POTATO PATTIES

I peeled and boiled 8 potatoes , why 8 ,? well that is all that was left in the bag . There was less than 1/4 bag of shredded rainbow vege mix , so that went in the saucepan to boil with the potatoes . Boiling vegetables is such an old fashioned out of date way to soften vegetables , today it bought back memeories of my formative years . I mashed the drained vegetable mix added 2 tbs of wheat germ along with 2tbs of minced garlic , 1 tbs of minced ginger and finally 1 dsp of ground cumin . Rolled golf ball sized shapes of the potato mix and dipped them in a well beaten 3 egg mix and then coated them in a crumbed tamari coated almond mix . Oven baked them in a a preheated 180 deg C oven for 25 minutes .... These are delicious , can be served as a side to a meal or on their own hot or cold .

TOMATO AND ONION RICE

Peel and chop 1 onion . Heat 3 tbs of rice bran oil in a large pan over a medium heat . Add the onion to the pan along with 2 tbs of minced garlic,1 dsp of cumin . Stir while cooking for 3 minutes . Add another 3 tbs of rice bran oil to the pan along with 2 cups of rice . Stir until the rice becomes slightly translucent . slice and chop 4 tomatoes and add the pan , continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes . Pour in 750 ml of vegetable stock and stir to prevent rice clumping . Bring to the boil , then reduce heat and cover the pan with scrunched up baking paper and simmer till liquid is completely absorbed and cooked through .

BEEF RENDANG

In a large bowl mix together ,1 tsp of salt, 1 dsp of soft brown sugar , 1 tbs of tamarind paste . Toss 1 kg of cubed chuck steak in the mixture . Now add 120 gm of desiccated coconut making sure ithe coconut and beef mixture is well combined . Set the bowl with the beef mixture aside . Ok, now using a medium sized bowl add 2 peeled and thinly quartered onions along with 1 tsp / 1 dsp of dried chilli ( your call ),1 tube of lemongrass paste (80 gm ), 2 tbs of minced ginger and finally 2 tbs of minced garlic . Stir till well combined . Heat 3 tbs of rice bran oil over a medium heat . Add the spice mix to the pan , add 1 tsp of tumeric , 1x 100gm jar of Kaffir lime leaves ( drained and finely chopped ),3 tbs of chopped palm sugar ( otherwise known as jaggery , coconut sugar ) , 3 tbs of soy sauce , 1 tsp of salt and 1 dsp of cracked black pepper . Continue to cook and stir for 3 minutes . Spray the bowl of your slow cooker , place the contents of the pan into the bowl of the slow cooker . Add the beef mix and stir through . Stir through 1 x 400ml can of coconut cream and 1 tbs of coriander . Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until meat is tender . This is traditionally served with rice .

ALMOND CRUSTED CHICKEN TENDERLOINS

This week in class we prepared almond crusted chicken nuggets , today at home I prepared almond crusted chicken tenderloins . Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper . Pat dry the chicken tenderloins and brush the chicken pieces with peanut oil on both sides . Mix together 1 cup of finely chopped almonds with 5 tbs of finely grated parmesan cheese and 4 tbs of sesame seeds. Coat the chicken pieces with the almond mixture , coating them thoroughly. Spread the chicken pieces out in a single layer on a baking tray . Drizzle a little honey over and place in pre heated oven for 10 minutes . Turn the chicken over and lightly drizzle with honey and continue to bake for another 10 minutes , until they are cooked through and the crust is golden brown . Remove from oven and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving . Serve sprinkled with chives .

SALMON AND ASPARAGUS FRITTATA

Preheat your oven to 150 deg C. Line a 20 cm square cake pan with baking paper . Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil , add 12 asparagus spears and cook till tender . Drain and rinse under cold water . Slice asparagus spears into 1 cm lengths . Whisk together 10 eggs with 4 tbs of dried dill in a bowl . Now stir in the sliced asparagus and 4000gm of tinned and drained red salmon . Pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle with 60 gm of grated parmesan cheese . Bake for 30 minutes or until just set . Remove from the oven and allow to cool . Cut into slices and serve warm with chips and a salad or cold as a snack or light lunch .

FRUIT LEATHER

This recipe ticks all the boxes . It is healthy , made with fresh fruit , but takes 8 hours to prepare . is it worth it ? Yes . Preheat your oven to 50 deg C. Spray and line 2 baking trays with baking paper . Place 800 gm of ripe stone fruit , chopped and with skin on in a pan with a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of water . Simmer , stirring occasionally until fruit releases its juice . Cover and continue to cook over a low heat for 15 minutes ,stirring occasionally , until very soft . Remove the stones . Blitz the fruit in a blender or food processor until smooth . Now add 1 very ripe banana and blitz again until smooth . Pour and divide this mixture between the 2 baking trays , spread out evenly .place the trays in the oven for 8 hours or until firmed into a gel that peels easily off the baking paper . To serve , cut into long strips and roll up.

SILVERSIDE AND VEGETABLES IN GINGER .

I placed a piece of silverside in my slow cooker along with a 2 litre bottle of gingerale, and added 2 onions peeled and quartered along with 1 dsp of ground ginger . I switched the dial to low and let it simmer away for 8 hours . When I returned from class the aroma wafting throught the house was warm and inviting . The silverside was tender to touch , sliced and removed to a serving dish . The liquid stock was too good to waste and was used to assist the cooking of peeled and thickly sliced sweet potatoes , marrow , beans and brocoli . The hint of ginger in the vegetables just added to the perfection of this dish .