Mud cake

Mud Cake


3 cups (750ml) flour
1 ½ cups (375ml) sugar
2 tsp (10ml) baking soda ( bicarb)
½ cup (125ml) unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla
2/3 cup (200ml)canola oil
2 Tbs (50ml) vinegar
2 cups (500ml) water



Sift dry ingredients into large mixing bowl. Whisk together liquid ingredients and quickly stir into the dry mixture. Pour into a greased 13” by 9” pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Scones

Scones – to have with tea, under a willow tree


2 cups (500ml) flour
2 tsp (10ml) baking powder
1 egg
1/4 cup (65ml) oil
½ cup (125ml) milk



Lightly beat together the egg, oil and milk and pour into the flour and baking powder which have been sifted together. Gently knead together and flatten out on a floured board to about ½” thick. Cut into circles and lay on a baking tray, quite close together. Bake at 400°F (200ºC) for about 10 mins. Split in half and serve with jam and whipped cream.
Note: Lately I have been adding 1 tsp of baking soda and using whey or plain yoghurt in place of milk

Bobotie

Bobotie

1 Tbs (25ml) oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 lbs (1Kg) ground beef
2 Tbs (50ml) mild curry powder
 2 Tbs (50ml) cider vinegar
1 Tbs (25ml) sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices stale bread, French or Italian
 1 ½ (375ml) cups milk
3 eggs, divided
2 bay leaves



Break the bread up into chunks and soak in ½ cup of the milk, set aside. Heat oil in a heavy pan, and add onion and garlic, stirring over medium heat until translucent. Add the curry powder, stir until coated with oil and then add the meat. Cook gently until no longer pink, and add vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper to taste, then stir in 1 beaten egg. Break up the bread with a fork and add, then turn into a casserole dish. Whisk the remaining cup of milk with 2 beaten eggs and pour gently over the casserole. Place a couple of bay leaves on top and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.

sprouted lentil soup

3 cups lentils
1Tbs olive oil
2 onions chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped celery, leaves included
2 carrots, chopped
1 Tbs curry powder, or to taste
1 1/2 liters chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbs fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Soak lentils overnight, then drain and place in large sieve.  Rinse three times a day until they begin to sprout.  Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in curry powder to coat and mix in with the oils.  Add vegetables and herbs and saute for about five minutes, adding a little water if necessary to prevent sticking. Add lentils and stock and simmer for about an hour or until lentils are tender.  Season to taste with vinegar salt and pepper.
Sprouting the lentils, and the addition of cider vinegar makes the lentils more digestible.

Tabbouleh

1/2 cup bulgar -soak in 1 cup boiling water for 1 hour, drain
juice and grated rind of one lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped red or spring onion
1 cup chopped tomato
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Mix all together and let marinade for about  an hour or overnight.

Best ever dahl

Best Ever Dahl

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbs fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup lentils
2 Tbs curry powder
1 cup chopped sweet potato
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups frozen chopped spinach

Saute onion garlic and ginger in the oil until soft and fragrant.  Add lentils and curry powder. Pour in stock and sweet potato.  Simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are soft.  Add more liquid if necessary, but it must be fairly thick.  Stir in spinach and then coconut milk, bring back to heat and serve. 
This freezes very well and I often save in small microwaveable containers and heat for lunch.

Yellow rice with raisins

Yellow Rice with Raisins


1 cup (250ml) long grain rice
1 tsp (5ml) turmeric
Pinch salt
¼ cup (125ml) raisins or sultanas
2 cups (500ml) boiling water


Place all ingredients except sultanas into a heavy pot, cover, bring back up to the boil and then turn down heat as low as possible and leave for 25 minutes. stir in sultanas just before serving. Alternatively cook on low in microwave for 25 minutes in a covered microwave safe dish, or in a rice cooker.  stir in raisins just before serving.

sunflower rice variation:
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 red capsicum, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup sunflower seeds

saute onion, capsicum  and cumin seeds with the rice.  cook as above, then stir in peas, sulflower seeds and sultanas at the end.

Choc Orange cookies

1 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
170g butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 T orange zest

Sift together dry ingredients.  Cream butter and sugar together.  Add vanilla and zest.  Mix in flour.  Form into two rolls and wrap in waxed baking paper  Chill till firm.  Cut into thin slices and lay on baking sheet.  they are quite crumbly so press together if they start falling apart. Bake at 325*F for 13-15 minutes, just until starting to firm.  Excellent to freeze and take on a picnic!

Chicken breasts stuffed with brie, snowpeas and capsicum

Chicken Breasts stuffed with Brie

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, split
10 snow peas, cut into four diagonal pieces
1 small or 1/2 large red capsicum, cut into thin strips
100g brie cheese
1 Tbs flour
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine

Place chicken breasts between two slices of  wax paper and pound with a mallet until 2cm or half an inch thick.   Divide the cheese into four portions and place one piece in the center of each chicken breast.  Lay the snow peas and capsicum over the brie.  Roll each piece of chicken into a thick sausage shape and secure with toothpicks.  Roll in flour, then saute for a few minutes in olive oil until a nice brown crust is formed. Lay in an ovenproof casserole dish and pour the chicken stock and white wine mixture over.  Bake at 180*C (350*F)  for about 15 - 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

For the variation similar to my stepsons recipe stuff with 100g feta mixed with 1/2 cup chopped mushroom and 2 Tbs mixed herbs.   Use 3/4cup beef stock mixed with 1 TBS keecap manis for the cooking sauce.

Pavlova

Pavlova


6 eggs, separated
1 cup (250ml) caster sugar
3 Tbs (75ml) cornflour
1 Tbs (25ml) white vinegar
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla
1 cup (250ml) whipping cream
2 Tbs (50ml) caster sugar

Fruit for topping – any or all of the following

Sliced bananas dipped in lime juice
Sliced kiwifruit
Passionfruit pulp



Preheat oven to 300 F, then line a baking tray with foil, grease with a little butter and dust with cornflour.

Place the egg whites in a large clean bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar beating all the time. The mixture will become very glossy and thick. Add cornflour, vinegar and vanilla and beat just until mixed in. Spread onto prepared pan, building up the sides so there is a hollow in the centre. Bake for 1 ½ hrs, or until dry to the touch, then turn off oven and leave in oven with door slightly ajar to cool completely.

Use an electric mixer to whisk the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Just before serving spoon cream on top of Pavlova and top with fruit.

24 Hr salad

24 hr salad


6 cups chopped lettuce–iceberg or romaine
6 hard boiled eggs, sliced
Salt, pepper and sugar
1 lb (500g) bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
2 cups frozen peas
2 cups shredded Swiss or Monterey jack cheese
¼ cup green onions, chopped
 1 cup ranch dressing



Place half the lettuce in the bottom of a salad bowl, then the eggs, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and sugar. Add the rest of the lettuce, then remaining ingredients in layers, as in the list of ingredients. Chill for 24 hours, then toss and serve.

Milk tart

Milk Tart


Pastry:
1 1/2 cups (375ml) flour
½ cup (125ml) butter or margarine
1 egg yolk
Pinch salt
2 Tbs (50ml) sugar


Filling:
3 cups ( 750ml) milk
2 Tbs (50ml) butter or margarine
2 Tbs (50ml) flour
1 Tbs (25ml) Cornstarch
½ cup (125ml) sugar
 2 eggs, plus 1 egg white
2 tsp (10ml)vanilla essence
1 tsp (5ml) almond essence
1 Tbs (25ml) cinnamon


For the pastry, mix all ingredients together and press into a greased 8” deep pie pan. Prick with a fork and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool.

For the filling, Place milk and butter into a heavy pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. In the meantime mix together flour, cornstarch, eggs and sugar in a bowl. Once the milk is starting to boil, pour into the flour mixture slowly, stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps forming. Pour back into the hot pan and bring back up to the boil. Add essences, stir and let cool about 10 minutes, and then pour into prepared pastry shell. Chill in fridge for about 1 hour and sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.

Bean Dip

Bean Dip


2 cans refried beans
8oz (250g) pkg cream cheese
1 bottle hot salsa
1 cup (250ml) sour cream
Hot sauce to taste
I pkg taco sauce mixture
Grated cheese



Mix the cream cheese with the beans and sour cream until smooth, then stir in salsa, taco sauce mixture and hot sauce to taste. Turn into an ovenproof dish, top with grated cheese and bake in a medium oven for about 15 mins. Can also be served cold. Serve with corn chips.

Pound cake

Pound Cake:


Mix together and let stand to get sour:

1 cup (250ml) milk
2 tsp (10ml) vinegar

Beat together for 3 minutes:

2 cups (500ml) sugar
1 cup (500ml) butter or margarine
4 eggs
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla
1 tsp (5ml) almond essence

Sift together and add to beaten mixture along with the sour milk:

3 cups (750ml) flour
 ½ tsp (3ml) baking soda (bicarb)
½ tsp (3ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5ml) salt

Beat for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 300ºF (160ºC) for 60 minutes. Cool in pans for about 10 minutes before turning out.

Basic Bread

Basic bread:


2 Tbs (50ml) oil
 2 Tbs (50ml) sugar
2 cups (500ml) warm water
2 Tbs (50ml) yeast
6 cups flour (approx)
2 tsp (10ml) salt
½ cup (250ml) milk powder


In a bowl mix together the warm water, sugar, yeast and oil. Leave for about 15 mins to begin to froth. Into a large bowl sift the flour, salt and milk powder. Stir in the liquid and then mix together first with a spoon and then finally with your hands. Adding more flour or water as needed. You need the dough to be soft and pliable, but not too sticky. Knead for about 10 minutes to thoroughly mix the yeast into the flour. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for about an hour. It should double in size. Punch down and knead again for about five minutes before forming into 2 loaves. Place in greased loaf pans and leave to rise again until doubled in size – about 45 minutes to one hour. Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes then turn the heat down to medium for another 20 minutes. When done the bread should tip easily out of the pan and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom of the loaf.

Option: Up to half of the flour can be replaced with finely ground oats, sunflower and sesame seeds, bran and wheat germ.

Or do one of the following with the dough.

Chelsea buns: roll out the dough into an oblong shape and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and raisins or sultanas. Roll lengthwise and then cut into slices and place on baking sheet cut side down to rise once more and then bake at 350ºF or 180°C for about 15 minutes. Mix together ½ cup (250ml) of icing sugar with a little lemon juice and drizzle over warm buns.

Pigs in blankets: Roll out dough and cut into squares, place a small sausage crosswise on each square (we always carried those little canned Vienna Sausages) fold over and pinch edges together. Place on baking sheet to rise once more and then bake at 350ºF or 180°C for about 15 minutes.

Gingerbread

My Moms Gingerbread


3 cups (750ml) flour
1 cup (250ml) sugar
3 tsp (15ml) ground ginger
 2 tsp (10ml) ground mixed spice
1 cup (250ml) canola oil
1 tsp (5ml) baking powder
1 cup (250ml lukewarm water
1 cup (250ml) golden syrup or corn syrup
3 eggs
1 tsp (5ml) baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)



Dissolve the baking soda in ¼ cup of water and place that with all the ingredients into a large bowl. Beat together for 5 minutes. The mixture will be very runny, and that’s OK. Grease two loaf pans and divide the mixture between them. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean with no dough attached.

Option for date loaf:

Leave out the ginger and stir in 1 cup (250ml) chopped dates just before pouring into the pans.