Buttermilk Tart

Ingredients

·         2 cups sugar

·         1/2 cup softened butter

·         4 - 5 rounded tablespoons flour

·         3 eggs beaten

·         1 cup buttermilk

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         1 unbaked deep dish pie shell (Get at Bakers’ Bin)

Instructions

1.    Cream the sugar and butter together. Add the flour and eggs and beat well.

2.    Add the buttermilk and vanilla; mix well & pour into pie shells.

3.    Bake at 180˚ C for 45-50 minutes, or until top is slightly crusty and brown.

NB: If you find the tart a bit on the sweet side; reduce vanilla first and see how you like it. Then, try reducing the sugar, the secret is the pie should be sweet.

Dani

Baked Fruit Pudding

Ingredients

·         500 ml. (2 cups ) self-rising flour

·         2 ml. (½ tsp.) salt

·         10 ml. (2 tsp.)bicarbonate of  soda

·         125 ml (½ cup) sugar

·         2 eggs, beaten

·         410 g (1 tin) fruit cocktail

Sauce

·         125 ml. (½ Cup ) sugar

·         125 ml. (½ cup ) water

·         125 ml. (½ Cup ) coconut

·         38 ml (3 tbsp.) margarine or butter

·         1 small tin (170g ) evaporated milk

Method

1. Lightly grease an oven – proof dish, 22 x 22 cm, with margarine. Preheat oven to 180⁰C.

2. Mix the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and sugar in a mixing bowl.

3. Add fruit cocktail (with juice) to the beaten eggs and mix with a wooden spoon.

4. Mix lightly into flour mixture. Put mixture into the ovenproof dish and bake for 35 minutes.

5. Put sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for about 3 minutes.

6. Pour sauce over the baked pudding and serve.

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Curry Pilchards

Ingredients

·         1 onion, finely chopped

·         Salt to taste

·         1 large tomato, finely chopped

·         1 tablespoon curry

·         ½ teaspoon ground coriander

·         1 green chilli, chopped

·         1 teaspoon chilli powder

·         1 teaspoon turmeric

·         5 tablespoons tomato sauce

·         2 boiled eggs

·         1 can pilchards in tomato sauce

Preparation

1. Saute onions until translucent add chili powder, turmeric, curry, salt, and stir into sauteed onions.

2. Add finely chopped tomatoes and allow cooking for about ten minutes.

3. Add green chili, tomato sauce and pilchards with their sauce as well as a little bit of water to get a gravy consistency.

4. Allow to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Slice boiled eggs in half and add to fish curry.

Best enjoyed with Rice, pap, bread or pasta

Curry Mince with Scone Topping

Ingredients for Curry Mince

·         1 onion, cut in rings

·         2 cloves garlic, crushed

·         Oil to fry

·         25 ml medium curry powder

·         5 ml ground ginger

·         2 ml ground coriander

·         1 ml nutmeg

·         50 ml brown vinegar

·         500 g mince

·         1 can (410 g) tomatoes, finely chopped

·         60 ml brown sugar

·         Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preparation of Meat

• Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until onion is tender. Add curry powder, ginger, coriander, nutmeg and sugar and fry for about 1 minute.
• Add mince and brown. Add vinegar, tomatoes, and salt and pepper.
• Mix thoroughly and allow simmering for 5 minutes.
• Pour into prepared oven dish and set aside.

Ingredients Scone topping

• 300 g cake flour
• 15 ml baking powder
• 3 ml salt
• 25 ml medium curry powder
• 100 g margarine
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup milk

Preparation of scone topping

• Add the baking powder, salt and curry powder to the flour and rub the margarine in with your finger.
• Add the milk and egg to the flour mix and beat thoroughly to form dough.
• Roll the dough until thin and press out scones with a small drinking glass.
• Place the scones on top of the meat mixture and bake at 180˚C for 20 minutes or until scones are baked through.

Danie

Tips for the Ultimate Poached Egg

My favourite kind of prepared egg is the poached egg. Here are some tips to ensure the ultimate poached egg:

 Make sure the eggs are fresh – fresh eggs hold together better when slipped into the simmering water. Test your egg’s freshness by putting the egg into a bowl of water. A very fresh egg will immediately sink to the bottom and lie flat on its side – a not so fresh egg will float.

Eggs for poaching must be at room temperature.

Some people prefer to use a shop bought egg poacher but I prefer to do the trick in a pot of simmering water. But if you prefer the pot of simmering water method remember to add a bit of vinegar to the simmering water – it helps hold the egg together. Note: The water must be simmering not boiling.

As soon as the water is simmering, slowly submerse the whole egg with shell and all in the hot simmering water for 10 seconds before you break it. This ensures the whites on the outside of the egg hold together better during poaching.

 

 Use a spoon and give the simmering water a stir to form a little whirl pool before breaking the egg into the simmering water. The reason for stirring the water is that the centrifugal motion will pull the egg together when you slide it into the water.

I prefer to break the egg into a saucer and then let it slide into the center of the whirling but be careful not to break the yolk. Note: You can also break the egg direct into the center of the whirling water.

Normally you can poach it for 3-5 minutes until cooked.

When done scoop out with slotted spoon onto a paper towel to dry excess water from the now poached egg.

Best enjoyed on a buttered slice of toast!

DanieDiv

Carrot, celery, and egg salad

Ingredients

·         300 g carrots

·         300 g celery

·         2 hard-boiled eggs

·         ¼ cup mayonnaise

·         3 Tbsp. lemon juice

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         Black pepper to taste

Preparation

Grate the carrots coarsely and place in a bowl. 

Grate celery and add to carrots.

Dice eggs into small pieces and add to carrots and celery. 

Blend lemon juice into mayonnaise and add to salad. 

Season with salt and pepper and mix ingredients together

Serve this on lettuce.

Frozen Alaskan Iced Dinner

During one of my world tours I found this recipe in Alaska. For South Africa it is the ideal hot summer light meal.

Ingredients

2 cups (400 ml) free range water or certified spring water

Preparation

Fill 2 ice trays with the water – make sure that all ice compartments are equally filled.

Place the water filled ice trays in the freezer – at least -8˚C. Make sure it is level in the freezer.

Shut the door to the freezer.

Freeze for about 6 hours or until it is frozen.

Dish up and enjoy.

Danie