VEGETABLE CURRY

Place 750 gm of pumpkin, cut into cubes with skin on and 500 gm of cauliflower florets .
Add 1/2 tsp of ground cumin , 1/2 tsp of paprika and 1 tbs of rice brown oil , lightly coat all sides .
Season with cracked pepper .
Place the pumpkin cubes on a lined baking tray and oven roast for about 10 minutes on  180 deg C and then add the cauliflower florets and continue baking till golden and cooked through .
In a large pot add 1 tbs of rice bran oil and sauté 1 red onion , peeled and finely diced .
Add 1 tbs of minced garlic , 1 tsp of minced ginger stir until the aromas are released.
Add 1x 400gm tin of diced tomatoes, 1/2 tsp of ground coriander, 1/2 tsp of ground  Garam masala ,
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon ,1 dsp of ground turmeric , 125 ml of vegetable stock and 150 ml of coconut milk .
Stir to combine , now add 1x 400 gm can of chickpeas drained along with the roasted pumpkin and cauliflower florets , bring to a slow simmer and continue to cook for 5 minutes .
Top with fresh coriander and serve with steamed rice or mixed grains and a squeeze of lime juice .

SAVOURY CHEESE

Mix together 250 gm of softened cream cheese and 250 gm of shredded cheddar cheese with a handful of dried dill and cracked black pepper to taste and 1 tbs of minced garlic ...
Roll the cheese into a large ball or many small balls or into a log shape
Place in a medium sized bowl .... fresh chives chopped , cooked and dried bacon pieces along with 110gm of granulated nuts.
Now roll the cheese balls or the log shape through the bacon and nut mixture .
This is great as an appetiser or with grapes and water crackers  after your meal .

SICHUAN KUNG PAO CHICKEN

This was one of my son Dales’ favourite meal when  he lived at home at Castle Garden .

 First let’s prepare the marinade .

In a small bowl , mix together1 tbs of rice wine , 1 tsp of sesame oil 1 ,1/2 tbs of soy sauce3 tbs of water 1/2 tsp of cornflour .

Now slice 400gm of chicken fillet in half ( lengthwise )and then cut into cubes .

Now mix the chicken and soy sauce mixture together and mix to coat .

Set aside for 30 minutes .

Heat 2 tbs of peanut oil in a large pan over a medium heat .

Add 60 gm of unsalted peanuts , cook for 2 minutes , stirring constantly , remove from pan and set aside .

Add 1 tbs of minced garlic to the pan along 1 dsp of minced ginger and the chicken ..stir frequently and cook for about 4 minutes .

Add. 1 tbs of rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp of soft brown sugar and a pinch of cracked pepper .

Now add 4 dried red chillies , sliced in half ( I left the seeds in , ) and 2 spring onions ( green part only ) sliced into thin strips .

Stir  fry for 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked through 

Serve hot with a side serve of brown rice or mixed grain .

TANDOORI CHICKEN

First step is to prepare your Tandoori paste .
Using a medium bowl mix together .....
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of ground coriander
1/2 tsp of ground chilli
1 tsp of sweet paprika
1 tsp of dry mustard
1 tsp of ground ginger
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of ground fennel
1 tspof cumin
Mix all dry ingredients together , to make the paste add 2 tbs of lime juice and 1/2 cup of plain yoghurt .
Mix to a smooth paste , this can be usd as a rub or a marinade .
Slice 500 gm of chicken fillets  in 1/2 lengthwise and then slice into strips .
Spread the paste over the chicken strips completely and then cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator  for at least 4 hours .
Chop up a handful of fresh parsley
Peel and finely chop 1 onion and fry in 1 tbs of margarine until onion is softened add 1 tbs of  minced garlic or chop 3 cloves of garlic , chopped parsley , 1 x 400gm tin of diced tomatoes , 1 dsp of  soft brown sugar ,and 1 tsp of round fenugreek .
Cook for 6 minutes or until all ingredients are blended .
Now add 1/2 cup of thickened cream .
Place the marinated chicken in a slow cooker , which has been sprayed with cooking oil and ur over the sauce and cook on LOW for 2 hours .
Also can be placed in a ovenproof dish and cooked in a preheated oven on 180 deg C for 90 minutes .
Serve with steamed rice .

GARLIC FLAN

This is amazing and  is excellent with any roast , but delicious on an antipasto platter with crackers , cheeses and olive jam .
Well there are 2 ways to prepare this flan , you can either use a large head of garlic and place it in already boiling water and boil for 5 minutes .... then cool and squeeze out the garlic mince and crush the cloves with a fork OR use 2 tbs of minced garlic  and stir in 2 cups of cream .
Bring cream and garlic just to a simmer in a saucepan .
Add a little ground nutmeg , salt and cracked pepper to taste ,.remove from heat and beat in 4 lightly mixed egg yolks .
Pour into a square , well oiled baking pan ,place  in a larger pan with water and bake for 20 minutes or until set .
Cool for  10 minutes before unmoulding .
This is delicious .

RUSTIC APPLE BREAD PUDDING

Preheat your oven 180 deg C
Spray an ovenproof dish / casserole with cooking oil or lightly grease with margarine .
Peel , core and cut 5 crisp cooking apples into large slices .
Squeeze lemon juice over the apple slices to prevent discolouration and sprinkle them with ground nutmeg .
Toast 1 cup of sliced almonds over a gentle heat , set aside .
You will need 1 loaf of unsliced , day old bread , remove the hard crust from 4 sides  and cut the bread into slices .
Line the bottom of the prepared dish with some of the slices .
In a small pan melt 6 tbs of butter /margarine with 6 tbs of castor sugar
Now add 3/4 of the cup of toasted almonds to the butter mix along with 2 tbs of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of apple cider .
Pour this mixture over the apple slices and toss to make sure the apples are coated .
Layer the apple and bread slices in the dish , ending with a layer of bread .
In a separate bowl beat together  6tbs of butter /margarine ( softened )
Beat in 4 lightly beaten eggs ,1and 1/2 cups of milk and 3/4 cup of cream.
Pour evenly over the bread .
Sprinkle lightly with a little castor sugar , ground nutmeg and the remaining toasted almonds .
Bake in the preheated oven for 1hour.
Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving with mascarpone or whipped cream .