Father’s Day recipes to make Dad’s day

As dads everywhere would well know, Father’s Day is fast approaching. So why not make the day an extra special one by preparing the old man a delicious meal? Even if he says he doesn’t want “any fuss”, you can still make his day one to remember by going the extra mile and whipping up several treats for Dad to enjoy. We’ve shared three quick and easy Father’s Day recipes to give you some inspiration for breakfast and dinner through to dessert.

To keep things timely, this year Father’s Day falls on Macadamia Nut Day, so we’ve given our native nuts a nod by including them in two of the recipes featured below, which will add a delicious, buttery crunch. And because we love our strawberries here at Eativity, the breakfast and dessert recipes also feature in-season strawbs. So you can start and finish the day in sweet style while also supporting our strawberry growers.

To ensure the whole family feels involved in the day’s events, the recipes are simple enough for kids to pitch in and help with. They’re also guaranteed to please even the fussiest of eaters. So dig out your aprons and World’s Greatest Golfer coffee mugs, steel yourself for the coming onslaught of dad jokes and prepare to bring forth a Father’s Day feast.

Simple breakfast fluffcakes

Serves 2-4
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 5 minutes

You’ll need:

½ cup wholemeal self-raising flour
½ cup white self-raising flour
3 large eggs
300g thick unsweetened Greek yoghurt
200g fresh strawberries, half smashed and half sliced for serving
Butter or rice bran oil for frying

To serve:

Strawberry butter, strawberry syrup (find the easy recipes for these here) and loads of fresh chopped strawberries.

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and then add yoghurt and beat gently together. Gradually sift in the flour, mixing gently until just combined. Fold in the smashed strawberries. For maximum fluffiness, rest the mixture for 15-30 minutes at room temperature.

2. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of butter or 1 tablespoon of rice bran oil. When the pan is hot, ladle batter into pan (about a quarter cup per pancake), reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3-4 minutes until bubbles form on the surface. Flip, cook for a further 2-3 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove cooked fluffcakes and set aside, then repeat until all the cakes are cooked.

3. Serve with strawberry butter and strawberry syrup and lots more fresh strawberries.

Tip:

These are thick pancakes, so it will be important to regulate your heat to make sure they stay golden but also cook through to the middle.

6-ingredient macadamia-crusted fish with sweet potato chips

Serves 4
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes

You’ll need:

2 small or one large sweet potato, washed
4 tbsp garlic infused extra virgin olive oil (see tip)
1 cup (280g) macadamias, finely chopped
4 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
4 x 120g fish fillets of your choice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut sweet potato into French fry-sized pieces and toss in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place fries in oven on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes.

2. For the macadamia crumb, combine macadamias with parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice from half the lemon, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

3. For the fish, sprinkle the macadamia crumb on top of the fish pieces. Add the fish to the chips on the baking tray. Cook for 12 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.

Tips:

1. Try to pick fish pieces that are an even thickness all over. Go for Australian fish, and choose an underutilised species if you can.
2. Add a pinch of chilli flakes to the crumb if Dad likes things spicy.
3. You can find garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil in any good supermarket, but if you don’t have it on hand, swap for normal extra virgin olive oil and add 1 crushed clove of garlic.
4. There’s no need to peel the sweet potato. The skin will provide extra fibre and nutrients.

Pear, strawberry and macadamia crumble

Serves 6
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 20-25 minutes

You’ll need:

For the filling:

6 pears, each peeled and cut into six segments, any seeds removed
50g sugar
Zest and juice 1 orange
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped
250g punnet strawberries, hulled and halved

For the crumble topping:

200g plain flour
100g cold butter, diced
90g raw caster sugar
100g raw macadamias, coarsely chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Place pears, sugar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon and vanilla pod seeds in a saucepan. Simmer gently over moderate heat for approximately 15 minutes until the pears soften. Add strawberries and set aside.

2. To make the crumble, place the flour, butter, sugar and macadamias in a large bowl and rub the mixture together with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3. Spoon the pear mixture into a large ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the topping (alternatively, divide the mixture evenly between six small ovenproof dishes and place on a baking tray before placing in the oven). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.

4. Serve with creme fraiche, cream, Greek yoghurt or vanilla ice cream.