Cucumber & Strawberry Salad

Cucumber & Strawberry Salad

Ingredients

• 2 - 3 large cucumbers, chopped
• 4 cups strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 2 tablespoon sour cream or yogurt or mayo or combination
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice/ vinegar
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1.    Whisk together sour cream (or yogurt or mayo or combination), lemon/vinegar, salt & pepper.

2.    In a large bowl, toss cucumbers and strawberries together. Sprinkle with feta.

3.    Sprinkle the dressing over the salad before serving.

Thai Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

DRESSING

• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste

SALAD

• 2-3 large cucumbers
• 3 green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Instructions

1.     In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and salt. Set the dressing aside to give it time to blend. (add 2 tablespoon of honey if you prefer for a little sweet taste)

2.     Peel and slice the cucumber using your favorite method. Place the sliced cucumbers in a large bowl.

3.     Chop the peanuts. Slice the green onions.

Add the dressing, peanuts, and green onions to the sliced cucumbers. Stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. 

German Cucumber Salad

German Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

·         2 tablespoon sour cream or yogurt or mayo or combination

·         1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

·         1 tablespoon milk

·         ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

·         ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

·         2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped

·         3 cucumber, washed and thinly sliced (about 2 cups sliced)

·         ½ cup thinly sliced red or yellow onion

·         1 clove garlic, grated (optional)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream (or yogurt or mayo or combination), vinegar, milk, salt, pepper, dill and garlic (optional) until combined. Add sliced cucumbers and onions and gently stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

One Pot Beef Mince Stir-Fry

Ingredients

·  500g beef mince (you can use chicken/ pork / mutton mince)

·  1 tablespoon sunflower oil

·  2 tablespoon light soy sauce

·  1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

·  Spices of your choice (I used ½ tsp. turmeric & ½ tsp. cinnamon)

·  1 teaspoon oregano/ Thyme/ Rosemary (any herb of your choice)

·  1 onion, chopped

·  1 tablespoon grated ginger

·  2 large garlic cloves, crushed

·  ¼ cabbage, finely shredded

·  1 cup cauliflower florets

·  1 green capsicum, cut into strips

·  Salt & Pepper to taste

·  ½ Lemon Juice

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan. Stir–fry mince beef for 2 minutes, (in batches if the pan is too small), breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until mixture is no longer pink. Add onion, garlic, ginger and stir–fry for another 2 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste and stir–fry for 30 seconds.
3. Add the spices & herbs.
4. Add the vegetables and stir–fry for another minute.
5. Stir through soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt & pepper powder. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Done.

QUICK VEGETABLE SOUP

QUICK VEGETABLE SOUP

INGREDIENTS

Soup ingredients:

½ cup lentils / dal

2 cups cleaned and chopped vegetables (Ex. carrots, Cabbage, cauliflower, Bell Peppers)

1 big chopped tomato

1 big chopped onion

1 tablespoon seedless tamarind paste (Optional)

1 tablespoons Mix of all spices (you can use curry powder)

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 cup water (extra if needed)

Vegetable / chicken stock 2 to 2.5 cups

Tempering - OPTIONAL:

2 tablespoons sunflower (any) oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

¼ teaspoon of asafoetida

2 to 3 garlic cloves

10 to 12 curry leaves (optional)

Method:

Cook lentils & all the remaining soup ingredients except tempering ingredients in 2 to 2.5 cups of chicken stock on medium to high until the lentils are soft and mushy.

Tempering (It’s optional):

1.      In a deep (& wide) pot, heat oil. Crackle the mustard seeds (add the muster seeds in the hot oil and wait for it to pop open).

2.      Add garlic, asafoetida and curry leaves.

3.      Fry till the garlic turns a light brown. Pour the steaming hot previously cooked soup into this. Close with a lid so that the flavours infuse for about 5-6 minutes.

Done

Banana Cake

Banana Cake

Ingredients

·     2 ripe bananas

·     ¾ cups of caster sugar

·     2 eggs

·     ½ cup of sunflower oil

·     1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups of plain flour

·     1 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

·     ¼ teaspoons salt

·     1 teaspoon cinnamon

·     ¼ cups of chopped walnuts

·     ¼ cups of raisins

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Method

1.     Heat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4.

2.     Mash the bananas until they are smooth.

3.     Add all other ingredients, one by one, stirring with each addition.

4.     Lightly grease your baking tin and pour the cake mixture in. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

Banana Cake

Banana Cake