Layered Vegetable Bake with cheese

serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
20g butter
1 brown onion, finely chopped
250g cup mushrooms, sliced
2 zucchini (about 350g)
2 cups grated mozzarella
2 eggs
2 carrots, grated
600g sweet potato, peeled, thinly sliced
900g butternut pumpkin, deseeded, trimmed, thinly
sliced
60g pkt spinach leaves
¼ cup finely grated parmesan
baby rocket leaves, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180°c. Grease & line a 20cm springform cake pan with baking paper.

2. Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushroom. Cook for 10 minutes or until caramelised. Season. Set aside.

3. Grate zucchini & squeeze well to remove liquid. Combine in a bowl with ¼ cup mozzarella and 1 egg. Stir well. Season. Set aside.

4. Combine carrot, ¼ cup mozzarella and remaining egg in a bowl. Season.

5. Layer half the sweet potato slices, overlapping slightly, in base of pan. Sprinkle with ¼ cup mozzarella. Spread the zucchini mixture over, cover with half the pumpkin and ¼ cup mozzarella.

6. Continue with carrot mixture, remaining pumpkin and ¼ cup cheese. Spread mushroom mixture over, then spinach and ¼ cup mozzarella. Top with the remaining sweet potato, mozzarella and finish with parmesan.

6. Cover pan tightly with foil and place on a baking tray. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft when tested with a skewer and cheese on top is melted and golden. Stand for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Cut into wedges and serve with rocket.

Strawberry Sponge Cake (or was this really shortcake biscuits?)

serves 8

Ingredients
2/3 cup cornflour
2 tbs custard powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp bicarb
4 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
125ml thickened cream
2 punnets strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup reduced-sugar strawberry spread
1 passionfruit, pulp removed
1 tbs icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180°c. Grease & line 2 x 20cm spring form cake pans.

2. Sift cornflour, custard powder, cream of tartar & bicarb together.
Place eggs, caster sugar & vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until thick & light.
Sift dry ingredients again over egg mixture. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold together until combined. Do not over mix as this will deflate the mixture. Divide evenly between pans.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through (test by lightly pressing centre which will bounce  back).  Release immediately from pans and cool on a wire rack.

4. Whip cream until thick and fold through yoghurt.

5. When cakes are cold, place one onto a serving platter” spread with strawberry spread, top with whipped cream mixture, then half the strawberries and passionfruit pulp.

6. Top with remaining cake. Decorate with remaining strawberries and sprinkle with icing sugar.

NOTE:  Might be nice birthday cake for Belinda