Sugar Lumps

 

Can't remember when last I had sugar lumps for tea, so was rather thrilled when I saw these in the latest Ideas magazine.  We used to get those rock solid little white ones but these look so much better. 

 

 

So first things first, off to the shops to find a heart shaped ice tray, now this should be simple, yes it shouldn't be that hard!!  Except if none of the shops have them, just those big square shaped ice trays...

 

I knew the first shop I went into should have them, so went back again, but the staff were moving the store around, but eventually, way up higher than my head, I spotted them.

 

They really are quick and easy to make, follow the instructions here, I did leave them to dry a little longer,  and they came out perfectly.  Oh Yes!!

 

 

They make pretty awesome gifts as well.



 

Cocktail Meat Pies with Roasted Vegatables

I was paging through some magazines the other day and came across this recipe for meat pies....yum! Sounds awesome!!  These could be really good as cocktail party food.  As we don't have all the ingredients , it's a case of - ok, so what do we have!!   So we make a few changes, make much smaller pies and serve them with sweet chilli sauce and wow, are these good!!  Now to arrange the party.....

Ingredients

 

1 small potato, peeled and chopped

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup butternut, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons thyme

300g beef mince

2 teaspoons flour

2/3 cup vegetable stock

2 teaspoons chutney

1/2 cup shredded red cabbage

1/4 cup frozen peas

puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, lightly beaten

sweet chilli sauce, to serve

 

Method

 

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees C.

2. Place the potato, carrot and butternut on a baking tray, sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix.

3. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender.

 

 

4. Heat the remaining oil.  Add the onion, garlic and thyme and cook until soft.

5. Add the mince and cook until browned.

 

 

6.  Mix in the flour and cook for a further minute.

7. Add the stock, chutney and cabbage and cook until thickened slightly.

8. Remove from the heat and add in the peas, roasted vegatables, salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

9. Allow to cool completely.

10. Cut out 8 x 8cm rounds from the pastry (or use a pastry press).

 

 

11. Brush the edges with egg and fold over the pastry, pinching to seal.

 

 

12. Brush with egg and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

13. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

14. Serve with sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

 

 

 

 

 



Chocolate Whisper Cupcakes

Chocolate is always a favourite in the house.....and so are cupcakes.  I got this recipe back in 1982 and it has become a firm favourite.  Originally for a layer cake, with a bit of tweaking it makes fabulous cupcakes.

 

Ingredients

 

 3 eggs

175g Castor sugar

60ml oil

60ml Cocoa, dissolved in

125ml hot water, allow to cool

120g flour

10ml baking powder

2ml salt

5ml vanilla essence

1 pkt Cadbury Whispers

 

Method

 

1. Heat oven to 200 degree C.

2.  Place paper cups in baking tray.

 

 

3. Beat eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.

4. Add oil and mix well.

5. Fold in sifted flour, baking powder and salt, alternatively with the cocoa mixture, into the egg mixture.

 

 

6. Add the vanilla essence and mix lightly.

7.  Pour a little mixture into paper cups and place 1 whisper in the centre of each.

 

 

8. Cover with the remaining mixture.

9. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

 

 

 

Chocolate Icing

 

Ingredients

 

120g margarine

240g icing sugar

60ml cocoa

5ml vanilla essence

CadburyWhispers

 

Method

 

1. Beat the margarine well.

2. Sift the icing sugar and coca together and beat into the margarine.

3. Add the vanilla essence and beat well.

4. When the cupcakes are cool, pipe on the icing and decorate with a Whisper and some edible glitter.

 

 

 

 

Wraps

So every now and again I find myself home alone, just me and the woof.  And seriously who feels like cooking just for one.  Not me!!

But on the other hand, if I ordered in a takeaway delivery, I usually wait about half an hour and eventually by the time it arrives I am starving and the food is not very hot. Or if I hop into the car and drive up for takeaways, it means a wait while the food is prepared and by the time I get home the food is once again not very hot. Ugh!! 

So now, to look for something that is tasty and takes just about as long as the takeaway does.  Hum.....whats in the fridge? 

Chicken wraps with red pepper, served with a mild

sweet chilli sauce.

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 wrap

1 chicken fillet, sliced thinly

1 red pepper

olive oil

2 peppadews, sliced

handful baby spinach leaves, washed and dried

Spur seasoning salt

1/2 round feta cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons plain yoghurt

2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sweet chilli sauce

 

1. Blacken the skin of the red pepper on the gas burner. If you don't have gas, grill the pepper until the skin blackens, turning all the time.

 

 



 

2. Place the blackened pepper in a bowl and cover with cling wrap for a few minutes.

 

 

3. In the meantime, season the chicken with the Spur seasoning salt, cook in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil until nicely browned and cooked through.

 

 

 

 4. Scrape off the blackened skin on the pepper, don't wash it as this is where all that flavour is.

 

 

5. Take out the pips and slice the pepper into thin strips.

6. Make the sweet chilli sauce by combining the yoghurt, mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce and put to one side.

7. Heat the wrap for 30 seconds in the microwave and place on a plate.

8. Start layering with the baby spinach leaves, followed by about half of the red pepper,feta cheese and peppadews.

 

9. Top with the chicken and pour the sweet chilli sauce over.

10. Season with the salt and pepper

11.  Roll up the wrap and slice in half.

 

 

You can easily double up on the ingredients if serving two. Remembering that you would probably only need to use one red pepper.

 





Mealie Bread

Come summer time, good weather and relaxing weekends, we like to braai (BBQ) a lot.  Boerewors, lamb chops, steak, chicken, ribs, salads, potato bake and of course mealie bread. What would a braai be without mealie bread?  Hum...not sure!

As soon as it comes out the pan it is literally finished before your very eyes. Some like it with butter, some like it plain, but whichever way you like it, it is fabulous.  And there's no kneading involved. If you are lucky enough to have some left the next day, it makes really good toast.  Here's the recipe for you.

Ingredients

 

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg

1 tin sweetcorn (410g)

salt & pepper

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

 

1.  Heat oven to 180 degrees C.

2. Grease and flour a loaf pan.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper.

4. Add 3/4 of a cup grated cheddar cheese and mix.

 

 

5. Add the egg and sweetcorn and mix in well.

 

 

6. Place in the greased loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top.

7. Bake for about 1 hour until cooked through.

 

 

 

Note: If you can't get sweetcorn, use plain corn and mix with a bit of milk until you get a dough like consistency.

 

Variations

Add garlic, chilli or herbs.

 

 

 



Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea on the weekend is just a must!  Growing up it was usually scones with apricot jam and cream. Today anything sweet will do with a cup of Earl grey tea.  Yum!!!

The other day at our local market I found a jar of orange peel rolls preserved in sugar syrup.  Now....what to do with them. 

Staring at all the recipe books in the kitchen, I remember that my mom used to make cupcakes with granadillas (passion fruit), ah ha....cupcakes, why not!! 

Orange cupcakes with orange frosting and an orange twirl.

 

 

Ingredients

 

70g margarine

210g castor sugar

2 eggs

260g cake flour

6g baking powder

pinch of salt

5ml vanilla essence

200ml milk

zest from 1 orange

 

Method

 

1. Heat oven to moderate (180 C)

2. Put paper cups into patty tins.

3. Cream the margarine and the castor sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.

5.  Add the zest of about half an orange.

 

 

6. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt.

7. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk and vanilla essence, blending gently.

8. Spoon into paper cups and bake for 15 minutes.

 

9. Turn out onto cooling tray and cover with frosting when cool.

 

 Frosting

 

125g margarine

140g icing sugar

12,5ml orange juice

25ml milk

orange peel rolls

 

1. Cream the margarine and icing sugar.

2. Add the orange juice and mix well.

3. Add the milk.

4. Pipe over the cakes and decorate with the orange peel rolls and edible glitter.