MASH, MINCE, MACARONI CASSEROLE

This devine recipe was created by my aunt Rafia. Its been a favourite of my entire families for years.
I attempted this recipe when I just got married and it was a HIT!

INGREDIENTS

MASH
Potatoes - ( I used about 12 small to medium potatoes)
salt
* Peel and chop the potatoes. Put to boil for about 45min or so , depends on how soft your potatoe gets. You most likely will have to keep checking if it is soft. Once soft, strain the water and begin mashing. If desired and this is what I did, I put a blob of butter to give it extra creaminess. Sometimes many others put little milk but you can play and do whatever you like.

MINCE FILLING Half punnet mince - Just about a handful of mince rinced.
salt to taste
oil for cooking - just enough to cover the pot
1 onion
1 tablespoon jeera (cumin) seeds
1 tablespoon full of Packo masala (curry powder)
Half tablespoon chillie powder
quarter tablespoon turmeric powder
Ginger garlic mixture
1 tomatoe grated
1 tin baked beans ( strained from its sauce)

Place oil, onion and cumin seeds on high heat till onion is browned. Throw in the spiced powders with ginger garlic paste (make sure you do not get burned as the ginger garlic paste tends to spurt about). Lower your heat halfway. Throw in the mince with your tomato, salt and let it cook. We are not going to put water into this as we want the mince slightly dry. If however you are afraid of burning it then put in few tablespoons of water but do not make it runny. Once the mince has cooked, which would take maybe 15 min, throw in your tin of Baked beans. the beans is cooked so we just going to soften it. Drop the heat now right down to low while you get your macaroni boiling.

MACARONI
The macaroni is quite simple, get a big pot and on hot heat throw in a kettle full of hot water with little oil, so the macaroni do not stick to one another too much, salt and throw in the packet of macaroni.
The trick is that just when you throw in the macaroni to take a fork and mix it around the oiled water so that the oil gets to most of it and it wont stick.
This would take about 15-20 min but ofcos you need to check when it is done.

Ok, so the final touch for this yummy dish is CHEESE.  I put the cheese and placed it in the oven for melting, Unfortunately by the time I had gotten my camera the dish was halfway in everybody's belly so no snap pic for the end result. Sorry.
Try it, I know you will love this. Be creative if ingredients not found, at least you have the idea for the perfect casserole.

Crumpets

This is my recipe , believe it or not. Its my famous crumpets. Loved by all so I am pretty sure any of you will love it.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup sugar
milk to make batter
50 grams of melted butter

METHOD
In a bowl add the flour, baking powder, eggs, vanilla essence , sugar. Add milk gradually and do not over pour. Once dry ingredients start to soak the milk throw in the butter. It must form a thick runny batter.


Once that is done, take a normal serving spoon and fry the batter on a dry pan. Once it begins to form bubbles on the top it is ready to flip over and the other side cooks even more quicker. Please remember not to cook on high heat. It must be moderate to low.

    ENJOY.

Sorry pics taken from internet again.

MIELIE BREAD - My grandmas recipe

Sorry no pictures yet, but once the mielies start to come in, she will make and I will be snapping.

INGREDIENTS
Mielies - grinded
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons baking powder
quarter lb butter
1 cup sugar
Half cup flour
1 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD
Mix all the ingredients together. Bake in cake pans at 180degree celcius, till brown. Grill slightly to make above golden brown.

Enjoy this simple recipe.

PISTACHIO COCONUT PUDDING

This recipe is from Shenaaz Parkers recipe book INDULGE.
For a change I tried this recipe out myself and it really did come out delicious.

INGREDIENTS
10 slices of bread, crusts removed
1 litre of milk
8 eggs
30ml golden syrup
250ml brown sugar
5ml egg yellow colouring
60ml cake flour mixed with a little water (must look like a runny batter)
1 can coconut cream (not the milk, it should say cream)
100g pistachio nuts, chopped ( I could only find the salted ones but it came out great)
50g butter , melted

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180degree celcius. Grease a square (or rectangular) pyrex dish.
Soak bread in milk; leave to stand for a few minutes.
Beat eggs, golden syrup and sugar till well blended. Liquidize bread and milk till fine and smooth; add to egg mixture. Add all other ingredients and mix well.
Pour into pyrex dish and bake for 30-40 min till set and golden. ( for my oven it took longer, that is why just check with a knife or fork if set). Cover with foil (this didnt really help until I realized that I was supposed to cover with foil when it begins to go golden and still not set) , if needed, to prevent browning too much on top.
Can be served hot (trust me, wait before serving, let it cool enough,because it really burns if not cooled right.)
and if squares are desired, cool pudding slightly and then cut. (tastes great when cold too)

PYRAMID CHEESE CAKE

This recipe is in courtesy of Keshni Odayan of Pinetown, Natal, South Africa.
Thanks Keshni.

INGREDIENTS
1 Packet tennis biscuits
2 Flake chocolates
125g butter
1 egg
5ml vanilla essence
250g plain fresh cream
1/3 cup sugar
Tin Foil

METHOD
Cream butter and sugar together. Make sure butter is at room temperature. Add the egg, vanilla essence and beat together. Add cream cheese and mix well. Place 3 rows of 4 biscuits next to each other on tin foil (should form a rectangle shape). Spread mixture over the biscuits. Crush one flake chocolate over the centre row of biscuits. Lift the foil gently from both sides of the pyramid, leaving the centre four biscuits to form the base (this should be a long triangle shape). Seal the foil. Refrigerate the cake for a few hours. An hour before serving, carefully remove the foil and place cake on a serving platter, whip the fresh cream and spread lavishly over the cake, covering all visible biscuit. Decorate with one crushed flake chocolate and edible flowers. Place back in fridge until ready to serve.

Really a delicious looking treat.

TRADITIONAL MILK TART

This recipe is with courtesy from Nivashnee Naicker of Oslo Beach, Port Shepstone.
Really a yummy looking dish. Thanks Nivashnee.

INGREDIENTS
PASTRY:
2 Cups flour
1 egg
Half cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
125g butter
Pinch of Salt
Alternatively , crush a packet of tennis biscuits with a small block of butter and bake lightly for pastry shell.

METHOD
Cream butter and sugar well. Add egg and beat well. Add all other ingredients, and form into a dough. Press into two round pie dishes and bake at 180 degree celcius until pale brown.

FILLING:
4 Cups milk
2 and half tablespoons cornflour
2 and half tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar (decrease to 3quarter cup if desired)
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
5ml vanilla essence
METHOD
Bring milk slowly to the boil. In a glass bowl, beat eggs, sugar, flour, cornflour , salt and vanilla essence. Mix well and pour mixture into the boiling milk until it thickens. Pour into the baked shells and sprinkle with cinnamon powder.

Sounds really great!!! Definately a must try. Yum!

LAMB PILAU (RICE DISH)

This recipe is in courtesy of Lorinda Stephen from the Bluff again. Thanks Lorinda.

INGREDIENTS
2kg lamb cubed
3 n half cups parboiled long grain rice
8 tablespoons oil
6 medium potatoes
2 medium onions
3 tomatoes
2 stems curry leaves
2 stems thyme
half bunch mint
half bunch dhania
2 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon turmeric spoon
3 tablespoon chille powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 n half tablespoons egg yellow powder
1 n half tablesoons ginger garlic paste
2 teaspoon jeera (cumin) powder
6 teaspoons salt
250 grams butter
3quarter cup lentils
3quarter cup plain yoghurt

METHOD
Semi cook the rice adding 3 teaspoon salt and 2 cinnamon sticks, drain and set aside. Semi cook lentils adding a dash of salt and a teaspoon of turmeric powder and set aside. Cut onions in rings and fry in oil and set aside. Cut potatoes into wedges, colour with half teaspoon egg yellow powder and salt. Semi fry and set aside.
Blend tomatoes, curry leaves , mint , dhania (corriander leaves) and thyme with 125ml plain yoghurt.
Add blended mixture to cubed lamb. Add the remainder of yoghurt , garlic and ginger paste, jeera powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, egg yellow powder, onions and salt to the meat mixture.
Place pot on stove. Add butter, oil, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Add lamb mixture to the pot and cook on high heat. Add water as required until lamb is half cooked and the water level has dropped. Remove the pot from heat.
Layer the cooked lentils over the meat mixture. Layer the potatoes over the lentil. Add the rice over the potatoes. Keep a quarter of the rice and colour with a dash of egg yellow powder and add to the rice. Add blobs of butter on the top of the rice and a cup of water. Place in oven for an hour or until rice is cooked and the water level has dropped.
Remove and serve with salad.
This dish serves around 8-10 people.

PERI - PERI PRAWNS CHUTNEY WITH SAVOURY RICE

This recipe is in courtesy of Mumsie  Moodley of Bluff. Great recipe, cant wait to try myself.

INGREDIENTS
15 to 20 large prawns
6 tomatoes grated
1 onion
6 tablespoons oil
Half teaspoon turmeric powder
3 teaspoon chilli powder
half teaspoon jeera(cumin) powder
half teaspoon garam masala
half teaspoon ground garlic and ginger
half teaspoon salt
2 stems curry leaves

METHOD
Heat a pot. Add oil and fry onions until brown. Add chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, ginger and garlic and jeera. Add tomatoes and cook for 10 min. Add prawns and cook until moisture has evapourated. Garnish with coriander. Serves 4.

QUICK SAVOURY RICE
3 cups long grain rice (cooked)
1 red pepper, chopped finely
1 green pepper , chopped finely
1 teaspoon jeera seeds
salt to taste
half teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon spice for rice
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons butter or oil.

In a hot frying pan, melt the butter/oil and jeera seeds, onion and garlic. Fry for a min, then add the red and green pepper. Add black pepper, salt and spice for rice. Continue frying, stirring occasionally until onions appear translucent and peppers are almost cooked but slightly firm. Place the cooked rice in a large serving bowl, and pour the onions and peppers mixture over the rice. Toss the rice to evenly distribute the peppers, onions and the rest of the mixture into the rice. Serve hot with peri peri prawns chutney or as an accompaniment to a roast and gravy dish.

Sounds too yummy!

Salmon Teriyaki on bed of egg - fried rice

This recipe is in courtesy of Malcolm Munsami of Phoenix. Sound really great, hope to try it soon. Thanks Malcolm. (Published in the POST)

INGREDIENTS
2 fresh Salmon fillets
4-5 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 lime, zest and juice
1 small chilli
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 chunk of ginger, finely chopped
1 cup cooked Spekko Parboiled Long Grain Rice
Bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
Extra lime juice
1 egg
2 tablespoons diced mixed red/green/yellow peppers
1 tablespoon sesame oil

METHOD
Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the ginger, garlic and chopped chilli.
Add zest and juice of lime and pour in the soy sauce. Add maple syrup and cook for one minute or until reduced and sticky. Meanwhile, pan fry the two pieces of salmon for two minutes on each side in a hot griddle pan. When the sauce is reduced , add the salmon to the teriyaki sauce frying pan. Cook mixed peppers with one tablespoon of olive oil. When peppers are cooked add beaten egg and rice. Stirfry until egg is cooked. Add seasoning, coriander and a squeeze of lime. Serve the salmon on the bed of egg fried rice with more chopped coriander and drizzle with sesame oil.

Enjoy!

PERFECT POTATO SALAD

This recipe is in courtesy of Lorinda Stephen of Bluff. Thanks Lorinda, it was super.

INGREDIENTS
5 medium size potatoes
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter
for the dressing
290g tin dessert cream
4 tablespoon brown sugar
half a cup of mayonnaise
3 tablespoons lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
OPTIONAL- Add crushed green chillies for a bit of heat

METHOD
Peel , cube and boil the potatoes in water wiht a bit of salt to taste.
When potatoes are soft , drain and mash with butter. Roll into balls and allow them to set in the fridge.
In another bowl, combine the dressing ingredients.
When balls are set, dip into mixture covering it generously. Place onto a pretty platter and sprinkle finely cut corriander.

Enjoy!!!