Tuesday 26 June 2012

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.

Friday 9 March 2012

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.

Monday 5 March 2012

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!!!

Friday 17 February 2012

Mince Kebabs

Who doesn't love kebabs?....

If you dont like it....you really dont know what you are missing.

Shop bought kebabs is never good enough, its either too spicy or tasteless....so, I make my own...always!

Here's a recipe of mine, everyone will enjoy:

Ingredients

500g - Ground Mince (Beef/Lamb/Chicken)
1T - vegetable oil
1/2 t - Ground Cumin
1/4 - Onion, finely chopped
1 T - crushed garlic
1/2 t - crushed ginger
1/4 t - tumeric powder
1t - crushed chilli
1 t - freshly chopped coriander
1t  - cayenne pepper
1t - garam masala
Freshly ground pepper
Sea Salt

Miss all your ingredients properly in a bowl and form into little balls. If you like a little more spice in your food, add in 1 teaspoon of chilli powder. Fry the meatballs/kebabs in 2 Tablespoons of oil, on medium heat until golden brown on all sides.

Once done, you can have them with some dipping sauce, perfect for a game night.

I usually add them into a tomato chutney:

1 tin - tomatoes and onion mix
1 fresh chilli
curry leaf
1/2 t - sugar
salt
1/2 t - cumin seeds
1t - crushed garlic
1t - chilli powder

Using the same oil after frying your kebabs, add your cumin seeds, tomato and onion mix, chilli and curry leaf. Let this cook for about 10 minutes. Add your chilli powder and alow to cook further. Add in your sugar, garlic and salt and let it simmer. You can now add in your meatballs. Leave on the heat on low for a further 10 minutes allowing all those flavours from the chutneys get into the kebabs.

Serve with rice or Roti.

Monday 16 January 2012

Baked Haddock

This recipe is super yum, especially if you enjoy fish.

You can use hake and kingklip as well. It brings out such a unique flavour to the fish.

It easy to make and done in 30 minutes.

Here is what you will need:

Olive oil - 1T
Course Salt - 1/4 t
Oyster Sauce - 1t
Soy Sauce - 1t
Chilli flakes - 1/2 t
Dry White Wine - 2 T
Butter - 2T
Garlic
Origanum - 1t
Lemon Pepper - 1/2 t

Add all your ingredients to an ovenproof dish, including your fish of choice. Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degree celcius.

Serve with baby potatoes or fries and a drizzle of lemon juice.

Perfect Lamb Roast

This is an easy recipe for those days you really don't want to stand in your kitchen for hours.

I'm no health freak, and the only veg I eat is cooked or baked. For this roast, I usually cut up some butternut, bell peppers and baby marrow of which I add to my baking tray.

This is what you will need for the roast:

Lamb pieces
Olive Oil - 1T
Sea Salt - 1t
Lemon Pepper - half t
Crushed garlic - 1T
Rosemary - 1t
Freshly ground pepper

Simply add you ingredients onto your roasting tray and place your lamb on top. Add your veg if you are having any and cover with foil.

Roast for about 1 hour, at 150 degrees celcius, turning the meat and veg occasionally.

Serve with mint sauce or any gravy you enjoy!

Leftover Chicken Bake

In my house, I often have a large piece of roast chicken leftover. Instead of throwing it out, I created a yum recipe as a whole new meal for another day.

The great thing about this one, is that you dont have to do much work and its ready in 20 minutes...just the way I like it!!!


This is what you will need:

Olive Oil - 1T
Tomato and Onion Mix - 1 Tin
Sea Salt - 1 pinch
Freshly ground pepper
Origanum - 1t
Sweet Basil - half t
Crushed Chilli - half t
Lemon Juice from half a lemon or 1T of shop bought juice
Crushed Garlic - 1t
Leftover chicken frayed in small pieces


Lets cook...or shall I say bake....

Add all your ingredients into a shallow oven proof dish, including your chicken pieces and place into your preheated oven of 180 degrees celcius for about 20 minutes.

That's it! Literally a 5 minute prep time. Add your bake to a wrap, tortilla or you can make delicious enchiladas.

Simple, easy and fresh!

Thursday 12 January 2012

Yummo Lamb Curry

Lamb is my favourite and my kids enjoy it too!
It tastes good no matter how you prepare it and it's done in 30 - 40 minutes.

I cook my curries a little differently from the traditional ways. I know you will enjoy this one!

What you will need:

Lamb pieces - 1kg sliced in small pieces
Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup
Tomatoes - 2 whole
Onion - 1 Large
Soomph - 2 pinches
2 Bay leafs
Cinnamon Sticks - 2
Star Anise - 3 pieces broken off
Cloves - 3-4
Cumin Seeds - 1 Pinch
Crushed Garlic - 1T
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1T
Garam Masala - 1t
Tumeric Powder - 1/2 t
Chilli Powder - 2T (Increase qty if you like the heat or decrease it if you like it mild)
Crushed Chilli - 1t
Course Salt
Potatoes - 3 cut in halves or quaters(Optional)
Curry Leaf - 1 stem (Optional)
Coriander for garnish - (Optional)

Ingredients may look a lot, but if you enjoy curries, it is so worth it! You can get all of these ingredients at any store.

Lets cook -

In you pot, add your oil, soomph, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cumin seeds, bay leaf and cloves, broken in half (You can find all of these spices in a breyani mix). Let this fry off in low heat. You really dont want to burn these spices. Once a little browned, throw in your sliced onions and chopped tomatoes. This needs to braise a little until your onions are a little transparent and tomatoes are mushy. Add a little water if necessary.

Now, add in your tumeric powder, garam masala, crushed chilli and chilli powder. Do not let this burn, turn down the heat if you have to. Burnt masala will spoil your curry. Let this simmer for a couple of minutes. Add a little water to help it along.

Add in your lamb peices, ginger and garlic paste and salt to taste. Taste for salt as you cook. Let this braise for a few minutes. Add a cup of water to let cook.

The hard part is over. Stir occasionally, ensuring that it doesnt burn or stick to the bottom of the pot. If it does, add a little water.

When you feel your lamb is nearly done, you can add in your potatoes. By the time your potatoes are soft, your lamb will be well cooked. Add salt if required. Letting it simmer down will allow for thick gravy. Once you have that, you can add your crushed garlic and curry leaf, stir and remove from heat.

Let it rest for 5 minutes and garnish with coriander. Your yummo Lamb Curry is ready for serving with rice or roti or just on its own. My mouth is watering...lol!

Quick and Easy Roti (Indian Bread)

This is an extremely easy recipe. Roti tastes devine with curries or when used as a wrap.

Adding a little bit of sugar makes a yum treat for kids with a spread of  jam or a little marg.

All you will need is:

Cake Flour - 3 cups
Unsalted Butter  - 250g (optional Ghee)
Salt - 1 t
Oil - 2 T
Freshly boiled water

Now to make your dough...

You really dont have to sift the flour. Add in your salt, butter and oil to the flour. The butter must be at room temperature.
Mix the ingredients to resemble crumbs. Gradually add the hot water, a little at time and mix as you go.
You want a soft dough that does not stick to your fingers.
When you have the right texture, this is where the kneading comes in. Kneading helps to stretch the dough.

Once that is done you are ready to roll out your rotis.

It isnt as hard as it looks. Make little dough balls, about the size of golfballs, and roll out each dough ball as thinly as you can with your rolling pin on a floured board. Rotis are round in shape, but mapped shaped ones will taste as good.

Once rolled out, they are ready to fry.

Heat up a non stick pan or tawa (disk-shaped griddle), base with a little of the butter and throw on your rolled out roti.

When it puffs up slightly, it's ready to turn. This takes literally a minute  on each side.

Before you know it, you made delicious roti ready to eat with curry or basically whatever you have in your fridge.