Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (by MAK)

Ingredients:

1. 4 Eggs
2. 1 ¼ vegetable oil
3. 3 cups grated carrots
4. 2 cups granulated sugar (or 1 cup packed brown and ½ cup granulated sugar)
5. 2 cups all purpose flour
6. 2 tsp baking powder
7. 2 tsp baking soda
8. 2 tsp ground cinnamon
9. 1 tsp vanilla
10. 1 tsp salt
11. 1 small can pineapple of tidbits (or cut pineapple rings into small pieces)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, mix egg, oil, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and slowly add to egg mixture using a wooden spoon until all ingredients are blended. The batter will become quite thick. Finally, add carrots (and pineapple, optional) until blended
• Bake in two round pans (or one rectangular pan) for about 50 minutes (the tops will appear golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry). Let cool for at least 1 hour before frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. 2 pkgs Philadelphia Cream Cheese
2. ½ cup of butter (one stick)
3. 3 cups of icing sugar

Method:

• Let cream cheese and butter stand at room temperature for about 2 hours. Combine cream cheese and butter together until smooth using an electric hand mixer on medium speed. Sift icing sugar and combine with cream cheese mixture until fully blended

Green Pepper & Spinach Stew (by Kat Ilunga)

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium onion, chopped
2. 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or olive oil)
4. 1 medium tomato, chopped
5. 1 pound fresh spinach
6. 3/4 teaspoon salt
7. 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Method:

• Cook and stir onion and green pepper in oil in 3-quart saucepan until onion is tender
• Add tomato and spinach
• Cover and simmer until spinach is tender, about 5 minutes
• Stir in salt and pepper
• Let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes
• Serve with bread or chappati

Vegetable Mediterranean Pasta (by Gabriella Ferraro)

This recipe is quick – easy and very good Ingredients:

1. Olive oil
2. 2 – 3 Zucchini
3. 1 Orange Pepper
4. 1 Yellow Pepper
5. Salt and pepper (to taste)
6. 1 egg – (yellow)
7. 1 plain Yogurt (small)
8. Grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

• Boil salted water for the pasta and at the same time start preparing the vegetables and the sauce
• Put some Olive oil in a pan
• Sauté the cut Zucchinis and Peppers for 4 to 5 minutes maximum
• In a bowl – pour the yogurt with the egg (yellow) then mix together and add the grated Parmesan cheese to your taste with a bit of salt and pepper
• Add the sauce to the vegetables and let simmer a couple of minutes
• When pasta is ready – just add it to the sauce

Tomato & Cilantro Sauce (by Gabriella Ferraro)

Ingredients:

1. Olive oil
2. 2 onions
3. 4-5 Cloves of garlic
4. ½ can of tomato paste
5. Water
6. Salt and pepper (to taste)
7. ¼ cup white wine
8. 8 – 10 drops of Tabasco red pepper sauce
9. 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (drained)
10. 1 ¼ cup Tomato purée
11. Bunch of Cilantro

Method:

• Stir and cook onions in olive oil until brown, 8 minutes
• Add the cloves of garlic, stir 2 minutes
• Add 3 table spoons of tomato paste and an equal quantity of water
• Add the pepper, Tabasco sauce and white wine
• Add and mix the drained tomatoes and the tomato purée
• To finish up, cut half a bunch of Cilantro and add into the sauce
• Let it simmer for 20 minutes

Mutton Biryani (East African Style)

Ingredients: Mutton Masala:

1. 2 lb mutton on the bone cut into 2 inch pieces
2. 1/2 cup yogurt
3. 2 inches ginger grated
4. 6 cloves garlic minced
5. 5 chillies minced
6. 1/2 tsp saffron
7. 8 large tomatoes (blanched, peeled and liquidised)
8. 12 small potatoes (extra oil to fry)
9. 2 tbsp oil
10. 2 sticks cinnamon
11. 4 pods cardamom
12. 5 cloves
13. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
14. 8 medium onions, minced fine in a food processor
15. 2 tsp coriander/cumin powder
16. 1/2 tsp turmeric
17. 1 tsp garam masala (blend of cloves, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon)
18. salt to taste

Rice:

1. 3 cups basmati rice; washed well; and soaked in water for 30 mins
2. 1 tbsp oil
3. 1 tsp cumin
4. 1/2 tsp saffron soaked in a little warm water
5. salt to taste

Method:

• Marinate the mutton in yogurt, garlic, ginger, green chillies, half the tomatoes and saffron overnight if possible; minimum of 2 hours
• Deep fry the potatoes, these don't have to be cooked through, as long as the surface is sealed
• Pressure cook the mutton, or boil until tender
• Heat the oil in a pan, add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves; cumin seeds, cook for about 3 minutes, the cloves and cardamom should have puffed up
• Add the onions and fry until they are a rich golden brown, this is more important for biryani masala. You can buy pre-fried onions if you want - available in Indian shops
• Add the other half of tomatoes, cook for about 5 minutes, add the turmeric, cumin/coriander powders
• Add the cooked mutton and the potatoes, mix, making sure that meat and potatoes are coated with the tomato/onion sauce. Cook for 30 minutes
• Meanwhile cook the rice, add 1 and ½ cups of water per cup of rice for 15 minutes
• Layer mutton mixture and rice alternatively
• Heat some oil in a frying pan, add the cumin, pour the oil and cumin mixture on the rice
• Pour the saffron and water mixture on the rice
• Put in oven for about 10 mins
• Serve
• You can also serve rice and mutton mixture separately

Jalapeno Cheese Shortbread

Preparation time: 20 minutes Flaky appetizers with a jalapeno zing, ideal with tea, they are best served the day they are made. Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup shredded strong cheddar cheese (125 mL)
2. 1/2 large fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped coarsely
3. 3/4 cup all purpose flour (175 mL)
4. 1/4 tsp dry mustard (1 mL)
5. 1/4 tsp pepper (1 mL)
6. 1/3 cup Butter (salted), cold and in pieces (75 mL)

Method:

• In food processor, pulse cheese and jalapeno together finely chopped. Add flour, mustard and pepper. Pulse just to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with butter the size of peas.
• Pour in 3 tablespoons (45 mL) of ice water. Pulse just until dough starts to hold together, adding up to 1 tbsp (15 mL) more water if dough seems dry.
• Shape into disc. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, 2 hours or for up to 24 hours (disc can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw in fridge before rolling).
• Preheat oven to 375F (190C)
• Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Dusting with flour to prevent sticking, roll dough to ¼-inch (5mm) thickness. Using 2-inch (5 cm) cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Transfer to parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
• Bake in centre of oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Makes about 20 shortbread.