DEEP FRIED HONEY PUFFS.

Ingredients....3 eggs, lightly beaten, 1/4 cup of orange juice, 1/4 cup of canola/ rice bran opil, zest of 1 large orange, 1/4 cup of castor sugar, 300 gm of plain flour, 1 dsp of baking powder, canola/ rice bran oil for deep frying. Syrup..... 2 tbs of lemon juice, 1 and 1/2 cups of castor sugar, 1/3 rd of a cup of honey, zest of 1 large orange. Mix together the eggs, orange juice and 1/4 cup of oil. Add the orange zest and sugar and whisk well to combine. Mix together the flour and baking powder and stir into the egg mixture with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle your work surface with extra flour, turn out the dough and knead lightly until smooth. Shape out to 5 cm thickness. Cut into 5 cm rounds with a biscuit cutter. Place the syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan with 1 and 1/2 cups of water, stir while it comes to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes . set aside. Heat the oil in your deep fryer to 170 deg C. Add the honey cakes a few at a time and fry until puffed and goldenon both sides. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Place a couple of the cakes at a time in the syrup, turn to coat, then remove to a serving dish with a slotted spoon. Serve immediately.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ?

The answers to June's challenge... 1. Salad. 4.Bartlett. 2. Pineapple. 5. Feijoa. 3. Turmeric. 6. Lemon curd. Here is my July challenge for you...... 1. Remember when Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey? What was she eating? 2. To plunge food into boiling or simmering water for a short period of time? 3. To heat a liquid to a point to a point just before boiling? 4. A chocolate coating for cakes? 5. A hihly perishable summer squash. The blossom of the young plant can be eaten, stuffed or fried? 6. Cooking vegetables in a little oil or fat over a medium heat in a covered pot or pan which releases moisture and intensifies the flavour?

BALTI FISH FILLETS IN A SPICY COCONUT SAUCE.

Balti is an economical, easily prepared style of Indian food. Balti food consists of marinated and spiced ingredients usually stir fried and cooked in a pan. Ingredients.....30 ml of canola oil, 1 dsp of dried onions, 2-3 dried chilli flakes, 3 tbs of minced garlic, 1 onion, sliced, 8 cherry tomatoes, sliced, 2 tbs of desiccated coconut, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp of ground coriander, 4 firm white fish fillets, 75gm - 100gm each, 150 ml of water, 15 ml of lime juice, 1 tbs of fresh coriander, chopped. Heat the oil in a deep round frying pan over a high heat. Lower the heat and add the onions dried and sliced, chilli flakes. Cook for 4 minutes stirring until the sliced onion softens. Add the tomatoes, coconut, salt and ground coriander, stir through to blend thoroughly. Cut each fish fillet into 3 pieces. Drop the fish pieces into the mixture and gently turn them until they are well coated. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 7 minutes. Add the water, lime juice and fresh coriander and cook until the water has almost evaporated. Serve with a plain steamed grain.

VEAL SALTIMBOCCA

Saltimboca is a Roman speciality, that means " jumps in the mouth". It is made from very thin slices of meat, usually veal and topped with sage leaves and prosciutto or ham, rolled and sauteed in butter and wine. Ingredients.....4 x 100 gm veal schnitzels, uncoated, 4 fresh sage leaves, 4 slices of prosciutto / 4 rindless middle bacon rashers (260 gm), 250 ml of dry white wine. Roll up each schnitzel and top with a sage leaf. Wrap one prosciutto / bacon strip around each schnitzel, secure with skewers or toothpicks. Cook the schnitzels in heated oiled frying pan, bacon seam side down, turning occasionally, until cooked. Remove from pan, keep warm. Pour the wine into the pan, bring to the boil, stirring until the the liquid has reduced by half. Drizzle the sauce over the saltimbocca and serve with chips and a salad or as you like.

HONEY NUT ROLL.

Ingredients....30 gm marg/ butter, at room temp, 1 tsp of finely chopped rosemary leaves, 1/2 cup of honey, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 1 cup of plain flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1 tbs of milk, 1/2 cup of granulated nuts, 1/2 cup of currants. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Grease a nut/ fruit roll pan and line the lids with over hanging baking paper. Beat the margarine/ butter with the rosemary and honey. Add the egg and beat well to incorporate. Mix together the flour and baking powder. Fold in alternately with the milk, nuts and sultanas. Spoon into the prepared fruit/ nut roll pan and bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes or until checked with a skewer inserted coming out clean. Carefully remove from the roll pan and cool on a wire rack. The honey nut roll can be served warm or cool with butter . I have made this honey nut roll replacing the rosemary with the same amount in peanut butter and also with grated lemon rind. The success to this roll lies in the fact that you fold in the dry ingredients, do not beat them.

SPICY PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE.

Ingredients......340 gm packet of buttercake mix, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of ground ginger, 1 tsp of mixed spice, 60 gm of butter/ marg, 3/4 of a cup of cooked, well drained, mashed pumpkin/ sweet potato, 1/2 cup of milk, icing sugar. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 23 cm fluted bundt pan and lightly dust with polents. (You can use a square 23 cm square pan). Place the cake mix in the bowl of your electric mixer. Add the ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice, pumpkin and milk. Beat for 3 minutes and then spoonthe batteer into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave stand in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Just before serving sprinkle over with icing sugar.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP.

Ingredients...1 small cauliflower divided into small flowerets,125 gm of diced ham pieces, 30 gm wholemeal flour, 125 ml of milk, 1/2 cup of cream, cracked black pepper to taste, 2 leeks, chopped, 1.5 litres chicken salt, 60 gm butter/ marg, 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten, 2 grated carrots. In a large soup pot, melt the butter/marg and mix in the flour, Add the stock and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Add the cauliflower and carrots, stir through, add the chopped leeks and ham. Season with the cracked black pepper, add the beaten egg yolks and cream. Simmer gently until the cauliflower softens. Serve hot in warmed soup bowls.