06:35 (GMT+2), Sun, Sunday, May 19, 2013

Charl Cooks… for World Baking Day: Red Velvet Cupcakes, and Doreen’s Delicious Braai Bread
Sunday 19 May is World Baking Day, and it reminded me of my love for baking – my love does not translate into natural talent however, and I’m definitely a less confident baker, than cook.
So, this time with no Genoise Sponge (my nemesis from the first year of the feature) in sight, a couple recipes, one sli...
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06:29 (GMT+2), Sun, Sunday, May 19, 2013

Doreen’s Delicious Beer Bread
Originally featured as part of a series of recipes inspired by my on-air colleagues, in this case Doreen Loubser. After a little research for other beer bread recipes, I’ve added the ingredients in brackets, that weren’t in the original – in both cases they simply enhance the final product’s taste and texture. I made the recipe first strictly according to the ori...
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07:18 (GMT+2), Sun, Sunday, May 12, 2013

Charl Cooks… Roasted Butternut soup, Baby Marrow & Bacon soup, and two breads – Feta & rosemary and “Braaibroodjie”
This past week was my birthday, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, and took soup to work instead of the customary “koek n tee”, also intending to use the recipes and pics in this week’s edition. Both of the soups could be eaten cold, b...
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07:03 (GMT+2), Sun, Sunday, May 12, 2013

For the breads:
In each case I used 700-800g of ready-made bread dough (available from most supermarkets) and just mixed in the other ingredients or used them as a topping. In both cases, move the dough to a floured board (with floured hands) and knead out the air in a circular motion (you use both hands to push the dough away from you, then lift back to fold over, while rotating the dough slightly) – work in the he...
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08:05 (GMT+2), Sun, Sunday, May 05, 2013

Charl Cooks... Easy Chicken Pies, Bangers & Mash and Bacon Cheddar & Chive Muffins for Mothers’ Day
I think you would impress Mom if you were to make any of these for her next Sunday. With Dad supervising and allocating tasks according to age, you’ll be fine…
Years ago, I made a deal with Candice when she was visiting from the UK – I swapped her the recipe for Moroccan Chicken Vegetable s...
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08:03 (GMT+2), Sun, Sunday, May 05, 2013

Clever Bangers & Mash
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 3-4cm chunks
1 medium onion, chopped finely
30ml Ina Paarman Green Onion (or vegetable or chicken stock powder/cube)
4 peeled, bruised garlic cloves (optional)
a little vegetable oil for frying
500g pork sausages
15ml plain flour and 5-10ml gravy powder
butter/margarine and milk for the mash
Put the potatoes, onion, garlic and Ina Paarman spice int...
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07:34 (GMT+2), Sun, Sunday, May 05, 2013

Bacon Cheddar & Chive Muffins
300g plain flour
20ml baking powder
5ml salt
30ml sugar
6 slices streaky bacon, cooked till crisp & crumbled/chopped
100g cheddar cheese, grated
Handful chopped chives/spring onion greens
A little chopped fresh parsley (optional)
2 eggs
250ml milk
125ml vegetable oil
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in centre of the mixture. Whisk together t...
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08:07 (GMT+2), Sun, Sunday, April 28, 2013

Charl Cooks… Vegetable Soup, Venison Stew and Custard Tartlets
A visit to George some years ago for the annual Vodashop Cheese Festival saw me trying many things other than cheese – like a nostalgia evoking vegetable and barley soup, I’d never made such a soup, but eaten it many times – so how about it?
It was also hunting season, about which I have mixed feelings – I am in favour of cullin...
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