Cabbage Rolls [Holishkes]

1 large head of cabbage  – or 2 smaller heads
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
6 large mushrooms, finely diced
500g minced beef
half a cup uncooked long grain rice
3 fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced OR 1 can of tomatoes
Salt and pepper
One can tomato soup

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Drop individual cabbage leaves into water [3 or 4 at a time] and leave for approx 30 secs, remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.  Continue until all leaves are done. Don't worry if some leaves tear, you can use these to make smaller rolls. Cut away the thick spine at the edge of the leaf for easier rolling.

Heat oil in pan over med-high heat and sauté onion for 3-5 minutes until browned. Add garlic, then mushrooms, and fresh tomatoes [if using fresh] and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl to cool.

To cooled onion mixture, add meat, rice, canned tomatoes [if using canned, drain off 2/3 of the juice and reserve for sauce], salt and pepper. Combine well. Place about 1/2 cup of filling in each leaf, roll, and place seam side down in a 13 by 9-inch pan. Pour can of soup [and reserved juice] over rolls, then fill can again with water and pour that over as well. Cover pan tightly with foil, and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Makes 10-12 regular sized cabbage rolls.

This freezes well.

Mushroom Salad with Croutons

Halve this quantity for a smaller salad.

6 large mushrooms
250g mixed lettuce leaves
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups croutons

- Dressing:
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup vinegar
¼ tsp mustard
¼ cup ketchup
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp salt

Peel and dice mushrooms and saute in a little olive oil for a few minutes.  Do not overcook.
In salad bowl, add lettuce, tomatoes and mushrooms.
Pour over the dressing and top with the croutons.

Gefilte Fish Log

Do not defrost, boil it from frozen.
Place frozen log with inner wrapping attached into saucepan with enough water to cover fish. Add a cup of sugar, lots of black pepper, an onion and two carrots. Boil for one and a half hours.

Slice when cooked.  Top with sliced carrot.

To freeze cooked leftovers: wrap in paper towel, then foil, and then in a ziplock bag.

Mushroom Sauce [Parev]

500g mushrooms
2/3 cup coconut cream

2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard [or more to taste]
salt and pepper

Chop mushrooms and saute in a small amount of olive oil for a few minutes, add finely chopped garlic and continue simmering until mushroom juices begin to run.  Simmer for a few more minutes but be careful not to burn the mushrooms and garlic.  Add 1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard and salt and pepper.  Add coconut cream and stir into mushrooms.  Simmer on medium heat for approx 20 mins until sauce has thickened, but not dried out.  

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with steak or any kind of meat.

To make a dairy sauce, replace coconut cream with real cream, and use a knob of butter when cooking the mushrooms, together with the olive oil.

Orange and Almond Cake

2 oranges, washed
250 g caster sugar
6 eggs

250 g almond meal
1 tsp baking powder

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Wash the oranges and cook in the boiling water for 2 hours. Drain, allow to cool to room temperature, then puree. This step can be done ahead of time.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 22 cm spring form cake tin with baking paper. Beat the eggs and caster until well combined. Stir in the orange puree followed by the almond meal and baking powder.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and dust the top with extra caster sugar. Bake for 1-1¼ hours, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin.

Hummingbird Cake

For cake: 

3 cups flour 

1 ½ cups sugar 

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

3 eggs, lightly beaten 

1 ½ cups vegetable oil 

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 cups mashed bananas (use ripe bananas) 

1 (8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

 ¾ cup coconut 

1 cup chopped pecans

For Frosting: 

450g cream cheese, at room temperature 

12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 

6 cups icing sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

Pecans, coconut, to garnish

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together flour and the next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla, and stir until combined. Fold in bananas, pineapple, coconut, and pecans. 

Frosting: In a large bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add icing sugar, mixing until it's all incorporated. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Garnish with pecans or coconut.

Chocolate Refrigerator Cake

250 grams good-quality dark chocolate [min. 70% cocoa solids], roughly chopped
250 grams plain biscuits
100 grams soft butter

150 grams caster sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Crush biscuits.  Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over boiling water.  Allow to cool slightly

Beat sugar, and the eggs.

Add cocoa to the melted chocolate and stir until combined.

Add egg mixture to the chocolate mixture, mix until smooth, then add the crushed biscuits and pour into lined cake tin and place in fridge until set.

Remove from fridge about half an hour before serving so it is easier to cut.

Baked Gefilte Fish Log with Vegetables

1 frozen kosher Gefilte Fish Log

2 onions
1 capsicum
2 sticks celery
4 large tomatoes or
one punnet cherry tomatoes
Good dollop of tomato ketchup

Dice onions and saute in some olive oil until translucent.

Add remaining chopped vegetables and cook for a few minutes until reduced somewhat. Add tomato ketchup and mix well in pan.

Take your slightly defrosted fish log and cut into ten slices.

Place half the vegetable mixture on baking dish, top with fish slices, and then the remaining vegetables.
Cover dish and bake in low oven 150 degrees for one and a half hours.

Tastes better when cold.

Tuna Mornay

Penne pasta shells
Tuna in springwater, drained, flaked

White sauce 
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 leek, ends trimmed, finely chopped
 ½ cup butter
grated cheddar,
grated parmesan, grated
½ cup plain flour

1 cup white wine
1L milk
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
dijon mustard
chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
salt pepper
panko bread crumbs

Method: Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook the pasta following packet directions. Drain. To make the white sauce, sweat the garlic and leek off with the butter until soft. Gradually add the flour, wine and milk, and stir. Mix in half of the cheese and mustard and whisk until combined. In a deep baking dish place the al dente pasta, add the tuna, lemon rind, tomato, herbs and mix together with the white sauce. Add the rest of the cheese to the top and sprinkle with the panko bread crumbs. Pop in the oven at 180C for 30-40mins until golden on top.

Spinach Mushroom Eggplant Lasagne

2tbsp olive oil

250g pack baby spinach leaves

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

250g mushrooms, sliced

2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes

250g eggplant, sliced

300g pack fresh lasagne sheets

2 (200ml) tubs half-fat crème fraiche

100g/4oz grated tasty cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Saute the mushrooms aover a high heat for 6-8 mins, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Stir in the garlic and sizzle for 30 secs. Stir in the tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer over high heat for 2 mins or until reduced. Remove from the heat and season to taste. Set aside. 

Slice the eggplant and fry in a little oil for a few minutes. Set aside.

Season the crème fraiche with the salt and ground black pepper, then mix well.

Place a layer of lasagne over the base of dish, trimming it to fit. Top with half the mushroom mix, then the uncooked baby spinach leaves, then the eggplant. Spoon a third of the crème fraiche over, and half of the cheese. Repeat these layers once more, ending with creme and cheese layer.

Place dish on a baking tray, then bake for 35-40 mins or until the lasagne is tender and the top golden. 

Raspberry Butter Cake

150g butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 ¾ cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
200g raspberries thawed if frozen

Line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper. Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla then eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder and then add the milk and raspberries, and gently stir until the mixture is just combined. Pour into the cake tin and bake @ 180 degrees for 45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool the cake completely before decorating with the whipped cream, raspberries and icing sugar.

Lemon Seeds