Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients:

For crust:

250g unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup packed soft brown sugar

2 2/3 cups flour

2.5ml salt

For topping:

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar (I used dark)
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups chopped pecans

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 180º and line a 9×13-inch pan with baking paper, leaving enough for a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

First make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy with a mixer. Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.

Press the crust into the paper-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

 

While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.

Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.

Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan.

Use the paper overhang to lift out the bars and transfer them to a cutting board. Peel off the paper, slice into bars and serve.

Scandinavian Almond Bars

Ingredients:

210g cups cake flour*

10ml baking powder

1ml salt

250ml sugar

125g butter, room temperature

1 egg, room temperature

2.5ml almond extract

* For a Gluten Free version of this recipe, simply replace flour with:

250ml brown rice flour *

125ml tapioca starch *

60ml potato starch *

180ml oat flour *

2.5ml xantham gum *

The Gluten Free version required a full 20-22 minutes to finish baking.

Topping:

15ml milk

125ml sliced almonds

Icing:

250ml powdered sugar

1ml almond extract

15-30ml milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170˚C. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the egg and the almond extract and then mix until light and fluffy. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until combined. 

Press the dough into the bottom of a thoroughly buttered 9x13 inch pan. Press with your fingers or a pastry roller to smooth the top of the dough. The gluten free dough is a bit stickier than the traditional version. I found that it was easiest to place a sheet of parchment or wax paper on top of the dough and press it into the pan with my hands that way.

Using a pastry brush, brush a tiny bit of milk across the top of the dough. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and very lightly press them into the top of the dough. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Remove from the oven when they are just barely beginning to brown and they look dry around the edges. Do not let them actually brown at all. If they brown, they will be much more crunchy than desired, once they cool. The goal is a very soft shortbread texture.

Let the bars cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then cut into bars. If they are too soft to cut, let them cool for a few more minutes. Remove them carefully (they will be quite soft) to a wire rack to cool completely before icing. Prepare the icing, adding just a tiny bit of milk at a time. If the consistency is too thick, it won't drizzle nicely over the bars. If it is too thin, the icing will just melt into the bars. If you are unsure, test a bit of it on the edge of one bar before drizzling the icing over the entire batch.

Leave the bars on the wire rack until the icing is firm enough to handle. These bars store quite well in the freezer. I can usually fit 2 dozen in a gallon size ziploc bag, with a sheet of wax paper separating the layers. When you are ready to eat them, just set them on the counter about half an hour before hand. I typically plate them while they are still frozen, because they are easy to handle that way. Enjoy!

Cheesy Braai Pie

Ingredients:
2 rolls of puff pastry, defrosted
15ml vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 Italian sweet red pepper, finely chopped
400g chicken fillet, cut into thin strips (as for stir fry)
250g streaky bacon chopped into bits
1 packet Thick White Onion Soup
1 bunch of Swiss chard (or spinach), washed, removed from the thick stems and roughly chopped
50g button mushrooms, sliced (optional... before using please check that there isn't anyone who is allergic to mushrooms)
200g Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese, grated
1 round of Feta cheese (about 50-60g), crumbled
1 egg, lightly whisked

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and red pepper over a medium heat until they are soft. Add the chicken strips and brown them before adding the bacon. Fry until the bacon is cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Prepare a cool braai with an elevated grid.

Brush the braai grid with a wire brush to remove any charred deposits, then brush the grid with vegetable oil.

Unroll a roll of pastry onto a pastry board. Place a layer of spinach over the pastry and top with the prepared chicken mixture. Sprinkle the White Onion Soup powder over this. Add a layer of mushrooms, if using. Top everything with grated cheese and finish the layering with spinach. Place the second roll of pastry on top. Seal the edges of the pastry as if making a pie. Lightly brush with egg wash. With a small sharp knife, make a few slits in the top pastry to allow steam to escape.

 Slide the pie onto the braai grid and allow to cook for about 20 minutes, turning the pie over half way through the cooking so that both sides are cooked through.

Cooks Note

If you only have a small braai, this pie could be made in small individual portions by cutting the pastry sheet into 4-8 rectangles, thus making smaller pies that can be put around the outside of the braai to cook while you are doing braaied vegetables or braai roasties.

Fresh Strawberry and White Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

10ml baking powder

2.5ml salt

2 eggs

1 cup yoghurt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

5ml vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

½ to ¾ cup white chocolate chips or 100g white chocolate, chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Line your muffin pan with paper cups or muffin liners.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

In another bowl whisk the eggs together until combined. Add the rest of the wet ingredients (yoghurt, oil and vanilla) and mix together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix. I use a spatula to fold in the flour and mix everything together but you can also use a whisk. The batter would be thick.

Fold in the berries and the chocolate chips.

Divide evenly among the 12 muffin cups.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and after about 5-8 minutes (when they’re cool enough to handle) transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Meso-Med Salad with Coriander Dressing

I call this salad ‘Meso-Med’ because of the blend of ingredients: 

the mealies, avocado and tomatoes all originate in Mesoamerica, 

while the red onion, feta and cucumber are very Mediterranean. 

The dressing is very Mediterranean until you add the coriander herb, again reminiscent of Mesoamerica, except there it’s known as cilantro. 

In the dressing I use a small amount of chilli flakes, but if you can get Jalapeno peppers, you could use about half a pepper chopped fine. 

All in all this salad is deliciously satisfying, a perfect accompaniment to a braai.

Salad Ingredients

2 mealies, husks removed, brushed with olive oil and grilled on the side of the braai.

1 large avocado, or 2 small ones, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent oxidation

5-6 Roma tomatoes, diced

½ a medium red onion halved and thinly sliced

60-70g Feta, crumbled

6 inches of English cucumber, quartered and sliced with the skin on

Method

Cut the kernels off the cobs. Assemble the salad in a large bowl, and top with the mealie kernels. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.

Coriander Dressing Ingredients

50-60ml olive oil

30ml apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar

2.5ml chopped or mashed garlic

30-50ml fresh chopped coriander herb

2.5ml sea salt

2.5ml chilli flakes

3-5ml lemon pepper

Method

Put all the dressing ingredients in a glass jam jar with a lid and shake really well. Check for seasoning and add more oil or vinegar for your taste. When you are ready to serve the salad, add the dressing and toss the salad gently. Top with a little extra copped coriander to garnish and tuck in.

Cheesecake Factory Copycat Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Cheesecake:
450g cream cheese (at room temperature)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Carrot Cake:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
5ml vanilla
1 cup flour
5ml baking soda
5ml cinnamon 
2.5ml salt
1 227g can crushed pineapple, well drained with juice reserved
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Pineapple Cream Cheese Icing:
60ml cream cheese, softened
30ml butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2.5ml vanilla
20-30ml reserved pineapple juice
Dash of salt

Method:

Grease a 9-10 inch spring-form pan and set aside.

For the cream cheese batter: In a large bowl of an electric mixer  beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar until smooth. Beat in 15ml flour, 3 eggs and 10ml of vanilla until smooth. Set aside. 


For the carrot cake batter: In a large bowl, combine oil, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs and 5m of vanilla, blending thoroughly. Stir in 1 cup of flour, baking soda, cinnamon and a pich of salt, mixing well. Fold in the drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.

Spread 1 ½ cups carrot cake batter over bottom of prepared pan. Drop large spoonfuls of cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter. Top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter. Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly and smoothly with a knife.

Bake in preheated 180˚C oven for 50 to 65 minutes, or until cake is set and cooked through. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. When cake is cold, prepare the icing.

For the icing: In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, 2.5ml vanilla, 20-30ml reserved pineapple juice and a dash of salt. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Ice the top of the cheesecake and refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

These bars are topped with a white-chocolate-cream cheese frosting. They’re sprinkled with dried cranberries and drizzled with white chocolate squiggles.

The first layer is blondie-like- so sweet, soft-ish, but firm- and a great base for this bar. There’s white chocolate and dried cranberries mixed into the base too.

This recipe will make a total of 16 cake bars, at a fraction of the cost of the original.

Ingredients:

Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened

315ml packed light brown sugar

3 eggs30ml minced crystallized ginger

7.5ml vanilla extract

2.5ml salt

375ml flour

2.5ml baking powder

190ml chopped sweetened dried cranberries

100g white chocolate, cut into chunks

Frosting

100g cream cheese, softened

750ml icing sugar

20ml lemon juice

5ml vanilla extract

65ml chopped sweetened dried cranberries

Drizzled Icing

126ml icing sugar

15ml milk

10ml vegetable shortening

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Make cake by beating the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs, ginger, vanilla, and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in the flour and baking powder until smooth. Mix the chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks into the batter by hand. Pour the batter into a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned on top. Allow the cake to cool.

Make the frosting by combining the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake has cooled, use a spatula to spread the frosting over the top of the cake.

Sprinkle 65ml of chopped dried cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

Make the drizzled icing by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, and shortening. Drizzle this icing over the cranberries in a sweeping motion with a squirt bottle or fill a small plastic storage bag with the icing and cut off the tip of one corner.

Cover the cake and let it chill out in the fridge for a couple hours, then slice the cake lengthwise (the long way) through the middle. Slice the cake across the width three times, making a total of eight rectangular slices. Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

Pineapple Chicken Kebabs

These are great done on the braai, 

or if cooking inside, 

in a cast iron ridged skillet pan.

Kebab Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
250-500g bacon
1 can of pineapple chunks
Vegetables (mushrooms, onions and peppers or others you may wish to use)

*Note: The amount of bacon and pineapple is not clearly defined in the ingredients because it just depends on how much you want to use. Alternate this way: chicken wrapped in bacon, pineapple, chicken, pineapple, chicken wrapped in bacon, etc.

Marinade Ingredients:
50ml. coconut aminos (or soysauce if these are not available)
50ml apple cider vinegar
30ml. raw honey
30ml. olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed

Method:
Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes.
Combine coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, honey, oil and garlic in a small bowl and blend well.
Put chicken (and vegetables, if marinating) into dish and pour marinade over top of the chicken. Stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Cut bacon strips in half so you have shorter lengths to work with.
Wrap chicken chunks in bacon and put skewer through both bacon and chicken so bacon is secure. Alternate with pineapple chunks and veggies, as desired.
Braai or grill for 10 minutes. Use tongs to turn kebabs over and cook another 10-15 minutes or until chicken juices are clear and bacon is crispy.

Moussaka

Moussaka is a great standby for those family gatherings when you need to be sure you have enough food for the multitude, and it makes a nice change to lasagne, LOL. Make it in advance, leaving you time to chat with friends while it cooks in the oven... Yum, love it!

Ingredients:

Eggplants and meat sauce: 

5-6 medium large brinjals (aubergines)
A pinch of salt (do not use salt substitute- salt is used to eliminate the bitter taste of the eggplants)
Olive oil for sautéing and broiling
3 medium onions, peelled and chopped into small pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
7 whole garlic cloves
black pepper, to taste
2.5ml of freshly ground cinnamon 
1ml allspice
2 fresh bay leaves
750ml ripe tomatoes chopped (substitute with 750ml canned tomatoes with the juice, if desired)
250ml whole wheat bread crumbs 
125ml red cooking wine
1.3 kg of beef or lamb mince (lamb is the meet traditionally used)
Grated Kefalotyri cheese for garnish (optional, if you can’t get Kefalotyri, use Cheddar) 

Béchamel sauce (6 cups) 

Note: - When doubling the recipe, use no more than 3 yolks. 

200ml plus 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
200g of unsalted butter
1.5L hot whole milk
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2.5ml nutmeg

Method:

Eggplant preparation: 

Wash eggplants and trim the steams. Peel off the skin and cut  
lengthwise into medium-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl and 
sprinkle liberally with salt. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. 

Rinse the eggplant slices and coat liberally with olive oil. Place in a 
baking tray.

Broil for 10-15 minutes, until the eggplant is lightly browned and soft. 
Set aside to cool.

 Meat sauce preparation:

Heat a lightly oiled skillet on medium-low heat. Sauté the onions and 
the garlic for 10 minutes, or until transparent and soft. 

Add the meat and sauté until lightly browned.

Add tomatoes, and sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly

Add the spices tomato paste and wine. Cover the pen and simmer for 45-50
minutes or until all liquids are absorbed. If the mixture still contains liquids, 
uncover, and mix thoroughly for an additional 5 minutes until dry. 

Turn off the heat and set aside uncovered.

 Béchamel sauce preparation: 

To save time, prepare the sauce while the meat is simmering. 

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan under low heat. 

Gradually add the flour, ¼ cup at a time and stir until smooth. Repeat until all of the flour is added.
    
Increase the heat to medium-low and slowly ad the milk whisking constantly, until creamy and 
thick.

Remove from the heat and add the beaten egg yolks and the spices. 

Return to the heat and whisk for an additional minute until all ingredients are combined. Set aside 
to cool. 

Assembly:

To save time, preheat the oven to 180°C before you begin assembling the Moussaka.

On a lightly oiled baking pan, sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs.

Align the eggplants on top of the breadcrumbs.

Spread the meat mixture on top of the eggplants.

Cover the meat with remaining eggplants.

Spread the béchamel sauce on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, and then sprinkle the cheese on top. Return to the oven and bake for an  
additional 15-20 minutes until the top becomes golden brown.

Roast Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

3 red butter or Italian sweet peppers, halved and deseeded

1 white onion, peeled and halved

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 sticks of celery, sliced and chopped

500g plum tomatoes cut in half lengthwise

500ml vegetable stock

30ml olive oil

45ml tomato purée

15ml chilli flakes

25g butter

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200˚C.

Place the place the Italian sweet peppers, onion halves, tomatoes and garlic on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at the top of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are roasted and tender.

Meanwhile, melt down the butter in a large pan over medium heat and sauté the chopped celery for 4-5 minutes, being careful not to burn the butter. Adding a pinch of salt can help to stop the butter from burning.

Make up the vegetable stock, adding the tomato purée and the chilli flakes. Mix well and then add to the sautéed celery. Remove from the heat.

When the baked vegetables are ready, add them to the pan and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Place back on the hob over a low heat and allow to come to a simmer. Season to taste. Do not allow the soup to boil, but gently simmer for 4-5 minutes until the soup is at a comfortable temperature for consumption. 

Serve with toast, Italian ciabatta rolls or croutons.

 

Breakfast Bites

Preparing the muffin cups.

Ingredients:

12 eggs

6 strips of bacon cut lengthways to make 12 strips

12 bits of proscuitto to fill bottom of muffin tins

12 cherry tomatoes halved

12 slices of mushroom

12 large pieces of flat leaf parsley

salt and pepper

Breakfast Bites cooked and ready to devour.

Method:

Pre heat oven to 180 ˚C.

Spray olive oil in the muffin tin and place proscuitto on the bottom , and bacon around the sides of each muffin spot.

Place mushroom slice, two halves of cherry tomato and a piece of parsley in each muffin tin. Crack open an egg on each muffin and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

Perfect Fried Eggs

Have you ever wondered how chefs get perfectly round fried eggs? Well, they use metal rings in the frying pan and remove the ring when serving. I like this idea of using a ring of onion... it's edible and you don't have to try and remove the onion ring when serving. Clever and great for Sunday breakfast!

Spinach & Cheese Omelette Cups

Ingredients:

Frozen Spinach
8 eggs
Grated cheese
Diced tomato
Salt
Pepper
Paprika

Method:

Preheat oven to 190˚C
Arrange spinach on the bottoms of a paper lined muffin pan (approx. 15ml per cup) 
Add a thin layer of diced tomato to each cup
Add a layer of shredded cheese
Season with salt & pepper
Beat the eggs with additional salt & pepper
Using a small ladle, fill each cup almost to the top
Top with a small pepper slice & sprinkle paprika over top
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Check after 15 minutes – depending on your oven may need less or more time.

Meatnuts

Ingredients:

750g beef mince
2 eggs
5 mini peppers, diced
5ml marjoram
a few leaves of fresh basil and parsley, chopped
250g bacon

Method: 

Mix together meat, spices, and eggs.
Form into patties, poke a hole in the middle, and thread strips of bacon through the centre, wrapping it around the edges.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, flip over, bake at 425 for fifteen minutes more. If you want crispy bacon, broil for the last five minutes.

Peach Pie Fudge

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh peaches (about 4 med. peaches), sliced (plus a few extra pieces for garnish)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut butter (mana or creamed coconut)
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, (plus a little for garnish)

Method:

Combine all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Pour into mini cupcake pan lined with cupcake liners, (I used a heaping tablespoon of mix to fill each cup.) Refrigerate for 3 hours. Garnish with fresh peach chunks and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

Makes 32 pieces