recipes

articles

• Summer Salads with papaya & strawberries
• Carrot/butternut & cardamom soup
• Split Pea and Bacon or Feta Soup
• Meal-in-a-bowl Lentil Soup
• Witchy Winter Pumpkin Soup
• Lamb & pork recipes with herbs
• Easy recipes with healthy herbs for busy parents
• Cheese & Onion Drop Scones
• Easy Xmas biscuits I made with my kids
• German Xmas biscuit recipes-my family favourites
• Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe (gluten Free)
• Healthy smoothie recipes
• Sweetcorn and potato soup recipe
• Veggie soup, simple but yummy
• Tasty Chinese winter soup recipes
• Roast butternut, feta and coriander quesadillas recipe
• Mother’s Day recipe: spinach, mushroom, tomato and béchamel crepes
• Chocolate chip pancakes for Easter
• Fast food made healthy

Recipes supplied by  Richard Rust, a fabulous, 5 star trained, gourmet chef. He has cooked for, amongst others, British royalty, Woolworths and written for Taste magazine. His company Gourmet Gurus caters for children’s parties; lunch boxes; private/corporate functions and dinner parties.

MEZZE PLATTER

serves: 8
preparation time: 30 minutes

You will need:
8 slices of parma or similar ham
8 slices salami
50gm blue cheese, cut in wedges
50gm mozzarella, cut in chunks
50gm cheddar cut in wedges
8 slices of melon cut in half
Handful rocket, washed
Strawberries to garnish

Here’s how:

STRAWBERRY AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD

serves: 4
preparation time: 10 minutes

You will need:
handful mixed leaves eg rocket and watercress
250gm strawberries, green hull removed
125gm blue cheese
50gm walnuts, crushed
2tbsp honey
2tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Here’s how:

PAPAYA AND FETA SALAD

serves: 4
preparation time: 10minutes

You will need:
handful mixed leaves eg rocket and watercress
1 papaya, deseeded and cut into chunks
125gm feta cheese
50gm pumpkin seeds
1 pack spring onions, finely sliced
2tbsp olive oil
2tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Here’s how:

Recipes supplied by  Richard Rust, a fabulous, 5 star trained, gourmet chef. He has cooked for, amongst others, British royalty, Woolworths and written for Taste magazine. His company Gourmet Gurus caters for children’s parties; lunch boxes; private/corporate functions and dinner parties.

Replace the carrot with butternut if you prefer, this soup is great for freezing so make a large batch and have some ready at a moment’s notice, if you prefer a spicier taste replace the cardamom with curry powder.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time : 10 min
Cooking Time : 45 min

Ingredients:

Small knob of butter
2 small onion, peeled and finely diced
300gm carrots or butternut, peeled and finely diced
pinch ground cardamom
2tsp cake flour
600ml water
4tbsp coconut milk
2tbsp lemon juice
4tsp vegetable stock
Pinch salt
pinch light brown sugar
Small pinch black pepper
1tsp maizena mixed with water

Method:

• In a pan melt the butter; add onion, and butternut. Cook until onions are soft without browning.
• Add cardamom and flour, cook for 2minutes
• Slowly add some water to make a thin roux, add remaining water, coconut milk, lemon juice and stock, bring to a boil.
• Add salt, sugar and pepper.
• Whisk in maizena and cook for 30minutes or until carrots are soft.
• Stick blend until completely smooth, bring back to boil and serve

Recipes supplied by  Richard Rust , a fabulous, 5 star trained, gourmet chef. He has cooked for, amongst others, British royalty, Woolworths and written for Taste magazine. His company Gourmet Gurus caters for children’s parties; lunch boxes; private/corporate functions and dinner parties.

Wonderful soup for cold wintry days. For a vegetarian option replace the bacon with feta and the chicken stock with vegetable stock. You can also make this a low fat (almost fat free) by removing the bacon and replacing the butter with a drop of oil. This soup is also great for freezing and keeps for 4 days in the fridge.

Serves 4
Preparation Time:  10minutes + soaking overnight of peas
Cooking Time:  45minutes
Ingredients:

10gm butter
2 small onion, peeled and finely diced
4 tbsp Marrow, diced
4 tbsp leeks, finely sliced
4 tbsp spring onion, finely sliced
600ml water
100gm split peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
2 medium potato, peeled and diced
Small pinch fine black pepper
2 tsp chicken stock
2 tsp maizena mixed with 2tbsp water
200gm streaky bacon, chopped and cooked

Method:

supplied by Rosina Mello, mother of 2 gorgeous children, housekeeper and cook always in search of wonderful new recipes

Lentils are  full of protein and fiber making them a best bet for healthy eating. Here’s a soup that is ideal for those cold wintery days that serves as a meal for your family. You can leave out the sausages if you prefer it meatless but don’t leave out the balsamic vinegar which gives it a very special delicious flavour.

I cook this recipe in a pressure cooker which makes it quick and easy but if you don’t have one, use the alternative times provided.

Ingredients

1 large onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¾ cup brown lentils
4 cups chicken stock or both
445g can tomatoes, chopped, reserving liquid
1 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes or ground paprika
3 medium stalks celery, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored and diced
300g smoked garlic sausage or other any other sausage, cut into ¼ inch thick  slices
Salt and freshly grounded black pepper to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

by Jodene Shaer, passionate advocate for taking responsibility for your own life, your happiness and most importantly your choice.  Co-owner of a company called Lifeology and runs a blog called Project Me

With each changing of the season I treat my friends to the Pagan history of the Southern Hemisphere festivals and that pumpkin soup is traditional for Samhain which we now know as Halloween. It is also the time when apples are harvested and that is why the combination is so special.

Enjoy … It really is that yummy!

Ingredients

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

supplied by Russell Davidoff, dad to 3 kids all under the age of 6, former accountant turned passionate importer of  Freshly Frozen Herbs

Did you know that there are great health advantages of herbs?
Garlic is famous for being a natural antibiotic as well as a powerful immunity booster.
Ginger is a strong anti-nausea agents, very helpful for morning sickness.
Basil aids in the promotion of breast milk for nursing moms.

Here are some simple recipes to help you make the most of them.

ORANGE AND GINGER PORK CHOPS (serves 6)

6 lean pork chops
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 frozen ginger cubes
6 orange slices
3/4 cup sour cream

1. Brown the chops on both sides.
2. Add the orange juice.
3. Reduce the heat, cover and cook on a low heat for about 30 minutes.
4. Uncover, and add ginger cubes and salt, and place an orange slice on each pork chop.
5. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until chops are tender.
6. Remove chops from heat and place into an ovenproof dish.
7. Place 1 tablespoon of sour cream onto each chop. Place under the broiler for about one minute, and then serve immediately.

ROAST LAMB WITH YOGHURT (serves 4-6)

Leg of lamb (1.3- 1.5 kg, boneless)
4 frozen garlic cubes
300g natural yoghurt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 frozen coriander cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. In a bowl, mix together the yoghurt, mint, garlic and coriander cubes, olive oil and salt and pepper.
2. Place the leg of lamb in a roasting tin and pour over the yoghurt mixture.
3. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
4. Roast the lamb at 180 degrees for 20 minutes per 450g, plus an additional 20 minutes.

supplied by Russell Davidoff, dad to 3 kids all under the age of 6, former accountant turned passionate importer of  Freshly Frozen Herbs.

Did you know that there are great health advantages of herbs?
Garlic is famous for being a natural antibiotic as well as a powerful immunity booster.
Ginger is a strong anti-nausea agents, very helpful for morning sickness.
Basil aids in the promotion of breast milk for nursing moms.
Here are some simple healthy recipes to help you make the most of them.

Chicken Salad with Basil ( serves 4)

1 cup cooked chicken breast, cut into small chunks
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup red grapes, halved
1 cup mayonnaise
5  Dorot frozen basil cubes
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together (except the pecans) and refrigerate.
Just before serving, add the pecans and then mix well and serve.

Ginger and Garlic Dip

4  Dorot frozen ginger cubes
2 or 3 Dorot frozen garlic cubes
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon soya sauce

Mix all the ingredients together well, and then refrigerate.
Serve with crisps or coarsely cut vegetables

provided by Diane Vaubell,  a work-from-home-mom to 2 small picky, vegetarians. She is an amateur blogger with obsessive addictions to food, photography and online social networking. Visit her  blog or catch her on @dirott

These Cheese & Onion scones are super delicious and because you don’t need to rollout the dough they’re super easy too. I usually shake things up by adding red pepper or corn to the onions as I fry them up. Baby spinach also works well. What I love about this recipe is that the scones can be frozen and can be whipped out the freezer in the mornings for lunchboxes (I freeze two per mini-plastic reseal-able bag).

Makes 12

Ingredients:
1 1/5 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons margarine
1 cup of cheddar cheese (grated)
1/2 cup chopped onion (a bit chunky)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat over to 200 C (400F).
2. Grease a muffin tray.
3. Sauté the onions in some olive oil until clear.
4. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Cut margarine into blocks (or make little blobs) and add to flour
6. Using the tips of your fingers rub the margarine into the flour until the flour is quite crumbly.
7. Add HALF a cup of the grated cheese and make a well in the middle of the mixture.
8. In a separate bowl beat the egg and add the milk and onion you cooked earlier.
9. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and combine until all the ingredients are mixed together and you have a soft wet dough.
10. Spoon the dough into the muffin tray.
11. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over each scone.
12. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese has melted and crisped and a sharp knife comes out clean.

by Laura-kim Allmayer, co-founder of Journey2Joy, mom to two little people, compulsive blogger and twitter addict. When she’s not blogging she’s planning baby showers and helping moms prepare for their new babies.

CHRISTMAS DECORATION BISCUITS

625ml flour
125ml icing sugar
5ml cream of tartar
2ml bicarb
Pinch salt
250g butter

1. Sift the dry ingredients together, work in the softened butter to form a stiff dough.
2.  Lightly flour a flat surface, roll out the dough about 5mm thick, then cut out your shapes.
3.  Place on a lightly greased baking tray and bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes

Royal Icing

250g icing sugar
1 egg white
Squeeze lemon juice
Colouring
Decorations – silver balls, 100 & 1000s

1.  Sieve the icing sugar.
2. Place the egg white and lemon juice in a bowl and gradually add the icing sugar.
3. Mixing with  fork until peaks form.
4.  Colour the icing as required and then pipe decorations onto the biscuits.

I let the kids decorate them for their teachers

GLUTEN FREE PECAN NUT COOKIES

125g butter
250ml gluten free flour (I use Natures Choice Self raising flour)
125ml chopped pecans
5 ml vanilla
50 ml icing sugar

1.   Beat all the ingredients together well.
2.   Roll into balls, flatten with a  fork
3. Add a halved pecan on the top.
3.   Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.

CUP CAKES (this is the best recipe I have used)

125g self raising flour
125g castor sugar (I used brown and it worked fine)
125g butter
2 eggs
3 TBS milk
1/2tsp vanilla

1.  Beat the flour, sugar, butter and eggs together.
2.  Slowly add one tbs of milk at a time.
3.  Add the vanilla and mix well.
4.  Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
5.  Ice as required.

provided by Merle Dieterich, passionate mom and businesswoman whose 2 beautiful children, Lerato and Marvin never cease to amaze and teach her about what counts. You’ll find her at  jozikids.co.za

The smell of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, vanilla and the taste of freshly home baked Xmas biscuits are the senses most evocative for me and my family for this time of the year.

The following biscuit recipes have been  tried and tested by my kids and  I.  I discovered them when I lived in Germany where the culture of home baked Xmas biscuits is widespread and deeply rooted.

Enjoy them and please add your favourites to this list.

CINNAMON STARS /  ZIMTSTERNE

Quantity: 70 stars
Oven temperature: 160 degrees
Baking Time: 7-8min

Ingredients:
500 g ground almonds
5 egg whites
450g icing sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbl rose water

Icing sugar snow for stars

Biscuit mixture

Making the stars

GERMAN LEBKUCHEN /HONEY CAKES

Quantity : 35 biscuits
Oven temperature: 220 degrees
Baking Time: 35-40 min

Ingredients:
200g honey
200g sugar
2 eggs
Freshly grated peel of a lemon
100g chopped candied orange and lemon peel
70g almond sticks
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of:
salt,grated  nutmeg, cloves, cardamom
500 g flour
2 tsp backing powder