Aubergine ‘Lasagna’

October 11, 2013November 15, 2013Leave a comment

Another aubergine goodie! This one is actually better than the zucchini lasagna – but maybe that’s just me, because I love aubergine. This dish is great for a weeknight dinner, because you can make it in advance and just reheat, and the kids will love it too! {I’ve got a fussy little eater at the moment, so anything I can get him to eat that is nutritious too, is a huge plus!}

Here it is – my aubergine lasagna:

For the mince sauce:

1 tsp cumin

1/2 a tsp cayenne pepper

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

500g mince

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 an onion, chopped

1/2 a cup of Cabernet Sauvignon

1 carrot, finely grated

2 tsp tomato paste

Sauté onion and add cumin, pepper & garlic. Add mince and cook. Add half the wine to deglaze pot and let it cook away. Add tomato paste and let it caramelise. {I like to wait a bit before adding the tomatoes or more wine, just to let the tomato paste get a nice caramelised and smokey flavour.}

Add carrot and mix. Add tomatoes and the rest of the wine – season with salt. Now let it simmer on a low heat until all the flavours have mingled nicely.

For the aubergine layer:

2 large aubergines, sliced into 5mm thick slices

olive oil

Grill the aubergine slices in a bit of olive oil in a non-stick pan until golden brown.

For the bechàmel sauce:

3 tbs butter

3 tbs flour

2 cups of warm milk

salt & white pepper

Heat butter in a saucepan and once it’s melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste. Slowly add milk while whisking. Make sure you get the paste to a smooth consistency after every bit of milk added, until all the milk has been added and you’re left with a smooth sauce. Season with salt & pepper.

Place mince sauce in an oven dish, top with the bechàmel sauce, pack the aubergine slices on top and finally, top with grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven of 180C, or until the cheese is golden brown.

Enjoy! X

Chili Pork bowl

October 10, 2013November 15, 20131 Comment

Tonight I was thrown a curveball… My husband came home from work and asked if we could have some chili pork comfort food. He also wanted rice. {Sure, what’s the big deal, right? Except that I don’t keep any rice at home!} I was planning on making fennel rubbed pork chops with a prune & rocket salad – oh well, will make that one another time!

After a bit of brain-wracking, I came up with this:

Chili pork bowl with a sweet potato rosti and a carrot, rocket & baby spinach salad

For the chili pork:

700g of pork neck, deboned and cubed

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 red chili

olive oil

2 tsp of soy sauce

pinch of salt

3 tbs sweet chili sauce

2 tbs hot chili sauce {use a chunky sauce with bits of chili}

Saute ginger, chili & garlic in olive oil and add pork meat. Fry until the pork is almost cooked through. Add soy, sweet chili and other chili sauce. Cook through.

For the sweet potato rosti:

3 sweet potatoes, peeled & grated

salt & white pepper to taste

butter

olive oil

Squeeze all the water out of the sweet potatoes and add salt & pepper. Heat a dollop of butter and a glug of olive oil in a non-stick pan and place dollops of sweet potato into the pan. Press down with a spatula and fry on either side until golden and cooked.

For the salad:

Rocket leaves

Baby spinach

Ribboned carrot

1/2 a tsp of sesame oil

1 tsp of apple cider vinegar

juice of 1/2 a minneola

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp honey

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and drizzle over the spinach, rocket and carrot.

Serve the pork with a sweet potato rosti and salad. I must say, the sweet potato rosti works brilliantly with the spicy pork. Enjoy with a glass of fruity white wine.

{Hubby was well-satisfied and he said it hit the spot!}

Enjoy! X

Indian Nostalgia…

October 9, 2013November 15, 2013Leave a comment

We lived in India for a year and a half and returned in Feb this year for the birth of our youngest son and hubby’s work on a new project…

But oh, how I often reflect on our travels and adventures there… It’s truly a fascinating place.

My latest nostalgic thought is of the Taj – no, no, not the Taj Mahal {although that is so spectacular and a must-see!}, the Taj Hotel group, or more specifically, the Taj Bengal in Kolkata. You see, here you are royalty… You get to experience the best in Indian hospitality and service. The Taj Bengal really also felt like our home-away-from-home in India, because we went there so often and could just relax and get some proper R&R. After a less-than-glamorous 4 hour train trip from where we stayed in Jamshedpur, the Taj was like this haven of peace, serenity and cleanliness.

Anyways, so the best part for me was always breakfast at the Bengal – not buffet breakfast, oh no darling, a special creation à la carte. We’ve tried many different options from the buffet, because it always looks so spectacular, but then you’re just left feeling too full and not completely satisfied.

So, we’ve narrowed down the Big Breakfast Dilemma to two winning options:

Both start off the same, with a big bowl of fresh seasonal fruit and a sprinkle of nuts, a cappuccino with foam and a plain baked yoghurt. After that we will either have eggs Benedict or a poached egg with a side of smoked salmon. I always ended my breakfast with sweet masala chai. Believe me, these are tried and tested and definitely the best options. Of course, you have to try the Indian breakfast selection of dosas, idlies, sambals and chutneys when you’re traveling there, but for us, our ‘western’ breakfast was our special little treat because you just don’t get those things in Jamshedpur. Our normal breakfasts at home there, were the dosas, idlies, parathas, etc.

To get back to the baked yoghurts – oh…my…word… – these are so yummy! It’s more like a pudding than a breakfast item. I could easily scoff down 2!

I often made these at home while living in India and have actually forgotten about them, until just the other day when I was chatting to a friend about our Indian travels.

I decided to make these last night {as dessert with a Rooibos & orange compote} and they didn’t disappoint! In fact, they tasted even better than I remembered.

Baked yoghurt:

Equal parts of condensed milk (I use an entire tin and then use the tin to measure out the cream & yoghurt), plain yoghurt and cream.

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix together and pour into ramekins or small cups. Bake in a pre-heated oven of 120C for 15 minutes. Let them cool in the oven and place in the fridge to cool completely.

Serve with aromatic orange compote:

1 orange, peeled and segmented

1/4 cup of sugar

3 whole cloves

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1 sachet of Rooibos tea

1/2 cup of water

Let these all simmer until the tea has fully infused and the liquid reduced to a thin syrupy consistency. Let it cool before serving.

Enjoy! X

Aubergine Bites

October 8, 2013November 15, 2013Leave a comment

Just a quick post with another delicious aubergine recipe.

These little yummies are perfect as a light lunch / dinner or as an appetizer {and so quick and easy to prepare! You can also throw these onto a platter with a few other bits for cocktail hour or a lazy afternoon} enjoy with a fruity white wine:

Grilled aubergine slices {brush with olive oil}

Grilled Russian sausage slices

Butter lettuce leaves

Dipping sauce:

Plain yoghurt

1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped

Cayenne pepper

Cumin

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Assemble bites by placing a piece of grilled aubergine into a lettuce leave, top with sausage slices and tie with string.

Serve with dipping sauce – enjoy! X

Build-your-own-salad-platter

October 7, 20132 Comments

What to dish up on a lazy summers’ afternoon? Why, a build-your-own-salad-platter, of course!

Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking and it fills me with pleasure to whip up delicious things, but sometimes {especially on a lazy Sunday, when you’ve already spent the day sweeping and picking up toys} you just want to be able to snap your fingers and make something appear!

Ah, well, that’s not going to happen soon, so instead, it’s handy to just throw together a platter and let everyone help themselves.

Here’s my seafood salad platter – using items I already had on hand:

Simple salad {lettuce, cucumber cubes & tomato, dressed with olive oil}

Tinned smoked mussels

Smoked snoek {remember to remove the bones!}

Blanched green beans, drizzled with olive oil and capers

Fresh tomatoes {on the vine}

Boiled eggs, seasoned with salt {I boil the eggs for exactly 7 minutes to get a nice soft-boiled egg}

Lemon mayonnaise dressing {just add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to mayonnaise}

Everyone can help themselves to what they want and build their own salad – enjoy with cold white wine or a crisp Savannah!

Veggie Fridge Raid!

October 4, 2013November 15, 20131 Comment

I must confess to shopping blindly last week… I usually plan my week’s menu ahead and then shop accordingly – so I don’t waste anything and I don’t have to spend hours trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.

Yesterday, as I was cleaning out the fridge, I realised I had heaps of veggies that I need to use before my weekly shop. Also, I had some uncooked patties that I had to use.

So – here it is, my ratatouille stacks (using pattipans instead of zucchini):

Layer spinach & mushrooms, hamburger patties (or a steak!), ratatouille and top with roasted tomatoes on the vine.

Spinach & mushrooms:

10 large spinach leaves

5 mushrooms

2 tbs butter

2 tbs cream

white pepper

Heat butter in a pan and sauté mushrooms. Add spinach, wilt it down slightly (don’t let it get soggy, you still want some crunch to it) and then add cream and pepper. Set aside.

Ratatouille:

1/2 an onion

6 pattipans, diced

1 large aubergine, diced

2 large red tomatoes, diced

Olive oil

Salt

Peppadew spice

Start off by sautéing the onions in olive oil, add aubergine. Next, once those two have softened a bit, add pattipans and more olive oil. Add tomatoes, season with salt and peppadew spice, add another glug of olive oil, reduce heat and just let it simmer away until you’re happy that all the flavours have mingled nicely and everything is cooked.

Roasted vine tomatoes:

Place a vine of tomatoes in an oven roasting dish, sprinkle with olive oil & ground sea salt and bake at 180C for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, grill for 5 minutes in the oven.

Once everything is ready – remember to grill those patties! – assemble and enjoy!

Teatime Cupcakes

October 3, 2013November 15, 2013Leave a comment

I just love cupcakes – I mean, who doesn’t?!

‘Life’s better with a cupcake’ and ‘Keep calm and have a cupcake’ are two great cupcake quotes – I have no idea who originally said it, but it’s so true! My best days are all started with a cupcake (or cake) and a cup of good filter coffee. What can be better! Ok, it’s not the most nutritious or healthy of breakfasts, but as long as you follow it with a hearty bowl of fruit or some boiled eggs, you’re good to go!

These cupcakes are scone-inspired, with a dollop of jam (I used chunky apricot) and whipped cream (sweetened with a teensy bit of vanilla castor sugar).

2 cups of flour

2/3 cups of castor sugar

2 tsp baking powder

125g butter

2 eggs

1/2 a cup of milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all together – yes, all at once! Don’t you just love it?! Spoon into cupcake cases in a cupcake baking tray and bake for 20 minutes at 180C.

This recipe makes 12 large cupcakes.

Enjoy! X

Meatilicious bake

October 1, 2013November 15, 20131 Comment

I love different meats together – it just seems to add to the taste and make it more exciting! {not always – and not with all meats… Still – just try it out sometime, there are lots of options here!)

For tonight’s bake I layered strips of bacon, tenderised and flattened chicken breast, pork roast meat, mozzarella cheese and more bacon.

I seasoned the chicken breast with freshly ground sea salt and olive oil then layered on the pork roast meat. {This I had leftover from a roast I made a week ago – and froze the leftovers – it also had an apple & sage stuffing.} I added freshly ground fennel seeds,another layer of chicken breast, then thick slices of mozzarella cheese and more bacon.

{You could use any cooked pork meat, a leftover roast or even some pork chops…}

Bake at 180C for 45 minutes – this is just enough time to ensure the chicken is cooked properly but is still juicy.

I served this with a sundried tomato & goats cheese salad. {Mixed lettuce leaves, diced cucumber, sundried tomatoes, goats cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.}

I prefer salads with less but more ‘punchy’ ingredients – like they say, less is more! And forget elaborate salad dressings – you want to taste the salad, right?! My current favourite dressings are vinegars and olive oil – perhaps with a splash of fresh minneola juice {now in season} and honey to bring out the flavours of the salad. And nuts – yum, I love nuts in salad! Raisins are great too!

Ok, before I get too carried away – here’s a pic of my meatilicious bake and my youngest, ‘helping’ me in the kitchen today…

Enjoy! X

Grilled Aubergine Burgers

October 1, 2013November 15, 2013Leave a comment

I don’t know about you, but I love aubergines (eggplant / brinjals)!

I’ve realised that a lot of people don’t know what to do with them, or haven’t even tried them before. They’re usually a hit with vegetarians because of their fleshy texture and is often used as a meat-substitute – but not in our house – no way! We love meat! So what better way to have aubergine, than with meat, on a burger!

This is a good paleo-friendly burger version – using grilled aubergine slices as the ‘bun’. You can put anything you feel like on your burger, but here’s what I did:

Grilled aubergine slices (brush with olive oil and grill on a griddle pan or straight on the braai / barbecue)

Sliced fresh tomatoes

Lettuce leaves

Fairview Blue en Blanc cheese (a creamy camembert-type cheese with blue vein running through – simply scrummy!)

Caramelised onion (onions sautéed in butter with a drizzle of honey and a splash of balsamic vinegar – sauté until nice and caramelised)

Burger patties (I used blouwildebeest – will also work nicely with ostrich or beef)

And last but DEFINITELY not least – grilled bacon strips

Assemble everything inbetween aubergine slices, secure with toothpicks and enjoy!

The ‘Golden’ Egg

September 30, 2013November 15, 2013Leave a comment

After weeks (months) of patiently waiting for our chickens to lay their eggs, we were pleasantly surprised yesterday with two little eggs inside the coop!

Yay! It felt as if I had ‘laid’ them myself, I was so proud! I just don’t know which chicken it came from… We have 5 original hens, but they’re actually still 2 weeks away from laying, and then we have another hen, she’s a bit older, who probably laid these eggs. Anyways, I suppose it doesn’t really matter who did it!

The eggs are a bit smaller than I would have expected, but apparently they get bigger – hooray! I fried the eggs for breakfast this morning and oh my, what yummy eggs they were!! A golden yolk, so vibrantly golden, and perfectly fresh whites, not too runny. Even though they were smaller than regular shop-bought ‘free range’ (yeah right!) eggs, they tasted a hundred times better!

I made shop-bought eggs as well, and hubby and I each got one of each type of egg so we could compare. The difference is quite remarkable. I SO cannot wait for more eggs – imagine how yummy custard would be – or an omelette or anything using eggs!

Here’s to dozens and dozens of yummy, hearty, golden eggs! X