Quick and easy beef stroganoff

1 onion – diced 

2 x 1tbsp rice bran oil

500g beef – diced

200g brown mushrooms – diced or sliced

200g shiitake mushrooms – diced or sliced 

1tsp of garlic – minced

2tsp corn flour

1tsp Dijon mustard 

1 heaped tbsp sweet or smoked paprika

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1/2 beef stock cube / 1/2 tsp of beef stock powder

1 cup boiling water 

1/3 cup sour cream
Method

In a pan heat 1tbsp oil, sautée the onions. When soft and golden, add the beef and sear. 

Remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with corn flour and paprika. 

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil (1tbsp), sautée the mushrooms and garlic until cooked, return the beef/onion mixture to the pan. 

Combine all the remaining ingredients except the sour cream. 

Simmer on the lowest heat for at least 30mins and the beef is soft.  

Stir through the sour cream, bring to a simmer. 

Serve with rice or pasta, and a garnish of parsley and chives. 

Light and fluffy ricotta cheesecake

This is my adaptation of the Monday Morning Cooking Club recipe for Shavuot. 

http://mondaymorningcookingclub.com.au/recipe/festival-shavuot-cheesecake-time/

The first time I made it, I forgot the cornflour – this made it much lighter and like a soufflé 

Serves 6

Ingredients:

95g caster sugar

4 large eggs

500g fresh ricotta 

125g sour cream

1tsp vanilla extract 

2tbsp custard powder

1/2tsp baking powder

10g melted salted butter

Zest of 1 lemon 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 16cm springform cake tin or a 12cm square cake tin.

Using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cheese and beat until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients and beat until well combined.

Pour into the prepared tin. Place in the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 160C and bake for 1 hour, or until golden and puffy. The cake will rise during baking, then fall once cooled.

Aqua Fava Hummus

Trying to cut the calories and keep the protein up – the answer is aqua fava!

The liquid the beans and chickpeas come in their tin with. 

It made way more than I needed, so you might want to halve the recipe. Or not!

This makes around 1.5L of hummus. So when I say “it’s a big batch” I really mean it!

Do not Drain! Reserve the aqua fava (I used around 1/2 to 3/4 cup) 

420g tin of chick peas

400g tin of fagioli or butter or cannolini beans
Add to a food processor
with:

4 heaped dessert spoons of pure tahini

1 cup of strained fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon of paprika

2 tablespoons of freshly minced garlic

1 tablespoon of salt
Turn on the food processor. 

Slowly drizzle in the aqua fava. 

Add 4 teaspoons of pure olive oil (for flavour)
Blend until smooth and luxurious. I usually do this for a good 5 minutes to make sure the hummus is super smooth. 
Serve at room temperature or warm

Ideal with pita.

I like to serve it with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of dukka or zaatar. 

You can also serve it Israeli style – warm, a couple of tablespoons of whole chickpeas, a big heap of tabbouleh – and some pita or falafel too!

Mmmmm… delicious. 
Make Hummus. Not war!

Zoodle Salad

This recipe was made by our amazing ladies in the school canteen… well, this is my attempt to recreate it.

(serves 1)

1 small or 1/2 large zucchini – made in to zoodles

1/4 broccoli

1/4 cauliflower

1/4 tin of Chickpeas

1/2 cup Baby spinach leaves

1 teaspoon/drizzle Pomegranate molasses

1/2 teaspoon Ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon Ground cumin

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Olive Oil – drizzle to bake, drizzle to dress

1 teaspoon Sesame seeds

 

Roast the broccoli and cauliflower – place in a tray, sprinkle with cumin and coriander and olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients together. In a smaller bowl make the dressing of pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, and olive oil. Drizzle over 10 minutes before serving.

Simple. Easy. Delicious!

Simple and delicious cauliflower soup

You will need

1 head of cauliflower 

Stock (cubes or powder of your choice)

1 teaspoon of butter

1/2 cup of finely sliced leek

4 heaped teaspoons of sour cream

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Spring onion to garnish
Sautée the leeks in butter

Add the cauliflower

Cover with stock

Summer till soft

Remove from the heat

Add the sour cream

Use food processor/blender/stick blender until smooth

Serve with salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and garnish with finely sliced spring onion
Enjoy!

Chocolate and Berry Brownies

A twist on my classic recipe…

The berries are a nice way to cut though the rich, chocolately flavour. 

1.5 blocks of cooking chocolate (I use Lindt 70%)

175g salted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar 

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips

1/2 bag dark chocolate chips

1 cup frozen berries

 

Preheat oven 150degrees

Melt chocolate and butter in a metal or glass bowl over a simmering pot of water until smooth and glossy.

Remove from heat and stir in sugar.

 

It is very important you let this cool for 1hr.

 

Stir in eggs and vanilla.

Fold in flour with a wooden spoon.

Then add the chocolate chips.

Gently fold in the berries so that they remain whole. 

scoop into brownie pan – approx 20cm x 30cm – lined with baking paper.

 

Bake for 1hr.

Cool for at least 1hr so that the chocolate can solidify.

Cut into 3cm cubes after the brownies have cooled.

Makes approx 18-24

Ugly dinner, but so delicious. Rice and eggs.

A yummy dinner – though it isn’t very pretty…

1/2 cup of cooked Brown rice

2 Scrambled eggs

50g Danish feta, crumbled 

1 Fresh tomato, chopped

1 tsp Basil, shredded

1 tsp Coriander, shredded 

A few drops of sesame oil

A tablespoon of soy sauce 

A splash of Tabasco 

Method: mix in a bowl and eat. It’s that easy. It is not an elegant dish, but it was rather tasty. 

* Next time I’d probably add 1/4 cup of peas and some steamed broccoli to up the veggie content…