Plump, organic eggs add an appealing golden colour to this Coconut Sponge Cake

An easy dish to make and even easier to eat, especially when ploughing through paperwork. 

I have ended up with an excess of desiccated coconut – 4 bags to be be exact. You see its the sort of baking ingredient that I always like to have on hand either as an easy decorative feature, a way to add moisture to muffins and cakes, or as an enticing flavouring. Whenever I go to the supermarket I look at the shelf of coconut, wonder whether I have any in my pantry and then buy a bag “just in case”. Hence the over supply. 

As the first step towards making my way through this mound of flavoursome, tasty flakes I decided to incorporate some into a sponge cake for afternoon tea and as a lunch box treat for the next day. I followed the recipe for a Coconut Apple Victoria Sponge which I published on Cabinet of Cookery on the 14th August. Simply omit the apple and halve the ingredients to make a single, satisfying 20 cm cake. With a dusting of icing sugar and a pot of creamy warm custard, afternoon tea was served.

The vibrant green pasta pictured above is a breeze to make with a punchy, fresh lemon flavour. It is an ideal mid-week meal taking only 20 minutes to make. Even children who would normally cringe at the sight of zucchini will be won over by the terrific taste of this dish. 

I have actually made this sauce three times on previous occasions, but have never managed to photograph it because my children have wolfed it down, leaving only a bare strand of pasta in the serving bowl. This evening we enjoyed it tossed through spinach and ricotta ravioli. I did not include mint, because it has disappeared from my veggie patch. My well- meaning husband was walking past the veggie patch, spotted the rapidly spreading mint plant and pulled it out, mistakenly thinking it was a weed. He has offered to replant a new pot of mint. 

However, I cannot take the credit for this recipe as it came courtesy of the November issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly magazine. Once again they have managed to turn out a reliable recipe that contains readily available ingredients. I have an entire shelf of cookbooks published under this iconic brand, including the much loved, well-thumbed and icing stained children’s birthday cake cookbooks. 

I have adjusted the recipe ever so slightly. Due to my allergy to nuts, I have omitted the 40 g of pine nuts outlined in the original recipe. I also used basil this time around instead of the mint. Parmesan was included for a slight sharpness of flavour. 

Lemony Zucchini Pasta to serve 5 people

Ingredients
60 m olive oil
3 cloves garlic crushed
600 g zucchini coarsley grated
200 g ricotta
finely grated rind of 1 lemon along with the juice
50 g grated parmesan
ground sea salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of mint or basil coarsely chopped
500 g pasta – spaghetti, ravioli…your choice

While the water is boiling for the pasta, prepare the sauce ingredients. 

As soon as the pasta goes into the boiling water, start to cook your sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large frypan over a medium heat and add the garlic, zucchini and lemon rind. Cook for about 2 minutes until softened. 

Add the ricotta, salt and pepper and combine until just warmed through. Once this is done, take the pan off the heat.

Stir through the lemon juice, parmesan and fresh mint/basil.

Drain your pasta, tip into a serving bowl and toss through the sauce. 

Top with some extra lemon zest, herbs and parmesan.