I love cauliflower in soup, this one has a stunning combination of flavours. It can be prepared on the stove, but somehow for this particular recipe the microwave gives a cleaner flavour.

3 T (45 ml) butter
4 T (60 ml) water
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium cauliflower, broken into small florets
3 T (45 ml) flour
a pinch of grated nutmeg
2 cups (500 ml) water
2 T (30 ml) Ina Paarman's Chicken Stock Powder
100 g blue cheese, crumbled
2 cups (500 ml) full cream milk
1-2 t (5-10 ml) Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning
flat leaf parsley to garnish

Combine the butter, water, onions and cauliflower in a covered microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high (100 per cent) for 10 minutes. Stir half way during cooking. Add the flour and nutmeg and stir in well. Add the water and chicken stock and microwave, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the blue cheese, reserving one third for garnishing, and liquidize the soup. Add the milk. Can be prepared to this stage in advance.

Taste for seasoning and reheat for 3-4 minutes on high before serving.

Serve in soup bowls topped with sprinkling of blue cheese and a sprig of flat leaf parsley.

 MEAL IN ONE VARIATION:

Microwave an extra small cauliflower broken into florets. Season with Green Onion Seasoning and serve the whole pieces in the soup. Delicious with wholewheat bread dipped in olive oil or spread with real butter.

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The secret of this dish lies in using good quality ingredients and long slow oven cooking. It is even better the next day.

1-1.25 kg lamb. Select either knuckles cut into 5cm lengths, or cubed shoulder of lamb
3 T (45 ml) Olive or Canola oil
1 T (15ml) Ina Paarman's Meat Spice
2 onions, chopped
3 ripe red tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Sun-dried Tomato Coat & Cook Sauce
1 t (5 ml) sugar
½ t (2,5 ml) Ina Paarman's Chilli & Garlic Seasoning
1½ cups (375 ml) water
1½ T (22,5 ml) Ina Paarman's Chicken Stock Powder
3 potatoes, diced
1 T (15 ml) Ina Paarman's Brown Onion Soup & Gravy Mix

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Heat a big, heavy-bottomed saucepan or fry pan until hot and add half the oil. Add the meat in batches and stir-fry until brown. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Season the browned meat with Meat Spice.

Brown the onions in the same pan, using the rest of the oil. When golden, soft and glazed, add the fresh tomatoes, Sun-dried Tomato Sauce, sugar, Chilli and Garlic seasoning, water and stock powder. Bring to a slow simmering boil. Add the potatoes and Brown Onion Soup Mix.

If you have used an ovenproof saucepan, put the meat back into the saucepan or use a large casserole dish (with a lid). Pour the sauce over the meat and cover. Bake at 160ºC for 2½ hours.

The Casserole improves with keeping. Prepare a day in advance and leave to mature in the refrigerator.

Use skinless chicken thighs instead of lamb knuckles and bake only for 1½ hours.

CLASSY GARNISH
Snip about 8 of our Sun-dried Tomato Quarters into smaller pieces and sprinkle on top together with a little freshly chopped parsley.

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A classic combination. The rice can be pre-prepared well in advance and frozen. Microwave just before serving.

2 cups (500 ml) long grain rice
6 cups (1½ litres) water
2 t (10 ml) Ina Parman's Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning
2 cups (500 ml) frozen peas
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped parsley
1 T (15 ml) olive oil
grated rind of one lemon
1 T (15 ml) lemon juice

Boil the rice in the water for 12-15 minutes. Pour into a colander and rinse quickly to remove excess starch.

Place into a micro safe dish. Add Lemon and Black Pepper seasoning, peas, parsley, olive oil, lemon rind and juice. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stir though and microwave for a final 2-3 minutes until piping hot.

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2 cups (500 ml) cooked and mashed butternut
½ cup (125 ml) flour
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Seasoned Sea Salt
1 t (5 ml) baking powder
1 extra large egg or 2 smaller ones
canola oil for frying
¼ cup (60 ml) white sugar
1 t (5 ml) cinnamon
Lemon slices

Mix the butternut, flour, seasoned sea salt and baking powder. Stir in the egg to form a thick batter. Pan fry spoonfuls in moderately hot oil (about ½ cm deep) until golden-brown. Drain on kitchen or brown paper.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the fritters. Serve hot with lemon slices.

 CHEF'S TIP:

Depending on the moisture content of the butternut, you may have to add a little more flour (15-30 ml).

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Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 punnet of herb salad mix
1 punnet of watercress or rocket
½ cup (125 ml) Ina Paarman's Classic Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Toss the salad ingredients lightly and decant our Balsamic Vinaigrette into a pretty serving vessel and pass it around the table.

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Orange Bake with Custard

This delicious pale cream coloured variation of Malva Pudding is always popular. Serve it with fresh orange segments and vanilla custard or ice cream for the full traditional treat! Keep the other half of the cake mix in the fridge to make fairy cakes or use as a topping for an apple bake.

½ packet (300 g) Ina Paarman's Vanilla Cake Mix
1 extra large egg (at room temperature)
1/3 cup (83 ml) oil
½ cup (125 ml) plus one tablespoon milk
1 T (15 ml) grated orange rind

ORANGE TOPPING
¼ cup (60 ml) butter
¼ cup (60 ml) white sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh orange juice
½ cup (125 ml) fresh cream

Scrape the mixture into prepared dish. Bake on middle shelf for 30-35 minutes. While the pudding is baking, warm all the ingredients for the topping to boiling point. Prick the top of the pudding all over with a fork and pour the orange topping over while the cake is still hot.

 CHEF'S TIP:

Segmenting an orange, grapefruit or lemon:

1. Cut the ends from the fruit and position it on a flat surface. Trim all the peel and white pith
using a large chef's
knife, making a series
of vertical cuts.

2. Work over a bowl to catch the juices. Insert the blade of a paring knife between the membrane and the pulp of each segment
and cut towards the centre.

3. Flip the cutting edge away from you so that the blade is now parallel to the next membrane. Push out to remove the segment.

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1½ cups (375 ml) butter lentils
3 cups (750 ml) water
2 T (30 ml) olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Sun-dried Tomato Coat & Cook Sauce
2 T (30 ml) Ina Paarman's Vegetable Stock Powder
Ina Paarman's Garlic Pepper Seasoning
200 g haloumi cheese or smoked mozzarella cheese
2 T (30 ml) Ina Paarman's Italian Cheese Sprinkle
1½ cups (375 ml) baby spinach leaves
sage leaves for garnish

Add the lentils to the water, bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté onions over a medium heat until softened. Add tomatoes, Sun-dried Tomato Coat & Cook sauce and Vegetable Stock powder and bring to the boil, add pre-cooked lentils and their cooking water. Simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are completely tender and mixture has reduced and thickened. Season to taste with Garlic Pepper.

Cut cheese into 8 slices. Roll in and press on the Cheese Sprinkle. Heat a non-stick frying pan with a little oil and fry slices over a medium heat until golden brown.

To serve, arrange a pile of raw baby spinach on each plate. Dish the lentil stew on top. The heat in the lentils will collapse and wilt the spinach. Add cheese and garnish with sage leaves.

 CHEF'S TIP:

Freeze the cheese for 15 minutes after slicing it so that it is deep-chilled before frying.

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