Beef Rissoles

Ingredients:
1 kg beef mince
1-2 brown onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 heaped teaspoons cumin
small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl by hand and form into patties. Cook in a fry pan sprayed with oil, turning to brown both sides and cook through. Serve with sweet potato and potato, either boiled and mashed or cut into chips,sprayed with oil, sprinkled with Moroccan seasoning and oven roasted, and a green salad.

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Chicken and Aubergine Parmagiana

This is a delicious, healthy and easy to cook version of an Italian classic.

Ingredients:
1-2 large aubergines (eggplants)
1 tbs olive oil
2 large brown onions
3 large cloves garlic
700g jar tomato passata
400g can chopped tomatoes (with herbs, optional)
1 tsp sugar
fresh basil (optional)
800g-1kg chicken breast
1 cup grated mozzarella, or 100g thinly sliced


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Slice the aubergines (quite thinly) and place on oven tray(s) lined with baking paper. Lightly spray with oil and then bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned.
3. Meanwhile fry the chopped onions and crushed garlic in the oil, until the onion has softened. Now add the passata and chopped tomatoes with the sugar and extra herbs, if using, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Prepare the chicken by slicing horizontally, and cutting into portions. Cook in a fry pan which has been sprayed with oil for a couple of minutes, until browned on both sides.
5. Grease a rectangular baking dish with oil and layer the ingredients as follows: Start with a layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of aubergine, followed by the chicken, then another layer of aubergine and  the rest of the tomato. Top with the cheese.
6. Bake, covered with foil for 15 minutes and then uncovered for a further 20 minutes or until browned and the chicken cooked.
7. Enjoy with a green vegetable such as broccolini, or a green salad and some bread.

          Serves 6

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Fondant Icing - Two Methods

Last weekend my daughter requested that we make a "Candy Crush" birthday cake for her 18th. It soon transpired that we needed fondant icing and when I eventually found it in the shops it was going to cost a fortune, so I decided to have a go at making it myself. I used two different methods and both were very successful.

The simplest method uses white marshmallows so I tried that first and we used it to make the candy decorations. But we needed a batch of chocolate fondant icing to cover the cake for which we used the gelatine method. The recipe was the perfect amount for covering the 23cm square cake, with some to spare. I made it and used it immediately. It worked fine without "resting".

Marshmallow Fondant Icing

Ingredients:
500g white marshmallows
2 tablespoons water
1kg pure icing sugar, sifted


Method:

1. Place marshmallows and water in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until marshmallows puff up and start to melt.
2. Slowly mix  in the sifted icing sugar, reserving 1 cup of icing sugar for kneading. Mix until you have a very stiff dough.
3. Tip icing out onto a work-surface well-dusted with icing sugar and knead, continuing to add more icing sugar, until smooth and no longer sticky to the touch. (5-10 minutes) 
4. Roll into a ball and wrap in 2 layers of cling-wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
5. To use fondant, allow to come to room temperature and then roll out on a surface well-coated with icing sugar.

Note: When kneading, add extra water if too dry (e.g. if mixture is tearing too easily), half a tablespoon at a time.

This recipe is based on the following: bestrecipes.com.au, http://whatscookingamerica.net

Chocolate Fondant Icing

Ingredients:
1 kg (7 cups or 2 lbs) pure icing sugar, sifted
11/2 tablespoons glycerine
1/2 cup glucose syrup
1 tablespoon gelatine powder
1/4 cup cold water
125g (4 oz) dark chocolate, melted (or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence for plain fondant icing)


Method:

1. Sift icing sugar into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the water and gelatine over low heat until the gelatine is dissolved. Do not boil!
3. Remove from heat and add glycerine and glucose syrup. Stir well and add vanilla essence if using.
4. Pour gelatine mixture and melted chocolate (if using) into well in sugar.
5. Mix until combined, then knead until smooth.
6. For best results, wrap in 2 layers of plastic wrap and rest for several hours at room temperature.

Note: Glycerine (or glycerol) is available at the chemist.

This recipe based on: http://www.bestrecipes.com.au
http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-rolled-fondant-361282

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