Beef and Butternut Stew

Beef and Butternut Stew

2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped roughly
200 grams stewing beef, sliced into bite sized pieces
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1cm cubes (roughly)
2 cans tomatoes
1/2 cup lentils
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 oxo cube beef stock
1 teaspoon crushed cumin
1 teaspoon crushed turmeric

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion until it is soft. Add the beef and brown on all sides, then add the garlic and fry briefly.

Place the butternut, tomatoes and lentils in a large casserole dish (at least 2.5 litres capacity). If the tomatoes are whole, chop them up a bit. Add the beef and onions and stir to combine. Mix the cornflour into a little water to make a paste, crumble the beef stock and add the stock and spices to the cornflour paste. Pour this on top of the meat and vegetables.

Put a lid on the casserole dish and place in the oven for about an hour and a half.

Lemon Cheesecake

Lemon Cheesecake

Base:
300 gram packet plain biscuits
75 grams margerine
75 grams butter

Crush the biscuits into crumbs. Melt the butter and margarine, add to the biscuits and mix well. Press into a 20-25cm round pie tin and chill.

Filling:
1 packet lemon jelly
250 grams cream cheese (full fat)
3/4 cup caster suger
Juice of one lemon
250 mL cream

Dissolve jelly in 1 cup of boiling water then place it in the fridge for about 2 hours, until it is congealed but not set. It should be completely cold.

Beat the cream cheese until it is soft and fluffy. Add sugar and lemon juice and beat in well.

Whip the cream until it is thick and then fold into the cream cheese mixture. Gently mix the congealed jelly into the filling.

Spoon the filling into the base and chill the cheesecake overnight.

Coconut Cookies

Coconut Cookies

125 grams butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup coconut cream
1 cup coconut
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C and prepare a baking tray.

Cream the butter with the sugar. Add the egg and beat well.

Beat in coconut cream and coconut, then mix in the flour and baking powder.

Place teaspoons of dough on baking tray and bake for 15 minutes.

Spaghetti Sauce

Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans chopped tomatoes (plain, unseasoned)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
30 grams butter

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent.

Add the tomatoes, herbs, sauce and sugar. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat right down and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is thick.

Stir in butter just before serving.

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

4 tablespoons butter
½ cup milk
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa

Sauce:
3 tablespoons coconut
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 cups hot water

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a large casserole dish, one that has a lid.

Melt the butter in a large bowl. Add the milk and sift in the dry ingredients, and mix well to make a smooth batter.

Place the mixture in the greased casserole dish.

Mix together dry sauce ingredients - that is the cocoa, sugar and coconut. Sprinkle over dough.

Pour hot water over the pudding as gently as you can.

Bake with lid on for 50 minutes. Like a cake, it will be done when a skewer comes out clean but that is a little hard to judge due to the sauce. It is very important that the oven is pre-heated and properly hot when the pudding goes in.

Blueberry Chocolate Muffins

Blueberry chocolate buttermilk muffins
(makes 18 muffins)

3 cups plain flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups of white caster sugar
100 grams dark chocolate chunks
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
300 grams blueberries

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease or line 18 muffin holes.

In a medium sized bowl whisk the wet ingredients together well.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the chocolate and blueberries.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold in carefully, until just mixed.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin pans and bake for 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Let the muffins cools for five minutes before trying to remove them from the pan.

Spaghetti Bolognaise

Spaghetti Bolognaise

2 tablespoons oil
1 brown onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
400 grams beef mince
2 (400g) cans chopped tomatoes
1 cup water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cube oxo beef stock
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 teaspoons each dried thyme, basil and oregano
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

Heat the oil in a large saucepan.

Add the onion and cook on low heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, until fragrant. Then add the mince and cook, stirring, until browned. Carefully drain away excess liquid.

Add all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down and keep simmering for about 30 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Serve with hot spaghetti.

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread

1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup white flour
1 cup oats
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
50 g pumpkin and sunflower seeds
1 1/3 cup/350 mL buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease and flour a loaf tin.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.

Combine the two mixtures and mix briefly.

Place in the loaf tin and place immediately into the hot oven.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. A skewer should come out clean.

Leave it to cool for at least half an hour.

Risotto

Simple Risotto with Chicken

3 cups chicken stock

20 grams butter

1 tablespoon oil

1 brown onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 chicken breast, chopped

1 cup risotto rice

½ cup white wine

¼ cup parmesan

Salt and pepper

Place the stock in a large enough saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down and keep it simmering.

Meanwhile heat the butter and oil in another large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, stir for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the chicken and stir until cooked.

Add the rice to the onion and garlic and stir for a couple of minutes, then add the wine. Stir constantly until the liquid has evaporated away.

Add the stock ½ cup at a time, stirring all the while and waiting for the liquid to absorb before each new addition.

Cook for about 20 minutes or so, stirring to ensure that the rice does not stick to the bottom, until the risotto is thick and creamy but the rice still slightly firm.

Add the parmesan and season as needed. Remove from the heat and cover for five minutes.

Hazelnut banana bread

Hazelnut Banana Bread

1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup white flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup ground hazelnuts
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnammon
1 teaspoon allspice
3 large or 5 small bananas, well mashed
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup melted butter (about 60 grams I think)
1 egg
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celsius and grease a large loaf tin.

Mix the dry ingredients into a large bowl and combine well. In a separate bowl mix the mashed bananas and liquid ingredients.

Combine the two mixtures and the hazelnuts and chocolate chips, mix lightly and pour into the loaf tin.

Bake an hour, until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean. If it is not ready, place tin foil over the loaf to stop the top from getting too dark and bake for another half hour.