Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Ingredients

1 kilo ground beef
2 eggs
100g breadcrumbs
1 onion, diced
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp ginger
Salt and pepper

Sauce

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
3 tsps crushed garlic
3 tsps ginger
5 tbsps cornflour
1 1/4 cups water

Method

Mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs. Roll into balls and place on lined trays. Bake at 190 for around 15 mins or until cooked through.
Mix the ingredients for the sauce, adding more water or cornflour as necessary for thickness. Bring to the boil in a saucepan and add the meatballs. Serve over rice.

Pomegranate Chicken

Ingredients

4 tbsps oil
3 red onions, sliced
4 tsps crushed garlic
2 kilos chicken breast, cubed
4 tsps paprika
2 tsps cinnamon
5 tbsps tomato puree
3 tbsps harissa
1 litre sieved tomatoes
750 mls pomegranate juice
240 mls pomegranate molases
Pomegranate seeds

Method

Fry the onion for a few mins, then add the garlic. Fry the chicken with the paprika and cinnamon for around 8 mins. Add the tomato puree, harissa, sieved tomatoes, pomegranate juice and molasses.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 mins until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Stir through half of the pomegranate seeds and just before serving sprinkle over the rest of them.

Mocha Walnut Brownies

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate
115g marge
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
100g ground walnuts
50g sr flour

Ganache

120g dark chocolate
80g marge
2 tsps coffee granules dissolved in 1 1/2 tbsps water

Method

Melt the chocolate and marge. Whisk in the sugar and eggs, then fold in the flour and ground walnuts. Spread into a baking pan or cake tin, and bake at 180 for 25-30 mins.

For the ganache, melt all the ingredients together, then spread over the brownies. Leave to cool until the topping has set.

Sponge Cake

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 cup sr flour
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
Fillings of choice (eg. pie filling)

Method

Mix together all the ingredients for the cake until smooth. Pour your filling of choice into a baking dish, then top with the cake batter. You could also swirl the filling through the batter.
Bake at 180 for 25 mins.

Pecan Pie Cake

Ingredients

250g chopped pecans
1 cup plain flour
1 3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup melted marge
4 eggs

Method

Combine all the ingredients. Pour into a cake tin and bake at 180 for around 1/2 an hour until the center is set.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients

60g marge
3/4 cup sugar (mixed white and brown)
190g peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup sr flour
3/4 cup oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Method

Cream the marge, sugar and peanut butter. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then the flour and oats. Fold in the chocolate chips. Bake at 180 for 20-25 mins.

Sugar Cream Pie

Ingredients

1 baked pie base
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornflour
2 cups milk
115g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Method

Combine sugar and cornflour in a saucepan and stir in the milk until smooth. Bring to the boil then simmer for 2 mins or until thickened. Stir in the butter and vanilla, pour into the pie base and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 180 for 15-20mins until golden brown. Refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Strawberry Shortbread Fool

Ingredients

Shortbread
90g butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup ground almonds

2 cups whipping cream
250g fruit pie filling or jam (I used strawberry)

Method

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla, then mix in the flour and ground almonds. Press the dough into a baking pan and bake at 180 for 20-25 mins. When cool, break into small pieces and layer them in the pan.
Whip the cream until stiff, then fold in the jam or pie filling. Spread over the shortbread pieces, then freeze before serving.

Lotus Icebox Cake

Ingredients

Lotus biscuits
1 tbsp espresso
2 tbsps icing sugar
1 cup whipping cream

Method

Whip the cream until soft peaks form, then stir in the sugar and coffee. Whip until stiff. Spoon 1/3 of the cream into a pan, arrange a layer of cookies on top, then repeat the layers, ending with the cream. Cover and freeze until set before serving.
Serves 6.

Spinach Lasagne

Ingredients

Sauce
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp crushed garlic
32oz chopped tomatoes
6oz tomato puree
Salt, pepper, oregano, basil

8oz lasagne noodles
10oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 egg
1/4 tsp black pepper
15oz ricotta cheese or a mix of cream cheese and cottage cheese
8oz mozzarella, grated

Method

For the sauce, heat the oil then saute the onion and garlic. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
Mix the spinach, ricotta, egg, pepper, and some of the mozzarella.
Spoon 3 tbsps of the sauce into a 9*13" dish, cover with 1/3 of the lasagne. Spread over half of the ricotta, sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese, and spoon over 1/3 of the sauce. Make another layer of lasagne, ricotta, cheese and sauce. Top with the rest of the lasagne, sauce, and sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella.
Bake at 180 for 30-40 mins.