Sasha’s Suppers

This is the title of the next recipe book I am publishing. The book will be dedicated to my niece Sasha and is aimed at all moms and dads and kids who want to prepare child friendly meals. However, I need help and so I am appealing to all of you for assistance. I would like people to contribute a child friendly recipe – either a recipe a child can cook, or a meal aimed specifically at children. As a stepmom I often fed the boys waffles for breakfast – not a good mommy thing to do! But, this forced them to participate in the cooking process. It is my opinion that all children should learn to love food – eating it and cooking it. It is why I ask the little ones to help make scrambled eggs, and why I have had baking lessons for my friends daughters. The immense pleasure when they get to try something they have helped with is worth all the mess!

I know you need patience in the kitchen when there are children around. Last time I visited Sasha (she lives in Johannesburg and I live in Gordons Bay) I did roast chicken with her – she got to smell each one of the herbs I used, and tasted the raw carrots. She helped with strawberry tasting and preparing – telling me “aunty Tandy, red wine is for drinking in our house” when I poured some red wine over the strawberries (she was all of 3 and a half). She also reminded me to “use two hands please” when I took the olive oil out the cupboard. I in turn taught her that if we touch raw chicken we must wash our hands afterwards. She is a natural little chef who loves to be in the kitchen.

If you would like to be a part of this exciting new recipe book, please do the following:

Email me the recipe you are planning and I will reply with my postal address. You can then send me a disc with your recipe on it via snail mail, including the title of the recipe, the ingredients and the method as well as a photo. Make a note if it can be cooked by the child or if it is aimed specifically at being a child friendly recipe. You can find my email address by going to my contact page. Please head your email ‘Sasha’s Suppers’. You can submit more than one recipe.

Each person who contributes will get one copy of the recipe book at cost. The cost will depend on how many recipes it contains. The format will be the same as Lavender & Lime. Once again, a portion of the profit will go to charity. Final selection of recipes will be solely at my discretion.

Tandy

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Bacon and Cheese Bread – for a Bread Maker

I have been asked for a recipe for bacon and cheese bread for the bread maker. When using a bread maker it is important to add the ingredients as they are listed. To make a 750g loaf of bread -

ingredients:

310mls water

40mls oil

5mls salt

30mls sugar

3 cups bread flour

30mls milk powder

2.5mls paprika

6.25mls yeast

cooks note: I use fructose instead of sugar, stone ground flour, and cremora instead of milk powder. For the yeast use one with added vitamin C as it acts as a bread improver

add the above ingredients to the bread maker and when it is time to add ‘nuts’ add:

1/4 cup bacon – cooked and well dried

3/4 cup cheddar cheese grated

cooks note: I have a bread maker that automatically dispenses the nuts which makes bread making very easy

Tandy

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Tea Temperatures

I recently purchased a Breville Professional kettle. I am a lover of all gadgets, and could not resist a kettle that can boil to different temperatures and has a keep warm function.

 

© my kitchen counter

© my kitchen counter

  • Variable electronic control
  • 5 temperature control for optimal tea and coffee brewing
  • Quiet Boil Technology
  • Keep Warm function
  • 1.7 litre capacity
  • Fast Boil 2400 watt
  • Cushion controlled lid
  • Safety auto cut off and boil dry protection
  • Non slip handle with stainless steel cover
  • Brushed stainless steel body and base
  • Clear view front water window

They make a clear glass one as well, but I have not yet seen it in South Africa.

What I have learnt is that different teas require different temperatures to bring out their optimal quality and taste. Here is the guide:

80˚ Celsius: all green teas – Arabian Night; Asatsuyu; Bancha; Ceylon Green; China Chun Mee; Darjeeling Green; Dragon Well; Genmaicha; Gunpowder; Gyokuro; Jasmine; Nepal Green; Peach; Sencha; Shincha

85˚ Celsius: all white teas – Apple; Black Cherry; Blackcurrant; China Yin Zhen; Coconut; Elderflower; Ginger; Lemon; Lychee; Mango; Orange; Strawberry

90˚ Celsius: most oolong teas

95˚ Celsius: all coffees as well as the following teas – Aasam; Ceylon; China Lapsang; Souchong; China Rose Tea; China Yunnan; Darjeeling; Earl Grey; English Breakfast; Indian Chai; Keeman; Nilgiri; Orange Pekoe; Passion Fruit; Russian Samovar; Vanilla; Viennese Blend

100˚ Celsius: all black teas – Aasam; Ancient Tree; Bagged Tea; Chai; Chamomile; Cinnamon; Golden Yunnan; Herbal; Hue; Lapsang Souchong; Lemongrass; Kenya; Peppermint; Pu-errh; Red; Rooibos; Spearmint; Whole Leaf; Wulong

Tandy

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Pasta with Mushrooms, Bacon and Tomato

Pasta is a regular meal in our house, and you will see lots of recipes for pasta on this blog. Many are similar but all are comforting. This one is easy to do – it will take you as long as it takes to cook the pasta!

© pasta with mushrooms, bacon and tomatoes 002

© pasta with mushrooms, bacon and tomatoes 002

ingredients:

spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

125g mushrooms, sliced

125g cherry tomatoes, cut in half

4 rashers streaky bacon sliced

method:

while you are cooking the pasta heat the olive oil in a frying pan

add the mushrooms, tomatoes and bacon and cook through

when you drain the pasta reserve some of the water to loosen the sauce

toss it all together in the pan and serve

Tandy

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