Lemon Coconut Slice.

This is so simple, you can do it by yourself!

Lemon Coconut Slice

Equipment

·      Round Slice tin with baking paper

·      Measuring cups/spoons

·      Mixing bowls

·      Wooden spoon

·      Sieve

·      Cooling rack

·      Zester or grater (1 per table)

·      Juicer (1 per table)

Ingredients

·      Butter, 50g, melted

·      Castor sugar, ½ cup

·      Egg, 1, beaten

·      Lemon rind, 1 tsp (1/2 a lemon)

·      Flour, ½ cup

·      Baking powder, ½ tsp

·      Coconut, 1/4 cup

Lemon Glace Icing

·      Icing sugar, ½ cup

·      Lemon juice, 1 Tbsp

·      Coconut, 1 Tbsp

Method

1.    Preheat the oven to 175⁰C.

2.    Grease and line slice tin with baking paper.

3.    Mix together the melted butter and sugar, then the egg and lemon rind.

4.    Sieve in the flour and baking powder, then mix in the coconut.

5.    Spread the mix into the slice tin and pack down.

6.    Bake for 25 minutes in the middle of the oven. It should have risen, be spongy and light brown in colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on rack.

7.    Make the icing by sieving the icing sugar and pouring in the lemon juice and mixing well until spreadable. Add a little hot water if too dry.

8.    Carefully spread the icing on the cooled slice.

9.    Sprinkle the coconut over the icing.

10. Cut into squares/slices and serve.

Lamb Curry.

This recipe is similar to the chicken and potato curry from last year, except we add a little Apple Cider Vinegar for flavour and acidity.

Lamb Curry

Ingredients

·      Onions, sliced, 1/2

·      Garlic (optional), 1 clove

·      Oil for frying

·      Curry powder, 1-2 tsp

·      Lamb, trimmed off the bone and cut into small pieces

·      Apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp

·      Tomato (2 tsp puree in 1 cup water)

·      Garam Masala (finishing spice), 1 tsp

·      Seasoning (salt/pepper/chilli if required)

·      Rice, long grain, 1 cup, washed.

Method

1.   Fry the onions in a little oil until soft. Medium heat

2.   Add the curry powder (to your taste) and garlic (optional) to the onions and mix. The onions are the flavour holder.

3.   Add the lamb pieces, mix into the onions and brown off.

4.   Add the tomato puree mixed in the water to cover the lamb.

5.   Add the vinegar (1 tsp). This adds acidity and helps break down the muscle tissue.

6.   Bring to the boil and then simmer for half an hour at least.

7.   Wash the rice through a sieve.

8.   Add 2 cups of hot water to a pot with a good pinch of salt then add the rice.

9.   Bring to the boil and then simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Keep the lid on. When the rice is cooked, drain and serve.

10. When the curry is done, add the garam masala, season and serve.

Food Academy- "Pears in Tutu's"

Pears in tutus

ingredients

1 lemon, juice and zest

½ tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups water

4 pears, peeled and cored with bottoms trimmed

1 sheet butter puff pastry

2 tsp apricot or orange jam thinned with a little boiling water

Method

1 Poach the pears; this can be done a day or two ahead. 2 Place the lemon juice, vanilla, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Do not stir. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved. 3 Peel the pears, neatly leaving the stalks intact. Slice the bottoms off so that they sit upright. I don't remove the core but if you prefer to that is fine. 4 Carefully add the pears to the lemon syrup, weight with an inverted saucer to keep submerged. Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. 5  Store pears in poaching liquor. The poaching liquor is a lovely lemon and pear cordial, great as a soft drink or a cocktail mixer. 6 Cut 4 rounds of pastry and transfer to a lined baking tray. Mark a smaller circle about the size of the base of each pear into each round. Place a pear in the centre of each pastry circle and brush the pear and the pastry with the apricot jam. 7 Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry has puffed up. Serve with icecream and a little warmed lemon vanilla syrup.

Sweet Pumpkin Pie.

This does not taste like pumpkin for all of you who don't like pumpkin. It is sweet and creamy deliciousness.
This dish is an american classic which is served at Halloween, once the "Jack O' Lanterns" have been made.
Make sure you have dried out your pumpkin before mashing it. Wet pumpkin makes a sloppy mix which takes longer to cook.

Pumpkin Pie

Equipment

·      Pie dish (flan ring)

·      Sharp knife and chopping board

·      Rolling pin

·      Small pot and lid

·      Sieve

·      Whisk/ potato masher

·      Measuring cups/spoons

Ingredients

·      Sweet pastry, 1 sheet or half a block

·      Pumpkin, 300g (boiled and dried)

·      Eggs, 2, beaten

·      Condensed milk, 2 Tbspn

·      Castor sugar, ¼ cup

·      Cinnamon, ½ tsp

·      Ginger, ¼ tsp

·      Cloves, pinch

Method

1.    Cut out the base of the pie from the pastry, mold into shape in the pie dish and then use the excess pastry for the sides. Chill in the fridge.

2.    Peel the pumpkin with the knife, cut into cubes and boil in 1 cup of water until soft (about 10 minutes).

3.    Drain the pumpkin through the sieve, dry on paper towels then puree with whisk or potato masher in a mixing bowl. Allow to cool down a bit.

4.    Mix the egg, condensed milk, sugar and spices into the pumpkin puree.

5.    Pour into the pastry base and bake at 180⁰C for 30 minutes. A knife should come out clean.

6.    Cool on wire rack.