Super quick - Savoury Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatins are traditionally sweet, made mostly with fruit. I prefer the savoury! Here's my simple dimple recipe: 1 Punnet of cherry tomotoes Freshly ground Salt and Pepper 1t Olive Oil 1t Origanum Sugar Ready Rolled puff pasty 1 egg or 20ml milk (vegetarian option) Here's how to make this super yum tea time treat, starter or breakfast: First thing's first, roll out your puff pastry, keep it thick. Cut out the shape of an oven proof non stick pan, about 30 cm wide, and keep aside. Heat your oven - 180 degrees celcius Once done, heat the Olive Oil in the pan on medium heat Throw in your whole tomotoes with your salt and freshly ground pepper Add your origanum and sprinkle a little sugar Leave on the stove for about 3 mins then place your pastry cut out on top , push down the pastry covering the all the toms. Brush pastry with egg wash or milk for those who wants to keep it vegetarian. Place in oven for about 15 mins or until pasty is golden brown and has puffed. Remove from oven, place a plate on top of the pan and flip. Garnish and enjoy!

Chicken Casserole

This is a quick and easy recipe with minimal prep time, throw it in the oven and enjoy the extra time away from the kitchen. Present a divine meal for dinner which looks and tastes like you spend hours in the kitchen.

What's required:

800g of chicken pieces
Small robot peppers sliced in julienne strips - 1 each
1 can of tomato and onion mix
1/2t of rosemary
2T oil
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
1T of Ginger and Garlic paste
1 cup of parboiled rice
2T of paprika

Method:

Preheat your oven to about 180 degrees. Add all your ingredients (excluding rice) onto a marinex and place your chicken pieces on top. Place in oven uncovered for about 20 minutes.
Remove and add your parboiled rice. Place in oven for about another 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Nothing easier, a full meal that serves 4 in no time and effort.

Carrot Cake

My favourite of all desserts is Carrot Cake. I will have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner....and  most times I eat the whole cake...lol!

Most cakes are dry, some oily...but this is a perfect recipe, or at least I think so...

Ingredients:

250 ml - Oil

300 ml - Sugar

3 - Eggs

2 Cups - Flour

5ml - Bicarbonate of soda

5ml - ground nutmeg

7ml - Ground Cinnamon

10ml - Baking Powder

5 Carrots - Grated

Chopped Pecans - handful

Beat eggs and sugar together and add oil. Sift dry ingredients and add to the liquid mix. Add the grated carrots and pecans.

Pour into a greased baking tin and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour oat 180 degrees celcius.

Icing:

50ml - soft butter

2ml - vanilla essence

700ml - Icing sugar

Mix ingredaients together and ice when cake is cool. For a touch of excellence, add in about 1/2 cup of cream cheese to your icing mix.

Fish Curry

Curried fish is best enjoyed with Barracuda, John Dory or Butter fish. The recipe I have put together is once again slightly different to the original fish curry recipe. The ingredients are not overpowering giving you a perfect balance in taste.

As always, its simple to make and I think tastes good.

Ingredients:

500-800 g of fish or 4 large slices cut into smaller pieces
3T oil
1 can of tomato and onion mix
5 cloves of garlic
2 green chilli (slit in 2)
1t of coriander powder
1/2 t of tumeric powder
2 T of chilli powder (can be adjusted according to your heat level)
1t of freshly crushed ginger
1 pinch of cumin seeds
1t of garam masala
2T of tamarind
1 pinch of mustard seeds
Salt
Handful of freshly chopped coriander

Putting it together:

Heat oil and add your mustard seeds & cumin seeds. As soon as it starts to pop, add your onion and tomato mix, along with your chilli, pressed garlic and crushed ginger. Let simmer for about 5 minutes then add your coriander powder, tumeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala. Mix well and let cook for about 5-8 minutes not letting it burn, add a little water if necessary.
Now add your fish pieces and salt to taste. We don't want to add alot of salt, as the tamarind will make the curry a little salty/sour, about 1t will do and you can add more if required once the curry is nearly done.
Cover and let cook. In the meantime, mix your tamarind with water separating the seed from the paste, use your fingers if you have to.
Once done, pour the tamarind water to the curry using a tea strainer. We are going to let the spices infuse and fish to get a little flaky on medium heat.
It should be ready in 30-45 minutes. Remove from heat and add your coriander leaves.

Enjoy with rice or fresh bread.

Mushrooms Wraps

Mushrooms mmmmm....., I love mushrooms cooked, grilled, braai or just plain raw.

Here's one recipe I know many of you will enjoy especially if you enjoy them.

1 Punnet large brown mushrooms (Portabella)
Garlic Butter
Mozarella
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Streaky bacon
Skewers (soaked in hot water)

Put in about a teaspoon of the garlic butter and a piece of your cheese in each mushroom, add your black pepper and a little salt.
Then, take a piece of the bacon and neatly wrap around the mushroom, putting them in the skewer as
you go.

You can throw them onto the grill on into your oven. Remove once the bacon changes into a golden crisp colour.

Fish Braai

Fresh, simple and bloody delicious.

What I love about this recipe is the smoky flavour the wood fire and ingredients give the fish....

Get your wood fire started...

1 Large filleted or butterflied hake, or you can use the I&J hake fillets (Defrosted)
Sprinkle Robertsons Fish Spice on to the hake before you get your ingredients for the toppings together.

For your toppings:

1 chopped tomato (Large) or 2 medium
1 chopped onion (Medium) or 1/2 large
1 chopped bell pepper
1T of crushed chilli/chilli flakes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1T Crushed Garlic
1T Fish Sauce
1T Lemon juice
2T Oil
1t dried parsley

Place your hake on a large peice of heavy foil, large enough to make a parcel. Ladel the toppings covering the hake pieces in full. Wrap up the fish making a parcel and sealing all the ends.
Throw this on your braai.

Braai for at least 40 minutes without turning.

Oven Grilled Lemon Pork Chops

There's nothing better than scrumptious pork chops with caramalized onion mash on the side.
Its a perfect combination, I must add.

Let's begin by marinating the porkies :

4 Pork Chops
1 - lemon rind and juice
Hot Whole Mustard - 1 T
Salt and peper
Pepperdew  - 1t
Honey - 1T
Brown Sugar - 1t
Oil - 2T
Rosemary - 1/2 t
Breadcrumbs
1 egg

Mix all the ingredients togethers and rub onto your chops. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.

In the meantime, boil up some potatoes for your mash. When nearly ready, add 1/2 cup of water to 1/2 cup of sugar and bring to a boil. Let this reduce down until transparent.
Mush up your potatoes, add a little salt and pepper to taste and throw in your reduced caramalised onion.

Lets get those chops grilled...

Beat you egg on place on one plate and have ready your breadcrumbs in another.

Dip both sides of chops on egg and then breadcrumbs and place on a greased baking tray.

Bake/grill for about 20 minutes on medium heat, flip and bake for another 20.

Absolutely devine!!!