cm by 28cm baking dish or slice pan with baking paper.

Wash zucchini, remove ends and finely grate. Squeeze handfuls of grated zucchini over sink to remove excess liquid (this prevents the slice from being too wet).

Combine grated zucchini, cooled onion and bacon mixture, cheese, flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Use a fork to beat eggs and oil together in a small bowl. Add egg and oil mixture to the other ingredients and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into baking dish and spread evenly.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until slice is golden brown and firm to the touch.

Set aside for five to ten minutes before slicing.

Garlic Bread Recipe.....

Makes about 20 pieces.
125g salted butter (or unsalted butter with salt added to taste)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (about 10g [1 1/2 teaspoons] crushed garlic)
1 tablespoon (5g) finely chopped parsley
1 large (450-500g) French bread stick (about 65cm long)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (180 degrees Celsius fan-forced). Adjust the oven rack to the middle of the oven.


Place butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When butter has melted, cook and stir for an additional minute. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. © exclusivelyfood.com.au


Using a serrated knife, cut the bread stick in half (to make it easier to fit in the oven). Cut each half in half horizontally.

Spoon the garlic butter onto the cut surfaces of the bread stick, distributing the garlic and parsley evenly.


Join buttered sides of bread together to re-form two half loaves.

Wrap each half loaf in aluminium foil, making sure the bread is fully enclosed. The garlic bread could be refrigerated or frozen at this stage (we suggest defrosting before baking).


Place garlic bread on a baking tray and cook for about 15 minutes or until hot in the centre.


Remove the aluminium foil. Using a serrated knife, cut the garlic bread into
serving-size pieces. Serve immediately.

Baked Potatoes...with Cream and garlic

300ml (1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons) cream (35 to 40 percent fat)
166ml (2/3 cup) milk
1 medium garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1kg potatoes (about six medium-large desiree potatoes)
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste
100g (1 cup, firmly packed) grated tasty cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (180 degrees Celsius fan-forced).


Stir cream, milk and garlic together in a medium bowl or jug.


Peel potatoes and cut into 3-4mm thick slices.


Layer the potato slices, seasoning with salt and pepper between the layers, in a 2.6 litre capacity baking dish. We use a baking dish that is about 6cm deep. © exclusivelyfood.com.au

Pour cream mixture over potato.

Tightly cover the baking dish with greaseproof paper then aluminium foil.

Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until potato is tender when tested with a skewer or knife. Discard the paper and aluminium foil.


Increase oven temperature to 220 degrees Celsius (200 degrees Celsius fan-forced). Sprinkle potato with grated cheese. Return potato bake to the oven, and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden.


Allow the potato bake to stand for about 20 minutes before serving. Alternatively, store the cooked potato bake in the refrigerator, and reheat in the microwave or oven.

Tempura Prawns

Tempura Batter
75g (1/2 cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
1 egg, lightly beaten (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
188ml (3/4 cup) cold soda water


Uncooked king prawns (the above recipe should make enough batter for up to 1.5kg of medium king prawns)
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying © exclusivelyfood.com.au


Shell and devein prawns. We left the tails on for presentation purposes.
Sift flours together in a medium bowl. Add egg and soda water and mix until just combined (it is okay if the batter is a little lumpy). Allow batter to stand for a few minutes.


Heat oil in a large saucepan or wok. Holding prawns by the tails, dip in the batter and allow excess to drain away. Deep-fry prawns until batter is very lightly browned and prawns have turned pink and are cooked through. (It is best to fry the prawns in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan.)

Drain and serve

Garlic Chutney

1 whole bulb garlic (crushed into a fine paste)
1/2 tsp jeera
3 tsp oil
1/2 tsp red chili powder (or as per your spice level)
1/3 tsp cumin-coriander powder
salt to taste

1. Heat oil, add in the jeera and when it pops, add the red chili powder and pour this mixture over the gine garlic paste. Or anltenately, add the garlic paste to this mix and saute for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add cumin-coriander powder, salt and (additional) chili powder -if required and serve the the Dal-Bati.

No Pakori Kadhi

3 cups dahi/yogurt made into buttermilk (consistency should be moderately thick)/ 1 liter buttermilk
3 tbsp gram flour/besan
150 gm green onions-chopped
2 tsp garlic paste
2 green chilies
1 whole dried red chili
2 tbsp coriander
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/3 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/3 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida'1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1. Mix the besan with the buttermilk, so that there are no lumps.
2. Add the salt and turmeric and keep aside.
3. Heat oil, add the cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds and when they pop, add the asafoetida and the green onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes- Do not let the onions turn brown.
4. Pour in the besan-buttermilk mixture and cook on medium heat till it starts boiling.
5. Reduce heat, add the garlic paste and green chilies and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.
6. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice.

Coconut Burfee/Fudge

1/2 cup dessicated unsweetened coconut (you can also use fresh coconut)

2/3 cup 2% milk (you can use whole milk or condensed milk too)

1/3 tsp cardamom powder

4 tbsp sugar (you can add more or less depending on your taste)

3 coarsely crushed almonds

a few strands saffron(mixed in 2 tsp of hot milk)

1/2 tsp ghee

1. Heat the ghee and add the dessicated coconut. Saute/Mix it well for 2 minutes (dont let it turn brown).

2. Add the milk, cardamom powder, almonds, saffron and sugar and let the concotion boil, stirring it once in a while till it thickens and becomes dry and firm (of a fudge consistency) but still soft.

3. Pour into a plate already greased with a little ghee and with a flat spoon roll/pat out evenly in the plate. Cut it into diamond shaped pieces and let it cool. Do not remove from the plate.

4. After its completely cooled, put it in the refrigerator so that it sets in firmly and doesnt break.

5.Remove after 5-6 hours 

Daliya Khichdi

Ingredients
1 cup cracked wheat ...Daliya
1/2 cup split green moong dal
1-1/2 cup chopped veggies of your choice (carrots, peas, cauliflower, potatoes)
1 small onion diced
1 tsp garam masala

1/3 tsp chili powder
salt to taste

To be ground into a paste
4 green chilies
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger


For tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds...or jeera
1/3 tsp turmeric
a pinch of asafoetida
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves

A closer look at how the cracked wheat looks like:

1. Wash and soak the cracked wheat and moong dal for 1/2 an hour before cooking.

2. Heat oil in a cooker, add the mustard seeds...or jeera and when they crackle, add the ingredients for tempering.

3. Add the cracked wheat and saute it for 5-7 minutes till it turns golden brown and then add all the veggies and the onion and saute it till 5-10 minutes.

4. Add the ground paste, garam masala and salt.

5. Add 1 cup of water and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

6. Add the moong dal and 3-1/2 more cups of water (the cracked wheat swells a lot, so you need lots of water) and cook it for 3 whistles. The consistency should be semi-solid (simply put it will be a "lachko" or "sarsarit" khichdi). At this point turn off the gas and let it cool for 15 minutes.

This is what a semi-solid khichdi should look like.

7. Serve hot garnished with coriander and a dollop of ghee or with any raita or lassi(salty)

Palak Raita

1-1/2 cups spinach chopped
1 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts
salt to taste
sugar to taste

For tempering

2 tsp ghee
2 green chilies-chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of asafoetida

1. Wash and chop the spinach.
2. Combine the yogurt, spinach, crushed peanuts (they must be roasted and semi crushed to provide crunch), salt and sugar
3. Heat the ghee, add cumin seeds and when they splutter, add the green chilies, turmeric and asafoetida.
4. Pour over the spinach yogurt mixture.
5. mix well and serve.

Zucchini Curry Recipe...

2 small zucchinis/1 medium-sized zucchini- diced into quarters (do not peel off the skin- it helps prevent the dish from turning mushy)


For curry paste (makes 1 cup approx.)
1 small red onion
2 tomatoes
2 small cloves garlic
1 stick cinnamon, 2 cloves garlic, 1 bayleaf- all toasted
3 tablespoons dry grated coconut- toasted
1 tsp coriander seeds- toasted
1 tsp cumin seeds- toasted
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp oil


For the tempering
2 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1 pinch of asafoetida


1. Toast all the dry ingredients for the curry paste first.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and garlic and saute till translucent.
3. Next add the tomatoes and saute for 5-7 minutes.
4. Let cool and then combine all the ingredients mentioned above for the curry paste and put them thru a blender to make a smooth paste. Set aside (this curry paste can be used for other dishes too- if refrigerated it stays good for atleast 5 days)
5. Heat oil again, add the cumin seeds and after they splutter, add turmeric, asafoetida and the curry paste.
6. Saute for 5 minutes then add the zucchini and salt to taste.
7. Cover and let cook- do not add any water since the zucchini itself releases water.
8. Stir occasionally and when it feels that the zucchini is cooked, remove from heat, garnish with cilantro and serve with rotis.