Apple Toastie

These apple toasties are the perfect teatime treat! They are crunchy, sweet, sticky and almost guilt free. The great thing about this recipe is it uses ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now. This recipe makes 2 toasties but it can be adjusted for more.

Ingredient:

• 1 apple (red or green)
• 2 pieces of white bread
• 4 tsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 Tbl apricot jam
• 1-2 Tbl sugar
• Cream or ice-cream (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180˚
• Place two slices of bread on a bread board (you can cut off the crusts if you like) and cover with a sheet of wax or baking paper.
• Take a rolling pin and roll out the bread to flatten it.
• Place the flattened bread on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.
• Melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds then take it out and add the vanilla essence.
• Brush both sides of the bread with the butter and vanilla mixture.
• Slice the apple into thin slices with a mandolin slicer or a knife. Layer the apple slices onto the bread in about 3 rows overlapping each other.
• Heat the apricot jam in the microwave for about 10 seconds and then brush the apricot jam over the apple slices.
• Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• Take it out the oven and sprinkle the sugar over the toasties.
• Change the oven to grill and grill the apple toastie until the sugar melts.
• Take it out, top with cream or ice cream and enjoy with a nice cappuccino!

Keep it cooking,
Kelly

Beef Bourguignon

Don't let the title put you off. It may sound fancy (and impress your dinner guests) but this a really easy, versatile dish. The bonus is it uses cheap  cuts of meat, but by the end they are so tender and delicious that no one will even guess! I originally found the recipe on BBC Food, but I have adapted it to make it quicker and easier to put together. This hearty dish is great with rice or baked into a pie with puff pastry and will really warm you up on the cold days to come!

Ingredients (to serve 4-5 people)

• 800g - 1kg of stewing beef (depending on how many bones)
• 1 medium sized onion
• 250g mushrooms(optional)
• 1 tsp garlic (fresh or crushed)
• 3-4 strips of bacon (optional)
• 1 tsp each of dried rosemary and thyme (or fresh if you prefer)
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 600-800ml of dry red wine and beef stock (how much wine you want to use is up to you, I recommend half of each)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 150°
• Cut the beef into ±3cm pieces. Salt and pepper the pieces and then brown them in some oil. Fry them in 2 or 3 batches because if you overcrowd the pot they won't brown properly.
• Place the browned pieces in a colander or sieve over a jug so the juices drain off.
• Once all the meat is browned, dice the onion, mushrooms and bacon and add to the pot. I don't always use mushrooms or bacon if I don't have, but they do add extra flavour! Cook until slightly browned.
• Add in the garlic, spices and tomato paste and cook for a few minutes.
• Now add the meat back into the pot as well as your wine/stock mixture and heat until it begins to bubble. There should be enough stock that the meat is covered completely.
• Next make a cartouche; which is just a fancy word for a piece of tinfoil the same size as your pot that will keep the liquids from evaporating. Cover the meat and stock with the foil cartouche and then place it in the oven.
• Cook the meat for 3 hours (the smells will drive you crazy!) until the meat is tender and just pulls apart. If you want to make it into a pie then reduce the cooking time by 45 minutes and place into a pie dish with puff pastry to cook for an hour.

Once you have tried this you will add it to your list of go-to dinner dishes, it is just that good. It's also guaranteed to knock the socks off your dinner guests with it's rich, hearty flavour and have everyone coming back for seconds!

Keep it cooking,
Kelly

Easy Mix Meringues

I love these meringues because there is no slowly adding ingredients in or worrying if the sugar has dissolved, you basically just mix everything together and presto! This recipe can also be used to make a pavlova base. Just make sure you add the baking powder after the meringue has formed because if you add it before they wont work.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of caster sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 4 tsp boiling water
• 2 tsp baking powder

Directions

• Put everything EXCEPT the baking powder into a bowl or a mixer
• Mix on high speed until the meringue forms and the mixture is stiff and shiny
• Fold in the baking powder
• Line a baking tray with baking paper
• Place the meringue into a piping bag and pipe into either individual meringues or a large pavlova base
• Bake at 125° for 1 hour and then turn off the oven and leave the meringue to dry for 1 hour

Once they are dry you can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days, though I can't promise they will last that long! These are perfect treats for a tea or even a kids birthday party.

Keep it cooking,
Kelly

Cheats Cheesecake

 

Technically this is more of a yoghurt tart, but it does taste very similar to cheesecake and it is super easy to make! I used a vanilla yoghurt to make mine, which made it quite sweet. If you prefer a slightly more savory cheesecake you could use Greek yoghurt instead.

Make sure your tart dish is quite deep because it makes a lot of filling.

Ingredients

• 1 packet tennis biscuits (or whichever biscuits you prefer)
• 50g butter/margerine
• 1 tin of condensed milk
• 1kg or 1L container of yoghurt of your choice
• 1 lemon (if you are doing a lemon version)

Directions

• Crush up your biscuits either in a food processor or by placing them in a plastic packet and smashing them with something hard (good chance to vent any frustrations!)
• Melt the butter in the microwave and mix it in. It shouldn't be too runny or too dry. It should stay in place if you push it against the side of the bowl.
• Grease your microwave safe tart dish. Place the biscuit base in the tart dish and use your fingers to compress it onto the sides and bottom of the dish. I always do the sides first and then the middle
• Place the base in the freezer for about 10 minutes just to set
• While the base is setting, mix together the yoghurt and condensed milk in a bowl or a jug. You can squeeze in the juice from one lemon if you want to make a lemon version of this cheesecake.
• Once the base is hard, pour in the cheesecake mixture. Don't fill the tart dish too much because it does bubble a bit!
• Place the cheesecake in the centre of the microwave and microwave on high for 4 to 6 minutes (depending on the strength of your microwave)
• Take it out of the microwave and place it in the fridge for at least an hour before you eat it. Garnish the top with some lemon slices or fruit compote and enjoy!

Keep it cooking,

Kelly

Peppermint Tart Ice Cream Sandwhiches

With only 4 ingredients, this recipe is really easy to make and so delicious! I found myself sneaking back to the freezer constantly with the promise that "this will be my last one"...until all of them were gone!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cream
• Half a cup of tinned caramel
• 1 peppermint crisp grated
• 1 packet of Tennis Biscuits (coconut tea biscuits)

Directions:

• Whip cream until stiff (but not butter!)
• Stir caramel so it softens and then fold into the cream along with the grated peppermint crisp
• Line a rectangular or square dish with baking paper and smooth the ice cream mix out on top
• Place in freezer and freeze until set (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours)
• Take it out of freezer, place the tennis biscuits on the top and then cut around the biscuits (and eat whatever is left over...nummy!)
• Turn each square over (use the baking paper under to lift it) and place a biscuit on the other side
• You can eat them straight away but its best to put them back in the freezer for out 10 minutes so that the biscuits can really stick to the ice cream
• Take out and enjoy! These are especially nice as a sweet end to a good braai on a hot summers day. (Just make sure there are leftovers for a midnight snack!)

I hope this recipe has inspired you!

Keep it cooking,
Kelly