"Chef's Diary"

Ingredients:

• 300 ml (plus 1 tbs) all-purpose flour
• 60 ml (plus 2 tbs) sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 120 g (stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 240 g raspberries
• 240 g fresh blackberries
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbs sugar

Method:

1. Make the dough: Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Form a well in center of the dry ingredients and place the butter and 1 egg in the well. Using your hands, mix the ingredients into a soft, pliable dough. Form it into a 4-inch disk and place it on lightly floured parchment paper. Lightly dust the dough with flour and roll it into a 10-inch circle. Place dough with parchment on a baking sheet, cover the dough with plastic wrap, and chill for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Make the crostata: In a small bowl, mix remaining flour and sugar and set aside. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and evenly spread the flour and sugar mixture on the dough, leaving a 1-inch-wide border around the edge. Place berries on top of the mixture and sprinkle with lemon juice. Fold the 1-inch border over top of the berries to form a 9-inch crostata.
3. Bake the crostata: Lightly brush the top of the crostata dough with remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake on the middle rack of the oven — about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and slide crostata with the parchment paper onto a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: Crostata a free-form rustic tart is a quick fill-in for two-crust pie and can be made in under an hour. Perfect pastry is easy with Mixed-Berry Crostata and crostata isn’t limited to berries: take advantage of all of the seasonal fruits, like thin-sliced rhubarb or stone varieties. Equal amounts of peaches, plums, cherries, nectarines, or apricots can be substituted for some or all of the berries in this recipe, and you can create a different dessert each time. Vary repeat performances by adding a hint of flavor (grated orange zest, candied ginger, or cinnamon) to the crust. In the filling, toasted chopped nuts tossed along with the berries add a satisfying crunch.

Ingredients:

(serves 4-6)

1.5 kg pork loin roast or rib roast

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon dried mustard

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 (454g) can whole berry cranberry sauce

or: 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown (I did add 1/4 cup brown sugar half-way through cooking after tasting the sauce, but 1/2 cup would be better. I learned from making my own cranberry sauce that you really do need a lot of sugar to balance out the cranberries.

⅓ cup golden raisins

1 clove garlic, chopped

⅓ cup cranberry juice

½ small lemon, thinly sliced

Method:

Use a 4 quart crockpot. In a plastic zipper bag, put dry spices and cornstarch and add meat. Shake to coat. Put contents into your slow cooker. Add cranberry sauce, or your fresh cranberries and sugar. Put in raisins and garlic. Pour in cranberry juice, and top with lemon slices. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for about 4. The longer you cook the meat, the more tender it will be.

Ingredients:

4 beetroots, cooked and peeled
1 red onion, chopped
A handful of chopped mint leaves
Lemon juice
Lemon zest
1 cup natural yogurt
5 gelatin leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon honey
1 ½ fl oz each white wine vinegar, white balsamic vinegar and water

Method:

Line a terrine dish with baking paper. Cut the beetroot into thin rounds and layer some at the bottom of the terrine. Follow with a layer of onion then chopped mint. Repeat and finish with beetroot.

Combine the vinegars, honey, water, salt and pepper and heat together until the honey dissolves.

Soften the gelatin leaves in a covered bowl of cold water. When soft, squeeze the water from the gelatin and add it to the vinegar sauce.

Stir until dissolved and adjust the seasoning. pour the gelatin mixture over the terrine until it is covered.

Press down and refrigerate for at least 6 hours until set.

Mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest and some more chopped mint and serve the terrine drizzled with this sauce.

Serve garnished with mint leaves and fresh pepper and arrange some green salad on the side.

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs beaten

1/2 cup raisins

ground cinnamon

2 cups cooked rice

Method:

In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt and make sure you mix them well together. Take the cooked rice and raisins and mix them into the mixture.

Using cooking spray just lightly spray a baking dish and spoon the rice mixture evenly into it. Set the oven temperature to 180 degrees Celsius and place the pudding into it. Bake for 30 minutes, then stir, sprinkle the cinnamon on top and continue baking it for another 30 minutes.

The Baked Rice Pudding is ready when you insert a knife in the centre and it comes out clean.

Ingredients:

1 Kg Pork non-fat meat

2 Big Onions

Salt as per taste

3 peppercorns

3 cm piece of Cinnamon

few cloves

Vindaloo masala:

1 red Chillie, deseeded and chopped (or 1/2 tsp chilli powder)

1 tsp sweet red paprika

4 Garlic cloves crushed,

1 tbs grated ginger

2 tsp cumin powder,

1 tsp coriander powder,

2 tbs Vinegar

Method:

Wash the Pork pieces well, and then chop them up into 3 cm cubes. Dry well. Add salt and set aside.

Get the masala ready, grind the chillies into a powder, then add vinegar and all the ingredients of the vindaloo masala (spices), then grind all of it in the blender.

Add masala to the pork pieces and mix it up well. Make sure all the pieces of meat are evenly mixed with the masala. Store it overnight in the fridge.

Just before cooking, chop and blend onions, then add them to meat.

Heat the pan with some oil and fry meat on medium heat for 5 mins. Add a few peppercorns, a cinnamon and a cloves to the dish.

After a little while of frying add some water and simmer on a low heat as the meat soaks in the masala and gets cooked (1-2hrs).

The Vindaloo is ready when it turns the fiery red colour.

Note: The Vindaloo always tastes better the next day as the meat gets properly marinated, its not really a very spicy dish but on the tangy side. The longer you store it the better it tastes, just like a pickle!

Ingredients:

medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

3 teaspoon(s) fresh lime juice

60 mls extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon(s) sea salt

1/4 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper

1 large pink grapefruit

1 teaspoon(s) Dijon mustard

1 head(s) (medium) butter lettuce

120 mls arugula

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

Method:

1. Grill the shrimp. Heat a grill to medium. Toss the shrimp with 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and red pepper. Marinate for 15 minutes. Thread shrimp onto skewers; grill until pink and cooked through — about 1 minute each side. Set aside and keep warm.

2. Assemble the salad. Cut the peel from the grapefruit using a sharp knife. Cut out the segments, reserving the juice. Squeeze the juice from the remaining pith and pulp. Strain and measure 3 tablespoons juice. Set remaining juice aside for another use.

3. Whisk the Dijon, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1 teaspoon lime juice, and the reserved grapefruit juice together. Whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Line 2 salad plates with lettuce and arugula. Arrange the shrimp, grapefruit, and avocado on top of the greens. Drizzle with grapefruit vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Photography by Ben Dearnley

Ingredients:

(serves 10)

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½  cup semolina
• 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted  OR plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder

Lemon syrup:

• ¼  cup icing sugar
• ½  cup lemon juice, strained
• ½  cup water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 20cm round (base) spring form cake pan.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, lemon rind and sugar on high speed until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating between each addition. Stir in semolina and flour.
3. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
4. Meanwhile, make lemon syrup: mix sugar, lemon juice and ½  cup cold water stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup over baked cake. Stand for 15 minutes. Turn out on to a plate. Serve with lemon or fruity yoghurt.

Notes: Semolina is the heart of the durum wheat kernel, separated during processing. Most good-quality pasta, gnocchi and couscous is made from semolina. It’s also popular for puddings, cakes, porridge, pancakes and desserts. This is Dairy Free recipe!

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, juiced

1 1/4 cups plain yogurt

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

2 teaspoons garam masala

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon red sweet paprika

2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method:

Remove skin from chicken pieces, and cut slits into them lengthwise. Place in a shallow dish. sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and lemon juice. Set aside 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, paprika and chili powder. Mix until smooth. Spread yogurt mixture over chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours (the longer the better).

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat, and lightly oil grate.

Cook chicken on grill until no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.

Notes: This dish can also be baked in a hot oven (230 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes (or until done).

This is an authentic recipe for Tandoori chicken. Serve with long grain Basmati rice, cucumber salad, grilled veggies, roasted corn on the cob and finish off the meal with some sweet dessert.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 large tomatoes, diced

1 large cucumber, peeled and finely diced

1/4th cup red onion, finely diced

1 Green chili, finely chopped

20 sprigs of coriander leaves minced

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4th teaspoon salt

3 to 5 tablespoons lemon juice

Method:

1. Toss the tomatoes, cucumber and onion together.

2. Add the green chili, coriander leaves, sugar, salt, and lemon juice and mix well.

3. Serve chilled.

Note: Serves as a great accompaniment with curries and Indian meats.

Ingredients:

400 g sweet short pastry

Filling:

½ custard powder

1 cup sugar

4 tsp grated lemon rind

1 cup lemon juice

1cup water

50 g butter

6 egg yolks

Meringue:

6egg whites

¾ cup sugar

Method:

Roll pastry on a lightly floured board to a 4mm thickness and line the base and sides of 24 cm pie dish. Bake blind at 190 degrees Celsius until slightly golden.

Mix custard powder, sugar, lemon rind in a saucepan. Add water and lemon juice, mix until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thick stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add in butter and egg yolks by constant stirring, then return to heat and cook foe additional minute until thickens.

Pour filling into pastry shell.

Beat egg whites and sugar together until glossy and thick.

Cover the pie with meringue and bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Note: This is my favourite recipe that never fails and is often on the table during lemon season. And it is Dairy Free!