Tuscan Plum Tart (Upside down plum cake)

275 g Sugar
150 ml Water
900 g Plums
150 g Soft Butter or vegetable oil
175 g Sugar
200 g Self Raising Flour
3 Eggs

Preheat the oven to 170’c.
Put the sugar and water into the pan.
Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then cook without stirring until the sugar caramelises to a golden brown.

Meanwhile half and stone the plums, carefully arrange cut side down in a single layer over the caramel (this will be the top of the cake when it is cooked).

Put the butter, sugar and flour into the bowl of an electric food processor, whiz for a couple of seconds, then add the eggs and stop as soon as the mixture comes together. ( if you don’t have a food processor, just cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs one by one, then mix in the flour).

Spread the mixture in an even layer over the plums in the pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for about one hour.

The centre should be firm to the touch and the edges slightly shrunk from the sides of the pan.
Run a knife around the edges to make sure it has not stuck anywhere.

Leave it to sit for 3 or 4 minutes before turning out.

Chinese ColeSlaw

half a Savoy cabbage, shredded

1 pkt slivered almonds - toasted

sesame seeds - toasted

(to toast nuts, place on baking tray in moderate oven for approx 20 mins)

Dressing:

1 cup lite olive oil

1 cup caster sugar

half a cup white vinegar

salt

pinch of garlic powder

1 tblspn soy sauce

Lentil Soup

2 onions
3 cloves garlic

3 sticks celery

2 carrots

1 leek

1 large potato

broccoli

1 and a half cups dried lentils (washed)

2-3 chicken stock cubes

salt and pepper

In a large soup pot, lightly fry chopped onions in olive oil, until onions are translucent, add garlic, cook for a few minutes. Cut all vegetables into small pieces, add to pot, together with lentils, stock cubes and seasoning. Cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer for 45 mins.

Kentucky Baked Chicken

(This tastes exactly like Kentucky Fried Chicken, but it is baked, not fried)

2 kilos chicken pieces

3 cups SR flour

2 sachets of Tomato Cup-a-Soup

1 tablespoon Paprika

1 teaspoon salt

Mixed seasoning

Mix all ingredients. Put in a large plastic bag and add chicken pieces, one by one, shake until pieces are covered with mixture. Bake in oven in large pan which has been fully greased with oil, for one hour at 200 degrees C.

Chocolate Mousse (dairy)

200g dark chocolate

2 eggs, separated

1 cup thick cream

4 teaspoons caster sugar

Place chocolate in medium bowl over saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt. (Water should not touch base of bowl) - or melt chocolate in microwave. Remove chocolate from heat, and quickly whisk in cream and then the egg yolks. Beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, add sugar and beat until dissolved. Gently fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture with spatula. Pour mousse into glasses, refrigerate for several hours or until set, overnight is best.

Beef Casserole

This recipe can be prepared in the morning and left to cook all day....

500g cubed beef (steak)

4 carrots, thickly sliced

2 onions, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

1 cup red wine

1 kilo potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 cup chopped celery

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

In a large pan, fry onions until translucent, add crushed garlic and meat, and cook until meat is browned on all sides. Transfer meat and onions to crock pot (or a large oven baking dish). Add the remaining ingredients. Add a few cups of water, and lightly mix all ingredients in the pot. Cover and cook for about 5 hours, or longer on a lower heat. If cooking in the oven, temperature should be high to start off with, (250 degrees C) then lower the temperature to 180 degrees, depending on how long you are going to cook the casserole.

Potato and Leek Soup

6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

2-3 leeks, cleaned and sliced

2 sticks of celery, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 parve chicken stock cubes

Salt and pepper

1 tblspn olive oil

Saute leeks in some olive oil for a few minutes. Add crushed garlic and saute for another 2 mins. Add potatoes, zucchini, celery, stock cube and seasoning. Add water, enough to just cover the top of the vegetables. (the less water, the thicker the soup) Simmer for 40 minutes. Remove from heat, cool slightly and puree the soup.

Chicken Cacciatore

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half, widthwise 

3 large potatoes

olive oil

50g diced mushrooms

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 large onion, diced 

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped       

410g can diced tomato

3/4 cup broth or use hot water and chicken stock cube

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and Pepper

Saute onions in some oil for about 2 minutes, then add in the garlic and stir until the garlic is fragrant. Add in the tomato paste, cook for a minute.  Then add tomatoes, hot water, chicken stock powders, sugar  and seasonings and stir.  Add chicken and potatoes into the sauce and bring to a low simmer, adding more water if necessary to cover everything.  Cover and let cook on very low heat for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours. 

Cucumber Salad

3-4 cucumbers (or 8 lebanese cucumbers)

1 spanish onion

3/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon water

Salt and pepper

Slice cucumber and onion into thin slices. Make a dressing from the vinegar, water and sugar. Pour over cucumber. Mix well and refrigerate several hours before serving.

Chicken Soup and Matzo Balls

Chicken Soup

2 onions

Half a large boiler chicken and giblets , or use chicken frames instead of the boiler

3 carrots

half a head of celery (plus leaves)

1 leek

1 turnip

1 tomato

1 sweet potato
4 cloves garlic

Bunch of dill

Place all ingredients into a very large soup pan, and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer for 2-3 hours. Allow to cool, then strain and place into containers to refrigerate overnight.

Reserve carrots and chicken pieces in a separate dish. In the morning, scoop off all the fat from the top of the soup. Put the carrots and chicken back into the soup, heat and serve.

Matzo Balls (old fashioned recipe known as Matzo Kleis)

4 matzas

2 onions

Fine matza meal

4 eggs

4 tablespoons oil

Salt, pepper, ginger

Soak matza in cold water until soft, then drain and squeeze dry. Put in a basin and mash with a fork. Chop onion finely and fry golden brown, then add it, together with the oil, to the soaked matza. Season with salt, pepper and ground ginger. Stir in beaten eggs and sufficient fine matza meal to bind it all together. Roll the mixture into balls and coat balls with matza meal. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Drop into boiling water and cook for 20 minutes, just before serving. This recipe makes approx 16 matza balls.These are best made in advance and left in the fridge before cooking.

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

1 cup butter/margarine

1 cup cocoa

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup SR flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 180C.

Melt butter, stir in cocoa. Remove from heat, then stir in sugar.

Break eggs into mixture one at a time, then add flour and stir to combine.

Add walnuts, vanilla and salt and stir to combine all ingredients.

Pour into greased and lightly floured 18cm x 28cm baking tray.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Do not overcook.

Makes: about 18 large brownies.

Frosting (optional)

6 tbsp butter/margarine, melted

½ cup cocoa

1/4 cup strong coffee

2 cups icing sugar

Combine all ingredients. Ice brownies while still warm.

Anzac Biscuits

1 cup rolled Oats (Uncle Toby's Traditional Oats)

3/4 cup desiccated coconut

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup plain flour

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons boiling water

Pre-heat oven to 150C.

Mix oats, coconut, sugar and flour together and set aside.
Mix baking soda with boiling water, add honey and melted butter.
Add liquid to dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon.
Place 1 tablespoon of mixture at a time onto a baking tray covered with baking paper and bake for 15-20 mins at 150C.
Place biscuits on a wire rack to cool, store in an airtight container.
Note: to get a more perfect round biscuit, put mixture into an egg ring and press down lightly, then remove ring before baking.

Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce

For pudding

1 and 3/4 cups packed pitted dates (about 10 ounces)

1 cup water

1 cup orange juice

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (bicarb soda)

2 cups SR flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

200g butter, softened

1 cup raw sugar

3 large eggs

For sauce

250g unsalted butter

1 and 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 cup cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Make pudding: Preheat oven to 180°C. and grease an 8-inch square baking pan (2 inches deep).

Coarsely chop dates and in a large saucepan simmer dates in water and orange juice, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam.) Let mixture stand 20 minutes.

While mixture is standing, into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating after each addition until just combined. Add date mixture and with a wooden spoon stir batter until just combined well.

Pour batter into baking pan, bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 45 to 60 minutes.

Make sauce while pudding is cooling:

In a heavy saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and add brown sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, and stir in cream and vanilla. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool sauce to warm.

Cut warm pudding into squares. Serve pudding with ice cream and warm sauce.

Serves 6 to 8.

Sweet Noodle Kugel

1 pkt/ 8 oz. egg noodles

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

8 oz. can of crushed pineapple with juice

1/4 cup raisins or sultanas

cinnamon

Cook noodles, drain and rinse with water. This will make get rid of the extra starch and make them easier to work with. Put the oil in a large bowl and cover with the noodles, mix well. Add the eggs and mix and then add the rest of the ingredients. When adding the pineapple, make sure to add the juice as well. Lightly grease glass baking dish; pour mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle top with cinnamon and sugar. Place in pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until top turns brown.

Cauliflower Soup

30 grams butter (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

1 cauliflower, roughly cut up

I leek, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 potatoes, diced

3 zucchinis, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 Parve chicken stock cubes

Salt and pepper

chopped parsley

In a large saucepan, gently heat the butter and olive oil. Add the chopped onions and cook until onions are transparent. Then add the celery, zucchini, potatoes, leek and cauliflower. Add enough water to cover the vegetables. Add chicken cubes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 mins. Allow to cool slightly, then puree the soup.

Fluffy Banana Cake and Toffee Icing

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2.5 teaspoons baking soda

2.5 teaspoons hot water

vanilla extract

2 lge or 3 sml bananas

1 cup water

2.5 cups SR flour

Beat eggs and sugar. Add oil and mix well. Mix the baking soda with hot water and add to the egg misture. Cut up the bananas and mix into batter. Add the remaining ingredients and mix for another minute. Bake for one hour at 180C.

Toffee Icing

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup icing sugar, sifted

Gently heat butter and sugar in saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Add milk, bring to boil, remove from heat. Gradually pour butter mixture into sifted icing sugar, sirring continuously. Pour over cooled cake immediately.

Banana Bread

80g butter, softened
110g (just over half a cup) caster sugar
60g (about 1/3 cup) dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
275g ripe banana flesh, mashed well (about 4 small to medium bananas - just over 1 cup of flesh) 100g unsalted chopped walnuts
250g (just under 2 cups) SR flour
half a tsp bicarb soda

Grease and line a 20cm loaf tin or similar. Preheat oven to 180C.
Beat the butter with the sugars until very light and pale. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Fold in the banana and nuts.
Sift the flour with the bicarb soda and fold in. Pour into the loaf tin and bake for about 40-55 minutes or until coooked through. Test with a skewer.

Apple Strudel

Frozen puff pastry sheets

1 egg

1 tbsp. water

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. plain flour

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

2 tbsp. raisins/sultanas

Icing sugar (optional)'

1. Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it’s easy to handle. Heat the oven to 375°F/180C. Lightly grease a baking tray. Stir the egg and water in a small bowl. Mix the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the apples and raisins and toss to coat.

2. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the sheet into a 16x12-inch rectangle. With the short side facing you, spoon the apple mixture onto the bottom half of the pastry to within 1 inch of the edges. Starting at the short side closest to you, roll up like a jelly roll. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Tuck ends under to seal. Brush with the egg mixture. Cut several 2-inch long slits 2 inches apart on the top.

3. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Slice and serve warm. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Vanilla Slice

2 sheets frozen puff pastry

1/4 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup custard powder

1 cup cream

1 and 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/4 cup passion fruit pulp

25g butter

1 and 1/2 cups icing sugar

Preheat oven to 210 deg C.
Line oven trays with baking paper and place one pastry sheet on each tray. Prick with a fork and bake 10-15 mins.

Combine custard powder, sugar and cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add milk, stirring continuously until thick. Add vanilla.

Cut cooked pastry to size of a brownie pan. Layer pastry-custard-pastry in tray.

Make icing by combining butter, passionfruit and icing sugar over simmering water and mix until smooth. Pour over top of slice. Refrigerate.

Sweet Cheesecake Kugel

This makes a very large kugel, use half the amount of ingredients for a smaller size.

500g fine noodles, vermicelli or angel's hair

200g unsalted butter

8 large eggs

400g caster sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch salt

1kg cottage cheese

Preheat the oven to gas mark 3/170C.

Cook the noodles and set aside. I try and get the proper lokshen for this, which are shorter strands of very, very fine noodles. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.

Beat the eggs.

Combine the warm or cooled, but not hot, melted butter with the sugar, vanilla, eggs, salt and cottage cheese. Add the noodles and mix well.

Put in a pan of approximately 23 x 32cm(3 and one-half litre capacity) and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes until the top is just golden where the buttery threads of pasta have caught in the heat.Let cool a little before cutting and serving.

Orange Cake

250g butter or margarine

250g castor sugar

4 large eggs
1 tsp grated orange zest

250g self-raising flour

100ml freshly squeezed orange juice

Heat the oven to 170C/Gas 3.

Cream the butter and sugar well, until it is very pale and thick.

Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition, and the zest, if using.

Add the flour all at once, and beat well, then slowly add the orange juice, until it is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 50 mins - or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Orange Butter Frosting

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup icing sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon orange and a little grated rind

Kathy's Lasagna

250g frozen spinach (defrosted) 

375g ricotta cheese 

400g passata

2 large onions and 500g mushroooms, plus 2 cloves crushed garlic - all sliced and sauteed in olive oil

Lasagna sheets 

Grated cheese 

Mix together the spinach, cheese, and passata - add salt and pepper

Layer alternately in a baking dish: 

Pasta sheets, Spinach/ricotta mix, Onions/mushrooms 

Sprinkle grated cheese after each layer of pasta 

Finish with grated cheese

Cover with foil and bake at 180 for 45 mins.

Cheese Cake with Sour Cream topping

Cream together:
720 gms cream cheese with 1 cup caster sugar

Add:
5 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Mix until well blended.

CRUST: Use a pre-bought crust or make your own as follows:

18 graham crackers, crushed fine

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. melted butter/margarine

Mix well.

Line bottom and sides of buttered 9 x 12 inch baking dish with graham cracker crust. Fill with cream cheese mixture and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.

TOPPING:
2 cups sour cream

2/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla

Blend until smooth. Pour over the cheesecake and return to oven for 5-10 minutes. Cool on rack for at least 2 hours.

Poppy Seed Cake

1 cup ground poppy seeds

1 cup milk OR 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup butter/margarine

2 cups sugar

3 eggs, separated

2 cups SR flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together. Mix milk (or juice) with poppy seeds and beat in egg yolks. Sift flour, salt,; stir into dough. Beat whites of eggs until stiff, and fold into dough with vanilla. Grease a large loaf pan with butter or margarine. Sprinkle flour over sides, fill pan, and bake approximately 1 hour. If it springs back when touched with a finger and if a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, the cake is ready. Invert it over a rack to cool.

Moroccan chicken with couscous

Serving size: Serves 4

This recipe is best made close to serving.


INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon Moroccan seasoning mix
4 single (800g) chicken breast fillets
1 medium (150g) brown onion, chopped coarsely
1 medium (120g) carrot, chopped coarsely
1 small (90g) zucchini, chopped coarsely
3 cups (750ml) salt-reduced chicken stock
½ cup (125ml) water
1 cup (200g) couscous

METHOD
Combine half the oil with garlic and seasoning in a medium bowl; add chicken, toss to coat chicken. Cook chicken in a heated large non-sticking frying pan, covered, until chicken is browned on both sides and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, cover to keep warm. Add onion, carrot, zucchini, 2 cups (500ml) of the stock and water to same pan; bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.

Meanwhile, bring remaining stock to the boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in couscous, and remaining olive oil. Cover; stand until liquid is absorbed. Fluff couscous with a fork.

Serve chicken and vegetable mixture on couscous. Not suitable to freeze.