Starters & Canapés

 Ingredients

• 6 King Prawns (cooked, per portion)
• ½ head Crispy Iceberg Lettuce
• add pinch Cayenne Pepper (to garnish)
• 1Lime (optional, Zest of)
• 4 tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Lime Juice (or lemon)

Ingredients

• 400g Norwegian smoked salmon
• Scandinavian Knekkebrood or Rye
• 1 tub of cream cheese
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche
• 2 large  lemons (juice & zest)
• 1 large bunch of dill, part chopped finely, part sprigs reserved
• Freshly milled black pepper

Mix the cream cheese, crème fraîche, chopped dill, lemon juice and half the zest, then add freshly milled black pepper.

Place the crisp breads on serving trays. Scoop some cream cheese filling and place on top of each of the crisp breads, using a fork to make the swirls.

Cut the Norwegian smoked salmon slices into ribbons, then roll and twist, and place on top of the crisp breads.

Top with individual sprigs of dill. 

Garnish with a couple of strands of the lemon zest.

 Ingredients

•  8 large, ripe figs
• ½ cup blue cheese (diced)
• ¾ cup cream cheese
• 8 walnuts  

Cut a cross in the top of each fig (do not cut right through) and open it up slightly.

Mix the blue cheese into the cream cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fill the figs with the blue cheese mixture. Place a walnut half on top of each.

 Ingredients

•  12 large Eggs
• 1tsp Dijon Mustard 
• 4Tsp Tangy Mayonnaise
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of Salt
• Smoked Paprika (garnish)

Boil the eggs in salted water for at least 10 minutes until the eggs are hard boiled

transfer the eggs into iced cold water and allow to cool.

Peel and slice the eggs lengthwise.

Remove the egg yolks, and add them to a bowl together with the mayonnaise,  salt, pepper and Dijon mustard.

mix well to combine, then stuff each egg white half with the yolk mixture. (Use a piping bag for decorated effect.)

Garnish with smoked paprika powder 

Oven 200°C                           Bake 40min

Ingredients

•  750g Bread Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 pkt Yeast
• 375ml Tepid water

Mix together and form a large ball,  Place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 2-4 hours.  After rising, place the dough ball into the heated Dutch oven, put the lid on, and bake for 30 minutes, further 10 min lid off, until the loaf is golden brown. Happy Baking ♥

Ingredients

•  1 tin of pilchards 
• 2 Large mashed potatoes
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp mixed herbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 onion, grated
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp flour

Mix Ingredients together and Shape the mixture into cakes. Place the flour on a clean kitchen surface and roll the fish cakes in the flour. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fish cakes until golden brown. Enjoy ♥  

Ingredients

•  1 Whole Butternut Squash
• 1 cup Chicken / veg Broth 
• 2 tsp Curry Powder 

Slice the butternut in half, place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake until soft enough to pierce easily with a fork (20 - 45 min).  Scoop out the flesh, toss into a blender. Add a 1/2 cup of broth, blend.  Add curry powder and salt to taste.  For an added treat, serve with bacon bits sprinkled on top. Yummy ♥

Oven 180ªc                  Bake 45min

  Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour 
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour  
• 1 Cup oats
• 200g Mixed seeds and nuts  (sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, Almonds)
•  1 teaspoon baking powder
•  ½ teaspoon baking soda
•  ½ teaspoon salt
•  2 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg 
• 60ml oil
• 80g honey  

Add all  ingredients into a bowl, mix well.   Pour the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the pan and leave to cool completely on a rack before slicing. 

 Yummy

 Sausage & Prune Wrapped Bacon

250g cocktail sausages
100g dried prunes
2 tablespoons of honey
250g  bacon 

Use a bowl to add together the cocktail sausages, dried prunes, and honey. Mix them using a spatula.

Cut 18-20 slices of bacon and roll each one around one of the prunes or cocktail sausages. 

Stick a toothpick in to secure.

Put them all on a baking tray on parchment paper, preheat the oven to 190⁰C and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve them together with lime wedges.

Candied Sweet potatoes

 oven 200ºc                     Bake 20min

ingredients

• Sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, Ground
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Pecans
• 1 Stick Butter, Unsalted
• 1 Packet of Marshmallows

Combine sweet potatoes with butter. Peel sweet potatoes and slice into 1-inch rounds. Place on a greased sheet pan and toss with melted butter.

Roast sweet potatoes. Bake at 200ºc for 20 minutes, flip the sweet potatoes over and bake for about 20 minutes more until fork tender.

Add cinnamon and vanilla extract to maple syrup. Marinade the sweet potatoes with the syrup, then top with halved marshmallows.

Grill and top with pecans. Place under the griller and toast for a minute or two until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and immediately press a pecan half into the top of each marshmallow.

T-bone Steak 

Serve up a delicious seared T-bone steak, in a cast iron pan with simple fresh seasonings and a knob of butter to finish. 

• T-bone Steak
• Salt & Pepper
• Rosemary & Thyme
• Garlic 
• Butter

Oil, Salt & Pepper your steak. 

Heat up cast iron skillet temp high.

Add steak to a hot pan. Add sprigs of rosemary, thyme & garlic cloves.

Cook steak for 6 minutes for medium-rare, or to your liking, turning every minute.  

Serve

After cooking, leave it to rest and rub with a little extra virgin olive oil or butter for an incredible, juicy steak. ♥

Turkey on the Table

Oven 200ºc              1hr 45min

Ingredients

• 5 kg whole turkey
• 8 large thyme sprigs
• 40 g butter, melted
• 750 ml chicken stock
•  whole turkey

Stuffing

• 50 g butter, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed, chopped
• 300 g bacon, chopped
• 0.3 cups chopped sage
• 0.5 cups chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme
• 100g dried cranberries 
• 480 g breadcrumbs made from day-old bread
• 2 lemons, finely grated zest

 Cranberry Sauce

• 100 g dried sweetened cranberries
• 1 orange, zest finely grated, juiced
• 100 g redcurrant jelly
• 125 ml port 

To make the stuffing, heat the butter in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the onions, celery and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft. Transfer to a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool completely

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Remove the neck and giblets of the turkey and trim any pockets of fat. Remove the wishbone. Spoon a quarter of the stuffing into the neck cavity, cover with the skin and tuck the skin under the wings. Spoon the remaining stuffing into the body cavity, then truss the turkey.

Place the thyme sprigs in a large roasting pan and put the turkey on top. Brush all over with melted butter and cover the legs loosely with greased foil. Pour the stock around the turkey and roast for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to 180°c. 

Baste the turkey, remove the foil and roast for a further 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes and covering loosely with greased foil if it is browning too much, or until the juices run clear when pierced through the thickest part. Remove from the pan, cover loosely with foil and set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes to rest.

To make the cranberry sauce, place the cranberries in a bowl, cover with hot water and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the cranberries, put in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. While the turkey is resting, use a metal spoon to remove the excess fat from the pan juices. Season, if necessary. Carve the turkey and serve with the stuffing, pan juices and cranberry sauce. Merry Christmas ♥

Perfect Pork Belly 

Oven 180ªc                    1hr 30min

Roast Pork belly with hearty seasonal vegetables ensure a big enough dish for large family gatherings. 

• Pork Belly
• Salt & Pepper
• Rosemary , thyme & bay leaf
• Honey & mustard
• Seasonal Veg for roasting

( potatoes, onion,  carrots, butternut, sweet potato, parsnips)

Rub the pork with oil salt & pepper. Ensure the skin gets a more generous salting in preparation for the crispy skin.

In a large roasting tray, Roast pork for +-1 hour 30min on 180°c

Seasonal Vegetables

In a roasting tray, mix the seasonal veg with oil, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, salt & Pepper. Roast in the oven with the pork for +- 40min on 180°c.

 Glaze

In a saucepan, mix the honey, mustard and salt & pepper. Reduce the sauce until it’s smooth and thick. 

Serve

 Remove pork from the oven, rest for 10 min. Brush the honey mustard glaze over the crispy pork skin.

 Slice and arrange on a platter with the veg. Pour the rest of the honey mustard sauce in a gravy boat and serve. ♥

Crispy Crackling  

Place pork, belly side up, in a roasting tray, pat skin dry using kitchen paper towel. Season the meat and skin liberally with salt & pepper.  Roast in oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the skin has turned to crackling. (Should be golden brown and crisp). 

Chicken L'Orange

Oven 200ªc                      1hr

 Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken
• 1 cup Orange Juice Concentrate
• ½ cup Butter (1 stick)
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Orange Zest
• 2 teaspoons Dried Rosemary
• 1 teaspoon Sea Salt (or kosher)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 2 Fresh Oranges

• 50g or 3.5tbsp butter
• 20g or about 2tbsp brown sugar
• about 100ml orange/mandarin juice (from two medium fruits)

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• 2 organic oranges
• about 1kg whole chicken without giblets
• fresh thyme
• fresh rosemary
• about 50g or about ¼ to ½ cup dried cranberries

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DIRECTIONS

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1. Start by preparing the glaze for the chicken. In a small saucepan melt the butter. Once melted add the brown sugar and allow to dissolve completely. Once the brown sugar has dissolved add the orange juice. I prefer to use juice from fruit and strain it before I add it to remove the seeds and the pulp. Leave to simmer on low to medium heat until the glaze has thickened slightly.
2. In the meantime prepare the chicken. Slice one orange and cut the second one into segments leaving the skin on on both. Please make sure you use organic oranges as only with organic oranges it is safe to use the skin.
3. Prepare an oven proof casserole dish for the chicken, I used 20cm x 20cm (about 8x8 inches) dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with orange slices and the stalks of fresh rosemary. Rub the chicken from all sides generously with salt. Add the cranberries inside the chicken along with some orange segments, make sure not to stuff the inside really full but allow some room for airflow. Then also add the fresh thyme inside the chicken. Place the chicken into the casserole dish on top of the orange slices and lay the rest of the orange segments around the chicken. Add some fresh thyme also on the skin. Season the top side of the chicken again with some salt.
4. Cook the chicken in a preheated oven in 150°C (300°F) at the middle shelf of the oven for one hour.
5. After the first hour you want to cook the chicken for another 45 minutes to 1 hour and glaze the chicken with the prepared glaze every 15 minutes or until you have used up all of the glaze.
6. The internal temperature that you are looking for is 75°C (165°F) from the thickets part of the thigh (not touching the bone). However, if you don't have a thermometer you can pierce the same part with a knife and if the juices run clear it is cooked, if the juices have a pink or reddish colour you need to give it some more time.
7. Remove the chicken from the oven into a serving plate and decorate the serving plate with the oranges. Transfer the juices at the bottom of your cooking dish into a small saucepan and reduce until they thicken slightly and then glaze the chicken with that.
8. Allow the chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Christmas Sides

Salted Rosemary Roast Potatoes with hearty seasonal vegetables ensure a big enough dish for large family gatherings. 

• Potatoes
• Butternut
• Onion
• Sweet potatoes
• Carrots
• Parsnips

Seasonal Vegetables

In a roasting tray, place potatoes and/or the seasonal veg with oil, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, salt & Pepper. Roast in the oven for +- 40min on 180°c.

Serve

Arrange on a platter with the seasonal veg and serve. ♥

 Honey & Cinnamon Glazed Carrots

Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
•  carrots, peeled
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in two
• 4 star anise
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 - 1 cups water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and toss to coat in oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15-20 minutes, turning frequently, until the carrots are browned and almost done (slightly tender).

Drizzle the honey over the carrots and continue to cook until the honey begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add the water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and increase the heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the water has evaporated the carrots are cooked through.

Add the butter and toss the carrots to coat. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Marrakesh

Roasted Butternut Couscous Salad served hot or cold, bring a delicious Moroccan favour to the table.

• 1 butternut  peeled, diced
• 1 red onion, halved, cut into wedges
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp Moroccan seasoning
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 can Chickpeas, drained
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Roast

Place butternut and onion on a lined  baking tray with baking paper.  Add oil and seasoning. Toss to coat. Oven 200°c

Roast for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is golden and tender.  

Place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Add crumbled stock cube and boiling water. Stir to combine. Stand, covered, for 5 minutes or until liquid has absorbed. Stir with a fork to separate grains. Add pumpkin mixture, chickpeas, pine nuts and coriander. Toss gently to combine.

Serve

Serve with pan-fried white fish, slow-braised lamb or beef shish kebabs.

Christmas Spiced Eggnog

Ingredients

6eggs

1 cup castor sugar 

1/2 tsp vanilla  essence

1/4 tsp nutmeg 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

a pinch of ground cloves and all spice 

2 Tspoons of honey

3/4 cup brandy

1/2 cup rum

2 cups pouring cream

2 cups milk 

2 tsp spoons instant coffee

Beat the eggs for 3 minutes until frothy. Gradually beat in the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and all spice.

Stir in the brandy, rum, honey, coffee, cream and milk.

Pour into a jug and serve chilled.

 Oven 150°C             Bake 50min

Ingredients 

• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened baking cocoa
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Raspberry Sauce

• 1 cup raspberry preserves
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp corn starch

Frosting

• 1.5 cup mascarpone
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar, or 1 1/4 cup, adjust to taste
• 2-4 tbsp heavy cream

Design Topping

• 1 pine branch/sprig
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
• powdered sugar for dusting

1. To a medium size bowl, add the chocolate chips, then pour the hot coffee over them. Let it stand for a couple of minutes and then stir until the chocolate has melted.
2. In another bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer or using an electric mixer, beat the eggs until thickened and a pale yellow color. Slowly add the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to the eggs, beating until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined.
4. Divide the batter between the three cake pans. Bake on the middle racks of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, anywhere from 40 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cakes rest in their pans until completely cool. If you have wire racks, set the pans on wire racks to cooler quicker. Then, invert the layers onto individual pieces of plastic wrap so that you can wrap each tightly until ready to use.

Raspberry Filling

1. For the raspberry sauce filling, add the corn starch to a small saucepan and whisk to get rid of any clumps.
2. Add the raspberries and raspberry preserves to the pan. Cook over medium heat until everything is warm and heated through. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. 
3. Make the Mascarpone Frosting
4. For the frosting, beat the mascarpone and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric mixer until very fluffy and light.
5. Add in the powdered sugar and whisk while streaming in 2 tablespoons of cream. If the frosting is too thick, add 2 more tablespoons of cream, or as needed. Whisk the cream long enough to get it slightly clumpy if you want to achieve the snowy effect. Otherwise, simply whisk until the frosting is thick and smooth.

Assemble the Cake

1. Place your first cake layer on a cake board or your cake stand. Smear (or pipe) a small bit of frosting along the rim of the cake layer. This will act as a border for your raspberry filling.
2. Spoon raspberry sauce onto the center of the cake layer, spreading a thin layer with the back of the spoon, just until it reaches the frosting along the rim. The frosting acts as a barrier to keep the raspberry sauce from spilling over the edges. Place the second cake layer on top, then add a frosting border along the rim and raspberry sauce to the center like you just did with the first layer.
3. Place the third cake layer on top, then use a rubber spatula to generously cover the top of the cake with mascarpone frosting and lightly smear the sides of the cake with your frosting too. Place your pine sprig onto the center of the cake, along with a couple of cinnamon sticks, and fresh raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Once you're ready to serve, dust the entire top of the cake with powdered sugar. ♥

Oven 180°C             Bake 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate
• 100g chopped nuts (optional)
• 100g crushed peppermints or candy canes (optional)
• 250g caster sugar
• 200ml vegetable oil
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 50g self-raising flour
• 3 large eggs

Melt chocolate and Mix in ingredients, Spoon the mixture into the tin. Smooth the top , until the top has formed a crust and the inside is cooked but still fudgy.  

Cool completely in the tin on a wire rack before cutting into squares.  Enjoy ♥

Hot Chocolate Mix                  850g Jar

Ingredients

• 350g Whole Milk Powder 
• 200g Powdered Sugar 
• 150g Cocoa Powder
• 150g Chocolate Chips  

Add 3 Spoons of Hot Chocolate Mix to a cup of Hot Milk top with marshmallows and dusting of cinnamon powder. Yum ♥  

    Oven 180°C          Bake 17 minutes 

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup/65 g sugar
• ⅓ cup/45 g flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Truffle Topping

• 300 ml double cream
• 350 g white chocolate chopped, not chocolate chips (measured by weight)
• 250 g mascarpone or cream cheese full fat only

Instructions for the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter and dust with flour an 8"/20 cm round springform pan.
• Beat room temperature eggs, vanilla and sugar in a medium bowl for about 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer until white, foamy and triple in volume.
• Fold sifted flour in 3 additions with a spatula, be careful not to deflate the cake batter. If after the addition of the flour the volume goes down significantly, the cake will not rise properly.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. The baked sponge should have risen to at least double the height of the unbaked batter. Cool on a wire rack.

For the truffle topping:

• Bring the heavy cream in a saucepan to a boil. Pour the hot cream over chopped white chocolate and stir with a whisk until the chocolate is melted and completely incorporated into the cream. Let the mixture come to a room temperature. (I chill mine outside for 20-30 minutes.)
• Add mascarpone and whip with a hand mixer until smooth. If using cream cheese instead of mascarpone, whip the cheese until light and fluffy before adding cream and chocolate mixture and blending the ingredients together. Do not pre-whip mascarpone or it might separate from over-beating. Mix mascarpone and the cream/chocolate mixture together with a hand blender until combined, approximately 2 minutes. (The consistency of the truffle layer should be similar to thick sour cream.)
• Line the sides of a springform pan with parchment paper. Put the sponge layer back in the springform pan.
• Pour the truffle mixture on top of the cake in the springform pan and level it with an offset spatula. Chill in the refrigerator for at least for 2 hours or better overnight.
• Decorate with sugar pearls and greenery.

    Oven 180°C          Bake 15 minutes 

Ingrediants

• 100g butter, softened
• 100g self raising flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 eggs

 Whisk all the ingredients together until creamy. Spoon into cupcake cases in a cupcake or muffin tray.  To check they are cooked just press gently and they should spring back. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before leaving to cool completely in their cases on a wire rack.  Once cooled, the cakes can be decorated. Happy Baking ♥