Quickies!

GLAZED BABY CARROTS

Place 1-2 cups frozen baby carrots in a small bowl. Sprinkle well with 2 tbsp. brown sugar and salt and pepper. Cook in microwave on high for 8 minutes, covered.

PEAS IN MINT

Place 1-2 cups frozen peas in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. dried mint, 2 tsp. sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes.

BAKED BANANAS

Peel 4 bananas and slice in half lengthwise. Lay in a small casserole dish. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. soft brown sugar, 2 tsp. cinnamon and the juice of one lemon. Place under the grill for 3-5 minutes, or until the sugar has melted and the bananas are heated through. Serve with cold, plain fat-free yogurt.

Ouma se Kombuis

Singapore Shrimp and Rice

INGEDIENTS

1½ cups brown rice

3 eggs, well-beaten

500 g fresh cooked shrimp, or about 2 cups canned shrimp

2 tbsp. butter

4 tbsp. cooking oil

¼ tsp. curry powder

Salt to taste

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1 tbsp. soy sauce

METHOD

1.       After washing well, steam the brown rice until each grain stands apart.

2.        Drop the shrimp into a skillet with the hot butter, add the soy sauce and curry powder, together with about 2 tablespoons of warm water, blend well and sauté for about 10 minutes.

3.       Then make a simple omelette of the beaten eggs, seasoned with salt, and cooked in the oil (allow to cook very slowly on one side before turning, so the omelette comes out in one  piece like a large pancake ), then cut in narrow strips.

4.       Mix the curried shrimp, egg strips and cooked rice together lightly.

5.       If the mixture seems a little too dry, blend a little soy sauce through it.

6.       Sprinkle with chopped parsley (or chopped chives).

7.       Addition of the eggs makes this an unusually high-protein dish.

Ouma se Kombuis

Eggs Hawaiian

INGREDIENTS

·         1 egg per person

·         1 tbsp. sour or sweet cream per egg

·         1 tsp. powdered skim milk per egg

·         1 tsp. grated fresh or unsweetened coconut per egg

·         Salt to taste

METHOD

1.       Scramble the eggs in the usual way by beating well, then blending in the cream, milk powder, and salt.

2.       Add the coconut, and turn into a well-buttered skillet over a very low flame, allowing the under layer to set well before lifting the edges so the uncooked top portion may run down.

3.       Watch closely to avoid overcooking.

4.       If preferred, the eggs may be scrambled in a double boiler, method which requires no butter and is an excellent way to prepare scrambled eggs for a reducing diet.

Ouma se Kombuis

Make your own bagels

The origin of the bagel is unclear, but one source claims that this circular Jewish bun was first mentioned in 1610, when it was given to women in childbirth as a gift signifying eternal life.

INGREDIENTS

·         60 ml (¼cup sunflower oil

·         30 ml sugar

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         250 ml (1 cup) warm water

·         7 ml dried yeast

·         1 egg, beaten

·         450 g flour

METHOD

Mix the oil, sugar, salt and water. Stir in the yeast and leave for about ten minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. Beat in the egg. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl. Turn onto a floured board and knead for 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover and leave to size for about two hours until doubled in size.  

Punch down, and then knead until smooth and elastic. Divide dough into about 12 portions. Roll each into a sausage shape and form into a ring, moistening the ends before pinching together to join.

Cover and leave in a warm place for about ten minutes to rise. Preheat the oven to 200⁰C. Drop the bagels into a pot of rapidly boiling water, one at a time, and cook for a few minutes until they rise to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on an oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes until crisp.

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My Beautiful Body

How to make home-made rolls

What you need

·         750 g white bread flour

·         2 teaspoons salt

·         25g butter

·         15 ml dried sugar

·         450 ml lukewarm water

·         Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter.

Mix the yeast, sugar and 45ml (3taablespoons) of the water and leave to stand for 10-15 minutes (the mixture will become frothy). Add this to the flour with the rest of the water and mix well. Knead for 5-10 minutes to make stiff, springy dough.

Shape into a ball, place in a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean, dampened tea towel and leave in a warm place for about two hours.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead again until it is smooth. Divide the dough into pieces weighing about 50g each and roll each portion between the palms of your hands until it forms a smooth, round ball. Place the rolls on a warmed, greased baking sheet and leave to double in size. Bake at 220⁰C for 15-20 minutes.

Bridge rolls; Divide the White bread dough into portions weighing about 25-40g each and roll each piece into a sausage shape with tapered ends. Place on a warmed, greased baking sheet and leave to double in size. Bake at 220⁰C for about 15 minutes. 

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Beer bread

Short of time?

Try this yeast-free bread - it has a wonderfully malty aroma.

You will need

·         Mix 2½ cups self-rising flour and 15 ml sugar in a bowl.

·          Stir in 1½ cups beer to make soft dough.

·          Pour into a prepared 25 cm long loaf tin.

Method

1.       Top with 25g melted butter and bake at 180⁰C for 30 minutes.

2.        Remove from the oven, pour over another 25g melted butter and return to bake for a further ten minutes.

SESAME-RICE PUDDING

INGREDIENTS

·         1¾ cups cooked brown rice(¾ cup uncooked)

·         ½ cup brown sugar

·         2 cups orange juice

·         3 tbsp. ground sesame seeds

·         Grated rind of one orange

·         ½ cup raisins (optional)

·         1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites, well beaten

·         ½ tsp. cinnamon

·         ¼ tsp. nutmeg

·          1tsp. vanilla extract

·         Garnish: 2 oranges, peeled and sectioned

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 175⁰C.

2. Combine all ingredients except sectioned oranges and mix well.

3. Put in an oiled baking dish and bake until firm, about one hour.

4. Spoon into bowls and garnish with orange sections.

Serve warm or cold.

Makes 6 servings.

Cheese and sardine fingers

Ingredients

·         1 small can sardines in oil

·         Seasoning

·         ¼ cup breadcrumbs

·         ½ teaspoon made mustard

·         1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

·         ½ cup Cheddar cheese, grated

·         Little margarine or butter if necessary

·         4 slices buttered toast

·         1 tomato

Method

1.       Mash the sardines very well and season.

2.       Mix the oil from the can of sardines with the breadcrumbs, seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and cheese. If there is not sufficient oil to give a soft mixture, then add a littler margarine or butter and cream well.

3.       Spread the mashed sardines on the slices of toast and cover with the crumb mixture.

4.       Put under a hot grill for a few minutes until crisp and golden brown.

5.       Garnish with a small piece of tomato. Serve hot or cold. If serving hot, they can be prepared earlier and just heated in oven.

How to loose weight permanently. 

Make your own raisin wine

Although this wine can be use immediately, it improves with age.

You will need:

·         1,8 kg raisins

·         1 piece whole  ginger

·         7,5 litres water

·         2 sticks cinnamon

·         1 cup sugar

What to do:

1. Don’t stone the raisins. 

2. Bruise the ginger, and then place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and boil gently for a few hours. 

3. Strain through muslin, cheesecloth or a sieve lined with fine cloth and leave to stand until quite cold. 

4. Pour to into the bottles, taking care not to allow the sediment to flow into the bottles.

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Sweet potatoes baked with honey

INGREDIENTS

·         6 sweet potatoes or yams, cooked and cut in half lengthwise

·         ½ cup honey

·         Juice of 1 lemon

·         ¼ cup oil

·         Pinch of mace

METHOD

1.       Arrange sweet potatoes in greased casserole.

2.       Mix remaining ingredients together.

3.       Pour mixture over sweet potatoes.

4.       Bake at 180⁰C (350⁰F) for 30 minutes, basting occasionally with liquid.

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Food Safety and Hygiene

1. Always wash your hands before handling any food.

2. Always wash fruit and vegetables before using them.

3. Ensure your work surfaces and chopping boards are clean. Keep a separate chopping board for preparing raw meat.

4. Cool leftover food as quickly as possible, ideally within one to two hours, and then store covered in the fridge.

5. Leftover rice must be stored covered and for longer than one day.

6. Do not buy cracked eggs.

7. If you are reheating food, make sure you heat all the way through  and until it is piping hot. Do not reheat food more than once. Do not keep leftovers for longer than two days.

8. Once thawed, do not   refreeze raw food unless you have cooked it first.

9. Read and follow the use-by dates on packaging and jars.

10 Children, pregnant women or the elderly should not eat recipes that contain eggs.

11. Ensure that your fridge is 5⁰C or less and the deep freeze is at least-20⁰C.

12. Change and wash tea towels, towels, dishcloths, aprons an oven gloves often. Keep your pets away from surfaces and tables.

13. Organise your fridge so that meat is kept separately and on the bottom shelf. Keep dairy produce together  and fruit, vegetables and salad ingredients in the salad compartment.

14. Store raw foods separately from cooked foods to avoid contamination.

15. After shopping, put all food for the refrigerator and freezer into their allotted places as soon as possible.