Vegetarian Lasagne

INGREDIENTS

1 kg grated cheese
1 packet lasagne sheets

FOR THE VEGETABLES
1 kg Mccain Frozen roasted vegetables
500g Mccain Frozen sweet potato and butternut
4 tablespoons mixed herbs
1 onion diced
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

FOR THE CHUTNEY

6 tomatoes grated
1 can tomato puree
6 chilles
1 onion diced
salt to taste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera seeds
2 sprigs fresh thyme

FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE

4 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 ltre fresh milk
1/2 cheese
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp mixed herbs

METHOD

• Fry onions until golden brown , add frozen veg , allow to cook for 10 minutes
• Add cayenne pepper, and mixed herbs and toss
• put stove off and set aside
• For the chutney , fry onions until golden brown
• add chillies , jeera and mustard and thyme
• Add the tomatoes and canned puree and allow to cook on low heat until tomatoes are fully cooked
• For the cheese sauce , melt butter in a saucepan
• Add flour and stir continuously to avoid lumps from forming
• Add milk slowly , whilst stirring
• Season with salt & pepper & mixed herbs
• Add the cheese and bring to boil
• Remove from heat
• Now in A large casserole , add  1 tablespoon sauce ,make 1 layer of lasagne sheets
• Add more sauce over sheets , enough to cover sheets completely
• Add a layer of vegetables over sheets
• Add a layer of chutney
• Add a layer of cheese
• Add another layer of lasagne sheet
• Add more sauce over sheets , enough to cover sheets completely
• Add a layer of vegetables over sheets
• Add a layer of chutney
• Add a layer of cheese
• Repeat process until all ingredients are finished
• over the last layer add a final layer of lasagne sheets 
• Add sauce over sheets and add a layer of cheese
• Allow to sit for 10 minutes
• Cover with casserole with foil and bake in oven on 180° for 30 minutes 
• Serve hot

Grilled Prawns

INGREDIENTS

1kg prawns, cleaned and deveined, with the shell on.
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon of mixed herbs
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mixed coriander and cumin powder

METHOD

• Cut prawns down the centre and rinse and drain excess water
• Add  salt on the surface of each prawn. 
• In a  bowl combine the garlic paste, butter 
• Place the butter mixture in the microwave on a high heat setting for 30-40 seconds or until the butter has melted.
• Stir the mix herbs into the butter mixture.
• Brush the surface of each prawn with the butter, garlic and herb mixture.
• Sprinkle chilli powder, coriander and cumin powder on the surface of  each prawn.
• Place the prawns into a large bowl.
• Stir in the turmeric powder and toss .
• Place the prawns (shell side facing down) on an oven proof tray.
• Grill the prawns on 180 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the prawns have turned a golden brown color.
• Do not over cook the prawns as they will become dry.

Tandoori Chicken Curry

INGREDIENTS

Marinade for the chicken
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons paprika
4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons garum marsala
1/4 cup plain yoghurt
2 teaspoons ginger and garlic paste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the curry

1 onion, sliced
3ml cumin seeds
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tomato, grated
1 cup tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garam marsala
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup fresh cream

METHOD

• Place the chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl.
• Combine the marinade ingredients together with the chicken.
• Marinate for 1 hour 
• Place chicken in oven on 180° until golden brownw
• For the curry , add enough oil to cover the base of the pot.
• Add in the sliced onion, cumin seeds, butter and coriander powder.
• Fry the onions on a reduced heat setting till crisp and brown.
• Stir in the tomato paste and simmer for a few seconds.
• Add in the grated tomato and puree.
• Allow the mixture to cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in cayenne pepper, paprika, garam marsala, salt and sugar.
• Mix in the cream and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the cooked chicken into the curry base.
• Serve the tandoori dish hot with basmati rice or Indian flat breads (naan).

Prawn & Chicken Pilau

INGREDIENTS

2 cups white rice
1 litre water
500 g mushrooms chopped
1/2 cup sweet corn
500g prawns (de-veined with shell removed and rinsed)
2 tablespoon fish and prawn marinade ( I use aminas marinade)
1 kg chicken fillets cut into cubes
1 tablespoon chicken dust marinade
8  tomatoes grated
2 onions
curry leaf
mint
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 green chilli
1 tsp ginger & garlic paste
2 tsp marsala
1/2 teaspoon mixed coriander and cumin powder
fresh thyme
salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
Yellow food colouring
1/2 cup chopped coriander


METHOD

• In a large pot stir in the rice and water.
• Cook the rice until boiling point, rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
• Add enough water to cover the rice, season with salt and cook till soft to the touch. Drain the excess water from the rice and set it aside.
• In a separate pot boil the lentils in water. Rinse the lentils, season with salt, add water and return to the stove top until cooked. Remove excess water from the lentils and set it aside.
• Add enough oil to cover the base of a medium sized pot.
• Heat the oil on a medium setting. Stir in 1/2 a finely sliced onion, sprig of thyme, curry leaves, garlic clove, green chilli, mustard seeds.
• Stir in the chilli powder, curry powder, coriander and cumin powders.
• Allow to simmer
• Add in the grated tomatoes and the remainder of the 1/2 onion, grated.
• Season with salt and sugar. Cook the chutney for 15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and formed a chutney.
• Remove from stove and set aside
• Marinate prawns with fish and prawn marinade.Marinate chicken with chicken dust marinade
• Fry prawns on low heat for 5 minutes and set aside
• Fry chicken until golden brown and set aside
• saute mushrooms and sweetcorn for 10 minutes and set aside
• In a large pot add half of the rice
• Add the chutney ( do not mix just create layers )
• Add the mushrooms and sweetcorn
• Add the chicken and prawns in the next layer
• Garnish with mint and coriander
• repeat process with remaining rice and other ingredients exactly like you did the first layer
• This should make 2 layers of pilau .
• Cover the pot with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes on 180°C
• remove from heat ad garnish with coriander

* best served with sour milk salad / raita

Milk Tart

INGREDIENTS

Base:
1 pkt Tennis biscuits
150g butter

Filling :
4 cups milk
1 tblsp butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
3 tblsp flour
3 tblsp cornflour

*Cinnamon for sprinkling


METHOD

Base:

• Melt the butter. 
• Combine with crushed biscuits and press into 2 large tart pans. Refrigerate for 2 hours

Filling:

• Boil milk with butter. 
• In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients into a paste. 
• Add to boiling milk and stir until thick.
• Pour into your biscuit bases. 
• Turn a spoon over the bowl and pour liquid onto spoon, so that the hot tart mixture doesn’t disturb the base. 
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and leave to cool sufficiently to refrigerate.

Melting Moments

INGREDIENTS

250g butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup corn flour
Melted chocolate
Icing sugar for topping

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180°c
• Cream butter and icing sugar
• Add the self raising flour and corn flour to make a dough
• put dough through a stat nozzle and pipe rosettes
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until biscuits are light brown in colour
• Allow to cool , the dip biscuits in chocolate or drizzle with icing sugar
• The biscuits can also be piped into 5cm long patterns and then sandwiched together with chocolate

Chevda

INGREDIENTS

500 g fried rice crispies
500 fried kellogg's
1 cup gram dhall ( soak overnight , steam , drain & fry )
4 potatoes ( grated & fried
3 onions ( cut into slivers and fried )
1/2 fried chillies
1/2 cup colored sliced coconut roasted in oven
1/2 cup cashew nuts ( fried)
1/2 cup almonds ( fried)
1 cup moong dhall ( soak overnight , drain & fry)
1 cup chillie peas
1 cup peanuts roasted in oven
1/3 cup roasted sesame seeds
4 tbsp chilli powder

METHOD

• Mix all ingredients together
• Add chilli powder and toss

Paneer ( Cottage Cheese )

INGREDIENTS

3 litre fresh milk
1/2 cup vinegar

METHOD

• Bring milk to boil in large pot
• Add vinegar
• Allow curd to separate from water 
• Place a tea cloth over a large colander
• Using a skillet scoop out curd and place into colander until all curd is removed
• take out tea cloth with the curd from colander and press down and mold until you get a large square
• Wrap tea cloth and place a heavy pot on top to allow all the water to drain out
• Allow to stand overnight then cut into cubes and refrigerate or freeze if you prefer to keep it for a long period.

Creamy Paneer with Coconut Milk

INGREDIENTS

1 tin coconut milk
1 tin fresh cream
1 pack ground cashew nuts
2 tomatoes grated
1 onion
2 green chillies
curry leaves
1 tsp ginger & garlic
1 tsp masala
3 tbs oil
500 g paneer blocks cut into cubes ( see link below for how to make paneer )

METHOD

• Fry onions and curry leaves in oil
• Add masala , ginger & garlic & chillies
• Add tomotoes
• Cook on low heat until oil is visible
• Add coconut milk
• Allow to thicken
• Add cashew nuts
• Add fresh cream , stir well and add the paneer

* best served with folecha ( find link to recipe below ) 

Watermelon Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cubed watermelon
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp honey or sweetener to taste
4 mint leaves
1/2 cup ice

METHOD

• Blend watermelon and water until watermelon is smooth.
• Add honey, mint,ice and yogurt and blend for another 10-20 seconds until it has a slightly slushy consistency
• Serve immediately

Moist Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS

8 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup boiling water
1/8 cup cocoa

METHOD

• Cream eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy
• Sift dry ingredients 3 times and set aside
• Dissolve cocoa in boiling water  and add the oil and vanilla extract
• Add dry and wet ingredients to egg mixture and beat on low for a minute or until well blended
• Pour into large baking tin and bake at 180°C for approximately 25 minutes
• Once cake has cooled , decorate with icing

ICING

• Combine melted 100 g chocolate and a small can of desert cream
• Grate white chocolate and sprinkle over cake.

* This makes a large cake.

* Can be cut in the center to make 2 layers or you can make 2 separate cakes

Chilli Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 kg boneless chicken
2 tbs soy sauce
1 egg
4 tbs corn flour / maizena
6 chopped green chilies
3 onions chopped
1 tbs ginger & garlic paste
2 tbsp hot nandos sauce
salt to taste
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
2 cups chicken broth / water
1 tbsp oil
extra oil for frying

METHOD

• Cut boneless chicken into cubes
• Take 1 tbsp soy sauce, corn flour, salt and egg in a bowl and marinate chicken pieces in mixture for 15 minutes
• Heat oil and deep fry chicken until golden brown
• In a separate pot heat 1 tbsp oil , add ginger garlic paste, and green chilies and saute for a few seconds
• Add 2 cups of chicken broth , bring to a boil
• Add sugar, pepper powder, salt ,and the remaining soy sauce to the pot
• Add fried chicken pieces and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Dissolve remaining corn flour in 1 cup water and to mixture stirring continuously
• Garnish with spring onions
• Serve with pasta or basmati rice

Kale and Banana Smoothie

Prep Time:  5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 bananas

• 2 cups kale

• 1 teaspoon flax seeds

• 1 cup milk

• ½ cup ice cubes

Directions

• Place bananas, Kale and flax seeds into blender

• Add milk and blend until bananas and kale are chopped

• Add ice cubes and blend until smooth

 

What is a Smoothie?

Introduction to Smoothies

A smoothie is a thick, chilled beverage made from blended raw fruit and vegetables. It is usually combined with various other ingredients making it delicious as well as nutritional. A smoothie can be healthy depending on the ingredients.

For instance using sweeteners, ice cream and protein powders diminishes the nutritional value even though fresh fruit are used whereas using large servings of fruit and vegetables combined with water, milk or yogurt are usually considered part of a healthy diet.

Smoothies include pulp, skin and seeds making it thicker than fruit juice with a consistency similar to milkshake. It can be made using a normal blender or a juicer.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 1 cup strawberries
• 2 cups mixed berry yogurt
• ½ cup ice cubes

Directions

• Add bananas and strawberries to blender
• Blend until fruit roughly chopped
• Add yogurt and ice cubes
• Blend until smooth

Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Serves:  2

Ingredients

• 2 Bananas
• 2 cups vanilla yogurt
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 1 cup ice cubes

Directions

• Add bananas, yogurt to blender
• Blend until bananas are chopped
• Add peanut butter and ice cubes
• Blend until smooth for about 30 seconds

Banana Berry Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 10 - 12 cubes of ice
• ½ cup blackberries
• ½ cup raspberries
• ½ cup blueberries
• 3 strawberries
• 1 cup milk or vanilla yogurt

Directions

• Add bananas and all berries to blender
• Blend until chopped
• Add milk or vanilla yogurt and ice
• Blend until smoothie thickens
 

Quick and Easy Banana Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

·         3 Bananas

·         1 Cup Milk

·         ¼ cup water ( depending how thick or watery you prefer smoothie )

·         5 cubes of ice

·         2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

• Add bananas and milk to a blender
• Blend until bananas are chopped
• Add water  and brown sugar and blend until smooth
• Toss in ice cubes and continue blending until smooth
• Serve immediately

Mutton Masala Breyani ( Large Quantity )

INGREDIENTS

5 cups rice soaked overnight
1 cup rice soaked overnight in a different container
5kg mutton cleaned and cut
3/4 cup breyani dhall soaked overnight ( masoor dhall )
3 large onions sliced
4 tomatoes grated
8 large potatoes
3 tablespoons breyani spice
1 tsp Hing
1 tsp food coloring
2 tablespoons margarine

For marinating meat

7 tablespoons masala
3 tablespoons garam masala
2 tablespoons tumeric
salt to taste ( 4 heaped tablespoons )
5 stems curry leaf
5 tablespoons ginger and garlic paste
1/2 cup chopped dhania
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup Thyme

METHOD

• Marinate meat the night before and refrigerate
• Add salt to the 5 cups of rice until almost cooked.( around 5 tablespoons of salt ) 
• Sprinkle food color on rice and set aside
• Fry onions in large pot until golden brown
• add breyani spice 
• Add the marinated meat and allow to cook until a knife can go through the meat when pierced
• Add tomatoes , breyani dhall, hing and the one cup rice that was soaked separately and the potatoes
• Allow to cook on low heat until potatoes and meat are cooked
• Add the remaining rice to the pot
• Allow to cook on low heat for an hour or until rice is soft but still grainy.
• Add chopped butter over the breyani over extra flavour
• Garnish with chopped dhania

* This meal is best served with sour milk salad and cooked pea dhall 

Malva Pudding

INGREDIENTS

Batter

30 g butter
100 ml  brown sugar
45 ml apricot jam
1 egg
5 ml bicarbonate of soda
125 ml  milk
250 ml cake flour
1 ml  salt
20 ml vinegar

Sauce

375 ml  cream
125 g butter
200 ml brown sugar
1 ml  salt
15 ml apricot Jam


*Serve with custard, cream or ice cream.

METHOD

Sauce

• Place the cream, butter, sugar, salt and  Apricot Jam in a medium saucepan.
• Stirring continually over a high heat, bring the sauce to the boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes.
• Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Batter

• Cream the butter and the sugar together until the butter is pale and soft.
• Beat in the Apricot Jam 
• Beat in the egg.
• Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda into the milk.
• Sift the cake flour and the salt together and add to the batter, alternating with the milk.
• Beat in the vinegar.
• Spoon the batter into an ovenproof pudding bowl that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
• Pour half of the sauce over the batter.
• Bake the Malva Pudding in an oven preheated to 180˚C for 40 minutes or until risen and golden.
• Remove from the oven and pour over the remaining sauce a little at a time until all the sauce is absorbed by the hot pudding.

Serve hot with custard, cream or ice cream.