Satay Lamb Patties

This is a delicious easy meal with an Indonesian slant.

Ingredients:
1 red pepper
500g lamb mince
65g peanut butter
30ml light soy sauce
100g unsalted roasted cashew nuts chopped
65ml chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
250ml stale breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying.
Fresh chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
Quarter the pepper, removing the seeds and membranes.
Grill the pepper, skin-side up, until the skin blisters and blackens. Place the pepper in a bowl and cover with clingfilm. Set a side for 5-10 minutes. This will make it easier to peel the skin from the pepper. Finely chop the prepared pepper.
Place the pepper in a bowl with the lamb mince, peanut butter, soy sauce, nuts, coriander, egg and breadcrumbs. Blend by hand to ensure that the ingredients are mixed well together.
Shape into 8 patties, place on a plate and cover with cling film. Leave in the fridge for half an hour.
Shallow fry the patties in batches in hot oil until browned and cooked through.
Serve hot with satay sauce and garnished with coriander leaves.

Satay Sauce:
Ingredients:
125ml sweet chilli sauce
130g peanut butter
125ml chicken stock
60ml coconut cream
Juice and zest of 1 lime
65ml chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method:
Combine the chilli sauce, peanut butter, chicken stock, coconut cream and lime juice and zest in a pan and simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened. Stir in the coriander leaves.

Pepper and Marmalade Chicken

Chicken is a favourite with my family.

My father had a chicken farm,

and in the early stages of our marriage,

my husband and I produced 150 dressed chickens

for retail every month just to make ends meet.

Needless to say we ate a few of those chickens ourselves...

So I'm always looking for new ingenious and delicious ways to prepare chicken.

Ingredients:

1 orange

1 lemon

16 chicken drumsticks

2 garlic cloves, crushed

125ml marmalade

15ml black peppercorns, cracked

15ml cumin seeds

5ml Worcestershire sauce

Method:

Thinly peel the rind from the orange and lemon using a vegetable peeler.

Slice the rind thinly into shreds and place in a pan of boiling water.

Simmer for about 8 minutes until soft, then drain.

Squeeze the juice from the orange and lemon.

Combine the chicken with the rind, orange and lemon juices, and remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well to cover the chicken.

Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 3 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade.

Place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking tray and bake, uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and browned, brushing with the reserved marinade throughout the cooking.

Serve the chicken drenched with the juices from the oven tray.

Potato and Onion Wedge Bread

This is a great rustic bread to serve with meat, fish or poultry.
It's best made just before serving.

Ingredients:
15ml vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
15ml chopped fresh chives
375ml cooked mashed potato
125ml milk
615ml self-raising flour
125ml potato flour - Smash
125g butter
5ml caraway seeds
1 egg, lightly beaten
40g extra melted butter

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion until soft and translucent.
Cool and stir in the chives.
Beat the potato and milk in a bowl with a mixer until it is light and fluffy.
Stir the flours into a separate bowl, rub in the butter, then stir in the onion mixture.
Stir in the potato mixture, seeds and egg and mix to a soft dough.
Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth.
Shape into a 20cm round and place on an oven tray.
Cut into 8 wedges and brush with the melted butter.
Bake for about 30 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Tangy Cranberry Pork Chops

Even though cranberries are traditionally connected with turkey,

I have used them with pork, a meat they go very well with.

these are great done on the braai or barbecue.

Serve with baked potatoes filled with butter or salad cream and a green leaf salad.

Ingredients:
6 large pork chops
Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to season

For the Marinade:
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
30ml chopped fresh marjoram
30ml vegetable oil
zest of 2 oranges
2ml ground black pepper
6 bay leaves, each torn in half.

Method:
Place on a cutting board and, with a sharp knife, cut through the fat about 2cm apart. This is to stop the chops from curling at the edges during the grilling process and allow for more even cooking.
For the Marinade:
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl , leaving out the bay leaves.
Place the chops in the bowl one at a time and rub the marinade over both sides of the chops. Place a torn bay leaf on each chop, pack into a plastic bag and leave in the fridge over night, or for at least 3 hours.
Give the chops enough time out of the fridge to loose the chill and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper before grilling.
Preheat the grill to a medium-high or "sizzling" temperature.
Grill the chops for 2 minutes on each side to seal the meat.
Spread the chops with "Cranberry and Orange Sauce" and return to the grill under a reduced heat for 5-7 minutes.
Repeat this grilling of the other side of the chops.
Transfer the chops to a warmed serving tray and allow to rest for 4-5 minutes, covered with vented foil before serving with more Cranberry and Orange Sauce.

Cranberry and Orange Sauce
Ingredients:
250g cranberries
100g white sugar
200ml orange juice
2ml freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

Method:
Combine the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil.
Simmer gently for 20-25 minutes.
After about 15 minutes the berries will begin to soften. Help them to break down by crushing them with the back of a wooden spoon.
Pour into a sterilised jar.
Allow to cool and keep in the fridge until required. It will keep for a few weeks.

Herbed Rack of Lamb

Ingredients:

Rack of lamb
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
about 30ml mustard
10ml chopped fresh taragon
10ml chopped fresh rosemary
10ml chopped fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, sliced

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Season the lamb and seal on all sides in a very hot pan.
Allow to cool slightly, then spread the mustard on the back of the rack.
Firmly press in the herbs and garlic.
Place in the oven for 15 minutes, then leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes before serving.

Asparagus and Gremolata Aioli

Asparagus and gremolata aioli is wonderful served as a side dish to red meat.

Ingredients:
a bunch of fresh asparagus, 250g bases snapped off and shafts pealed.
25ml mayonnaise
7.5ml grainy mustard
zest of 1 lemon
7.5ml chopped fresh mint
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:
Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for around 5 minutes.
Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest mint and add salt and pepper to season.
Serve the asparagus spears covered with a dollop of gremolata aioli.

Asparagus and Pear Salad

Asparagus is now in season in the UK.

This salad makes a good accompaniment to a braai or barbecue,

or as a starter to a meal.

I use Conference pears for this salad as they are firm and cook well.

For the salad leaves, I like to choose a pack with baby lettuce of different varieties with rocket (arugula), mizuna or watercress.

Ingredients:

Bunch of fresh green asparagus, 250g

50g butter

zest of half a lemon

2 pears, pealed and sliced

1/2 packet of mixed salad leaves.

juice of half a lemon

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to season

Method:

Prepare the Asparagus by snapping off the woody base of the stem and peel to remove the spiky leaves along the shaft.
Fry gently in a pan with the butter and lemon zest until warmed and the green colour brightens.
Add the pear slices and fry gently for a further minute or two.
Place the salad leaves on a large flat platter and toss the asparagus and pear slices, along with the melted butter, over the leaves.
Drizzle with lemon juice and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spicy Corn Bread

Corn bread goes great with the braai or barbecue.

It can be made a day ahead, but is nicer if it is fresh and warm.

Ingredients:
185ml self-raising flour
250ml cornmeal, polenta or mealiemeal
30ml sugar
5ml ground cumin
2ml chilli powder
about 80-85ml canned pimentoes, drained and chopped,
or 80-85ml chopped red italian sweet peppers
or 80-85ml chopped sun-dried tomatoes
60ml chopped fresh parsley
250ml plain yoghurt
1 egg, beaten
60ml vegetable oil

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Grease a 14x21cm loaf pan.
Combine flour, cornmeal (or mealie meal or polenta), sugar, cumin and chilli in a bowl.
Stir in the pimentos (or red pepper or sun-dried tomatoes), parsley, yoghurt, egg and oil.
Mix to a wet and sticky dough.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until well browned and firm.
Stand for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.

Sweet Potato and Bacon Damper

This is a great bread to serve with a braai or barbecue.

It is nicest made with the orange coloured sweet potatoes,

also known as Kumaras.

You will need to cook 1 medium sweet potato - about 400g - for this recipe.

Ingredients:
4 streaky bacon rashers, chopped.
450g self-raising flour.
5ml salt
15ml sugar
2ml nutmeg
5ml ground hot paprika
2ml cayenne pepper
40g butter
250ml mashed cooked sweet potato
125ml milk
125ml buttermilk
about 60ml water
Milk to brush on top.
Flour and paprika to dust on top.

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Cook the bacon in a pan until crisp, drain and cool. Break into bits.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, rub in the butter and add the mashed sweet potato and broken up bacon.
Stir in the milk, butter milk and water to mix to a soft, sticky dough.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
Press the dough into an 18cm round greased cake tin.
Cut a cross about 1cm deep in the dough, brush with a little milk and dust with flour and paprika.
Bake in a hot oven for 40 minutes.
Serve Warm with Chilli Butter.

Ingredients for the Chilli Butter:
125g butter
1 small fresh red chilli, finely chopped

To Make the Chilli Butter:
Beat the butter and chilli together until well combined.

Chocolate Rhubarb Sponge Pudding

Ingredients:

Fruit...
600g rhubarb trimmed weight
125g golden caster sugar

Sponge...
200g golden caster sugar
225g butter softened and diced
200g self-raising flour
25g cocoa
10ml baking powder
4 medium eggs
100ml milk
5ml vanilla extract
50g dark chocolate chips

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C
Cut the rhubarb into 2cm lengths and toss with the sugar in a bowl.
Arrange the rhubarb evenly over the base of a 30cm ovenproof dish.
Reserving 30ml sugar, place all the sponge ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in the bowl of a food processor and cream together.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Smooth the sponge mixture on top of the rhubarb, scatter over the reserved sugar and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

This is delicious served hot, but is also good warm or just cool.

Serve with custard poured over.

Rhubarb Panna Cotta

Ingredients:
200g rhubarb trimmed weight
150g caster sugar
2 leaves gelatine
350g creme fraiche
15-30ml grappa or fruit liqueur

Method:
Cut the rhubarb into 2cm lengths and place in a small saucepan with 100g sugar and 50ml water.
Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes.
Drain the rhubarb into a sieve set over a bowl to catch the juice.
In the meantime, cut the gelatine into broad strips, place in a small bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 5 minutes, then drain.
In a pan, bring the creme fraiche to boil with the remaining sugar, then remove from the heat, add the gelatine and stir to dissolve.
Stir in the sieved rhubarb and puree the mixture in a liquidiser.
Divide the mixture between four ramekins.
Place on a plate, cover and leave to cool, then chill in the fridge over night until set.
Add 15-30ml grappa or fruit liqueur to the rhubarb juices, cover and chill.
To serve, run a knife around each panna cotta to loosen it and turn out onto a plate. Drizzle with the flavoured rhubarb juices over and around the panna cotta and serve.

Rhubarb Crumble With Butterscotch Cream

Ingredients:
For the Crumble...
800g rhubarb trimmed weight
200g plain flour plus 30ml
200g light muscovado sugar
100g ground almonds
175g butter, chilled and diced
15ml white sugar

For the Butterscotch Cream...
200g creme fraiche
100g Nestle caramel

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C
Cut the rhubarb into 3cm lengths.
Toss the rhubarb in a bowl with 30ml flour and 100g muscovado sugar.
Arrange over the base of a shallow 30cm capacity ovenproof dish.
Place flour, ground almonds and remaining muscovado sugar in the bowl of a food processor with the butter and blitz until the mixture starts to cling together, taking care to stop before it turns into a dough.
Scatter this mixture over the fruit and top this with the white sugar.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and crisp and juices are bubbling up at the sides.
Remove and leave the crumble to cool for 20-30 minutes.
Blend the creme fraiche with the caramel and serve spooned over the crumble.