250g lasagna sheets
1 chopped onion (pole to pole)
½ tbsp finely chopped garlic
3 chopped tomatoes (pole to pole)
1 can Italian skinless tomatoes
1 tsp baking powder
Handful of fresh oregano
3 large egg plants
Salt & pepper
Olive oil

Peel eggplants and cut into 1cm thin rings, salt with kosher salt, and let stand for about 25mins. Rinse off well, and place in oven tray, drizzle olive oil over the top and back at about 180C for 15 – 20 mins.

Get a pot ready of salted & oiled boiling water for the lasagna.

In the meantime, fry up onions until slightly opaque, add garlic. Do not let garlic burn!
Add tomatoes and half a cup of water, cover, to create more moisture, and soften the tomatoes.
Add canned tomatoes and cover again, cool for 5 minutes.
Add baking powder, it will fizz, keep uncovered and let cook for about 7 minutes.
Season to your liking, and half a handful of oregano, still keeping uncovered, let it cook for a further 10 minutes. It reduces slightly and becomes thicker.
Switch off and toss in the left over oregano. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Cook lasagna sheets as if you were cooking spaghetti. I use about 3 sheets per person, otherwise it’s a little too much and your dish looks vulgar.

Once all is cooked, just put the dish together. Layer in a nice pasta bowl firs the lasagna, then eggplant, cover with a good dollop of sauce, and repeat.

Over the top, place a slice of eggplant, a very healthy dollop of sauce, and some parmesan cheese shavings over. Garnish with fresh oregano stalk.

Great vegetarian dinner!!

I took my chocolate cake recipe and made this…

Black Forest Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups caster sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp fine cloves
1/4 tsp fine nutmeg
1/2 tsp fine cinnamon
125 gr butter
5ml vanilla essence
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cocoa
1 can black cherries (drained, liquid kept)
1 shot triple sec
Whipped cream

Preheat the oven 180 C

Prepare two cake tins
Beat eggs (yolk & white together) and sugar until light and fluffy
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and other spices together. I shift it 3 times
Pour boiled water on cocoa and butter and mix until smooth
Add dry ingredients to egg and sugar mixture and then add cocoa mixture while stirring slowly. Mix well, but take care not to over mix. Use a fold- in motion
Pour equal amounts of cake batter into two tins

Once you remove the cake from the oven, place on cooling rack, poke holes in with a skewer or toothpick.
Combine the juice of the cherries and triple sec. Brush over three or four times the top of still warm cakes. You want it nice a moist, but not soggy.

Whip up cream. Use cream as icing, cover one half with cream. Gently squash the black cherries between your forefinger and thumb, and place on top of whipped cream. Place second half on top and cover top with cream. Decorate with fresh cherries and chocolate shavings.

Bake for 20 minutes @ 180 C

This recipe makes 2 layers, to make 4 layers, just double up.

When placing cakes in the oven, make sure the cake tins sides are not touching each other, or any part of the oven.

You will need

Boiled potatoes. Leave skin on when you boil, remove from boiling water, and place directly into fridge. Boil in salted water.
Hard boiled eggs, I normally use half of the amount of potatoes I have used.
Onion
Mayonnaise – you can use any kind, Trim for those people on the eating plan I sent you.
Fresh parsley, chopped roughly
Salt & pepper to taste

Remove skins from cooled potatoes and chop into cubes, place into a bowl.

Grate the boiled eggs in, add grated the onion, mayo, parsley and seasoning. Mix all together. Place back into the fridge. Garnish with fresh parsley when serving.

Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups caster sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp fine cloves
1/4 tsp fine nutmeg
1/2 tsp fine cinnamon
125 gr butter
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cocoa powder(the best you can afford)

Preheat the oven 180 C
Prepare two cake tins
Beat eggs (yolk & white together) and sugar until light and fluffy
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and other spices together. I shift it 3 times
Pour boiled water on cocoa and butter and mix until smooth
Add dry ingredients to egg and sugar mixture and then add cocoa mixture while stirring slowly. Mix well, but take care not to over mix. Use a fold- in motion
Pour equal amounts of cake batter into two tins

Now, the time period depends on what oven you are using. If you are using a gas oven, it takes longer. In my restaurant I have a convention oven, so it takes shorter. So bake for 20 – 30 mins, depending. Do not open the oven foor until at least 20 mins into the baking process.
I made my special chocolate mousse, with a hint of Cape Velvet to use as a filling, as well as icing. It’s not as sweet as normal icing sugar, but feel free to use it instead

I do this very quick, and very easy salad dressing for a chicken salad, you can actually use it for any salad, I just find that will a nice piece of grilled chicken, over garden greens, this salad dressing is amazing. Its so easy, you don’t even need to think. You can make the basil more if you like the taste, or more garlic, it really all depends what you like.

Basil Mayo Dressing

Fresh basil, stalks removed
Mayonnaise (can use any, even Trim)
Garlic
Milk

Put mayo, garlic and basil into a food processor and blitz. You are looking for a nice smooth consistency. Add milk to make dressing thinner, or you can keep it thick. A little seasoning to taste and you have a great salad dressing.

It is also nice for a dip, with pita breads, or chips, I sometimes even use it instead of plain mayo for fries, or just on a sandwich.

Enjoy it!

A quick and easy Honey & Mustard salad dressing.
Ingredients

* 500 ml mayonaise
* 4 t mustard (wholegrain / hot / your choice)
* 4 t honey
* 30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

Place all ingredients into glass bowl, and mix until all ingredients are blended and dressing is smooth.

This is such a easy broth, very popular in India as a starter. It’s got a very strong coriander flavor that comes through. Very nice indeed!
Ingredients

* 3 t coriander seeds
* 1 t cumin (ground)
* 1 t black pepper corns
* 3 t worcestershire sauce
* 3 t brown sugar
* 3 c finely chopped cilantro
* 3 t oil & tadka ingredients
* salt to taste

Instructions

Tadka ingredients: Curry leaves
Salt
Pinch mustard seeds

Dry fry coriander seeds, cumin and black peppercorns & grind into a find powder

Heat oil, add tadka ingredients, sauté for a few seconds until it starts to brown

Add Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and coriander powder

Salt to taste and add water

Bring to boil

Add cilantro leaves

Simmer until leaves wilt

saffron
water
butter
long grain rice
salt to taste

Instructions

Steep saffron in half cup water
Melt butter and stir in rice until it becomes opaque
Pour wine (or water) and saffron, cover, reduce to low heat, cook until liquid is absorbed (DO NOT LIFT LID! – about 20 mins)

I wish I could sleep late! I am only suppose to start work at 9am this morning, yet I am up by 5am and so ready for the day! I tried laying in a little, that didn’t work, I thought maybe watching a movie would help me go back to sleep, but that didn’t work either. So I figured I might as well get up and ready right?

It’s cold and rainy outside, its the perfect day for pancakes! However you like your pancakes, here are some great ideas. The secret of a great pancake, is the batter, you have to have it just right!

These pancakes are thin, light and luscious!

2 cups Flour
2 1/2 cups Whole Milk
4 Eggs
2 tbsp. Butter (melted)
Pinch of Salt
Few Drops Vanilla Extract
Vegetable Oil (for cooking)

Sift flour and mix with salt in a bowl.
Make a well and pour in eggs. Stir well.
Slowly pour in milk while stirring. Keep stirring batter until small bubbles form on the surface.
Stir in Butter.

If it seems thicker than cream, add a little more water, and/or a little more milk

Pour a little vegetable oil on a folded paper towel, and wipe the pan evenly. Keep paper towel at hand while preparing crepes, in case you want to give it another wipe. (or just use spray & cook)
Pour in 2 – 3 tbsp. of batter and quickly move pan around, so that batter spreads evenly, covering the whole surface with a thin layer.
Let cook for about 1 minute. Then, flip with a metal spatula, and cook other side for about 30 seconds.

For the filling, wow, go wild!

You can keep it simple, I enjoy it with cinnamon sugar and a splash of lemon juice, or some other ideas are:

banana and caramel
apples and cinnamon,
fresh berries & cream, drizzled with melted chocolate
Chocolate cream

or for something more savoury:

scrambled eggs, salmon and cream cheese
spinach & feta,
chicken & mushrooms
ground beef

It’s just so versatile! Or, if you want to use it as a dessert for after dinner, I make a thick brandy & citrus sauce, and top it with fresh cream. You have to love it!

If you want to be healthy, use whole wheat flour, and skim milk, there are so many ways to enjoy pancakes!

Have a wonderful morning!!!

This is a great vegetarian dinner, I used this recipe for my Spanakopita on my Greek evening, and it was delicious! I find that reheating phyllo doesn’t work very well, but if you want to, place in an oven to reheat, not in the microwave.

Ingredients

dill
dried oregano
phyllo pastry
melted butter
onion, chopped
olive oil
spinach, rinsed and trimmed
feta cheese
full cream cream cheese
eggs, lightly whisked
salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onions in oil, until the onions become transparent
Blanch the spinach in boiling water, until the leaves turn lighter, remove from water and drain all excess water, chop finely (squeeze out all excess water again)
Add the fried onions, the feta and cream cheese, eggs, dill, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste
Grease the bottom and sides of oven pan
Line oven pan with a sheet of phyllo pastry.
Brush with the melted butter and place another half sheet of phyllo pastry on top. Repeat until you have five half sheets of phyllo pastry.
Spread the spinach mixture on top and cover with seven layers of phyllo pastry, each brushed with melted butter or olive oil, including the top of the last layer.
Bake at 190 °C for about 40 minutes or until light brown

Enjoy it