Easy Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

There is nothing better than the smell and taste of freshly baked homemade bread.  Bread is much easier to bake than you think.  And i'ts far tastier than the bread you buy from the supermarket.  This recipe creates a beautiful, delicious, soft whole wheat bread that is to die for.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 packet dry yeast
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
3 tablespoons soft butter
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat grain
1/2 tsp salt

That's all you need.  Seriously! I told you this recipe was easy!

Method
 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (375 F)
Put the warm water in a mixing bowl and make sure it is warm to the touch and not hot.  Add the dry yeast and put aside for 5 minutes until it starts to froth.
Mix the maple syrup or honey together with the soft butter.  I usually pit it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Add the maple syrup and soft butter mixture to the yeast mixture.
Add in the salt.
Slowly add in the flour, mixing it in.  You might need to add in a little extra flour to get the right consistency.  The dough should not be sticky to the touch.  You should be able to knead it without it sticking to your hands.
Cover the bowl and put it in a warm place so the dough can rise for about 30 minutes.
Punch the dough down and put it in a greased or lined loaf pan.  Cover and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
 It should have more or less doubled its size.
Place in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes until it sounds hollow when you knock on it.
There you have it!  Easiest bread ever!

Cindy Vine is the author of numerous novels including Defective, Not Telling, Hush baby and The Freedom Club.  All her books are available on Amazon in both ebook and paperback format.

Easiest Cookie Recipe

This cookie recipe is the easiest, no flop recipe for the most delicious cookies you'll ever find.  Throughout the years, I've kept the cookie jar full with these cookies.  And the best thing, is that you can use the cookie dough as a base and add extra ingredients in to create different variations.

Basic Cookie Recipe
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2T milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

For chocolate add in a 1/4 cup cocoa powder.
For spicy currant add in 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp mixed spice and a handful of currants.
For orange add in the zest of an orange and replace the milk with orange juice.


Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 F).  Soften the butter, add in the sugar and mix together. Add in the egg, milk and vanilla extract and mix together.  Next put in the salt and baking powder and mix that in.  Finally start adding in the flour, a little at a time, mixing all the while.  You'll end up with a stiff cookie dough that isn't sticky at all.  At this point you can add in the extras if you are creating variants.  What I do, is I split the cookie dough mix into 3 and create 3 variants.  Let the cookie dough rest for 30 minutes.
You can roll out the dough and then ct out different shapes with cookie cutters or you can just roll them into balls and then squash them down with a fork.  Place on a greased or lined baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Done!
Cindy Vine is the author of numerous novels including Defective, Not Telling, Hush baby and The Freedom Club.  All her books are available on Amazon in both ebook and paperback format.

Durban Chicken Curry from South Africa

Durban curry is different to any curry you would get in India.  It's red in colour and the different spices give it a complexity of flavour that will have you jumping up for seconds.  When the British owned South Africa, they brought in thousands of labourers from India in the late 1880's to early 1900's to work on their sugar cane plantations.  Food was not plentiful, so the new immigrants had to adapt their traditional curries to the ingredients they could source locally.  Traditionally, Durban curry is very hot.  However, many are unable to cope with the heat.  This recipe is for a medium curry that might just make your nose run a little while eating it.  Increase the chili powder or add fresh red chilies if you are brave enough to make it hotter!

1 kg chicken pieces
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 onions finely chopped
1 small bunch coriander finely chopped
2 cups water
4 potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Cornflour for thickening if needed
salt and pepper to taste
Optional to add in a cup of frozen peas or frozen mixed vegetables
Put the oil in a large pot and saute the onion, garlic and ginger on a low heat.  Add in the dry ingredients (spices and masala).  If it starts to catch on the bottom of the pot, add in a little of the water so that you make a paste.  Increase the heat and add the chicken pieces and allow them to cook a little so that the chicken starts to change colour.  Pour in the rest of the water.  Cover the pot and let the chicken curry cook on a medium heat for ten minutes.  Add the potatoes, chopped tomatoes and tomato puree.  Add salt and pepper according to taste.  If you want to add in the frozen vegetables, now would be the time to do so.  Reduce the heat a little and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve on a bed of rice or if you want to do something different and very traditionally Durban - you can make a Bunny Chow.  Garnish with the chopped coriander.
Serves 4-6 people

To make a Bunny Chow you will need a fresh loaf of unsliced bread.  Divide the loaf of bread into 3-4 large chunks.  Using a sharp knife, hollow out each chunk leaving a thick wall around the sides and the bottom.  Spoon the curry into the hollowed out chunk of bread.  Place the bread you removed from the inside on top of the Bunny Chow as a lid.  Eat with your fingers.
Cindy Vine is the author of Not Telling, Hush Baby and Defective.  Her books are available in both Kindle and Paperback format on Amazon.com.

Aprikosenkuchen (Apricot Cake) from Germany

This is a very popular German cake which is incredibly easy to make. I first had it on a stopover in Frankfurt, and as apricots are one of my favourite fruits, I always wanted to try and make it. You can use fresh apricots or canned apricots.  Whichever is easiest to lay your hands on.  This cake does resemble a cobbler.  So if you are asked to quickly produce a cake, this cake is the answer!





10 tablespoons of soft butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod
3 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice or the zest of a lemon
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk or buttermilk if you can get it
1 can apricot halves or about 10 apricots halved and pitted

Preheat the oven at 175 degrees Celsius.  Grease a medium cake tin.  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar an vanilla.  Add in the eggs, beating well after each egg.  Add in the lemon juice/zest.  Add in all the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add in the milk/buttermilk and mix to a smooth batter.  Spoon the batter into the cake tin and smooth it down.  Place the apricot halves, cut side down, on top of the batter.  If you are using fresh apricots, you might want to sprinkle a little sugar on the top of the apricot halves.  If you are using canned apricots, they will be sweet enough.  Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your cake tin.  Serve with fresh whipped cream or just enjoy on its own.
Cindy Vine currently lives in Norway and is the author of Hush Baby, Not Telling and Defective.  All of her books are available on Amazon.com in both paperback and kindle format.

Pork Roast with Chimichurri from Argentina

Besides football players, Argentina is famous for its meat dishes.  It is a country of carnivores and they have perfected the cooking of meat.  Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce made from a mixture of herbs, garlic and vinegar.  It can also be used as a marinade and a meat tenderiser.  The recipe for chimichurri sauce is elsewhere on the blog.

1.5kg pork roast
1 cup chimichurri sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder

Put the pork roast in a large bowl.  Take 1/2 cup of the chimichurri sauce and completely coat the pork roast with it, massaging it into the meat.  Cover and leave for a couple of hours or overnight so that it can marinate.  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  Remove the pork from the marinade and place in a grill pan.  Sprinkle on the different seasonings.  Place under the grill in the oven for approximately an hour, allowing 20 minutes for 500g.  Turn over the roast half way through the cooking time.  When the roast is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Serve the left over chimichurri sauce on the side or on top of the pork slices.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Frijol con Puerco from Mexico

This black bean and pork stew is delicious.  They say that black beans are healthy for you and some even go on to say that it will improve your intelligence.  This recipe uses left over pork roast.  If you don't have a left over roast you can fry or grill pork tenderloin that you cube before adding to the bean stew.  Alternatively you can fry or grill kielbasa or chorizo sausage that you then cut up before adding to the bean stew.  Of course if you want this to be vegetarian you can leave out the meat altogether and just make it a black bean stew.

4 cups cooked black beans or 4 cans black beans
2 cups pulled pork or leftover pork roast
1 can corn kernels
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion finely chopped
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 chili de-seeded and finely chopped
1 chicken stock cube
2 cups water
1 carrot diced
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Put the cooking oil in the pot and saute the onion, carrot, garlic and chili until soft.  Add in the cumin, coriander and chili powder and stir it in, letting it cook for about 1-2 minutes.  Pour in the water and add in the stock cube, bay leaf, oregano and can of chopped tomatoes.  Bring to the boil.  Add the cooked beans and allow to cook on a low heat for 20 minutes.  Add the pulled pork and corn kernels .  Let it simmer for a further 10-15 minutes.  If you want it spicier you can add in more chili.  Serve with rice or cornbread.  Garnish with the chopped cilantro.

Cindy Vine is the author of Hush Baby, Not Telling, Defective and C U @ 8.  All her books are available on Amazon in both kindle and paperback formats.  Cindy is currently working on a recipe book.

Poached Salmon from Alaska

It is said that the best salmon comes from Alaska.  Alaskan salmon has a firmer texture and richer colour than salmon raised on a fish farm.  Something about the still-pristine icy waters of the North Pacific.  An added bonus is that eating salmon is reported to be good for your health.  You don't have to settle for only smoked salmon.  You can grill, bake, poach or fry it.  It is only when I lived in Kyiv that I started buying fresh salmon to cook.  Probably because fresh salmon was more readily available there than my home town of Cape Town.
4 salmon fillets or steaks
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Cajun spice
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 cup vermouth
1 onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Melt the butter in a large frying pan that has a lid.  Add in the Cajun spice, garlic and onion.  Saute for 2 minutes until the onions are soft.  Add in the vermouth and cook for a further 3 minutes, making sure you stir constantly.  Pour in the water.  Place the salmon fillets skin-side down on the pan.  Sprinkle the salmon with the black pepper and the salt.  Put the lid on the frying pan.  Let the salmon simmer for 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.  When you touch it with a fork and it flakes it is done.  Dribble some lemon juice on each piece of salmon and serve with a salad.
Cindy Vine is the author of Hush Baby, Not Telling, Defective and C U @ 8.  All her books are available on Amazon in both kindle and paperback formats.  Cindy is currently working on a recipe book.

Rabbit Liver Pate from France

Rabbit liver pate is rich, smooth and extremely luxurious.  It's not easily available, but if you see it buy it.  It doesn't have the conventional liver taste.  The flavour is quite delicate and much sweeter than chicken, goose or duck liver.  If you can't find rabbit liver then you can substitute it with chicken, duck or goose liver.

250g rabbit liver
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion finely sliced
1 garlic clove finely chopped
3 tablespoons port
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Melt the butter in a pan.  Saute the onion and garlic.  Sprinkle salt on both sides of the liver.  Add the rabbit liver to the pan and let it sear for a minute on each side.  Remove the liver and set aside.  Add in the port and let it simmer for about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Put the liver and pan contents into a small bowl and use a stick blender to turn it into a smooth paste.  If you are wanting a coarser pate then reduce the amount of pulses of the blender.  Alternatively you can chop it all finely by hand.  Add the pepper and mix it all together.  Serve on toast or with crackers.  Serves 4-6 people.
Cindy Vine is the author of Hush Baby, Not Telling, Defective and C U @ 8.  All her books are available on Amazon in both kindle and paperback formats.  Cindy is currently working on a recipe book.

Sopa de Ajo from Cuba

This soup is strong-tasting and quite rich but extremely delicious.  However it is not recommended if you are planning a romantic evening, unless your partner consumes the same amount of soup as you.  It is definitely something you can knock up quite quickly after a hectic day at work.  This is the Cuban version of a peasant-style Spanish soup.  The Cubans reckon this soup cures all head colds.

8 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 onion finely sliced

½ cup butter

2 stock cubes (Chicken or vegetable)

5 cups water

1 cup cream

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

4-6 slices bread

4-6 eggs

Melt the butter in a pot and sauté the garlic and onion until soft but not brown.  Remove from the pot and set it aside for the time being.  Fry the bread slices in the pot.  Put them aside.  Pour the water into the pot.  Add the stock cubes, salt, pepper and paprika.  Bring to the boil.  Add in the garlic and onion you set aside earlier.  Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the cream and stir it in and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.  The egg part of this dish can be done in different ways or omitted if you don’t eat eggs.  You can poach the eggs in the simmering soup for 2-3 minutes or you can opt for the more traditional Cuban method.  The traditional method is to put a slice of fried bread on the bottom of each individual soup bowl and break a raw egg over the bread (or croutons if you prefer.)  Pour the hot soup over the raw egg and let it stand covered for about 3 minutes until the egg is cooked.

If you are poaching the eggs in the big pot, then put your bread slices or croutons on the bottom of the soup bowl, add the soup and carefully place a poached egg on the top.
Cindy Vine is the author of Hush Baby, Not Telling, Defective and C U @ 8.  All her books are available on Amazon in both kindle and paperback formats.  Cindy is currently working on a recipe book.

Country Vegetable Soup from England

When I go into a fruit and veg market I always get completely carried away and buy far too much for my family’s consumption.  There is just something about seeing so many colours and varieties that I can’t resist and I find myself going somewhat overboard.  By the end of the week I have to use up the fresh produce to avoid wasting money and throwing it away.  A wholesome Country Vegetable Soup is the answer.  You can put any vegetable in it.  Literally.  And it will taste good.  This is perfect for cooking in a slow cooker.  Put it in the morning before you leave for work and it will be ready for dinner.

1 onion finely chopped

½ cup chopped celery

1 capsicum finely chopped

1 cup chopped spinach or kale

2 large potatoes peeled and diced

1 large sweet potato peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 vegetable or chicken stock cube

4 cups water

2 teaspoons Soy sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon cumin

Melt the butter in a pot or slow cooker.  Add the garlic, onions, potatoes and sweet potatoes and sauté until the onions are soft.  Add the celery, spinach and capsicum and mix together.  Pour in the water, add the stock cube and all the seasonings.  Put the lid on and you can let it simmer in the slow cooker for 7-9 hours.  However if you are cooking this on the oven top, let it simmer for 2-3 hours.  If you are wanting a smooth soup, then you can give it a few pulses with your stick blender.  Serve with warm bread rolls.

Cindy Vine is the author of Hush Baby, Not Telling, Defective and C U @ 8.  All her books are available on Amazon in both kindle and paperback formats.  Cindy is currently working on a recipe book.

Jerk Pork from Jamaica

Jerk Pork is quite spicy and they say that slaves used to marinate their meat in this spicy mixture because they didn't have fridges and the marinade would disguise the flavour of meat that was starting to go off.  However, Ghanaians make something similar so maybe this recipe evolved from something that was brought across from West Africa.  Whatever the exact origin, this spicy dish is a Jamaican favourite.

1 kg pork tenderloin cut into thick steaks
3 large red chilies seeded and chopped
2 onions roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rum
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Put all the ingredients except the pork steaks into a food processor.  Give it quite a few pulses until you have a thick sauce.  This will be your marinade.  In a large bowl, pour the sauce from the food processor over the pork steaks, making sure that the steaks are liberally covered in the marinade.  Put it aside for 2-3 hours.  Overnight is even better.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius while you get the steaks ready in a grill pan.  When the oven is hot, cook the steaks for 8 minutes, turn them over and cook the other side for 8 minutes.  Serve with either rice, sweet potatoes or a salad.  Instead of cooking in the oven, this can also be cooked in a BBQ over hot coals.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Suon Ram Man from Vietnam

Suon Ram Man are caramelised pork ribs.  Vietnamese food is a favourite of mine.  The flavour combinations go so well together.  Our holiday in Vietnam was spent on trying to decide what delicious traditional meal to try next.  It was always hard to choose but I do remember the sticky caramelised pork ribs as being a winner.  The Vietnamese sometimes use coconut water instead of normal water.  Just a warning, the caramelised sugar gets seriously hot so make sure you don't get any on your skin as you can burn yourself pretty badly.

1kg pork ribs cut into pieces
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup white sugar
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 capsicum finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 spring onion finely chopped for garnishing
Put the water and rib pieces into a pot and bring to the boil.  Let it boil for about 5 minutes.  In a hot wok, put in the cooking oil and sugar.  Allow the sugar to caramelise stirring all the time so that it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pot and start to burn.  Burnt sugar tastes bitter so you really want to avoid that.  When the sugar has completely melted and is a light-brown colour, add in the pork rib pieces, onion, garlic, capsicum, salt, pepper, ginger, chili powder and soy sauce.  Mix everything together so that the pork ribs are completely coated in the caramelised sugar.  Let the pork ribs brown slightly.  Add in the water the pork ribs were boiled in.  Reduce the heat and allow the rib pieces to simmer in the liquid for 30 minutes.  Drizzle the sesame oil over the ribs and increase the heat slightly, cooking the ribs for a further 5 minutes.  Serve with rice.  Garnish with the finely chopped spring onion.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Veal Piccata from Italy

Although even the most isolated and undeveloped countries seem to have an Italian restaurant, not all of them make a Veal Piccata,  If you choose to live in the back of beyond and want more than pizza and pasta you have to make it yourself.  Wherever you can buy beef you'll be able to get veal.  This recipe is ideal if you need to put together something tasty in a hurry.

1 veal fillet cut into medallions
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian herbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup vermouth or dry white wine
1 handful fresh parsley finely chopped
Mix the flour, herbs, salt and pepper together in a bowl.  Drop the veal medallions into the flour mixture and make sure they are well covered.  Put the olive oil into a frying pan and get it nice and hot.  Shake the excess flour off the veal medallions and fry them in the hot pan for about 2 minutes a side until golden brown.  Sprinkle lemon juice on each side.  Remove the medallions from the pan and put aside.  Put one tablespoon of the butter into the pan and lightly saute the garlic.  Add the dry white wine.  If you use vermouth your sauce will be sweeter.  Put in the rest of the butter and half of the parsley and whisk so that the sauce thickens.  Let it simmer for about 5 minutes so that some of the alcohol cooks away.  Add in the cooked veal medallions and let them simmer in the sauce for another 2-3 minutes.  Serve with a pasta of your choice or boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables.  Use the rest of the chopped parsley as a garnish.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Potato Pancakes from Eastern Europe

Potato pancakes can be found in similar forms all over Eastern Europe.  They might be called different things but they are essentially the same.  They make a great starter or a snack.  They can be served as a savoury with sour cream or as a sweet with jam.  This recipe is for a savoury option.  I would probably leave out the paprika and capsicum if I was going to eat it with jam.  As potatoes were always available in Eastern Europe during times of poverty, potato pancakes were a cheap meal option.  And nothing has changed.  They are still cheap and easy to make.  You can add in extra vegetables like I did with the zucchini and capsicum, or you can stick to just potato.  It doesn't matter as long as you make the main ingredient potato.

4 potatoes peeled and cubed
1 onion finely chopped
1 large zucchini thinly sliced
1/2 red capsicum finely chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
oil for frying
Prepare the vegetables.  Instead of grating the potatoes  and zucchini, put them in a food processor and give it a few pulses until they are reduced to shreds.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Put some cooking oil in a pan and put it on a high heat.  When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium, drop tablespoons full of the potato batter into it.  Press down to flatten slightly.  When the bottom is golden brown flip them over to cook the other side.  It will take 2-3 minutes per side.  Drain them on kitchen towel.  Serve warm with sour cream, smoked salmon or apple sauce.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Okonomiyaki from Japan

When I worked in a Language School we used to have quite a lot of Japanese students.  Once a month on a Friday I would have a cooking conversation class.  Students had to show the class how to make a traditional dish from their home country, talking us all through the steps.  A great way to practice speaking in English, and an even better way to feed us on Food Friday!  Without fail one of the Japanese students would make Okonomiyaki and it became a class favourite.  Basically Okonomiyaki is a kind of thick pancake, sometimes even called a japanese pizza.  There are different ways of making Okonomiyaki, depending on which part of Japan you are in.  In fact Okonomiyaki is Japanese for 'grilled as you like it' so whatever you include in it is really up to you.  You can make it seafood, vegetarian or full of meat.  I chose to make one with cooked beef mince,

Mince Filling:
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup beef mince (you can use chicken or pork)
1 chili finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Pancake:
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped coriander
1 cup flour
2 eggs
mayonnaise and BBQ sauce for garnishing
Cook the mince and set aside to cool.  In a large bowl combine the cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander and flour.  Use your fingers to toss it all together so that everything is covered by the flour.  Add the eggs and whisk together until you have a thick batter.  Fold in the cooked mince and any other fillings you are choosing to use.  Use the mince filling saucepan to cook the pancake.  Heat the saucepan and empty out the cabbage pancake mixture into the pan.  Use a spatula to flatten down the top, pressing down quite hard.  Then push the edges back a little towards the centre so that you make a round thick pancake.  Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the bottom is brown.  Turn over the Okonomiyaki and press it down firmly with the spatula.  Let it cook for 5-7 minutes until brown.  Remember to cover the pan with a lid.  If you struggle to flip it over with the spatuala, what I do is slide it off the pan onto a plate.  Put another plate on top, turn it over and slide it back into the pan.  When it is cooked, slide it onto a plate.  Liberally drizzle BBQ sauce and mayonnaise on the top.  For an added garnish crumble some dried seaweed (nori) on the top.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Cape Brandy Pudding from South Africa

Cape Brandy Pudding is another South African classic and will be found on the menu in many fine dining restaurants in South Africa.  It is also called Tipsy Tart for obvious reasons.  Although you would think something this delicious must be difficult to make, it's surprisingly  easy to make and is always a winner when served to guests.  You can add in a cup of chopped walnuts or pecan nuts to the batter.  However as I am not a nut person (my Granny said if you swallowed a pip you get a tree growing inside you) I tend to leave them out.

10 dates pitted and roughly chopped
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
120g butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1  cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
zest of 1 orange

Syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brandy
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Put the dates in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them.  Add in the bicarb and set aside and allow to cool.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  In another bowl cream the butter and sugar.  Add in the egg and mix well to make a smooth mixture.  Fold in the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger.  Add in the chopped dates and orange zest.  Grease a pie dish and pour in the batter.  Bake for 30 minutes until the pudding is firm to the touch.  While the pudding is cooking, prepare the syrup.  Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sugar and water.  Stir until the sugar dissolves.  Add in the cinnamon and boil for a minute and then take off the heat.  Pour in the brandy and vanilla essence and allow to infuse while the pudding finishes baking.  For a darker colour use brown sugar throughout the recipe instead of white sugar.  As soon as the pudding comes out of the oven pour the syrup over it.  Serve hot or cold with custard, cream or ice-cream.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Kingklip with lemon butter sauce from South Africa

Kingklip is a very popular eating fish in South Africa.  It is a species of Cusk Eel and is known by different names around the world.  In Japan it's called Kingu and in New Zealand Ling.  In South America it is known as Congrio.  Kingklip aren't specifically caught, they are a product of by-fishing.  In other words you are trying to catch one kind of fish and accidentally catch a Kingklip when it appears in the trawl net with the more common Hake.  Therefore they are not the cheapest fish and not always available in fisheries.  Kingklip are low in fat and have a delicate flavour.  For this recipe if you can't get your hands on Kingklip you can use any other firm white flesh fish.  Like Hake, Cod or Monkfish for instance.

Kingklip or other white fish fillets
lemon pepper for sprinkling
1 teaspoon butter for each fillet
olive oil for sprinkling
Sauce
1/2 cup water/fish stock
1/2 cup sherry
1/2 cup cream
1 onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 bayleaf
250g butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Prepare a baking tray for your fish by lining it in tin foil.  Sprinkle the tin foil with olive oil and lay your fish fillets on the foil.  Sprinkle lemon pepper on the fish fillets and place the teaspoon of butter on top of the fillet.  Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until it is just done and turns from translucent to opaque in the thicker parts.  Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
While the fish is in the oven you can prepare the sauce.  Put the water, sherry, cream, onion, garlic and bay leaves in a pot and bring to the boil.  Let it boil while you make the next part of the sauce.  In another pot or pan, melt one tablespoon of the butter.  Add the flour and stir until it is incorporated with the butter.  Slowly add the contents of the other pot to your flour/butter mixture, stirring all the while.  Add in the rest of the butter a tablespoon at a time, never stopping the stirring.  Turn the heat down and let it simmer while you stir.  Stir in the salt, lemon pepper and lemon juice.  Take the sauce off the heat and add the chopped parsley just before you are ready to serve.  Spoon the sauce over the fish fillets and serve with steamed vegetables and rice or boiled potatoes.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls from Eastern Europe

My Aunty Joy used to regularly make stuffed cabbage rolls.  Having a cabbage in the fridge that had to be used and some mince, I decided to give it a go.  I researched stuffed cabbage rolls and discovered that every Eastern European country has their version of stuffed cabbage rolls.  So in this recipe, I have just given the origin as Eastern Europe so as not to offend any country who might feel particularly drawn to claim stuffed cabbage rolls as their own.  In Slovakia they are called Halupki.  In Hungary Toltott Kaposzta.  In Croatia and Serbia Sarma.  In Poland Golabki.  Ashkenazi Jews call it Holishkes.  Ukrainians Holubtsi.  Romania Sarmale.  Lithuania Balandeliai.  Russia Golubtsi.  You get the picture.  I cooked the rice separately as I wanted it to soak up the lovely tomato sauce, but traditionally the rice is added to the mince filling.  Regardless of exactly where this comes from, it is a very cheap dinner to make.

Cabbage rolls:
1 cabbage
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
500g mince (any meat will do veal, pork, beef, chicken, lamb etc)
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup uncooked rice (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Tomato Sauce:
1 1/2 cups white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon chopped coriander
1 onion finely sliced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
6 tablespoons tomato puree
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Dribble the olive oil over the bottom of a baking pan.  In a bowl prepare your mince filling.  Add the mince, onion, garlic, seasonings and uncooked rice if you are using it in the mince filling.  Set that aside and prepare the cabbage leaves.  Boil some water.  Pull the leaves off the cabbage and place the leaves in a large bowl.  Pour the boiling water over the cabbage leaves and leave them in the boiling water while you make the tomato sauce.  That will soften the leaves to make them easy to roll.  Put all the ingredients for the tomato sauce in a pot and allow to simmer while you form the cabbage rolls.  When the leaves have softened and are cool enough to handle, lift them out of the water.  Place some of the mince mixture on each cabbage leaf.  Fashion the mince mixture into a sausage-shape.  Roll the cabbage leaf away from you to encase the mince sausage.   Tuck in the sides and continue to roll the leaf so that you have a neat little roll.  Place the cabbage roll in the oiled baking pan.  Repeat until you have used up all the mince mixture and cabbage leaves.  You can add in some par-cooked potatoes and carrots if you wish.  Take the tomato sauce off the heat and pour it over the cabbage rolls.  Bake the cabbage rolls in the tomato sauce for about 45 minutes.  Depending on whether you have included the rice in the mince mixture or the potatoes with the cabbage rolls, serve the cabbage rolls and tomato sauce with rice or mashed potatoes.
Cindy Vine is a South African author and teacher working in Ukraine.  She is the author of The Case of Billy B, Not Telling, Defective, CU@8 and Hush Baby.  All her books are available on Amazon in both Kindle and print format.  http://cindyvine.com

Beef Stroganoff from Russia

Nobody is a hundred percent sure who invented this dish, but what we do know is that it came out of Russia in the 1800's and spread all over the world.  There are many variations of Beef Stroganoff. Some people leave out the wine, others leave out the mushrooms but nobody leaves out the sour cream.  I happen to like it with wine and mushrooms.  This is simple to make and best served with pasta, although you can serve it with rice.

4 tablespoons butter
1 kg beef cut into thin strips
1 onion finely sliced
2 cloves garlic finally chopped
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon English mustard
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup water
1 beef stock cube
1 punnet button mushrooms thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
Melt the butter in a pot and add the beef strips.  Brown the beef strips and add in the onions and garlic.  Let it all saute for about 3-5 minutes.  Stir in the flour, salt and black pepper and make sure that the beef strips are evenly coated with the flour.  Add the sliced mushrooms and the English mustard.  Pour in the water and drop in the stock cube.  Stir well and reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add the white wine and simmer for a further 20 minutes until the beef strips are tender and the sauce has thickened.  Stir in the sour cream and let it simmer for another minute or two before serving.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Chunky Tomato Soup from Spain

This is a quick and easy and very tasty homemade tomato soup to make.  The flavour combinations give it that extra depth and you can be forgiven for picturing yourself sitting in a cafe in Spain when eating this.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 cans chopped tomato
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons mixed herbs
2 tablespoons Worcester sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 handfuls fresh herbs finely chopped (like thyme, coriander, oregano)
Put the olive oil in a pot and saute the onion and garlic until soft.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.  And then it's done!  I did say it was quick and easy!  Serve with toast or fresh bread.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com