Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Equipment

·      Pie dish (flan ring)

·      Sharp knife and chopping board

·      Rolling pin

·      Small pot and lid

·      Sieve

·      Whisk

·      Measuring cups/spoons

·      Large Mixing bowl

Ingredients

·      Sweet pastry, 1 sheet or half a block

·      Pumpkin, 1/8 (peeled, boiled and dried)

·      Eggs, 2, beaten

·      Condensed milk, 2 Tbspn (or 1 heaped 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.

Filo Triangles.

Filo Triangles (Mince and Vegetable)

Equipment

·      Oven tray

·      Small fry pan

·      Mixing bowl

·      Wooden spoon

·      Measuring cup

·      Chopping board and knife

·      Pastry brush

Ingredients

·      Filo pastry (4 sheets- 2 per person)

·      Butter, 25g, melted in measuring cup

·      Mince, ½ ramekin

·      Frozen Mixed vegetables,1/3 cup

·      Tomato sauce, 1 tsp

·      Onion, ¼, diced

·      Seasoning (a small pinch of salt, pepper, herbs, curry powder)

·      Oil for frying

Method

1.    Dice the onion and fry in a little oil until soft.

2.    Add the mince first, brown then add the mixed vegetables and tomato sauce into the fry pan and cook until soft.

3.    Mix this together with the seasonings in a mixing bowl. Allow to cool.

4.    Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave.

5.    Lay out the filo pastry and brush each sheet lightly with butter, using the pastry brush.

6.    Lay the 2 sheets of pastry on top of each other and cut 4 strips (down the long side).

7.    Place a small amount of filling on the bottom of the pastry and fold triangles up the strip.

8.    Place folded side down onto a greased oven tray and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 1900C.

9.    Serve with a dipping sauce.

Sponge cake.

Sponge Cake

Equipment

·      Large mixing bowls

·      Whisk and egg beater

·      Measuring cup/spoons

·      Cake tin (round or square)

·      Sieve

·      Baking paper or flour dusting

·      Cooling rack

·      Wooden spoon or spatula

Ingredients

·      Eggs, 3

·      Sugar, 3/4 cup

·      Flour, 3/4 cup

·      Baking powder, 1 tsp

·      Salt, pinch

·      Butter, 25g, melted

·      Cream, 1/4 cup, whipped

·      Jam, 1 Tbspn

Method

Oven on to 1750C.

1.    Beat the eggs and salt together.

2.    Add sugar and beat until thick and foamy.

3.    Sift flour and baking powder together.

4.    Carefully add to egg mixture.

5.    Fold in the butter.

6.    Pour into a greased and lined deep cake tin.

7.    Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cake springs back.

8.    Drop the cake on the bench to knock out some of the air and trap the rest.

9.    Leave for 10 minutes to cool down in tin before turning out onto a cooling rack. Carefully cut in half.

10. Whip the cream.

11. Carefully spread the jam on the top of the sponge.

12.  Serve with the cream.

Fish Cakes.

Fish cakes

Equipment

·      Pot and lid

·      Chopping board

·      Sharp knife

·      Peeler

·      Potato masher (1 per table)

·      Mixing bowls

·      Measuring spoons/cups

·      Small frying pan and fish slice

·      2 Plates and 1 Bowl for crumbing

Ingredient

·      Potato, 2-3 peeled, boiled and mashed

·      Tinned fish, 1 Tbsp

·      Onion, 1/4, finely diced

·      Mixed herbs, pinch

·      Salt, good pinch

·      Parsley, a sprig, finely diced

·      Egg, 1, beaten

·      Breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup

·      Oil for frying

·      Flour, ¼ cup, for moulding fish cakes.

Method

1.    Wash, peel and wash the potatoes before cutting them up and boiling them.

2.    Drain the potatoes when they are soft. Mash when they have dried out a bit.

3.    Dice up the onion and lightly fry in a little oil until soft

4.    Mix the fish, onion, parsley, herbs and salt in a bowl. Add the mashed potato and mix well.

5.    Set up the 3 crumbing bowls (flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs)

6.    Divide the mix into 6-8 even portions. Shape into rounds.

7.    Carefully dip each fish cake into the flour, then the beaten egg and finally coat with breadcrumbs. Place on a plate.

8.    Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fish cakes until golden brown on both sides.

9.    Drain on a paper towel.

10. Serve with Tartare sauce.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (set method)

Equipment

·      Small round tin

·      Baking paper (to fit in the bottom of tin)

·      Measuring cups/spoons

·      Small mixing bowl

·      Rolling pin

·      Chopping board

·      Whisk/ egg beater

Ingredients

·      Biscuit crumbs (from 8 biscuits)

·      Butter, 50g, melted

·      Cream cheese, 1 heaped Tbsp

·      Icing sugar, 1 heaped Tbsp

·      Cocoa powder, 1 tsp

·      Lemon juice, 1/2 tsp

·      Vanilla essence, ¼ tsp

·      Gelatin, 1 tsp

·      Hot water, 3 Tbsp

·      Cream, ¼ cup, whipped

·      Chocolate chips, 1 ramekin.

Method

1.    Crush up the biscuit with the rolling pin on the chopping board.

2.    Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave and then mix it with the biscuit crumbs.

3.    Line the bottom of the tin with the baking paper.

4.    Pack the buttery biscuit crumb into the bottom of the tin.

5.    Place into the fridge.

6.    Beat the cream cheese, cocoa and icing sugar until they are soft.

7.    Mix the lemon juice, vanilla essence and hot water together.

8.    Dissolve the Gelatin in the lemon juice mixture. Heat in the microwave if necessary.

9.    Stir the Gelatin mixture in with the cream cheese mixture.

10. Fold in the whipped cream.

11. Add the chocolate chips to this mix and pour into the chilled base from the fridge.

12.  Return to the fridge to set for 20-30 minutes.

13. Carefully remove from the tin, cut up and serve.

Grilled Steak with creamy garlic mushroom sauce.

Grilled Steak with Garlic Mushroom sauce

Equipment

·      Small fry pan

·      Chopping board and sharp knife

·      Measuring cup/spoons

·      Tongs

·      Serving plate

·      Ramekin for sauce

Ingredients

·      Rump steak, 2 portions, needs to be trimmed of fat and silver skin

·      Mushrooms, 2, sliced

·      Garlic, 1 clove or ¼ tsp, crushed and diced finely

·      Cream, 1/8 cup (3 Tbspns)

·      Seasonings (salt/pepper/herbs)

·      Butter for mushrooms.

·      Oil for frying

Method

1.    Slice up the mushrooms and crush/dice the garlic.

2.    Heat up the small fry pan (medium heat) and add butter.

3.    Quickly add garlic, then mushrooms.

4.    Toss and fry until soft.

5.    Add the cream, reduce the heat and simmer until thick.

6.    Pour out the sauce into a mixing bowl and keep warm. Season if required.

7.    Clean the fry pan and reheat.

8.    Wait until the pan is hot before adding a small amount of oil.

9.    Fry the steak one piece at a time, waiting for the blood to come through before turning over.

10.  Test for “degrees of doneness” before removing from pan. Poke the meat with your finger.

11. Rest the meat on a plate for 5 minutes before serving with the sauce.

Things to remember when cooking steak:

·      The steak should be at room temperature before cooking (bring out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking).

·      Trim the steak of fat and silver skin.

·      Heat up the pan to medium hot.

·      Add a little oil. Grilled, not deep fried.

·      Season the steak after cooking.

·      Flip only once. Wait for the cooking juice to come through before flipping.

·      Cook to correct Degrees of Doneness

1.    Blue (very rare)

2.    Rare

3.    Medium rare

4.    Medium

5.    Well done

6.    Very well done

See the pictures below for a better idea. Also use the finger poke test. Fatter steak will take longer to cook in the middle.

·      Resting the meat for 5 minutes after cooking allows the muscle fibers to relax which means the meat is more tender and easier to cut/chew. This should be applied to all meats after cooking.