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When I made my white wine sangria my mom asked me to please make some when they came to visit. But I was in the mood for something different and so I made this pink sangria using a local rosé wine, pomegranate juice, pink tonic water and aperol. Head straight on to the Recipe For … Continue reading Pink Sangria
Dried fruit compote was traditionally a breakfast dish and to this day, many friends add this to their morning meal. It can also be used as an accompaniment to meat or served as a dessert with custard. Head straight on to the Recipe For Dried Fruit Compôte ♥ So, let's carry on with my gremlin. … Continue reading Dried Fruit Compote
Sangria is traditionally made with red wine, but for a change I decided to make a white wine sangria using a local chenin blanc. Head straight on to the Recipe For White Wine Sangria ♥ This time last year my eyes were taking serious strain. I had gone for the most expensive multi focal lenses … Continue reading White Wine Sangria
Baklava is traditionally made by layering phyllo pastry and nuts. The nuts are usually sweetened with sugar. To change things up I made halva baklava using the natural sweetness of the halva to take away the need for sugar. I used halva with nuts in it to add some extra crunch to the dessert. Head … Continue reading Halva Baklava
This gluten-free lemon cheesecake can be baked a day in advance of serving. Serve with fresh seasonal berries if you cannot find strawberries. Head straight on to the Recipe For Gluten-Free Lemon Cheesecake ♥ When testing recipes for review I often have to make some revisions. These might be based on my sucrose intolerance. Here … Continue reading Gluten-Free Lemon Cheesecake
This month The Food In Jars Mastery Challenge was hot pack preserving. I decided to make use of my sous vide cooker for my canned herbed tomatoes. Head straight on to the Recipe For Canned Herbed Tomatoes ♥ Sometimes, coming to the end of your patience levels pays off. I had more than enough of trying … Continue reading Canned Herbed Tomatoes
I made my gin cocktail with the grenadine syrup I had made, as well as freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. You can use store bought grenadine if you choose to. Skip ahead to the recipe for Gin Cocktail I used to be a hand bag person. I would have different bags for different outfits. And separate … Continue reading Gin Cocktail
Did you know that ginger is part of the same family as galangal, turmeric and cardamom? I love using fresh ginger in my smoothies and find it goes so well with carrot. I keep fresh root ginger in my freezer to use as needed throughout the year. My ginger smoothie was made one very hot … Continue reading Ginger Smoothie
Bread sauce can be traced back to medieval times in Britain and can be served either warm or cold. Traditionally made with bread crumbs or stale bread and spices, I have opted instead for fresh bread. Serve with turkey or chicken. Head straight on to the recipe for Bread Sauce ♥ I did as little as … Continue reading Bread Sauce
What we call peppers are known in other places in the world as capsicums. They belong to the nightshade family which includes potatoes, eggplants and tomatoes. It is no wonder that red peppers and tomatoes go so well together. Here I decided to only use capsicums to make my roasted red pepper sauce. Head straight … Continue reading Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Traditionally, tabbouleh is made using bulgar wheat with tomatoes, onions, parsley and mint. In some regions there will be more parsley than bulgar in the salad. The salad dressing is part of the seasoning and usually uses olive oil as the base. Head straight on to the recipe for Tabbouleh ♥ I spent some time … Continue reading Tabbouleh
Agar Agar is derived from red algae and is an alternative to gelatin. This is therefore suitable for vegans and vegetarians alike. Here I have used it as the gelling agent for my beetroot gel. Head straight on to the recipe for Beetroot Gel ♥ In September we had to deal with a courier company … Continue reading Beetroot Gel
My first thought was to make a ginger infused limeade, but limes are so expensive here. So I went with my new favourite juice and made a pomegranate and gingerade. This is a refreshing summer drink which can be used as a mixer for gin for something different. Head straight on to the recipe for … Continue reading Pomegranate And Gingerade
Larousse described a pavlova as "a meringue basket or case, the best being of beautiful appearance, with a crisp soft texture, filled with cream and fruit". I must say that for my berry pavlova I ticked the box in the crisp soft texture department. But I did not whip my egg whites stiff enough and so I … Continue reading Berry Pavlova
Use any vegetables in season to make pakoras, an Indian classic, usually made with potatoes and seasonal vegetables.I chose to make courgette pakoras as this vegetable is in season right now. Head straight on to the recipe for Courgette Pakoras ♥ I usually train at gym over lunch time, and the people I train with … Continue reading Courgette Pakoras
When fruit is in abundance, make this fruit concentrate. I used guavas as I had a box of them to use up and did not want any to go to waste. I have the most organized desk you can possibly imagine. Everything has its place and there are trays and folders for each and every … Continue reading Fruit Concentrate
This recipe for rustic basil pesto pasta was inspired by a reader event hosted by Fair Lady Magazine. I do most of my magazine reading at gym while I am on the treadmill. We do not have fancy televisions where I train and so to break the tedium I read. However, I am very far … Continue reading Rustic Basil Pesto Pasta
My Amarula Cured Ostrich Carpaccio was served on a bed of fennel with an Amarula and mushroom ice cream. A unique combination. I was invited to celebrate Amarula as part of South Africa's heritage and create a dish where I could possibly win a luxury getaway in the Bushveld. To this end, I was provided … Continue reading Amarula Cured Ostrich Carpaccio
Can childhood obesity be ascribed to 'bad' parenting, or is it a sign of modern times? It seems that nowadays, children are much chubbier than I can remember when Dave's children were younger. A few years ago I had a client who came to me because her three year old child ate nothing but chips. … Continue reading Hummus | Made With Tinned Chickpeas
This recipe for fruit and nut bread is my submission to Fresh From The Oven. This month, our host for Fresh From The Oven is La Cuisine de Sarah. She set us a lovely task of making a breakfast fruit bread. Ordinarily I would get the challenge on the 1st of the month, and then have a good … Continue reading Fruit And Nut Bread