No Knead Easy Fridge Bread

By Insider: Ingrid Meine

Insider Ingrid Meine’s No Knead Easy Fridge Bread. Photo: Supplied

Ingredients

1 kg white flour

2 tspn yeast

900 ml warm water

Method

Mix flour with yeast and add warm water.

Mix in a container which allows the mixture to double in size. 

Cover the container with clingfilm and place it in the fridge overnight.

The following day, divide mixture between 2 x medium size bread pans (Do not stir mixture and handle dough gently to maintain as much air as possible). 

Bake at 180℃ for 1 hour.

Sweet Potato Bake 

By Insider: Anne Kellner

Insider Anne Kellner’s Sweet Potato Bake. Photo: Supplied

Ingredients

500 grams grated sweet potato

1 chopped onion

1 sliced tomato

1 cup flour

1/2 cup oil

1 cup grated cheese

4 eggs

5 ml salt

2.5 ml pepper

5 ml baking powder

5 ml dried herbs

Method

Mix sweet potato, onion, flour, grated cheese, salt, pepper, baking powder and dried herbs in a large bowl.

Add oil and eggs.

Mix and pour the batter into an oven proof dish. 

Put sliced tomatoes on top and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 50 minutes.

Also tastes good using grated carrots or butternut. 

Comforting Coconut Cake 

By Insider: Glenda Caine

Ingredients

Cake Batter:

60 g butter

125 ml sugar

3 egg yolks

375 ml self raising flour

+- 130 ml milk

Coconut Topping:

3 egg whites, from above

125 ml caster sugar

250 ml coconut

Method

Cream butter and sugar, add egg yolks and stir in flour alternately with milk until a sticky batter consistency is created.

Spread the batter into the cake tin.

Beat the egg whites for the topping with caster sugar and then fold in the desiccated coconut.

Spread this meringue-like topping over cake making some peaks (if you are up to it).

Bake for about 35 minutes at 180 ℃ and then allow to rest in the tin until cool.

Sister Columba’s Tea Loaf

By Insider: Hilary Phillips

Ingredients

1 cup bran flakes or bran sticks (any brand)

1 cup caramel sugar

1 cup sultanas or sultanas & raisins mixed

1 cup full cream milk

1 egg

1 cup self-raising flour

Method

Mix bran flakes, sugar, sultanas and milk in a bowl.

Cover and leave to soften for not less than two hours (overnight in the fridge for best results). When ready to bake, prepare a loaf tin with non-stick spray. 

Then add to the combined and softened mix: the lightly beaten egg and self-raising flour. Turn into the loaf tin and bake for about 1 and a 1/4 hrs at 200 ℃, or equivalent. Test with a skewer. If not quite dry when removed (ovens differ slightly) allow 5 extra minutes baking time. 

Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and allow to cool. 

Insert and run a kitchen knife between loaf and tin. 

Invert tin and tap gently against the counter-top to loosen the base of the loaf. 

Place loaf right-side-up on a rack and leave until cool and allow a crisp crust to form . 

Slice, butter (or not if preferred) and enjoy!

‘Stay At Home’ Fruit Cake 

By Insider: Glenda Caine

Ingredients

350 g mixed raisins or sultanas

120 g brown sugar, or white if its all you’ve got

250 ml cold tea

125 g self raising flour

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

Method

Soak fruit and sugar in cold tea overnight. The next day, grease and line a loaf tin or cake tin. Mix egg and flour into a wet mix and stir well, add cinnamon.

Pour into the tin and bake at 180 ℃ for about an hour and a half.

Test with a thin knife or knitting needle to check that there is no goo on the knife or needle.

Eat it warm from the oven or cold with butter.

Vegan Rusks

By Insider: Caroline Addenbrooke

Insider Caroline Addenbrooke’s vegan rusks. Photo: Supplied

Ingredients

3 cups flour

2 Tbsp baking powder

½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp chia seeds

¼ cup sunflower seeds

½ tsp salt

1 cup soya milk

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 cup coconut oil

1 Tbsp ground linseed

*All ingredients will keep for a few months in your pantry, so you can stock up if you feel you need to.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 ℃.

Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, chia seeds, sunflower seeds and salt) in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients (soya milk, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, ground linseed). You will need to warm the coconut oil so that it melts.

Slowly add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir.

When thoroughly mixed (finish off with your hands), place the dough on an oven tray that has been lightly greased with coconut oil. 

Flatten the mixture to a thickness of about 1.5 cm and bake in the oven for 10 minutes or so, until the top is lightly brown.

Remove from the oven, lower the temperature to 100 degrees celsius and cut your rusks into logs, separating them slightly so they will bake through.

Pop the tray back into the oven for 3﹣4 hours. 

When done, cool on a rack: the rusks will turn hard when cool.

Chocolate Depression Cake

By Insider: Debby O’Regan

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp white vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

Method

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. 

In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, vinegar, oil and water. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until completely combined (no lumps!). 

Pour batter into a greased 20 x 20cm square pan. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 ℃ for 30﹣35 mins (until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean). 

Let the cake cool completely before dusting with icing sugar, topping with fruit and whipped cream or any icing of your choice.

Easy Tuna Dish

By Insider: Tessa van Rooyen

Ingredients

Tinned tuna (either in brine or oil)

1 cup Tastic rice, cooked

Fresh thyme

1 tsp dry mustard

Squeeze of lemon

1 chopped onion

½ chopped green pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Saute onion and green pepper until soft. Add rice, drained tuna, thyme, mustard, lemon juice and stir well to combine. Lower heat slightly before adding rice mixture. You can also add frozen peas to bulk up the meal.

All Bran Rusks

By Insider: Elsabe Booyens

Insider Elsabe Booyens’ All Bran rusks. Photo: Supplied

Ingredients

1 cup self-raising flour

4 cups All Bran Flakes

2 cups brown sugar 

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder 

500 grams of margarine, melted in microwave 

2 cups buttermilk

200ml oil 

1 cup raisins 

Method

Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Put mixture into a rusk pan 33 x 45 cm (we like thinner rusks so we use 2 pans). With the rusk cutter (comes with a rusk pan) press in the shapes for your rusk, alternatively cut required shape in with an oiled sharp knife.

Bake for 30 minutes at 180 ℃.

Allow the risks to cool off completely before you break into individual rusks. Pack onto oven racks and dry out for a minimum 4 hours at 70 degrees celsius.

*Important note

The rusks must be completely cooled before you cut into individual pieces. 

They are extremely fragile before they have been dried. Handle with care. 

This Is Not A Risotto

By Insider: Glenda Caine

Ingredients

4 cups cooked white rice

2  chopped onions

2 or 3 cloves crushed garlic

1 tin crushed tomatoes

1 red pepper

Finely chopped chilli or two 

Salt, pepper, bay leaf,  paprika to taste and a bit of sugar to soften tomatoes

Squirt of tomato paste

Oil for frying

Chopped parsley or coriander 

Method

Heat oil and fry onion till soft, stir in garlic and the chopped pepper and cook until pepper is soft (try not to burn garlic).

Add tomatoes and seasoning and taste and cook sauce slowly until thick.

Stir in cooked rice and leave on a low heat for a short while.

Remove bay leaf, taste for seasoning and garnish with chopped coriander or tomato.

Serve with grilled meat or a thick slice of toast.

‘X Factor’ Baked Beans

By Insider: Kim Brett

“This easy recipe takes humble baked beans to a whole new level!”

Ingredients

Tinned baked beans

Coriander

Garlic

Chilli

Method

Briefly fry the crushed garlic. 

Add tinned beans, a handful (or two) of chopped coriander (or dried, if you don’t have fresh) and a good dose of chilli (fresh, dried, or in a sauce). 

You can serve with a sprinkling of cheese for extra flavour. 

I eat these straight out of the pot and they are delicious warmed up the next day too.

Wicky Wacky vegan chocolate cake

By Insider: Astrid von Kotze

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

6 Tablespoons veg oil

1 cup water

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients in the baking tin. Add the wet ingredients and mix well (saying “wicky wacky….”). Bake at 350℃ for 30-40 minutes. Once cool, decorate with icing (icing sugar and water and colouring).

This is a great recipe to make with kids because as you add the liquid the flour/cocoa mix goes very dark. DM

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