KRACHEL / SWEET MOROCCAN ROLLS.

Ingredients.....1 and 1/2 tbs of dried yeast, 60 ml of warm water, 110 gm of castor sugar, 300 gm of plain flour, 2 tbs of sesame seeds, 3 tsp of anise seeds, 60 ml of milk, 60 gm of melted butter/ marg, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 1 tbs of orange blossom water, 1 1 egg yolk, 1 dsp of sesame seeds, extra. I always increase the temperature in my kitchen area when preparing any type of dough. Oil an oven tray and line with baking paper. Combine the yeast, water and 1 dsp of sugarin a small heatproof bowl, cover and stand in a warm spot until mixture is frothy, usually about 10 minutes. Sift the flour and combine with remaining sugar and seeds in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture, butter/ marg, egg and organge blossom water. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled medium bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place for about 60 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. Now preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Divide the dough into 12 pieces, roll each piece into a ball. Place the balls on the prepared tray, cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap. Stand in a warm spot for 20 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap. Brush the balls with the beaten egg yolk and sprinkle lightly with the extra sesame seeds. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden and risen. Serve warm or cold with butter/ marg, perfect for morning or afternoon tea.

CHOCOLATE SPIDERS.

Ingredients.....100 gm/ 1 packet of fried noodles, 2 tbs of crunchy peanut butter, 200 gm of 70% cocoa chocolate, desiccated coconut to finish off. Brake the chocolate into pieces into a small saucepan along with the peanut butter and stir over a low heat until until melted and silky smooth. Add the noodles and stir lightly to coat them well. Spoon heaped tsp of the mixture into small patty pans. Finally lightly sprinkle with desiccated coconut, this optional. Place in the refrigerator till set. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

BANANAS

Bananas for eating as a fresh fruit, are best when fully ripe. Suit the colour of the banana skin to the use. If the banana you buy in the supermarket is tipped with green, the banana is partially ripe. The pulp will be firm, starchy and slightly tart. They can be used to bake or fry, cooking will bring out a different, delicious flavour and a must sliced into a curry. An all yellow banana is ready to eat and can be used as an ingredient in baking. A banana flecked with brown is fully ripe, and at its best for eating, infant feeding and a cooking ingredient. The flavour is sweet, mellow and thoroughly digestible and delicious in fruit cups, salads, milk shakes and desserts.

CHICKEN AND SWEET POTATO/ KUMARA RISOTTO.

Ingredients.....1 medium ( 400 gm) sweet potato/ kumara, peeled and cubed, 2 tbs of canola oil/ rice bran oil, 1 medium leek, sliced, 500 gm chicken thigh fillets, sliced, 2 tbs of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp of chilli powder, 1 tsp of ground turmeric, 300gm of short grain rice / risotto rice, 425 gm can of diced tomatoes, 125 ml of dry white wine, 625 ml of chicken stock, 40 gm of tasty grated cheese, 2 tbs of chopped fresh basil. Place the cubes of kumara in a pot of boiling water and cook until tender. heat the oil in a large pan with the leek, chicken, garlic and spices , cook stirring for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, mix well. Stir in the undrained can of diced tomatoes and wine, simmer uncovered, stirring constantly for 10 minutes. Stir in the stock, simmer, covered for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Then remove from the heat, stand, covered dor 10 minutes. Finally stir in cheese, basil and the cooked kumara. Stir over a low heat until hot. Top the risotto with extra grated cheese to serve.

RHUBARB AND APPLE SPONGE PUDDING.

Ingredients.....425 gm of chopped rhubarb, 2 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced, 1 tsp of grasted lemon rind, 1/4 cup of water, 2 eggs, 1/3 rd of a cup of castor sugar, extra, 2 tbs of cornflour, 2 tbs of plain flour, 2 tbs of self raising flour. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 6 cup capacity ovenproof dish. Combine the rhubarb, apples, sugar, and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes or until tender. Pour the hot rhubarb mixture into the prepared ovenproof dish. Beat the eggs in a small bowl with your electric mixer until thick and creamy, gradually add the extra sugar, beat until dissolved between each addition. Mix the flours together and sift over the the egg mixture. Fold through gently. Spread the mixture evenly over the hot rhubarb mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 mintes or until golden and slightly risen. Remove from oven and sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.

RHUBARB..

Rhubarb is native to Siberia, the Himalayas and East asia. there are recordsof some types of rhubarb as far back as 2000BC, it was used mostly for medicinal purposes. To prepare rhubarb, cut the thick ends from the stalks before cooking and discard the leaves, which are poisonous. The rhubarb stalks can be sliced as required as per the recipe you are using.

VEGETABLE COCONUT CURRY.

Ingredients......1 tbs of canola / rice bran oil, 1 onion, finely chopped, 3 tbs of minced garlic, 1 tsp of ground turmeric, 2 tbs of red curry paste, 3 potatoes, quartered, 2 carrots, diced, 120 gm of sliced beans, 400 ml can of coconut milk, 170 gm of frozen peas, 1 - 2 tbs of fish sauce, lime juice to taste. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it softens. Stir in the garlic, add the turmeric and curry paste and cook until fragrant. Add the potatoes, carrots and green beans to the pot, stirring to coat in the paste. Pour in the coconut milk and stir through. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Finally add the peas and simmer for another 10 minutes. Finish by stirring through the fish sauce and lime juice to taste.