CINNAMON BISCUITS

These are delicious and these are the ingredients you need to prepare them . 125gm of butter/ marg , 220 gm of castor sugar , 1 egg lightly beaten , 125 gm of plain flour , 60 gm of self raising flour , 1/2 tsp of bi carb of soda , 1 dsp of ground cinnamon . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Place the butter / marg and 170 gm of sugar in the bowl of your mixer and beat until light and fluffy . Mix the flours and bi carb of soda together and alternatively add the flour mix and beaten egg to the butter mixture . Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly . Wrap in plastic food wrap and refrigerate until firm . Place the cinnamon and remaining sugar in a small bowl and mix to combine . Roll the dough into small balls (approx 24 ) , then roll in the sugar mixture . Lightly grease and line 2 oven trays and place the balls 2 " apart , between the 2 oven trays . Bake in the preheated oven until golden . Remove to wire racks until cool .

OLIVE SODA BREAD

This is a recipe for the famous Irish bread influenced here by the Mediterranean flavours of olives and fennel . Ingredients required ,125gm of room temperature butter/ marg , 60 gm of sugar , 1 egg lightly beaten ,470 gm of wholemeal self raising flour ,185 gm of plain white floiur , 1 and 1/2 tsp of bi carb of soda , 375 ml of buttermilk (= 1 and 1/2 tbs of vinegar added to 375 milk),125 gm of sliced black olives , 1 dsp of fennel seeds , 1 tsp of coarse sea salt . Preheat your oven to 200deg C . Place butter/marg , sugar ,lightly beaten egg in your food processor and process until smooth . Add wholemeal flour , plain flour ,bicarb of soda , milk and process until a soft dough forms . Now turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the olives . Shape the dough into a large round ball . Place on a lightly greased and baking paper lined and floured baking tray . Using a sharp knife , cut a cross in the top . Sprinkle with fennel seeds and sea salt . Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer when inserted into the bread comes out clean .

BANANA CHOC CHIP MUFFINS

Ingredients needed......1 large ripe banana ,1 cup of milk ,1 beaten egg ,1/4 cup of melted margarine / butter ,1 and 1/2 cups of self raising flour , 1/2 cup of castor sugar , 3/4 cup of choc bits . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . In a mixing bowl , mash the banana , add the milk , the lightly beaten egg and melted margarine . Mix well. Stir the flour , sugar and choc bits into the banana mixture using a wooden spoon . Mix till the ingredients are just combined . Spoon the batter into well greased muffin pans . Bake in your prehaeted oven for 20 minutes , these muffins can be served warm or cold .

LEMON POPPY SEED MUFFINS

Ingredients needed for lemon poppy seed muffins ..2 eggs lightly beaten , 250 gm of sour cream ,125 ml of milk ,60 ml of canola oil ,90 gm of honey ,3 tbs of poppy seeds , 1 tbs of grated lemon rind ,280 gm of S.R flour. LEMON CREAM CHEESE ICING. 60 gm of cream cheese , 1 tbs of lemon juice , 125 gm of icing sugar . Preheat your oven to 180 de C . Place the eggs , sour cream , milk , oil , honey , poppy seeds and lemon rind in a large bowl and mix well to combine . Add flour to the poppy seed mixture and mix intil just combined . Spoon the mixture into six greased 250ml capacity muffin pans and bake for 30 minutes or until when a skewer inserted comes out clean . Turn out onto a wire rack to cool . To make the icing , place cream cheese , lemon juice and icing sugar in a bowl and use a woode spoon to mix until smooth . Top cold muffins with icing .

GARLIC CONFIT / PRESERVE

I have really enjoyed preserving fresh garlic, preparing this preserve you will get a meltingly soft and savoury garlic to add to all kinds of dishes, you will also have a delicious garlic oil for cooking, drizzling to use in salad dressings. This galic confit / preserve can be frozen in an airtight container for 2 months or kept in the fridge for 3 weeks in a sealed jar. This is what you need.... 3 whole garlic bulbs, cloves separated and peeled, 180 ml of olive oil. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Make sure you have a well washed 300ml ml jar with a metal lid and place the jar in the preheated oven for 30 minutes to sterilise it. Remove the jar and lid from the oven and set aside to cool. Place the peeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan and pour over enough olive oil to just cover the garlic. Warm the oil and clove mixture over a medium heat until bubbles just start to rise to the surface, then reduce the heat to very low. Gently poach ( do not boil or fry) for 40 minutes or until the the cloves are tender and lightly browned. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Spoon the garlic cloves into the sterilised jar, then cover with the poaching oil. Seal and label the jar. I only prepare the garlic confit / preserve in small batches because of its short life, but it is easily prepared and the oil has so many uses. This recipe is my gift to you ...

RISONI SALAD WITH KALE , BROCCOLI AND LEMON

For this light lemony salad which can be served as a salad or warm as a main meal , you will need the following ingredients . 350 gm of brocoli florets , 330gm of risoni, 5 kale leaves chopped , 3 tbs of minced garlic, 80 gm of grated parmesan cheese , 1 tbs of grated lemon zest ,60 ml of lemon juice , 80 ml of EV olive oil , 125 gm of sour cream ,1 tsp of dried chilli ,150 gm of pinenuts , 2 tbs of grated lemon zest ( I use finely sliced preserved lemon rind , it's my thing , I preserve lemon ) . Okay let's get started bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the broccoli florets and boil the florets for 4 minutes and are still firm , remove from the water with a slotted spoon and refresh under cold running water . Set aside . Add the risoni to the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes or until tender, strain and rinse under cold water , set aside to drain . Place 1 cup of the brocoli florets in your processor along with the kale , garlic , parmesan , lemon rind , lemon juice ,olive oil ,sour cream , chilli and 1/2 the pinenuts . Pulse until smooth , then season with cracked black pepper . In a large bowl , mix together the risoni an remaining brocoli . Fold the kale mixture through. Top with the remaining pine nuts , garnish with the preserved lemon rind or lemon zest and serve ... Enjoy .

GERMAN FRIENDSHIP BREAD —THE DOUGH AND CAKE / LOAF

The starter is now ready to use .... Now to make the German friendship bread dough. For today DAY 1, add 200gm of soft brown sugar, 140 gm of breadflour and 230 ml of milk to the starter, stir well and cover with a damp tea towel and leave overnight. Day 2, stir well and recover with a damp tea towel. DAYS 3 and 4, Do nothing to the dough, just dampen the covering tea towel. DAY 5, Stir well and add the same quantitiies of sugar, flour and milk as for day 1 in the dough preparation. Stir well again and cover with a damp tea towel and leave overnight. DAY 6, Stir well and recover with a damp tea towel. DAYS 7, 8 and 9, Do nothing, just re-dampen the tea towel each day . DAY 10, stir the dough well with a wooden spoon and divide the mixture into 4 portions. Give a portion each to 2 friends with instructions , keep 1 portion for your next batch and use the last portion to prepare the German friendship loaf / cake. To make this loaf / cake you will need 200gm of soft brown sugar, 85 gm of sultanas, 280 gm of plain flour, 110 ml of canola oil, 60 gms of chopped nuts, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 dsp of ground cinnamon, 1 dsp of baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 eggs well beaten, 2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and cubed. TOPPING ...100gm of light muscovado sugar, 100gm of melted and cooled butter/ marg. To make this cake /loaf preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease 2 x loaf pans or 2 x large muffin pans or a large 22cm square cake pan. Place your portion of the starter mixture in a large non metallic bowl and add the sugar, sultanas, flour, vegetable oil, nuts, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla extract, eggs and apples. Stir through thoroughly to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan/pans or muffins tins and level the surface. Sprinkle over the muscovado sugar and drizzle with the melted butter/ marg. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Turn out and cool completely on a wire rack. REMEMBER , THE CUP OF DOUGH YOU HAVE RETAINED FOR YOUR NEXT FRIENDSHIP LOAF / CAKE IS NOW THE STARTER ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ADD 1 TSP OF SUGAR , STIR WELL KEEP COVERED IN A CONTAINER IN THE REFRIGERATOR UP TO 1 WEEK .TO MAKE A FRESH LOAF BEGIN AT DAY 1 FOR THE DOUGH.

FRENCH SOURDOUGH STEP 3 ( PART3 )

Preheat your oven to 220 deg C . Turn the dough out of the lined bowl onto a baking paper lined baking tray or you could use a large loaf pan (900gm ) . Use a sharp knife to slash the dough 4 times , taking care not to drag the knife across the dough or the dough will collapse . Sprinkle with breadflour . Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes , then reduce the temperature to 190 deg C . and bake for a further 55 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely . Now you have sourdough starter , start sourdough preparation from the sponge stage ( step 2), you will have to add a little extra lukewarm water to make a thick batter then proceed with the recipe . Well done , what a journey ! Enjoy.

FRENCH SOURDOUGH LOAF STEP 3 (PARTS 1 and 2 )

Step 3 is the dough . For the dough you will need 55ml of lukewarm water , 20 gm of sea salt ,230gm of bread flour,extra flour for dusting , a round basket ( about 9' wide and 4' high ), lined with a heavily floured linen tea towel .( I use a plastic colander for this ). To make the dough , stir the sponge batter well . Beat in the water and salt , then mix in enough of the bread flour to make a soft but not sticky dough . Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until firm and elastic . Return the dough to the bowl , cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise at normal room temperature until almost doubled in size , about 8- 12 hours . PART 2 .....STEP 3. Knock back the risen dough . Cut off 230 gm and set aside for making the next starter and place the resrved portion of dough into a greased plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days , or leave the dough in a small non metallic bowl covered with a damp tea towel at room temperature for up 2 days , redampening the tea towel each day . Now shape the remaining dough into a ball and put it into the floured cloth lined basket , cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise at normal room temperature , until almost doubled in size , approx 8 hours .

CHEESY ONION AND COUSCOUS CAKE

The ingredients needed for this savoury cake are 2 medium onions ,300gm of couscous , 200gm of grated tasted mozarella cheese . and a handful of celery leeves. Peel , halve ,quarter and thinly slice two onions . Finely chop a handful of celery leaves . Heat 3 tbs of canola oil in a pan and add the sliced onions over a medium heat until the onions are tender and golden . Stir in the chopped celery leaves . Put the couscous in a large heatproof bowl and pour over 450 ml of boiling water , cover and set aside for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed . Remove the cooked onions and celery leaves with a slotted spoon and stir theminto the couscous . Now add the grated cheese and 1 dsp of minced garlic and 1 dsp of dried chilli , stir thoough to combine . Heat 2 tbs of canola oil in a large frypan and add the onion and couscous mixture , pat down firmly to form a a cake and and cook over a gentle heat for 15 minutes or until the underside is crisp and golden . Slide the cake onto a plate then invert it back into the pan to cook the other side . Cook for a further 6 minutes or until golden ,then remove from the heat . Slide onto a serving plate and serve sliced into wedges .

HOW TO BOIL AN EGG

Do you remember when boiled eggs were on the menu for breakast ? Now a days hard boiled eggs are just a dressing for salads. Boiling eggs has always been a point of contention for those who wanted soft boiled eggs and hard boiled eggs . Here is your answer for soft boiled eggs , place the eggs in a pan of water over a high heat, then reduce the heat as soon as the water reaches a boil , let the water simmer for 3 minutes and then remove to an egg cup . Perfect soft boiled egg .

FRENCH SOURDOUGH LOAF (STEP 2 )

The second step in preparing the sourdough is the 'sponge '. To make the sponge , pour the starter into a large non metallic mixing bowl . Stir in 140 ml of lukewarm water and add 230 gm of white bread flour . Mix with your hand to make a thick batter . Cover with a damp tea towel and leave at room temperature for 24-36 hours until it is spongy and slightly bubbly . Leaving the sponge for 36 hours the more pronounced the flavour will be .

LAMB CHOPS WITH A MINT JELLY CRUST

Mint and lamb are classic partners and the breadcrumbs added here add a crunchy texture . All I used for this dish was 8 lamb chops , 1 cup of breadcrumbs and 3 tbs of mint jelly . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Place the lamb chops on a lightly oiled flat ovenproof dish and season with salt and ground black pepper . Place the breadcrumbs and mint jelly in a small bowl and mix to combine , spoon the breadcrumb mix on top of the chops , pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon making sure the mixture sticks to the chops . Bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 30 minutes , or until just cooked through . Serve immediately with baked sweet potato and steamed green vegetables .

ORKNEY BROONIE

The ingredients needed for this oatmeal gingerbread with a Norse name is a reminder of the Islands'past history ... If no buttermilk is available , you can sour fresh milk by adding 1 tbs of vinegar / lemon juice per 250ml. The ingredients you need , 175 gm of plain flour , 1 dsp of ground ginger , a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of baking powder , 175 gm of oatmeal , 75 gm of butter/ marg , 2 tbs of treacle ,100gm of soft brown sugar , 1 well beaten egg and 250 ml of buttermilk. So let's get started ... Grease and lightly sprinkle with fine polenta a 900gm loaf pan . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Mix the flour , ginger , salt and baking powder together in a bowl and then mix in the oatmeal . Use your fingers to rub in the butter/ marg into the dry ingredients to achieve a breadcrumb consistency. Melt the treacle with the sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat , once melted remove from the heat , cool slightly and add 125 ml of buttermilk and the beaten egg . Now stir with a wooden spoon into the dry ingredients and beat well , adding more buttermilk if needed to give you a batter that drops off the wooden spoon . Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 75 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean . Allow to cool and set before turning out onto a wire rack . This gingerbread can be served warm or cold , sliced and buttered .

FRENCH SOURDOUGH BREAD (STEP 1)

Come on join me ....let's make a sourdough loaf . There are 3 steps in the preparation of a sourdough loaf , the first is the starer . What is a starter ? A starter is a bacterial or fungal culture used to initiate fermentation and the development of flavour . For the starter you will need 230 gm of wholemeal bread flour and 230 ml of lukewarm water . Now , place the wholemeal flour in a medium non metallic bowl and make a well in the centre and pour in the lukewarm water and mix to a very thick batter and cover with a damp tea towel . Leave at room temperature for 3 days , re dampening the tea towel each day , so the batter absorbs the natural yeasts in the air . After 3 days , the starter should be smelly , grey and only slightly bubbly . We will continue in 3 days and move onto step 2 the sponge .

GERMAN FRIENDSHIP BREAD STARTER (DAY 1 -DAY 3)

I'm a devotee of the friendship bread , it is something that I love to make and then get to share. This loaf is simple to make and delicious . The loaf takes 13 days , including 3 days to make the starter . You will end up with enough starter for your next loaf and one to bake, and still be able to share / give away two portions. This bread should be eaten within 3 days of baking , or it can be frozen for upto 3 months. To make the starter, put 280 gm of bread flour into a large non metallic mixing bowl and make a well in the centre and add 15 gm of fresh yeast (available in some supermarkets and healthfood stores). Pour in 455ml of water and stir, using a wooden spoon, until the liquid is smooth and you have a sticky batter. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave on your kitchen table or work bench, so the batter absorbs the yeasts naturally present in the air, stir once a day for the next 3 days, re dampening the tea towel each day ...... I will follow up in 3 days time , when the starter will be ready.

A DAY NEVER WASTED IN THE KITCHEN

I had organised a person to come and work in my garden , doing the topping up with fresh soil in the potted garden , back and front . It didn't happen today , so I spent my time making stromboli.... All it is , is a scone recipe , the dough being hand formed into a rectange on a lightly floured surface ( I never use a rolling pin ) about 1 cm thickness . Then spread over with tomato paste , chopped basil , minced garlic and sliced black olives . Then roll up from the wide side . Slice the dough into 9 portions , lay the portions on the prepared tray , sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese . Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven . Now remove the stromboli from the oven on the tray and top the stromboli with a slice of pepperoni salami and a sprinkle of tasty cheese . Return the stromboli to the oven for 10 minutes . You can serve warm or cool. Stromboli , freezes well .

BANANA AND MIXED FRUIT UPSIDE DOWN TOFFEE CAKE

Grease a 26 cm spring form pan and line with a sheet of baking paper by placing the paper over the base then replacing and securing the sides of the pan . Set aside . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . The ingredients required for the Topping , 80 gm of butter/ marg , 200gm of sugar , 100gm of soft brown sugar , the juice of 1 lemon and 2 tbs of boiling water . The ingredients for the Cake ,5 firm bananas , 1 cup of granulated nuts ,1 cup of mixed fruit pieces ,250gm of butter/ marg , 250 gm of soft brown sugar , 4 eggs well beaten , 250 gm of buttermilk , 380 gm of self raising flour ,1 and 1/2 tsp of baking powder , 1 dsp of ground ginger ,1 dsp of ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg . Let's get started by making the topping first . Melt the butter / marg (80 gm ) in a frypan , then sprinkle both sugars over top . Add the lemon juice and the boiling water and bring to the boil . Simmer for 10 minutes until the mixture caramelises .Slice the bananas into thick diagonal pieces and add these to the caramel with the nuts and fruit .Cook over a high heat for 3 minutes to coat all ingredients with the caramel . Now spoon the mixture into the prepared pan , smooth over gently to cover the entire base of the pan and set aside . Beat the butter / marg together with the sugar with an electric beater until creamy . Mix together the all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl . In another bowl mix together the beaten eggs with the buttermilk . Now using a wooden spoon add the butter mix to the buttermilk and egg mixture , incorporating with the dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed . When the batter is well mixed , pour it over the banana mixture , gently smoothing over the top . Bake in the preheated oven for 75 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean . Allow the cake to stand in the pan for 5 minutes ,use a spatula to separate the cake from the sides of the pan . Now to remove the cake place a flat tray or platter over the top of the pan and turn over so the cake is now the right way up . Remove the sides of the pan and gently peel the paper off the banana toffee topping . This cake can be served warm or at room temperature with thickened cream or creme fraiche . The cake will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator or can be frozen and defrosted for 4 hours before use . Just a tip for cleaning the toffee encrusted cake pan , fill your sink with very hot soapy water and leave the pan soak , the toffee will dissolve , just be patient ..

BARRAMUNDI CASSEROLE

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease an oven proof dish , ( casserole ) . The ingredients you need for this fish dish are 750 gm of Barramundi fillets , juice of 1 lemon , 2 tbs of butter / marg , 1 peeled and chopped onion , 1 cup of chopped celery , 125 gm of sliced mushrooms , 1/2 cup of white wine , 1/2 cup of evaporated milk , 3 tsp of cornflour , 1 tsp of dried dill / fennel , chopped fresh parsley to serve . For the topping 1 x 420gm can od corn kernals , drained , 1 and 1/4 cups plain flour , 4 tbs of butter/ marg , 60 gm of tasty grated cheese . Let's get started , place the Barramundi fillets in the prepared ovenproof dish and squeeze the lemon juice over . Heat a frypan and melt the butter and cook the onion and celery until softened , then spoon over the fish and add the sliced mushrooms . In a small saucepan mix the wine and milk together , then thicken with the cornflour blended to a paste with a little water . Now add the herbs, seasoning and pour over the Barramundi . Spoon the corn sauce over the fish , rub the butter / marg into the flour , stir in the cheese , sprinkle over the corn . Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily . Garnish with parsley sprigs . It's up to you serve with mashed potatoes or a mixed leaf salald , it's your dish .

CHINESE GINGER SYRUP CAKE

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED ... 1 cup of crystallised ginger , 1 and 1/2 cups of water , 1 cup of soft brown sugar divided in half ,1/2 cup of honey , 1/4 cup of castor sugar ,125gm of room temp butter/ marg , 2 eggs beaten , 1/2 cup of milk , 1 and 1/2 cups of self raising flour . Whipped , thickened cream for serving . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and well grease a 20 cm non stick cake pan . So let's get started , first place the crystallised ginger , which you need to slice thinly in a medium saucepan along with the water , 1/2 cup of brown sugar , the honey and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes . Remove from heat and set aside to cool . Using your electric mixer cream together another 1/2 cup of brown sugar and the butter until thick and creamy . Now alternatively add by stirring with a wooden spoon the beaten eggs , flour and milk , making sure all ingredients are thoroughly combined . Strain the sliced ginger from the cooled syrup , add 3/4 of the sliced ginger to the batter, stirring to combine . Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean ( the cake should be firm and dry on top ) . Remove the cake from the oven , cool slightly and then remove to a wire rack and spoon over the remaining syrup and allow to soak in . To serve fold remaining ginger slices into whipped , thickened cream and serve alongside or on top of the cake . Delicious .

NEW ENGLAND FISH CHOWDER

Ingredients needed for this delicious fish chowder , 1/2 cup of diced ham , 1 cup of sliced onions , 2 cups of diced potatoes ,2 cups of hot water , 750 gm of cubed flake or basa fillets , 2 cups of cream , butter ,oil , minced garlic , dried dill and cracked black pepper . Add 2 tbs of butter/ marg to large pot and add 1 cup of peeled and sliced onions ,fry gently until softened . Add 1/2 cup of diced ham along with 2 tbs of minced garlic ,stir to combine . Add 2 cups of diced potatoes , cover and cook gently until the potatoes are just tender . Add the cubed fish pieces and 1 tbs of dried dill , continue to cook gently until the potatoes are softened and the fish is cooked through . Season with cracked black pepper . Stir through 2 cups of cream and gently reheat . Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

RICH INDIAN STYLE BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

The ingredients needed for this dessert 1 litre of full cream milk ,5 eggs lightly beaten , 200gm of castor sugar ,1 tbs of rosewater syrup ,1 tsp of vanilla extract , 1/2 tsp of ground cardamon , 1/2 tsp of grated nutmeg ,6 slices of white bread , plenty of butter/ marg to generously butter the bread on both sides ,1 tbs of sultanas ,2 tbs of chopped mixed peel,1 tbs of pistachios and 100gm of almond flakes . Generously grease an ovenproof dish (1.5 litre ). Preheat your oven to 200 deg C . Bring the milk to a simmer and continue to simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes . Stir frequently with a wooden spoon , scrapping the bottom of the saucepan . The milk will eventually turn a deeper shade , giving off a nutty aroma , when the milk is ready , it will be reduced by a quarter and coat the wooden spoon . Remove from heat and leave to reduce in temperature to become just warm , stirring frequently to avoid a skin forming . Beat the lightly beaten eggs with 150 gm of castor sugar until light and foamy . Now sprinkle the greased oveproof dish with 50 gm of castor sugar until well coated . Remove the crusts from the bread and butter liberally on both sides . Arrange 3 of the slices over the base of the dish , trimming them to fit . Sprinkle the sultanas and the mixed peel on top , then cover with the remaining slices . Once the milk has reduced in heat to warm whisk the egg and sugar mix into the milk , stir through the rosewater, vanilla extract , cardamon and nutmeg and pour over the bread . Sprinkle with the almond flakes and pistachios . Place in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes , reduce the temperature to 180 deg C and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean . This pudding should be served golden and crisp on top and can be served warm or cold with thickened cream or custard .

DALE’S PULSE PASTA AND BOLOGNAISE SAUCE

The ingredients that Dale used for this dish were , 225gm packet of dried pasta made with pulses, 700gm bottle of chunky pasta sauce ,500gm of premium ground beef mince , 1 large onion, 3 tbs of minced garlic 1 dsp of dried chilli flakes , 1 tsp of ground cumin and 1 dsp of ground turmeric . Peel and thinly slice the onion and place in a large pan with a spray of cooking oil and the minced garlic cook over a medium heat until the onion softens . Place the dried pasta in a saucepan of salted , boiling water and boil until tender , then strain in a colander with running water .Set aside . Add the minced beef to the softened onion and cook over a medium heat until the mince colours , stir in the 700ml of chunky pasta sauce , the ground turmeric and cumin . Finally stir through the chilli flakes , cover and simmer for 20 minutes . To serve stir through the prepared pulse pasta and bring back the sauce to a simmer and now you are ready to serve .

THE MANOR INSIDE OUT BURGERS

To prepare The Manor burgers you will need 500 gm of minced beef , 1 onion peeled and grated ,cracked blacked pepper ,115gm of soft blue cheese or grated mozarella cheese , 1 tbs of minced garlic , 4 tbs of granulated nuts and 2 tbs of sriracha sauce . This is so simple .... Mix the minced beef with the grated onion , pepper , sriracha , granulated nuts and divide the mixture into 8 flat burger rounds. Divide the cheese between 4 burger rounds , prees the remaining rounds together to enclose the filling . Grill or barbeque for 6 minutes on each side, serve in rolls or on plates along side a green leaf salad .

INDONESIAN NUTMEG CAKE

This cake is rich and exotically flavoursome , it showcases the influences of traders to Indonesia throughout the centuries ,the Portuguese , Indians , Arabs and many others , but today enjoyed as a truly decadent treat . The ingredients you need , 2 cups of plain flour , 2 cups of soft brown sugar , 1 tbs of mixed spice , 1 dsp of baking powder , 130 gm of butter/ marg , 1 tsp of bi carb of soda ,1 egg , 1 dsp of ground nutmeg , 1 cup of milk , 2 tbs of white castor sugar . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . Generiously spray / grease the sides of a 20cm springform cake pan . Remove the sides , lay a sheet of baking paper over the base , replace the sides of the cake pan , firmly locking in the baking paper . In a large bowl , mix together the flour , brown sugar , mixed and baking powder then rub in the room temp butter/ marg until it resembles course breadcrumbs . Spoon half the mixture over the base of the prepared pan . Now mix together the bicarb of soda , the beaten egg and nutmeg into the milk . Now add the milk mixture to the remaining flour mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine . Pour the batter onto the crumbs in the cake pan , sprinkle with the castor sugar over the top of the batter . Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and springy when pressed gently with your finger in the centre of the cake .( my cake was perfectly done at 45 minutes , again all ovens are different ). Cool in the cake pan foe 5 minutes , then turn out and cool thoroughly on a wire rack . Serve with whipped cream.