750g cooked and mashed sweet potato (about 4 medium sweet potatoes) 125ml self-raising flour 1 X 375ml can of Corn kernels, drained (you may substitute with cooked corn) 125ml pumpkin seeds 1 egg 2,5ml salt 2,5ml cinnamon 63ml brown sugar vegetable oil to fry
Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix through. Place a heavy bottom pan onto medium-high heat and cover the bottom with vegetable oil to heat up. Scoop a tablespoonful of the mixture into the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes before flipping and frying the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Do not overfill your pan as you want the sweet potato to caramelise and fry to a golden, crisp outside. Keep going until all the mixture is used. Serve the cakes with a dollop of yoghurt and honey.
450g sweet peppers/bell peppers 30ml + 15ml olive oil 30ml white wine vinegar 1 clove of garlic, minced 12 basil leaves, chopped 2 sprigs of thyme 5ml sugar 2,5ml salt 45ml pine nuts, toasted 125ml crumbed feta cheese 125ml olives, pitted
Turn your oven on the grill setting and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Drizzle the 15ml olive oil on the peppers and spread evenly over each pepper with your hands. Place the peppers on the lined baking sheet and grill for about 15 minutes, until their skins are black. DO NOT take the peppers out too soon….they can not be too blackened! Immediately place the charred peppers in a mixing bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside until the peppers are cool enough to handle. Break open the peppers, remove the core and seeds and pull the skin from each. It is easiest to use your hands to scrape the seeds out and it is quite all right for the peppers to tear into strips! Add the peppers, oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, thyme, sugar and salt to a mixing bowl and refrigerate for one hour. Arrange the marinated peppers on a serving plate and top with pine nuts, feta and olives.
For the pasta: Cook the pasta, drain and return to the saucepan in which it was cooked. Crumble the feta over the pasta and mix together. Add the egg whites and mix through. Set aside.
For the meat sauce: Place a heavy bottom saucepan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil and onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes and then add the garlic, tomato paste and minced beef. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up the beef while browning it. Add the red wine, tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon quill and take the mixture from the heat. Allow to cool slightly.
Flavoured butters are a simply way of adding flavour and punch to meat, easy to make and can be kept in your freezer for when you need it! The Olive Butter is particularly good with chicken, fish and roast vegetables! The method for the three flavoured butters are the same.
Method: Allow the butter to come to room temperature and soften. Mix all the ingredients together. Spread a piece of plastic wrap on a kitchen surface, spoon the mixture on top and roughly shape it into a log shape. Fold the edge of the plastic wrap closest to you over the log shape and proceed to roll the butter in the plastic so that you have a plastic sausage. Now take hold of the two ends (the overhanging/extra plastic wrap) and roll the butter away from you on the surface. Tie the plastic ends and freeze until required.
Olive Butter: 125g butter, softened 190ml olives, chopped 15ml rosemary, chopped salt to taste
Garlic Butter: 125g butter, softened 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1,2ml salt 1,2ml pepper
250g tenderstem broccoli, blanched 200g streaky bacon 1 large / 2 small avocado pear, pitted and peeled 60ml peanuts, toasted
Blue Cheese Dressing: 60ml sour cream 60ml mayonnaise 60ml milk 100g blue cheese, crumbled 15ml parsley, chopped 15ml lemon juice a pinch of salt
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Place the bacon on the baking sheet and bake in the oven until crispy. Arrange the blanched broccoli, bacon and sliced avocado on a serving platter.
For the dressing: Add all the ingredients to a jug and whisk together to amalgamate.
Drizzle the dressing on the salad and sprinkle the peanuts over before serving.
This is a classic prawn cocktail recipe and although it has been around for always it is ever popular, quick and easy to put together.
60ml butter 3 cloves of garlic, minced 400g shrimps/prawns, shells removed and cleaned half a red onion, finely chopped 60ml mayonnaise 15ml tomato sauce/ketchup 15ml lemon juice 5ml Worcestershire sauce iceberg lettuce extra lemon wedges to serve
Melt the butter in a large heavy base frying pan and add the garlic and prawns. The prawn should be spaced slightly apart and not be crowded into the pan – cook more than one batch if your pan does not allow enough room for this. Cook the prawns for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pink. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Chop the red onion very finely and add it to a mixing bowl with the mayo, tomato sauce, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Mix through. Chop the prawns into chunks and add it to the sauce mixture. Shred about 2 cups of lettuce and add that to the rest of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Scoop the mixture into serving bowls/glasses/cone-shaped tuilles and serve with a wedge of lemon.
Line a 22cm x 11cm loaf tin with plastic wrap, leaving enough plastic to make an overhang (so that you can fold it on top of the mousse later on). Tip: wet the loaf tin before lining it – the water will help the plastic “stick” to the the tin. Add the white chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water and allow the chocolate to melt. Remove from the heat, give it a good stir and set it aside for about 5 minutes to cool. Add 15ml of the boiling water to a small cup and sprinkle 2,5ml of the gelatine over. Stir the mixture continuously until the gelatine has dissolved completely – about 2 minutes of constant stirring. Add the gelatine and one egg yolk to the melted chocolate and stir to combine. Add 125ml cream to a mixing bowl and beat with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Add the cream to the chocolate mixture and stir through until combined. Add one egg white to a clean mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until soft peaks form Fold the egg white into the chocolate mixture with a spatula. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the white chocolate layer is set.
Repeat the process with the milk chocolate and half of the remaining ingredients. Pour over the white chocolate mousse and place back in the refrigerator for another hour or until set.
Repeat with the dark chocolate and the remaining ingredients. Pour over the milk chocolate layer and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours.
Serve the mousse with a chocolate sauce or plenty of berries.
2 large pears 30ml butter 30ml honey 1 lemon 500g ready-made pastry 200g goats cheese a handful of pecan nuts a handful of thyme leaves egg-wash: 1 egg + 15ml milk
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Peel and core the pears and cut them into thin wedges lengthwise. Place in a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over. Mix up the slices with your hands so that the pear is covered with lemon juice. Add the butter and honey to a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pear slices and any lemon juice from the bowl and cook for 2-3 minutes a side, until the pear is caramelised. Remove the pear slices but reserve the honey caramel in the pan. Roll the pastry to a 28cm X 38cm rectangle and score a 2cm border all around the edges. Place the pastry on the lined baking sheet. Arrange the pear slices over the pastry within the border. Now break up the cheese and arrange it randomly between the pear. Scatter the pecan nuts and the thyme leaves over the pear and goats cheese. Drizzle the leftover caramel from the pan over the tart. Whisk the egg and milk together and brush the pastry border with it. Bake the tart for 20 minutes until the pastry is beautifully golden. Serve slightly warm.
An old classic for jelly lovers and perfect to enjoy at a pool party!
4 x 85g packets powdered jelly, 4 different colours/flavours 225g digestive biscuits 125g butter, melted 125ml boiling water 20ml powdered gelatine 500g cream cheese 200ml condensed milk
Dissolve each colour jelly in 200ml boiling water and pour into individual/separate containers. (Lunch boxes work well). Set in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. Cut the jelly into cubes and set aside. Spray a 23cm x 23cm x 5cm baking tin/container with cooking spray. Break up the biscuits and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until it resembles fine sand. Melt the butter and add it to the biscuits with the engine running. Transfer to the prepared baking tin and press firmly into the tin base in an even layer. Chill in the refrigerator. Pour the boiling water in a mixing bowl and add the gelatine. Stir until the gelatine has completely dissolved and set aside to cool. Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until smooth. Scrape down, add the condensed milk and mix for a minute or so. Add the cooled gelatine mixture and blend well. Now take the bowl from the mixer and add the jelly cubes. Gently fold everything together. Scrape the mixture over the biscuit base and press it into the corner of the baking tin. Flatten the surface by gently pressing down on the mixture with a spatula. Cover the tin with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Slice the tart with a clean sharp knife and serve.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line 27cm X 37cm X 5cm cake tin (I use a roasting tin) with baking paper. Add the butter and sugar to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat together on a high speed until pale and fluffy. Turn the mixer to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time, giving each egg time to incorporate into the mixture. Add the vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the flour mixture and milk alternately. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking tin and place it in the oven to bake for 40 minutes. Cool the cake on a cooling rack until completely cold and slice into squares.
For the Coconut Chocolate Ganache: 180g white coconut chocolate OR white chocolate and a handful of roasted coconut flakes 120ml cream
Chop the chocolate finely and add the chocolate and cream to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring every now and then until the mixture is silky smooth. Now take the bowl from the heat and stir the ganache. Drizzle the ganache over the cake slices while still slightly warm. Decorate with roasted coconut flakes.
My Whisk and I 