Mixed Seafood Risotto

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Tandy

I know the type of friend I am, kind, loyal and helpful. Sometimes my willingness to assist people has ended up as being a negative but mostly I love being there for my friends. But, sometimes I have to just step back or walk away. I have a friend who only ever sends me an SMS when she needs information. I have another friend who will call me at any hour of the day or night, if she needs my opinion – which she never listens to. Then I have a friend who makes plans with me and cancels 5 minutes before we are meant to meet. I have friends who never pop in to visit yet expect to see me once a week! I also have friends who are caring and loving and for whom I would go to the end of the earth for. It is these friendships that make being who I am so worthwhile.

In the generosity of friendship many a meal has been shared. Each one tells its own story – some good and some not so good. Each memory can be savoured like a taste of the perfect dish. This meal is inspired by friendships, no matter the nature of them. It is my love for anything Italian that made me join Presto Pasta Nights – and the friends I have made through this community of like minded people are worth knowing, and not only for their comfort meals of pasta

I forgot to check the battery of my camera and so this photo was taken with my blackberry!

MIXED SEAFOOD RISOTTO

Recipe inspired from Le Creuset

ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

30g butter

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

200g Arborio rice

500mls vegetable stock, heated

125mls white wine

2 saffron fronds, added to the wine

200g prepared and cooked mixed seafood

a pinch of dried chilli flakes

15g fresh rocket, chopped

30g grated drunken pecorino cheese

freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

method:

add the olive oil and 15g butter to a large frying pan and heat

add the garlic and the shallots and sauté over a medium heat until soft

add the rice and cook until the rice starts toasting

add the chilli flakes

add the stock one ladle at a time stirring occasionally and keeping the risotto simmering

do not add the next ladle until all the stock has been absorbed

when you have one ladle of stock left, add the seafood and the stock and stir until the seafood is warmed through

stir in the pecorino until it melts and then add the rocket

give it one more stir and take off the heat

season with the pepper and add the rest of the butter

stir until the butter has melted and serve straight away

Printable Version

I am submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by Ruth from Once Upon A Feast, the founder of PPN.

Tandy

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Apple Sauce

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Tandy

I had a friend who said, you are only cheating when you are caught! Now, that is quite a statement but is it correct. And is cheating the same as pregnancy – you either are or you are not, or can one say there are degrees of cheating? In sport there seems to be all sorts of cheating, and the only way people know you are cheating is when you are caught. Sportsmen take drugs – we call them performance enhancing if they are cheating. But what about the rugby player who has a broken foot and is injected with a legal pain killer so that he can play. Is this not performance enhancing? And what of the motor sport team that uses funny fuel – only if it is tested will they be caught out. And then we have the case of the swimmers who use special suits and the cyclists who use other people’s blood. The list is endless. But what of cheating in the food industry. I know of a case where recipe ‘A’ called for figs to be cooked and then drizzled with the sponsors product. Then another person, after seeing this recipe, entered hers. Recipe ‘B’ differed only in that her figs were raw. Turns out, her recipe made it to the finals and recipe ‘A’ did not. Not surprising, the person who entered recipe ‘A’ has never purchased the sponsors product again. Another example is where ordinary food bloggers entered a competition and the person who won was a professional cook and used photography tricks to win! Some food bloggers are now boycotting that magazine. I know of another case of cheating where a recipe book has been published using recipes taken from magazines, with no acknowledgement – surely that is cheating! Or what about me, I cheat when making apple sauce. I could not be bothered with fresh apples and so I make use of tinned pie apples – they are ready for sauce making and cut back on time. So, is this cheating?

APPLE SAUCE

ingredients:

1 385g tin unsweetened pie apples

75mls Brandy

10mls honey

55g butter

1.25mls ground cinnamon

1.25mls whole cloves

twist of freshly ground black pepper

5mls lemon juice

method:

add all the ingredients except the lemon juice into a heavy bottomed sauce pan

cover and cook over a low heat for 1 hour

pass through a chinois

add the lemon juice and store in sterilized glass jars

Printable Version

Tandy

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Panettone For Fresh From The Oven

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Tandy

I was like a child, the day before Christmas, checking the blog very half an hour on the first of the month, to see if this month’s Fresh from the Oven challenge had been posted. Eventually I had to leave work and on the 2nd the first thing I did was check in. I was super excited to see it was a recipe for something I have never made, and something I have wanted to try making for quite some time. Thank you Sarah from Maison Cupcake for this great challenge.

I turned to my Larousse Gastronomique for the recipe and just love the story behind the bread (pane):

According to one legend, it is a contraction of pane de Tonio. Tonio, a poor baker from Milan, had a pretty daughter with whom a young nobleman was in love. As she could not be married without a dowry, Tonio provided all the ingredients to make an excellent cake. Tonio made a fortune with his pane and his daughter made a good match.

Sadly, it was a cold and wet day when I made the panettone and it did not rise much as our house was not warm enough. I will make this again in December when hopefully the weather will be better.

PANETTONE

From Larousse Gastronomique page 742

ingredients:

3 tablespoons water

50g butter

75g soft brown sugar – I used fructose

300g flour

20g yeast

2 tablespoons raisins – I used dried cherries

50g diced candied citron peel – I used the peel from my Candied Clemengolds

2 egg yolks

method:

preheat the oven to 180° Celsius

place the water, butter and sugar into a saucepan and leave to melt over a low heat on the stove

sift together the flour and the yeast at least 4 times

add the raisins and the citron peel

mix well and then add the egg yolks

slowly pour in the butter mix and mix together with a wooden spoon

when the dough pulls away from the bowl (I had to add a bit more water at this stage) turn out and knead for 2 minutes

place the dough into your mould – I used a coffee tin as I could not find a panetonne mould

using a sharp knife make an incision in the top of a square, with a cross inside it

leave to rise for 30 minutes

bake for 45 minutes

just before the end of the baking time spray some water over the incision to give it a glossy finish

allow to cool in the tin before turning out

Printable Version

Tandy

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Chocolate Brownies

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Tandy

I am a firm believer in the saying ‘what goes around, comes around’. I also like to be
grateful for everything in my life and I try to see the positive in all situations. So, I have
decided to mentally ascribe something that was meant to be horrid and hurt me to being a
positive. I will see it as payback for something I may have inadvertently done in the past to
hurt someone. I will view it as the wheel turning for whatever wrong I may have done
previously.

We are not always aware of our wrong doings. Sometimes a well meant word can actually
hurt. I often say things without thinking them out in my head first, and so I know I have been
guilty of too quick a word. Sometimes our actions cause harm rather than do the good we
meant them to be. And I am sure that some of the choices I have made in my twenties
were not the best ones, even though they felt right at the time. So, I have mentally ascribed
the person who tried to hurt me, to the positive box of my life. The point has been made and received but I think the person is wrong. I will see their words as payback for all the wrong I may have done in my life.

Some wrong doings however, are really not meant to be! This recipe is one of them. I had
half a dozen recipes for brownies, and so I mixed them all together and came up with this
one. The addition of chewy, yummy things to it was inspired by a recipe for Rocky Road
from my friend Bev. I was then quite gobsmacked and shocked to read this is not an
original recipe. And, it is so similar to the ones sold at Fifteen. It appears I have Jamie’s recipe – or dare I say it, he has mine!

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

ingredients:

250g butter

200g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), broken up

100g nougat, cut into chunks

100g small marshmallows

100g cranberries

80g cocoa powder

66g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

350g castor sugar – I use fructose

4 eggs, beaten

method:

preheat the oven to 180˚ Celsius

line a rectangular baking tin with baking paper

melt the butter and chocolate over a double boiler and mix until smooth

in a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and castor sugar

add the nougat, marshmallows and cranberries and mix

add the chocolate and stir well

add the eggs and mix in until you have a silky consistency

pour the brownie mix into the baking tray and place in the oven for 25 minutes

cool in the tray and remove and cut into squares

Printable Version

Tandy

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Hake Curry

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Tandy

This post has been sitting in my draft folder since May. Sometimes I have so many words and no recipes, but at the time of writing this recipe, it was the opposite. Life has moved in an amazing direction since May that it is a good opportunity to reflect. It is also Thanksgiving Day in America – a tradition that should be celebrated the world over as I think people everywhere have so much to be grateful for. I am grateful for my loving husband who does not mind being without me while I travel to Johannesburg. I am grateful for my work which means I can keep a roof over my head and food on my table. I am grateful for my family who are amazing. I am grateful for my friends – both old and new. I am grateful for the people I have met in real life and virtually through this blog. I am grateful for the work I am doing because of this blog. I am grateful for the home I have made with Dave, and the house we are building together. I am grateful for good health. My list is endless but the one last thing I am grateful for is the generosity of customers who make sure Dave and I always have fresh fish.

HAKE CURRY

ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 2.5cm piece root ginger, peeled, and grated

1 red chilli, seeded and sliced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 tin coconut milk

2 potatoes, quartered

2 carrots, sliced

1 large hake fillet, seasoned and cut into chunks

100g green beans

method:

in a thick bottomed pan heat the oil over a medium heat

cook the onion until translucent

add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for a few minutes

add the curry and the garam masala and as soon as you can smell the spices add the coconut milk

add the potatoes and the carrots, cover and simmer over a low heat

when the potatoes are soft add the hake and as soon as it is nearly cooked add the beans

serve with a mint raita

Printable Version

Tandy

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Ingredient Challenge: Ready Steady Cook

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Tandy

I am going to incorporate my weekly ingredient challenge with the Ready Steady Cook Challenge.

If you did not read the original post this is how it works. The blogger version is similar to the TV version. Each person will be assigned a blogger to give a mystery bag of 7 ingredients to. I will provide the list of pantry ingredients and from your bag, you have to come up with a starter, main course and dessert. Posts will have to go up by a certain time and a winner will be decided.

I am not going to do this unless I have at least 10 bloggers taking part. The deadline for submitting your name for this challenge will be the 30th of November. Please complete the form below if you would like to take part.

PREVIOUS CHALLENGE ROUND UP:

Pink has a lovely soup using rocket.

Tandy

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Daily Diary

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Tandy

If you take a look at the tabs above, you will see there is a tab for my daily diary. This gets updated most days, but I am going away and will not be on line until Wednesday the 23rd. I will not be posting anything while I am away. Neither will I be reading blogs or commenting, or replying to comments. My sister is leaving South Africa for Australia and I am going to spend as much time as possible with her and with Sasha.

I would like to say thank you to Karen of Back Road Journal for giving me the Versatile Bloggers Award – I am not passing it on again right now :)

Daily Gratitude:

I am grateful for simple pleasures

READY STEADY COOK!

If you think you have what it takes to cook three courses from 7 ingredients then click the picture below:

This weeks challenge: something sweet

Hug a child today, and everyday – and let your pets know you love them.

Give back the blessings you have received.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly

Tandy

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Monthly Mingle: Baked Chocolate Custard

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Tandy

Sally, better known by bloggers as my custard pie is someone I follow on a regular basis. She lives in Dubai (where I have been) and spends her holidays in Devon, an area of England I love and would move to tomorrow if I had to. This month she is hosting Meeta’s Monthly Mingle. Her challenge – make custard – how apt is that!

Monthly Mingle badge November Custard theme I have made all sorts of custards as you need them for ice cream and for crème brûlée as well as for our traditional bobotie. You even need to make a custard to fill profiteroles. I decided to really challenge myself and turned to my trusty Larousse for help. I chose to make a custard I had never tried before, and so a baked custard was the dish I decided to try. This is a cold custard that takes very little effort to make.

BAKED CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

from Larousse Gastronomique page 346

ingredients:

100g dark chocolate

515mls milk

6 eggs

100g caster sugar – I used fructose

method:

preheat the oven to 180° Celsius

over a bain marie, melt the chocolate with 15mls milk

when smooth, add to a sauce pan with 500mls milk

bring to the boil and remove from the heat

whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and thick

gradually add the milk, whisking all the time

strain into a pouring jug

place 6 large ramekins into a bain marie

pour in the custard

bake for 25 minutes

take the ramekins out of the bain marie and leave to cool

chill well before serving

Printable Version

Tandy

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Elder

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Tandy

The flowers of the elder are used to brew elder flower ’champagne’ and flavour desserts while the berries are the nutritional equal of grapes. The European elder is a multi stemmed shrub tree with deep green compound leaves. The large lacy inflorescence’s bear tiny creamy white fragrant flowers. The leaves, bark, green berries and roots are poisonous if consumed.

photograph sourced from Wikipedia

These cold hardy plants prefer a moist but well drained humus rich soil and full sun to partial shade. Harvest the berries when they are black. Pick flowers early on a dewless morning, spread the heads on clean kitchen paper and leave in a warm, dark, dry place for several days.

Use the fresh flowers to make elder flower wine or cordial or a herbal infusion. Freeze the berries if you want to but you must cook them first before using them in baked goods. Elder flowers are high in Vitamins A and C.

information sourced from The Complete Book of Herbs

Tandy

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Tortiglioni Alla Norcina | Pasta With Sausages And Cream

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Tandy

Once again I have turned to my copy of The Geometry of Pasta for a recipe. I chose this one as last year Dave and I spent our annual holiday in Assisi, in the Umbria region of Italy. It was here that we indulged in truffles, ate a lot of ice cream, and walked through the old walled cities. This recipe, found across Umbria, should in theory be made with the famous sausage from Norcia – so famous that the word Norcina has become synonymous with sausage. Unfortunately, we don’t get this typical sausage here so I chose a pork sausage with Parmesan and pancetta in it as these are both Italian ingredients. According to the book, tortiglioni has pronounced grooves that are slightly slanted, wrapping around the tubular pasta in a multiple helix. This is a great bowl of comfort that I would make again, experimenting with different types of sausage.