You’ll need:

• Onion - 2 large, finely chopped
• Garlic - 2 large gloves, peeled and finely chopped
• Potato - about 2kg, peeled and finely chopped
• Leeks - 4
• Vegetable stock - 2 litres
• Cream - 300 ml
• Chives - 4 tablespoons
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

• Chop your potatoes into small < 1cm cubes and cook in the microwave for 10-15 mins
• If you don’t have a microwave you can just boil them up.
• Peel and chop your onions (see my comments about onions in my chili recipe)
• Cut away the root and the darker parts of the leeks
• Finely chop the pale part of the leeks. I cut the leek in half lengthways then cut 1mm slices off the half-rounds.
• Sautee your onions in some olive oil for a while then add your garlic and leek and fry it up until the leek gets soft
• Add the cooked potato and the vegetable stock. Bring it to the boil then reduce the heat and gentle boil to reduce it for about 20 minutes. Use a potato masher in the mix (carefully because it’s boiling!) to mash it all up into a nice fine mix
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Let it cool for a few minutes then stir in the cream and chives and serve with fresh, crusty bread.

Some recipes call to use a blender to puree the potatoes and leeks but I think the pre-cooking of the spuds followed by mashing in the pot does the job fine and I like the texture of the leek in my soup.

You’ll need:

Beef mince - 2kg - lean mince is better as always, hamburger mince has too much fat
Onions - 3 large - peeled and chopped small - When preparing onions, always remove the dry outer layers and the woody root at the bottom!
Kidney beans - 2 large tins (about 1kg total)
Capsicum - 1 large - core and seeds removed, chopped as you please
Garlic - 3 or 4 large cloves, peeled and chopped finely
Tomato paste - 1 large jar
Crushed tomatos - 3 x 440g tins
Mixed herbs - to taste - I use about 1 tablespoon in a pot this size
Sambal Oelek (indonesian chili paste) - to taste - Start with 1/2 a tablespoon and add more if you want it hotter. Remember that in a large group you usually want to keep it mild and let people add more to their own bowl if they want.
Cumin - 1 tablespoon
Spices - Other spices to taste - many other spices work in this recipe. Paprika is a favourite.
Olive oil

Instructions

• Fry your beef mince until it browns. First it’ll get all wet as the water cooks out, then it’ll dry up again and start to brown on the bottom of the pan. Once it’s at this stage, you need to keep it moving and scrape the brownings off the bottom so they don’t burn. In a non-stick pan you won’t get the brownings on the bottom but that’s OK because the meat will still brown.
• Once browned to your satisfaction, remove the mince to a separate container for a short while. Browning your mince is only practical if you’ve a small amount of mince (under 1kg). If you’re doing a large pot of chili for a group of people then skip the browning and just add the raw mince later.
• Fry up your onions and capsicum in a little olive oil until they too, start to brown.
• Add the garlic and fry for a bit longer to release all that lovely garlicy goodness.
• Return the mince to the pot (or add raw if you didn’t bother browning), add the beans, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, chili, cumin and any herbs and spices you care to add.
• Cook it all up, taste-test the chili and add more if you like then serve with fresh crusty bread

If you don’t brown the meat first, the whole meal can be cooked in about 30 minutes!

This recipe is for a mango mousse with a slight orange tang. It’s been very well received whenever I’ve served it. These quantities make enough to fill 3 large takeaway containers which, if served with ice cream, will comfortably serve about 12 people for dessert.

Note: Mousse contains both eggs and dairy so if you’re intolerant of either, this is not the dessert for you!

You’ll need:

2 mixing bowls (1 med, 1 lge)
1 blender
1 electric beaters (hand beaters will also work but take too long!)
1 stirring spoon
1 glass
1 teaspoon

800g of mango slices (that’s 2 x 800 gram tins - they’re 50% sugar water!) or the flesh of 4-5 fresh mangos
3 large eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice
The zest of 1/2 a fresh orange
1/2 cup caster sugar
300ml of thickened cream
3 heaped teaspoons of unflavoured gelatine
1/2 cup of clear honey

• Drain the liquid from the mangos and put them in the blender along with the honey, sugar, lemon juice and orange zest.
• Blend it all up into a smooth puree (food processor won’t make proper puree)
• Pour the thickened cream into your large mixing bowl and whip until it’s peaking.
• Dissolve your gelatine in a small amount (more more than 1/2 cup) of warm (not hot!) water. I do it in a clear glass so I can see what I’m doing and use a teaspoon to break up any clumps of gelatine.
• Pour the gelatine into the blender and give it another buzz to mix it through.
• Separate the whites from your eggs. Keep the yolks for an omelette or something later or give them to the dog for a treat.
• Use the smaller mixing bowl and beat the egg whites until they’re peaking.
• Add the mango puree and the eggs to the whipped cream.
• Take your electric beaters again and give it all a whip to make sure it’s thoroughly mixed.
• Now pour it into your serving bowl or dessert dishes (or takeaway containers!) as you choose and chill in the fridge for 4+ hours.
• Serve with ice cream and/or fresh whipped cream

For zesting and grating, I can heartily recommend you get one of these babies:
http://us.microplane.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=158

300g of dark cooking chocolate (get decent stuff)
3 egg whites
1/3 cup of caster sugar
300 ml of thickened cream
A bottle of Cointreau or Grand Marnier
Some Orange essence
A fresh orange

Melt the chocolate. Use a pan within a pan of water so you don’t burn it.
While the chocolate is melting, separate the yolks out of your eggs.
Stir the chocolate as it melts.
Beat the egg whites until they’re softly peaking.
Stir the chocolate as it melts.
Mix in the sugar and beat it a little more.
Now mix in the cream and beat it until the whole lot is looking nice and thick.
Stir the chocolate as it melts.
Mix in 1 tablespoon of your chosen liqeuer, 1/2 a teaspoon of orange essence and the zest of 1/2 of that fresh orange.
Gently mix it all through with your beaters.
Your chocolate should be nicely liquid now. Put the beaters away, you can lick them in a couple of minutes.
Fold the liquid chocolate into your beaten mix. Add a bit, stir it, add a bit more, stir it some more, etc.
Once it’s all thoroughly mixed through, you should pour the mousse into a serving bowl or into dessert glasses as you choose. Chill it for 2-3 hours and you’re done.

To serve, I recommend topping your mouse with some fresh whipped cream then grate a little chocolate and orange zest to decorate. Extras such as ice cream, coffee and a small glass of Cointreau are also recommended!

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