YOGHURT TATLISI

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Grease and sprinkle very lightly with polenta , your ring cake pan . Cream together the grated zest of 1 lemon ,with 185 gm of butter /marg , 230 gm ( 1 cup ) of castor sugar in a bowl until fluffy . Separate 5 eggs . Add the 5 beaten egg yolks gradually to 250 gm ( 1 cup ) of plain greek yoghurt . Add the yoghurt / egg mix to the butter / lemon mix . Mix together 335 gm of plain flour with 1 dsp of baking powder, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp of baking soda . Fold the flour mix into the creamed butter . Now beat the egg whites until stiff , then fold into the cake batter . Spoon the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 - 55 minutes . Meanwhile make the syruop . Combine 1 cup ( 220 gm ) of sugar with 185 ml ( 3/4 cup ) of cold water in a heavy based pot over a medium heat , stirring to dissolve the sugar . Bring to the boil and then add 1 thin lemon rind strp and 1 tbs of lemon juice . Allow to simmer over medium heat , without stirring , for 10 minutes . Now remove the lemon rind and leave the syrup to cool in the pot . When cooked , cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes , then turn out onto a serving plate . Spoon the cold syrup over the cake , allowing it to seep slowly into the cake . Serve sliced with whipped cream .

SUBSTITUTIONS

Don't drop everything and run to the supermarket when you are cooking and run out of something. Chances are you have alternate ingredients in the pantry . BAKING POWDER 1 tsp of baking powder = 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar plus 1/4 tsp of bi carb of soda . BROWN SUGAR 1 cup of brown sugar= 1 cup of white sugar plus 2 tbs of molasses. BUTTERMILK 1 cup of buttermilk =1 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar and enough milk to make 1 cup . UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE 28 gm / 1oz of unsweetened chocolate =3 tbs of unsweetened cocoa powder ( Dutch cocoa ) plus 1 tbs of butter . CORNFLOUR 1 tbs of cornflour = 2 tbs of plain flour . CAKE FLOUR 1 cup of cake flour = 3/4 cup plus 2 tbs of plain flour plus 2 tbs of cornflour mixed together . SELF RAISING FLOUR 2 cups of self raising flour = 2 cups of plain flour plus 1 tsp of bi carb of soda plus 1 dsp of baking powder plus 1 tsp of salt . LEMON JUICE 1 tsp of lemon juice =1/4 tsp of apple cider vinegar . MILK 1 cup of whole milk = 1/2 cup of evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup of water . SOUR CREAM 1 cup of sour cream = 1 cup of plain yoghurt.

HERBS AND SPICES

Have you become a little too reliant on salt , pepper, garlic and onions ? So it's time to hit your spice collection and try some new flavourings and combinations. You probably already have most of these common herbs and spices . BEEF ...... allspice, basil, bay leaves, coriander, cumin, curry, dill, horseradish, lemongrass, marjoram, mustard, oregano, sage, tarragon, thyme. CHICKEN ...... Bay leaves, basil, carraway, coriander, cumin, dill, curry, ginger, lemongrass, marjoram, mustard, rosemary, sage, tarragon. EGGS..... chives, dill, basil, chervil, coriander, cumin, curry, lemon balm, lovage, marjoram, mint, mustard, parsley, rosemary, sage, savories, tarragon, thyme. FISH...... anise, basil, caraway, chives, coriander, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, lemongrass, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme. PORK..... allspice, anise, basil, chervil, cinnamon, coliander, cumin, dill, fennel, ginger, lemongrass, marjoram, mustard, rosemary, sage, savories, tarragon, thyme. LAMB...... basil, bay leaves, carraway seeds, coriander, cumin, curry, dill, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, rosemary, sage, thyme. SALADS....... anise, basil, caraway, coriander, chervil, chives, dill, edible flowers, lemongrass, parsley, tarragon, thyme.

WHAT’S FOR DESSERT ?

Don't panic when you dont have a dessert on hand , reach for the fruit bowl . Fresh fruit always does the trick ... Here are some favourite ..quick and welcomed desserts . Banana slices drizzled with a quick caramel sauce ( butter and brown sugar melted together),topped with crushed nuts , Sliced and peeled apples or pears , sauteed in butter and brown sugar , served with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg . Fresh strawberries lightly drizzled with balsamic vinegar along with slices of cheese and dried crackers . The classic strawberries and whipped cream .

ONION SOUP WITH RICOTTA AND HERB DUMPLINGS

This soup is best served as a main meal with the dumplings , but you may prepare the soup without the dumplings . So let's begin with preparing the soup . Melt 90 gm of butter / marg in a large pot and add 9 brown peeled and sliced onions . leave to cook over a medium heat until the onions have softened and changed to a golden colour . Now add 1 teaspoon of sugar , increasing the heat , stirring occasionally until there are lots of brown specks through the onions . Add 1 1/2 cups of dry white wine and 5 cups of vegetable stock and season with a pinch of cayenne pepper or a drizzle of sriracha. Bring to a slow boil and then reduce heat to a simmer , cover and cook gently for 30 minutes. To prepare the ricotta dumplings , place 2 egg whites in the bowl of your electric mixer and mix till frothy add 1 cup of ricotta and add 3 tbs of finely grated parmesan ( dried packet parmesan),1 dsp of dried marjoram , 1 dsp of dried thyme and 2 tbs of dried parsley , 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs and 1 tsp of cracked black pepper and 1 tbs of minced garlic . Mix to combine . Put a pot of lightly salted water on the stove to boil . Take teaspoonfuls of the dumpling mixture and push into the boiling water with a second spoon . Wet the spoons in the boiling water to ensure the next dumpling slides off easily (repeat this process ) . Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on kitchen paper when they rise to the surface . To serve reheat the dumplings in the soup for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through before serving . I really enjoy this soup as a main meal .

ADD A DASH

Sometimes even your favourite recipe needs a little sprucing up . Next time you cook try adding a dash of ............ Balsamic vinegar to spaghetti sauce ,it will add a richness of flavours similar to a slow simmered dish , in a short time. ADD a dash of celery seeds to barbeque sauce for a fresh fruity note . ADD a dash of cinnamon to a chilli dish as it is a perfect partner to chilli spices . ADD a dash of coffee to chocolate cake batter , chocolate fudge sauce and brownies . Coffee boosts the taste of chocolate , fresh ground coffee grinds are the best , if you have them . ADD a dash of lemon juice to creamy cheese spreads , sour cream and dips .A good squirt of lemon juice will brighten the taste and thins them just a little . ADD a dash of whole grain mustard or horseradish to put a zing in your beef stew . ADD a dash of nutmeg to plain muffin batters .Nutmeg is the spice flavour used in plain donuts . ADD a dash of oil to pasta water and your pasta will not clump or stick together . ADD a dash of sweet paprika powder to flour that you are using to coat chicken or beef . ADD a dash of dried fennel seeds to any bean or leek dish that you are making from scratch such as baked beans or bean soup .Adding fennel seeds will reduce the effect of the gas producing legumes .

CREAMY CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Whip 3/4 CUP ( 185 ML )of cream until just starting to thicken . Melt 125 gm of a good dark chocolate , stirring the chocolate occasionally until melted , i zap it in a microwave in 15 second increments . remove from heat and allow to cool slightly . Lightly beat 4 egg yolks and stir into the melted chocolate . Fold in the cream . In a separate dry clean bowl beat together the 4 egg whites until the soft peaks form . Gently fold in the egg whites into the the mousse with a metal spoon . Divide the mousse mixture between ramequins / glass dessert dishes . Cover with a plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight . To serve , top with whipped cream and a dust of cocoa .

SLOW COOKED LAMB WITH QUINCE AND LEMON

This is The Manor 'Autumn' dish ,highlighting the homegrown quinces and the preserved lemons. Trim 1.5 kg of lamb shoulder cut into 12 even pieces and place in a large pot. Add 1 peeled and chopped onion , 2 tbs of minced garlic , 1 cinnamon stick , 1 tbs of minced ginger and 1/2 tsp of saffron threads . Add enough cold water to cover the contents of the pot . Slowly brng to the boil , stirring occasionally . Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C or spray the bowl of your slow cooker with cooking oil and set to high . Transfer the lamb to your choice of cooking dish , I used a tagine , but you could easily use a slow cooker or casserole dish . Now add 1 large quince , peeled , seeded and cut into 12 pieces .1/4 cup of honey (90 ml), 1 tsp of ground cinnamon to the cooking liquid and simmer until the quince is tender . Discard the cinnamon stick and remove the quince pieces and add to the lamb , reserving the liquid . Bring the cooking liquid to a boil and continue to boil until reduced by half , then pour over the lamb and quince . Now remove and discard the fleash from 1/2 a preserved lemon . slice the rind thinly and add to the lamb mixture . Cover and cook for 40 minutes or until the lamb is tender . Serve with a mixed grain . Delicious .

A GOOD COOK

To be a good cook , you have to keep learning . I learn everday , apart from family and dogs , my loves are my garden , bees and cooking but I would be no where without books . I spend hours reading ,I love to read and yes I have favourite authors . The books I use most in the kitchen are refernce books , dictionaries of food , they provide the knowledge I don't have and allow me to question what I believe . There is never a day I do not learn . Every kitchen should house a food dictinary .

STROGANOFF ( FOR ELAINE )

I've made this dish so many times and am happy to share my recipe . This is a dish that combines thinly sliced and lightly browned beef, onions lightly stewed with sour cream and onions . Stroganoff is a Russian dish and has no mushrooms added . BUT of course the french version "Beef Bourguignon'is stroganoff with mushrooms added . Here is the Russian mushroom free version . You will need 1 kg of fillet steak sliced into thin strips ( best get your butcher to do this ). Peel and slice 2 onions . Melt 3 tbs of butter / marg in a pan over a medium heat . Add the sliced beef and the onions along with 2 tbs of minced garlic . season with cracked black pepper and a little sriracha ( optional ) . Your kitchen will become aromatic and the onions will soften . When the beef has browned , reduce the heat and add 600 ml of sour cream with 2 tbs of dried dill , do not boil just stir and heat through . Serve over cooked noodles . Elaine , if you want to go the 'French ' version ...... Mix 1 can of Cream of mushroom soup with the 600ml of sour cream and dried dill . Gently heat through the meat mixture and serve over the cooked noodles . Enjoy .

RICE PUDDING

Preheat your oven to 160 deg C . Grease a 1 litre ovenproof dish . In a bowl mix together 55gm rice ( 1/4 cup of short grain rice ), 410 ml (1 and 2/3rds cups) of milk 2 tbs of castor sugar , 185 ml of cream ( 3/4 cup )and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract . Pour the mixture into the prepared ovenproof dish . Dust the surface with dried nutmeg and float a bay leaf on top .Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours . The rice will have absorbed most of the milk and will be creamy in texture with a golden surface . Serve hot .

BORSCH

Peel and slice 1 red onion and place in a large pan with 500gm of stir fry beef and 3 tbs of oil . Cover the pan and cook over a medium heat until the stir fry beef is browned . Add 450 gm of peeled and grated beetroots , 350 gm of finely shredded red cabbage , 5 cups of beef stock , 3 tbs of red wine vinegar , 2 tbs tomato sauce , 1 tbs of minced garlic , 1 tsp of dried chilli ( optional ). Season with cracked black pepper and 1 tsp of dried thyme . Bring this mix to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes . Meanwhile grate 225 gm of waxy potatoes. Add the potatoes at the end of the 40 minutes and continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes . Heat required number of soup bowls and divide the borsch between them . Place 1 tbs of sour cream over the borsch and sprinkle with fennel seeds and dill Serve with flat bread .

DATE AND AVOCADO TANGO ( MOUSSE )

You will need to mash 2 avocados with 2 tbs of honey , the juice and rind of 1 orange and finally 4 tbs of chopped dates . Whip 150 ml of cream until stiff . Whip 2 egg whites until stiff. Fold through the beaten cream into the avocado mixture and then gently fold through the stiffly beaten egg whites , using a metal spoon . Serve in individual serving bowls . You can serve if you like with extra whipped cream on top .

VEGETABLE KORMA

This is always a welcome dish in The Manor . Heat 4 tbs of oil ( I used ghee)in a large pot over a medium heat . Add 2 peeled and chopped onions and cook till tender . Then add 2 tbs of minced garlic , 1 dsp of dried chilli ( optional)and 1 tbs of minced ginger . Continue to cook till aromatic . Add 4 chopped kumata tomatoes , 1 medium sweet potato sliced , 1 large potato cut into chunks , 200gm of cauliflower florets . In a small bowl mix together 1 tsp of salt , 1 tsp of ground turmeric ,1 tsp of ground cumin, 1 tsp of ground coriander and 1 tsp of ground garam masala . Sprinkle the spice mix over the vegetables and stir through to combine . Add 200ml of vegeatable stock , bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender . Stir in 150 ml of natural yoghurt and 150 ml of cream and continue to cook stirring for another 5 minutes . Add 1 tbs of dried coriander and stir through . Serve with steamed rice or a steamed grain mix of your choice. This dish can be served as a main on its own or with a grilled protein of your choice.

GRACE’S EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

This recipe has everything , derived from friendship , family and ending in amazing nutritious food . FRIENDSHIP , FAMILY AND FOOD . However you arrange the words , this is why I love to cook . Luisa a friend , shared Grace Tumino's ( Luisa's mum ) eggplant parmigiana with me .. This is amazing ........ Preheat your oven to 180 deg C Slice 2 large eggplants into slices . Gently seal the eggplant slices in an oiled pan over a medium heat until lightly coloured on both sides . Remove from heat and set aside on paper towel . In a bowl add 700ml of chunky pasta sauce 2 tbs of minced garlic , dried chilli to taste (optional) , 1 dsp of minced ginger and 2 tbs of dried basil . Mix well . Cover the base of your ovenproof dish with a spray of cooking oil and a layer of the prepared eggplant slices. Sprinkle lightly a layer of breadcrumbs ,a grated mix of parmesan, mozarella and cheddar cheese and a light sprinkle of dried basil over top . Repeat the above process until all ingredients are used . Ending with a cheese topping . Place your dish in the preheated oven for 25 minutes . Grace suggests to let it cool and serve cold. It is also delicious served hot ......just saying . Thank you Luisa for sharing your mum's recipe ....

NO BAKE CHOCOLATE GINGER SLICE

Mix 1 packet of gingernut biscuits , processed to a crumb . Add to the processor 125 gm of melted butter / marg , 1 dsp of ground ginger , 210 gm of soft brown sugar and 1 tbs of cocoa . When well mixed move to a bowl and add 125 gm of sultanas and the same of flaked almonds . Press into slice pan 27.5 cm X 17.5 cm . Cover with an icing .....prepared by mixing 260gm of icing sugar with 1 dsp of ground ginger and 1 tbs of water , add a LITTLE more water if needed . Refrigerate and cut into squares the next day...

260gm

A PUMPKIN CHATNEY (SIC) 1879.

How the recipe was written , is how I prepared the pumpkin chutney . 2 lb of pumpkin chopped , 1 pound of tomatoes, 1 pound of chopped onions , 7 oz of sugar , 1 tbs of treacle , 1 dsp of each ground allspice, whole black peppercorns and ground ginger . Add 2 pints of red wine vinegar . Simmer till thick and bottle while hot . That was the original recipe . I have added 1 medium eggplant and zucchini . My measurements of ingredients are ... 1 kg of unpeeled pumpkin , 600gm of unpeeled kumato tomatoes ,200gm of sugar , 1 tbs of treacle and 1 dsp of each the whole peppercorns , ground allspice , ground ginger and 1 litre of red wine vinegar, 1 sliced eggplant and 1 sliced zucchini . Placed all ingredients in a large pot over a a low heat and bought to a slow simmer , and continued to simmer for 3 hours . Then bottled from the pot . This is delicious

BAKED TUNA AND RICOTTA RIGATONI

This is a great Friday night meal , you can choose the protein , I'm using tinned tuna . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Spray an ovenproof dish with cooking oil . Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil , add 500gm of ragatoni pasta ( pasta tubes , not cannelloni )and 1 dsp of oil . Boil the ragatoni until tender , drain and cool enough to handle . While the pasta is cooling mix 200gm can of flaked tuna drained with 1 cup of ricotta cheese and 1 tbs of minced garlic , to form a soft paste . Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag and fill each ragatoni , arrange the filled pasta tubes side by side in the prepared dish and give alight spray of cooking oil . now prepare the sauce , mix 1/2 cup of cream with 2 cups of grated and refrigerated parmesan cheese , season with cracked pepper . Spoon the sauce over the filled rigatoni and top with sliced capsicums in a criss cross fashion . Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes . Serve hot with a side salad if required .

LEMON BUTTER

This recipe is found in ' Ladies Own Companion'and this is one of the 'receipts'1879 . Here is how I used the original recipe today in The Manor ......I did not change the original recipe . Beat together 250ml of lemon juice with 105 gm of castor sugar 1 tbs of cornflour , 2 well beaten eggs , 120 gm of butter / marg (I used marg ) . Heat this mixture over the lowest of heat , stirring all the time until the mixture thickens. Bottle and store in the cool of your pantry or in your refrigerator for 6 months ... trust me... once you taste this you will be sharing and remaking it again . You can can use limes in place of lemons . You can all it lemom butter or lemon curd , regardles it is delicious .

LINGUINE WITH BACON AND OLIVES

Heat 3 tbs of oil in a large pan and add 2 onions peeled and thinly sliced along with 3 tbs of minced garlic and 250 gm of diced bacon pieces . Cook over a low heat until the onions are tender , stirring often . Now stir through 250 gm of sliced mushrooms , 70 gm of drained anchovie fillets and 125 gm of sliced black olives , season with cracked pepper . Simmer for for 5 minutes . Place 450 gm of dried linguine (lightly sprayed with cooking oil)in a pot of boiling salted water , cook for 10 minutes or until tender . Drain the pasta and transfer to warmed bowls and divide the pasta between the dishes , spoon the vegetable mix / sauce over the top and toss lightly , sprinkle over a layer of grated parmesan cheese . Serve .

SPICED CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

These are a hit any time of the year . Prehaet your oven to 180 deg C . Place patty pan cases in a 12 hole muffin pan . In a medium bowl mix together 250 gm of plain flour with 1 tbs of bicarbonate soda 2 tbs of cocoa powder and 1 generous tsp of allspice and finally stir in 200gm of chocolate chips ( NOT CHOCOLATE MELTS ). Place 100gm of softened marg / butter in the pan of your electric mixer along with 150 gm of castor sugar , 115 gm of brown sugar , mix well . Then beat in 2 beaten eggs , 150 ml of sour cream and 5 tbs of milk until thoroughly mixed . Now using a wooden spoon add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined . Spoon the batter into the paper cases and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until well risen and firm to touch . You can serve warm or cold . Just enjoy !!

THE MANOR PASTA SAUCE

Tonight I am serving up pappardelle in The Manor pasta sauce . I placed 1 jar of chunky tomato pasta in a bowl along with 300 gm of strir fry vegies , 1 container of cherry tomatoes ( whole ), 2 packets of soft kalamata tomatoes ( i just used the flesh . To this mixture I added 2 tbs of minced garlic , 1 tbs of dried basil , thyme and chives , 3/4 cup of red wine vinegar , 1 tbs of whole grain mustard and finally 1/4 cup of sugar . I let this mixture sit for 4 hours plus . When serving time nears , add the pasta sauce to a wide pan over a low heat and bring to gentle simmer and heat through. Add the dried pasta to a pot of salted boiling water and boil until tender . Place cooked cooked pasta on warmed plates and pour over sauce , top with finely grated parmesan . enjoy .

DANISH FRUIT BAKED SLICE

Preheat your oven to 160 deg C Mix together 250gm of fruit mince with 180 gm of breadcrumbs , 3 beaten egg yolks ,90 gm of melted marg / butter , 1 tsp of cinnamon and 60 gm of sugar . Spoon into a greased 20 X 20 cm ovenproof pan . Bake for 40 minutes or until the surface is golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean . Leave in pan to cool . When fully cooled slice into squares ... this is deliciuos as is or it could be dressed with a simple icing

PORK CALYPSO

Spray the bowl of your slow cooker . Peel and slice 1 onion . Trim and slice 1 capsicum . Place these in a large bowl along with 500gm of frozen stir fry vegetables . Mix to combine . Now place the vegetable mix in the bowl of the slow cooker . In a separate bowl prepare your marinade .... Mix together 1/ cup of basalmic vinegar , 1/2 cup of soy sauce , 1/2 cup of brown sugar , 2 tbs of minced ginger , 3 tbs of minced garlic , 1 x 400ml of coconut cream ( well mixed ), 1 cup of evaporated milk , 1 dsp of a little heat optional ( 1 tbs sriracha / 1 tbs sweet paprika ). Now place the marinade mix in a pan over a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves . Sprinkle 1 and 1/2 cups of mixed grain over the vegie mix in the slow cooker .( I used a brown rice , quinoa and freekak mix ) Add 600 gm of pork chipolatas. Once the marinade is warmed and the sugar is dissolved , pour over the contents of your slow cooker . Cook on high for 4 hours .... This is delicious ......