Ideas so crazy and completely out there, but they work oh-so-well! Try these outlandish recipes for a little something out of the ordinary that delivers on flavour and fun.

Orange olive-oil cake

SERVES 8–10 (makes 1 cake)
PREP TIME 20 minutes
COOK TIME 65 minutes

INGREDIENTS
For the cake
1 orange, peeled
½ cup olive oil
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs

For the glaze
½ tsp orange extract
½ cup cream
2 cups white chocolate, melted

METHOD
For the cake
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Boil the orange for 15 minutes, allow it to cool, then cut into wedges.
2 Place the orange wedges and the oil in a food processor, then blend until a smooth paste forms.
3 Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4 In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until they are pale and fluffy.
5 Alternate between adding the orange pulp and the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, folding it through until fully incorporated.
6 Pour the batter into a lined tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

For the glaze
1 Heat together the orange extract and cream, then mix it into the melted white chocolate. It has to be warm, otherwise, the chocolate will seize.
2 Pour over the cooled cake and serve.

Tip: Refrigerate the chocolate glaze to create a spreadable consistency, whisking every 10 minutes to help it thicken. Decorate with fried orange slices dipped in chocolate or with a few sprinkles of thyme leaves.

Cinnamon pumpkin fritters with caramel sauce

SERVES 4
PREP TIME 15 minutes
COOK TIME 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
For the caramel sauce
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup water
cup butter
½ cup cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried sage (optional)

For the fritters
Oil for deep-frying
1 cup self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tbsp sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cups cooked and blended pumpkin
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp milk

To serve
1 tsp cinnamon
Handful sage, fried (optional)

METHOD
For the caramel sauce
1 Heat the sugar, water and butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
2 Once dissolved, increase the heat and boil for 5–10 minutes, without stirring, or until the syrup starts to turn a light golden colour.
3 Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, vanilla, salt and sage – be careful as the cream may splatter.

For the fritters
1 Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat.
2 In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and spices together. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly until a sticky batter forms.
3 Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry for 2–3 minutes, turning over halfway, or until cooked inside and golden brown all over. Drain on a paper towel.

To serve
1 Pile the pumpkin fritters in a bowl, pour over caramel sauce, sprinkle with extra cinnamon and top with fried sage.

Tip: For a caramel sauce alternative, mix ½ tin of caramel treat with ½ cup milk.

Plum clafoutis

SERVES 6
PREP TIME 20 minutes
COOK TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
3 eggs
cup flour
1 cups cream
8 plums, pitted and halved

METHOD
Preheat oven to 190°C.
1 Grease and line a 25 cm baking tin and sprinkle with 1 tbsp caster sugar.
2 Add 3 tbsp caster sugar, eggs, flour and cream to a food processor. Blend for 2 minutes, until smooth.
3 Pour the mixture into the tin and arrange the plums in the mixture.
4 Bake for 50–60 minutes, until firm and lightly brown on top.
5 Blend some extra caster sugar in a food processor to make icing sugar, then use it to dust the clafoutis just before serving.

What is Clafoutis? This is a French dessert traditionally made with cherries that are baked in a batter to create a warm, fruity tart. Swap out the plums for the fruit of your choice.

Fish nachos

SERVES 4
PREP TIME 20 minutes
COOK TIME 28 minutes

INGREDIENTS
For the fish
300 g deboned hake (2 fillets)
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
For the salsa
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vinegar
¼ cup coriander, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For the guacamole
3 avocados
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste

For the nacho bowls
1 bag tortilla wraps
Olive oil, for basting

To serve
½ cup sour cream

METHOD
For the fish
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2 Drizzle the lemon juice over the fish, then pan-fry in some oil over medium heat.
3 Transfer to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Once cooked, set aside to cool before flaking.

For the salsa
1 Season the diced tomatoes and onions with the sugar, vinegar, coriander, salt and pepper, then set aside.

For the guacamole
1 Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season and set aside.

For the nacho bowls
1 Your oven should still be at 180°C.
2 Brush each tortilla wrap with olive oil and bake in a bowl mould until golden and crispy, about 14 minutes.

To serve
1 Plate the fish in the tortilla bowls. Dress the fish with the salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

Strawberry, mint & cream cheese toasties

MAKES 4
PREP TIME 20 MINUTES
COOK TIME 10 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS
For the strawberries
8 strawberries, sliced
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp lemon juice

For the filling
¾ cup cream cheese
3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp mint, finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence

To assemble
8 slices fresh white bread
2 tbsp icing sugar

METHOD
For the strawberries
1 Mix the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice, then allow them to macerate for 10 minutes.

For the filling
1 Place the cream cheese, sugar, mint and vanilla in a bowl, whisking until smooth and creamy.

To assemble
1 Preheat and grease a sandwich toaster. (A pan will do just fine)
2 Spread a layer of cream cheese over 4 slices of bread and top with strawberries. Close each with another slice of bread and toast for about 2–3 minutes, until the bread turns a light golden brown.
3 Remove from the heat and sprinkle with icing sugar.