Avocado Quesadillas

2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 firm-ripe Haas avocado, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon chopped red onion

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/4 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

4 (6- to 7-inch) flour tortillas

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 1/3 cups coarsely grated Monterey jack cheese

Fresh cilantro sprigs (for garnish)

In a small bowl stir together tomatoes, avocado, onion, lemon juice and Tabasco sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

In another small bowl stir together sour cream and cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Preheat broiler. Put tortillas on a large baking sheet and brush tops with oil. Broil tortillas on a rack set 2 to 4 inches from heat until pale golden. Turn tortillas and broil until other sides are pale golden. Sprinkle tortillas evenly with cheese and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling. Spread avocado mixture evenly over tortillas and top each with 1 of remaining tortillas, cheese side down, to make 2 quesadillas. Transfer quesadillas to a cutting board and cut each into 4 wedges. Top each wedge with a heaping teaspoon of sour cream mixture and garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Pineapple Lemon Upside-Down Cake

1 8 1/4 ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, drained and juice reserved

1 0.3 ounce package sugar-free lemon or orange flavored gelatin

2 eggs

1 egg white

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 375°. Line round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches, with waxed paper; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Spread pineapple evenly in pan; sprinkle with gelatin (dry). Beat eggs and egg white in small bowl on high speed until very thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes; pour into medium bowl. Gradually beat in sugar. Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1/3 cup. Beat in pineapple juice and vanilla on low speed.

Gradually add flour, baking powder and salt, beating just until batter is smooth. Pour into pan. Bake until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately loosen cake from edge of pan; invert pan on heatproof serving plate. Carefully remove waxed paper. Serve warm.

Garlic potatoes

Small new potatoes are available from time to time. Here's a flavorful way to serve them. Leftovers may be reheated or used in salads.

1 pound (about 10) small new potatoes, scrubbed, patted dry, not peeled

6 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2teaspoon salt (optional)

Freshly ground pepper

Place all ingredients in microwave casserole. Stir to coat potatoes. Cover. Microwave on HIGH for 10-15 minutes. Stir once or twice to rearrange potatoes. Check for doneness each time. Arrange least cooked potatoes around edge of the dish. Serve hot.

Frosted Spice Baked Cake Donuts

These are great spice donuts. Since you bake them instead of fry them, they have less fat and fewer calories.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

For the frosting

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a baked donut pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, vanilla, milk, and melted butter. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture a third at a time, stirring after each addition. Stir until the batter is smooth. Fill the donut cavities 2/3 full of batter. This recipe will make 12 large donuts. Bake for eight minutes. Cool for several minutes in the pan and then remove the donuts with a silicone spatula to completely cool on a rack.

For the glaze, mix the water a little at a time into the powdered sugar until it is the desired consistency, adding the butter and vanilla. Frost the donuts.

Sweet corn waffles with chutney salad

Waffles can be frozen for 2 months. Salad unsuitable to freeze. Recipe unsuitable to microwave.

1 cup whole meal plain flour

¾ cup white plain flour

¼ cup self-raising flour

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon castor sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 ¾ cups milk

60 g butter, melted

2 tablespoons water

310 g can creamed corn

½ cup chutney

SALAD

1 butter lettuce

1 medium carrot, sliced

1 small avocado, sliced

½ X 250 g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small green cucumber, sliced

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon curry powder

Sift flours, cumin and sugar into a large bowl, make well in centre. Gradually stir in combine yolks and milk, then butter, water and corn. Fold in softly beaten egg whites. Drop about 2 tablespoon of mixture onto waffle iron. Close iron, cook for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Serve waffle with chutney and salad

Salad. Combine roughly torn lettuce leaves, carrots, avocado, tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl. Combine oil, vinegar and curry powder in jar, shake well. Pour over salad jus before serving, toss gently.

Green bean and coconut cream soup

Prepare soup close to serving time. This recipe is not suitable to freeze or microwave.

1 medium carrot

30 g butter

2 teaspoons chopped fresh lemon grass

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 fresh green chillies, chopped

2 green shallots, chopped

½ cup chopped green beans

2 X 400 ml cans coconut cream

½ large vegetable stock cube, crumbled

2 cups bean sprouts

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Cut carrot into fine strips. Melt butter in large saucepan, add lemon grass, garlic and ginger, stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Add turmeric and ground coriander, stir over heat further 1 minute. Add carrots, chillies, shallots, beans, coconut cream and stock cube, mix well. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in beans sprouts and fresh coriander. Serves 4.

Chilli onion rings

½ cup butter milk or milk

2 fresh red chillies, seeded and chopped

2 large onions cut into rings 5 mm thick

2 cups flour

Vegetable oil for deep frying

2 teaspoons chilli sauce

Place milk and chillies in a blender for 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl, add onion rings and toss to coat with milk mixture. Sift flour into a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, remove onion rings from milk mixture, drain, add to bowl and coat onion rings in flour. Heat oil in a large saucepan until a cube of bread dropped in browns in 50 seconds. Add a few onion rings at a time and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on paper and serve immediately with sauce.