Zucchini Oven Chips

 Ingredients:

1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 t seasoned salt
1/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t black pepper
2 T fat-free milk
2 1/2 cups (1/4 inch-thick) slices zucchini  or courgettes (about 2 small)
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 220C.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. 

Place milk in a shallow bowl. 

Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in dry mixture. 

Place coated slices on an oven proof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. 

Bake at 220C for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. 

Serve immediately.

Paneer

Paneer is an Indian cheese, which is quite easy to make at home. It is used in all sorts of traditional Indian dishes.

Ingredients:
Cheesecloth
8 cups whole milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed

Directions:
Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.

In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom -a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose. This will take a little while so be patient!

Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. If the milk doesn't separate juice some more lemons and add another tablespoon or two. Boost the heat again and the milk should separate. Stir in a motion that gathers the curds together rather than breaks them up.

Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavour. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!

Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.

Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side-this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth. Set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.

Unwrap your disc of homemade cheese. You can now use this to make Spinach and Paneer Koftas.

Spinach and Paneer Koftas in Spiced Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

For the Koftas:

250g grated paneer

2 large potatoes cooked, peeled and grated 

5cm piece of ginger, finely chopped 

3 small green chillies, finely chopped 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ajowain or carom seeds

100g spinach leaves finely shredded

Oil for deep frying

For the batter:

100g gram flour (chickpea flour)

1/2 tsp ajowain or carom seeds

75-100ml of water

1/2 tsp salt

For the sauce:

1kg of tomatoes cut into quarters

2 1/2cm piece of ginger, grated 

3 green cardamom pods

5 cloves

1 bay leaf

2 tsp chilli powder

1 heaped tsp dried fenugreek leaves

2 tbsp chilled butter, diced 

100ml single cream

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garam masala

A pinch of sugar

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

Method:

To make the koftas:

Add all the kofta ingredients except the oil and spinach in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Shape into little balls the size of golf balls.

To make the batter:

Put the gram flour, ajowain, salt in a separate bowl and make a well in the centre.

Gradually stir in the water until it becomes a smooth thick batter.

Spread the shredded spinach out onto a flat tray.

Dip the koftas into the batter and then roll them in the spinach to form a coating. Keep aside.

To make the sauce:

Put the tomatoes in a large saucepan. Cook and cover over a medium heat until they begin to soften.

Add the garlic, ginger, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf.

Bring to the boil. Simmer until the tomatoes completely disintegrate.

Remove and liquidise in a blender. Strain if necessary, pour into a clean saucepan.

Add the chilli powder and fenugreek leaves and simmer for ten minutes until slightly thickened.

Add the butter a little at a time stirring constantly. When the sauce turns glossy add the cream and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Season with salt, stir in the garam masala and add a pinch of sugar to bring out the flavours.

Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or a deep saucepan until hot.

Add the koftas and fry for 1 1/2 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the sauce.

Lamb in Pickling Spices

Ingredients:

500g lean lamb cut into 4-5cm cubes

1/2 tsp nigella seeds

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

4 - 6 cloves crushed

5cm piece of grated ginger

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp jaggery, broken into small pieces

Juice of 1 lime

Fresh coriander to garnish

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

25ml of mustard oil

100g ghee

4 large onions, thinly sliced

4-6 whole dried red chillies, broken in half

6 whole cloves

3 black cardamom

4 green cardamom

Chapattis to serve

Method:

Boil the meat with salt and turmeric in only as much water that it should dry up when tender. If some liquid remains, drain and keep aside for later.

In a separate pan heat the mustard oil, when it begins to smoke add the clarified butter or ghee.

Fry the  sliced onions to a golden brown, remove and set aside. This will take around 15 minutes and be sure to continue stirring them to get an even golden brown.

In the same oil add the whole dried chillies and fry until they blacken, remove the pan from the heat and discard the chillies.

Bring the same oil to the heat once again, and add the cloves and both the cardamoms and allow them to sizzle for a few seconds, then add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel, nigella, fenugreek and asafoetida.

Once the seeds crackle and pop, add the garlic and ginger stir-fry for one minute then add the cooked meat along with the red chilli powder, jaggery and two thirds of the fried onions.

Stir-fry for a few minutes, add some of the leftover meat liquid or water to keep it moist and break the meat up a little with the spoon.

Add the lime juice with two tablespoons of water and simmer over a low heat until the liquid dries up and only the ghee remains.

Serve with hot chapatis and garnish with the remaining fried onions, and chopped fresh coriander.

Banana Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

Banana Doughnuts

500ml flour

5ml bicarbonate of soda

5ml cinnamon

10ml baking powder

5ml salt

65ml vegetable oil, plus 30ml milk of choice

10ml pure vanilla extract

125ml white sugar

juice and zest of 1 lemon

15ml more sugar

500ml tightly-packed, mashed banana (measured after mashing)

Cream Cheese Frosting

125ml cream cheese, softened

65ml butter, softened

5ml vanilla

750ml icing sugar

Method:

Banana Doughnuts

Preheat oven to 180C

Combine dry ingredients, and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix into dry (Mix by hand, and don’t over-mix.)

Grease a doughnut pan and pour in batter.

Cook 27 minutes (the original recipe said 30-35 minutes, but 27 was perfect for me)

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.

Gradually add a cup of powdered sugar and beat.

Continue adding a cup of powdered sugar at a time, until well combined.

Frost each banana doughnut.

Brinjal Pickle

Ingredients:

1 kg long brinjals or large brinjals,  washed and chopped in 1 inch pieces

1 cup sunflower oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 inch piece of ginger, chopped

30ml chilli flakes

10ml cumin seeds

5ml fenugreek seeds

5ml mustard powder

5ml powdered turmeric

2 cups brown vinegar

250ml sugar

15ml sea salt

Method:

Grind half the chilli flakes (15 ml), cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar to a powder.

Heat the oil in the pan and fry the prepared spices, remaining chilli flakes, mustard powder, turmeric, ginger and garlic in it for 5-10 minutes until the spices have fully permeated the oil.

Add the vinegar,  salt and sugar.

Bring to the boil and add the brinjals. Stir well and continue to cook on a very slow fire till the brinjals are cooked and the mixture has thickened.

This pickle can be served immediately or bottles and stored in a cool, dry place. The flavour improves on storing.

Sweet Cucumber and Red Onion Pickle

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber

1 large red onion

1 bunch of dill herb

450ml brown vinegar

50ml honey

50ml white sugar

5ml grainy mustard

Zest and juice of half a large lemon

5ml sea salt

Method:

Slice the cucumber into thin slices.

Peel the onion and halve it lengthwise before slicing it into thin slices.

Roughly chop or snip the dill herb. Use half of this for the pickle and freeze the rest with a little water for later use.

In a sterilised pickle bottle, layer the cucumber, onion and dill herb so that the pickle is well mixed.

In a small pan over a low heat, bring to the boil all the remaining ingredients, ensuring that everything dissolves.

Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumber mixture a little at a time, tapping the bottle to release any trapped air. Make sure that all the salt and mustard seeds go into the jar. Close firmly before shaking gently up and down. 

Stand for an hour or two before serving.

This pickle can be stored in the fridge. Use within 2 weeks.

Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients:

250g cream cheese

60ml sugar

300ml flour

125ml sugar

60ml light brown sugar, firmly packed

7.5ml baking powder

2.5ml baking soda

7.5ml ground cinnamon

5ml ground ginger

5ml salt

2 large eggs

125ml water

80ml vegetable oil
100g walnuts, chopped

250ml grated carrots, lightly packed (about 2 medium-large carrots)

12 walnut halves

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Place cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on low power for 40 seconds.

Stir in 60ml sugar.

Stir until smooth and set the filling aside while you make the muffin batter

Whisk together the following: flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt.

In a separate small bowl, add the eggs, water, and vegetable oil and whisk until well combined.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Add the chopped nuts and grated carrots and stir to combine.

Place paper muffin cups in a cupcake pan and grease the paper cups.

Put about 2 Tablespoons of muffin batter in each muffin cup and spread to cover the bottom.

Drop a heaping tablespoonsof cream cheese filling on top of the muffin batter.

Cover the cream cheese filling with enough muffin batter so the muffin cups are very full.

Add a half a walnut to the top of each muffin.

Bake for 18-22 minutes.

When they are done, a toothpick inserted into the cake part of one (not into the cream cheese filling) will come out clean and the tops of the muffins will feel firm to the touch.

Remove the muffins from the oven. Wait 30 minutes or so for the muffins to cool and for the filling to stiffen up before removing from the pan.