Apple Pie

I love Applie Pie. I had a friend once who made the most delicious and simple apple crumble pie you have ever tasted! However, I never wrote it down and being 20 odd years ago, I simply cannot remember. In the meantime, I have been working on a recipe and this one is delicious! A little heavy, perhaps, but perfect for a snuggly warm treat. 

Preparation time: 30min
Cooking time: +- 1hour
Serves: 6-9
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

For the pastry:
4cups flour
2t baking powder
1tbs salt
1/2cup castor sugar
500g very cold margarine, grated
+- 1/2 cup ice water

For the filling:
2tbs margarine
1cup brown sugar
1/4cup raisins
8-10 granny smith apples
5 whole cloves
pinch of nutmeg
2t cinnamon
1/2cup warm water

Extra castor sugar

Method

Soak the raisins in the warm water for about 10minutes. Peel, core and slice the apples. Melt the butter and add the raisins, the apples, sugar, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. 

Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, until the apple is soft. Remove from heat, keep covered. Let it cool completely.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and castor sugar together. Crumb in the grated margarine. 

Divide the mixture into 2. 

Cut the ice water into one of the halves with a knife, until it starts to come together. Press together until it forms a stiff ball. you might need more water. Add the water little by little. Cover with Gladwrap. Let it rest in the fridge for no less than 30min. 

Once rested, roll out the dough and line a baking dish. Roll out the remaining dough and cut into strips, about 2cm in width.

Once the apples are completely cooled, mix the other half of the crumbed mixture into the apple mixture. 

Scoop into the baking dish and level out. Plait the dough strips over the top. 

Bake in the oven at 160degrees C for 20minutes. Take out and lightly sprinkle with some castor sugar. Put back in the oven and bake until lightly browned.

Remove from oven and serve warm.

Enjoy as is, or with some ice cream or whipped cream.

Yours in oil and veggies.... and pie!!

Risch

Cheesy Mince Foldovers

Monday Mince Day. I had to get the wrap recipe on the blog... So, we made mince wraps!! It was truly divine, rich and full of flavour... comfort food at its best!!

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
2tbs olive oil
1/2 t ground ginger
1t mild curry
500g mince
1 tin mushrooms / 1 punnet mushrooms, sliced
salt & pepper
2tbs soya sauce
1t Spice for Mince
2t sugar
3tbs seedless raisins
Wraps
Cheese
Mayonnaise

Method

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion, ginger and curry and fry until soft. 

 Add the mince and fry until starting to brown. Make sure you loosen the mince well. 

Add the mushrooms, soya sauce and spice for mince and fry until nicely browned. 

Add the sugar and raisins and mix well. Remove from heat and let it rest for a while. 

Spread mayonnaise generously on the wraps. Cover with cheese. Reheat the mince if necessary, and scoop onto the wraps. 

Fold the wraps: first the bottom, 

...then left

... and then right. 

Turn over and let it sit to form into shape, then you can turn it over and it should stay. 

And enjoy!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Simple Thai stirfry

We are busy moving - I am super excited!! But that also means limited time, energy and resources (my pots and glassware are already packed!) Tuesday is meat night, though, so I defrosted some tenderised steak. I thought of a traditional stirfry, but didn't have all the veggies fresh on hand. Or frozen, mind you. This is what I came up with:

Ingredients

750g tenderised steak, cut into strips

2tbs butter

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raisins

1tbs golden syrup

1tbs honey

1tbs balsamic vinegar

1/2t ground ginger

1 apple, grated

1/2t english mustard

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

Melt the butter. fry the apple, raisins and sunflower seeds a little, 

Add the meat. Fry a little. 

  

Whisk the honey, syrup, vinegar, mustard and ginger together. Add to the meat and mix well. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Lower the heat, put on the lid and let it slowly cook a little to develop the flavours. Turn off the heat, keep covered. Re-heat when you are ready to dish up. 

We had it with microwave potato and some Cottage-Mayo sauce. Very interesting combination of flavours, very delicious. and low-carb to boot!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Cinnamon Bread

The weather yesterday was gloomy.... cold, a bit windy and overcast. Couple of drops fell, but no rain. It was the perfect stay indoors and snuggle up in front of the tv... with popcorn or pancakes... 
But pancakes - bless it, I absolutely love it - is a lot of work!! And it gets eaten so quickly... 
So I began to think if there isn't something a little less work with just as much feel-good satisfaction that the pancakes give, that I can make... and then I remembered Hot Cross Buns! 
I searched the Internet for recipes, and I found a couple, but not one seemed simple or straightforward. So I used their direction, and made my own. Since I used their direction and ideas, I have to give credit: please have a look at Nigella Lawson and Allrecipes.

Preparation Time: 30 min
Baking Time: +- 1 hour
Difficulty level: Easy
Serves: 6+

Ingredients:

6cups bread flour
2 packets 10g instant yeast
3t fine cinnamon
1 1/2t fine ginger
1/4t freshly grated nutmeg
1cup mixed raisins (cake mix)
1t salt
2cups brown sugar
2 cups milk
2cups water
100g butter
1 cinnomon stick
5 whole cloves
Zest of one orange
3 eggs

Method

Pour milk and water and butter in a saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves and zest. Boil for 10min. Leave to cool a bit. 

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Beat the eggs well. Once the milk mixture has cooled a bit, add the egg while whisking briskly. Pour the milk mixture through a sieve into the flour mixture and mix well. It should be a sticky mixture. 

Cover and let it rise in a warm place to double in size. Mix down. Spray a large bread pan very well with non-stick spray. Pour the mixture into the pan and cover. Let it rise again in a warm place. Bake in an oven at 160degrees C for about an hour, until the testing pin comes out clean. 

Enjoy hot with butter!!

As you can see, my bread pan was way too small!! It actually poured over the edges... But it was absolutely beautifully delicious... 

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch