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Thanks for visiting VJ cooks!

I hope you enjoy my website and find some inspiring recipes and ideas. I’m Vanya and I live in beautiful Taupo, New Zealand with my husband, two young sons and Golden Retriever.
I love cooking, baking, sharing recipes and of course eating.

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With all of the wild blackberries near our house I

With all of the wild blackberries near our house I thought it was time for a pie, this recipe is too easy. 🥧

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 & 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗶𝗲

𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
2 sheets sweet shortcrust pastry
2 cups blackberries
1 can apple slices
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱
1. Line a greased pie dish with pastry.
2. Mix together blackberries, apple, flour, sugar and cinnamon.
3. Pour into the pie crust and spread to the edges.
4. Top with strips of pastry and dust with brown sugar.
5. Bake at 200.C fanbake for 30mins or until pastry is golden and pie is cooked through.
6. Serve warm sprinkled with icing sugar and a scoop of vanilla icing.

🎉20,000 followers🎉 Wow what a huge milestone

🎉20,000 followers🎉
Wow what a huge milestone!
Thank you all so much for following me, I love this super engaged community 🥰

Please tell me in the comments what you love to see on my Instagram and I will try to do more of it?

#20000followers #socialmethodsociety

DOUBLE TAP IF YOU LOVE A CHICKEN SALAD 👆🏼❤

DOUBLE TAP IF YOU LOVE A CHICKEN SALAD 👆🏼❤️
This one is super easy to make and is a great way to make one chicken breast feed 4 people.
Click the button on the right to save this recipe for later.
A great one to meal prep for lunches.
(Just leave out the avo and add dressing just before serving)

Summer chicken salad 🥗

Ready in: 20 mins
Serves: 4

1 large chicken breast (approx 400g)🍗
1/4 iceberg lettuce, sliced🥬
2 tomatoes, sliced🍅
2 avocados, sliced🥑
1/2 cucumber, sliced🥒
1 cooked corn cob, kernels sliced off 🌽
1 spring onion, sliced
2 Tbsp toasted pinenuts

1. Season chicken breast and pan fry until cooked through. Rest then slice into bite sized pieces.
2. In a large salad bowl layer all of the veggies then top with chicken and pine nuts.
3. Pour over dressing just before serving.

Lemon mayo dressing: 🍋
2 Tbsp avocado or oilve oil
2 Tbsp mayo
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper
Whisk together and store in the fridge until ready to use. Adjust ingredients to your taste.

✨This Belgian slice is my twist on the classic r

Grilled honey soy salmon bowls A super easy and he

✨𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲✨

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Makes: 16 squares

𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
2 cups Self Raising flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
150g butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
2 cups fresh blackberries (300g)
1/2 cup rolled oats
30g butter, melted

𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱
▪️Preheat oven to 180C fanbake. Spray a 20cm square tin with oil and line with baking paper.
▪️Add flour, sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and whisk together.
▪️Pour in melted butter and vanilla. Crack in the egg. Mix together until you can no longer see white bits of flour.
▪️Set aside 1 cup of mixture for the topping. Place the rest in to the tin and press into the base.
▪️Spread blackberries evenly over the base.
▪️Add the 1 cup of topping mix back to the bowl. Pour in rolled oats and the extra 30g of melted butter. Mix together with a spoon or press together with your hands.
▪️Crumble the oaty topping over the blackberry layer and press down softly with your hands.
▪️Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until the top is turning golden and the base is cooked through.
▪️Allow slice to cool in the tin before lifting out using the baking paper.
▪️Cut into squares. Serve at room temperature. Store in airtight container.

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀
▪️If you can’t get your hands on fresh blackberries you can use frozen ones. Just thaw before adding to the slice and strain off any excess water.
▪️Other fresh or frozen berries would work so well in this crumble slice: Raspberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Sliced cherries or strawberries.

Hit the button on the right to save this recipe for later 🙌🏼

Time to get your friends and family together to ce

Time to get your friends and family together to celebrate Best Foods BBQ day on Sunday 23rd February.

Turn up the BBQ and try out my delicious recipe for Steak Fajitas with a @bestfoodsnz Chipotle Mayo.

If you want to win a Best Foods BBQ pack for yourself with goodies from @weberbbqausnz and @rumandque
Simply comment below and tell me what you love to cook on the BBQ? CLOSED
Here is the full recipe:
BBQ steak fajitas

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins

500g rump or sirloin steak
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 red capsicum
1 yellow capsicum
1 red onion

Chipotle mayo:
4 Tbsp Best Foods Mayonaise
1 Tbsp chipotle sauce
Squeeze of lime juice

To serve:
8 Tortillas
2 avocados, sliced
Coriander

1. Coat steak in olive oil and then the spices. Slice vegetables into thin strips.
2. Mix together chipotle mayo ingredients and chill until ready to use.
3. BBQ steak for a few minutes on each side until cooked to your liking. Set aside to rest then slice into thin pieces.
4. BBQ capsicum and red onion with some olive oil on the flat griddle until cooked through, approx 10 mins.
5. Toast tortillas then serve warm topped with the grilled steak, capsicum, onion and sliced avocado. Drizzle over chipotle mayo and garnish with coriander.

#sponsored #bestfoodsnz #nationalbbqday #bestfoodsmayo #bestfoodsaioli

Competition closes 16 Feb 2020.

✨Magic slice✨ This magic slice contains a lov

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