Main:  Seafood and Cheese Strudel with Lemon Sauce
Australian Women’s Weekly Light and Luscious Summertime Cookbook – Page 53

Dessert:  Banana Soufflé with Butterscotch Sauce
Beginners Simple Meals (bought for the MAV) Page 114

This is me trying to get a bit more seafood into the family diet (beside the fact that I love it).  I have been doing this Strudel for at least 25 years.  So, my version, as it has evolved, is slightly different and a bit easier too.  It makes two strudels, so 10 sheets of filo per strudel.  This is a recipe that looks spectacular and very impressive but can be oh so simple.  So basically I make the cheese sauce pretty much using the quantities they suggest, however, I add a bit of this and that.  I like grainy mustard and a dash of Worcestershire sauce in my cheese sauces with a generous grind of pepper.

This time the seafood consisted of marinated garlic prawns, and poached ling.  I have, at times, added crab meat but didn’t feel it needed it with the full flavour of the prawns.  You can buy these already marinated or do it yourself.  I like to use my own marinade which we will look at another time.  So, once the cheese sauce is made and the seafood is added and well and truly cooled down all there is to do is the assembly.  Take your time with this and do not overfill the strudels as they will break.  This can be done in the morning, cover them with glad wrap and bring them out when ready to cook.  I served this with the recommended lemon sauce, which is light and tangy, and a simple green salad and crusty bread.  The fam gave this a 9/10.  AND I didn’t feel as though I had been slaving all day.

Now for dessert.  Yes, you guessed it, the MAV cooked.  These little souffles are so delicious and a great way to use old bananas.  The MAV was so proud of himself because they rose beautifully and were light and luscious.  He didn’t use the recommended sauce because I like to make the old family favourite caramel sauce which is really just butter, brown sugar, condensed milk and a bit of cream (not exactly low calorie but who cares).  The down side is, of course that they have to be done at the last minute so a little bit of fussing but the result was worth it.  These were definitely a 10/10.

Naturally we are still heaping praise on the MAV!!

From my table to yours with love.