Hot chocolate cups

I've made this one a couple of times. It's really nice to do if you're having the girls over for some tea... Who says no to chocolate anyway?? :D

300ml self-raising flour
150ml castor sugar
100ml cocoa powder
1ml salt
1 egg
125ml milk
50g butter, melted
3ml vanilla extract or 5ml vanilla essence
90ml soft brown sugar
250ml boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C and grease 4x 250-275ml ovenproof cups or ramekins with butter, margarine or nonstick food spray. 
Sift flour, sugar, half the cocoa powder and salt together.
Make a well in the mixture
Lightly whisk together the egg, milk, butter and vanilla essence and pour the mixture into the well. Beat slowly to make a smooth, thick batter. 
Spoon the batter into cups or ramekins, spreading the mixture evenly over the batter in the 4 containers. 
Divide the boiling water among the containers, pouring it slowly on top of the batter until the containers are three-quarters full. 
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and firm to the touch.
Serve with ice cream if desired.

Lamb curry

I am a HUGE curry fan. Not the "out of the packet" kind, the real thing. This recipe is really GOOOOOD.

1 Large onion, sliced into rings
1 sprig fresh curry leaves
iol
15ml garlic and ginger paste
60ml mixed masala
2ml turmeric
2 medium sized tomatoes
1kg leg of lamb or shoulder, diced
salt
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Fry the onions and curry leaves in a little heated oil until the onion is soft and lightly browned.
Add the garlic and ginger paste, masala and turmeric and mix well. Add the tomatoes and braise them for about 5 minutes or until fragrant.
Add the mat and season with salt.
Cover the saucepan, reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is nearly tender.
Add the potatoes and a little warm water and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Add more water if necessary.
Add the coriander leaves at the end of the cooking time.
Serve with rice and sambals such as chopped onion and tomato

Serves 6

It's really good. Serve with sliced banana and chutney.

Pasta carbonara

This is a great recipe. If you're an Alfredo fan, you'd love this!

500g pasta (Spaghetti, fettuccine, tagliatelle or your favourite pasta)
45ml olive oil
4 spring onions, chopped
3-4 mushrooms, thinly sliced
150g bacon, chopped (or pancetta)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 eggs
350ml fresh cream
125ml grated Parmesan cheese (or more if you'd like)

Cook the pasta according to the packed instructions.
Drains and set aside.
 Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the spring onions and mushrooms for about a minute.
Add the bacon and stir-fry for another 3-5 minutes or until crisp. 
Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Add the pasta to the onion and bacon mixture in the saucepan and return it to the heat to keep warm. 
Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat.
Whisk together the eggs, cream and half the cheese until the mixture is creamy and pour it over the pasta.
The heat from the pasta will cook the eggs and heat the sauce.
Return the pan to the heat for about one minute. Serve immediately with the remaining cheese.

Serves 4

Easy but delicious Oxtail

My friend Gillian suggested I post my oxtail recipe. There's really not much to it so enjoy...

2kg Oxtail
Knorr Oxtail soup/beef and onion soup
Potatoes (optional)
Carrots (optional)

Place oxtail in an oven dish.
Mix Oxtail soup with 600ml water.
Pour over oxtail.
Cover with foil and bake for 4 hours at 180°C.
Should one packet of oxtail not be enough to cover the meat, use a second packet.
Check the meat after 2 hours, then hourly making sure there is enough liquid.

Meat will fall off the bone! It's a definite win for guests - once again thinking you've done loads of work but having Knorr do it for you!

Lamb shank

I love making lamb when guests come over. Everyone wants this recipe and NO ONE believes how easy it is. This specific recipe is my own adaption from many other recipes. I personally try lamb at every restaurant I eat at that offers it, and I must say, I like mine better (",)  

The correct thing would be to coat the meat with flour (flavoured with salt and pepper), and pan-fry both sides to seal the meat but to be honest, I don't even do that anymore. I  just place the raw meat in a dish and it personally doesn't change a thing for me. And not doing it saves dishes and time.

Add whatever veggies you prefer. Below is what I normally use. But if you want to prepare just the meat, then using just the above as is will work just fine and still come out amazingly. the meat somehow alters the soup to a rich sauce! It's yummy!

INGREDIENTS:

4 Lamb shanks - whole or cut up, depending on your preference. It's always good to have                                            pieces if there are kids

2 packets Knorr Cream of Tomato soup - I also use Oxtail, Brown Onion or Beef and Onion                                                                                              soup. All  work equally well.

1 large onion - cut however you prefer

250g Patipans - left whole

250g Zucchini - cut in half

4 Carrots - cut to preference

250ml wine - I use Rose or Sweet Red - (optional)

METHOD:

Place the meat in an oven dish. 

Mix 500ml water with each packet of Knorr soup. Pour over the meat. (600ml if you not using wine)

Place onions over meat. 

Pour over wine.

Cover with foil and bake for 1.5 hours at 180°C. Check the meat after one hour and the liquid levels. Add water if necessary. 

Place the rest of the veggies. 

Continue to bake for another 30 - 45 minutes. 

Meat will be falling off the bone.

Serve over rice or mash. There will be enough sauce at the bottom of the pan. 

No extra spices needed. Just that. It's that easy. Really good when having lots of people over. Minimal work with results that make it seem like you've been slaving for hours.

Best beef patties

I don't know if it's just me, but burger patties are getting thinner and thinner with less and less real meat in them. Thanks to this recipe, you don't ever have to worry again. It's really good, juicy and it's a much better alternative than all the soy substitutes out there.

500g minced beef
1 onion, chopped
1 slice of white bread, crumbed (I just use the fine side of a grater)
1 egg
salt and pepper
pinch of dried thyme

In addition to the recipe my mom always adds:
Steak and Chop spice
Tablespoon of chutney

Mix all the ingredients together lights with a fork.
Roll mixture between two layers of waxed paper to desired thickness
Cut into circles. 
This recipe makes about 12 patties of 10 cm diameter, 2 cm thick. 

I'd just roll it into a ball and press down or use Tupperware's Burger maker holders... Either way.
I'd go as far as coating with Steers burger sauce and for a braai with friends, nothing better than a juicy man-sized burger!

Chicken Curry

I found this recipe done by Robertsons Spice. Really good and super easy. Pictures to follow soon!!

15 Chicken thighs - skin removed and deboned
125 ml flavoured flour (125 ml flour with salt and pepper added)
60 ml oil
2 onions, chopped in rings
5 ml ginger
5 ml turmeric
5 ml cumin
5 ml curry paste
2 tomatoes, quartered
250 ml chicken stock

Cut the chicken pieces in half. 
Sprinkle the chicken the flour.
Heat half the oil in a saucepan and brown the chicken pieces.
Remove and set aside.
Heat the rest of the oil and fry the onion, spices and curry paste for about 7 minutes or until the onion softens and the spices really start to smell nice.
Put the chicken back in the pan. 
Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until thick. 
Add more liquids should it be necessary. 
Serve over rice.