Potato and Meatballs in Spicy Sauce

Make the potato and meatballs in advance and chill. To serve as a main meal serve with rice and vegetables.
This is a delicious recipe. It serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

500 g potatoes diced
500 g lean minced meat
1 large celery stick, finely chopped
1 med. onion finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp fresh, chopped parsley
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil

SAUCE

2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock
1 med. onion chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cornflour
salt and pepper

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Drain well and place in a large bowl and mash until smooth.
Add the minced meat, celery, parsley, onion sugar and garlic and mix well.
With your hands roll the mix into 20 large ball.

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil and cook the onion for 5 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, heat the butter and olive oil, for the meat balls, in a skillet and cook the balls in patches for 15 minutes, turning frequently.
Keep them warm whilst cooking the rest of them.

Place the meatballs in a large shallow dish, pour the sauce around them garnish with some parsley springs and enjoy with some warm crusty bread.

potato and meat balls
in spicy sauce

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Potato Noodles with Cheese, Mushrooms and Bacon

A potato 'pasta' recipe served with creamy mushroom and bacon sauce.
Make the noodles in advance , wrap and store, for 24 hours, in the refrigerator

Dough

500 g peeled and diced, potatoes
2 cups plain flour
1 egg beaten
2 tbsp milk
salt and pepper
parsley to garnish

Sauce

150 g open-capped mushrooms, sliced
2 slices, quality bacon, fat removed, chopped
300 ml light cream
60g grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
3 spring onions chopped, 1 cm long
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Cook diced potatoes in a saucepan with boiling water until cooked through.
Drain and mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the egg, milk, flour and season with salt and pepper and begin to beat the mixture until it forms a stiff paste.

Bring a large pan of salty water to the boil. Roll out the dough, on a floured surface, to form a long, thin sausage shape. Cut the dough into 3 cm lengths and drop into the boiling water to cook for 2 minutes.

To make the sauce, heat in a pan the olive oil, garlic and spring onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bacon and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese and chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Drain the noodles and place in a pasta bowl. Spoon sauce over and toss. Garnish with parsley springs.

potato nodles recipe

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BAKLAVA

truly delicious...you wont stop eating until....

500 grms filo pastry
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup finely chopped almonds
2 cups finely chopped walnuts (best crack new walnuts)
1/3 cup caster sugar
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3 tbsp honey
1 measure syrup

Use a 33x23x5 cm oven dish. With a brass line base and sides of dish with melted butter.
Place 8 sheets of filo into the dish brushing each with melted butter.
Mix nuts with spices and sugar and spread half over filo.
Top with two more sheets of filo brushing each wit butter.
Spread remaining nut mixture and top with another 8 sheets of filo, brushing each one with butter as before.
Brush top with butter and trim edges.
With a sharp knife cut into square shapes the top layers of filo and sprinkle them with water to prevent curling of sheets.
Place the dish in moderately low oven, on the low shelf, for 20 minutes.
Cover the dish with foil and move the dish up one shelf and cook for another 40 minutes.
You must cook filo well. The last five minutes of cooking remove foil from dish.
While baklava is cooking prepare the syrup as follows

Syrup recipe

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
4 cloves whole
2 5cm cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp lemon juice the rind of a lemon and add the
3 tbsp of honey

In a heavy saucepan place all the ingredients and boil over moderately high heat for 10 minutes.
Strain and use as required.

Let syrup cool and spoon over baklava.
Let baklava for 4 to 6 hour before cutting to portions.

baklava

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YOGHURT DIP tzatziki

Great taste and full of health giving properties recipe

2 cups yoghurt
1 small cucumber
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1 teaspoons fresh dill or
1 teaspoon dry dill
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/5 teaspoon salt

Peel the cucumber and grade in a strainer. Press several times to drain off excess liquid. Blend in a glass bowl yoghurt, cucumber, crushed garlic, olive oil, dill and salt. Place the dip in the fridge and let rest for an hour. Serve with grilled meat fried fish, fried or grilled slices of zucchini, eggplant and jut about everything else you like. This is one of my favorite dip recipes.

yoghurt dip tzatziki

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GREEK SALAD

This is a well known summer salad recipe liked by many

600g ripe but firm tomatoes,peeled and sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled and cut lengthwise then slice
1med. red onion, thinly sliced
1 green capsicum(seeds removed), quartered then sliced
1 garlic clove crashed
1/4 cup olive oil
200g feta cheese cubed
18 kalamata olives
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and freshly crashed black pepper

Arrange tomatoes, cucumber, onion and green capsicum in a salad bowl
Add crashed garlic, oregano and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste
Leave for 5 minutes, toss and serve. A delicious salad.
It serves 6

greek salad

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STUFFED CAPSICUMS

Excellent recipe for a summer time family meal

6 green or red capsicums (med)
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crashed
2 cups chopped ripe, peeled tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste 1/3 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup stock
2/3 cup white short grain rice
500g ground beef or lamb
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/4 water
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Wash capsicums, cut off the tops and reserve. Remove the pith and seeds and blanch both capsicums and tops for 3 minutes in boiling water. Drain and place in an oven dish.
In the mean time rinse rice well and cook in two cups of boiling water for 12 minutes.
In a fry pan heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and fry in onion and garlic until soft.
Add tomatoes, stock, sugar, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
In a pan heat the remaining oil add the meat and cook until meat begins to brown.
Add sauce to the meat, bring to boil and simmer until liquid is absorbed but not dried out.
Fill capsicums with meat and rice stuffing and place the tops back on capsicums.
Pour 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish and sprinkle a few drops of oil on each cupsicum.
place capsicums in a pre-heated oven 180C for 1 hour. Turn oven off and let rest for 10 minutes. Try this recipe you'll love it.
Serve hot or cold.
Serves 6


stuffed capsicums

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SPINACH PIE

It can be served as a main meal or a party snack!

2 kg spinach
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped spring onions
250g feta cheese, crumped
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 tabsp Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp chopped parsley 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
3 eggs lightly beaten
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper
some extra oil to assemble pie
250g filo pastry

Wash spinach well cut off stems and shred the remaining spinach coarsely. Place spinach in a steamer cover and steam for 6 minutes. Drain off moisture and let spinach cool. In a frypan heat but do not burn the oil and cook the onion until soft. Add oil and onion to the spinach. Stir in eggs, cheeses, herbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Lightly oil a 35x25 cm oven dish and line with 4 sheets of filo pastry, brushing each with oil. Add in the spinach filling and level it. Place another 4 sheets of filo on top brushing each sheet with oil including the top of the pie. Trim excess filo but leave enough to tuck into the sides of pie. Bake into a moderately heated oven 180C and cook for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
It serves 6

spinach pie

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