Couscous and Zucchini

This can be served as a vegetable/starch accompaniment to meat or as a main course for vegetarians. If served as a main course a rich sweet and good cheese can follow. 1 1/2 cups couscous 1/2 cup red or yellow pepper -- chopped fine 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 medium zucchini or yellow squash -- sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper -- chopped fine (to taste!) 2 teaspoons garlic -- chopped fine 2 tablespoons fresh basil -- chopped fine 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon salt Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add couscous, red pepper and cover. Remove from heat and let set for 5 minutes. Heat a medium frying pan. Add olive oil and cook zucchini until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Mound couscous in center of a large platter. Arrange zucchini slices around. Serve warm or cold.

Rosemary Mayonnaise

Want something really different to serve with pork or chicken - or even over a salad - try this - full of flavour and sure to get compliments from family and friends!

It is also so good with chips or french fries! A bacon and tomato sandwich also benefits from its flavour!

It can be made ahead - although it takes so little time you can make it on the day you want to use it. 1 cup homemade mayonnaise or good shop bought 1 1/2 teaspoons orange juice concentrate (use can use Mazoe or similar - or if you want a lighter flavor use fresh) 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary -- chopped 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice Blend together homemade mayonnaise, orange juice concentrate, orange zest, chopped rosemary, heavy cream and fresh orange juice. Let stand at least one hour to let flavours marry. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days.

Rocket Salad

Rocket grows so easily in Zimbabwe that this salad could become a staple in your collections. It can accompany any chicken or egg dish or be used as a starter. 1/2 pound fresh rocket

1/4 pound Parmesan - in one piece === LEMON VINAIGRETTE === 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice - (2 lemons) 1/2 cup good olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper Fill a sink with cold water and toss the rocket for a few minutes to clean. Spin-dry the leaves and place them in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour enough dressing on the rocket to moisten. Toss well and place the salad on individual plates. With a very sharp knife or a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan into large shards and arrange them on the arugula.

Egg Puff

This is a very good dish for a brunch or leisurely breakfast - it also makes a light luncheon dish or supper. serve with rolls and good quality salted butter!

whole green chilies -- split and seeded or green peppers for a milder flavour 4 ounces cheddar cheese -- grated 6 Fresh Eggs 1 10-ounce can whole kernel corn 3/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt Cheddar cheese -- grated Preheat oven to 350ºF In a greased 7 × 11 baking dish, layer split chilies and first amount of cheese. Combine eggs, corn, milk, flour, baking powder and garlic salt; mix well. Pour over chilies, top with Cheddar cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes until puffed and browned. Serve with Salsa.

Apple Tart

Now apples are plentiful is the time to make apple pies and tarts. this one is different as it is open face and has a custart filling with the apples. No need to serve with cream - just as it is - at room temperature. -----Pastry----- 1 1/3 Cups Flour 1 Pinch Salt 7 Tablespoons Butter -- cut in small pieces 2 Tablespoons Sugar 1 Egg Yolk 3 Tablespoons Ice Water -- (approximately) -----Filling----- 2 Pounds Apples 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice 3 Eggs 1/2 Cup Sugar 1/2 Cup Whipping Cream 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla To make pastry: Sift flour and salt into large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles bread crumbs. With a fork, lightly mix in sugar, egg yolk and enough ice water to make a dough. Press into a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 9-inch pan, including sides. Place dough in pan without stretching. Pierce bottom with fork. Preheat oven to 400. To make filling: Core and slice apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Arrange apples in pastry shell. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and sugar until pale and creamy. Add cream and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over apples. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 25 minutes longer or until custard filling is firm.

Baked Lentils

This dish can be served and used as you would baked beans. With chips and a fried egg it is a nourishing and complete main course. I have always enjoyed using lentils in cooking - they make very good vegetarian savory loaves and of course no Indian meal would be complete without a good dahl. 1 cup lentils 2 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons molasses 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 4 slices bacon -- diced and cooked In saucepan, combine lentils, water, onion, and salt. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Turn into 1-quart casserole dish and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Mock Babas

This is a quick alternative to the normal Rum Baba - the fruit makes a lovely sticky topping. 200 Grams Mincemeat 100 Grams Caster Sugar 100 Grams Butter 2 Large Eggs -- beaten 100 Grams Flour -- sifted **** Syrup ***** 150 Grams Caster Sugar 125 Milliliters Water 25 Milliliters Brandy Or Dark Rum Lightly grease ramekin dishes. Divide fruit mincemeat between dishes and spread on base (dried fruit with brandy may be substituted). Cream sugar and butter together and beat in the eggs - fold in flour and spoon mixture over mincemeat. Bake at medium high until firm - about 8 minutes. Leave to stand. Microwave all syrup ingredients 2 minutes - stir - microwave on high a further 3 minutes - cool slightly and add brandy or rum. Spoon syrup over babas and serve warm or cold with whipped cream - decorate if liked with whipped cream and glace cherries. You make make one large baba if preferred.

Wine And Apricot Dessert

Now we can get tinned fruit again this is a wizz of a dessert - cool, creamy and low on calories! Very good after a meal of venison or beef. 2 tablespoons gelatin powder -- unflavored 1 cup sugar 1 cup apricot nectar or juice from the tinned apricots liquidised with remaining apricot halves 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup sherry or dry white wine 8 apricot halves -- canned 1. Mix 2unflavored gelatin with 1 cup sugar. Add 1-1/2 cups boiling water. Stir until dissolved. 2. Add apricot juice or nectar, lemon juice, and sherry or wine. 3. Put a drained apricot half in bottom of decorative glass or dish. Divide gelatin mixture evenly over apricots. Chill. 4. Garnish with glace cherries if desired!

Serve with cream and sponge fingers if you feel them necessary!

"Irish Coffee" Pudding

We have a group of friends who always insist on Irish Coffee at the end of our lunches! Although this a pudding and coffee in one I don't think I would dare to serve it instead of the real thing! I will have to save this for other occasions! 6 eggs 8 ounces sugar 1 cup very strong coffee 1 1/2 ounces powdered gelatin 1/3 cup whiskey* 10 fluid ounces whipping cream 3 ounces crushed walnuts *You can also use Irish Mist. Separate the yolks from the whites of eggs. In a bowl, cream with yolks with the sugar. Heat the coffee until hot but not boiling: add the gelatin and dissolve it in the coffee. Add this mixture to the yolks and sugar. Beat well and put the bowl over a pot of boiling water. Continue beating until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat, and when the bowl has cooled a little, place it over cracked ice and continue stirring. When the mixture is on the point of setting, whip the cream and fold it in. Add the whiskey or Irish Mist. Lastly, fold in the well-beaten egg whites. Pour into a soufflé‚ dish that has a double thickness of parchment paper tied around it: the paper should come up 3 inches above the top of the soufflé‚ dish, or fill individual souffle moulds. When set cover with 1 cup heavy cream, whipped, sweetened with 1 T granulated sugar. scatter with nuts or other decorations. You can serve this with berries if you like!

Avocados With Blue Cheese

A new way to use avocado as a starter - tasty and different. Serve with chips or biscuits if you wish. This can also be used as a dip to have with drinks.

Don't use too strongly flavoured blue cheese as this will spoil the delicate flavour of the avocado.

2 1/2 ounces Roquefort cheese 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice salt freshly ground white pepper 2 avocados Boston lettuce leaves sliced ripe olives 1. Mash cheese with parsley into coarse paste in medium bowl with fork. Whisk olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice in small bowl; stir into cheese mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 2. Cut avocados lengthwise in half; remove pits. Scoop two thirds of the flesh out of each avocado half, leaving a thin shell, and add to cheese mixture; mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. 3. Sprinkle insides of avocado shells with remaining lemon juice; place on serving plate lined with lettuce leaves. Spoon cheese mixture into avocado shells, dividing evenly. 4. Garnish with olives and/or paprika.

Party Cheese Balls

16 oz cream cheese or mozarrella shredded 2 cups shredded sharp natural cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon chopped olives stuffed with pimento 1 tablespoon chopped green pepper 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 dash cayenne and salt finely chopped pecans or seseme seeds

paprika Combine cheeses. Mix until well blended. Add remaining ingredients except pecans. Mix well and chill. Shape into balls and roll in chopped pecans or seceme seeds and paprika mixed. Serve with crackers.

The balls may be whatever size you wish -make a large one and serve surrounded with crackers for a cheese board.

Glazed beetroot in the microwave

This is an unusual way to serve beets and much better than the cold pickled variety!

beets - think in the region of 2 to 3 small ones per person

1 onion

Balsamic vinegar

Orange juice White wine

Cook beets in water with the skins on Drain when cooked and cool

Skin beets and chop into small cubes

Chop onion and cook in microwave for about 2 minutes with a little oil (I use a Pyrex dish)

Place beets with cooked onions and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar

Just cover with white wine and orange juice - mixed in equal quantities

Cover dish and cook for 5 minutes on high. If there is too much liquid cook a little longer until you get a syrupy sauce. If too dry add a little water and heat through

Serve with pork Schnitzels or chicken breasts and a baked potato or mashed potatoes.

An avocado and olive salad goes well with this.

STUFFED TOMATO WITH CHOPPED BEEF

This makes a good buffet dish - a starter or a main meal if served with some creamy mashed potato. The variations are mentioned at the bottom of the recipe which can be made with almost any vegetable that is suitable for stuffing. 2 lbs. chopped beef (fine but not like mince) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder --or 2 cloves mashed 4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill leaves --or 1 tsp. dried dill 2 tablespoons salad oil 1 cup cooked rice 8 large firm tomatoes 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons oil 12 ounces canned tomato paste 12 ounces water (1 1/2 cups) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon garlic powder or crushed cloves to taste tomatoes green olives In a large frying pan fry the chopped beef, 1 tsp.salt, ½ tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder (or 2 cloves mashed) and 4 Tbs. chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp. dried dill) in 2 Tbs.oil until meat browns. Add 1 cup cooked rice and blend. Cut a slit in 8 large tomatoes (very firm), halfway across the center. Squeeze at the sides to open the slit. Scoop out all the flesh from inside of tomatoes with a spoon. Refill tomato with beef mixture and close the tomato. Melt 2 Tbs. butter and 2 Tbs. oil in a large pan. Sauté the tomatoes carefully in the fat, rolling them gently until they become dark red on all sides. Remove the tomatoes with the oil and place in a casserole or heavy saucepan. Prepare sauce as follows and pour over the tomatoes: Combine 2 6-oz. cans tomato paste thinned with 2 6-oz. cans water, ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1 tsp. garlic powder or crushed garlic. Simmer the tomatoes gently over low flame for 10 to 15 minutes until sauce is cooked. Remove carefully to a 15-inch round platter. Surround with raw tomatoes cut in thick slices. Top each slice with green or black olives. If there is more i filling left over after filling the tomatoes place it in a suitable pan and bake it alongside the tomatoes. This can also be made with cucumbers. The cucumbers are peeled, cut lengthwise, scooped out, filled and finished as below. You may also use eggplants. Peel small eggplants, remove the tops, scoop out interiors and proceed in the same manner. The cucumber dish is garnished with fresh cucumber slices and the eggplant with tomato and cucumber slices overlapping all around the edge.

Banana peanut Cake from Ghana

I lived in Ghana for a number of years and bananas and peanuts were always available. This cake is an ideal way to use up ripe bananas that you have left over.

A more refined and lighter cake can be made using other nuts of your choice - macadamias are very good!

1 1/4 cups butter or margarine -- softened (butter is better!) 2 cups sugar 4 eggs -- beaten 4 1/4 cups white flour (brown also works)

1 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 8 bananas -- mashed 1/2 cup peanuts -- coarsely chopped 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and beat to combine. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and Baking soda. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the bananas and peanuts. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Stir together the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the top of the cake as soon as you remove it from the oven.

Garlic Chicken

This sounds like a lot of garlic but the flavour mellows beautifully.

Serve with green salad and some creamy mashed potatoes. 1 whole chicken -- cut into 8 pieces 1/2 cup olive oil -- plus 2 tablespoons olive oil 10 sprigs fresh thyme 40 garlic cloves -- peeled Salt -- to taste Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown on both sides in a wide fry pan over high heat. Remove from heat, add oil, thyme, and garlic cloves. Put in a covered dish and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, carve, and serve. This recipe yields 6 servings.

Odette Cocktail

This was invented for me by a bartender in Malaga, Spain - it is really refreshing on a hot day - but beware it is strong!

1 Tot Whiskey 1 Tot Gin 1 Tot Creme De Menthe Ice -- crushed 1 Large Maraschino Cherry or Glace Cherry 1 Medium Mint Leaf Shake whiskey, gin and creme de menthe in a cocktail shaker. Pour over plenty of crushed ice. Garnish with the cherry into which the mint leaf has been inserted. Serve very cold.

Cheese, Mushrooms And Brandy On Toast

A lovely supper dish when you don't want to cook - the flavours are wonderful and the brandy ensures that your cheese is creamy. this is very tasty and a firm family favourite. very good served as a late night snack - garnish with parsley if you wish! 250 Grams Mushrooms -- sliced 2 Cloves Garlic -- sliced 1 Tablespoon Butter 1/2 Shot Brandy 1/2 Pound Cheese -- grated 8 Slices Whole-Wheat Bread Slices -- toasted (you can use white but it does not bring out the flavours so well) Fry mushrooms and garlic in the butter until slightly cooked. Add brandy. Add cheese and melt stirring well.

You may want to add some salt and pepper to taste Pour over toast and serve immediately.

Tomato And Onion Mealie Bake

This is like polenta - I make my mealie meal with milk and salt and it should be semi firm.

This is great with meat at a braai or serve with a cheese sauce it makes a good vegetarian entree - serve salad or spinach lightly cooked and chopped. 375 Grams Mealie Meal -- cooked 2 Large Onions -- sliced 2 Cloves Garlic -- crushed 1 Large Green Pepper -- chopped 450 Grams Tomatoes, Canned Mixed Herbs -- to taste Salt And Pepper -- to taste 250 Grams Cheddar Cheese -- grated Fry onions, garlic for 5 minutes. Add the chopped green pepper, tomatoes, herbs and seasoning. and simmer for 10 minutes. Spoon half the mealie meal into an oblong dish - cover with tomato mixture and sprinkle cheese thickly over the tomato mixture. Repeat layers ending with cheese and bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Make Ahead Bran Muffins

This is a wonderful recipe and keeps very well - I have even taken it into the bush and provided fresh muffins with morning coffee! Must admit i had a small portable oven!

They also cook well in a microwave! Reduce time to about 6 to 8 minutes depending on your microwave.

2 1/2 Cups Whole-Wheat Flour -- sifted (In a pinch you can use all purpose flour) 2 Cups Wheat Bran 1/2 Teaspoon Salt 2 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda 2 Large Eggs -- beaten with 1/2 Cup Oil -- beaten with 2 Cups Milk -- beaten with 1 1/2 Cups Dark Brown Sugar -- beaten with 1 Teaspoon Vanilla 1 Cup Mixed Fruit -- dried 1/2 Cup Candied Cherries (of available) 1/2 Cup Macadamia Nuts -- chopped (or nuts of your own choice) Mix dry ingredients. Add beaten ingredients to dry ingredients. Add fruit and nuts and mix well. Put into a covered container and leave in fridge until needed. Stir up mixture when needed. Put a little mixture into patty tins and bake at 190 degrees c for 15 minutes.

Zimbabwe Meat Loaf

In cold weather there is nothing more satisfying than a good slice of meat loaf served with either a baked potato or mashed potato. this recipe will serve six and is economical as well as tasty. 1 pound ground beef, lean 1 large chopped onion -- finely chopped 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons tomato sauce 1 large egg 1 tablespoon flour 1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 pinch thyme 1 slice bread -- thickly sliced 1/4 cup milk 1 roll aluminum foil 2 large eggs -- hard boiled and shelled 3 bacon slices Remove crust from slice of bread and soak in milk - squeeze dry. Mix all together except foil, hard boiled eggs and bacon - and shape in the form of a loaf on a greased baking tray. Make a dent in the center and insert 2 hard boiled and peeled eggs - close up firmly. Place slices of bacon across the top sideways. Crimp up oiled tin foil along the sides to keep its shape. Cook until golden at 500 degrees.