Savoy cabbage, courgette & runner bean stir-fry

Ingredients:

1 small or half a large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 medium courgette, sliced
4 runner beans, chopped
3-4 Savoy cabbage leaves, cut into 1cm strips
olive oil
vegetable stock powder

Method:

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add the onion and garlic and sautee over medium heat until soft and translucent.

Add the runner beans and courgette and continue to sautee for a further 3-4 minutes.  Add the cabbage, stir fry for another minute, then add enough water just to cover the base of the pan.  Sprinkle half a teaspoon of vegetable stock powder over the vegetables and steam fry until all the water has evaporated and the vegetables are tender but retain some crunch.  If you wish, grate a little Parmesan cheese over the vegetables and serve hot.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 11:18 ص تحت قسم

Mini pistachio tarts for a WTSIM picnic

FOR THE FILLING:

100g golden syrup
150g granulated sugar
75g butter
3 Tbsp clear honey
3 Tbsp rum
pinch of salt
3 eggs
150g pistachio nuts

FOR THE PASTRY:

200g cake flour
50g icing sugar
pinch of salt
100g unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp iced water

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Rub the butter into the flour and other dry ingredients.  Add the lightly beaten egg yolk and water, mix well and knead lightly until the dough comes together.  Roll the dough out to about 3mm thickness and press into lightly greased loose-bottomed mini fluted flan tins.  Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes if you can.

Gently heat the syrup, butter, honey, rum and salt.  When the mixture is warm, dissolve the sugar in it – make sure the sugar if totally dissolved before removing from the heat.  Once it has cooled a little, whisk in the eggs and nuts.

Fill the pastry cases with the pistachio mixture and bake for 15 minutes or until set (As I only had 4 mini fluted flan dishes,  I used the remaining pastry and filling to make the slightly larger square tart pictured below – it took a little longer to cook).

Serve warm with a good dollop of double or clotted cream.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 11:13 ص تحت قسم

Potato salad with chive flowers and my Pinterest love affair

Ingredients

• about 1kg of salad potatoes
• 4-6 heaped tablespoons of good mayonnaise
• a good handful of chive leaves
• about 8 chive flowerheads
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Steam the potatoes unpeeled until soft enough to poke a knife right through them. run cold water over them until cool enough to handle, then peel them. Chop into cubes and place in a salad bowl.
2. Rinse the chive leaves and flower stems and snip into the salad bowl using a pair of scissors.
3. Add the mayonnaise, salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Rinse the flower heads and pull off the individual purple flowers. Scatter over the salad and serve.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 11:08 ص تحت قسم

Sautéed Brussels sprouts – do it right

Ingredients

• About 600g Brussels sprouts
• 4 shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• olive oil
• vegetable stock cube/powder

Instructions

1. Clean the Brussels sprouts and cut each one vertically in half.  Finely chop the shallots and crush the garlic.
2. In a large flat-bottomed frying pan, heat enough oil to cover the base of the pan.  Place the Brussels sprouts in the pan, cut side down, in a single layer.  Scatter the chopped shallots and garlic over the sprouts.
3. When the sprouts are just starting to caramelise (you will smell them), turn them over and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
4. Add enough water to just cover the base of the pan with about 1mm of water and crumble half a vegetable stock cube into the pan (I used Kallo organic vegetable stock cubes). Give the pan a good stir and then allow to steam-fry until all the liquid has cooked off and the sprouts are tender.  Serve hot.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 11:06 ص تحت قسم

Rhubarb and pear muffins

Ingredients

150g (1 cup) wholemeal self-raising flour

• 150g (1 cup) white self-raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 115g (½ cup) + 1 Tbsp sugar (I used golden caster)
• 45 g (3 Tbsp) butter, melted
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp runny honey
• 250ml (1 cup) milk (I used full cream)
• 2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 2cm lengths
• 1 pear, peeled and cut into small cubes

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C.
2. Stir 1 Tbsp of the caster sugar into the chopped rhubarb.
3. Mix both flours, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg into a large bowl, then add the sugar.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the butter, egg, honey and milk. Pour this mix into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined but do not overmix.
5. Fold the rhubarb and pear into the mix – the mixture will be quite dense and relatively dry, rather than a batter. Don’t worry! The rhubarb will release moisture as it bakes.
6. Spoon the mixture into lightly greased muffin tins (12 standard or 6 jumbo muffin cups).
7. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden – test by checking if a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Allow to fool for 5 minutes, then run a palette knife round the rip of each muffin cup and remove from the tin.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 11:05 ص تحت قسم

Moroccan-spiced roasted vegetables

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized aubergine
2 courgettes
1 large red onion
half a butternut sqush, peeled and deseeded
olive oil

FOR THE MOROCCAN SPICE MIX:

2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chile powder (I used Osman's chilli powder that a friend brought from South Africa)
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I omitted this as I had none)
a pinch ground cloves
1/2 tsp sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Chop all the vegetables into bite-sized chunks and place in a bowl.  Add a good glug of olive oil and 2-3 tablespoons of the Moroccan spice mix, depending on how spicy you want your vegeteables.  Using your hands, toss the vegetables in the oil and spices until they are thoroughly coated.

Turn the vegetables out onto a foil-lined roasting tray and plae in the centre of the oven.  Roast for about 40 minutes, or until the butternut squash chunks are tender.  Serve on couscous, or as a side dish with chicken or fish.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 11:00 ص تحت قسم

Spicy Moroccan chicken tagine

Ingredients

• 2kg chicken pieces (I used drumsticks and thighs)
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 5 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp paprika
• 4 Tbsp ground ginger
• 3 Tbsp turmeric
• 5 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 Tbsp argan oil (I used sunflower)
• 6 large onions, finely diced
• 9 cloves garlic, minced
• 500ml tomato juice
• 3x400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 300g dried apricots, halved
• 150g raisins or sultanas
• 2 preserved lemons, chopped
• 200 g blanched flaked almonds
• 2 tsp strands saffron, soaked in cold water
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 3 Tbsp clear honey

Instructions

1. Place the cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix. Cover with cling film and leave overnight in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 150C.
3. Heat 3 Tbsp each of the olive oil and argan oil in a large casserole dish that can be used on the stove top or in the oven. Add the onions and the remaining spice mix and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes until the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the garlic for the final 3 minutes.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy griddle pan and when it is really hot place the chicken pieces skin side down in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes (use a splatter screen – it’s going to sizzle and spit!). Turn over and cook for another 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and place in the casserole dish.
5. Pour 250ml tomato juice into the griddle pan and stir well, scraping up all the bits on the bottom, then pour the contents of the pan into the casserole dish.
6. Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, preserved lemon, raisins, flaked almonds, saffron, stock and honey to the casserole dish. Bring to the boil, cover with a tightly fitting lid and cook in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 10:58 ص تحت قسم

Bunny chow – South Africa’s own street food

Ingredients:

1 kg lamb, cubed 
1 medium onion, sliced thinly into rings 
2 large tomatoes or 1x400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp vegetable oil 
2-3 curry leaves 
1 stick cinnamon
4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed 
1.5 tsp crushed ginger 
1.5 tsp crushed garlic 
4 tsp Durban masala (or substitute shop-bought curry powder,as hot or mild as you like) 
1 tsp ground turmeric 
2 tsp garam masala 
3-4 potatoes, cubed 
Salt 
1 or 2 (depending on the size) crusty, square loaves of bread
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Cube the meat and slice the onion; peel and dice the tomato.

Heat the oil and add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, onion and curry leaves. Fry until the onion is light golden brown in colour.

Add the masala mix (or curry powder), turmeric, ginger, garlic and tomato.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mix resembles a puree.

Add the meat and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the poatoes and about 1/4 cup of water.  Lower the heat and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender and the potatoes cooked.  Keep an eye on it to make sure the bottom of the pot does not burn.

When the meat is cooked through and the potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes), add the garam masala mixture. Test for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Simmer for a further 10 minutes on a low heat.

In the meantime, take a fresh loaf of white bread  – it needs to be crusty on the outside with a nice, soft crumb.  Little farmouse loaves half the size of standard loaves are ideal.  Halve the loaf and scoop out the soft white crumb, leaving the crust to form a "bowl". 

Spoon the curry into the half loaf and serve, garnished with coriander leaves.  The soft crumb can be dipped into the curry and eaten as well.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 10:25 ص تحت قسم

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart

Ingredients

• 250ml Orley Whip, whipped to soft peaks
• 2 packets of Tennis biscuits (although you will probably use less)
• 375g tin of caramelised condensed milk
• 20ml caster sugar
• 3 Peppermint Crisp chocolate bars, crushed
• 3-4 drops of peppermint essence (more, if you like))

Instructions

1. Whip the Orley Whip and then add the caramelised condensed milk, castor sugar and peppermint essence.  Beat until well mixed and then stir in ⅔ of the crushed Peppermint Crisp.
2. Place a layer of whole tennis biscuits in a buttered 29x19x5cm dish.  Spoon ⅓ of the caramel mix over the buscuits and spread evenly.  Continue in layers, finishing with a layer of filling on top.
3. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Decorate by sprinkling the remainder of crushed peppermint crisp on top.  Cut into squares and serve.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 10:23 ص تحت قسم

Be thankful for… decadent flourless chocolate cake

Ingredients

225g good quality dark chocolate, chopped
100g unsalted butter
175g icing sugar, sifted
4 large free range eggs, separated
mascarpone to serve

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180C and grease a loose-bottomed 25cm cake tin

In a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, melt the chocolate and butter together.  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and icing sugar together until they are creamy.  Fold the melted chocolate into the egg mix.

In a clean bowl (and using a clean whisk), whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold the egg whites gradually into the chocolate mix, in three or four portions. 

Using a spatula, pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake at 180C for about 30 minutes, until the top of the cake is slightly cracked but it is still gooey in the middle.  Allow the cake to cool on a rack and then remove from the tin.

Sprinkle with sifted icing sugar, cut and serve with a dollop of mascarpone.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 10:21 ص تحت قسم

Pasta with gingered prawns, mange tout and sake

Ingredients

750g uncooked medium prawns (or 500g frozen cooked prawns)
2 stems fresh lemon grass, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground ginger
200g sugar snaps or mange tout
500g pasta
2 tsp peanut oil

For the sauce:

1 tsp cornflour
2.5 Tbsp water
1/3 cup sake or vodka
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
70g butter (or margarine – see above)

Method

If you are using uncooked prawns, shell and devein them, but leave the tails intact.  If using frozen prawns, defrost thoroughly and blot with paper towels to remove as muich moisture as possible.

Combine the prawns, lemon grass, coriander and ginger in a bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two.

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and steam the peas till just tender.  (You may want to cut them in half as I did, to make eating easier.)

To make the butter sauce, combine the cornflour (which you have already blended with the water), sake, lemon juice and grated ginger in a small saucepan.  Stir continuously until the sauce boils and thickens.  Remove from the heat and stir in the butter/marge until it is melted.  Keep warm.

Heat the oil a wok or large frying pan.  Add the prawn mixture and stir-fry until the prawns are cooked (or heated, in the case of frozen prawns) through.  Add the peas, pasta and butter sauce and heat through, mixing thoroughly.  Serve immediately.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 9:58 ص تحت قسم

Low-fat banana walnut muffins – the Muffins of Good

Ingredients:

150g self-raising wholemeal flour
150g self-raising white flour
2 tablespoons soft light brown sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
65g walnuts, chopped
3 large ripe bananas, peeled
3 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
5 Tbsp soured cream
2 Tbsp clear honey

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 200C (400F).  Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line the cups with paper muffin gcases. 

Mix flours, sugar and walnuts in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher until fairly smooth, then stir in the oil, eggs, soured cream and honey.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix briefly, unilt just combined.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it equally.  Sprinkle each muffin with a little sugar.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until risen and golden.  Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 9:51 ص تحت قسم

Creamy chicken, pea & pesto pasta recipe

Ingredients

• enough pasta for 2 people (I used strozzapreti pasta which really grips the sauce)
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• ¾ cup fresh (or frozen) peas
• a little flour
• 125ml single cream
• 2-generous Tbsp basil pesto
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• grated Parmiggiano cheese to serve

Instructions

1. Prepare the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water according to the package instructions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan and add the shallots and garlic. Sautée over medium heat for a few minutes, then add the cubed chicken. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are soft and translucent (but do NOT brown them).
3. Add the peas and continue stirring for a few minutes. When the peas start to soften, stir in the flour – enough so that all the liquid in the pan is absorbed. Stir constantly to prevent lumps.
4. Stir in the cream a little at a time, stirring continuously, then stir in the pesto and mix well. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a few spoonfuls of the pasta cooking water.
5. When the sauce has reached the desired consistency, turn off the heat, check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.
6. Drain the pasta and return it to the cooking pot. Add the sauce to the pasta and mix well. Divide the pasta among two serving bowls and serve.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 9:46 ص تحت قسم

Pattypan squash pasta with capers, chilli and Parmesan

Ingredients

• good quality tagliatelle or linguine pasta – enough for 2 people
• 2 pattypan squashes (about 8cm in diameter)
• 1 medium courgette (or use a third pattypan instead)
• pinch of chilli flakes
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 heaped Tbsp capers
• Parmesan shavings to serve
• A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Rinse the squashes and using the sharpest knife you have, slice them lengthways into thin slices. (You could use a vegetable peeler or mandolin for this, but if the slices are too thin they tend to fall apart when you sautée them.)
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions while you make the sauce.
3. Heat the chilli flakes in a dry frying pan until you can start to smell them, then add the oil.
4. When the oil is hot, add the pattypan squash slices and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring constantly, then add the garlic and continue to cook until the slices are pliable but not disintegrating. (If the squash slices stick to the pan, add a spoon or two of pasta cooking water.) Remove from the heat and keep warm.
5. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the cooked squash, capers and basil leaves (retain a few for garnish) and stir through (you may want to add a spoon of olive oil too if the pasta strands are sticking to each other). Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
6. Make Parmesan shavings using a vegetable peeler. Plate the pasta and scatter Parmesan shavings and remaining torn basil leaves over it and serve hot.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 9:40 ص تحت قسم

Courgette & feta terrine with a roasted red pepper chipotle coulis

Ingredients

• 1 kg courgettes, grated
• Generours handful of spinach leaves, washed and finely shredded
• 2 onions, chopped
• 200 g crumbled feta cheese
• 8 eggs
• 200 ml evaporated milk (I used half milk and half double cream)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of your choice (I used a mix of basil, thyme and mint)
• salt and pepper to taste
• FOR THE COULIS
• 4 red bell peppers
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chilli paste
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (375°F).
2. Sauteé the vegetables for about 15 minutes in a little olive oil in a large frying pan, stirring so that they cook evenly.
3. In a big bowl, beat together the eggs and the evaporated milk, then stir in the cheese and herbs,as well as the cooked vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Grease two standard sized loaf tins and pour the mixture evenly into them. Make sure to leave half a cm or two of space for the terrine to puff up during cooking.
5. Place in the centre of the oven on a baking tray and bake for about an hour, or until the terrine is turning golden at the edges and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. In the meantime, make the coulis. Halve and seed the bell peppers and place them skin side up under a hot grill until they start to char and blacken. Once they are fairly evenly charred, remove from the oven and place them in a ziplock bag and seal tightly. Set aside for about 5 minutes to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them and slice into strips.
7. Place the bell pepper strips, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and chipotle paste in a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth puree. Allow to cool to room temperature.
8. When the terrine is cooked, allow to cool for 10-15 minutes on a cooling rack, then gently run a palette knife around the edge of each loaf tin and unmold onto a plate while still warm.
9. Serve with the coulis and drusty bread for mopping up leftovers.

بواسطة فريق التحرير في 9:30 ص تحت قسم