Angela Day
Use these recipes to stock your freezer with handy meals for when unexpected guests arrive.
CINNAMON BUN TRAY BAKE
Serves 10-12
FILLING
100g butter, softened
160ml soft brown sugar
20ml ground cinnamon
DOUGH
750ml cake flour
20ml baking powder
5ml salt
60ml castor sugar
80g butter
1 egg
180-200ml milk
ICING
125ml icing sugar
3ml vanilla essence
water to mix
FILLING: Combine all the ingredients and mix well until creamy.
DOUGH: Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and castor sugar in a bowl.
Add the butter and rub it in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Combine the egg and milk and add to the dry ingredients.
Mix gently to combine and form a dough that is soft but not sticky.
Turn on to a floured surface and knead gently until smooth.
Roll out the dough to a 40 x 25cm rectangle. Spread with the filling. Roll up to form a long sausage shape. Cut into 2cm-thick slices. Pack cut-side down in a greased pan.
Bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes until golden. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before drizzling with the icing.
ICING: Place the icing sugar in a bowl. Add the vanilla and enough water to make a thick spreadable icing.
* lt is best to bake these in the container you are going to freeze them in.
TO SERVE: Defrost at room temperature and pop into a warm oven for 10 minutes to refresh them just before you serve them.
LENTIL AND BUTTERNUT STEW
Serves 4-6
30ml oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
5ml chopped garlic
3 stalks of celery, chopped
250g mushrooms, sliced
500g butternut, peeled and chopped
15ml paprika
3ml cayenne pepper
250ml lentils
45ml tomato purée
750ml vegetable stock
salt and pepper
125ml chopped fresh parsley
Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onion, garlic and celery until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, butternut and spices and fry for a few more minutes.
Add the lentils and tomato purée and stir to combine.
Pour in the stock and season with salt and pepper.
Turn down the heat and simmer until thickened and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
Spoon into suitable freezer containers and cool completely before freezing.
TO SERVE: If possible, remove from the freezer and refrigerate to defrost overnight.
Heat in a pot or in the microwave and add the parsley before serving.
CHICKEN SATAY PIE
Serves 6
30ml peanut oil
1 onion, chopped
5ml chopped garlic
5ml chopped ginger
10ml green curry paste
18 deboned chicken thighs, each sliced into 4
400ml tin of coconut cream
180ml smooth peanut butter
60ml sweet chilli sauce
45ml soy sauce
30-40ml fish sauce
15ml lime juice
125g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces
1 roll of puff pastry
egg wash
Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic and ginger.
Stir in the curry paste and cook for a minute.
Add the chicken and toss to coat in the paste.
Add the coconut cream, peanut butter, sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes over a gentle heat until the chicken is tender.
Remove from the heat and add the fish sauce and lime juice.
While the chicken is cooking, blanch the green beans in boiling water until just tender. Drain and set aside.
When the chicken is cooked, add the green beans.
Spoon the mixture into containers and cool completely. These are best frozen without the pastry on top.
TO SERVE: Unroll the puff pastry and cut it to fit the container.
Place the pastry on a baking tray. Decorate as desired and brush with egg wash.
Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
Heat up the chicken either in the oven or microwave and place the baked pastry on top just before serving.
This way the pastry remains nice and crisp.
BEEF AND BRINJAL STEW
Serves 4-6
125ml olive oil
2 brinjals, cubed
1kg beef shin, cubed
60ml flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
15ml cumin
10ml coriander
45ml tomato paste
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
500ml beef stock
60ml chopped fresh parsley
Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and fry the brinjal, in batches using more oil, until browned. Set aside.
Coat the beef in the seasoned flour.
In a large pot with a lid, heat 30ml olive oil and brown the meat, in batches. Set aside.
Heat 30ml olive oil and fry the onion and garlic until tender, a few minutes.
Add the spices and fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, tin of tomatoes and beef stock. Return the meat to the pot, turn down the heat, cover with the lid and simmer for 2 hours, until meat is tender.
Add the brinjals to the stew and cook for a further 30 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into suitable freezer containers and cool completely before freezing.
TO SERVE: Defrost in the fridge and warm in a pot or in the microwave. Stir in the parsley. Serve with rice or mash.
LOW-CARB CAULIFLOWER CHEESE WITH BACON
Serves 6
250g chopped bacon
700g cauliflower florets
80g butter
45ml coconut flour
5ml Dijon mustard
250ml cream
250ml milk
salt and black pepper
250ml grated cheddar cheese
250ml grated mozzarella cheese
125ml grated Parmesan cheese
Fry the bacon until crispy. Set aside.
Blanch the cauliflower florets until just tender.
Melt the butter in a pot. Stir in the coconut flour and cook for a minute.
Stir in the mustard.
Add the cream and milk and stir until the mixture boils and thickens slightly.
Remove from the heat and season well.
Add the cheddar, mozzarella and half the Parmesan cheese and mix well.
Add the bacon and cauliflower and mix.
Spoon the mixture into containers and top with the remaining grated Parmesan.
When cold, wrap well in cling film and freeze.
TO SERVE: Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and bake straight from the freezer for 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top and heated through.
The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.