ITALIAN ZUCCHINI SALAD

4 Medium sized zucchini’s ( courgette ) , trimmed at both ends and sliced .
250 gm of cherry tomatoes , sliced .
1.onion , peeled and thinly sliced
1. Lebanese cucumber trimmed at both ends and sliced .
1. Dsp of minced garlic , 1, tsp of dried oregano.
Salt and cracked pepper to taste .
1. Small chilli thinly sliced
Place in serving bowl and mix thoroughly, pour over enough apple cider vinegar to just cover and sprinkle over 1/4 cup of castor sugar , stir through and cover with plastic wrap and leave marinate overnight , will last for 10 days in refrigeration .
Serve with cheese and crackers or as a side with fish , beef or pork .

NO BAKE CHEESECAKE

Before you commence please make sure you have 1x 375 gm can  of evaporated milk that has been well chilled .
Combine 125 gm of melted marg /butter with 2 and 1/2 cups of biscuit crumbs and press into base and sides of a spring form pan . ( 22cm /9”).  Chill.
ALTERNATIVELY.....Check how I presented my no bake cheesecake in the photos below .
For the filling dissolve 2 pkts of ‘low sugar’ lemon jelly crystals in 3/4 cup  of boiling water add 1 tbs of grated  rind and 1/4 cup of lemon juice .
Cool slightly .
Now beat the chilled evaporated milk ( 1 x 375 gm can )until thick .
Beat 250 gm of cream cheese ( softened to room temp )until smooth then add 1 cup of castor sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla essence .
Fold in the beaten evaporated milk .
Pour into prepared crumb base  chill for 2 hours .
OPTIONAL .... Decorate with cream , passion fruit pulp or crushed chocolate flakes .

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Preheat your oven to 160 deg .
Lightly grease cake pan, ( I used a Bundt pan ).
Stir 1 tbs of lemon juice into 1 and 1/4 cups of soy milk .Set aside .
Gently melt 150 gm of vegan butter ( nuttelex ), with 3 tbs of golden syrup and 1 tsp of instant coffee granules . ( the addition of the coffee makes for a robust chocolate flavour ). Set aside to cool .
In a separate bowl , mix together 4 tbs of unsweetened cocoa powder with 175 gm of castor sugar , 275 gm of  S.R flour and 1tsp of baking soda .
Now pour in milk and margarine mixture .
Stir in well until the batter becomes smooth and glossy .
Spoon batter into the pan , smooth over top and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes .
Cool in pan for 5 minutes , then turn out onto a wire rack til completely cooled .
ICING ....
Beat together 75 gm of vegan butter
200 gm of icing sugar
4 tbs of unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbs of water .
Beat until smooth .

HALVAS ......SEMOLINA AND ALMOND CAKE

Halvas is the name of rich blocks of sesame seeds but it is also the name of this orange and lemon flavoured semolina cake .......
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C..
Grease and line a 9'- 23 cm cake pan with baking paper .
Now  beat together  225 gm of softened butter / marg with 225 gm of castor sugar in a large bowl, until light and fluffy .
Separate the 6 eggs .
Add 6 egg yolks ( 1 at a time ) , beating really well after each addition .
Add 115 gm of fine semolina (ground ), 175 gm of ground almonds , the grated rind and juice  of 2 oranges , mix together well .
In a separate bowl beat together the 6 egg whites until stiff and then fold into the mixture .
Turn the batter into the prepared tin .
Bake for 50 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch .
While the  cake is baking place 125 gm of castor sugar in a pot with 50 ml of water and 1cinnamon stick.
Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved .
Remove from heat and now add the grated rind and lemon juice of 2 lemons .
When the cake is cooked , let stand for 5 minutes in the pan and then very carefully remove from the pan and place on a cooling tray  .
Prick the top of the cake all over with a fine skewer .
Remove the cinnamon stick from the lemon syrup and spoon over the warm cake and leave to cool .
Delicious ....

ALMOND PASTE PEARS

Preheat your oven 160 deg C.
Oil a baking tray
Place 200gm of almond meal into a bowl with 100 gm of castor sugar and 2 tbs of semolina .
Stir in 1 beaten egg and 1 tbs of rose water or orange flower water.
Knead to a smooth dough .
Beak off small pieces of the mixture and form into r shapes .
Insert a whole clove n the top of each to form a stem .
Place on the prepared baking tray .
Bake the almond pears in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until lightly coloured .
Leave to cool .
When  the almond pears are cold , brush lightly with rose water or orange flower water and dust with icing sugar.
These were a success in class.
 .

BAKED PASTA WITH SPICY MEAT SAUCE

This a traditional Greek dish of cooked pasta ( makaronia ) and a spicy lamb or beef sauce  topped with a cheese sauce , not unlike a moussaka and served with a simple green salad .
Can be served hot or cold cut into portions .

Preheat your oven o 180 deg C
Heat 1 tbs of rice bran oil in a pan and add 1 finely chopped onion and 1 tbs of minced garlic .
Fry for 5 minutes until the onion is softened .
Add 650 gm of lean minced lamb OR beef , fry for 5 minutes until the mince is coloured, stirring frequently and breaking up the minced meat .
Add 1 X 400gm tin of diced tomatoes , a pinch of sugar ,  2 tbs of chopped fresh parsley , 1 tbs of  dried marjoram , 1 dsp of ground cinnamon , 1 tsp of ground  nutmeg and 1/2 tsp of ground cloves .
Bring  to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes .
Meanwhile , cook 225gm  macaroni according to packet directions , making sure you use boiling salted water until tender , then drain well .
In a separate bowl beat together 2 eggs , then add 300 ml of Greek yoghurt and 55 gm of Greek feta cheese , season with cracked black pepper .
Now transfer the cooked mince meat to a large ovenproof dish , add the macaroni in a layer to cover the meat , then pour over the sauce .
To finish sprinkle over 30 gm of grated pecorino cheese .
Bake in your preheated oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown .

PUMPKIN AND BLUE CHEESE RISOTTO

You will need to oven bake 700 gm  of  cubed pumpkin, ( I use kent pumpkin ).
Keep the pumpkin warm until you are ready to mix through the risotto .
Bring 1 litre of chicken stock to the boil , then simmer over a low heat .
Peel and chop 1 onion and cook in a large pan with some oil until it softens .
Add 2 cups of aborio rice , continue to fry for 1 minute .
Add 1 ladle of chicken stock , stirring the rice constantly .
Continue to add the stock ( 1 litre ) by the ladle as it is absorbed into the rice , until the rice is cooked.
It should be firm to the bite , moist and creamy ....
Quickly stir through 150 gm of cubed blue cheese along with 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil , then carefully fold in the cubes of roasted pumpkin.
Delicious .