One Pot Creamy Mushroom Spinach Pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1/2 yellow onion, diced 

salt, to taste - pepper, to taste 

[not too much salt!]

200g sliced mushrooms

2 lge cloves garlic, finely chopped 

2 cups chicken broth [use stock cube]

120ml 1/2 cup heavy cream

250g pasta

150g spinach

50g - 1/2 cup - Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the onion into the pot and stir. Cook down for 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic, and stir to incorporate with the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to evenly season. 

Add chicken broth and heavy cream to the pot and stir. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook according to package instructions, being sure to stir every 1-2 minutes to keep the pasta from clumping together. (Cook time may be a little longer in this recipe than when the pasta is boiled in water.) When the pasta is al dente, add the spinach and stir until the spinach cooks down and incorporates. 

Add parmesan and stir until it’s well-incorporated and you’re left with a smooth sauce. Top off with extra parmesan and serve. 

Curried Pasta Salad

250 g colored spirals pasta cooked, cooled
1 tsp curry powder
1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper

1/2 cup raisins
1 large can sliced peaches, chopped
1 green capsicum, chopped

mix peach juice with mayonnaise
to make dressing

Gingernut Log

250 g packet ginger nut biscuits

600 ml cream

Caramel sauce

Whip cream in a bowl until thick.

Spread cream mixture on both sides of ginger nut biscuits and stand on ends and sandwich them together to form a log.

Cover ginger nuts with rest of whipped cream to create a log effect.

Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the biscuits to soften under the cream.

                                                                                    Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Jamie Oliver Fish Pie

Ingredients 

for the mashed potato topping

1 kg potatoes peeled and chopped into large chunks

400 g frozen peas

2 tablespoons butter

zest of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

for the fish pie filling

500 ml 2 cups milk

1 bay leaf

200 g frozen hake fillets

200 g frozen smoked haddock fillets

2 onions finely chopped

2 carrots finely chopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

3 tablespoons flour

1 heaped teaspoon English mustard

40 g 1/2 cup mature cheddar, grated

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

2 onions finely chopped

2 carrots finely chopped

Place the potatoes in a large pot of boiling water or in a steamer and cook until soft. Pour boiling water over the peas to de-frost them then blend in a food processor. Mash the potatoes then mix in peas, butter and lemon zest. Season to taste. 

Pre-heat the oven to 200°c. 

To make the fish pie, poach the fish in the milk with the bay leaf. When the fish is cooked, remove the fish and flake into large chunks. Reserve the milk. 

In a large, oven-proof frying pan fry the onion and carrot in a splash of olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir then add the milk the fish was poached in to create a creamy sauce. Add the English mustard and fish and stir well then add the cheese and lemon juice and stir. Season to taste. 

Top the fish filling with the mashed potato and create indents with a spoon which will become nice and crispy in the oven. Place the pie in the oven and allow to bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes then serve.

Almond and Raspberry Cake

2 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
6 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
2 cups almond meal


Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until thick and glossy.
Using a metal spoon, gently fold in raspberries and almond meal, until combined.
Bake for 40 minutes at 160C or until golden and firm.

Orange Coconut Cake

1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
125 g butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 tbs orange rind grated
2 egg
1 1/2 cup self-raising flour

ICING
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp soft butter
2 tbs orange juice


Combine coconut and ½ cup milk in a bowl. Stand for 1 hour.
Cream butter, sugar and orange rind until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and beat well.
Stir in flour, coconut mixture and orange juice.
Pour into a greased and lined 23 cm x 12 cm loaf tin.
Bake at 180C for 45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Stand for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool.
Mix all icing ingredients together until smooth and spread over cake.

Quinoa, Kale, Avocado, Pomegranate Salad

250g quinoa
200g kale, big bunch
3 spring onions, washed and chopped
1 pomegranate, seeds
45g pumpkin seeds ( ⅓ cup)
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1 avocado, cut into small pieces
parsley to garnish

Measure 1½ cup of quinoa, rinse well and place into a pot. Add exactly double the volume of water and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for exactly 15 min. After 15 min remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 min. Fluff up with a fork and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Wash kale, chop into smaller pieces, drop into boiling water for 2 mins, then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain well and place in mixing bowl.

Add cooked quinoa, spring onions, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.  Top with avocado pieces and garnish with parsley.

South African Cheese Cake

250g plain sweet biscuits [Marie]
250g butter, melted
6 eggs separated
1 cup caster sugar
500g light Philadelphia cream cheese
250g Philadelphia regular cream cheese
200ml pure cream


Preheat oven to 180 C.  You will need a deep 31 x 28 cm baking dish.

Process biscuits and mix with melted butter, press into bottom of baking dish.

Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy and gradually add sugar. Add cream cheese, one third at a time, and beat on high speed to ensure no lumps. Slowly add cream and beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the cream cheese mixture into the egg whites one third at a time, then pour mixture onto cheesecake base.

Bake 50 mins until golden brown and slightly wobbly. Serve at room temperature.

South African Brisket

Large piece of brisket
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup chutney
1 pkt french onion soup
1 cup diet coke
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Mix all ingredients and pour over brisket, cover with foil and bake in oven at 160/180 for about an hour and a half or until cooked.
Allow meat to rest for 30 minutes, then slice thinly and return to sauce and re-heat for extra 30 minutes before eating.

Teriyaki Baked Chicken

1 orange, juiced
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil

8 chicken drumsticks

Mix sauce ingredients, pour over drumsticks
Bake in moderate oven, turning several times, until crispy and sticky

Spinach, Beet, Tomato and Sweet walnut salad

1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup walnut halves
200g can baby beets
small punnet Perino cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 cups baby spinach leaves

Place maple syrup in heavy based pan, add walnut halves and a small amount of salt and cook on low heat until for about 4 minutes.  Tip walnuts onto baking paper to cool.

In a large bowl, add spinach leaves, baby beets [drained], sweet cherry tomatoes and the cooled walnuts.

To make dressing, mix oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard and some salt and pepper.

Pour over dressing.

Almond Lemon Cake [Pesach Gluten Free]

Mild Olive oil for brushing pan
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups + 2 tablespoons ground almonds
1 cup castor sugar (divided into 3)
6 large eggs separated
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Grated zest of 2 lemons 

½ teaspoon salt 

½ cup flaked almonds 

Preheat oven to 175 C Grease a 21cm springform tin with olive oil and line bottom of tin Put the 2 tablespoons of ground almonds into the greased tin, shaking to coat the sides In a bowl mix together, the 2 cups ground almonds, ⅓ cup sugar and lemon zest. 

Place egg yolks into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add ⅓ cup sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in 6 tablespoons olive oil slowly, then add the lemon juice, and lastly the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl place egg whites and the salt. Beat until soft peak gradually adding ⅓ cup castor sugar. Fold the egg whites into the almond mixture in 3 stages, then pour mixture into prepared springform tin. 

Sprinkle flaked almonds on top of cake mixture. Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown and a tester inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from tin. Can be made a day ahead.