Fudge Muffins

Ingredients

180 grams dark cooking chocolate
250 grams butter
2 cups plain Flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated nuts or chopped pecans
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream

Heat the oven on 200°C . Line 18 muffin tins with paper cases or brush oil on the bottoms.
Melt the butter and chocolate together either in a double boiler or in the microwave on a low heat.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in the brown sugar.
In another bowl mix the milk, egg and sour cream.
Add the liquid ingredients and the chocolate mix to the dry ingredients all at once. Using a fork fold the ingredients together only until it is all wet.
Spoon the mixture into muffin tins and bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. They are ready when a skewer or toothpick comes out clean.
Place muffins on a wire rack to cool.

French Onion Lamb Chops

1 kg of bbq loin lamb chops
1 packet of french onion soup
Butter
Roasting tray
Heat oven 180C
Place a large dob of butter into roasting tray. Melt butter and cut chops in half and lay in roasting tray
sprinkle french onion soup over chops until covered.
Back in oven for 30-40 mins turning once
**this is a delicious as the flavour goes right through the meat**
Serve with vegetables or chips

Vegetable And Barley Soup

6 cups of Water
2 cups grated Parsnip
1 cup Barley
1 cup Green Beans chopped
2 cups chopped Carrot
1 can Tomatoes
1 cup chopped Onion
2 tblspns Tomato Paste
2 cloves of Garlic crushed
2 tblspns Wine Vinegar or Dry Sherry
1/2 cup grated Swede
1/2 teaspoon dried Marjoram

Method (serves 4-6)
Cook barley in water until soft. Blend half barley with a little of the liquid until smooth. Return to soup pot. Add carrots, onions, garlic, swede, parsnip and beans. Cook until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar or sherry and marjoram. Add additional water if necessary and simmer for a further 40 minutes.

Tomato Pasta and Basil Soup

Ingredients
1 cup small Pasta Shapes (such as shells or risoni)
1 this Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 brown Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
3 x 425g cans diced Tomatoes
2 cups Vegetable Stock
1/2 cup small Basil Leaves

Method (serves 4)
Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet instructions, until just tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, combine oil, onion and garlic in an 8-cup capacity heatproof microwave-safe bowl. Cook uncovered on HIGH power for 2 minutes or until soft. Stir in cinnamon. Cook for 30 seconds on HIGH power.
Add tomatoes and stock. Cook uncovered, on HIGH power for 4 to 6 minute, stirring after 3 minutes, or until soup comes to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes on MEDIUM power or until thickened slightly.
Stir pasta and basil into soup. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls.

Pumpkin Soup With Basil

Ingredients
500 gm Pumpkin
250 gm ripe Tomatoes
250 gm Carrots
black Pepper
6 cups Chicken Stock
3 tblspns non fat Yoghurt
1 Onion
2 tblspns chopped Basil

Method
Peel pumpkin and cut into cubes. Cut carrots into slices.
Put pumpkin and carrots in saucepan with stock and bring to boil Simmer covered for 20 minutes or until soft.
Peel onion and chop finely. Skin and seed tomatoes, chop and add to onion. Add 2 tblspns of stock from carrots and pumpkin and bring to boil. Turn heat down and cook gently for approx.
5 minutes until tomato is quite mushy.
Put carrots, pumpkin and stock through blender. Return this to clean pan and stir through tomato and onion and juices. Add pepper to taste, yoghurt if desired and basil.
Stand covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Potato and Leek Soup

2 large Leeks
freshly ground Black Pepper
4 large Potatoes
mixed Herbs
1 pint of Chicken Stock
clove of Garlic
1 pint of Milk
1/2 pint sour Cream
Method
Finely slice leeks and dice potato. Add to pan along with chicken stock, herbs, garlic and pepper. Cook until potatoes soft. Cool and then put through blender until smooth.
Return to pan, add milk and cream. Simmer until heated through. Do not boil. Season to taste.
Serve and dress with grated cheese and parsley.

Hearty Beef and Vegetable Soup

500 gm Chuck Steak
2 heaped tspns Paprika
2 tblspns Vegetable Oil
8 sprigs fresh Thyme
1 chopped Onion
2 Bay Leaves
2 Carrots, chopped coarsely
2 tblspns Tomato Puree
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
300 gr chopped Potatoes
1 tbsp Cumin Seed
2 sticks sliced Celery
1.5 L Beef Stock
1 cup Sour Cream

Method
Brown meat in batches - remove. Add onion and carrot, cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin seed and cook for 2 minutes return meat to pan, add paprika, toss for 3 minutes to coat beef. Add stock, bay leaves, thyme and tomato paste. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour - till meat is tender. Add more stock if required. Add potatoes and celery and cook for 15 minutes. Cook lightly, add sour cream, season to taste. Garnish and serve.