Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

At this time of year when the weather is settled, daylight saving ends and there is a quiet stillness – lots of lifestyle choices are often made.

For me, it's about continuing to exercise with walks up the Mount, Frisbee, golf, cycling and keeping things simple.

So this week I could be writing about a lot of various fruits and vegetables and how to use them in some recipe that inspires some and seems daunting to others.

But instead I'm going to use ingredients that are available all year round, although smoked salmon is on special at the moment.

The good thing about the recipes is they taste great and you get some interesting combinations. Figs with blue cheese is one example.

To catch up on previous recipes go to my Facebook page: facebook.com/livenutrition.

This week I have decided to call autumn 'the season of texture and crunch” and my finger food of the moment is smoked salmon and brie wontons.

This is surprisingly affordable, simple to make and can be frozen down ready to cook at short notice. It is fabulous with cranberry sauce, quince paste or Asian-style plum sauce. It is great to pull from the freezer and cook for a snack.

Smoked salmon and brie wontons

approx 50

Filling

200g finely sliced smoked salmon

180g diced small brie cubes

cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp chopped chives

1 lemon zest and juice

1 pkt of wonton wrappers

oil for frying

Method

Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl with your hands and mould together into a mass.

Lay out wonton pastry and place a small knob of the mixture in the bottom of one corner of the pastry square.

Form this into a crescent shape, completely enclosing the filling roll, until you have three corners looking like a wonton. Press two of the three corners together with a small dab of water.

Don't worry too much, as long as you have enclosed the filling and it sort of looks like a wonton – it is hand made after all. Continue making them until you're sick of it or you've eaten or used up all the filling.

Freeze well, then shallow fry in hot oil at 170-180 degrees Celsius for three to four minutes until puffy. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.