Ode to my Family...

If ever there was something to celebrate in our family, we would do it by means of a feast…one suited for royalty.  Even before the sun has cast its first rays on the earth, my mother would be scurrying away in the kitchen; preparing roast lamb, roasted chicken, glazed ham, and all the trimmings.

 My mother is undoubtedly the individual who ignited my interest in cooking.  As I have moved through the different facets of my life, and expanded my family circle, I have been lucky to gain inspiration from all of them – both on a personal and culinary level.

I have therefore decided to dedicate this blog entry to all my inspirational family members, and share with my readers some of the amazing recipes I have grown up with.  I truly hope that these delicious recipes will find their way into your kitchens. Enjoy!

My Mother’s Ridiculously Radical Rusks:

My mom’s rusks are legendary!

500g Self-raising flour

500ml bran

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 ½ cup sugar

250g butter (not margarine!)

2 tsp baking powder

3 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

3 eggs

As much raisins and nuts as you desire

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180’C.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the bran, desiccated coconut, sugar and the nuts and raisins.

Melt the butter in a microwave.

Whisk the eggs together, and add to the dry ingredients, together with the melted butter.

Place the mixture into a prepared baking tray, lined with wax paper.

Bake for approximately 35 min till golden brown.

Turn out the bake, and let it cool on a cooling rack.

Once cooled, cut the rusks into desired size, and let it dry out in a cool oven (+/- 70”C) until completely dry in the middle.

 Lizelle’s “light-as-a-cloud” Broccoli Soufflé

My sister gave me this recipe while they lived in Belgium.  Although the term soufflé strikes fear in even well-seasoned cooks, I can assure you that this recipe is as easy as it is tasty!

500g Broccoli, cooked

120g butter

20g flour

30ml milk

Grinding of nutmeg

4 eggs

100g grated parmesan

Pepper & salt to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180’C.

Prepare a white sauce by first melting the butter in a saucepan. Once the butter has melted, add the flour to form a roux.  Start adding the milk gradually, whilst whisking, and cook until the sauce has thickened.  Add the nutmeg.  In two separate bowls, separate the eggs.

Add the egg yolks to the white sauce mixture, together with the cooked broccoli, parmesan and salt and pepper.  Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, and fold in carefully with the broccoli mixture.  Place into individual, buttered ramekins, and bake for 20min.

My mother-in-law’s wicked crispy noodle salad!

Alna first prepared this dish the day before my wedding.  It has been a favourite ever since!

For the sauce:

½ cup sugar

½ cup boiling water

½ cup sunflower oil

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup vinegar

Bring all the ingredients to a boil, and let it cool off.

For the salad:

I head of cabbage, thinly sliced

2 packets of Maggie two minute noodles

½ cup toasted sunflower seeds

Chives, thinly sliced

Preheat the grill and grill the noodles until golden brown.  Mix all the salad ingredients together in a bowl, and add the sauce just before serving.  DELICIOUS!

Estelle’s Belt Buster Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Sauce:

For the pumpkin pie:

250ml flour

250ml sugar

10ml baking powder

5ml salt

1/2tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger (I use the powdered version for this)

1ml nutmeg

2 eggs

250ml milk

250ml cream

60ml melted butter

500ml mashed, cooked pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 160’C.

Sift together all the dry ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix well.  Place the mixture in a 20x30cm prepared tin, and bake for 50–60 min at 160’C.

For the Caramel sauce:

250ml sugar

62,5ml cold water

25ml butter

190ml milk

12 ½ ml flour

12 ½ ml custard powder

5ml vanilla essence

Pinch of salt

Place the sugar and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.  As soon as the mixture has caramelised, take it off the heat immediately.  Add 125ml milk, and stir continuously.

Sift together the flour, salt and custard powder, and mix with the remaining 65ml milk.  Once mixed, add this mixture to the caramel and milk in the pan.  Put back on the heat and stir continuously until mixture has thickened.  Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla essence.  Serve with the pumpkin pie*

Nadine’s “banging” bean curry:

For most of my life, I had an acute dislike of beans.  It was not until my sister-in-law introduced her comforting bean curry a few years ago, that my dislike of beans morphed into something more akin to an obsession.  Trust me, this is a winner!

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1tsp of grated ginger

1tsp of chilli (I use the flaked version in this recipe)

1tsp of cumin (whole and powdered)

1 tsp coriander

1tsp of mustard seeds

1tsp of turmeric

1 can of chopped tomatoes

50ml tomato paste

Big pinch of sugar (to neutralise the sourness of the tomatoes)

1 can of chickpeas

1 can of kidney beans

1 can of butter beans

1 tsp of Garam masala

In a frying pan with some oil, fry the onions, garlic, ginger, chilli, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds and turmeric until soft and fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar, and cook over a low heat for 15-20min.  Drain the beans and add to the tomato mixture, and cook for a further 15 min (If the mixture becomes to dry, just add some water to loosen it up).

Before serving, stir through the fragrant garam masala.  To serve, sprinkle with fresh coriander and a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

My brother’s lick- out- the-pan tomato sauce:

One of the fondest childhood memories I have is when my brother looked after me whilst my mom was in the hospital.  As a teenager, his culinary repertoire was somewhat limited, but he managed to conjure up a dish that until today, has stuck in my mind as one of the most special dinners ever.

1 onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 can of diced tomatoes

50g tomato paste

5g dried/fresh origanum

5g dried or fresh thyme

5g dried/fresh rosemary

Big pinch of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh parsley, chopped

Fry the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until translucent.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over a low heat for about 15min or until nice and fragrant.  Before serving, add the parsley.

You can use this sauce as a base for pasta; or use it as a replacement for your tomato ketchup.  Alternatively, enjoy it as my brother and I did: with the pot between our legs, whilst dipping fresh bread rolls into the sunshine red tomato sauce.  Priceless;-)