SAFFRON FISH BALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Sunday night I prepared saffron fish balls in tomato sauce and it was delicious .
I sliced 500 gm of snapper fillets ( skinless ) skinless into cubes and placed these into my processor along with 2 eggs  2 spring onions ( green part only )1 tbs of chopped parsley , 1 tbs of chopped coriander  ( cilantro ) , 55 gm of tiger nut flour ( or alternate with almond meal ), lastly add 1/2 teasp of saffron threads mixed with 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 tbs of warm water .
Season with cracked pepper .
With moistened hands , shape the fish mixture into balls , put on a tray ..... cover and set aside  in the refrigerator .
Preheat  your oven to 160 deg C .
Prepare your tomato sauce , place 1x 800 ml of diced tomatoes in a pan  add  2 tbs of  each of the following ingredients fish sauce , 2 tbs oyster sauce , minced garlic, minced ginger , 1 tsp of sugar , 1/2 tsp of cumin and 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper .
Slowly bring to the boil , then cover and simmer for a further10 minutes .
Add the fish balls  to the tomato sauce , return to a gentle boil over a medium heat ....then place in a well preheated oven for 20 minutes .
Serve over a bed of mixed grains .

FRUIT SLICE

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C.
Mix together in a large bowl  375 gm of sultanas , 1 x 395 gm tin of sweetened condensed milk and 1 and 1/4 cups of self raising flour ...making  sure ingredients are combined .
Pour the mixture into a well sprayed slice / flan pan .
Bake for 20- 25 minutes or until golden .
Cool in tray and then turn out onto a wire rack .
I covered my slice with chocolate icing .
Then sliced into squares .

BAKED ICE CREAM CAKE

You will need a ring cake pan / Bundt pan for this cake .
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
Place 1 litre of melted ice cream @ room temperature into a bowl
Mix through  2 cups of self raising  flour
Stir through 1 cup of fresh raspberries .( I used blueberries )
Pour the cake batter into your well greased ring /Bundt pan .
Bake in you preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean .

3 INGREDIENT FRUIT CAKE

Place 1 kg of dried mixed fruit( you can use sultanas ) in a large bowl with 600ml of flavoured milk. The flavour is up to you , I have made this cake with strawberry milk , chocolate milk , mocha milk and salted caramel milk ..my favourite is 20gm of chai tea spice mixed with 600ml of milk ..your choice. Cover and leave the fruit soak in the milk for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator . When you are ready to bake , remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it stand and reach room temperature . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Using a wooden spoon mix through 2 cups of self raising flour into the fruit mixture . Pour the cake batter into a prepared sprayed and lined 22cm cake pan . I prefer to use a Bundt pan . Place in a well heated oven and bake for 90 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean .

PUMPKIN SOUP ......

PUMPKIN SOUP .......My favourite recipes

Version 1 ..( vegetarian )

1/2 Kent pumpkin ( large 1/2 ) , peeled and quartered , placed in a steamer , steam till the pumpkin is falling apart .....
Pour the pulp into a large saucepan and add 1 can of coconut milk ( 400ml ) and 1 tbs of minced ginger ...
Slowly bring to simmering , reduce heat to low ....
Use your stick blender to process to a smooth soup , season with cracked pepper and salt .

Version 2...

1/2 large Kent pumpkin, peeled and quartered , place in a large saucepan with 1 litre of chicken stock.
Simmer till the pumpkin is falling apart .
Add 1 tbs of minced ginger and 1x 300ml of sour cream .
Season with sumac and cracked pepper
Use your stick blender ......process to smooth .

Serve both versions in warmed bowls .

FRITTATA

Simple , simple .........
Mix together 8 eggs in a bowl add 1 x 375 gm tub of smooth ricotta cheese , 1x200gm packet of brown and black rice with carrot , bean sprouts , green beans , sugar snap peas , 80gm of sliced black olives , 100 gm of grated mozzarella , 1/4 cup of cream , 120 gm of  bacon pieces , 1 tbs of minced garlic , season with sumac , dill and pepper .
Mix together well .
Place in a lightly sprayed oven proof dish and bake in a well preheated oven for 25- 30 minutes or until set and golden .

PIZZA BASE DOUGH

Preheat your oven to 220 deg C
Mix equal amounts of Greek yoghurt 250 gm with 250 gm of self raising flour , 2 tbs of Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp of minced garlic .
Mix together in a bowl ....use a fork to work into a dough ..6-8 minutes , it will be a sticky dough .
Flour your hands liberally and knead with your hands and shape into a ball .

Spray your pizza tray and line with baking paper .
Spread and shape your pizza dough with the heel of your hand easing it out to the edge of the tray .
I now pop the prepared pizza dough in the preheated oven for 5 minutes before adding the topping .
This will give you a crispy base and a fluffy centre as long as you don’t overload the topping .
Remove the pizza base from the oven  and add your pizza sauce and toppings .
Return the pizza to the oven for 15-20 minutes , to finishing baking .

HOME MADE BREAD

Preheat your oven to 200deg C.

Place 340ml of warm tap water into a large bowl and sprinkle over 500gm of bread flour with 4.5gm of yeast .

Now mix together , either with a dough hook on your electric mixer OR use a wooden spoon to make a ‘ sticky’ dough .

Now place the bowl with the dough in it on top of your stove , cover with a tea towel and let it sit for 40 minutes .

Prepare a loaf pan or a flat oven tray with cooking spray and baking paper .

Once the dough has risen , turn out onto a lightly floured bench , squeeze the dough and shape it into the pan or tray you are using .

Cover the pan and let it sit for 60 minutes to rise again .

Place in a preheated oven for 40 minutes .

It is baked when it sounds hollow when tapped on the base .

STRACCIATELLA SOUP

Sracciatella means “little shred “in Italian .
Place 1 litre of chicken stock in a medium saucepan over a high heat .
Now add 1 x 400gm can of creamed corn .
Reduce heat and heat through , stirring constantly .
In a small bowl whisk together 1 egg @ room temperature with 1/3 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese and 1 tbs of dried chives .
Season with salt and pepper .
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the chicken and corn stock , stirring constantly until egg is just cooked .( about 1 minute ).
Serve in warmed bowls .

BANANA & PASSIONFRUIT DAMPER

Forget about the trendy sourdough , do your self a favour ... make some damper .
Preheat your oven to 200 deg C.
SIMPLE .....Place 2 cups of self raising flour in a bowl add 3 mashed over ripe bananas along with 1/2 cup of sour cream and 2 tbs of passionfruit curd .
Mix with a fork .Turn out onto a lined tray.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and risen , cool on a wire rack .

CHINESE TUNA & PRAWNS

Finely chop 2 spring onions and mix with 1 tbs of minced ginger , 1 tbs of fish sauce , 1 tbs of oyster sauce , 2 tbs of lime juice ,1 dsp of sesame oil .
Mix well .
Spray an oven proof dish with cooking oil and place in 4 tuna steaks ( 125 gm each ) and 300 gm of prawns , (shelled and tails on ).
Pour the marinade over the tuna steaks and prawns .
Sprinkle sesame seeds over the steaks and prawns , leave to marinate for 60 minutes in the refrigerator .
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
Prepare your rice and grain .( I used a mix of brown and black rice , with snow peas , soy beans and mixed with wild rice ...which is a grain not a rice ).
Place the tuna steaks and prawn dish in the preheated oven and cook for 20- 30 minutes  , until the prawns change colour .
Serve the steaks and prawns over the rice and grain, pour over the cooking juice ( marinade )
Delicious !

FRUIT & RICOTTA GALETTE

 Preheat your oven to 200deg C.
Mix together ( 800gm ) of cling peaches , drained with 375 gm of smooth ricotta ....set aside.
Liberally spray 6 sheets of filo pastry with cooking oil , layering them on top of each other with a sprinkle of raw castor sugar
Place the layered sheets onto a lined baking tray .
Spoon the mixture into the centre of the filo sheets and fold the sides of the pastry back onto the filling, creating a border .
I finished off the filling with a scattering of blueberries over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden .

SUBSTITUTIONS

It's a horrible feeling when you are in the middle of preparing a recipe and you realise you are out of an ingredient .........
Here is my go to list for alternate ingredients to use .Print it out and put it on the wall of your pantry .

BAKING POWDER  :  1 tsp of baking powder = 1/2  tsp of cream of tartar plus 1/4 tsp of baking soda .

BUTTERMILK : 1 cup of buttermilk = 1 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar and enough milk to make 1 cup
.
CAKE FLOUR :
1 cup of cake flour = 3/4 cup of plain flour , plus 2 tbs of plain flour plus 2 tbs of cornflour mixed together .

CORNFLOUR : 1tbs of cornflour = 2 tbs plain flour

SELF RAISING FLOUR : 2 cups of self raising flour = 2 cups of plain flour plus 1 tsp of baking soda mixed with 1 dsp of baking powder and 1 tsp of salt .

GARLIC: 1 clove of fresh garlic = 1/2 tsp of powdered garlic

GINGER : 1 tsp of minced ginger = 1/2 tsp of powdered ginger .

HALF & HALF : 1 cup of half and half =1 tbs of melted butter and enough milk to make 1 cup .

HERBS :1 tbs of fresh herbs = 1 tsp of dried herbs

LEMON JUICE : 1 tsp of lemon juice =1/2 tsp of cider vinegar .

MILK :1 cup of whole milk = 1/2 cup of evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup of water

PREPARED MUSTARD:1/2 tsp of mustard powder mixed 1 dsp of vinegar .

PUMPKIN PIE SPICE : 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice =1/2 tsp of nutmeg , 1/2 tsp of powdered ginger plus 1 dsp of cinnamon .

SOUR CREAM :1 cup of sour cream = 1 cup of plain yoghurt

TAPIOCA (aka  arrowroot flour ) : 1 dsp of tapioca = 1 tbs of plain flour .

There are many , many substitutes but these are the ones I use a lot and they work perfectly .

SAGANAKI PRAWNS

SUNDAY NIGHT DINNER @THE MANOR 5/ 7/2020

Saganaki means little frypan in Greek and refers to dishes cooked in a single frying pan .
This is very simple and a one pan dish .

Heat 1 tbs of rice bran oil in  the frypan , adding 1 chopped onion and 3 tbs of minced garlic .
Cook until the onion softens
Add 1 x 400 gm of diced tomatoes , 2 tbs of sriracha and 180 ml of dry white wine , bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes .
Now add 2 kg of shelled and deveined prawns and continue to simmer till the prawns change colour.
Crumble 200 gm of Greek feta cheese over the prawns and place under a preheated grill till the cheese odours slightly .
Sprinkle over 1/4 cup of chopped parsley and 1/4 cup of  chopped  oregano .
Serve with a mix of brown and wild rice .
Enjoy .

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL MACAROONS

Mix together 150gm of quick cooking rolled oats , 1 tsp of baking powder , 60 gm of Nestle choc bits along with 60 gm of Nestle white choc bits .
In a separate bowl add 3 tbs of golden syrup with 90 gm of melted margarine and stir through 1  beaten egg .
Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients .Mix well .
Spray baking trays with cooking oil spray and line with baking paper .
Place teaspoonful of the mixture on the lined trays .
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 - 18 minutes or until golden brown .
Cool on the tray .

FRUIT FACTS

WINTER FRUIT .......

Apples
Bananas
Berries ....strawberries
Cumquats
Custard apples
Grapefruit
Kiwifruit
Lemons
Mandarins
Nashi pearsg
Oranges , navel and blood
Passionfruit , panama
Pears
Pomelo
Quince
Rhubarb
Tangelos .

APPLES
Golden delicious and granny Smith apples are great for cooking , but will lose their shape and reduce to puree if cooked without sugar .
Red skinned apples keep their shape during cooking as they are naturally high in sugar .IE Royal Gala or Pink Lady .
Apples can be used raw in salads with or without sins .
Toss cut apples with lemon juice to prevent them from going brown .

FIGS
Fully ripe figs should be eaten the day you buy them or pick them from your tree .
If you refrigerate figs , they will lose their flavour and fragrance .

RHUBARB
Rhubarb is a vegetable and can be used in savoury dishes and is commonly eaten in the sweet context ...crumbles , pies , tarts ,muffins and cakes .
All the leaves must be removed from the rhubarb stems as they are poisonous .

BLUEBERRIES
Bluberries are the accepted "superfood ",( I prefer raspberries .. but that aside  )  can be a little bland while sweet .
Their flavour can be boosted by a sprinkle of lemon juice and let them sit for an hour before use .

LEMONS
( My favourite )
Placing lemon juice in milk , will be a substitute for buttermilk .You can make your sour cream by adding lemon juice to cream and whipping .
Use about 1 tbs of lemon juice to 1 cup of cream or milk .
Lemons quartered,  salted and placed in lemon juice with spices in airtight glass jars give you preserved lemon and the best lemon rind to use in savoury or sweet recipes where full flavoured lemon rind is called for .
Turn a simple roasting chicken into a master piece by cutting a lemon in half and place both halves in the cavity of the fowl before roasting along with sprigs of thyme and cloves of garlic .
To prevent browning of cut fruits and vegetables , brush lemon juice over the cut surfaces .

RIPENING FRUIT
Place hard unripened fruit in a brown bag with 2 ripe bananas and roll the bag closed .
Leave for a couple of days at room temperature ... the fruit will be ready to eat , sweet and ripe .

F A I L

                  F A I L

*  First  Attempt In  Learning..


*     QUITTERS NEVER FAIL .......BUT WINNERS NEVER QUIT ...,

SLOW COOKED BUTTER CHICKEN

I used 8  skinless chicken thigh fillets and combined them in a bowl with 2 tbs lemon juic e and tsp of chilli powder .

Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes .

In a separate bowl  place 200 gm of Greek yoghurt along with 1 tbs of minced ginger  and 1 tsp of garam masala , stir into the chicken mixture .

Heat 50 gm of butter and and 1 tbs of canola oil in a pan over a low heat  and cook the coated chicken in batches until browned all over .

Transfer the chicken to the bowl of your slow cooker .

Add 1 sliced onion and 2 tbs of minced garlic to the fry pan and cook till the onion softens .

Now add 1 tsp of garam masala , 1 tsp of ground coriander , 1 tsp of ground cumin and 1 tsp of paprika .

Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tbs of tomato paste and 1x 400gm can of diced tomatoes , 2 tbs of honey , 1/2 cup of frozen peas , 1/2 cup of corn kernels ,2 cinnamon sticks and transfer this mixture to the slow cooker . Pour in 1 cup of cream .

Cook on high for 4 hours .

In a word delicious