WHAT DO YOU KNOW ?

Answers to July challenge........ 1.Junket. 4. Ganache 2. Blanch. 5. Zucchini. 3. Scold 6. Sweat. Here is my August challenge for you? 1. Which ingredient is included if a dish is cooked Florentine? 2. Which common salad is named after a famous New York city hotel? 3. What is quinoa a type of? 4. which spices make up Chinese five spice powder? 5. What family does the pineapple belong to? 6. Which vegetable can be cooked parimentier style?

CHOCOLATE CAKE.

A recipe for all dietary requirements..... Ingredients....185 gm of a plain flour that is compatable with your dietary requirements, 220 gm of castor sugar, 30 gm of cocoa, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of salt, 80 ml of canola / rice bran oil, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 tsp of white vinegar, 250 ml of water, mixed berries to serve. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Lightly grease and line a 23 cm x 13 cm ( 9" x 5" ) cake pan. Mix together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix together the water, oil, vanilla and vinegar and then add to the flour mixture, mix together till smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve with mixed berries.

CHIVE AND ONION TWISTS.

Ingredients.....15 gm butter/ marg, 1 medium onion, finely chopped, 1/2 cup of chopped fresh chives, 2 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry, 1 tbs of milk, 1/2 cup of tasty grated cheese. An oldie but a goodie. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Melt the butter/ marg in a small saucepan, add the onion and cook until softena. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside to cool. Then mix the onion and chives in a medium bowl. Spread the onion mixture over one sheet of puff pastry. Place the remaining sheet of pastry on top. Brush withn milk and sprinkle with cheese. Slice the pastry sheet into 2 cm wide strips. Twist the strips, place on the prepared tray and brush lightly with the milk. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the twists are golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

BAKED OMELETTE WITH WHEAT GERM TOPPING.

Ingredients......30 gm of butter/ marg, 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced, 2 spring onions, chopped, 150 gm of sliced mushrooms, 1 dsp of fresh thyme / 1 tsp of dried thyme, 6 eggs, lightly beaten, 2 tbs of minced garlic, 180 ml of cream. Wheat Germ Topping..... 60 gm of wheat germ, 4 tbs of finely grated parmesan cheese, 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered, 1 firm tomato, sliced to serve. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Lightly grease an ovenproof dish, about 4 cup capacity. Wheat germ topping, combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well. Baked omelette....heat the butter/ marg in a medium pan, add zucchini, spring onions and mushrooms, cook, stirring until the vegetables are tender. Add the thyme. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, garlic and cream until combined. Spread the vegetable mixture over the base of the prepared dish. Pour over the egg mixture and top with the wheat germ topping. Place the dish in a roasting pan with enough boiling water to come half way up the side of the dish. Bake uncovered, in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until set. Top with tomato slices to serve.

GARLIC.

Garlic is one of the most famous and popular herbs. Garlic,( Allumium sativum) was most likely used in china, India and Egypt before recorded history. Bulbs of garlic were found in the tomb of Tutankhamon, dating from 1300 BC. Raw garlic was used as a field dressing in World War 1 because of its antiseptic qualities. The peeled, chopped and minced bulbs complement nearly all savoury foods to some degree, especially the cuisines of Asia and the Mediterranean.

CHILLI APPLE CHUTNEY

Ingredients......2 fresh chillies, 2 kg about 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped, 1 tbs of minced garlic, 375 gm of raisins, chopped, 125 gm of glace ginger, chopped, 1 kg of soft brown sugar, firmly packed, 1 litre of apple cider vinegar, 1 tbs of coarse cooking salt, 1 tbs of mixed spice, 1 dsp of five spice powder, 1 tbs of turmeric. Seed and chop the chillies. Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Stir constantly over a medium heat without boiling, until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 2 hours or until the chutney is thick. Remove from the heat and pour into hot sterilised jars, seal when cold.

COCONUT APRICOT BARS.

Something a little different, a real show stopper on a plate and delicious. There are 3 steps to the preparation. Ingredients....Filling... 250 gm of dried apricots, 1 cup of cold black tea, 2 tbs of honey, 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar, 1 and 1/2 tbvs of butter/ marg, 1 egg, lightly beaten. Base....250 gm of softened marg/ butter,1 cup of castor sugar, 4 eggs, lightly beaten, 150 ml of milk, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 3 cups of self raing flour, 2 tbs of cocoa, 1 tbs of milk, 2 tbs of desiccated coconut. Topping......1 and 1/2 cups of rice bubbles, 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut, 30 gm of copha, 2 tbs of honey. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a 30cm x 20cm lamington pan First prepare the filling by soaking the apricots in the cold tea for 1 hour, then gently simmer for about 15 minutes or until softened. Stir in the honey, sugar and marg / butter. When sugar has dissolved, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Puree until smooth, cool then stir in the egg. Now for the base...cream the marg / butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, adding the remaining base ingredients, stirring well after each addition. Transfer the batter to the prepared lamington pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. To prepare the topping, combine the rice bubbles, desiccated coconut, warmed copha and honey. Spread the cake with the apricot puree and cover with the combined topping ingredients. Return the tray to the oven and cook a further 15 minutes. Cool in the pan then slice into bars to serve.