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.

SPICY VEGETABLE MUFFINS.

Ingredients.....2 cups of self raising flour, 3 tsp of curry powder, cracked black pepper to taste, 1/2 cup of grated carrot, 1/2 cup of grated sweet potato, (kumara), 1 cup of grated cheese, 90 gm of melted butter/ marg, 1 egg lightly beaten, 3/4 cup of milk. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 12 hole muffin pan. Mix the flour, curry powder and papper in a bowl. Add the carrot, sweet potato and cheese, mix through with your fingertips, until evenly combined. Make a well in the centre...do not overmix, the batter should be quite lumpy. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the muffins are puffed and golden. Serve with butter/ marg or as you desire.

HARD BOILED EGGS.

Would'nt you love hard boiled eggs that popped easily from their shells, well they will as long you put them in cold water first, which no one does these days. I also want to share with you, that if you turn the boiling water off and leave the eggs in the pot for 10 minutes with the lid on, the yolks stay yellow instead of turning that greyish green shade. Treasured advice that a dear lady named Jessie Mersey shared with me, many years ago.

WHAT IS IN A NAME?

KOFTA.....Middle Eastern in origin...spiced minced meat mixed with spices and formed around skwers, brushed with oil and grilled. A typical mix might contain double minced lamb, chopped onion, chopped parsley, ground all spice, fenugreek, red pepper, chilli and salt. KOFTU, KOFTE.....South Asian in origin...finely groung meat blended with finely chopped aromatics, seasonings and herbs bound with egg and formed into balls. Sometimes dried fruit is incorporated. SEAFOOD CHOWDER......American..The name for fish soups based on a mixture of fish stock and milk with sweated vegetables and pieces of fish, occasionally thickened with cornflour. BOUILLABISSE ......French....A Mediterranean soup made with firm white fish and shellfish, tomatoes, herbs, saffron and olive oil. RAVIOLI.....Is the fillingin between 2 round discs of pasta, ravioli is not the shape. AGNOLOTTI../..PAZLACHE ..It is a half moon shape, made with a folded pasta disc. Traditionally filled with mince lamb and sauteed in butter mixed with boiled rice or spinach, cheese and seasonings, can also be tossed in pan juices.

LAMB KOFTA

What is a kofta? It is of Middle eastern origin. Cylinders of spiced minced meat shaped around skewers, brushed with oil and and grilled. Ingredients...250 gm of lamb mince, ( you can use either beef or pork mince as an alternative), 75 gm of crumbled feta cheese, 1/4 small onion, finely chopped, 1 tbs of minced garlic, 1 dsp of fresh chopped mint, 1 tsp of ground cumin, 1 dsp of chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp of paprika flakes, 1/2 tsp of ground coriander, 1 tsp of minced ginger, 1 tsp of cracked blacl pepper, 8 - 10 metal skewers. Place all the above ingredients into large bowl. Mix to combine. Divide the mince mixture into 4cm x 8cm long sausages. Thread one sausage onto each skewer. Place on a baking tray and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Heat your griller on high, add the koftas and reduce the heat to medium. Cook , turning occasionally until cooked through, about 12 minutes. transfer to a large serving dish, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. I serve the koftas with steamed carrot sticks, zucchini batons, olives and cubed cheese. Delicious.