Potato fans

Potato Fans

Potatoes
Oil
Salt

At their most basic, this is an incredibly easy snack or side dish with only three ingredients. You could, of course, add more seasoning, like a sprinkling of mixed herbs or some sort of spice or seasoning mix.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Wash your potatoes, and peel them if you want them peeled, but it's not neceesary.

Cut slices three-quarters of the way through the potatoes (crosswise, not lengthwise). They should not be so deep that the slices just break off, but they do need to be deep enough to fan out a little.

Coat the potatoes with oil and salt.

The potatoes will take between 30 minutes and an hour to cook, depending on their size. at about 15 minute intervals remove the tray from the pan and roll the potatoes in the oil coating the bottom. When the potatoes are cooked through and crispy on the outside they are ready.

They were delicious! Who needs a full meal when you can just have potatoes?!

Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef

500 grams stir-fry beef
1/4 cup cornflour (cornstarch)
1-2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed garlic (about 6 large cloves)
1/2 teaspoon crushed chili
1 onion
2 carrots
2 red peppers
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup cold water and another 2 tablespoons cornflour

Toss the beef in the cornflour, and set this aside. Keep the leftover cornflour.

Dice or slice the vegetables, and set these aside too.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the ginger, garlic, chili and onion and cook lightly for a few minutes, until the onion is cooked. Then add the beef and stirfry this until it is well browned on all sides.

Add the vegetables and stirfry for a few minutes. Add the soy sauce and sugar and keep on stirring.

Take the leftover and extra cornflour, add it to the cold water and mix it well, so that there are no lumps. Add this to the stirfry, turn the heat down, and keep on stirring until it is thick. As soon as it looks done according to your own liking, remove it from the heat and serve.

Chicken Pot-Pie Soup

Chicken Pot-Pie Soup

4 chicken thighs or 2 chicken breasts, with bones and skin (to give the meat more flavour)
Oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 brown onion
2 stalks celery
4 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons mixed herbs
6 cups chicken stock
3-4 cups mixed vegetables, fresh or frozen (I used peas, carrots and a green pepper)
4 medium sized potatoes, diced
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 200 degrees, coat the chicken in oil, salt and pepper and bake for about 40 minutes, until it's cooked. In the meantime, chop up all the vegetables and set them aside.

When the chicken is done, remove it from the roasting dish and leave it to cool. Pour the drippings from the chicken into a large pot and place the pot over medium heat.

Add the onions, celery and garlic and cook lightly, until the onion is translucent. Then add the flour and herbs and cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes. Whisk in the stock, so that there are no lumps.

Now that you have a big pot of thick broth, you can add the vegetables and let these cook for about 15 minutes, until the potato is done.

While you wait for the veges to cook, shred the cooked chicken.  Add the chicken to the soup, and when the potatoes are done add the milk as well. Let the soup cook for another 5 minutes, stirring it and seasoning it with salt and pepper as it cooks.

Cheese and Broccoli Pasta

Cheesy Pasta with Broccoli
(This recipe is just for one)

1 heaped tablespoon butter
1 large clove garlic
1/2 brown onion
1 heaped tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar and parmesan)
1 head broccoli
Wholegrain pasta

Cook the pasta according to packet directions. While the pasta cooks prepare the rest of the meal. When the pasta is ready drain and set aside.

Cut the broccoli into small florets and steam until done. Set aside.

Crush the garlic and chop the onion up finely. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the garlic and onion and let them cook for a couple of minutes, stirring all the while. Next, add the flour and stir quickly, so that you have a thick, sort of dry looking paste (a roux).

Cook the roux for a couple of minutes, but keep stirring it so that it doesn't burn. Add a splash of the milk and stir briskly, until everything is smooth and thick. Add another splash of milk and stir quickly, and so on. When all the milk is added you should have a smooth, slightly thick sauce. If it is lumpy, you have added the milk too quickly and simply need to whisk it briskly. Then turn the heat right down low.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add the cheese and stir until it is melted and well combined. Then add the cooked broccoli and stir it until it is all coated.

Add the drained pasta, and again stir it until it is well coated in the sauce. Then serve it up, perhaps with a little more grated cheese over the top.

Lime Chicken Stirfry

Lime Chicken Stirfry

Marinade:
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 red onion, chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon crushed chili

Stirfry:
400 grams chicken breasts
3 carrots
4 bell peppers
1 packet udon noodles
Juice of one lime
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornflour
1/2 cup cold water

Marinate the chicken for a couple of hours. Mix together the marinade ingredients in a bowl, chop the chicken into small pieces or strips and toss them in the marinade. Cover the bowl and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours, giving it a stir every now and then.

Slice up the carrots and peppers. Heat some oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the chicken and cook it until it is done on all sides. Then add the vegetables and continue to cook for a few minutes. Finally, add the noodles.

In a cup or a small bowl, mix together the rest of the lime juice, the soy sauce, water and cornflour. Pour this mixture over the stirfry and give it a good stir. Keep it cooking for a few minutes until everything is cooked to your liking and coated well in the sauce.

Potato Pancakes

Potato Pancakes

4 large potatoes, grated (800 grams)
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 eggs
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Up to 1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper

Whisk together all of the above ingredients.

Heat some butter in a frying pan and drop spoonfuls of mixture onto the hot pan. Cook the pancakes until they are golden brown on each side.

Serve with sour cream, or some sort of sauce, a bit of butter, or just plain.

Breadsticks and Avocado Dip

Breadsticks

3 tablespoons olive oil
350 grams strong white flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon active yeast
200 ml warm water
Sesame seeds

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.

Combine the warm water (roughly body temperature) with the oil and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Leave it for 5 minutes - it should froth up.

Pour the liquid into the flour and begin to mix, until it is a dough. Tip the dough out onto a clean surface and begin to knead, adding a little more flour as you go (not too much though). Knead for about 10 minutes.

Let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour, until it is double in size. Then give it a quick knead and continue.

Roll the dough out into a rectangle that is about 20 cm by 30 cm. It should be quite thick still, nearly a centimetre. Then slice the rectangle into 3 strips, lengthwise. Slice each strip into 10 small rectangles, as you can see below.

Take each of those rectangles and sort of roll it and stretch it until it is about 20 to 30 cm long. Lay the breadsticks on a tray and brush with oil, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Turn the oven on to 200 degrees celsius and while it heats, leave the breadsticks to rise. Then bake them for 10 minutes, flip them over and bake them for another 10 minutes.

Avocado Dip

1 avocado
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons plain yoghurt
A small handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped

Now this is really simple to make. First, you need to get your ripe avocado and scoop all of the flesh into a small bowl. Then add the rest of the ingredients except for the tomatoes. Mash it up together, perhaps using your stick blender to make it smooth. Keep on adding salt if it is needed, and also add more yoghurt if you need to, or want to. Then, last step - stir in the cherry tomatoes and your dip is finished!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder (or, if you have none, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons cream of tartar)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger (or more if you like ginger)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (100 grams)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (150 grams)
125 grams butter
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk (80 mL)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius and prepare a 12-hole muffin tin.

In a large bowl, sift in the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, spices and salt. Add the white sugar  and combine the dry ingredients as well as you can.

Place the butter in a separate bowl and heat it in the microwave until it is nearly melted. Add the pumpkin puree, eggs and milk and whisk the entire lot together well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold the two together with a fork. You want all of the batter to be wet, but you do not want to overmix so don't stir it, just fold it slowly.

Fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake the muffins for 25 minutes, perhaps turning the tray around halfway through if you have an uneven oven.

Cream Cheese Frosting

125 grams soft, room temperature butter
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
250 grams full-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat the butter until it is creamy. Sift in the icing sugar a half-cup at a time, beating after each addition, until you have a thick frosting. Add the cream cheese to the frosting gradually, in about 3 or 4 parts, and add the vanilla. Beat the frosting until it is all just combined - don't over-mix it.

Raspberry cupcakes with vanilla frosting

Raspberry Cupcakes
(makes about 24 cupcakes)

225 grams butter, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
4 eggs
2 cups plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons custard powder
1/2 teaspoon raspberry essence
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and prepare 2 muffin tins (to make 24 cupcakes).

Beat the butter until it is creamy, then add the the sugar slowly, beating well after each addition. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg.

Sift in half of the flour, the baking powder and the custard powder, and beat well. Add half the milk and beat again.

Sift in the rest of the flour, beat it in and add the last of the milk, and the raspberry flavouring. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, trying to only fill them about 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes, and if you had to place the trays on different oven racks make sure to switch them halfway so that both trays cook evenly.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

225 grams butter, at room temperature or softened in the microwave
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-6 teaspoons milk

In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until it is pale and creamy. Sift the icing sugar in a half cup at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is really thick. Then add the vanilla and gradually add the milk, just a teaspoon at a time. Beat the mixture until the frosting seems to have the right consistency - it should be stiff, but soft, and it should melt in your mouth. Then spread it or pipe it on to your cupcakes.

Quick Cheese Bread

Parmesan Cheddar Quick Bread

1 cup white flour
3/4 cup brown flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
A pinch of cayenne (up to a 1/4 teaspoon, but that will have quite a kick!)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Grease a small loaf tin and set it aside. Then, in a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper and cheeses.

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, milk and oil. Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix lightly, until the mixture is just combined.

Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared tin, place it in the oven and bake the loaf for 35 minutes.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Triple Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

1 diced onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
200 grams mushrooms, diced
2 cans diced or crushed tomatoes, plus a half can of water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
A large pinch of mixed herbs
Salt & pepper


Take a large square glass casserole dish and placed all the ingredients in it. Mix them up well together and level the mixture out. Place the meatballs on top and roast for about an hour, turning the meatballs over halfway through.

Baked Meatballs

2 tablespoons chopped onion
Small handful fresh parsley
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
400 grams beef mince
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 egg

Chop the onion, parsley and bread finely, preferably in a food processor. Grate the parmesan and crush the garlic. Then put all the ingredients into a large bowl.

Mix together really well. It should come together into a ball and be sort of wet but not sticky.

Roll the mixture into meatballs. Place the meatballs on top of the sauce mixture in a large casserole dish.

After half an hour check the meatballs and turn them. Let them cook for another hour.

Boil spaghetti and serve.

Duskies

Dusky Twins

250 grams butter
3/4 cup icing sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup plain flour
1 cup cornflour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Soften the butter and beat the sugar into it until it is pale.

The remaining ingredients can be sifted into the mixture gradually. It's a really stiff mixture, one that needs to be combined using your hands.

Make small balls, like the size that you would get from scooping a teaspoonful of mixture. Flatten the cookies onto a tray and press the tines of a fork into the top, to flatten them just a bit further.

Bake each batch for 15 minutes and let them cool thoroughly before putting them together.

Chocolate Icing

1 tablespoon softened butter
1 tablespoon cocoa
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups icing sugar

Place the butter and cocoa in a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Stir the mixture until the butter is all melted and then add the milk. Sift half of the icing sugar in and give beat with an electric beater.

Sift in the second cup of icing sugar and beat it until it's smooth. Then take two cookies, spread a thick layer of icing onto one of them and sandwich the two together. Repeat until you have done all your cookies.

Roast Tomato Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup

1 kilo fresh tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 large red onion
5 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
1 cup vegetable stock

Heat your oven to about 180 or 200 degrees celsius.

Prepare a roasting pan. Chop your tomatoes into quarters and place in the roasting pan. Chop the pepper and onion into quarters and add these to the pan. Place the garlic in with the skin still on. Pour over the olive oil and sprinkle some salt over the top. Toss the vegetables and then roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until ready.

Take the garlic cloves and gently peel the skin off. Place the roasted vegetables in a large saucepan and blend with an immersion blender. Add the vegetable stock (you can add more then specified if you want a more liquid soup) and blend until it is at the consistency that you want. Then have a taste and if you need to, season it with salt and pepper. Simmer until hot and serve.

Blueberry Oat Biscuits

Blueberry Oat Biscuits

1 1/3 cups rolled oats
1 1/3 cups plain flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips (100 grams)
1 cup frozen blueberries (about 125 grams)
125 grams butter
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) water
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a cookie tray with baking paper.

In a large bowl mix together the oats, flour, sugar, chocolate chips and blueberries. Then, in a microwaveable bowl or jug, melt the butter and honey together with the water until it is all liquid. Then stir in the baking soda.

Now, add the wet mixture to the dry and give it a good stir. Mix it with your hands until it comes together. Take small handfuls and press into equal size balls. Place each ball on the tray and flatten it a little.

Bake each batch for 13 to 14 minutes. Let them cool for a couple of minutes before trying to take them off of the tray.

Garlic & Cheese Bread Twist

Garlic & Cheese Bread Twist

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
170 mL boiling water
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon active yeast
2 1/2 cups strong flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
30 grams grated parmesan
1 teaspoon dried mixed herb
Salt
1 egg

Place the butter, salt and sugar in it, then pour the boiling water over top. Stir until the butter is melted, then add the milk. Check that the water is now lukewarm, then add the yeast and leave it for 5 minutes, until it is frothy.

Add two cups of flour and stir it in well. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean bench surface, turn the dough out onto the bench, and then begin to knead. Add a sprinkle of flour every time it begins to get sticky. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. Then sprinkle some more flour over the outside, place the dough back into the bowl and cover. Let the dough rise for about an hour or so, until it is doubled in size.

Clear a large section of bench and liberally sprinkle with flour. Take your dough and roll it out quite thin, to about 5 mm. Melt the butter and crush the garlic into it, then spread it on the dough. Sprinkle over your herbs and parmesan. Then roll it up tightly.

Take a sharp knife and slice the roll in half lengthwise, leaving about an inch at the end of the roll whole. Then, take the two halves and twist them together, carefully so that it doesn't all come to pieces.

Prepare a tray with baking paper and sprinkle it with flour. Gently lift your twisted dough and place it on the tray in a circle, twisting the ends together.

Break the egg into a bowl and whisk it until it's frothy, then brush it over the bread dough. Allow it to rise again for about half an hour.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, until it is all golden and crispy. Turn the oven down to 180 and let it bake another 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the bread in for a while, to make sure that the very inside is cooked through.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour (plain)
2 cups caster sugar
4 heaped tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup oil
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease and flour a 20 by 30cm cake tin.

Mix the ingredients in the order they are listed. Take a large bowl and measure the dry ingredients into it. Add the oil, eggs, red wine and vanilla essence and use an electric beater or cake mixer to combine it all well. Finally, add the hot water and beat that in also.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake it for about 50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let it cool for about 5 or 10 minutes before turning it out of the tin, onto a wire rack. Leave it to cool completely and then serve it with chocolate sauce.

Golden Syrup Chocolate Sauce

1/4 cup golden syrup
1/4 cup milk
1 heaped tablespoon cocoa powder

Combine the ingredients in a saucepan or microwavable bowl and heating them, whisking briskly every now and then, until the sauce is smooth.

Pumpkin swirl cake

Pumpkin Swirl Cake

90 grams butter
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
200 grams cream cheese
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 egg
100 grams chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease a 20 by 30cm cake tin.

Place the butter in a microwaveable bowl and heat it until it is melted. Then, in a large bowl, combine the butter, pumpkin puree, sugar and eggs. Mix it well, an electric beater will make it easier but I just used a spoon and it was still a very quick and easy cake to prepare.

Add the flour, spices, baking soda and baking powder. Mix in well and pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Place the cream cheese, egg and icing sugar in a bowl. Beat it until well mixed and pour gently over the cake mixture, and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Take a knife and swirl the mixture gently by making small cuts into the cake, letting the cream-cheese mixture pool into the gap.

Place the cake in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Let it cool for awhile before serving it so that it becomes a bit firmer and is easier to cut.

Anamika's Chicken Curry

Anamika's Chicken Curry

400 grams chicken, choped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger, cumin and turmeric
1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and coriander
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion
2 tablespoons tomato puree/paste
125 gram plain yoghurt

Chop the chicken into small pieces, place it in a bowl, sprinkle over the spices, chilli, garlic and bay leaves, then add about a tablespoon of oil. Give it a good mix, until all of the meat is coated and yellowish, then cover the bowl and leave it for an hour or so.

Dice the onion and heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Cook the onion until it is soft and transparent, then add the marinated chicken and as much of the marinade as you can scrape out of the bowl. Cook the chicken until it is done all the way through, and have a taste of the marinade to make sure that you are happy with it. You can add more of the spices at this point until it is just as you like it.

Finally, add the tomato puree and the yoghurt and continue to cook it until the sauce is thick and creamy. Remove the bay leaves, and serve over rice.

Milk Chocolate Fudge Biscuits

Milk Chocolate Fudge Biscuits

125 grams butter
100 grams milk chocolate
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 cups self-raising flour
100 grams fudge pieces

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and prepare a cookie tray by greasing it or lining it with baking paper.

Melt the butter and chocolate together, then pour into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix well. add the egg and the vanilla essence and mix, until it is all really well combined.

Add the flour and fudge pieces and mix in well - you may have to mix with your hands.

Take a good handful of mixture for each, about as much as you would get if you just scooped up a rounded dessert-spoon full. Roll them into balls, flatten them on the tray and bake for 12 minutes. They spread a fair bit so leave plenty of space.

When they come out of the oven they will be soft so let them cool for a few minutes before you remove them to a wire rack or a plate.