MILLIONAIRE SHORTBREAD

Ingredients
 

125g margarine

180g flour

30ml syrup

90g castor sugar

60g castor sugar

1 small tin condensed milk

125g margarine

1 slab dark chocolate

Method

• Cream the margarine and 90g castor sugar.
• Add flour gradually and knead lightly.
• Press into square tin and bake at 150°C for 30 minutesw.
• Place condensed milk, syrup, margarine and 60g castor sugar in a pan, boil for 7 minutes.
• Spread on top of shortbread when cool.
• Melt chocolate and spread over the top.
• Cut into squares.

YOGHURT BREAD

Ingredients

500ml wholewheat flour

5ml salt

10ml bicarbonate of soda

20ml honey

500ml plain lowfat yoghurt

60ml oil

Method

• Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Add yoghurt and oil. Mix together well.
• Place this soft dough into a loaf tin. (About 12 X 22cm)
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 40 minutes, until brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Makes 1 loaf.

PANCAKE BATTER

Ingredients

 

500g flour

500ml milk

750ml water

3 extra large eggs

5ml salt

50ml oil

Method

• Beat eggs, milk, water and oil together.
• Gradually add flour and salt while mixing.
• If mixture thickens too much before making pancakes you can always add a little more milk.

HERTZOG COOKIES

Ingredients

 

500g self raising flour
50ml sugar
25ml baking margarine
3egg yolks

milk or water
5ml vanilla essence
1ml salt

Filling:
Apricot jam
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
250ml sugar
500ml desiccated coconut


Method

•  Cream the margarine and sugar in a bowl.
• Stir in the egg yolks and vanilla essence.
• Sift flour and salt into the mixture, blend well, stir in a little milk or water to form a fairly stiff dough.
• Roll the dough out to 5 mm thick on a floured surface and cut into rounds with a pastry cutter.
• Line greased patty tins with the rounds of pastry.

Filling:

• Gradually add the sugar to the beaten egg whites, beating well to blend.
• Fold in the coconut and mix well.
• Place a little apricot jam in the centre of the rounds in the patties and spoon some of the coconut mixture over the jam.
• Bake in the oven at 200°C until the pastry is lightly golden (about 15 minutes).
• Cook slightly in the patty tin, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes about 60 cookies

MEALIE PAP & TRAIN SMASH

Ingredients

500ml water
3ml salt
700ml maize meal
1 tin of whole sweetcorn (add after pap is cooked)

Method

• Bring the water to the boil.
• Slowly add the maize meal until it forms a pyramid in the middle of the saucepan.
• Put on the lid and simmer until a "skin" has formed around the maize meal.
• Stir with a fork till fine and crumbly. Put the lid back on and simmer over a low heat until done.
• Stir occasionally to break the lumps, about 30 - 40 minutes.
• Remove from stove and mix in the sweetcorn.

Train Smash:
3 onions, chopped
3 tomatoes chopped
60ml tomato sauce
30ml chutney
80ml vinegar
80ml Worcestershire sauce
30ml sugar
1 packet cream of tomato soup
250ml water
salt and pepper to taste
1 chopped red chilli (optional)


Method

• Saute` the onions and tomatoes until tender.
• Add the remaining ingredients and cook for a few minutes to thicken.

This is a really nice side dish to be served at a braai.

ALL BRAN RUSKS

Ingredients

500g margarine
600g sugar
3 extra-large eggs
1 kg self-raising flour
5 ml salt
15ml baking powder
300ml milk
180g bran flakes

Method

• Cream the margarine and sugar together.
• Add the eggs one by one, beat well after each addition.
• Sift all the dry ingredients together (except for bran flakes) and add to the margarine mixture, alternating with the milk.
• Add the bran flakes and mix well.
• Grease two 23 x 13 x 7 cm loaf tins with margarine.
• Turn the mixture into the prepared loaf tins.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for about 45 minutes.
• Cool, slice into fingers and dry in the oven at 100°C.

MICROWAVE SWEETCORN BREAD

Ingredients

250 ml mealie meal
250 ml cake flour
15 ml baking powder
5 ml salt
2 eggs
1 tin creamed sweetcorn

Method

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Place into a greased microwave safe loaf dish
• Bake on High for about 12 minutes.

Makes 1 loaf.

SWEETCORN BREAD

Ingredients

3 cups white flour
5 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5g instant dried yeast
½ cup fresh or canned yellow sweetcorn
1 cup of lukewarm water

Method

• Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, to form a dough, add the water slowly at the end so it doesn't become too wet.
• Knead dough for one minute.
• Put into a greased 20cm loaf tin and leave in a warm place covered with a damp tea towel for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
• Bake in a preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until golden brown.

BUTTERMILK RUSKS

Ingredients

375g butter
500g sugar
2 extra large eggs
1,5kg self-raising flour
30ml baking powder
500ml buttermilk

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Cream the butter and sugar together.
• Add the eggs, one at a time.
• Sift the flour and baking powder together. Using a fork to mix add this to the creamed mixture.
• Add the buttermilk. Mix well with a fork and then knead lightly.
• Pack lightly rolled, golf ball sized buns of the dough onto greased bread pans close together, and bake for 45-55 minutes. Place the pans in the middle of the oven, with a sheet of brown paper on the top shelf to protect the buns from becoming browned too quickly.
• Remove the paper after the buns are well risen and cooked through, to brown the tops.
• Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Turn the buns out onto a wire rack, allow to cool and then separate using 2 forks.
• Pack them on wire racks or on cooled oven racks, the air must circulate. Place them in the cool oven, leaving the door ajar, for 4-5 hours, or overnight, to dry out.

FRUIT SQUARES

Ingredients

1 cup self-raising flour

½ cup of oats

1 cup coconut

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup raisins

1 egg, beaten

125g margarine

Method

• Grease a large baking tray.
• Mix all ingredients together and press mixture evenly onto baking tray.
• Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C.
• Leave to cool for a few minutes before cutting into squares.

PINEAPPLE & MARSHMALLOW TART

Ingredients

1 tin condensed milk

1 tin crushed pineapple, drained

250ml cream, whipped

½ cup lemon juice

18 marshmallows cut into small blocks

Method

• Mix condensed milk and lemon juice.
• Add pineapple and marshmallows.
• Fold in the whipped cream, pour into a jelly mould and refrigerate to set.

VETKOEK

Ingredients

250ml self raising flour

1 egg

125ml milk

250ml oil for frying

3ml salt

Method

• Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
• Beat the egg and milk together and add to the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter.
• Heat the oil and drop tablespoon fulls of batter in the hot oil, fry until golden brown.

Serve with a savoury mince filling or with jam as a sweet treat.

KOEKSISTERS

Ingredients:

Dough

1 litre water

100ml condensed milk

11 cups cake flour

50ml baking powder

7ml salt

125g butter

Sunflower oil for deep frying

Syrup

15 cups sugar

1,875 litres water

500ml golden syrup

12,5ml cream of tartar

Method:

Syrup

• Mix the syrup, water, sugar and cream of tartar until melted over a high heat.
• Do not stir after it has begun to boil lower the heat slightly.
• Pour into 2 dishes and refrigerate over night.

Dough

• Mix the water and condensed milk.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Rub the butter in the flour mixture and add water and condensed milk.
• Press together to form dough, add more flour if necessary.
• Cover dough with a damp cloth and leave to rest for about 2 hours.
• Roll dough on to a floured board, cut 10cm x 1cm strips and plait two at a time. Cover with a damp cloth.
• Heat oil and deep fry.
• Remove from oil when cooked (should be golden brown) and add cold syrup.

The reason for splitting the syrup into two bowls is so that you can keep one bowl of syrup cold while you are busy with the other one. Alternate the bowls of syrup in the refrigerator to ensure you are alway using a very chilled syrup. The syrup must be kept chilled in order to make crispy koeksisters.

SHORTBREAD

Ingredients

180g flour

120g baking margarine

60g castor sugar

Pinch of salt

Method

• Sift salt and flour together.
• Cream margarine and sugar.
• Add flour gradually to the creamed margarine and sugar, continue to mix until all the flour has been added.
• Press mixture into a non-stick tart pan.
• Prick with a fork and bake at 170°C for 40 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack, sprinkle with castor sugar and cut into squares or fingers.

CRAYFISH SOUP

Ingredients

500g crayfish tails
1 tsp salt
50g butter
1 cup onions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salad herbs
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 piece lemon rind
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup light cream

Method

• Heat 1.25 liters water in a large saucepan to boiling.
• Add the crayfish tails and salt, and simmer until tender.
• Remove crayfish tail meat from shells, coarsely chop and set aside. Reserve stock.
• In another large saucepan, heat the butter and sauté the onions for 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, garlic, herbs, nutmeg, salt, pepper and lemon peel. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
• Add the wine, 4 cups of crayfish water, crayfish meat and cream. Boil soup and cook for 10 more minutes.

Serve hot with freshly toasted Italian bread and garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of cream.


Serves 4

DEVILLED LAMB KIDNEY’S

Ingredients 

8 Lamb's kidneys, washed and cleaned
3 medium onions, chopped
30ml butter
4 potatoes, diced
15ml Worcester sauce
30ml tomato sauce
8ml salt
1ml pepper
250ml chicken stock
15ml sherry

Method

• Dice the kidneys.
• Saute the onion in butter until well-browned.
• Add the diced potatoes and stir-fry until glazed and golden.
• Add the diced kidneys. Stir-fry over high heat until lightly cooked.
• Add the remaining ingredients and simmer very slowly until potatoes are soft.
• If the gravy is still too thin, thicken with a little cornflour.

Serving suggestions: Can be served on toast for breakfast, or added to a cooked breakfast with bacon and eggs etc, or can be served as a main dish with mash potato and vegetables or can be served as a starter.

SMOKED SNOEK PATE

Ingredients

250g smoked Snoek
250g cream cheese
15ml lemon juice
Pinch of Ginger powder
10 ml tomato paste
2.5 ml sugar
black pepper
half a small chopped onion
125ml fresh cream

Method

• Remove all skin and bones and flake the fish.
• Blend all ingredients except the cream in a food processor.
• Whip the cream and fold into the mixture.
• Press into a mould and refrigerate.
• When you are ready to serve, remove pate from mould, place in a bowl and garnish with parsley and black pepper.

Serve with savoury biscuits or fresh french bread as a starter.

MUESLI RUSKS

Ingredients

700g muesli cereal

700g butter
500g sugar
750ml buttermilk
1,5kg self-raising flower
40g baking powder
7ml salt

Method

• Heat the butter and sugar until the shortening has melted. Remove from the stove.
• Beat buttermilk and eggs together.
• Stir the buttermilk mixture into the sugar mixture.
• Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the muesli and mix. Add this to the sugar mixture and mix well.
• Spoon the dough into four greased loaf tins (1,5 litres each).
• Bake the rusks for about 30 minutes at 180°C and then for about 40 minutes at 160°C until golden brown.
• Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Cut each loaf into rusk-sized portions.
• Dry out overnight in a cool oven with the oven door slightly ajar.

Makes about 120 rusks.

CREAMY MUSSEL PASTA IN WHITE WINE GARLIC SAUCE

Ingredients

500g mussels

1 cup white wine

3 cloves of garlic

3 spring onions

fresh parsley and chives

250ml double thick cream

salt and ground black pepper

500g linguini or tagliatelle pasta

Method

• Finely chop garlic, spring onions, parsley and chives.
• Prepare mussels by thoroughly scrubbing the shells in cold water and remove any excess bits and pieces that may be stuck to them. Remove the "beard", this can be poisonous.
• Place mussels in a large pot with the white wine. Cover and heat over a medium heat until the shells begin to open (about 5 minutes).
• In the meantime start cooking the pasta, cook pasta al dente and drain.
• Quickly pour cream over the mussels and then add the garlic, spring onions and the herbs. Cover and cook for a further 5 minutes and remove from heat.
• Place pasta on a large platter and pour the mussels in sauce over the top.
• Decorate with finely chopped parsley.

MUSSELS IN CREAMY WHITE WINE GARLIC SAUCE

Ingredients

500g mussels
1 cup white wine
3 cloves of garlic
3 spring onions
fresh parsley and chives
250ml double thick cream
salt and ground black pepper

Method

• Finely chop garlic, spring onions, parsley and chives.
• Prepare mussels by thoroughly scrubbing the shells in cold water and remove any excess bits and pieces that may be stuck to them. Remove the “beard”, this can be poisonous.
• Place mussels in a large pot with the white wine. Cover and heat over a medium heat until the shells begin to open (about 5 minutes).
• Quickly pour cream over the mussels and then add the garlic, spring onions and the herbs. Cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and pour everything into a large bowl that has been heated.

Serve with french bread and butter as a starter or on a bed of pasta as a main dish.

BUTTERNUT SOUP

Ingredients

2 medium butternuts

1 medium potato

2 medium onions

50g butter

5 ml medium curry powder

pinch of ground nutmeg

2 chicken stock cubes

750 ml boiling water

500 ml milk

7 ml salt

fresh cream to decorate

parsley or chives to decorate
 

Method

• Peel, seed and dice the butternuts. Peel the onions and dice.
• In a large saucepan, saute the chopped onions in the butter.
• Add the curry powder and fry the mixture lightly.
• Add the butternut and saute the mixture for a while.
• Add the nutmeg and stir-fry lightly.
• Dissolve the chicken stock cubes in the boiling water.
• Add the stock, milk, and salt, to the butternut mixture.
• Boil, with the lid on, over moderate heat until the butternut pieces are soft. Stir the mixture occasionally.
• Serve the soup hot with fresh bread.
• Garnish each bowl of soup with a dash of cream and parsley or chives.

Makes about 8 cups of soup

Avocado Ritz

Ingredients

3 ripe avocado's
300g of shrimps, well drained
seafood sauce
juice of 1 small lemon
salt
spring onions, finely sliced
paprika


Method

• Cut the avocado's in half, remove the pips and dip the edges in lemon juice.
• Season with salt.
• Fill avocado’s with shrimps and spoon seafood sauce on the top of each one.
• Garnish with spring onion and paprika
• Serve immediately

BEEF STROGANOFF

Ingredients

400g tenderised steak or rump cut into thin strips

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 cups of button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup sour cream

½ cup white wine

4 tbs butter

salt

pepper

parsley

Method

• Sauté sliced onions with half the butter in a frying pan until transparent.
• Add mushrooms and allow to cook for a few minutes.
• In a separate pan melt the remaining butter, add beef strips to the hot pan and stirfry quickly to brown (no more than 5 minutes).
• Add the wine, onions, mushrooms, sour cream, salt and pepper to the beef strips, stir quickly over a high heat to thicken.
• Decorate with parsley.
• Serve with either rice or your choice of pasta.

CREAMY PERI-PERI CHICKEN LIVERS

Ingredients

500g chicken livers

125ml cream
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped finely
4 green chillies, cut in quarters
20ml red garlic, ginger and chilli masala
2 tomatoes, grated or liquidised
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp Brandy
2 tsp Peri-Peri oil

salt to taste

Method

• Wash and clean the chicken livers thoroughly and drain.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium size saucepan.
• Add the onions to the saucepan and leave to fry until golden brown (about 5 minutes).
• Add the chillies, garlic, ginger, chili Masala, peri peri oil and salt.
• Add the chicken livers and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.
• Add the cream
• Allow to cook until the sauce is fairly thick and the livers are soft and cooked through.
• Decorate with parsley and serve with fresh portugese bread rolls.