KOEKSUSTERS *Cook-Sisters*

Are you ready for some wonderful treats??? The day you taste these you will be hooked, and don't say I didn't warn you ;)

They do take a bit of time to make, but they're well worth it :)

KOEKSUSTERS

The syrup - to be made the day before and left in the fridge to cool.
Boil 3 cups of water with 24g of root ginger. Remove the ginger and add 3 more cups of water. Bring to boil again. Add 2.5 kg (12 cups) of sugar and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and store in fridge.

For the pastry:

6 cups plain flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
125g of margarine
2 eggs
125ml evaporated milk
312ml lukewarm water
A pinch of salt

Mix all the above together and knead well, then leave to rest.

The method:

Roll the dough flat into an oval/square until it is 5mm thick. Cut the dough into strips 2.5cm across. Then cut these strips into lengths of 6cm so that you are left with rectangles 2.5cm x 6cm
Make two cuts along the length of the rectangles so that you can braid them – you are aiming for a braid similar to a 3-strand hair braid! When you have plaited each one, press the tree strands together firmly at each end so that they do not come undone.
Deep-fry each koeksuster in hot oil until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and dip the whole cooked koeksuster immediately into your cool syrup. Remove from the syrup and allow to cool on a paper towels before eating.

Hay and Straw!!!

I know, the name is catchy isn't it??? But it's really just a pasta dish with ham and some peas, it's yummy :)

It's one of those fast meals you can make when you're in a hurry, but still tastes wonderful ;)

HAY AND STRAW

1 package (16 ounces) linguine
2 cups julienned fully cooked ham
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
3 cups frozen peas
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup whipping cream

Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large skillet, saute ham in butter for 3 minutes.

Add peas; heat through. Drain linguine; toss with ham mixture, Parmesan cheese and cream.

Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

Monterey Chicken

So have you ever gone to Chili's...well I'm sure you have, but anyway, have you ever gone there and ordered the Monterey Chicken??? You know the yummy one with the chicken breast covered in bacon and cheese and then topped with green onions and it's served with Garlic Mashed Potatoes??? (at least mine always is lol)

Well it's my favorite Chili's dish, it's what I always have, so when I was looking through my new "Fix it and Enjoy it" cookbook and I saw the recipe, I just knew I had to try it.

Try I did, last night, and there were a few mumblings around the table, not in a bad way, because I set the chicken down and said "Don't touch it, I need to get a picture for the blog" and before I came back with the camera, the chicken was almost gone.....YEAH, it tastes JUST like Chili's and OH.MY.WORD is all I can say.

So here you go, try it, you might be lucky and have your hubby say what mine did...."Sandra, you ROCK, from now on whenever you serve chicken in this house, THIS is how I want it". LOL

MONTEREY CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 1 1/2 lbs. total
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup bottled barbecue sauce
4-8 slices cooked bacon, according to your taste preference
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced

Heat oven to 350 º.

Place chicken in a single layer in a greased baking dish.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon on the barbecue sauce.

Bake in oven for 25 minutes, or until all pink is gone.

Top each breast half with 1 or 2 slices of cooked bacon. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake in oven 5 more minutes.

Top each breast half with fresh scallions.

Makes 4 servings

Menu Plan Monday!!!

Well it's monday and time to share our menus. Thank you Laura, my sweet friend over at "I'm an Organizing Junkie" for hosting this each week, I've come to look foward to seeing everyone's menus :)

So here is mine, enjoy, well....I'll enjoy LOL You know what I mean :)

Chunky Chili

This is the chili I made yesterday, it's pretty good, the kids and hubby really enjoyed it.

I got it from one of my new Crockpot cookbooks, enjoy!!!

CHUNKY CHILI

1 pound 90% lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cans (16 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 diced onions
4 teaspoons sliced black olives

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add beef and onion, cook until beef is browned and onion tender. Drain fat. Place beef mixture, chili powder, tomatoes, beans and salsa in slow cooker; stir.

Cover; cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours or until flavors are blended and chili is bubbly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cheese, onions and olives.


NOTE: I changed a few things in mine, I used ground pork instead of beef and I also used 1 can of diced tomatoes and one can of diced tomatoes & green chilies. It's really good :)