Autumn Snack for One

Tags

avocado, Basil, Cape Town, chilli, Clifton Kitchen - Cooking thorugh the seasons, garlic, goats cheese Agave nectar, health, olvie oil, peaches, quick meal, red onion, season foods, snack healthy food, whole wheat seed bread

It’s a quiet day; the stormy weather of yesterday gone. Today we have soft autumn sunshine, the air is crisp and chilly. I love the different seasons and the changes it brings. This evening will be perfect for cosy fireside natter while sipping some delicious port.

But back to lunch which is roasted vegetables and avocado on toasted whole wheat seed bread, followed by grilled peach served with goats cheese, a drizzle of Agave nectar and a sprig of mint. This is a very healthy snack, wonderful the skin, cholesterol, blood pressure and general circulation.

For the roasted vegetables and avocado on toasted whole wheat seed bread you will need

½ red pepper cut into bite size chunks

1 small red onion cut into chunks

11/2 tablespoon olive oil

½ an avocado

1 garlic clove

1 small green chilli

2-3 basil leaves

A spritz or two of fresh lime juice

A slice of whole wheat seed bread or bread of your choice, toasted

Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 220C

Put the chopped pepper and onion in an oven proof dish, sprinkle with one tablespoon olive oil, season and toss the vegetables together. Place in the preheated oven for about 15minutes then turn the grill on high and continue to cook for about another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables take on some charred colour.

Place the avocado, garlic, chilli, basil, lime juice and ½ a tablespoon olive oil in a blender and blend to a rough or smooth consistency. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Spread the avocado mixture over the toast and top with the roasted vegetables. Serve.

Oven grilled peach served with goat’s chees, agave nectar and mint

Ingredients

1 peach cut in half, stone removed

A little olive oil

A few slices of goat’s cheese

A few sprigs of mint

A drizzle of agave nectar

Method

Place the peach halves face up in an oven proof dish. Rub the cut side of each half with a little olive oil and place under a hot grill for about 5-8 minutes or until they start to take on colour.

Place each half on a plate or in a little bowl, top with some goat’s cheese, a sprig of mint and drizzle with a splash of agave nectar.

Note:

if you don’t have agave nectar, use a good quality honey instead

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Mini Ham & Rocket Omelettes served with Balsamic Fig Jam

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balsamic figs, Balsamic Vinegar, Blogs, Brunch, Cape Town, Chefs, Clifton Kitchen, Cooking thorugh the seasons, Cooks, dinner, Easy Entertaining, Easy Meals, figs, food, Food Writing, Gruyère, Ham, In Season, ingredients, Kate Abbott, Light Lunch, lunch, Omelettes, Photography, recipes, Rocket, salad leaves, Salads, Serrano Ham

The versatile egg once again becomes a platform for a delicious light lunch, brunch or dinner. In this recipe the omelette is used as a wrap, stuffed with beautiful Serrano Ham and peppery salad leaves. It works equally well using chopped cooked prawns in a mild curry dressing. The combinations are up to your imagination. 

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 onion finely chopped (about 80g) or finely chopped spring onions white part only

Salt, a pinch

15ml olive oil

10g butter

2 extra-large eggs, gently beaten and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper

8 slices of Serrano Ham or the equivalent

A hand full of peppery salad leaves such as rocket or watercress gently tossed through a dressing of 15 ml of olive oil, a little lemon juice and a grinding of black pepper

4 thin slivers of gruyere cheese (optional)

Balsamic fig jam to serve (optional)

Method

Melt the olive oil and butter in a pan, add the chopped onion, season lightly with some salt and cook gently until softened and golden in colour. Set aside to cool slightly then add the softened onions to the beaten egg mixture.

Heat up the smallest frying pan you have, such as a one egg pan or a blini pan; add a drop or two of olive oil to the pan. Place a thin layer of the omelette mix in the pan and let cook over gentle heat until the egg mixture is almost set about 2 minutes, flip over and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Remove and place the omelette on some grease proof paper while you continue to cook the rest.

To assemble

Place 2 slices of Serrano ham on one half side of the omelette cover with a thin slice of gruyere cheese and top with the salad leaves. Fold the other half of the omelette over the filling, giving a gentle squeeze to keep it together. Plate and serve with some balsamic fig jam.

Three of my Favourite Ingredients

Tags

avocado, Cape Town Chef Cooks, Chillies, Clifton Kitchen - Cooking thorugh the seasons, food and drink, food and travel writing, Food Blogs, Food Writing, healthy food, Healthy Meals, ingredients, Kate Abbott, Lifestyle, Light meals, Olive oil, Photography, Poached egg, recipes, smoked salmon

I love Avocado, smoked salmon and eggs, and in this recipe I have combined them to produce a dish that is full of fantastic flavour. It is healthy and easy to prepare and is one of my favourite meals for lunch or brunch.

Ingredients

Toasted wholegrain brown bread

A few slivers of smoked salmon

A few slices of avocado

A soft boiled or poached egg

Lemon juice

Olive oil chilli dressing

Black pepper

Sea salt flakes

Method

Cut the toast in half and place the toast on a plate; drape over a few slivers of smoked salmon followed by a few slivers of avocado. Place the poached egg on the plate next to the smoked salmon and avocado.

Sprinkle over some lemon juice and dress with the chilli dressing and some black pepper. Season the egg with a little salt.

For the chilli dressing

Ingredients

2 medium hot chillies

Juice from one lime

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

Olive oil

Method

Place the chillies, lime juice, salt, and sugar in a container and blitz with a hand held blender until you have a rough mixture. Stir in some olive oil and serve.

Food With Friends – a festive occasion

Tags

apples, asparagus, blue cheese, Chefs, Cook Books, Cooking Through The Seasons, Cooks, eggs, feta cheese, food and drink, Food Blogs, Food Writing, garden salad, Lifestyle, olives, paoched eggs, potatoes, Prawns, red onion, roses champain, salad leaves, Spices, steamed rice, tarts, Tomato sauce, tomatoes, Vegetarian, vinaigrette

December brought with it the usual joy of sharing meals and enjoying quality time with family and friends. Keeping things simple yet festive was as always high on my list of priorities; these are some of my favourites dishes served this season.

For Christmas day

Prawns in spicy tomato sauce, served with steamed rice and a garden salad

Under the sway of the palms

Asparagus, red onion and blue cheese tart

Simple but fabulous warm Potato slices and olives, tossed together in an anchovy and garlic vinaigrette served with slivers of tuna and topped with a poached egg.

A Zephyr of Wind & an Awesome Sunset

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Blogging, Cape Town, Chefs, Cook Books, Cooks, flavoured butters, Food Blogs, Food Writing, greens, Life, News, Organic food, Organic meat, Photography, recipes, steak, Travel

A zephyr of wind rustles through the trees and gently blows my hair across my eyes. The sun is on the brink of setting over the ocean and the colours in the sky are quite magnificent. Sitting around the outside fire, glass of wine in hand the evening is blissfully perfect.

It is one of those lovely slow evenings and not to distract from the relaxed ambiance I decide to cook something quick and simple; a couple of steaks will do just nicely, drizzled with some herb flavoured butter and served with wilted greens, is just the thing I want for now. Here is the recipe.

Steak Served with Herb Butter

Ingredients

6 steaks about 4 cm thick, at room temperature (fillet, rump, or rib-eye)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients

For the herb butter

90 g unsalted butter, at cool room temperature

1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs; rosemary, tarragon, thyme, marjoram, chives, flat leaf parsley, either singly or select a combination of the ones you like best.

1 anchovy fillet in oil, drained and finely chopped

Sea salt and ground pepper

Method for herb butter

To make the butter, in a small bowl, cream the butter with a wooden spoon. Stir in the herbs the anchovy and salt to taste and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Place the mixture on a sheet of cling film, roll up like a sausage and refrigerate.

Method for steak

Pre-heat a cast iron or heavy duty skillet over medium high heat.

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper, rubbing the seasoning into the meat; brush both sides with olive oil.

Add steaks to the pan and cook until little droplets of juice form on the surface, about 4 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue cooking until droplets of juice form on top again, another 3-4 minutes, about 6-8 minutes total cooking time for rare, and 10-12 minutes for medium. Transfer the steaks to a platter, cover with aluminium foil, and let rest for about 5 minutes.

To serve

Place each steak on individual warmed plates, top with 1 tablespoon of herb butter. Serve at once.

Accompaniment

Serve with wilted greens

Succulent Gourmet Burgers

Tags

Cape Town, Chefs, Cook Books, Cooks, food blog, Food styling, gluten free, Hamburger, meat patties, Photography, Quick meals, recipe, Travel, Writing

This evening’s un-planned meal is for three people, of which one is gluten Intolerant. Although I’m making hamburgers, I will serve them without the usual bun. Instead I opt to serve the burger on a bed of chilli and garlic peas.

Succulent Gourmet Burgers – Served on a bed of Chilli & Garlic Peas

For these burgers I have selected equal quantities of lamb, pork and beef, which I asked the butcher to mince for me. The texture I prefer is a coarse rather than fine mince.

serves 6

Ingredients

1 kg ground mince of your choice

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

3-4 medium tomatoes, sliced

3 onions sliced

2 table spoons olive oil

500 g peas

1 chilli finely diced

1 clove of garlic finely diced

15ml butter

Method

Prepare the dressing

Place the mince in a bowl and add the Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Using your hands work the mince and seasoning together until combined. Form into 6 patties of about 2cm thick.

Heat a large skillet, add the olive oil and when hot add the sliced onions. Cook until golden and slightly charred on the edges. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and place back on the heat, when hot add the hamburgers. Cook them, turning once, pressing down with a spatula until done to the way you like them.

While the meat is cooking start the peas. Melt the butter in a pan; add the garlic and chilli and sauté for about ½ a minute. Add the peas and gently cook together for about 4-5 minutes.

Dressing Ingredients

185 ml good quality mayonnaise

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons milk

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

To make the dressing: put the mayonnaise in a bowl, whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper. Then gradually whisk in the milk to make a thin sauce that just coats the back of the spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

To serve

Place the peas in the centre of the plate, top with the burger, some onion and a few slices of tomato. Drizzle over some dressing.

Optional

Instead of serving the peas whole they can be roughly mashed.

Cooking Should Always be a Delight for all the Senses.

Tags

Books, Cape Town, Chillies, Entertaining, feta, Food Blogging, Food Writing, Goats milk feta cheese, Herbs, Life, News, Photography, Quick meals, recipes, Rocket, Sandwiches, Travel

While snipping herbs, large white butterflies dance around me and chase one another over fennel, oregano and thyme, the latter which has just come into flower. This is how cooking should always be, a delight for all the senses.

A friend has popped in unexpectedly for lunch and I have very little time to cook but I want to provide something that is delicious yet quick to make. I have some crisp bread rolls and fresh goat’s feta so I make chilli feta sandwiches for the two of us which we eat at the kitchen counter while we catch up on each other’s news.

Chilli, Feta & Rocket Sandwich

Serves 2 as a light snack

Ingredients

2 red chillies, finely chopped. I like medium hot

3 spring onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic finely chopped

A little olive oil

A few sprigs of fresh lemon thyme

200g feta cheese, more or less

Fresh coriander leaves, a handful, roughly chopped

Lemon juice

Rocket leaves, about 6 leaves per sandwich

Fresh bread rolls

Method

Warm a the olive oil in a shallow pan, add the chillies, spring onions and garlic and sauté over gentle heat, stirring from time to time until ingredients have softened and released their flavours .

Remove the leaves from the thyme stalks, chop roughly then stir into the ingredients in the pan. Put the feta in the pan, spoon a little of the chillies, spring onions, garlic and thyme mixture over the cheese and leave for a few minutes until the cheese is warm and starting to soften around the edges. Add the chopped coriander leaves and a drizzle of lemon juice.

Place the feta and seasoning in between pieces of bread, and tuck in some rocket leaves. Cut into fingers and serve.

It’s Almost Time to Bring the Patio Umbrellas out of Storage

Tags

Basmati Rice, Blogging, Books, Books for Cooks, Cape Town, Chillies, Cooks, Eggs Soy sauce, Entertaining, Entertainment, farm fresh eggs, food and drink, Food Blogs, Food Writing, In Season, News, organic, Peanut oil, PhotographyLife, Prawns, recipes, Sesame oil, Spring, Spring onions, Travel, Writing

I wake an hour earlier than usual, to a light filled bedroom, not the usual overcast, dark days of the past few weeks. It’s going to be a sunny, breezy day, but temperature wise still cold enough to warrant warm clothing.

I cannot help but welcome the change in weather with open arms; I notice the lizard sprawled on the sunlit flagstones and wonder if it’s almost time to bring the patio umbrellas out of storage.

The afternoon cools dramatically and a chilly breeze blows in through the kitchen where I sip aromatic coffee while planning the evening meal. There will be three of us for supper and I want something that is quick to prepare yet feels like a special treat. I have some lovely fresh prawns, chillies, fresh coriander and farm fresh organic eggs, perfect for a dish of spicy prawn and scrambled eggs, dressed with soy and sesame infused sauce, served together with a bowl of basmati rice.

This is a delightful main course, simple yet full on flavour, perfect for a lunch or supper dish. It’s one I enjoy and so too the friends I have shared it with. To ring the changes I sometimes replace the prawns with firm fish, scallops or pork.

Spicy Prawn Scrambled Eggs Dressed with Soy & Sesame infused Sauce

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients

4 – 5 eggs

60 ml peanut or other vegetable oil

600 g prawns, peeled and cleaned

3-4 spring onions finely chopped with some of the green part included

Dried chilli flakes

Sprinkle of salt 

Sauce Dressing

80 ml light soy sauce

2 tsp. white sugar

4-6 drops sesame oil

80 ml water

Accompaniment

Basmati Rice

Garnish

Chopped green parts of spring onion

Method

While the rice is almost cooked start making the sauce. Put all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to the boil then remove from the heat.

Break eggs in a bowl and whisk lightly for a few seconds, add the tiniest bit of salt and pepper. Season the prawns with chilli flakes. 

Heat a wok or a frying pan until almost smoking then add half the oil, leave to heat through for a few seconds then add the prawns and cook until almost done. Remove prawns and wipe wok with some paper towels. Put wok back on the heat, add the balance of the oil, add the egg mixture and stir fry until just beginning to set. At this point add the prawns and the chopped spring onions and gently toss together for a few more seconds to combine.

Remove from the heat and transfer the egg and prawns to a plate and pour over the warm sauce sprinkle over some chopped green parts of spring onion and serve with Basmati rice.

Note: when adding salt to season the ingredients prior to cooking, do so sparingly and  keep in mind the saltiness of the soy sauce in the dressing.