Caramel Apple Cake

Ingredients (serves 8)
1 3/4 cups caster sugar
1/4 cup warm water
2 golden delicious apples, cored, thinly sliced
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
double cream, to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm (base) round cake pan and line base and sides with baking paper.

Combine 1 cup sugar and warm water in a non-stick saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium and bring to the boil. Boil gently for 15 minutes or until mixture turns to toffee. Pour into pan. Arrange apple slices over toffee in a circular pattern, overlapping slightly.

Place eggs, vanilla, oil and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until thick and pale. Sift flours together over egg mixture. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold through. Spoon mixture over apple.

Bake cake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan before turning onto a plate. Serve warm or cold with a dollop of cream.

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

1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic

3 sticks celery

2 carrots

1 broccoli head

1 and a half cups dried lentils (washed)

Massel chicken stock powder

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 [except broccoli] into small pieces, add to pot, together with lentils, stock cubes and seasoning. Cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer for 45 mins then add chopped broccoli.  Simmer for another 45 mins until lentils are fully cooked.

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. 

Or you can leave out the potatoes and serve with rice.

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

1 brown onion, skin left on

4 chicken drumsticks

3 carrots

3 sticks celery

1 turnip

1 sweet potato

3 cloves garlic

Bunch of dill

salt and pepper

Place all ingredients into a very large soup pan, and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer for 4 hours. Allow to cool, then strain and place into containers to refrigerate overnight. Keep the carrots to serve with the soup.

Usual Fluffy Matza Ball Recipe Here

Pam's 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.