PASTA BAKE

PASTA BAKE

Nothing equals the satisfaction of home cooking and the pride of having created a wonderful meal for yourself and the family. The enticing aroma that fills the kitchen stimulates ones appetite and cravings.

Pasta bake is one of my favorites. Preparing this dish takes about an hour 30 mins.

INGREDIENTS:  

Lean mincemeat

Onions – diced

Chopped canned tomatoes

Ginger

4 Garlics – {2 sliced, 2 pressed}

Knorr cubes

1 Cucumber - sliced

Mild grated cheese

2 medium carrots

Garden peas

Sweet corn

Green, red and yellow paprika – cut into cubes

Pepper – cut into tiny bits

Pasta

Curry

Thyme

Sunflower/vegetable oil

Salt

Olive oil

Method:

Transfer the mincemeat into a bowl. Spice with curry, thyme, garlic, ginger, and 2 cubes of knorr, salt. Mix together and set aside. {Use garlic press for 2 garlics and grater for the ginger}

In a medium pot, pour in 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil allow heating. Add onions, garlic and pepper. Fry for about 2 minutes. Then add the mincemeat. Fry until the meat is completely cooked and browned.

Open the canned tomatoes and add into the mincemeat. Add little water into the can and pour into the pot. Turn, cover the pot and allow cooking for 30 – 45mins or until the water is completely dried.

After the water is dried: add the carrots, peas, sweet corn and the paprika. Turn and turn off the gas.

 In another pot, pour in water about half of the pot and bring to boiling. Once the water is boiling, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½tablespoon of salt and the pasta. Cook for 8 minutes, turn of the gas and drain the pasta with the aid of a sieve. Allow cooling for about 3 minutes.

Set the oven at 180C. In a baking pot, add the pasta, cheese and mincemeat sauce in layers. Line the baking pot with cucumber and baking in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until the cheese turns golden.

Serve with chicken or any meat of your choice.

COCONUT VEG GRAVY

Ingredients

Chicken

Mushrooms - sliced

Carrots – cut in cubes

White/Irish potatoes – cut in cubes

Curry

Garlic

Thyme

Knorr cubes

Chicken fillet – cut in cubes

Spring onions

Onions

2 tablespoon Sunflower oil

Green, yellow and green paprika

Green peas

Coconut milk

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons of flour

Salt

fresh pepper - optional

Method

 

For the meat – chicken

Season the chicken with 2 cubes of chicken, thyme, curry, onions, garlic and salt

With little water, boil the chicken until done

Fry the chicken and keep the stock for later

In a pot, add the sunflower oil. Turn on the gas heat

Once the oil is hot, add the chicken fillet

Fry for about 3 minutes, then add the, pepper, onions and spring onions

Stir for some seconds; add the potatoes, mushrooms then the green peas, carrots and a knorr cube

Fry for 6 minutes, add the coconut milk and 1/3 cup of water; stir and taste

Add the flour, stir, cover the lid and bring to boiling

Allow boiling for the next 5-6 minutes until thickened.

Taste for salt and serve!

Simple as that…

sunflower oil

previously made but with more vegetable and no mushrooms & coconut milk

CARAMELIZED COCONUT CAKE - LOVELY.

Caramelized  coconut cake served with vanilla ice cream

Mothers’ day is one of them days we all prepare special delicacies for our families. Today, I share with you the recipes of my very own delicacies.

CARAMELIZED COCONUT CAKE 

INGREDIENTS

1½cups of self-raising flour

½cups of dark brown sugar

1 cup of sugar

½teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

½teaspoon of baking powder

½cup of desiccated coconut

0.4kg of butter {at room temperature}

7 eggs

½cup of sugar for the caramel

2 tablespoons of milk

1½tablespoons of vanilla extract

½teaspoon of almond extract

12 peacans

Glazed cherries

METHOD:

Before starting, spread the cake tin with butter.

Sieve the flour and the raising agents together and set aside

Separate the eggs … yolks in a soup plate and the white in a bowl

Beat the egg white until fluffy, set aside

In a small pot, add the remaining sugar, turn on the gas heat and allow heating.

When the sugar melts completely, add ½ tablespoon of butter and the milk {this helps it not to stick to the pot}

Once the sugar is all caramelized, turn off the gas and allow cooling

In a bowl, put in the butter and the sugar

Cream with the electric mixer or a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes or longer if using wooden spoon

Add the yolks, vanilla, and almonds: cream together

Add the flour in 3 batches, after the first batch, add the caramel with the coconuts and turn with the lowest mixer speed or with wooden spoon slowly.

Turn on the oven at 200 degrees

After you’ve in all the flour, using a wooden spoon, fold in the fluffy egg white

Pour the cake mix into the tins

Add the pecans and cherries

Pop into the oven; reduce the temperature to 175, bake for 30 minutes 

fluffy egg white

Folding in the egg white

cake mix in the tin

After 30 mins

 

Thanks for coming around.

God Bless!

Belle

BELLE'S FINGER-LICKING MEATBALLS

Spaghetti and meatballs sauce

Spaghetti could be prepared in so many ways. Whichever way I prepare it, my son loves it and eats very impressively. This recipe is very easy to prepare but could time consuming. Really, the end result is what matters. So, here we go!

Ingredients

Egg

Minced meat

Fresh or dry thyme

Knorr cubes

Tomatoes

Onions

Ginger

Garlic granules

Pepper

Salt

Sunflower or vegetable oil

Spring onions

Preparations:

For the tomatoes:

Blend the tomatoes, onions and pepper together

Pour the mix in a pot and boil till there is no water {while the tomatoes is boiling, start prepping the minced meat}

Add few fresh thyme for flavour

Slice in onions and pour in ½ cup of sunflower oil

Cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes sauce is completely dried

Turn the gas on low heat

 

For the minced meat:

In a bowl, put in the minced meat 

Add a cube of Knorr, thyme, garlic, ginger, an egg, onions, spring onions and pinch of salt. **use grater for the ginger and onions***

Mix everything together with your hands

In a frying pot, put in a tablespoon of sunflower oil

Allow heating and then start rolling the mince into balls

Fry in the pan until browned.

Put in a plate and set aside.

In the tomatoes pot, add a knorr cube, curry, salt and taste

Add ½cup of water and put in the meatballs

Cover the pot and allow boiling for about 5 minutes

Reduce the gas heat but not to the lowest

Allow cooking for another 10 minutes so the sauce simmers into the meatballs.

After 10 minutes, turn off the light.

**Please note, the amount of water used depends on how thick or watery you want your sauce**

Cook your spaghetti and serve as you desire.

 

 

GRILLED MACKEREL + BEANS

GRILLED FISH AND BEANS

This recipe is very attractive, tasty and easy to prepare. This is the best option for those lazy days.

INGREDIENTS

 

Mackerel fish (very healthy)

Sweet corn

Kidney beans

Butter beans

Tomatoes

Pepper

Onions

Fresh Garlic

Garlic granules

Fresh thyme

Knorr cube

Salt

Sunflower oil

A teaspoon of lemon

PREPARATION

FOR THE MACKEREL

• Properly clean the fish, taking all the internal organs
• Pat dry the skin with kitchen towel/paper
• Sprinkle pinch of salt all over the fish
• In a small bowl, pour in a tablespoon of sunflower oil, add ½ Knorr cube and garlic granules – turn properly with your finger
• Make 3 incisions as seen on the photo
• Rob the mix over the fish both on the inside and sprinkle the lemon on the fish
• Put into the oven, set gas on 200 degrees
• Grill for 25 minutes or to your satisfaction

FOR THE BEANS

Drain the water from the beans and corn; set aside

Cut the tomatoes into chunks and deseed them

Roughly cut the onions and garlic

In a pot, pour in 2 tablespoons and allow heating

Add the onions, garlic, pepper, fresh thyme; fry for a minute then add the tomatoes and half remaining knorr

Fry for approximately 5 minutes

Add the beans and corn; cook for 3 mins and on low gas heat for another 3 mins

Turn off the gas light and serve