Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk (or water)
salt and pepper
fresh parsley
spring onions
tomato
ham/salami/bacon/mince
cheese

Method:

1. Mix eggs and milk in a bowl.
2. Add salt and pepper and whisk for one minute – to make sure your omelette will be fluffy.
3. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a pan on medium heat, and pour the egg mix into the pan.
4. Add small pieces of cold meat and sprinkle finely chopped fresh parsley, tomato and spring onions across the omelette.
5. Once the omelette starts to look like it’s cooked all the way through, add the grated cheese and let the omelette cook for another minute or so – until the cheese melts.
6. Fold the omelette in half and serve on toast or fresh bread with butter.

Ingredients:

120g cooked fish or 1 tin of salmon
2 mashed potatoes
½ tsp lemon juice
½ tsp mixed herbs
1 egg, beaten
1 onion, grated
salt and pepper
2 tbsp flour
oil for frying

Method:

1. Flake fish finely or decant salmon from the tin.
2. Mix potatoes, lemon juice, salt and pepper, herbs, eggs and onion together.
3. Shape the mixture into 5-6 cakes.
4. Place the flour on a piece of paper or clean kitchen surface and roll the fish cakes in the flour.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fish cakes until golden brown.
6. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley, and serve with Tartare sauce.

Ingredients:

1 punnet mushrooms
1 cup of cream
½ cup milk
2 tsp corn flour
1 tsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Chop the mushrooms and fry them in the butter until they are cooked.
2. Add the cream.
3. To prevent lumps, add the corn flour to the milk and stir together until smooth.
4. Add small amounts of the milk and corn flour mix to the sauce and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Allow the sauce to simmer and it will begin to thicken. Repeat this until the milk and corn flour mix has been used up.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
3/4 cup grated cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg beaten into 3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp melted butter
4 tsp baking powder
pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Place spoonfuls into greased pattie tins.
3. Bake at 240°C for approx 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 sticks celery, chopped
2 large potatoes, chopped into squares
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup green beans, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 ½ litres water
1 cube beef stock
1 cube vegetable stock
2 tins peeled, chopped tomatoes
1 tin cannellini beans
100g spaghetti
salt and pepper, to taste
parmesan cheese, grated for garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large pot, add onions and cook till soft and golden brown.
2. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, green beans and tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the water and stock cubes.
4. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer semi-covered for 1-1 ½ hours. The soup should be fairly thick at this point. If it is not, leave the lid off and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
5. Add the beans and spaghetti, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil for approximately 15 minutes.
6. Serve with garlic bread and a little grated parmesan.

Ingredients – sauce:

30g butter
1 big onion, skinned and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery, scrubbed and chopped
500g minced beef, raw
2 tbsp tomato paste
250ml tomato puree
550ml beef stock
5ml basil
salt, pepper

Ingredients – other:

500g spaghetti
parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

1. Make the sauce first.
2. Fry the onion, carrot and celery until lightly browned.
3. Add the beef and brown lightly.
4. Add the tomato paste, tomato puree and basil and allow to simmer for a few minutes before adding the stock, salt and pepper
5. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the meat is tender and the liquid in the sauce is well reduced.
6. Re-season if necessary.
7. Sprinkle shaved/grates parmesan on top and serve.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut in small pieces
2 to 3 tbsp ice-cold water

Filling:

8 strips lean bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
1/4 tsp dried leaf thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Method:

Preparing the crust for quiche:

1. Mix the flour and salt together into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the butter and blend until there is a course crumb consistancy.
3. Add water until the crumb mixure comes together to form dough.
4. Store the dough in plastic wrap in the fridge until you are ready to use it or at least for half an hour.
5. Lightly flour your work surface.
6. Roll the dough until you have a 30cm diameter circle.
7. Fit the dough into a pie dish slightly smaller than the 30cm diameter.
8. Trim the edges.
9. Prick the dough with a fork.
10. Line the dough with tin foil.
11. Bake the crust for 10 min at 190°C.

Preparing the filling for quiche:

1. In a small bowl whisk the eggs, milk, thyme and pepper.
2. Pour into the baked crust.
3. Sprinkle the bacon and cheese over the top.
4. Bake for 30 minutes at 190°C.

Ingredients:

500g dried fettuccine
6 tbsp unsalted butter
150g sliced cooked ham
250g chopped portabellini mushrooms
1 cup cream
1 cup finely grated parmesan
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
fresh parsley for garnishing

Method:

1. Cook the fettuccine in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until the pasta is al dente (not soft and mushy).
2. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Fry the mushrooms then add the cream and ham and bring to the boil.
3. Cook until sauce has reduced, or for about five minutes, stirring gently.
4. Remove from the heat.
5. Place pasta in a serving dish, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese then pour the sauce over the pasta to melt the cheese.
6. Gently mix the pasta and sauce together.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Garnish with parsley and a little parmesan.

Ingredients:

750g lamb or beef
2 onions
1 inch fresh root ginger
2 garlic cloves
2 tomatoes
4 potatoes
oil for frying
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ground coriander seeds
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp chili powder
salt to taste

Method:

1. Trim fat off meat then cut in cubes. Slice onions, finely mince ginger and garlic, chop tomatoes and quarter potatoes if large.
2. Heat oil in saucepan and fry onions till golden brown.
3. Add the minced ginger and garlic together with dry spices. Fry for 10 minutes and add meat. Cook until brown and dry.
4. Add tomatoes to meat and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add potatoes, season with salt and cook till potatoes are done.

Ingredients:

500g minced beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground paprika
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients together and mix well.
2. Form the meatballs by rolling portions into balls and pressing down slightly to flatten them.
3. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and brown the meatballs on both sides.
4. Reduce heat and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
5. Serve on top of creamy garlic mashed potatoes.