SPAGHETTI PASTA WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND VEGETABLES

Ingredients......250gm of spaghetti, 1 tbs of canola/ rice vran oil, 1 dsp of minced garlic, 1 and 1/2 cups of grated sweet potatoes, 1 small zucchini, trimmed and sliced, 1/2 cup of chopped broccolin, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1 tsp of minced ginger, 1 tbs of soft brown sugar, 1/2 cup of crunchy peanut bitter, 1/4 tsp of sweet paprika. Cook the spaghetti in lightly salted boiling water until tender, drain and set aside. heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot. saute the minced garlic until fragrant. Add the vegetables and stir fry for 5 minutes. Turn down the heat to to low, now add the soy sauce, minced ginger, brown sugar and the peanut butter. Stir to combine and stir thyrough the paprika. Toss in the spaghetti and serve hot with crusty bread.

FLOUR

Wheat flour is the most commonly used flour in baking. The amount of protein/ gluten in wheat flour varies between different types. Plain white flour... has the bran and wheat germ removed. Soft white flour.... is made from wheat with a low gluten content. it is ideal for making cake, biscuits and pastry. Strong plain flour... is made from wheat with a high gluten content and is used for breads and yeast cookery. Self raising flour....is plain white flour with baking powder added. To make your own self raising flour add 1 dsp of baking powder to each 225 gm of pklain flour. Wholemeal flour.....is flour that has been made from the whole of the wheat grain and is heavier and coarser that white flour. It is also available as a strong, high glten flour for bread making and a soft, lower gluten flour for cakes and pastry. There are many other flours, such as brown flour, coconut flour, cornflour, buckwheat, rice, tigernut...ect, sometimes used to a limited extent in baking, each having their own characteristic or flavour.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW.?

WHAT DO YOU KNOW? The answers to March's challenge : 1. Samosa. 4. Hoisin. 2. Rollup. 5. Germ. 3. Pinch. 6. Persimmon. Here is my April challenge for you: 1. Melted fat and residue left in the pan after meat or poultry have been cooked and can be used for basting during cooking. 2. To soak dried fruit in liquid until soft and swollen. 3. To cook fish, poultry, vegetables and some puddings in a perforated pan over boiling water. 4. A thick dark brown syrup which is a refined for of molasses. 5. A bowl of ingredients placed inside a baking dish containing boiling water and placed in a heated oven to cook with a gentle heat. 6. A soft caramel confection with various flavourings, usually cut into small squares when soft.

HONEY PUMPKIN COUSCOUS SALAD

Ingredients.....600gm of pumpkin, cut into bite sized pieces, 1 onion, sliced, 3 tbs of honey, 1 tsp of chilli flakes (optional), 185 gm of couscous, 25 gm of butter/ marg, 2 tbs of canol/ rice bran oil, 1 cup of boiling water, 3 tbs of flaked almonds. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line an ovenproof dish with baking paper. Place the pumpkin and onion in a bowl with the honey, chilli flakes and oil. Toss around to evenly coat, place in the ovenproof dish and roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Place the couscous and the butter/ marg in a bowl and pour over 1 cup of boiling water and cover the bowl tightly with cling wrap for 10 minutes. Fluff the couscous and then cover again for 5 minutes. Now remove the cling wrap, fluff again and separate with your fingers. Add the roasted pumpkin mixture to the couscous along with the almond flakes. Toss to combine. Serve this dish as a warm salad or as a side to your main dish. Enjoy.

SALMON RISSOLES

Ingredients......415 gm can of pink salmon, drained and mashed, 1/2 cup of whole egg mayonnaise, 1 dsp of dried dill, 1 cup of mashed sweet potato, 1 cup of panko bread crumbs. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line an oven sheet with baking paper. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and season with cracked black pepper. Shape into golf ball size rounds and flatten slightly with the back of a fork. Place on the lined oven sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. I serve the salmon rissoles with a green vegetable and a side serve of chips/ wedges. They also make a great filling for a burger....

SCONE…

What is a scone? An eggless plain cake made with self raising flour, butter/ marg, sugar and baking powder using the rubbing in method, then made into a paste with the addition of milk. Cut into small rounds and baked in a hot oven. Scones should be eaten fresh, split and buttered or spread with jam and whipped cream. Scones are also called English scone, hot biscuit. Scones are named after the original oatmeal and sour milk cake made in Scone, Scotland. SCONE CAKE MIXTURE (1) 225 gm of self raising flour, 6 tbs of butter/ marg, cut into small pieces, 15gm of castor sugar, pinch of salt, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 50 ml of milk. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line a baking tray / sheet with baking paper. Sift the flour into a bowl rub the butter/ marg with your fingertips, lifting your hands high to incorporate air into the mix. The mixture should resemble breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and salt. Stir in the combined egg and milk mixture. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly. Shape the dough into a circle to a thickness of 2 cm/ 3/4". Do not be heavy handed, scones need a light touch. Cut into 6 cm/2 and 1/2 " rounds with a floured biscuit cutter. Repeat the process until all the dough has been used. Place the scones on the lined oven sheet/ tray and brush the tops with a little extra milk. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with thickened cream and jam. SCONE CAKE MIXTURE (2) Ingredients.....55 gm of butter, diced and chilled, 450 gm of plain flour, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 dsp of baking powder, 2 tbs of castor sugar, 250 ml of milk. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line a baking tray/ oven sheet with baking paper. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together in a bowl. Rub the butter/ marg into the flour mix with your fingertips, it should look like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk. Quickly mix with a round bladed knife to form a smooth dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work bench and knead lightly Follow the above directions for shaping the dough and scone cutting. There are many variations for scone recipes, the two recipes above are the oldest I can find for plain scone cakes.

GINGERBREAD CAKES

Ingredients......450gm of plain flour, 1 dsp of bi carb of soda, , 3 tbs of ground ginger, 225 gm of butter/ marg, 225 gm of treacle or golden syrup. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Mix the flour, bi carb of soda and ginger in a large bowl. Melt the butter and treacle/ syrup in a saucepan over a low heat until the mixture combines, be careful not to overheat. Pour the treacle mixture into the dry ingredients. Beat until a smooth batter/ dough forms. Shape the dough into a recatangle and cut the gingerbread using a cookie cutter. Place the cakes on the prepared trays and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack These cakes are best left for one day before eating to become moist. They keep well in an airtight container.