One More Winter Warmer

Winter is almost at its end, but I am still taking advantage of the cold weather. I love stews and soups so much, I even eat them in summer - I really don't know what it is about them - maybe it is the hot, flavoursome liquid slowly running down my throat, warming me up from the inside out or the feeling of comfort a well made stew evokes - like being wrapped in a blanket.

It's only 8:30 in the morning as I am writing this, but boy could I do with some right now!

I think the secret to a good stew is the layering of flavours - so that each mouthful is slightly different, but equally as delicious. And I simply adore the rustic feel of chunky carrots - when you bite into them there must still be a slight crunch and a burst of sweetness, followed by the flavours they have absorbed... Mmmm.... "Stewy Carrots Please!"

Lamb and Split Pea Casserole:

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

500g Lamb Cubes (I used The Organic Cubes from Woolies)
2 Large Leeks, Chopped
3 Large Carrots, Roughly Chopped
3 Sticks Celery, Roughly Chopped
3 Large Tomatoes, Skins Removed and Cut into Quarters
A Few Sprigs of Rosemary
Meat Stock (yeast and gluten free) or Homemade Gravy, (I had some left over gravy from Sunday lunch, which was wonderful as it had all the flavours from the beef roast juices in it) Enough to Cover the Ingredients
Paprika

Xylitol

Salt and Pepper
Vital Soya Sauce (Yeast Free) or Tamari
1 Cup Split Peas
Wild Brown Rice for Serving

Directions:

Heat oven to 120 degrees Celsius
Fry leeks in a drop of olive oil with a sprinkle of salt

Add the lamb, a few cubes at a time, until it is all nicely browned

Add rosemary, carrots and celery

Fry for a few more minutes

Transfer everything to an oven dish

Add the paprika, meat stock or gravy, a squeeze of soya sauce for extra flavour, the tomatoes, a sprinkle of Xylitol - to counter balance the tartness of the tomatoes, and the split peas

Cook in the oven for about 1.5 hours until the peas are tender

Stir occasionally

Serve with wild brown rice

Effortless

If you are looking for a no thinking, effortless, yet tasty breakfast, lunch or anytime snack one of my bests is sardines on toast.

I know this isn't to everyone's tastes, but sardines are very good for you, being rich in omega 3 fatty acids, essential for the body, plus they come in a tin - you can't get simpler than that! (You could be adventurous and try fresh or frozen sardines - but I haven't been that brave yet.)

This is perfect for me on a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning when I haven't planned any of my meals.

Sardines on Rice Toast:
(Serves 1)

Ingredients:

1 Tin Sardines in Tomato Sauce
A Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley, Roughly Chopped
A Squeeze of Lemon Juice
Herbal Salt
Paprika
Cracked Black Pepper
1 -2 Slices Sour Dough Rice Bread (Fresh Earth or Fruits and Roots sells this - and I'm sure other health shops do too)

Directions:

Open the tin of sardines, place contents into a bowl and mash with a fork
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together well
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
Put the bread onto toast - I love this bread because it tastes just like white bread with a lovely crunch when toasted
Place the sardines on the toast
And Voila! A quick and tasty no nonsense meal :)

Almost a Culinary Disaster

If you have been following my blogs, you will know that breakfast was a bit of a toughie when it came to my allergy free diet.

A few months ago, I had a brain wave - the brilliant idea to make a bacon, avo and sweet corn fritter stack for breakfast... Now this seems simple enough, right? Well, let me tell you that getting used to gluten free flours and ingredients is a totally interesting, funny, hair pulling, yet liberating experience, all at the same time. And if you had been a fly on the wall, I'm sure I would have provided you with a good chuckle or two.

But as they say practice makes perfect - and I kinda had to practice a lot ;-)

I started off by using corn starch as a replacement for flour, which didn't work very well. I think it had something to do with the fact that I was using sweet corn and corn starch, which sort of dissolved into each other, not creating the right consistency. After unsuccessfully trying to fry a few of these "fritters", which turned into congealed blobs - blaming it on everything from the frying pan to the spray and cook to the batter itself; for not working the way I had imagined - I finally decided to add some gluten free cake flour to the batter and yay, I got my fritters in the end!

Last night, I decided to make them again, to get the correct quantities - they made a pretty delish dinner too!

Gluten Free Bacon, Avo and Sweet Corn Fritter Stacks:
(Makes 2 Generous Stacks with some fritters left over)

Ingredients:

1 Tin Creamed Sweet Corn
3/4 Cup Nature's Choice Cake Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil Spray and Cook
1 Packet Bacon
1 - 2 Avos
A Squeeze of Lemon (Optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Sift flour and Xanthan Gum into creamed sweet corn and mix gently together
Add the salt and pepper to taste
Heat a pan and add the spray and cook (make sure the temperature is on a medium heat as you do not want to burn the fritters)
Add a small amount of mixture to the pan, trying to get the fritter as thin as possible so that it cooks evenly with no raw bits (you may need to do a practice one first to test the temperature of the pan)
Turn over after a few minutes (you may need to add some more Spray and Cook before putting the fritter raw side down in the pan, to prevent it sticking)
While you are frying the fritters put the bacon onto grill in the oven until crispy - making sure that you have placed a baking tray underneath the bacon to catch the fat - no oil is necessary when grilling the bacon
Slice the avo
Place a fritter on a plate and layer with bacon and avo and then another fritter until you have a good stack
I like to add a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper onto the avo before stacking

Chicken Mélange Topped Sweet Corn Fritters:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients for the Chicken Topping:

1 Leek, Finely Chopped
2 Chicken Breasts, Diced into Small Pieces
Half a Pepper, Finely Chopped
A Few Mange Toute, Chopped
Olive Oil
A Teaspoon Corn Starch
A Little Water
Squeeze Soya Sauce (Vital or Tamari)
Herbal Salt
Pepper
Dried Chilli Flakes
A Handful of Rocket

Directions:

Place the chopped leeks into a pan with a drop of oil and sprinkle of salt
When cooked add in the diced chicken and fry for a few minutes
Add the corn starch and water and cook for a few more minutes until the chicken has been coated and the corn starch and water have become a little thick
Add in the soya sauce, herbal salt, dried chilli flakes and pepper
Add the diced pepper and chopped mange toute and cook for a further few minutes
Just before serving mix through the handful of rocket so that it wilts with the heat
Top the chicken mélange onto a few fritters and serve while still hot

Quick Tip: I added a sprinkle of cinnamon to the batter for last night's dinner, which went wonderfully with the chicken. You can also sprinkle these fritters with cannamon and sugar (or Xylitol) for a sweet treat - leaving out the salt and pepper in the batter

A Skinny Dip

A few weeks ago, I wanted to make a healthy snack for a dinner party I was invited to. I came up with this tuna pate, which went down like a house on fire.

Tuna Pate with Crudités:

Ingredients:

1 Tin of Tuna, in Brine
1 Tin of Butter Beans, in Brine (no vinegar added)
A Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley
Juice of 1 Lemon
A Good Glug of Lemon Infused Olive Oil (I used Willow Creek - this is to allow ingredients to blend well together and for flavour)
A drop of Smokey Sesame Oil (for flavour)
A Good Shake of Herbal Salt
A Good Sprinkle of Paprika
Cracked Black Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Drain tuna and butterbeans (you may want to reserve some of the liquid to help with the blending if necessary)
Place all ingredients in a blender
Blend well, until smooth
Taste, add extra lemon juice, sesame oil, lemon infused olive oil, herbal salt, paprika, pepper until you are happy with the flavour
Serve with a selection of crudités such as carrot, cucumber and celery sticks; baby corn or nachos

Poor Japan

The soccer games are getting tougher and far more exciting! Poor Japan played their hearts out - spending more time on the field than they have ever done before. They fought valiantly, but it just wasn't enough to beat Paraguay who scored 5 goals to Japan's 3 in the penalty shootout.

I created this simple dish in honour of Japan's outstanding effort in the tournament. It is not really authentic Japanese, but tasted delicious! Dre even said it is one of my best dishes :)

Fish Stir Fry:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

Marinade:
2 Tablespoons Vital Soya Sauce (Yeast Free)
1 Tablespoon Smoked Sesame Oil (I bought mine from Woolies)

1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce

1 Teaspoon Honey

1 Knob Ginger, Peeled and Diced

Half a Green Chilli, Deseeded and Chopped

A Few Spring Onions, Chopped

3 - 4 Frozen Hake Fillets

1 Packet Baby Corn, Cut into Chunks

1 Green Pepper, Sliced
3 - 4 Carrots, Sliced or Chopped
Squeeze of Vital Soya Sauce
Squeeze of Lemon
Herbal Salt
A Few Spring Onions, Chopped
Vermicelli Rice Noodles
Sesame Seeds

Directions:

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Marinade frozen hake fillets for about 10 minutes

Transfer the fillets to tin foil and spoon over the marinade

Fold into parcels and bake in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes until tender and a sauce has been created

Add the vegetables to a pan and flash fry while adding a squeeze of soya sauce and lemon juice, a sprinkle of herbal salt and a few chopped spring onions

Add the cooked fish and the sauce created in the tin foil

Serve with Vermicelli rice noodles and a sprinkle of sesame seeds

Portugal and Me

The main reason for our trip to Durbs this weekend was to watch the Brazil/Portugal game...

I was a bit conflicted as to which team to support; the obvious choice would have been Brazil because the green and yellow matched my Bafana top perfectly - but no, I wasn't going to take the easy way out! I chose to support Portugal 1.) Half of Portugal is living in SA and most of them are in the South of Joburg :) 2.) I looooooooooooove Caparinhas and 3.) (Definitely not in this order) Ronaldo! Oh my word, I was dying for him to take his shirt off and I was certainly not disappointed - the game was complete when I saw his abs - hee hee :) I am so glad that this was my first game - the Moses Mabhida stadium is beautiful - what a work of art! And the atmosphere was indescribable - and it was amicable! I am actually so happy that the game ended in a draw because both teams were equally happy at the end of it and the celebrations were friendly.

South Africa has truly shown that we are capable of hosting a 1st class event. We decided to take the park and ride - it was so smooth and effortless that we actually thought we were missing something - but no - it was just that well organised! At the end of the game we didn't have to wait longer than about 10 minutes to get a bus as there were about 20 all lined up, ready and waiting... And the Gautrain - wow - I felt like I was back in London! Well done South Africa on hosting a world class event - we did it! Yippie!!! :)

Prawns in Lemon and Basil with Jasmine Rice:

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found in the Taste Magazine

(Serves 3 - 4)

Ingredients:

300g Prawns Deveined and Deshelled (I used the cooked prawns from Woolies)

Bunch Fresh Basil, Torn

1 Lemon, Diced - Seeds Removed (I kept the rind on, which made it a bit bitter - I will remove it next time)

Good Glug Basil Infused Olive Oil

Good Glug Lemon Infused Olive Oil

Paprika

Herbal Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Sheet of Tin Foil

Jasmine Rice for Serving

Directions:

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Make a marinade using the basil and lemon infused olive oil, torn basil leaves and diced lemon

Toss the prawns in the marinade

Place on a baking tray covered in tin foil

Sprinkle the paprika over the marinated prawns

Make a parcel so the heat does not directly affect the prawns

Bake in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes (not too long as they are already cooked and you don't want them to become tough)

Sprinkle some herbal salt and cracked black pepper over the baked prawns

Serve with jasmine rice, spooning over the sauce created in the tin foil

Farewell to England

I had the most amazing long weekend in Durban - the weather was fantastic, we found it hard to believe that it was the middle of winter with temperatures like 25 degrees! One day when I'm big I want to have a home in Durban, to live in during the winter months, and a home in Joburg for the summer months... a girl can always dream :)

So my previous dish for Italy did not do the trick as poor Italy is out of the World Cup. I thought it best to wait to post my dish for England until after the game so that no one could blame me for them going home ;-)

This dish is an eclectic mix of flavours and actually the only parts that can be linked to England are the fish and potatoes, and this is at a push because I have used sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Fish Cakes with Beetroot Salsa:
(Makes 6 - 8 Fish Cakes)

Fish Cakes:

4 - 5 Large Sweet Potatoes, Diced
3 - 4 Frozen Hake Fillets
Handful of Chives, Chopped
Zest of Half a Lemon
Juice of a Whole Lemon
Paprika
Herbal Salt
Corn Starch

Beetroot Salsa:

3 Cooked Beetroot, Diced

4-6 Salad Onions, Chopped

1 Bunch Mint, Torn

Lemon Juice

Lemon Infused Olive Oil
Dried Chilli Flakes
Herbal Salt

Directions:

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Cook and mash sweet potato (should take about 15 - 20 minutes until tender)
Cook hake in the oven for about 10 minutes, by wrapping it into a tin foil parcel after drizzling with a little lemon infused olive oil or plain olive oil

Flake the cooked fish into the mash

Add the chopped chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, paprika, herbal salt and enough corn starch to be able to make fish patties that are not too moist and can be shaped easily

Shape the fish and potato mixture into fish patties

Place a sheet of tin foil on a baking tray, spray with spray and cook (I use the olive oil one)

And place the fish cakes on the sheet

Bake in the oven for about 20 - 30 minutes until the fish cakes are nice and crispy on the outside and hot on the inside

Beetroot Salsa:
Add the diced cooked beetroot (beetroot can take anywhere from 40 to 50 minutes to cook - I prefer roasting them in the oven, but boiling in a little water is also an option) chopped salad onions and torn mint leaves to a bowl
Add a generous squeeze of lemon juice and a good glug of the lemon infused olive oil, a sprinkle of dried chilli flakes and a shake or two of herbal salt
Taste and correct flavours if needed

The smooth sweetness from the sweet potato goes wonderfully with the crunch and sharpness of the beetroot salsa.

I have also served these fish cakes with a quick tomato and onion relish, which also worked very well.

Dice and fry an onion in a little olive oil; add a diced, skinless tomato to the cooked onion. Add a little Xylitol or sugar to counterbalance the sharpness of the tomato, finish off with a good grinding of black pepper and salt to taste.

A Dish For Italy

In the first half of Bafana's last game; they played like real champions, with the look of determination plastered on each player's face - you could feel the electricity in the air, even if you were just watching on tv! I firmly believe that if they had played like that in their other games we would be through to the next round. We did redeem ourselves though with the win over France and now we hold our heads up high and turn out attention to the other teams.

This dish is for the Italian team - a risotto packed full of comforting, energy bursting flavours. Perfect before their game against Slovakia tomorrow, to give them the oomph they need to squeeze out a few more points. And the green and red match perfectly with their flag - how good am I?

(I originally saw this recipe on one of the monthly Nomu Mailers and adjusted it to suit my needs.)

Tomato and Basil Risotto:

(Serves 2 - 3)

Stock:
10 Large Ripe Tomatoes
Bunch of Fresh Basil
Squeeze of Vital Soya Sauce (Yeast Free)
Xylitol or Sugar to Taste
Salt
Pepper
1 Cup Water (If needed)

The Rest of the Ingredients:

1 Large Onion, Diced

Olive Oil for Frying
1 Cup Risotto Rice

Directions:

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to a large pot (you may roast these beforehand if desired)
Tear the basil leaves and add them to the tomatoes along with the soya sauce, xylitol and salt and pepper
Simmer for 15 minutes - check seasoning and then blend

You may want to add a cup of water at this time to make the stock go further - but remember to check the seasoning again

Fry the onion in the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, until translucent

Add the rice and coat in the oily onion mixture

Slowly add a ladle full of the stock to the rice and only add the next spoonful when the stock has been absorbed
Carry on until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked but still has a bite to it
Serve with a drizzle of basil oil and torn basil leaves

Potage Parmentier Revised

A truly dedicated foodie blogger should know all about the movie/book "Julie and Julia", written by Julie Powell. I watched this movie on the plane going over to London. I love watching movies on planes; there is something so cozy and delectable about knowing you have your very own tv all to yourself and can change the channel, fast forward, rewind to your heart's content without bothering anyone - plus the boyfriend/ husband won't complain about having to watch another sappy rom-com - hee hee :)

When "Julie and Julia" formed part of the movie lineup on the plane - I took it as a sign (I am big on signs coming from the heavens, guiding me in the right direction ;-)) Yes, it was indeed fate - my blog had started at just the right time and Julie Powell was proof that blogs can change your life...

Well, I am still waiting for Hollywood to phone me up to make a movie out of my allergy free blog :) - but it has changed my life in other ways - It has given me a sense of purpose and opened me up to a whole part of myself that I hadn't been embracing - and that part is my imaginative way of working around my allergies and coming up with tasty recipes even allergy-free people enjoy.

I do digress though - I recently bought the book on Kalahari.net and the first recipe Julie makes is Potage Parmentier, which I subconsciously made my own version of. (Ok, I actually just made a potato soup, but the timing was freaky!)

I must say though, it is one of the simplest, yet tastiest soups I have made - just as Julie is stunned in the book by how a potato can make such a wonderful and satisfying soup - so was my boyfriend :) Once again, my poor boyfriend was my guinea pig - I'm sure there are some perks to the job though - like when you create something so amazing, you feel compelled to lick the bowl!

Potato and Thyme Soup:
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

3 Large Potatoes, Peeled and Diced
1 Onion, Diced
A Teaspoon of Whole Coriander Seeds
Sprinkle of Dried French Herbs
Bunch of Thyme
Herbal Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Directions:

Fry onion in a sprinkle of salt until translucent
Add the diced potatoes and fry a little
Add a cup or two of water - enough to create a soup-like consistency
Add the french herbs, coriander seeds, herbal salt and pepper
Bring to the boil and then simmer until potatoes are almost tender
Add the bunch of thyme and squeeze of lemon juice
Simmer until potatoes are tender
Remove thyme and blits soup
Serve with a dollop of soya cream or sweet potato crisps

Stuffed and Roasted!

I am an experimental cook at best; some nights, if I haven't thought of what to make for dinner during the day, during my favourite foodie day dreams - I come home and play my very own, "Ready, Steady, Cook."

Last night was one of those nights - I looked at the contents of my fridge and cupboard and had the inspiration to make stuffed peppers with quinoa. Quinoa is a very new ingredient to me - it is one of those new super foods that was the buzz word a few months ago - I first used it to make porridge for breakfast - but have been using it more and more in savoury dishes and I have to say, it tasted fabulous in my stuffed peppers. It is also easy to obtain as most supermarkets seem to be stocking it these days.

Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa, Aubergine and Peas:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 Large Red Peppers, Whole and Deseeded

1 Cup Cooked Quinoa

1 Onion, Diced

1 Aubergine, Sliced

1 Cup Frozen Peas

Lemon Infused Olive Oil

Herbal Salt

Paprika

Cracked Black Pepper
Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Directions:

Heat oven to 200 Degrees Celsius
Slice aubergines and coat lightly with olive oil, paprika and herbal salt
Roast in oven until tender (about 10 minutes)
Cook quinoa as directed on the packet (1 cup to 2 cups salted water, until all the water has been absorbed)

Fry the diced onion in a drop of lemon infused olive oil, with a sprinkle of salt, until translucent
Add the cup of peas and cook for a few minutes until tender

Chop the charred aubergine slices and add to the onion and pea mix

Add the cooked quinoa to the mix and season with herbal salt, pepper, paprika (if desired) and a drop of lemon infused olive oil - to moisten
Stuff the hollowed out peppers with the mixture and roast in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes until the peppers are tender
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice

Gone Nuts

Hi Foodie Friends, I am back after an unusually long absence for myself; did you miss me? ;-)

I have had a manic May, both work-wise and socially - it seems that all of my friends decided to get married and have babies all at the same time. I was launched into June with a bang though, an unforgettable weekend away at Tuningi Safari Lodge in the Madikwe Reserve, to be exact. And wow, were we spoilt beyond our wildest dreams!

As we arrived at the lodge, we were welcomed by four elephants bathing themselves – it was as if it had been planned, we couldn’t have asked for anything better!

We stuffed our faces with the glorious 3 course meals, savouring every bite - my brain continuously ticking over with brilliant ways to utilise all that I had witnessed and experienced.

The room was stunning, probably the size of our house :) The attention to detail was mind blowing, from the welcoming gift of amarula (which was perfect cos we had a marula tree just outside our room), to the rubber ducks in the bath, the turn downs with lovely notes and hot water bottles in our beds and a roaring fire when we got back to our room.

We were treated to four game drives, by a dedicated game ranger and tracker, who wouldn't rest until he had shown us all that the reserve had to offer - we weren't disappointed, as we saw the whole of the Big 5! We were even the first to see lion cubs, which had been born about 4 weeks earlier.

Sundowners, snacks, early morning coffees and muffins in the bush, were some of the pinnacles of an amazing trip!

  

   

And now I feel inspired and refreshed to come up with some original dishes - I came up with these two dishes on Monday night - which were both part of challenges given by fellow blogger, Inspiration, on Food24.

  

Inspired Chicken Curry:

(Serves 4)

This week's task was to use a marinade consisting of onion, ginger, honey, soy sauce, sambal oelek and limes in a dish of our choice - I however, decided to use my own interpretation of the ingredients - and I couldn't find limes

Ingredients:

2-3 Large Free-Range/ Organic Chicken Breasts, Diced

2 Tablespoons Honey

6 Tablespoons Vital Soya Sauce (Yeast Free)

2.5cm Peeled and Diced Root Ginger

3 Large Chillis (I used 2 Red and 1 Green), Chopped

2 Teaspoons Sugar

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Cup Water
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Large Onion Diced
1 Tin Tomatoes
1 Tin Tomato Paste
1/2 Tin Water
2 Tablespoons Paprika
1 Cup Cashew Nuts, Crushed

Directions:

Marinate the diced chicken in the honey, soya sauce and diced ginger

Put a pot onto the stove and add the chillis, sugar, salt, 1/4 cup water and lemon juice - boil for about 10 minutes

Transfer chilli mixture to a blender and blend until relatively smooth (this is my interpretation of sambal oelek)

Add the sambal oelek to the marinating chicken

Fry the diced onion in a little olive oil, with a sprinkle of salt, until translucent

Add the chicken a little at a time and fry until the colour changes to white

Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste and 1/2 tin of water

To give the dish a bit of a smokey taste, add in two tablespoons of paprika

Simmer until all flavours have infused

Taste - you may need to add a bit more lemon, soya sauce or honey

Lastly, stir in the crushed cashew nuts and simmer for a few more minutes

Serve with basmati rice

This dish should take about 40 - 50 minutes all in all

I loved this interpretation of a chicken curry and I will definitely make it again. Thanks Inspiration, for the idea :)

Stuffed, Baked Brandy Pears:

(Serves 2)

Last week's challenge was to use pears and almonds in a dish - this is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

2 Large Pears, Peeled and Cored
1/4 Cup Almonds
2 Teaspoons Xylitol or Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 - 4 Tablespoons Good Quality Brandy
2 Teaspoons Xylitol or Sugar
2 Tablespoons Hot Water
2 Squares of Tin Foil

Directions:

Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Place the almonds, 2 teaspoons of Xylitol, cinnamon and vanilla extract in a blender and blend until fine
Stuff the pears with the almond mixture
Mix the brandy, 2 teaspoons of Xylitol and hot water together
Place each pear on a square of tin foil and spoon over the brandy mixture
Wrap each pear in the tinfoil and transfer to an oven dish in the oven
Bake for about 30 - 40 minutes until the pears are tender and bubbling (you may need to increase the temperature if this is not happening)
Serve with soya cream or ice cream