BEEF IN GUINNESS.

Ingredients....1.5 kg of chuck steak, cut in 3 cm pieces, cracked black pepper to taste, 1/4 cup of plain flour, 1/4 cup of canola oil/ rice bran oil, 4 onions cut into wedges, 1 tbs of dried thyme leaves / 1/4 cup of fresh thyme leaves, 500 ml of Guinness stout, 250 ml of beef stock, 1/4 cup of tomato paste, 60 ml of Worcestershire sauce, 4 small parsnips, trimmed and quartered, mashed potato/ sweet mashed potato, if you desire. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a large oven proof saucepan with a lid over a medium heat. Add 1/2 of the beef, turning occasionally until browned. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining oil and remaining beef and add to the sealed beef in the bowl. Add the remaining oil and onion to the pot/ saucepan, cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Finally return the beef to the saucepan/ pot with the thyme, Guinness, stock, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Add the parsnips and cook for a further 45 minutes. Serve with mashed potato / mashed sweet potato.

LEMON RICOTTA CAKE.

This is a lemony cake from Sardinia and is quite different from a traditional cheesecake, but a cheesecake non the less. Ingredients....75 gm of butter/ marg, 175 gm of castor sugar, 75 gm of ricotta cheese, 3 eggs at room temp, separated, 175 gm of plain flour, grated rind o f 1 lemon, 3 tbs of lemon juice, 1 and 1/2 tsp of baking powder, icing sugar for dusting. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease and lightly sprinkle with fine polenta a 23 cm round baking pan. Cream the butter / marg and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the ricotta cheese. Beat in the egg yolks along with 2 tbs of the flour, lemon rind and juice. Mix the remaining flour with the baking powder and beat into the batter until just blended. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold them carefully into the batter. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until tested with a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to stand in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Liberally sprinkle icing sugar over the top before serving.

FRENCH MUSTARD DRUMSTICKS.

These are delicious, easily prepared and great served as a main with vegetables or a light lunch alongside a salad. A great way to make the most of prices of a bulk buy of chicken drumsticks. Ingredients....1 and 1/2 tbs of soy sauce, 3 tbs of canola / rice bran oil, 1 tbs of mustard seeds, 3 tbs of french mustard, 1 tbs of lemon juice, 8 chicken drumsticks. ( If you do not have any mustard seeds, you can replace the French mustard and mustard seeds by purchsing a jar of wholegrain mustard.) Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Lightly grease a baking dish . In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, oil, mustard seeds, mustard and lemon juice. Place the drumsticks in the prepared dish, pour over the mustard sauce and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. These can be served hot or cold.

THAI FRIED BANANAS.

This is so simple and quick, bananas fried in butter/ marg, brown sugar, lime juice and sprinkled with toasted coconut and served with thick and creamy yoghurt. Ingredients.......40 gm of butter/ marg, 4 large slightly under ripe bananas, 2 tbs of desiccated coconut, 4 tbs of lime juice, lime slices to serve (optional), thick and creamy yoghurt. Heat the butter/ marg in a large pan and fry the bananas for for 2 minutes on each side or until they are lightly golden in colour. Sprinkle the sugar over the bananas, add the lime juice and cook , stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Dry fry the coconut in a small pan until lighly browned, remove from heat and set aside. Place the bananas on a serving dish. sprinkle over the toasted coconut. Serve with a thick and creamy yoghurt. Delicious...

TOMATOES MEDITERRANEAN

Ingredients.....2 small eggplants cubed and sprinkled with salt, set aside for 1 hour, then rinse the eggplants, this will eliminate any bitterness. ! tbs of oil, 1 large onion sliced into fine wedges, 8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, 500gm of zucchini, sliced, 420 gm can of condensed tomato soup, 1/3 rd cup of water, 1 tbs of finely chopped fresh basil / 1 tsp of dried basil, cracked black pepper to taste. Heat the oil in a large pot and gently saute the eggplants, zucchini, onions and tomatoes for 10 minutes. Combine the soup and water and add to the pot with the herbs. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Serve with a pasta of your choice.

BANANA, HONEY AND PEANUT BUTTER CAKE.

Ingredients.....125 gm butter/ marg, 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar, 1/4 cup of honey, 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 1/3 rd cup of crunchy peanut butter, 1 cup of mashed bananas ( 3 small bananas), 2 cups of wholemeal / self raising wheat flour. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Brush a loaf pan lightly with oil and line with baking paper. Use your electric mixer to beat the sugar, butter/ marg and honey together until light and creamy. Mix together the eggs and peanut butter and then add them to the butter mixture, beating thoroughly until combined. Next add the mashed bananas. Use a fork to mash the bananas, do not use a processor and do not use defrosted frozen bananas, as using either or both will add too much moisture ....I know from experience. Using a spoon, fold in the flour and stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave the cake stand in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Slice and serve with butter/ marg, if desired.

VEGETABLE AND SALMON SLICE.

Ingredients...425 gm can of salmon, drained and flaked, 2 zucchini, grated, 1 carrot grated, 1 onion, grated, 125 gm of grated cheese, 4 eggs, lightky beaten, 1/4 cup of canola/ rice bran oil, 1/2 cup of self raising flour. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a large flan dish or a 30cm x 20cm baking pan. Using a large bowl, miz together all the ingredients. Spoon the combined mixture into the prepared dish / pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before slicing to serve. This dish is delicious eaten hot or cold.