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Vanilla Cupcakes - and other variations

10/27/2014

125g butter/margarine
125g sugar (caster sugar is best)
2 eggs
vanilla essence
200g flour (sifted)
2tsp baking powder

Beat butter, vanilla essence and sugar till creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in flour and a little milk (by the tablespoon till batter drops off a spoon) and baking powder. Pour batter into paper cups and bake at 170C for 10 - 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Variations:

Chocolate cupcake:
replace 50g flour with 50g cocoa powder.

Red Velvet cupcake:
add 25g baking powder and 10ml dark red food colouring to the batter.

Apple and spice cupcake:
peel, core and grate 2 medium size apples. Add to the batter with 2 tablespoons cinnamon, mix well and bake as above.

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Italian style meatballs with a twist

10/13/2014

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This is a recipe that 'happened' just by sheer chance - I was in a rush but needed to get some food on the table....the result my version of an Italian meatball sub.

500g lean beef mince
salt, pepper
1 onion finely diced
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 cup bread crumbs
water
1 tin crushed and sieved tomatoes
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 sweet chilli sauce (as in Asian foods)

mix the beef with the onion, salt, pepper, oregano bread crumbs and water. Season to taste.

In a pot bring the tomatoes, balsamic and chilli sauce to a simmer and allow to simmer until the sauce starts thickening.

Roll the mince into little balls and drop into the tomato sauce to cook until done. Serve on a baguette with lettuce and mozzarella cheese.

Canape alternative - prepare the sauce as above and fry the meatballs in a pan till done. Serve on a platter with the sauce as a dipping sauce.

Pasta alternative - serve the above on a bed of spaghetti sprinkled with mozzarella or parmesan cheese and a side salad.

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Garlic Cheese pull apart bread

10/7/2014

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First and foremost, I am proudly of German and Austrian descent! However, I was born in the middle east, grew up and went to school in South Africa, then worked in the financial sector for nearly 20 years both in SA and the UK. Now, with my Kiwi husband and son I live in New Zealand and love it. I have now blended the cultures and nationalities that make me the person I am to create my own style of food. I make my own sausages, will soon be smoking them too, flavoured with tastes of Germany, the middle east, South Africa as well as the traditional English pork sausage flavoured with tastes of my childhood. Above all,the German in me stands out in all my sausages - if its not meat, it does not go into a sausage! Cakes,Torten and blends of cultural recipes are my forte - Black Forest Pavlova anyone?

Vanilla Cupcakes - and other variations

Italian style meatballs with a twist

Garlic Cheese pull apart bread

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