Starter: stuffed brown mushrooms

Preparation time: 15-20 min
Baking time: 20 min
Serves 4

You will need
6 large brown mushrooms, wiped
80 ml (⅓ cup) melted butter
6 small rosemary or thyme sprigs
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
12 Italian salami slices
salt and freshly ground black pepper
80 ml (⅓ cup) Percorino cheese, grated
45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh breadcrumbs
15 ml (1 tbsp) wholegrain mustard (optional)
Garnish with flat leave parsley

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Remove the mushrooms stems and arrange the caps on a greased baking sheet stem side up. Generously brush each mushroom with butter, put  a rosemary or thyme sprig on each and bake for 10 minutes. Chop the stems and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining butter and fry the onion, garlic and chopped mushrooms stems for a few minutes. Add the half the 6 salami slices that are chopped and fry until done. Lightly season with salt and pepper and cool slightly.
3. Add the cheese, breadcrumbs and wholegrain mustard to the onion mix. Fill each mushroom cap with two salami slices and add a generous amount of stuffing on top. Bake for 8 to10 minutes or until done and the cheese has melted. Garnish with parsley and enjoy.

Main: Roasted duck with veggie stir fry

Serves 4

You will need:
1 L (4 cups) chicken stock
250 ml Kikkoman-soya sauce
250 ml brown sugar
5 cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 whole garlic, peeled
1 cinnamon stick
1 star aniseed
Rind of 1 lemon
1 whole Duck
Stir-fry
30 ml (2 tbsp) oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3-4 red chilies, chopped
30 ml (2 tbsp) peeled and grated ginger
4 carrots, cut into sticks
1 each green and red pepper, cored and cut into strips
100 g sugar snap peas
60 ml (4 tbsp) soy sauce
60 ml (4 tbsp) teriyaki sauce
375 ml (1 bottle) sweet chili sauce
2 kg roasted duck, cut into pieces
750 ml (3 cups) cooked  noodles

Method
1. Duck: heat the chicken stock in a saucepan that is big enough to fit the whole duck in it too. Add the soya sauce, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon stick, lemon peel and the star aniseed to the stock.  Heat the stock until boiling point, lower the heat and place the duck in the stock. (The duck should be totally covered by the stock). Simmer it for about 50minutes without the lid.
2. Remove the duck and place it on a cooling rack into the fridge to totally cool off. Preheat the oven to 160 ºC.  Once the duck is cooled, place it into a roasting dish and roast it uncovered for 3 hours.  When it is done, take it out and let it rest before carving. Carve the duck into slices, place it on a bed of rice and pour the sauce over and around the duck. Serve warm.
3. Stir fry: heat the oil and sauté the garlic, ginger and chilies for a minute until fragrant. Add the veggies and stir for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sauces and stir some more. Add the cooked duck and spaghetti or noodles stirring until combined and heated through. Serve warm

Mini black forest cakes

Preparation time: 10 min
Baking time: 18 min
Serves 12

You will need:
6 eggs
250 ml (1 cup) castor sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
125 ml (½ cup) cake flour
125 ml (½ cup) cocoa powder
125 ml (½ cup) melted butter
60 ml (¼ cup) cherry brandy
1 L (4 cups) fresh cream
60 ml-125 ml (¼ – ½ cup) castor sugar
500 g tinned pitted black cherries or 500 ml (2 cups) raspberries
Decorate with
100 g fresh black cherries and mint leaves

Method:
1. Mini cakes: preheat the oven to 180°C and line the bottom of a muffin pan with wax paper. Lightly grease each wax paper and sides of each muffin hollow.  Beat the eggs, gradually adding the castor sugar with an electric mixer until thickened and pale in colour. Add the vanilla essence and beat until combined. This is the most important step since the eggs are the only leavening or raising agent.
2. Sift the cake flour and cocoa powder together and lightly fold into the egg mixture. Add the melted butter and fold in thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the prepared muffin tin and bake for12 to 18 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
3. Let them stand in the tins for 5 minutes, gently turn over onto a cooling rack and allow to cool. Carefully cut each muffin horizontally in two to make three layers with a breadknife or a serrated knife. Sprinkle the cherry brandy over each 3 layers.
4. Cream mixture: beat the cream and castor sugar together until stiff. Fold pitted black cherries into the mixture. Stack the muffins and cream mixture in layers and finish off with a creamy topping. Decorate with black cherries and mint leaves.