Carrot Tzimmes

600g carrots sliced
1 tablespoon butter *
1 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently until the carrots are crisp tender, about 25 minutes. Remove the cover from the pan, raise the heat and cook the carrots until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thickened, about five minutes.

*If making parve, use 2 tablespoons oil and omit butter.

Humus and Spiced Beef

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound (450 grams) lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) chicken stock
2 cups hummus


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beed and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, coriander, paprika, turmeric and salt and cook for 1 minutes to toast the spices. Pour in the chicken stock and cook until reduced, about 5 minutes.

Maple Syrup Salmon

⅓ cup real maple syrup
 ¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil

½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp garlic powder

Combine the salmon and sauce in a baking pan and marinate 45 minutes in the refrigerator, turning half way. Preheat oven to 400˚F and bake salmon in the same pan (with the sauce) for 20 minutes or until flaky and cooked through. 

Easy Tiramisu [large]

500 g savoiardi sponge finger biscuit
400 mls double cream

500 g mascarpone
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
500 mls espresso coffee (liquid)
2 Cadbury Flake


In a large bowl whip the cream until soft peaks.  In separate bowl add the sugar and vanilla to the mascarpone and stir through, then combine the cream with the mascarpone mixture.

Combine coffee and coffee liquer.
Layer bottom of rectangular dish with biscuits, pour over half the coffee and liquer mixture so biscuits are soggy. Then spread with a 3-4 cm layer of cream mixture evenly.

Keep layering biscuits and cream until cream mixture is finished. Top with crumbled flake bars. Cover with gladwrap and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or preferably overnight.

Bon Vivant Cake

Ingredients For Base 

8 egg whites
1 cup caster Sugar
250 g  ground Hazelnuts or other ground nuts

Chocolate Topping 

8 egg yolks
125g butter or margarine
3/4 cup castor sugar
200g-250g good quality dark chocolate

Base 

Line 9"x 13"baking pan with greaseproof paper. Beat egg whites until stiff, adding 200 grams of sugar gradually. Mix in hazelnuts by hand. Put in cake tin and bake on 160C for 1/2 an hour. 

Chocolate Topping 

Melt chocolate with butter and allow to cool [use a bowl on top of a pot of boiling water so it doesn’t burn]. Beat egg yolks and sugar.  Pour cooled chocolate mixture into egg yolk mixture by hand. Pour chocolate topping over base and cook in the oven for 30 minutes [the chocolate will still be softish, it will harden up when cool]

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.