Baked Potatoes

This is so simple that it is disgraceful. The only reason I am putting it in is that when I gave it to my cousin she kept phoning me to ask questions, such as do the potatoes needed wrapping in tinfoil.

The potatoes are cooked in the same oven as a chicken. Just put them in ½ hour earlier.

Ingredients >   As many potatoes as you require for the people you are feeding. Select potatoes that bake well – with high water content. >   Optional: bunch of chives that have been snipped into small pieces with scissors

Steps 1.  Wash each potato and clean them so that there are no eyes. 2.  Place the potatoes on the bottom rack of an oven heated to 180°C. 3.  Leave them there for 1 ½ hours. 4.  The skin will be crisp and the filling soft. Both are edible. 5.  I often serve this halved, with some butter on top (really not required) and sprinkled with chopped chives.

Beetroot Salad

My cousin Rocha gave me this recipe. Nowadays it is so simple. Just buy the pre cooked and peeled beetroots, packed in a vacuum. The following quantity is for 1 packet of cooked beets.

I find that the stevia works better with the vinegar than sugar does; but that's just my preference.

Ingredients >  500 gm cooked and peeled beetroot. >  1 medium onion, thinly sliced in the same shape you slice the beetroot (I use shallots) >  3 bay leaves >  12 peppercorns >  ¼ cup natural vinegar (you can also use white wine vinegar) >  ½ cup boiled and cooled water >  2 Tbsp sugar (or stevia equivalent) >  Salt (if required)

Steps 1. If using the vacuum pack, open it and drink the beetroot liquid. It is delicious. 2. Thinly slice all the beetroots. If the beetroots are large, cut in half and then slice. 3. Thinly slice the onions, in the same shape as the beetroot. 4. Put into a bowl and add the bay leaves and peppercorns. 5. In a small cup, mix the vinegar, water and sugar. 6. Pour over the beetroot and onions. 7. Salt according to taste (I don't add any). 8. Put into the fridge to cool. Goes well with any warm dish.

Honey and Garlic Chicken

I love this dish. I always serve it at New Year because of the honey, but it is great anytime.

Ingredients 8 chicken joints (can be 1 jointed chicken) Marinade/sauce: >  50-75 gm marge >  2 Tbsp malt vinegar (I prefer the distilled white type) >  2 level Tbsp honey >  2 cloves garlic, skinned and crushed >  ~ 2 level tsp salt (if chicken not kosher) >  ½ level tsp dried marjoram >  ½ tsp dry mustard (mustard powder) >  ~ 8 grinds of black pepper

Steps 1. Wipe the chicken joints and place them skin down in a lined baking tray. 2. Warm the butter or marge in a small saucepan until just melted. This step is not needed if you are using oil. 3. Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the fat and stir until blended. 4. Spoon the marinade over the chicken joints and leave for as long as possible (30 minutes minimum but can be overnight). 5. Heat the oven to 180°C. 6. Put the chicken in the oven for 40 minutes. 7. After 40 minutes, turn each piece over. If the sauce is drying out, turn the oven down to 170°C. 8. Cook for an additional 20 minutes until golden. 9. Arrange the chicken on a serving dish and remove the fat from the pan liquids. Serve this in a jug next to the chicken. This goes well with baked potatoes (cooked in the same oven as the dish, but placed in the oven ½ hour previously) and a green salad. Serves 5 Tip for quick lunch dish Any leftover sauce after cooking can be frozen and reused as a sauce when cooking chicken breasts.

Tandoori Chicken

Being Tandoori, it does include yoghurt, but I find goat’s yoghurt is perfect. Fresh ginger is infinitely better than powdered.

Ingredients >     8 chicken joints (can be 1 jointed chicken) Marinade >     225-240 ml plain goat yogurt >     ~ 1 level tsp black pepper >     ~ 2 level tsp salt (if chicken not kosher) >     ~ 1 level tsp chilli powder >     ~ 2 cm fresh ginger, finely chopped >     Pinch ground coriander >     1 large clove garlic, skinned and crushed >     Juice of 1½ lemons

Steps 1.   Wipe the chicken joints and prick the skin with a fork. This lets the marinade penetrate. 2.   Season with (salt) and pepper. 3.   In a small bowl, combine the yogurt with all the marinade ingredients and mix well. 4.   Dip each piece of chicken in the marinade and place in a baking dish skin side down. I line the pan with a cooking sheet. 5.   Let it marinate for around 4 hours. 6.   Heat the oven to 180°C. 7.   Put the chicken in the oven for 40 minutes. 8.   After 40 minutes, turn each piece over. If the sauce is drying out, turn the oven down to 170°C. 9.   Cook for an additional 20 minutes until golden. This goes well with baked potatoes (cooked in the same oven as the dish, but placed in the oven ½ hour previously) or rice, and Indian style spinach. Serves 5 Tip for quick lunch dish Any leftover sauce after cooking can be frozen and reused as a sauce when cooking chicken breasts.

Mushroom Stroganoff

This dish is quick and easy and tastes delicious served with rice or pasta.

Ingredients >    1 large onion, thinly sliced >    200 ml vegetable stock >    600 gm mixed mushrooms (about 4 punnets), cut into medium-size chunks >    4 garlic cloves, crushed >    1 rounded Tbsp wholegrain mustard >    2 tsp tomato puree >    4 Tbsp soy cream or coconut cream >    Salt and freshly ground pepper >    Optional: freshly chopped parsley

Steps 1.   Put the onion in a saucepan with 100 ml of the stock. Cover and cook until the onion has softened and the liquid evaporated. This takes about 5 minutes. 2.   Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper and stir. Then add the remaining stock, mustard and tomato puree. 3.   Cover the pan and cook for a 3 minutes. 4.   Remove the lid and cook rapidly until the liquid has been reduced and is syrupy. 5.   Remove from the heat and stir in the soy cream and parsley. Serve with rice or pasta rice. Serves 4

Indian Spinach – Saag

I love this recipe. You can make it a faux Saag Paneer, by using tofu cubes (instead of paneer, which is cheese).

Please take into account that any 'Indian' recipe, is not truly Indian, but rather adapted to my palette.

Ingredients >    350 – 400 gm (half a packet) of frozen spinach >    3 Tbsp olive oil ( without Tofu) OR >   4 Tbsp olive oil (when using Tofu) >   1 packet tofu, cubed (optional) >   ½ tsp black mustard seeds >   1 large onion, thinly sliced >   4 cloves garlic, crushed >   1 cm ginger, finely chopped >   ½ tsp turmeric >   ½ tsp ground cumin >   1/3 tsp chilli powder or Togarashi seasoning >   1 tsp ground coriander

Steps   1. Defrost the spinach. This can be done in the microwave. Put into a fine sieve and let it drain.. 2.  If you are using the tofu, heat the oil in a large frying pan and then, over medium heat, fry the tofu until brown all over. Put the tofu in a dish. 3.  If you are not using tofu, heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a large frying pan. Otherwise add the following ingredients to the remaining oil in the pan. 4.  Add the mustard seeds to the pan and cook until they start to pop. 5.  Add the onions, garlic and ginger and fry until golden. 6.  Add the turmeric, cumin, chilli powder and coriander, and stir fry for one minute. 7.  Add the spinach stir well and fry for another 2 minutes. 8.  Cover the pan, and let it cook for a further 10 minutes, on a slightly lower flame. 9.  Add the tofu, and cook until dry, stirring constantly.

Red Kidney Bean Curry

This is easy to make, and warm and comforting to eat. 
Update 09/10/2017: I think I found the original recipe, and the taste is superior, so I'm updating here.

Ingredients >   3 Tbsp olive oil >   1 large onion, finely sliced >   1 cinnamon stick >   3 cardamoms >   2 dried bay leaves >   2 garlic cloves, crushed >   2 cm fresh ginger, finely chopped >   3/4 tsp ground turmeric >   1/2 tsp chilli powder >   2 tomatoes, chopped >   200 gm frozen red kidney beans >   120 ml water >   1/2 tsp salt

Steps 1.  Put the frozen red beans in water and cook for 5 minutes and drain. If you are using fresh beans follow the instructions on the package. 2.  Heat the oil, on a medium to high heat, in a large saucepan or frying pan. 3.  Add the  cinnamon, bay leaves and cardamom, and let them sizzle for a few seconds. 4.  Add the onion,garlic and ginger, and stir-fry until the onion is golden. 5.  Stir in the turmeric, chilli, salt and tomatoes and fry for one minute. 6.  Add the kidney beans,and fry with the spices for 2-3 minutes 7.  Add 120 ml water and bring to the boil. Cover and cook on a low for 10-15 minutes. Keep checking in case you need to add a bit more water. 8.  Remove from the heat and serve. Serve with rice or chapatti bread. Serves 2-3

Chicken Soup

Very traditional and goes well with soup almonds, kneidlach or noodles.

Ingredients >   1/2 turkey neck. If you don’t have other chicken pieces, then use a full neck >   Any chicken necks you have saved (and frozen) from chicken dishes >   I really like to add a few chicken wings. >   1.75 litre water >   1 rounded Tbsp chicken soup powder (we are not master chef) >   1 whole onion, peeled >   3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks >   1 celeriac root, scraped clean and all the root bits cut off >   1-2 parsley roots, peeled and the green top cut off >   3-4 courgettes, washed and cut into 3 cm chunks >   The white and light green part of 3-4 leeks, washed well and cut into 3 cm chunks >   1 very soft tomato (optional) >   Parsley, the amount they give you in the supermarket >   Dill, the amount they give you in the supermarket >   Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps  1.  Put the turkey neck, chicken necks and wings in a large saucepan with the water. Boil and skim off the scum with a large metal spoon. 2.  In the meantime, prepare all the vegetables. 3.  Once the soup is clean, add the soup powder and pepper (salt may not be necessary as the soup powder has salt), and mix well. 4.  Add the vegetables to the soup and bring back to the boil. 5.  Put the dill and parsley over the soup, so that it gets cooked by the steam of the soup. 6.  Cover the pot and reduce the heat to its minimum so that the soup is barely bubbling. 7.   Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. 8.   Let it cool in the pot and then separate out the vegetables and meat and store each separately. 9.  Sieve the remaining soup so that it is clear. It keeps better and looks nicer when serving.

Cauliflower Soup

This is a nourishing winter soup. The bay leaf is supposed to help take away the strong smell of cooking cauliflower.

Ingredients >    4 carrots, peeled and sliced >    The white and light green part of 3-4 leeks, washed well and sliced >    1 onion, peeled and sliced >    2 Tbsp olive oil >    2 cloves of garlic, crushed >    1 large cauliflower, separated into florets >    1.75 litre water >    3 Tbsp vegetable soup powder (we are not master chef) >    1-2 bay leaves >    2 peppercorns >    1 tsp mixed herbs >    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps 1.   Heat the oil in a large saucepan. 2.   Put in the carrots, leeks and onions and sauté for a few minutes. 3.   Add the garlic, stir well and continue sautéing. 4.   Put on the water to boil. 5.   Separate the cauliflower. 6.   Add the cauliflower, bay leaf, peppercorns mixed herbs and water to the pot. 7.   Add the soup powder and stir well. 8.   Season with salt and pepper. Remember that the soup powder already contains salt. 9.   Cover the pot, bring the soup to a boil, and reduce the heat to its minimum so that the soup is barely bubbling. 10. Simmer for about 1 hour, until the cauliflower is soft. 11. Let it cool a bit in the pot and then puree the soup using a hand blender stick. 12. Taste and adjust the seasoning.