Entries by Debbie Worgan

Rock Paper Scissors 

by Alice Feeney
Harper Collins Australia

Reviewed by Wendy Tucker 

I often read crime fiction as a break from more challenging literary fiction. Crime, suspense, thriller, psychological thriller … whatever they were once listed as, they now seem to have merged under the general title of crime or thriller. 

There seems to be an increased appetite for crime fiction and it now outsells most other genres. Bestselling thriller writer, David Baldacci, says that when times are more stressful (and … Read more »

Pumpkin Pies

John Xuereb’s favourite

1½ kg pumpkin, cut into equal sizes (use a tasty, dry pumpkin like Queensland Blue)
2 – 3 medium potatoes cut into medium chunks
2 onions, chopped
½ cup rice
1 tin Hamper Lite Corned Beef
3 rashers bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste in ½ cup water
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
6 sheets puff pastry 

Bake pumpkin until … Read more »

Stuffed Marrows 

1 kilo marrows
200 g minced pork
100 g chopped bacon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 onions, chopped
50 g butter
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
2 beaten eggs
Salt-reduced stock
¼ teaspoon mixed spice
6 potatoes, sliced
2 onions, sliced
2 large carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup peas 

Cut top of marrows making an opening to stuff. Cut the bottoms so they’ll sit flat … Read more »

Trees – for the future

Keith Mundy 

Continuing on from last month’s theme of autumn, April is usually the month that we start to notice the beautiful colours of the autumn trees that are dotted around the countryside with shades of vivid yellows, oranges and reds highlighting the gardens that they adorn. Not only are autumn trees grown for their beautiful colours but just as importantly they are also grown for summer shade. 

Care should be taken with the selection of these plants as … Read more »

Apple and walnut muffin

By Lena Kuppens

350 g plain flour
150 g raw sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb powder
1 tsp cinnamon
60 g walnuts, chopped
2 small apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 tbsp yogurt
150 ml cold milk
125 ml veg oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180° C, lightly grease a 12 x ½ cup muffin tin.

Sift flour, sugar, baking … Read more »

Cheese scones

by Lena Kuppens

350 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
1½ tsp mustard powder
pinch salt
fresh black pepper
120 g grated cheddar cheese
50 g melted butter
1 tbsp yogurt
1 cup/250 ml cold milk

Preheat the oven to 220° C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Sift flour, baking powder, bicarb powder, mustard powder, salt and pepper in a big bowl. Add 100 … Read more »