CHICKEN , CORN AND RICE CAKES

Ingredients .....2 cups of cooked rice ( long grain ) , 1 onion peeled and finely chopped , 1 cup of flour season mixed with 2 t5bs of Italian herb mix , 150 gm of chicken mince , 1/2 cup of corn kernels ( drained ) ,2 tbs of sweet chilli sauce, 1/2 cup of canola oil ,1 egg lightly mixed ,extra flour for coating ,sour cream or Greek yoghurt and chopped parsley for serving . These savoury cakes are very easily made . Combine the cooked rice , chopped onion , seasoned flour , chicken mince , sweet chilli sauce and egg in a bowl. Form the mixture into 6 large or 12 small patties and coat them lightly in flour . Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat . Arrange the patties in the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side . You can serve these patties warm or cold .

THE MANOR FRUIT CAKE

The ingredients....1 x 225gm can of crushed pinepple , undrained ,225gm of butter/ marg, 3/4 cup of firmly packed sugarb ,725gm of dried mixed fruit, 3 beaten eggs ,1 cup of self raising flour ,1 cup of plain flour ,1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda , 1 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of almond extract ,1 tsp of lemon essence , 1 tsp of ground cloves , 1 dsp of mixed spice. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C . Lightly grease a 23cm cake pan and line the base with baking paper . Place the crushed pineapple with juice in a med/large pot along with 225gm of butter/ marg, 3/4 cup of brown sugar and the mixed fruit . Bring the fruit mixture to a slow boil and then remove from heat and set aside to cool down to room temperature . When the mixture is sufficiently cooled please stir through the rmaining ingredients with a wooden spoon . Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes , or until skewer inserted comes out clean . Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack .

MEATBALLS IN PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE .

Ingredients ....500gm of topside steak , flour for coating , 2 tbs of chopped /dried coriander 2 tbs of peanut oil . The peanut sauce ...1 tbs of bush curry ,3 tbs of crunchy peanut butter ,1 tbs of tightly packed brown sugar ,1 tbs of lemon juice , 1 and 1/4 cups of coconut milk . So let's get started .....Roll the beef mince into golf ball sized rolls and roll in the flour to coat . Place the 2 tbs of peanut oil in a large pan and cook the meatballs over a medium heat until golden brown and cooked through . Remove the cooked balls from the pan and drain on kitchen paper . To prepare the peanut butter sauce , drain of the oil from the pan retaining about 1 tbs of oil , add the peanut butter and stir into the oil over a low heat . In a separate bowl mix together the coconut milk , curry powder , brown sugar and lemon juice , incorporate this mixture with the oil and peanut butter in the pan . Increase the heat and bring to the boil , stirring constanly ,then reduce the heat and simmer till the sauce thickens . Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce . To serve sprinkle with coriander and serve over a mixed grain and or a green salad .

PRESERVED ORANGE SLICES

These orange slices can be used in trifles , cake fillings , cheesecake toppings . The orange slices will keep in the refrigerator for 6 months . I got the idea for this recipe from preparing the whole orange cake .. The ingredients you need .....2 whole oranges ( I chose 2 thin skinned oranges) , wash and dr,the shiny round oranges ) . I placed the 2 whole oranges in a pot and added water to just cover he oranges and placed the pot over a medium heat and bought the water with oranges in to a slow boil . Simmer for 2 hours . Remove the oranges from the water . Place 3 cups of castor sugar into the reserved liquid and stir over a low temp until the sugar is dissolved , do not boil , about 60 minutes Then stir in 1 cup of apera dessert wine . Continue to simmer for 20 minutes . Slice the cooled oranges and place slices into cleaned jars and pour over the simmered liquid . Seal the jar/ s . Any syrup left over can be bottled separately and used to spoon over cakes or ice creams .

LEMON SOUR CREAM CAKE

Ingredients ........250 gm of softened butter/ marg, 1 tbs of finely grated lemon rind , 440gm of castor sugar ,6 eggs , 180 gm of sour cream ,300gm of plain flour , 35gm of self raising flour ,80 gm of pine nuts ,1 tbs of demerara sugar and 90gm / 1/4 cup of warmed honey . You will need 23cm / 9" square pan . Grease the pan and line it with baking paper , extending the baking paper 2" over the sides. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C . Beat the butter/ marg ,lemon rind and castor sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer until light and fluffy . In a separate bowl beat together the eggs and stir in the sour cream , the flour mixture and add to the mixing bowl with the butter mix and mix to incorporate . Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes . Combine the nuts and sugar in a small bowl . Now remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle over the nut and sugar mixture , pressing down gently . Bake for a further 45 minutes . Remove the cake from the oven when a skewer inserted comes out clean . Stand cake in the pan for 5 minutes before turning top side up onto a wire rack . Warm the honey and drizzle evenly over the hot cake . Let cool before serving with Mascarpone .

SLOW COOKED PUMPKIN AND DUMPLING CASSEROLE

Ingredients.....500gm of butternut pumpkin ,peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces . 2 x 400gm cans of diced Italian tomatoes , 2 x 400gm of mixed beans ( drained ) , 2 cups of sliced mushrooms , 1 cup of water , 2 tbs of minced garlic , 2 tbs [ of dried Italian herb mix ), cracked black pepper . Place the above ingredients in a greased 4-5 litre slow cooker . Cook on low for 8.5 hours or high 4.5 hours . Ingredients you need for the dumplings ..... 1/2 cup of plain flour , 1/3 cup of polenta , 2 tbs of dried grated Parmesan cheese , 1 tsp of baking powder , 1/2 tsp of paprika , 1 beaten egg , 2 tbs of milk , 2 tbs of canola oil , 1 dsp of dried basil . To make the dumplings , mix the flour , polenta , Parmesan , baking powder, paprika in a medium bowl. Stir well and make a well in the centre . In a small bowl mix together the beaten egg , milk , canola oil and basil and add the combined mixture to the well . Spoon 2 tbs mounds of the batter in single layer on top of the pumpkin mixture in the slow cooker . Cook on high for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the dumplings comes out clean .

FIG AND QUINCE PASTE

Ingredients ...1 kg of quinces ,190 gm of chopped dried figs , 1 cinnamon stick , 1 cup castor sugar and 60 ml of lemon juice . Peel , core and quarter the quinces . Place the chopped quinces in a large pot along with the chopped figs ,cinnamon stick and enough water to just cover the ingredients . Bring to the boil , partly cover and simmer for about 1 hour or until most of the liquid is absorbed . Now discard the cinnamon stick and place the mixture into the bowl of your processor and process the mixture until pulpy . Measure the mixture by the cupful back into the pot and add 1 cup of sugar for every 1 cup of pulp . Stir in the sugar and the lemon juice . Continue to stir until the sugar dissolves . Cook over a very low heat for about 2 hours or until the mixture is pulling away from the sides of the pot . Oil and line a 20cm flan pan , pour the quince mixture into the pan . Stand at room temperature overnight until set . Serve with cheese and crackers , gauranteed not to last long .

SLOW COOKED PARMESAN CHICKEN ..

Can you believe it , a deliciously messy chicken dinner , take away style , cooked in the slow cooker ... THE INGREDIENTS .....175 ml of plain Greek yoghurt , 1.5 kg of chicken drumettes ,1 and 1/2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese , 1/3 rd of a cup of breadcrumbs , 1 dsp of dried parsley flakes ,1 dsp of chilli flakes , 1 dsp of cracked black pepper . Grease your 4 litre slow cooker with cooking spray . Place the chicken drumettes in a large bowl and add the yoghurt . Stir until the chicken is coated . In a separate bowl mix together the pepper , dried parsley , paprika , breadcrumbs . Toss the chicken drumettes through the flour mixture until well coated . Now place the coated chicken in your greased slow cooker . Cover and place on High for 4.5 hours or Low for 8.5 hours . When done , remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a serving platter ( discard the liquid ), and serve with oven baked chips ... OMG , slow cooked take away ... the best .!!

STICKY LEMON CAKE

For this dish , you can mix all the ingerdients in just one bowl . Ingredients you will need ...270 gm of plain flour , 1 dsp of baking powser ,180 gm of room temp butter/ marg , 180 gm of castor sugar ,3 beaten eggs , 2 lemons finely grated , 2 tbs of lemon juice , 100ml of milk . Ingredients for the icing .....60 gm of icing sugar ,60 ml of lemon juice . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Grease 23 cm round cake pan and line the base with baking paper . Place all the ingredients in the bowl of your electric mixer . Mix everything together until the batter is completely smooth and thoroughly combined . Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean . Remove from the oven , and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes then remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack . Let the cake cool completely . To make the icing mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes . Then drizzle over the cooled cake .

THAI SALMON STEAK MARINADE

You will need 4 salmon steaks / 6 salmon fillets with the skin on , 1 tbs of peanut oil , 3 tbs of lemon juice , 2 tbs of minced garlic ,1/4 cup of white vinegar , 1 tbs of soft brown sugar , 1/2 tsp of salt , 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes , 1 dsp of finely chopped coriander . To prepare the marinade mix the peanut oil , lemon juice together. Now mix in the minced garlic , the white vinegar , sugar ,salt , chilli flakes and chopped coriander . Coat each side of the salmon steaks / fillets and let them marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours . The marinated salmon can be oven baked and served on a mixed grain and vegetable mixture or grilled and served with a mixed leaf salad . It's your dish , make it your own .

LEMON SLICE

INGREDIENTS ......150gm of butter/ marg, 1 cup of plain flour ,1/2 cup of icing sugar . Topping ...2 tbs of custard powder, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 cup of castor sugar , 1/2 cup of lemon juice ,1 tbs of grated lemon rind , 3 eggs . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Line the base of a 20cm x 30 cm of an ovenproof dish with baking paper . Melt the butter/ marg and mix in the flour and sugar . Press the dough into the base of the prepared dish / pan . Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the base is lightly golden . While baking the base ,. prepare the topping . Mix together in a bowl the custard powder ,baking powder , castor sugar , lemon juice , lemon rind and eggs until well combined . When the slice base is baked , pour the topping over and bake for a further 25 minutes or until set . Remove from the oven allow to cool completely and then cut into slices when cold .

RASPBERRY JAM

This is a very simple and succesful jam to make . You will need 3 cups of raspberries ,( fresh or frozen ), 2/3 rds of a cup of castor sugar . If using frozen raspberries let them defrost naturally . Place the raspberries in a medium pot over a medium heat and cook slowly until the juice runs clear from them . Now bring to the boil and add the sugar and stir until dissolved . Boil for 5 minutes , stirring constantly , then pour into clean ,dry jars and seal . This jam will will set after 5 days in stoage in your pantry .

KIWIFRUIT RELISH

You will need 500gm of peeled kiwi fruit , 1 peeled onion, 3 fresh chillies deseeded , 1 tbs of minced garlic ,1 cup of soft brown sugar and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar . You will also need clean glass jars with lids . (I use 230 gm jar =2/3rds of a cup ) Let's get started ... Roughly chop the peeled kiwifruit , finely chop the peeled onion and deseeded chillies . Place the kiwifruit , onion and chillies , minced ginger ,sugar and vinegar in a saucepan . Cook over a medium heat for 60 minutes or until the mixture is thick and pulpy . Spoon into clean dry jars and seal , this amount will make about 2 cups of relish .

SLOW COOKED LAMB SHANKS IN RED WINE

INGREDIENTS ......4 lamb shanks or knuckles , 4 tbs of minced garlic ,400gm of diced tomatoes ,3 tbs of tomato paste , 1 cup of red wine , 3 tbs of ground majoram , 4 peeled and thinly sliced potatoes ,2 x 300gm can of chickpeas , 2 tbs of tahini, parsley sprigs to serve . Preheat your oven to 200 deg C . Place the lamb shanks coated with the minced garlic in an oven proof dish and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes to draw out the fat . Drain on absorbent paper . Discard any liquid fat ,place the garlic coated shanks in your greased slow cooker . In a separate bowl mix together the canned diced tomatoes , the tomato paste , marjoram and red wine , adding this mixture to the shanks . Place your slow cooker on high and cook for 4 hours . Meanwhile cook your peeled and sliced potatoes in salted boiling water , until tender . Now drain , reserving a little cooking water to make a smooth creamy mixture . In a separate bowl drain the chickpeas and puree with the tahini. Mix the mashed potato and chickpea puree together until well combined . Spoon the potato and chickpea puree onto the serving plates and top with the lamb and sauce over top , dressed with a parsley sprig .

THE GARDEN COOK

Thank you Roel for the produce from your vegetable garden and Maureen for sharing , nothing goes to waste in The Manor kitchen . Ive chopped fresh silverbeet and basil , enough for tonights Roo ragout and another two meals .... Country cooking is alive and thriving ...!!!

OLIVE SODA BREAD

Ingredients you will need ....125 gm of butter/ margarine , 60 gm of castor sugar , 1 egg beaten , 185gm of plain flour ,470 gm of wholemeal self raiing flour, 1 and 1/2 tsp of bi carbonate soda , 375 ml of buttermilk / milk ,125 gm of sliced black olives , 1 dsp of poppy seeds ,1 tsp of salt flakes . Preheat your oven to 190 deg C . Line a baking tray with baking paper . Place the butter / margarine , sugar in your electric mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. Now replace your mixer beaters with the dough hook and add the flour mix , bi carb of soda ,egg and buttermilk / milk . Mix with the dough hook until you have a soft dough . Lightly flour your work surface and knead in the drained and sliced black olives . Shape the dough into a 20 cm / 8" circle and place on the baking paper lined oven tray . Using a sharp knife , cut a cross on top . Sprinkle with the poppy seeds and salt flakes . Bake for 45 minutes in your preheated oven or until the cob is well coloured . Remove the oven tray from the oven and let the bread stand on the oven tray for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely . Sunday's are well spent baking bread and Monday's enjoying them sliced with butter/ marg .

BEER AND BASIL BREAD

INGREDIENTS.....375gm of self raising flour , 60 gm of castor sugar ,6 tbs of freshly chopped basil ,1 tsp of cracked pepper , 375ml of beer at room temperature . Preheat your oven to 160 deg C . Come on what is the one basic ingredient missing from this recipe , and why would it be missing ? Okay , let's get started ..... Place the flour , sugar ,basil, cracked pepper and beer in the bowl of your mixer , using your dough hook to mix to a soft dough . Place the dough in a greased and lightly sprinkled with polenta polenta 11cm x 21 cm loaf pan . Bake for 50 minutes or until the bread tested with a skewer comes out clean . Remove from the oven and let stand in the pan for 5 minutes , then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely . By the way any beer can be used in this recipe , low alcohol beer , zero alcohol beer or full strength . So last question what ingredient do all the above beers have in common ?

BLUEBERRY SORBET

Ingredients required .......500gm of blueberries ( defrosted if using frozen berries ) , 1/2 cup of sugar ,1 cup of water , 1/4 cup of lemon juice ,2 egg whites . Puree the blueberries and set aside . In a medium saucepan mix together the water and sugar , cook over a low heat stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved . Now remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool slightly . Combine the slightly cooled syrup with the pureed blueberries and lemon juice . Pour the mix into a shallow dish and place it in the freezer until the mixture starts to freeze on top . Beat the egg whites until thick and then fold through the partially frozen blueberry mix. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refreeze to set . Serve scooped into chilled glasses .

BEEF OLIVES

Ingredients required ......1 cup of breadcrumbs ,1/4 cup of chopped prunes ,1 small onion ,finely chopped ,1/2 tsp of finely grated lemon rind ,1/2 tsp of dried thyme ,6 pieces of beef schnitzel,2 tbs of canola oil ,2 tbs of plain flour,3/4 cup of beef stock ,2 tbs of soy sauce . Preheat your oven to 160 deg C . Combine the breadcrumbs , prunes, onion, lemon rind and thyme . Lay the pieces of scnitzel out flat and divide the bread crumb mixture evenly between the pieces of the meat . Spread each piece of meat with the breadcrumb mix , roll up and secure with toothpicks . Heat the oil in a frypan , add the beef olives and browm on all sides , then transfer the beef olives to a casserole dish . Now stir the flour into the frypan and deglaze by adding the stock , stirring constantly , bring to the boil and finally add the soy sauce . Pour this over the beef olives and cook in the preheated oven for 30 mintes or until the meat is tender . Remove toothpicks before serving .

CARAMEL MERINGUE

Ingredients for the base ...75 gm (room temperature ) butter / marg ,1 and 1/2 tbsof castor sugar ,1 beaten egg, 1 measuring cup of plain flour , 1 tsp of baking powder, pinch salt . Ingredients for the filling .....1 tbs of butter/ marg,2 tbs of plain flour ,1/2 cup of brown sugar,1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk ,1 tbs of golden syrup,1 tsp of vanilla extract,2 beaten egg yolks. Ingredients for the meringue topping ....2 egg whites , 1/4 cup of castor sugar . Preheat your oven to 190 deg C . THE BASE.....Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy , then add the flour , baking powder and salt along with the beaten egg . Press the dough into a square 30cm x 20cm removable sided pan lined with baking paper over the base. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes . Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan . Decrease the oven temperature to 160 deg C. THE FILLING .....In a saucepan melt the butter/ marg over a med/ low heat , add the butter/ marg and cook until frothy . Stir in the sugar , condensed milk , golden syrup , vanilla and beaten egg yolks , sti continuously over a medium / low heat for 1 minute and then remove from the heat and cool completely . Spread the cold filling over the base.. THE MERINGUE .....Beat the egg whites until stiff using an electric mixer , now gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff and glossy . Top the meringue over the filling , bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes . Slice the meringue while hot .

TOMATO SAUCE

You will need 3.5 kg of tomatoes , chopped , 1 kg of apples ,peeled and chopped ,6 onions , peeled and chopped ,2 cups of brown castor sugar ,4 cups of malted vinegar , 2 tbs of salt , 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper, 1 tsp of black pepercorns , 1 tsp of allspice ,1 dsp of whole cloves .. Place the tomatoes, apples, onions, sugar , vinegar , salt and cayenne pepper into a soup pot . Tie the peppercorns , allspice and whole cloves in muslin and add to the tomato mixture . Boil steadily for 2 hours or until the mixture is completely pulpy / mushy . Discard the whole spices . Using a hand processor , process the tomato mixture and then return the to the heat and boil for 2 minutes . Now pour into warm , clean , dry bottles and seal .

LEMON YOGHURT ICE CREAM TERRINE

Ingredients required.....500ml of vanilla icecream , 500gm of Greek yoghurt ,1/4 cup of lemon curd ,1 tsp of finely grated lemon rind ,lemon wedges . Leave the ice cream to soften . Mix together the yoghurt , lemon curd and lemon rind together . Next mix in the softened ice cream . Line a 10cm x 17 cm loaf pan with foil to cover the base and the long sides ( not the ends of the pan ). Pour the mixture into the pan , smooth over the surface , place in the freezer and freeze until firm . To serve turn out on a serving plate and slice , garnish with thin lemon wedges .

PEAR TARTE TATIN

The ingredients you need for this simple and stylish dessert ...80 gm canof pear halves , 50 gm of butter/ marg ,1 cup of castor sugar , 2 sheets pre rolled flaky pastry . Preheat your oven to 200deg C . Drain the tinned pears , melt the butter/ marg and sugar in a 20cm frying pan with a metal handle . Arrange the pears in a circular fashion in the pan over the melted butter/ marg sugar mix . Brush one of the pastry sheets lightly with water and then place the second sheet on top of the first . Place the pastry over of the pears and trim the pastry excess around the pan . Place the pastry covered pan over a medium heat for 15 minutes , then remove from the heat and place in the preheated oven for 1o minutes or until the pastry is golden . Carefully turn out onto a serving plate and serve hot with thickened cream .

MIXED SEED SODA BREAD

I'm addicted to bread making .... I love this recipe it's so easy .... The ingredients you will need is cooking spray , 350 gm of wholemeal plain flour , 50 gm of sunflower seeds , 2 tbs of poppy seeds , 1 tsp of bi carb of soda , 1 tsp of salt , 1 tsp of castor sugar , 300ml of buttermilk ( 300ml of normal milk with 1 dsp of vinegar ) . Preheat your oven to 220deg C . Line a baking tray with baking paper . Mix the flour , sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, bicarbonate of soda , salt and sugar together in a bowl . Make a well in the centre , add the buttermilk and gradually work into the flour mixture to form a soft dough . Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes . Shape into a cirle ( a flattish round ) . Transfer to the baking paper lined oven tray . Cut a cross in the top of the bread with a sharp knife . Sprinkle a little extra wholemeal flour over top . bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 200 deg C and bake for a further 25 minutes until the loaf is risen and sounds hollow when tapped underneath . Let cool completely on a wire rack .

KANGAROO MINCE HOTPOT

Ingredients required I kg of kangaroo mince , 2 medium sized zucchini ( sliced and diced ), 300gm of shredded carrot , 2 medium sized onions peeled and sliced , 300gm of celery chopped , 6 mini capsicums sliced , 4 medium tomatoes quartered , 2 tbs of minced garlic , 1 x 700gm jar of tomato pasta sauce , 4 tbs of fish sauce , 4 tbs of ketjap manis ( sweet soy sauce ) , 250 ml of dry red wine , 750 ml of water , 2 tbs of dried majoram , 3 tbs of canola oil . Okay , let's get started ......as there are a lot of ingredients I suggest you use a large pot and coat the base with 3 tbs of canola oil and heat over a medium heat adding the sliced onions and cooking them until they are tender . Now add the diced zucchini stirring to incorporate . Now add the chopped celery , minced garlic , sliced mini caps along with the red wine and water mixture and bring to the simmer ,add the minced garlic , shredded carrot , bring to the simmer again and add 1 kg of kangaroo mince and stir through until well incorporated . It is at this point I transferred the mixture to my crock pot / slow cooker , but you can easily cook this dish in your pot on the stove , ( I had a lot of time for the meal to cook in the slow cooker ). I stirred through the fish sauce and let it incorporate followed by the ketjap manis , taste as you go , it's delicious . Finally I sprinkled over 2 tbs of dried majoram and stirred through , cooked on high until the dish was bubbling and then turned the slow cooker to low , until the dish was ready to serve . This is delicious and can be served as you like with pasta , rice or a mash ... your meal you choose !!!

THE MANOR MARINATED SPARE RIBS

Marinated spare ribs are popular at any family gathering at The Manor . The ingredients required 1.5 kg of pork ribs, 150 ml of barbe que sauce , 70 ml of ketjap manis ( sweet soy sauce ) 2 tbs of minced garlic . When I purchase racks of spare ribs ,I separate the ribs with a sharp knife . In a large bowl mix together the barbeque sauce , ketjap manis and minced garic , finally add the ribs and use your hands to make sure the ribs are well covered with the marinate . Then cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate until required .( Marinate for at least 2 hours before cooking ) . The marinated ribs can be frozen until required . The ribs can be barbequed or oven oven baked in a very hot oven or under the grill .

STEAK AND KIDNEY WITH DUMPLINGS

Ingredients you will need .... 1 tbs of canola / rice bran oil , 20 gm of butter/ marg , 1 kg of skirt steak ( cut into cubes ), 250 gm of lamb kidneys ( cores removed ),1 onion peeled and chopped , 185 gm of sliced mushrooms, 30 gm of plain flour ,250 gm of beef stock, 1 dsp of Worcestershire sauce . Herb dumplings ...125 gm of plain flour , 1 and 1/2 tsp of baking powder ,1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley ,1/ 2 tsp of dried thyme ,1 egg lightly beaten ,80 ml ( 1/3 rd cup ) of milk. This is the recipe that my aunt Ruby Newton and my mother Betty Grunberg used to make the weekly dish of steak and kidney with dumplings . Place the cubed beef and trimmed kidneys in a large pot greased with the oil and butter/ marg and brown over a high heat , then add the chopped onion and continue to cook until the onion is tender , reduce the heat to medium and add the sliced mushrooms . Now sprinkle with the plain flour and stir to combine , then add the stock and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook , stirring until the sauce thickens . Cover the saucepan and simmer for 90 minutes over a medium heat until the meat is tender . Now is the time to prepare your dumplings . Mix together the flour , baking powder , 1/2 tsp of salt into a bowl, stir through the parsley and thyme. Mix egg the milk together in a separate bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the combined egg and milk mixture . Use a flat bladed knife to create a soft dough . DO NOT OVER MIX . Drop tbs of the mix over the bubbling steak and kidney mix . Cover the pot and continue for 20 minutes without lifting the lid . Now remove the lid from the pot and serve your dish with green vegetables of your choice .

SIMPLE WHOLEMEAL LOAF

The ingredients you need for this bread .... 250 gm of plain flour , 250 gm of wholemeal flour ,1/2 tsp of instant dry yeast (2.5 gm ), 1/2 tsp of salt , 2 tbs of honey ,1 and 1/4 cups ( measuring cups ) of luke warm water . To prepare the dough , mix together the flour , wholemeal flour , yeast and salt . In a separate bowl , combine the honey and water . Add the water mixture to the dry ingredients , I used my electric mixer with the dough hook and mixed until a dough was formed and it left the bowl clean . If your bowl seems dry , add a little more water ( 1 tbs at a time ), until desired consistency is achieved . Now cover your mixing bowl with cling wrap . Set aside and let the dough rise for 18- 24 hours at room temperature , your dough will be ready when it has puffed up in volume , about double in size . Once the dough has proved ,leaving the dough in the bowl , knock back the dough with your hands . Lightly flour a board and shape the dough into a ball , fold the dough in half and then fold it in half again . Shape the dough into a ball by ticking the sides underneath . Time to preheat your oven to 200 deg C . Place the dough on a baking paper lined oven tray . Cover loosely with cling wrap and a tea towel and proof for 45 minutes - 90 minutes .. depending on how warm your kitchen is .( the dough needs to be doubled in size ) . When the dough has risen score the top with a sharp knife 4 times . Now place the dough on the oven tray in the preheated oven and bake for 60 minutes or until the bread has formed a crisp crust . Once the bread has formed a crisp crust , tap the base of the bread and it should sound hollow , if not place bake in the oven for 10minutes . Place the bread on a wire rack to cool completely . Store and cover for 3 days at room temperature . This bread also freezes really well .

OSSO BUCCO

For this dish you will need to go see your local butcher and ask for 8 veal shanks and ask for the bone removed . 1/2 cup of flour , 1/3 cup of canola / rice bran oil ,1 large onion , finely chopped , 1 large carrot , sliced , 2 tbs of minced garlic ,1 cup of chicken stock ,1/2 cup of wwhite wine , 1 x 44ogm can of diced tomatoes , 2 tbs of freshly chopped parsley , 1 tbs of finely grated lemon rind , 1 tbs of garlic flakes . Please preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Toss the shank meat lightly in the flour and shake off the excess . Heat the oil in a large heavy based pan ,cook the veal over a medium heat until browned all over . Remove and drain on paper towelling . Place the veal in a lightly greased medium sized ovenproof dish. Now add the carrots , onions , garlic , stock , wine , diced tomatoes . Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes or until the veal is tender . Serve sprinkled with parsley , lemon rind and garlic flakes .