Ingredients:

8-9 medium potatoes
100g cheddar cheese, grated
200ml cream
½ onion, finely sliced
Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes and slice into thin discs
2. In a rectangular, oven-proof dish (about the size of an A4 piece of paper), place a layer of potato slices and then a few slices of onion on top. Add salt and pepper.
3. Create as many layers as possible.
4. Pour the cream over the potatoes.
5. Cook at 180°C for 1 ½ – 2 hours
6. Just before serving, sprinkle the cheese over and grill until golden brown.

Ingredients:

400g salmon fillets, steamed and flaked
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
45ml (3 tbsp) capers, finely chopped
20ml (4 tsp) fresh dill, finely chopped
50ml olive oil
rind and juice of 1 lemon
3 sheets of phyllo pastry, each cut into 12 small squares
30ml (2 tbsp) butter, melted
200ml crème fraîche

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. In a large bowl, combine the salmon, salt, pepper, capers, dill, oil, rind and juice and mix well.
3. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin with butter and line each opening with a phyllo square. Brush the top of this with butter and repeat twice so that you have 3 layers of pastry.
4. Gently spoon in the salmon mixture and bake until the pastry is golden, about 5 minutes.
5. Serve the tarts with crème fraîche.

Recipe and styling by Anna Montali; photograph by Graeme Borchers – published in the Food & Home Entertaining January 2009 issue

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Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
60ml (¼ cup) cake flour
15ml (1 tbsp) ground cloves
10ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
oil, for frying

Topping:

6 slices of bacon, fried
125ml (½ cup) crème fraîche
60ml (¼ cup) honey

Method:

1. Wrap the potatoes in a kitchen cloth, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, flour and spices.
3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan and carefully place 30ml (2 tbsp) of potato mixture at a time into the hot oil. Flatten the fritters with a fork and fry for about 2 minutes. Flip over and fry for a further minute. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel.
4. Serve the fritters hot, topped with bacon and crème fraîche and drizzled with honey.

Recipe and styling by Anna Montali, photograph by Graeme Borchers; extract from Sweeten the pot(ato) published in Food & Home Entertaining November 2009 issue.

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Ingredients:

+-800g butternut, chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 round feta
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
3 slices lean bacon
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Method:

1. Place the butternut on a baking tray and sprinkle olive oil, mint and thyme all over. Grind salt and pepper over the butternut.
2. Bake for 50 minutes at 180ºC then add the feta and bake for another 10 minutes.
3. Fry the bacon and chop into small pieces.
4. Take the butternut out of the oven, add the bacon and cheddar cheese and gently combine.
5. Place in serving dish and keep warm until needed.

Ingredients:

1 tin sweetcorn kernels
1  1/2 cups cake flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
100g cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
5ml baking powder
salt to taste
oil to deep-fry

Method:

1. Sift the dry ingredients together.
2. Mix together the flour, eggs, milk, cheese, herbs, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the corn.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan and drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil.
5. Cook until golden brown and puffy.

Ingredients:

5 cups cooked diced potatoes
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp mustard
3 hard-cooked eggs

Method:

1. Combine potatoes, cucumber, celery, onion, salt, celery salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar and mustard.
3. Chop up the egg whites and add to the potatoes mixture.
4. Chop up the egg yolks and stir into the sour cream mixture.
5. Half an hour before serving you can combine all ingredients together
6. Place into a serving bowl and serve.

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados
½ red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 chillis, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
½ tsp coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Method:

1. Cut avocados in half.
2. Remove seed.
3. Scoop out the avocado from the shell.
4. Place in a mixing bowl.
5. Using a fork, mash the avocado.
6. Add the chopped onion, coriander, lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more.
7. Add chili to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness.
8. Just before serving, mix the chopped tomato to the guacamole.

Ingredients:

125g flour
pinch of salt and pepper
2 eggs
150ml water
150ml milk

Method:

1. Mix one egg, water and milk together.
2. Beat the above mixture into the flour and let stand for an hour.
3. Now add another egg and beat vigorously.
4. Pour into deep patty tins which already contains + /- 1 tsp of boiling hot meat/fat drippings.
5. Bake on 180°C for 10-15 minutes.