Nothing like Fresh Bread - Rosemary Bread, Cheese Bread, Onion and Tomato

Making the dough

Ingredients

500g of white flour

1 tblsp yeast

1 tblsp cooking oil

1 tsp of salt

2 cups (500ml) warm water

Method

Sift together the yeast, salt and flour. Make it into a pile on a clean surface and make a dip in the middle. Pour the cooking oil in the dip and add a little bit of the water. Start to fold, using your hands, the flour into the centre of the dip. All the while adding the water bit by bit. Do this until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. (You will know if you need all the water, as the above amount is an estimate. You may need less, you may need a bit more). After which knead the dough for a little bit longer. Then leave it with a metal bowl over the top of it for 30 minutes so that the dough can rise. Once it is ready follow the method regarding the different types of bread you want to make. Then stick it in the oven at 290 degrees celsius for 30 minutes or until it is cooked.

Rosemary bread

Ingredients

As much dry rosemary as you desire

Method

Sprinkle the rosemary through the dough you have made following above instructions.

Cheese Bread

Ingredients

50g grated cheddar

1 egg

Flour a clean surface and then roll out the dough as made by the instructions above. Brush the whisked egg over the thinly rolled dough. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on top. And then fold is up as you wish. You might like to follow Dixon's lead below! Then into the oven 290 degrees celsius for 30 minutes or until cooked.

Onion and Tomato Bread

Ingredients

1 tblsp cooking oil

1 1/2 onion

2 tblsp tomato ketchup

1/2 cube vegetable stock

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Method

Dough as above. Finely chop and fry the onion off in the cooking oil until soft and golden. Mix with the tomato ketchup, vegetable stock, salt and pepper to taste. Roll out the dough and spread on the mixture as below.

Roll up as you so desire. Dixon's secret is to drizzle a few drops of water over it before putting it in the oven. 290 degrees celsius for 30 minutes or until cooked.

Summery Salads - Apple and nut salad, beetroot and pear, fresh orange coleslaw

    

Apple and nut salad

Normally the guys do this with a mayonnaise dressing but we were having coleslaw this day so it seemed a bit overkill. Dixon and I turned to our kitchen guru, Donna Hay and we found a delicious ranch esque dressing. With a bit of improvisation of lacking ingredients, here is our recipe!

Salad

3 apples chunked

250g packet of mixed nuts

Dressing 

3 tblsp milk

1/4 cup (60g) cream

75g crumbled blue cheese

2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard 

2 tsp chopped spring onions

1 1/2 tsp chopped parsley

Beetroot and pear salad

Ingredients

10 beetroot

820g tinned pear half's 

1 packet of sunflower seeds

Peel the beetroots and boil until tender. Chop up the beetroot and pear halfs into chunks. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds over liberally. This delightful recipes requires no extra dressing. 

Fresh orange coleslaw

The team still weren't happy putting two creamy salads out, so we decided for a fresh orange dressing instead for our coleslaw. Much healthier too!

Ingredients

1/2 white cabbage finely sliced

2 large carrots finely sliced

Dressing

2 Oranges, zest of 1

1tblsp olive oil

2 tsp balsamic oil

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Special salad feature with Philamon and Jeremiah - Vegetable Patties, Green Salad, Mozarella and Tomato

This week we had a new team gracing the Bili kitchen and they did a fabulous job so we decided to share a few of their favourites! First let me introduce you to Jeremiah on the left and Philamon looking very fetching in my Granny's lion apron!

Vegetable Patties

Ingredients

1/2 butternut squash grated

4 cloves garlic crushed

2 sweet potatoes grated

1 courgette grated

1 1/2 cups (330g) ground nuts toasted and crushed

1/2 (110g) cup of flour

2 eggs

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Method 

Mix all the ingredients together with two eggs and the flour and season to taste. Make them into patties and fry them in the oil in a frying pan over a pan until crispy. A Philamon favourite!

Green Salad

Ingredients

2 whole lettuce

3 radishes finely sliced

1/2 red onion finely sliced

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 avocado 

1/2 packet feta cut in cubes (or Philamon says you can grate it and sprinkle it on top)

Here Philamon is all about the colour! He says the more colour you use the better it tastes!

No dressing for this one. This salad is all about letting the flavours speak for themselves!

Tomato and Mozarella Salad

Ingredients

4 large tomatoes

1 mozarella cheese

Sprig of basil

Dressing

1 tblsp apple cider vinegar

1 tblsp olive oil

Pinch of salt

Method

An easy classic! Slice the tomatoes and cut the cheese into diagonals. Decorate the plate as you desire but I think the guys have done a pretty good job above! Just before whisk the dressing ingredients and drizzle over the salad.

Dreamy Desserts - Lemon Cheesecake, Chocolate Pancakes.

As requested by the Cave family- 

Isaac and Dixon's Lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients

500g cheese cream

75g fresh cream

125g caster sugar

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1 fresh lemon both the zest and the juice

Base

500g Marie Biscuit

50g butter

50g caster sugar

Serves 10

Method

Crush the Marie Biscuit. Put it in the frying pan, add the butter and sugar and toast it until almost crunchy. Isaac and Dixon's secret is to drizzle some water over the pan of ingredients. After a minute put it into a cake tin. Use the flat end of a rolling pin or something heavy with a flat base to squash to base. Then bake it for thirty minutes. Remove it and let it cool. 

Now prepare the filling. Beat the cream cheese with the sugar. Then add the two whole eggs and the two egg yolks. Next add the fresh cream. And finally the lemon juice and the zest. Mix it until all evenly distributed and then pour it on top of the biscuit base.

Put it in the gas oven at 180 degrees Celsius for forty five minutes or until the cheesecake is done.

Serve with a slice of lemon and passion fruit.

As requested by Zanny and Francesca for Grandma Anne!

Isaac and Dixon's Choccie Pancakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup (375ml) milk

1 cup (220g) plain flour

1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla

Chocolate sauce

200g dark chocolate

2 1/2 tblsp fresh cream

Serves 10

Method

Mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Heat a non stick frying pan over medium raw heat. Rub the pan with butter (we are struggling in the kitchen to explain this, just don't do it with bare hands. I think the point the guys are trying to make is you don't need lots of butter). "So brush rub whatever!" As directed by Dixon. Then pour the mixture in so that it covers the pan, keeping it nice and in. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn the pancake and cook for one minute or until golden brown.

Sauce

Melt the chocolate with the fresh creams and drizzle over the pancakes.

Bili's Summery Salads - Nicoise Salad, Coleslaw, Beetroot and Apple

Nicoise Salad

Ingredients

2 eggs

2 normal size lettuce

1 packet black olives

1 tomato

1/2 packet steamed green beans 

1 tin of tuna

Dressing

1 tblsp grainy mustard

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 drop of white vinegar

1tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp castor sugar

Serves 8

Method

Lay the lettuce on the oval dish. Isaac and Dixon like to use these for presentation. Next lay steamed green beans as in the picture. Hard boil the eggs for five minutes. Then just design the plate as seen above. For the dressing mix all the ingredients together and then drizzle liberally over the salad.

Coleslaw

Ingredients

1/2 large white cabbage

2 large carrots

1 green apple (secret ingredient!!)

375g mayonnaise

Handful of raisins 

Orange and cucumber for garnishing

Sprig parsley for garnishing

Serves 8

Method

Slice the cabbage and the carrots. Mix thoroughly with the mayonnaise. Sprinkle with the raisins. Garnish as you so desire. Dixon says "remember, you eat with your eyes!"

Beetroot and apple 

Ingredients

2 green apples

3 small beetroot

Handful of capers

Handful blue cheese and mint for garnishing

Bed of lettuce leaves for garnishing

Dressing

1 tblsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Serves 8

Method

Finely slice the apples and the peeled beetroot. Mix together with the dressing ingredients. Lay the lettuce on the bottom of the bowl. The apple and beetroot mixture place in the middle of the lettuce. Liberally sprinkle capers, blue cheese and mint over the top.

Fish fry as requested by Ajay

Isaac and Dixon's Curry Fish Fry

With white rice, sugar snap peas and braised cabbage

Ingredients

10 fillets of talapia 

1 tblsp finely chopped ginger

1 tblsp red curry paste 

410g coconut milk

1 red onion finely chopped

1 tblsp fresh coriander chopped

Pinch of fish spice

Pinch of salt

Serves 10

Method

Fry the onion and the ginger in a tblsp of oil until soft. Then add the coconut milk and the curry paste and the parsley. Season with the fish spice and salt and bring to the boil for five minutes. Take off the heat. Put the talapia in a baking tray and pour the curry sauce over the fish. Bake the fish just before you are about to serve. Once the starter has been served put the tray of fish in the hot oven, approx 290 degrees celsius for about fifteen minutes until cooked. "This dish was born and bred at Billimungwe!" Says Dixon

Soup for the soul - Coriander, Carrot and Butternut, Beef and Lime Broth.

After a chilly night drive its always nice to warm up with a hearty soup!

Joseph from Zunga's warming Coriander, Carrot and Butternut Soup

Serves 8

1 butternut squash

2 carrots

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tblsp butter

1/2 tsp black ground pepper

1 cup of cream

1 cup of milk

Melt the butter in the pot and add the chopped squash and chopped carrots. Leave this to boil for thirty minutes. Once tender mash them. Add the cup of milk and cup of cream. Next add the coriander and the black pepper.

Isaac and Dixon's Beef and Lime Broth

Ingredients

1.2litres rich beef stock

1 large onion

2 garlic cloves

2 large tomatoes

2 large red chillies

160g green beans

100g green spinach

2 limes

2 tblsp paprika

1 tblsp oil

1 handful mint

1 handful basil

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Serves 8

Method

Chop the onions and fry them off in the oil until soft. Finely chop the garlic and add it to the onion. Once they are golden add the stock and bring it to the boil. Next slice the tomatoes into wedges and add them, the roughly chopped chillies, the topped and tailed green beans and the paprika, and bring to the boil. Allow the flavours all to combine fully. Finally add the spinach, basil, the juice of the two limes, mint and season to taste with salt and pepper.