Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. salt or to taste
1 tsp. pepper
1 can tomatoes (16oz.)
10-12 corn tortillas
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, sliced

Method:

1. Brown ground beef; drain thoroughly. Add cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, red pepper, salt, pepper and tomatoes; heat through.
2. Cover bottom and sides of 9x13 inch baking dish with tortillas. Pour beef mixture over tortillas; place a layer of tortillas over meat mixture and set aside.combine cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and egg; pour over tortillas.
3. Bake at 175 degrees C for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle rows of cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, and olives diagonally over top

Easy Cream of Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
1 ½ c. cubed cooked chicken
4 T. butter or margarine
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
3 to 4 drops liquid hot red pepper seasoning
1 c. half and half
¼ t. salt (optional)
1/8 t. black pepper (optional)

Method:

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, mix the chicken broth, chicken, butter or margarine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, red pepper seasoning and half and half.
2. Cook over moderate heat, stirring for 3 minutes. Serve while hot.

Pineapple Tarts

Make about 90 tarts



Ingredients:


300g flour (plain or all purpose)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp corn flour
200g butter or margarine
3 tbsp icing sugar
2 egg yolks
30g milk Powder (optional)
1 egg yolk for brushing



Filling Ingredients:


2 small pineapples (2500g)
300g sugar
Cinnamon stick a little (optional)



Method (Filling):

1. Mash pineapple and squeeze out the juice. Cook pineapple in saucepan till dry. Add sugar and cinnamon stick. Keep stirring till mixture becomes dry.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and grease a few cookie sheets.


2. Sift flour, corn flour and milk powder (optional) together.


3. Beat butter, sugar and egg yolks in mixer well, fold in flour. Mix well to form a dough till dough is soft but not sticky.


4. Pinch out some dough (about 10g each). Roll into a ball. Then flatten into a disc and place a smaller ball of filling into the centre and gather up dough to completely cover the filling.


5. Press into a slightly elongated shape. Using a small pair of pointer scissors or butter knife make several rows of snips to resemble the pineapple thorns.


6. Place tarts on the cookies sheets and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or till golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Steamed Cup Cakes

Ingredients:

100g self raising flour, shifted
150g sugar
3 eggs
1 salted egg yolk, cut into 8 pieces
1 tbsp green peas
1 tbsp diced carrot
2 tbsp whole kernel corn
1 tbsp melted butter/ corn oil

Method:

1. Beats eggs and sugar until fairly stiff.
2. Fold in flour, peas, carrot, salted egg yolk and whole kernel corn.
3. Fill paper cup cases completely with batter.
4. Steamed for about 12 minutes.

WHITE SAUCE

Ingredients:

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 chicken bouillon
2 c. skim milk or 2 c. half & half
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. Romanoff cheese

Method:

1. Melt butter over low heat in a sauté pan. Add garlic, chicken bouillon and 1/4 cup flour. Stir. Remove from heat.
2. Slowly add Parmesan cheese and Romanoff cheese. Stir with a wooden
   spoon until melted. Remove from heat. White sauce should be thick and
   creamy.

Cherry Almond Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped almonds
1 jar maraschino cherries chopped and drained

Method:

1. In large bowl cream sugar and butter, Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in almond extract.
2. Combine dry ingredients; blend into creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in the almonds and cherries. Pour into greased muffin tins or paper-lined tins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.

Old Fashion Raisin Scones

Ingredients:
100g self raising flour
25g butter, chilled and chopped
1/4 c milk
1 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 c raisins or dried mixed fruits

Method:

1. Combine butter, salt and flour, used fingertips to rub the butter into the flour till it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add sugar, raisins or mixed fruits, and milk. Mix into a dough.
3. Turn it out and knead till smooth.
4. Roll out 2 cm thick pieces., cut into rounds or shapes, the brush the top with milk or egg.
5. Lay on baking tray and bake for 10 mins at 220 degree C till brown.

Chocolate Swiss Roll

Serves 8

Ingredients:

3 eggs
125g caster sugar
60g self-raising flour
30g cocoa powder
30g dark chocolate, grated
1 tbsp caster sugar, extra
160ml cream
80g chocolate hazelnut spread (nutella)
150g frozen raspberries, defrosted
30g flaked-chocolate confectionery bar, crumbled
icing sugar, to dust

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to moderate 180 degree C. Grease a 30x25x2 cm Swiss roll tin. Line the base and the two long sides with baking paper and grease the paper.
2. Using electric beaters, beat the eggs in a bowl for 4 mins, or until thick and pale.
3. Gradually add the sugar, beating till the mixture is pale, yellow and glossy.
4. Using a metal spoon, quickly and lightly fold in the sifted flour and cocoa, then the grated chocolate and 1 tablespoon hot water. Spread the mixture evenly into the tin and smooth the surface.
5. Bake for 12 mins or till cooked through. Place a sheet of baking paper on a dry tea towel and sprinkle with the extra sugar. Turn the cake out onto the paper and leave for 1 min. Carefully roll the cake and paper from one long side, and leave for 5 mins.
6. Meanwhile, to make the filling, whip the cream and chocolate hazelnut spread in a bowl using electric beater till firm peaks form. Unroll the cake and discard the paper. Spread the cake with the chocolate cream, leaving a 1 cm border. Sprinkle on the berries and chocolate and re roll. Dust with icing sugar and trim the ends, cut into slices.

Berry Omelette

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 eggs

1/3 cup caster sugar

20f butter

400g mixed fresh berries ( raspberries and blackberries)

Method:

1. Place the eggs, caster sugar and 160ml water in a small bowl and whisk together.


2. Heat the butter in an 18 cm non-stick frying pan over high beat. When the butter is foaming, reduce the heat to medium and add one quarter of the egg mixture. Cook for 2-3 mins, tilting the pan and lifting the edges of the omelette occasionally to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath. When the egg is almost set, spoon one quarter of the mixed berries over half of the omelette. Cook for a further one min, or till the base is golden brown.




3. Using an egg flip, fold the omelette in half , enclosing the berries. Transfer to a warm serving plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make three more omelettes, Serve with extra berries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Champagne strawberries

Serves 4



Ingredients:

1/4 cup caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, split length ways
300ml Champagne
500g fresh strawberries

Method;

1. Place the sugar, vanilla bean and Champagne in a saucepan and warm over low heat. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes, or till the sugar has completely dissolved. Cool slightly.
2. Put the strawberries in a serving bowl and pour the Champagne syrup over them, stirring gently to coat. Serve warm or refrigerate till cold, if preferred.

Quick tiramisu

Serves 6



Ingredients:


3/4 cup chilled cream
1/4 cup sugar
250g chilled mascarpone
1/3 cup kahlua
2/3 cup cooled strong black coffee
150g thin sponge finger biscuits, each biscuit cut into thirds
cocoa powder, to dust



Method:

1. Using electric beaters, beat the cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone and 1 teaspoon Kahlua and beat for a further 20 seconds. Do not overbeat or the mixture will curdle.




2. Combine the coffee and remaining Kahlua in a bowl. Dunk each biscuit piece into the coffee mixture and firmly line the base of six 1/2 cup glasses or ramekins with the biscuits. Evenly spoon the cream mixture into each dish and smooth the top. Refrigerate until ready to eat, dust with cocoa just before serving.

Parfait

Serve 5

Ingredients:

1 c Quaker oats (quick or slow cooking), uncooked
500ml vanilla yoghurt
1 can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
2 c strawberries, thawed and sliced ( Fruits may be substituted with other combination of your favourite fruits, e.g canned peaches, blueberries, raspberries, bananas etc....)

Garnish

Sliced almonds
Cornflakes
Honey

Method:

1. In meduim bowl, combine oats, yoghurt, pineapple and alomonds, mix well.
2. Cover, refrigerate overnight.
3. To serve, layer oat mixture and berries in glasses.
4. Garnish with additional sliced almonds and crushed cornflakes, if desired. Drizzle over with some honey. Serve chilled.

Chocolate pancakes with choc-cherry sauce

Serves 6



Ingredients for sauce:


425g can pitted black cherries
100ml cream
200g dark chocolate, chopped into even sized pieces



Ingredients for pancakes:


1 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/3 cups milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
40g butter, chopped
6 scoops vanilla ice cream



Method:

1. To make the sauce, drain the cherries, reserving 2 tablespoons of the syrup. Place the cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan of water to boil, then remove the pan from the hear. Stir the bowl over the pan, making sure the base of the bowl does not sit in the water. Stir occasionally till the chocolate has melted and combined with the cream. Stir in the cherries and reserved syrup. Keep warm.
2. To make the pancakes, sift the flour and cocoa into a bowl and stir in the sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Make a well in the centre and gradually add the combined milk, egg and vanilla, mixing till smooth.
3. Melt some of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Pour 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan and swirl gently to make a 12 cm pancake. Cook for 1-2 mins, or until bubbles form on the surface and the underside is golden brown. Turn over and cook for 30 secs more, or unti golden. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter to make five more pancakes, adding more butter as needed.
4. Place a scoop of ice cream on one half of each pancake and fold the other half over. Drizzle with the sauce and serve immediately. (Add little milk if the batter thickens on standing.)