Chicken Curry

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Tandy

I had some left over chicken breasts and decided I would make a stuffing of roasted red pepper with a tomato sauce. But, after a walk on the beach I really did not feel like the whole process and turned my mind to making a green curry. Alvin gave us a lovely recipe for a green curry paste and so in my usual fashion, I set about making it. So, why read the list of ingredients first? I mean, I never do, so why start now? Well, if I had all the ingredients, I would have made a green curry. But, I did not have lemongrass and so my green curry became a curry – and not a very strong one either as I used less chillies. I will add lemongrass to my shopping list so that I can make the curry paste to share with you. In the meantime, enjoy this dish – we certainly did

CHICKEN CURRY

recipe inspired by Alvin Quah

ingredients:

2 green chillies, chopped

4 spring onions, chopped

30mls coriander leaves, chopped

3 kaffir lime leaves

5mls shrimp paste

5mls ground cumin

10mls coriander seeds, crushed

2 cloves garlic

30mls fish sauce

30mls canola oil

zest of 1 lemon

15mls lime juice

400mls coconut cream

60g asparagus, cut in half

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced

80g exotic mushrooms, cut in half

10 sugar snap peas, trimmed

15mls palm sugar

15mls fish sauce

30mls lime juice

10 Thai basil leaves

method:

place the ingredients up to but not including the coconut cream into a blender

process until all the ingredients have combined

place into a pot and bring to a simmer

add the coconut cream and bring back to a simmer

add the bottom halves of the asparagus

add the chicken breasts and simmer for 10 minutes

add the rest of the asparagus, the mushrooms and the peas and bring back to a simmer

add the palm sugar, the fish sauce and the lime juice

stir in the Thai basil leaves

serve on a bed of jasmine rice

CHICKEN CURRY PRINTABLE VERSION

Tandy

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Creamy Pasta with Beef, Sundried Tomatoes and Mushrooms for The Secret Recipe Club:

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Tandy

I am loving being in The Secret Recipe Club, as I have met so many bloggers! The time difference is the only thing that does not work well for me – the afternoon’s for me are busy, and so I only get to the posts the day after they are published. This month my assigned blog is Good Thymes and Good Food. Rachel is originally from Florida (where some of my family live) and she now lives in Atlanta. I have been to the airport there countless of times, but have never been out of the airport as I have always been in transit. Rachel is a stay at home mom – how blessed her son is

As I also participate in Presto Pasta Nights and my draft folder is empty of pasta recipes, I chose the first pasta recipe I found on the blog. It had so many of my favourite ingredients in the recipe, I knew it would be great, even before I tried it. I chose not to do a holiday recipe, as that is the farthest thing on my mind right now. This is the busiest time of the year for me work wise. I made a little extra for the freezer – there may be a night soon that I don’t have time to cook!

CREAMY PASTA WITH BEEF, SUNDRIED TOMATOES AND MUSHROOMS

ingredients:

4 rashers streaky bacon

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

250g ground beef

salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

120g mushrooms, chopped

¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

15g butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons flour

375mls chicken stock

1/3 cup cream

200g pasta

½ cup frozen peas

½ cup grated Parmesan
method:

add the bacon to a frying pan over a medium heat and cook until crisp

remove from the pan and chop

sauté the onions and the garlic until soft

add the beef and brown

season and add the mushrooms and cook until soft

add the sundried tomatoes and the bacon and leave to simmer

in a separate saucepan melt the butter in the with the olive oil over a low heat

add the flour and cook for at least 30 seconds

add the stock while whisking the whole time

whisk in the cream

add 1 cup of the sauce to the meat and leave to simmer for 20 minutes while you bring your pasta water to the boil

cook the pasta as per the package instructions

add the peas and heat through

add more sauce to your liking

add the Parmesan and allow the cheese to melt

loosen the sauce with the pasta water before tossing in your cooked pasta

Printable Version

I am submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by Rachel who blogs over at The Crispy Cook

Tandy

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Smokey Chicken

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Tandy

I did a post on poached crayfish, and straight away someone wanted to know if I was handcuffed and waiting in shackles, after having poached the crays! The crays of course were legally caught, and poached in stock! So, I hope he is not going to wonder if I smoked the chicken! Seems titles can be confusing sometimes but this is what I originally called the dish when I made it in April. The smokiness comes from the smoked paprika I used. This spice does not get used that often in my kitchen but every now and then it makes an appearance when I feel like a Spanish twist to my meals. Hopefully my new friend Chica Andaluza does not think I am being too hopeful by imagining that a little bit of paprika can transport me to Spain!

SMOKEY CHICKEN

ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 chicken pieces

salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

140g button mushrooms, quartered

160g whole baby plum tomatoes

1 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup frozen peas

1 teaspoon arrowroot

method:

heat the olive oil in a pot or tagine

season and brown the chicken pieces

remove and set aside while you cook the mushrooms

add the tomatoes and the wine

when the wine has come to the boil adjust the seasoning and add back the chicken

add the herbs and spices

cover and simmer for 40 minutes

remove the lid and add the peas

using 2 tablespoons of the gravy, mix in the arrowroot

add back to the pot and allow the sauce to thicken

Printable Version

Tandy

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Calamari Risotto

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Tandy

Usually during the Tour De France my friend Kim and I watch ‘together’. She will be in the lounge of her home in Australia and I will be in the lounge of my home in Gordons Bay. We sit with our laptops, chatting on IM and we discuss where they are, how the riders are doing and generally what has happened during our day. It is so amazing that she can be 6 hours time wise away and about 20 hours of travelling away from me. As soon as she hits the enter button on her laptop, I can read what is on her mind. So, during the tour I have been coming home to chat to her, but she has not been online. It is usually about 17h00 here when I get home, and I know that means it is bed time for her, but I miss her. In order to keep myself company, I will have to cook! A risotto is a perfect meal as it takes time to prepare everything, and there is still 35km to go of today’s tour.

CALAMARI RISOTTO

ingredients:

1 tablespoon lemon infused olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

200g Arborio rice

½ cup white wine

500mls vegetable stock, on simmer

2 pinches flaked salt

½ cup frozen peas

salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

½ teaspoon mixed herbs

30g butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 chilli, halved

250g calamari

small handful fresh rocket, roughly chopped

method:

heat the lemon infused olive oil in a large frying pan

sauté the shallot and garlic, without colouring

add the celery and cook until soft

add the rice and stir until it starts toasting

add the wine and allow the alcohol to burn off, and the rice to absorb the wine

add one ladle of stock and stir until it is absorbed

add a pinch of flaked salt and another ladle of stock

once again stir while it is being absorbed

add another pinch of flaked salt and continue to add a ladle of stock at a time

you don’t need to stir all the time, but make sure you stir often and don’t add another ladle until the stock has been completely absorbed

when you have one ladle of stock left, add the peas and adjust the seasoning and add the herbs

now add the last ladle and check for doneness

at the same time as adding the last ladle of stock, heat the olive oil and 15g butter in a separate pan

add the chilli and the rest of the garlic

flash fry the calamari on a high heat until done

take the risotto of the heat and add 15g butter and mix in thoroughly

remove the chilli from the calamari

top with the calamari, the pan juices and garnish with the rocket

Printable Version

I submitted this recipe for Presto Pasta Nights, last week to Debbi Does Dinner but my email seems to have got lost in the ethernet, so I am sending it off to Anu of Truth Personified for this week.

Tandy

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Paella

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Tandy

I am sitting here with the wind blowing and the sky overcast, feeling a little bit sad. My Boxer had been sick for two weeks and as I typed this, they did not know what was wrong with her. In July of 2002 I went to choose a puppy at the breeder’s house. They had originally lived kitty corner to us and this was their second litter – both times only 3 of the 4 pups had survived and out of the three, Maxine would not leave me alone. She sat on my lap and kissed and kissed me. In March 2004 she jumped at a glass window to ‘save’ me and she was the one who ended up being saved. She had cut her front paw badly, and her back paw severely and had we not been home, she would have bled out. Serendipity played a hand that day and the vet was still open. They saved her life and her limb and to this day I owe a lot of thanks to Bruce, Brenda and Megan. At the end of May she became ill and she was listless and not happy. We knew that soon, if they did not discover what was wrong with her we would have to put her to sleep. On the Sunday, after we had enjoyed this beautiful paella dish, she climbed onto my lap and slept like a puppy. Something she had not done since she was 10 weeks old! Maxine’s decline was blessedly quick. She had a heart tumour and the vets made sure we knew what was wrong with her before we put her down. Paella was the dish I prepared for Eat For The Earth – something decadent that would encourage my guests to donate well – and well they did. Thank you Chantelle, Ewan and Taylor for your generosity and company.

PAELLA

ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

400g chicken fillets

salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

250g mushrooms, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 orange pepper, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 cup paella rice

1 cup water

few strands of saffron

1 cup white wine

300g mixed seafood – I used mussels, calamari and prawns

85g tinned smoked oysters

400g tinned cherry tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas

500g prawns, head on and cleaned

1 tablespoon butter

1 red pepper, sliced

20 olives, depipped

50g chorizo, sliced

method:

heat the oil in a paella pan (or any suitable large bottomed pan with a lid)

season and brown the chicken

remove from the pan and set aside

lightly fry the mushrooms, yellow and orange pepper and the garlic

remove from the pan and set aside

add the paella rice, the water and the saffron to the pan

while you wait for the water to boil, slice the chicken into bite sized pieces

when the water has all but boiled away add the wine, the chicken, the cooked vegetables, the seafood, oysters and tomatoes

adjust the seasoning and cover and cook over a low heat for one hour

add the peas and continue cooking over a medium heat while you cook the prawns in the butter

season the prawns and check the paella seasoning

garnish the paella with the prawns, red pepper, olives and chorizo

Printable Version

Tandy

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Oak Smoked Red Bell Pepper Chicken

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Tandy

I love new products, which explains why I have a kitchen drawer and cupboard full of lovely goodies waiting to be used. One new (to me) exciting product that I came across last year was the Oak Smoked Red Bell Pepper from the Smoking Shed – a company co-founded by our very own blogger Sam Linsell of Drizzle and Dip. I had used the product very successfully with steak before I decided to come up with a recipe specifically for chicken. Your kitchen will have this lovely smell of oak hanging around, and the flavour the seasoning adds to your food is really fantastic. I would highly recommend that you take the time out to find this wonderful condiment.

OAK SMOKED RED BELL PEPPER CHICKEN

ingredients:

150g yoghurt

1 teaspoon oak smoked red bell pepper

2 chicken wings

2 chicken thighs

salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 rashers bacon

2 tomatoes, chopped

½ cup white wine

1 cup frozen peas

1 teaspoon arrowroot

method:

place the yoghurt and the bell pepper into a ziploc bag

season the chicken pieces and add to the yoghurt

seal the bag and gently rub the yoghurt over the chicken pieces

refrigerate for 30 minutes

heat the olive oil in a pot

cook the bacon until the fat has rendered down

remove and brown the chicken thighs – reserve the yoghurt

chop up the bacon and add back to the pot with the tomatoes, yoghurt and wine

cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked

add the peas and cook until hot

thicken the sauce with arrowroot

Printable Version

Tandy

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Broad (Fava) Bean and Pea Farfalloni

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Tandy

I wanted to write a series of recipes to submit to a magazine for consideration and started with the concept of doing pasta recipes. But, in the very month I wanted to send them in, the magazine did a whole series in preparation for the Argus Cycle Tour. Completely having missed the boat on that one, I saved the recipes but once again, pasta was in fashion with the Comrades Marathon. I am going to put my thinking cap on and come up with another series of recipes for the magazine, but in the mean time I will share with you the recipes I jotted down. Fava beans in Italy are known as broad beans here and in the UK and are a vibrant green bean that has to be double podded to enjoy to their fullest. This takes time and effort, but it is well worth it. Medically these beans are quite interesting and so I would recommend that you do not eat them raw. They are rich in tyramine and so should be avoided if you are taking Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors. However, if you have Parkinson’s disease or hypertension, they are a recommended addition to your diet.

BROAD BEAN AND PEA FARFALLONI

ingredients:

140g broad beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large shallot, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

1 garlic clove, chopped

140g frozen peas

2 tablespoons cream

15mls fresh thyme leaves, picked

method:

put the water for your pasta on to boil

when your pasta water has boiled, place the broad beans into the water and boil for 5 minutes

remove and refresh in cold water

now start cooking your pasta as per the packet instructions

in a large frying pan, heat the oil

sauté the shallot until soft

season with salt and add the garlic

when the garlic is soft, add the peas

add the cream and season to taste

add the thyme and allow to gently cook while you pod your broad beans

add the broad beans and adjust the seasoning before adding the pasta

you may need to add 1 tablespoon of the pasta water to loosen the sauce

Printable Version

I am submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by Kirsten – From Kirsten’s Kitchen To Yours

Tandy

some information sourced from Wikipedia

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Pea and Bacon Ravioli with a Blue Cheese Sauce

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Tandy

There is something about blue cheese that I love! Not just the smell, which my friend’s children call ‘stinky’ but the lovely taste and texture. I have tried blue cheese from all over the world, and I love Gorgonzola, Roquefort and our very own local Blue Rock. Use the best cheese you can afford and if possible, get a local cheese – it is a good way to support your farmers.

PEA AND BACON RAVIOLI WITH A BLUE CHEESE SAUCE

ingredients:

200g home made pasta

6 rashers streaky bacon

1 tablespoon water

125g fresh peas

100g blue cheese

pepper to season

2 tablespoons thick cream

method:

place the bacon into a pan with the water and cook until the fat is nice and crispy

allow to cool and blend with the peas until you have a paste

use the paste to make the filling for the ravioli

cook the ravioli in boiling salted water for 3 minutes

add the blue cheese to the pan that you cooked the bacon in

season and allow to soften

add the cream and use this as a sauce for your ravioli

Printable Version

I am submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by Trish of My Slap Happy Kitchen

Tandy

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Hake

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Tandy

Hake in South Africa provides a huge industry for local fisherman. There are numerous fishing companies involved in the trawling industry and if you pop in to your local supermarket you will notice many boxes of frozen hake. Hake is also known as Cape Whiting and is frozen fresh on board the trawler it is caught on. Our hake industry is large enough to provide a sustainable source of income both from local sales, and the export of the product to Europe, Australia and the United States. Hake is considered green on the SASSI list and even though this is not my favourite eating fish, it is important to my ideal of a regional product. Hake fishing vessels dock in Duncan Docks Cape Town and the fish is taken to a local shop close to the airport. This is where I purchase boxes of hake and at under R20 a fillet that feeds the two of us, this is a cheap meal.

HAKE

ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

15g butter

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 whole red chilli

flour for dusting

1 large hake fillet

salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

1 chorizo sausage, sliced

½ cup frozen peas

2 teaspoons roasted red pepper pesto

method:

heat the oil and the butter in a pan

add the garlic and the chilli and allow to flavour the oil

dust the skin of the hake with flour

season the flesh

cook skin side down until halfway cooked through

turn over and add the chorizo to the pan

remove the chilli and add the peas (turn the heat up slightly)

add the pesto and when the peas are hot and the fish is cooked, serve

Printable Version

Tandy

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Crayfish Tagine with Charaime

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Tandy

I was given an opportunity to review the online deli Diletto and the product I chose was charaime. Tomatoes, onion, garlic, sweet and hot paprika and a touch of chilli are combined to create this sauce – and given the fact it goes perfectly with fish, I chose to couple it with crayfish.