FRIED EGGPLANT WITH YOGHURT MINT SAUCE

Prepare the yoghurt mint sauce the day before This is very simple , mix together 1 cup of greek yoghurt , 1tbs of olive oil , 1 tbs of lemon juice , 1/4 tsp of chopped mint ,1/4 cup of red onion chopped and seasoned to taste with cracked pepper and salt . Mix all ingredients together and leave in fridge overnight , this is great on baked vegetables , mets and salads . To prepare the fried eggplant , slice eggplants lengthways and shallow fry in a large frypan with rice bran oil . Once browned remove from pan ace on paper towels to absorb excess oil . Dust eggplant slices lightly with salt and apple cidar vinegar and serve with the mint yoghurt sauce. Delicious .

PAUL’S EASY CHICKEN SCHNITZEL

You will need 4 chicken thigh fillets , trim any pieces of fat and then pound them with a meat mallet into a nice size for cooking , set aside . Beat 2 eggs together in a bowl and sprinkle 1/2 cup of flour mixed with a dsp of dried rosemary and 2 cups of breadcrumbs on separate plates . Coat the chicken in the flour then dip into the beaten egg mixture and finally cover in breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess . Heat a large frypan over a medium heat with enough rice bran oil to shallow fry the schnitzels . Cook on one side to until browned , turn over and cook on the other side , when peirced with a skewer the juice should run clear indicating they are cooked through . Serve with mashed poatoes or chips , lemon wedges and a baby leaf salad .

MEAT FREE MEATBALLS

Let's begin with the sauce , heat 3 tbs of oil in a saucepan add 1 diced onion and cook till the onion is tender , now add 1 tbs of minced garlic , 800 gm tin of dicd tomatoes , 1/4 cup of dried basil . Season with salt and pepper and chilli flakes . Bring this to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes then pour in a cup of warm water or vegetable stock and stir through , continue to simmer . To prepare your meatless meatballs .....place 200gm of stale crustless bread in your food processor along with 250 gm of hard cheese , grated parmesan or pecorino will do , 1 dsp of minced garlic , 1/4 cup of dried parsley ......process until you have coarse crumbs . Empty the crumb mix into a large bowl and add 5 lightly beaten eggs , stirring together . The mixture should be firm enough to form small balls . Carefully place the balls into the sauce , simmer the balls on a low heat for 15 minutes , carefully turning them over to heat through , you can add more water ? vegetable stock if the sauce over thickens . To serve spoon sauce into warm serving bowls and add meatballs on top , sprinkling with grated parmesan and parsley . So simple and delicious .

CHICKEN LIVERS WITH SUMAC AND CURRANTS .

Combine the juice of 1 lemon , 1 tbs of red wine vinegar with 4 tbs of sumac add 1 red onion halved and sliced lengthways , 180 gm of baby salad leaf mix , 2 slices of toasted bread buttered with garlic and cut into cubes . Stir well to mix and drizzle will 60 ml of olive oil . Place 3 tbs of currants in a small saucepan and cover with red wine vinegar, bring to the boil and drain . Soak 400 gm of chicken livers ( trimmed ) in milk for 30 minutes , then drain . Heat a frypan with 60 ml of rice bran oil and add the drained chicken livers along with 2 tbs of dried oregano cook for 1 minute on each side add a little extra lemon juice Now pour the currants and the liver mixture over the salad . Toss to combine and serve immediately .

FIGS , PROSCIUTTO AND FETA SALAD

It won't be long before the figs start ripening on our trees , this salad is a favourite on The Manor table , figs with prosciutto and crumbled feta. The fresh sharp flavour of Greek feta is a perfect match to the saltiness of prosciutto and the sweetness of figs . This salad can be served as a starter for formal dinners on individual plates or on a platter in the middle of the table for a casual meal allowing people to help themselves . Arrange 8 slices of prosciutto over a large platter . Scatter with baby salad leaves and torn mint leaves., then place another 8 slices of prosciutto over the salad and mint leaves . Top with thick slices of fresh figs ( 7) and crumbled greek feta ( 120 gm )season with cracked black pepper . In a separate bowl mix together 3 tbs of red wine vinegar with 125 ml of virgin olive oil mix until well combined . Drizzle the dressing over the salad . Serve with crusty bread .

CAPONATA

Preheat your oven to 180 deg c Slice 2 large red capsicums , 2 large eggplants cut into 2 cm pieces ,2 onions sliced , 12 cherry tomatoes sliced in half. Place the vegetables in an oiled roasting dish. Mix through 2 cups of sliced black olives , 2 tbs of capers ,4 tbs of minced garlic ,1 tbs of dried oregano and 2 tbs of dried parsley . In a separate bowl add the juice of 1 lemon , 2 tbs of castor sugar ,100 ml of dry white wine and 200gm of crushed and peeled tomatoes , mix together and pour over the vegetable mix in the roasting pan . Cover the roasting pan and bake for 35 minutes or until the eggplant has softened . Cool slightly and season to taste with cracked black pepper .

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MACARONS AND MACAROONS .

The difference between macaroons and macarons is in their main ingredient . Macarons main ingredient is almond meal , whereas the main ingredient in macaroons is shredded coconut . Coconut macaroons are made from shredded coconut mixed and held together by egg whites and castor sugar .