Macaroni Cauliflower Cheese

1 small head of cauliflower
200g macaroni pasta

Cheese Sauce:
600ml milk
50g butter
50g flour
100g grated cheese
1 tablespoon English mustard

Preheat oven to 190c. Cut the cauliflower into florets, and boil with the pasta for 10 mins.

In the meantime, to make the cheese sauce, heat the butter in a pan then add the flour gradually to the melted butter. Stir vigorously for a minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in the milk. Place back on the heat and increase temperature, whisking the milk mixture continuously as it thickens. Bring to the boil, by which time it should have thickened, then stir in the cheese and mustard. Season to taste. Drain the pasta and cauliflower,   then tip them both into a baking dish. Top with the cheese sauce and grate a little extra Parmesan over the top. Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.

Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Using a kitchen whiz, beat all ingredients slowly at first until everything starts to come together. If you go too fast you will get powdered sugar all over your counter. Let whip for approximately 5 minutes, until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread on cake as desired.

* Tip – the trick to getting smooth frosted cakes is to frequently scrap off excess frosting and dip your spreader into a cup of warm water, then continue spreading. It will look a bit wet as you go along, but the frosting will harden up beautifully.

Bok Choy Salad



Baby bok choy (about 6), finely chopped
Shallots, finely chopped
Pepitas
Craisins
Long Sippets (crunchy noodles)


Dressing:  In a blender, mix
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Salt and pepper

Arrange bok choy and other ingredients on a large platter. Cover with dressing.

The Best Minestrone Soup

1 tblspn olive oil
2 onions
2 carrots
4 sticks celery
3 cloves garlic
1 can chopped tomatoes
Broccoli, green beans....whatever you want
1 can cannelini beans (rinsed)
2 Massel chicken stock cubes (parev)
2 cups baby spinach leaves

1 cup pasta shells
Salt and pepper

Finely chop onion and saute in oil for a couple of minutes. Add finely chopped celery, carrot and garlic. Saute for five minutes.
Add can of tomatoes, broccoli chopped into florets, green beans, stock cubes, salt and pepper and enough water to 3/4 fill the pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then add pasta shells and cannelini beans, and cook a further 10 minutes.
Finally, add the baby spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Jamie Oliver's Spinach and Feta Filo Pie

Ingredients
100g (3½oz) pinenuts
5 free range or organic eggs
300g (10½oz) feta cheese
50g (1¾oz) Cheddar cheese
Dried oregano
1 lemon
A knob of butter
400g (14oz) prewashed baby spinach
1 x 270g pack of filo pastry

Put the pinenuts into the dry ovenproof frying pan to toast, tossing occasionally. Keep an eye on them. Crack 5 eggs into a mixing bowl and crumble in 300g (10½oz) feta. Grate in the Cheddar.

Add a pinch of pepper, a couple of pinches of dried oregano, zest of 1 lemon and a glug of olive oil. Once the nuts are light golden, add them to the egg mixture and mix well.

Put the empty frying pan back on the heat, add a little olive oil and a knob of butter and pile in half of the spinach. Gently push and move it around and add more as it wilts down. Make sure it doesn't catch on the bottom and, when there's room, start adding the rest, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, take the pastry out of the fridge.

Lay a large sheet of greaseproof paper, approx 50cm (20in) long, on the worktop, rub a little olive oil all over it, then scrunch it up and lay it out flat again. Arrange 4 filo pastry sheets in a large rectangle, overlapping at the edges, so they almost cover the paper. Rub some olive oil over them. Sprinkle over a good pinch of salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Repeat until you have 3 layers. Don't worry about any cracked bits. Remember to keep stirring the spinach.

Once the spinach is really nice and dense, take the pan off the heat. Add the wilted spinach to the egg mixture and grate in ½ a nutmeg. Mix well. Carefully move the greaseproof paper and filo into the empty frying pan so the edges spill over. Push it down into the sides of the pan, then pour in the egg mixture and spread it out. Fold the filo sheets over the top and let them fall where they will (for more help go to www. jamieoliver.com/how-to-filo-pie).

Put the pan back on a medium heat for a couple of minutes to get the bottom cooking, then put the pan into the oven on the top shelf to cook for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Latkes

6 large potatoes

4 tbsp. flour
1 large onion
salt and black pepper
Olive oil
1 egg

Finely shred the potatoes and the onion in a food processor.  Drain off any excess liquid.

Mix the grated potatoes and onion, beaten egg, salt and pepper, and flour in a bowl.

Heat a skillet over a medium flame.

Coat the skillet with 1 to 2 tbsp. oil.

Form the potato mixture into small cakes - 2 to 3 tbsp. of potato per cake. Don't make the cakes too big; they're easier to turn when small.

Flatten the cakes slightly with a spatula.

Cook until the latkes are nice and brown on the bottom, then turn and cook the other side.

Carrot and Walnut Cake

3 medium carrots, grated

1 cup chopped walnuts
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups raw caster sugar (or soft brown sugar)
3/4 cup lite olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups SR flour


Preheat oven to 180°c. Spray a 20cm round cake pan with cooking oil. Line base and side with non-stick baking paper.

Beat together the oil and sugar until pale and creamy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition until combined and fluffy.
Stir in flour, carrot and walnuts until combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.

Frosting:
250g Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel 

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add icing sugar, juice and peel, beating until well blended after each addition.

Pavlova

6 egg whites   
1.5 cups caster sugar
1 level tablespoon cornflour
Teaspoon of white vinegar

Heat oven to 170 degrees C.

Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually add caster sugar and continue beating until combined and mixture is thick and glossy.  Fold in vinegar and cornflour (cornflour stablizes it, the vinegar assists the process)

Spoon onto baking tray (covered with baking paper). 

Place in oven, and immediately reduce the heat to 130 degrees.  Bake for 45 mins - 1 hour until dry and crisp. Turn off oven and leave door open with the pavlova inside, to cool.

Top with whipped cream and fruit.

Coconut Cake with Lemon Syrup

Cake

165g butter, softened
2/3 cup (140g) caster sugar
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 eggs, separated
2/3 cup (70g) desiccated coconut
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
2/3 cup (160ml) buttermilk

Syrup
1 1/2 cups (330g) sugar
Juice of 2 lemons

Method
To make the cake: preheat oven to 180°C. Grease cake pan and line base with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to beat butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and cream. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in coconut, sifted flour and buttermilk in 2 batches. Use an electric mixer to whisk egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Use a metal spoon to gently fold into cake mixture in 2 batches. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 60-70 minutes or until skewer inserted in the centre comes out slightly sticky.

Meanwhile: Combine sugar and lemon juice. Heat in microwave for 1 min.  

While cake is still hot pierce cake with skewer or fork and drizzle syrup over cake.

Carrot Tzimmes

I just made a whole batch of this for tomorrow night (Jewish New Year)

The carrots, cut into coin-like shapes, represent money, and the hope for a plentiful new year.

I used 2 bags of carrots (about 10 in each bag),  a handful of dried prunes, one whole jar of honey (500g), a tablespoon of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and a small amount of olive oil.

Firstly, slice up the carrots in your food processor (or by hand if necessary, although that takes ages). I used the middle size slicer so they weren't too thin and fragile.

Then, put a small amount of oil in a large pan, add the carrots, prunes, honey, cinnamon and salt, and about a cup of water.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring regularly.

This makes enough for a large dinner party.  Serve as a side dish.

Potato & Zucchini Kugel

Ingredients:

•6 potatoes
•3 zucchini
•3 onions
•1/2 cup all-purpose flour
•6 eggs, beaten
•2 Tbsp. olive oil
•1 Tbsp. salt
•1/2 tsp. pepper

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Line baking dish with greaseproof paper.

2. Grate the potatoes, onions and zucchini in a food processor. Drain off excess liquid.

3. Add flour, eggs, oil, salt and pepper and mix well.

5. Pour mixture into the baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 1 1/4 hour or until golden brown on top and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Oven Baked Salmon Patties

600g (approx) canned salmon, skin and bones removed

2 large potatoes

1 onion

half tablespoon mayonnaise
Cornflake crumbs

Salt/Pepper

Chop potatoes into small pieces and boil until soft. Drain. Chop onion into very small pieces and add to potato, then mash both together.  The residual heat of the potatoes will soften the onions. Add salmon, mayonnaise,  salt and pepper. Mix together and shape into small balls, then flatten the balls with your hands. Dip into cornflake crumbs.  Place in lightly oiled oven trays, bake in oven until golden, approx 35 mins at 180.  Serve with lemon slices.

These are very fragile when they come out of the oven, allow to cool and transfer them with a wide spatula to an airtight container and leave in fridge to firm up.

Alternately: use half salmon and half tuna.

Freeze raw patties by placing in a ziplock bag.