Hometown Recipes

Tropical Fruit Cheescake

60g butter, melted

2 tbsp cold water

2 1/2 tsp gelatine

2 x 250g pkts cream cheese, chopped at room temperature

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 tbsp lime rind

4 tbsp lime juice

300 ml thickened cream

1 large mango

14 butternut snap cookies, broken (2/3 of a 250g pkt)

1/2 pineapple

2 passionfruit pulp, reserved

Step 1

Lightly grease a 22cm springform tin and line base with nonstick baking paper.

Step 2

Place biscuits into a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add butter and process until combined. Use back of a spoon to press the biscuit mixture over the base of the prepared tin. Refrigerate the base while you make the filling.

Step 3

Pour cold water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatine over. When gelatine has softened, stand the bowl in a pan of hot water and whisk with a fork until dissolved. Cool.

Step 4

Using electric beaters, beat the cream cheese, sugar, lime juice and rind until smooth. Add cream and the gelatine mixture and beat briefly to combine. Pour over the biscuit base. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hrs until firm.

Step 5

Peel and core the pineapple and cut lengthways into thin slices. Peel and cut the mango flesh into thin slices. Remove cheesecake from springform pan and place on serving platter. Arrange fruit on top, drizzle with passionfruit pulp.

Roasted Vegetable Chili with Cornbread Biscuits

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 poblano chile pepper, seeded and diced

4 scallions, roughly chopped, plus more for topping

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

2/3 cup cold buttermilk

2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 15-ounce can black beans, undrained

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 1/4 cups frozen fire-roasted corn, thawed

1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Preheat the broiler. Toss the cauliflower, poblano and scallions with the vegetable oil, chili powder, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt on a rimmed baking sheet; spread in a single layer. Broil until the vegetables are browned around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.

1. Meanwhile, make the biscuits: Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, brown sugar and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Work the butter into the cornmeal mixture with your fingers until crumbly. Stir in the buttermilk and 1/3 cup cheese with a fork until combined.

2. Remove the baking sheet from the broiler and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Add the beans and their liquid, the tomato sauce, corn, vegetable broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the roasted vegetables and gently stir. Spoon the biscuit dough on top in 12 mounds, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Sprinkle the biscuits with the remaining 1/3 cup cheese.

3. Bake until the chili starts bubbling and the biscuits are golden and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions.