Steph De Sousa delights us with a collection of her quick, delicious recipes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp crushed ginger
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1kg chicken thigh fillets, diced
• 2 red capsicums, sliced

TO SERVE:

• Steamed white rice
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 long red chilli, sliced
• ½ cup roasted peanuts

STEPS:

1. Let’s start by getting that sauce ready! Put all the sauce ingredients into your 5.5-litre (22-cup) slow cooker – that’s the balsamic vinegar, soy and hoisin sauces, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, garlic and 1/3 cup water. If you’re up for some heat, toss in the chilli powder too. Give it all a good whisk until everything is nicely mixed together.
2. Now, let’s bring in the chicken! Add your diced chicken to the slow cooker and stir it around in that delicious sauce until every piece is coated and ready to soak up all that flavour.
3. Time to add some colour – place your sliced capsicum over the top of the chicken. They’ll cook down and get all soft and sweet, blending perfectly with the sauce.
4. Pop the lid on your slow cooker and set it to Low for 3 hours. As it cooks, the aroma in your kitchen is going to make your mouth water!
5. When the time is up, get ready to serve! Spoon that tender, flavourful chicken over some fluffy white rice. Top it off with sliced green onion, some sliced red chilli if you like it hot, and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts for a bit of crunch. Dig in and enjoy the deliciousness!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 2 cured chorizo, sliced into rounds
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 2 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, drained handful of basil
• Crusty bread, to serve

STEPS:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Tumble your chorizo coins in and let them sizzle away until they’re golden and your kitchen smells like a Spanish fiesta.
2. Now, it’s onion time! Add the diced onion and crushed garlic to the pan. Give them a stir and let them mingle with the chorizo. Cook until the onion is soft.
3. Ready for some tomato magic? Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add 1 cup water. Turn the heat to medium and let it bubble away until the liquid reduces by about a quarter – this is where the sauce gets rich and tasty.
4. Stir in the cannellini beans and throw in a handful of chopped basil. Let everything simmer together until it’s heated through and the flavours are dancing together.
5. Ladle this delicious hot pot into bowls and don’t forget to drizzle a little more olive oil on top for an extra burst of freshness. Grab a spoon and some crusty bread and dig in – comfort food at its finest.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 whole thin-skinned orange or lemon, pips removed
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup Greek yoghurt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 2 cups self-raising flour

FOR THE ICING:

• 2 cups icing sugar
• zest and juice of ½ orange or 1 lemon

STEPS:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan-forced. Grease a 10cm x 22cm loaf pan and line the base and sides with baking paper.
2. Blend the orange or the lemon (yes, the whole thing!), eggs, yoghurt, oil and sugar in a blender until smooth. This is where all that amazing citrus flavour comes to life!
3. Add in your flour and give it another quick blend until everything is just combined. Don’t overmix – just a few pulses should do the trick. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, making sure it’s spread evenly.
4. Pop it into the oven and bake for 40 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Your kitchen will be filled with the irresistible aroma of freshly baked citrus cake!
5. While your cake is cooling, it’s time to get onto the icing. Mix the icing sugar with the zest and juice of an orange (or lemon) until you get a glossy, zesty icing that’s just begging to be drizzled.
6. Once your cake has cooled, drizzle that delicious icing all over the top. Now, it’s time to slice, serve and enjoy your bright and sunny creation!