Savoury cups (savouries)

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked chicken pieces

1 cup cubed onions

1 cup cubed tomatoes

1 cup cubed red and green peppers

2 eggs

2 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups grated cheese

salt

pepper

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients

Drop mixture in greased muffin pans and bake at 160C for about 10 minutes.

SAVOURY PARMESAN TARTLETS

Makes 28

Freeze baked cases only

Ingredients:

For the parmesan pastry shells

375g ready made shortcrust pastry

Flour, for dusting

1 egg, beaten with a good pinch of salt

3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan

Hummus & roasted tomato

7 cherry tomatoes, halved

200g ready made hummus

Few chives

Smoked salmon & dill

250g soft cheese

85g smoked salmon

Dill sprigs

Method:

Heat the oven to 200C. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large oblong measuring 30x40cm. Stamp out 24 rounds with a 6.5cm round cutter, then carefully place them in hertzoggie or muffin tins to form tiny tarts. Prick the bases with a fork.

Brush the pastry with the beaten egg, scatter with the parmesan and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Scrunch the pastry trimmings together, then re-roll and stamp out 4 more rounds. Glaze and bake as before. When all the pastry cases come out of the oven, roast the cherry tomato halves on a baking tray for 8 minutes. The cases will keep in a tin for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

To serve, fill some cases with a teaspoon of hummus, a cherry tomato and a few snipped chives. Fill others with soft cheese, a twirl of salmon, dill and black pepper.

VARIATIONS:

You can also fill these tartlets with prawn cocktail, pate and chutney….whatever takes your fancy.

Spinach, Mushroom and Feta Quiche

Ingredients

100g butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

275g frozen spinach, thawed and well drained

100g mushrooms, chopped

200g feta, crumbled

200g mild Cheddar cheese, grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Short crust pastry for a 23cm (9in) dish

4 eggs, beaten

250ml milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper to tast

Preparation method

1.Preheat oven to 190 C. Line a pie dish with short crust pastry, cutting off any excess and pinching the edges.

 2.In a medium frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach and mushrooms, and saute until most of the water from the vegetables has evaporated. Add feta and 1/2 of the Cheddar. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into prepared pastry-lined dish.

  3.In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pastry base, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture.

  4.Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar, and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until set in centre. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Short crust Pastry for Quiche 

Ingredients

175g plain flour

75g butter or margarine (cut into cubes)

2tbsp cold water

pinch of salt

To make a pastry sift all the flour and salt into a bowl and add butter (or margarine) and rub until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add water and mix together making firm dough. Wrap in a cling film and fill in a fridge for 30mins.

Spinach muffins (savouries)

Ingredients:

1 cup chana/pea flour

1/2 cup plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1ml cayenne pepper

1 cup cooked chopped spinach

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

100ml milk

100ml oil

1 egg

Method:

Sift dry ingredients together

Add spinach and grated cheese and mix slightly

Beat milk, oil and egg together and stir into dry ingredients

Mix until flour is moistened – batter should not be lumpy

Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling each two thirds full

Bake in a pre heated oven at 190C for 15 – 20 minutes

Makes 12

VOL-AU-VENTS FILLINGS

If you want to serve the vol-au-vents hot, omit the garnish until serving. Heat through in a hot oven 200C for 5 minutes or until hot.

Mushroom ingredients:

Fills about 12

100g mushrooms, finely chopped

30g butter

50g cheese spread

30ml (2 tbsp) natural yoghurt

Method:

Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the chopped mushrooms, fry for 3 minutes until soft. Leave to cool. In a small bowl, combine together the cheese spread, yoghurt and fried mushrooms, and spoon into 12 cases.

Prawn ingredients:

Fills about 12

100g small prawns, reserve 12 for garnish

50g cheese spread with shrimp

30ml (2 tbsp) natural yoghurt

10ml (2 tsp) tomato puree

10ml (2 tsp) lemon juice

Method:

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients together and spoon into 12 cases. Garnish with a prawn.

Chicken ingredients:

Makes 12

100g roasted chicken breast or leftover chicken

50g cheese spread with chives

30ml (2 tbsp) natural yoghurt

Method:

Cut the chicken into small pieces. In a small bowl, combine together the cheese spread, yoghurt and chicken, spoon into 12 cases.

Quick pizza (savouries)

Ingredients:

1 cup cheese, grated

1 cup polony, cubed

1 cup tomatoes, cubed

1/2 cup green peppers, cubed

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons plain flour

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Combine all the ingredients and place into paper cases. 

Bake at at 160C for about 10-15 minutes until done

CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES 

Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cinnamon honey syrup:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter cubed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:
In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 
Combine eggs, milk and oil. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips. 
Pour the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot pan.
Turn when bubbles form on top. 
Cook until second side is golden brown. 
Keep warm

Combine the syrup ingredients into a microwavable bowl. Microwave on high uncovered, until butter is melted and syrup is hot. Stir, serve with pancakes.

Variation:
Add raisins instead of chocolate chips.

VETKOEKIES

Ingredients:
500ml self-raising flour
pinch salt
15ml sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
30ml melted butter
5 ml vanilla essence
200ml milk
400 ml cooking oil
cinnamon sugar

Method:
Sift flour and salt into a bowl and stir in 15ml sugar. Make a well in centre and add egg, butter, vanilla essence and milk. Mix to a thick pancake batter. Heat oil in a large frying pan and drop batter, 15ml at a time, into it. Fry fritters until golden brown, about 3 minutes on either side. Drain on absorbent paper and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Serve hot. Makes 36.

Variation:
Add 4 large ripe bananas (mashed) and banana essence instead of vanilla essence.
Or
Add 250ml mashed cooked pumpkin