Vegetable Laksa

 

185gm jar Laksa curry paste 

270ml coconut milk 

3/4 cup Massel chicken stock 

1/2 cup water 

1 teaspoon sugar 

salt

thinly sliced carrots 

baby bok choy, roughly sliced

broccoli pieces 

200g noodles 

bean sprouts 

Combine curry paste, coconut milk, chicken stock, salt, sugar and water in large saucepan over medium heat. Cover and bring to boil. 

Meanwhile cook the noodles according to packet instructions, adding carrots and broccoli for the last few minutes.  Drain and portion into serving bowls.

Pour laksa over noodles. Top with bean sprouts.

Creamy Tomato Pasta Sauce

 

225gm pasta

olive oil 

1 small onion, finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

salt, pepper

400g can crushed tomatoes 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

Dried parsley

Grated Parmesan cheese 

Saute onion for a few minutes until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Carefully pour in the crushed tomatoes. Add the salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cream and dried parsley. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss gently to combine. Top with grated parmesan.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

 

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup lemon juice

6 large egg yolks 

1 tsp Vanilla extract 

3 tbsp Caster sugar 

3 tbsp  oil [1/3 cup]

150g SR flour (1 ½ cup) 

6 large egg whites 

1/3 cup Caster sugar 

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F and prepare an ungreased 8-inch aluminum chiffon cake tin with a removable base In a medium-sized bowl combine the water, lemon juice, egg yolks, vanilla extract,

3 tbsp caster sugar  and oil, whisk to combine.

Sift in the flour and whisk until just combined Add the egg whites to a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk until foamy. Add the 1/3 cup caster sugar and whisk on medium speed until stiff peaks. 

Add ⅓ of the meringue to the egg yolks and whisk until just combined.

Transfer the lightened egg yolk mixture to the remaining egg whites and gently fold until just combined.

Gently transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin and give the tin a few taps to remove any large air bubbles Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 140C/285F and bake for 15 minutes or until an inserted skewer emerges clean

Hungarian Beef Goulash

 

500g beef goulash

Olive oil 

1 large onion - sliced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon paprika 

2 teaspoons Massel chicken powder

300ml cold water 

200g tomato puree

2 tblspns tomato paste

250g sliced mushrooms

1/2 red capsicum, diced [optional]

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large stock pot.  Add the beef and fry over a high heat until nicely browned all over, turning regularly. 

Tip the onions into the pan and cook with the beef for 5 minutes until softened. 

Add the crushed garlic and tomato paste and cook for a further minute, stirring regularly. 

Sprinkle paprika over the meat and crumble the stock cube on top. Add the water, tomato puree, sugar, capsicum and sliced mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, stir well and bring to a simmer. 

Cover and simmer on a low heat for two hours, adding water if necessary.

Serve with rice or mashed potato.

May be kept in fridge for 3 days.  Suitable to freeze for a month.

Mushroom Stroganoff

 

1 tbsp butter/olive oil 

1 small onion finely chopped 

3 garlic cloves crushed 

450g (1lb) mushrooms sliced 

1/2 tbsp flour 

1 tsp paprika [optional]

3/4 cups parve beef stock/broth 

1/2 cup sour cream 

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard [optional]

Finely chopped flat parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Set a large sauté pan or large skillet over medium-high heat then add the butter/olive oil. Add the chopped onions and sliced mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking until the mushrooms are golden brown and the onions are soft.  Season with salt and pepper, add paprika.

Stir in the flour and cook for a minute then pour in the stock and whisk until the flour has been mixed into the liquid. 

Reduce the heat then gently simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly then stir in the sour cream, parsley and mustard. 

Serve with pasta or rice.

Cinnamon Apple Honey Cake

3 medium apples 

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

4 eggs, separated 

160g/5.6ozs. honey 

200g/7ozs. almond meal (ground almonds) 

Flaked almonds to sprinkle on top 

Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line the base and sides of a 20cm/8inch springform tin with parchment.

Peel and grate the apples and toss with the lemon zest, juice, vanilla and cinnamon and set aside.

Separate the eggs making sure that there is no yolk in the whites at all. Whisk the egg whites until you get stiff peaks. Set aside in a bowl. 

Then in another bowl beat the egg yolk and honey for a minute and then add the almond meal. 

Stir in the apple mixture and gently fold in the egg whites in four lots making sure that there are no streaks of white remaining. 

Scoop into the baking tin and sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake for 30 minutes or until the centre springs back when touched. 

Hortosoupa: Greek Vegetable Soup

 

1 onion, sliced 

1/4 cup olive oil

4 – 5 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped 

4 carrots, peeled and sliced 

4 fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks (or equivalent canned diced tomatoes) 

4 sticks fresh celery, trimmed and sliced 

3 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks 

1/4 green cabbage sliced into small pieces 

1 cup packed chopped fresh parsley 

6 – 8 cups water or broth 

Salt & pepper to taste 

1 can lima beans, drained

In a large stock pot, saute the onions in the olive oil on medium heat until they are translucent and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a minute more. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, using the preferred amount of water. You want the vegetables to at least be submerged. Turn the heat to high and bring almost to a boil, then drop the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot. Cook the soup until the carrots and potatoes are tender and add salt and/or pepper to your desired taste. 

Corn and Broccoli Fritters

 

2 cups chopped steamed broccoli

1 cup corn kernels

3/4 cup almond meal or flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoons dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

Start by cutting the florets off the steamed broccoli and cutting them into small pieces. Cut the stalks into small, thin slices. In a food processor combine the almond flour, eggs, dijon mustard and garlic. Mix until well combined.

Add in the broccoli and corn and stir through.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, use a ladle to spoon the batter into the pan to form small patties.. Allow the fritters to cook for 3 minutes until lightly golden and then flip and cook for 2-3 more minutes on the other side. Once cooked transfer to a paper towel and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remainder of the fritters.

Fluffy Matza Balls

 

[Makes 6 very large matza balls or 12 smaller ones]

Note that if you are using coarse matza meal, you will need to leave the mixture in the fridge for longer, as it takes more time to bind together.

1 cup matzo meal 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

4 large eggs 

2/3 cup oil or melted schmaltz 

In a large mixing bowl whisk eggs together, then add the oil, matzo meal, baking powder, salt,  and garlic powder. Mix to combine, adding some warm water if the mixture is too dry.

Shape into balls and put into fridge to chill before cooking [about an hour]

Gently drop balls into the soup or boiling water.  Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook 30 mins.  Note that if you cook them in the soup, they do absorb a lot of the soup, they taste great but a lot of the soup disappears into them.

Creamy Spinach Mushroom Pasta

 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves minced

220g mushrooms sliced 

1 cup cream 

200g pasta 

120g spinach 

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley chopped 

salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot start a pot of salted water to cook the pasta. 

In a large, deep skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring once or twice, until the mushrooms are golden and tender, about 8 minutes. 

Add the cream and bring to a simmer until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until just under al dente. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve a half cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. 

Add the spinach to the sauce and allow it to wilt into the sauce. Add the pasta to the pan and the parsley and grated cheese and toss well. Add more pasta water if necessary to loosen. Taste for seasoning and season the pasta with salt and pepper as needed. Serve right away.

Matboucha: Spicy Tomato Dip

1 green bell pepper

2 jalapeno

3 cloves garlic

1 x 400g can crushed tomatoes or 400g fresh tomatoes

1 tablespoon sugar

half teaspoon paprika

olive oil

salt and pepper

Finely chop bell pepper, jalapeno [remove seeds] and garlic.  Add some olive oil to pan and saute vegetables for a few minutes, then add canned tomatoes, sugar, paprika, a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Bring to boil and simmer until reduced nicely [about 60-90 mins]

If using fresh tomatoes, cross cut the skin, place in boiling water for a minute,then remove and peel off skin, chop into small pieces.

Almond Cake

4 eggs 

1 cup (190g) caster sugar 

250g almond meal

30 g (2 tbs) flaked almonds 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). 

Grease and line a 20cm round spring form cake tin with baking paper and set aside. 

Beat eggs and sugar until thick and creamy.

Fold in almond meal and a pinch of salt.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. 

Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed. 

Allow to cool in the pan.