A divine combination of classic flavours - a cheese lovers dream come true.

NEVER FAIL CHEESE PASTRY
¼ cup (62,5 ml) butter
½ cup (125 ml) grated cheddar cheese
¾ cup (190 ml) cake flour
2 T (30 ml) cold water

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Butter a 25 cm fluted loose bottom pan. Process all the ingredients to form coarse crumbs. Knead lightly to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and leave at room temperature for at least an hour. Roll out and line the pan, push pastry right up against the sides and slightly above the edge of the pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Line the pan with foil and weigh it down with rice or beans. Bake blind at 200°C for 10 minutes. Remove the foil.

Brush the inside of the pastry with a little of the egg used in the filling. Bake for another 5 minutes. The egg-wash will waterproof the pastry.

FILLING

400 g of baby spinach
2 T (30 ml) butter, cut into cubes
1 T (15 ml) flour
100-125 g creamy blue cheese
1 cup (250 ml) fresh or pouring (fat reduced) cream
2 extra large or jumbo eggs
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman's Reduced Salt Garlic & Herb Seasoning

Reduce oven temperature to 180°C. Rinse the spinach and place the wet spinach and cubes of butter into a large frying pan and cover with a lid. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has collapsed. Sprinkle the flour over and stir to blend with the spinach.

Place spinach in a food processor and blend with all the remaining ingredients until smooth but still textured.

Pour the mixture into the, still hot, pre-baked pastry shell. Bake at 180°C for 30-35 minutes until the filling is firm and slightly puffy. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Two delicious layers full of flavour. A robust onion/tomato base, topped with a golden feta and egg custard.

2 T (30 ml) soft butter
½ cup (125 ml) soft breadcrumbs (white or brown)
3 medium onions, cut in half and then sliced
3 T (45 ml) olive or canola oil
1 T (15 ml) balsamic vinegar
1 T (15 ml) sugar
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning
½ x 240 g Ina Paarman's Sundried Tomato Quarters, drained and sliced
2 wheels of feta cheese, cubed
3 extra large eggs
1 cup (250 ml) fresh or pouring (fat reduced) cream
¼ cup (60 ml) plain yoghurt or milk
2 T (30 ml) cornflour

Preheat oven to 180°C. Generously butter a 25 cm porcelain fluted flan dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the base of the dish. Sauté the onions in the oil until limp, cover the onion first with greaseproof paper and then with a lid. Turn the heat to very low and 'smoor' the onions for 10 minutes until very soft. Add vinegar, sugar and Green Onion Seasoning. Stir-fry over high heat for another minute to evaporate the liquid and brown the onions.

Add the sliced Sundried Tomatoes and dish into the buttered and crumbed flan dish. Sprinkle the cubed feta cheese over the caramelized onions. Beat the eggs, and cream together. Mix the yoghurt or milk with the cornflour to form a smooth paste and stir into the egg/cream mixture. Pour over the filling. Bake at 180°C for 35-40 minutes until golden, firm and slightly puffy.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a salad.

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Watermelon is an excellent substitute for the strawberries. A good Christmas red salad.

1 x 250 g punnet strawberries
1 x 200 g punnet baby rosa or cherry tomatoes
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Chilli & Garlic Seasoning
1 punnet rocket or watercress
1 round of feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup (60 ml) Ina Paarman's Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette

Give the strawberries a quick rinse, reserve about 5 of the best for garnish. Hull and quarter the rest. Halve the tomatoes lengthways. Season the tomatoes with the Chilli & Garlic Seasoning. Line a bowl or plate with greens and scatter the tomatoes and strawberries over the leaves. Pour the dressing over and toss gently. Sprinkle feta over and serve.

VARIATION

Use 2 cups of pipped and cubed watermelon in place of strawberries, in place of the rocket you can use butter lettuce.

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Wow! A never-fail way to please your guests. The malted chocolate balls, some whole and some crushed, give a nice texture contrast.

1¼ cups (310 ml) cold water
1 x 310 g Ina Paarman's Chocolate Mousse Mix
2 cups (500 ml) chilled whipping cream

Measure the water into a medium sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle the Chocolate Mousse Mix over the water and beat until well blended. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes.

In a smaller mixing bowl, whip the cream until soft peak stage. Remove the mousse mixture from the fridge and using the same beaters, whip the mixture again for 1 minute until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mousse mixture using a spatula or metal spoon and stir until evenly blended.

Spoon into a resealable plastic container and freeze. When just frozen, scoop into small balls, place on a baking sheet lined with clingfilm and refreeze until needed.

CHEF'S TIP

This ice cream freezes quite hard. If you have difficulty in scooping balls, microwave it at 10 second intervals to soften the ice cream from the inside out.

GARNISH:
2 x 125 g malted chocolate balls (Chuckles, Maltesers or Whispers)

CHOCOLATE SAUCE
½ cup (125 ml) white sugar
3 T (45 ml) cocoa powder
¼ t (1 ml) salt
⅔ cup (165 ml) water
2 T (30 ml) butter

Mix the sugar, cocoa powder and salt into a small saucepan until all the lumps have been removed. Add the water and bring to the boil while stirring. Boil fast for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Can be made in advance and stored in the fridge in a sealed glass container.

TO SERVE:
Pile ice cream balls in individual serving bowls, crush one of the packets of malted chocolate balls and divide between the bowls. Scatter the whole balls from the second packet over the ice cream. Serve with warm chocolate sauce.

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