Three of my Favourite Ingredients

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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.

It’s Time To Light The Fires

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The weather has turned and the chilled air flowing in off the Atlantic sea has everyone reaching for sweaters. The summer remains elusive as another cold front wafts in over the Cape. It is time to light the fires and to make dinner.

I want something warming and unctuous to feed my guests. In the fridge I have mushrooms, chicken, some good quality cream, garden fresh broccoli stems and in the pantry,the thin skinned potatoes which I picked up from the market. All of these items will produce a dinner that everyone will enjoy. It is also fuss free, easy, which leaves me with time to mingle before serving dinner.

Here is the recipe

Chicken & Mushrooms with Sherry Cream Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 packets of chicken portions

25 g butter

25 ml olive oil

2 onions finely diced

200 g shitake mushrooms sliced

250 ml dry sherry

250 ml chicken stock

4 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed

1 Tablespoon fresh Thyme finely chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh Parsley finely chopped

½ Tablespoon fresh Rosemary finely chopped

1 bay leaf

120 ml pouring cream

Salt and pepper

Method

Heat the butter and olive oil in pot or casserole dish a large enough to comfortably incorporate all the chicken pieces.

Sauté the chicken until golden brown, remove and set aside. Sauté the onions and mushrooms until softened, then add the chicken, the herbs and bay leaf, garlic and dry sherry. Let simmer until the alcohol smell has dissipated; about 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock.

Bring up to heat, then turn down to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes and the liquid has reduced by half. Add the cream, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 14-20 minutes. Check the seasoning.

Serve with boiled potatoes or rice and broccoli or a green salad

Tip: if after the cooking process the sauce is too runny, slake 2 tsps. of cornflour in 2 tablespoons water and stir into the sauce to thicken. cook for another 5 minutes.

Vegetable & Ricotta Torte

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This torte is one I make often using my favourite seasonal vegetables. It is wonderfully adaptable; to be enjoyed in either winter or summer, using whatever vegetables are in season. I usually make my own Ricotta, which I prefer; recipe included.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

140g broccoli spears

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion chopped,

2 courgettes (zucchini) finely sliced

2 garlic cloves finely chopped and bruised to release flavour

120 g baby spinach

1 tablespoon chopped lemon thyme or basil

80 g parmesan, grated

250 g ricotta

225 g mascarpone

25 g feta, finely crumbled

4-5 eggs

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the broccoli, cook until stems are soft. Drain and plunge into cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking process and to retain the colour of the broccoli. Chop into small chunks.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil, add the onion and cook over medium heat until soft. Turn up the heat and add the courgettes, cook until softened and golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two, then add the spinach, mix in and cook until the spinach has wilted.

Remove pan from heat, add the broccoli, the herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set mixture aside to cool.

Lightly butter a 20 cm spring form tin and dust with some of the grated parmesan, about 1 tablespoon of cheese should do.

Mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, feta, eggs and about 50g of the parmesan. Add the mixture to the cooled vegetables, folding through to incorporate. Adjust seasoning.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and scatter over the remaining parmesan. Place the tin on a baking sheet which will catch any drips and place in the oven. Bake for about 40-50 minutes. When cooked the top should be golden brown and the mixture still slightly wobbly in the centre.

Remove and leave to rest and set for about 20 minutes before serving. At this point the torte may be cooled completely, then refrigerated and served chilled as a summer torte. Serve with a salad.

Home-made Ricotta

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk

½ tsp. sea salt

3 tablespoons of either distilled vinegar, fresh lemon or lime juice.

Method

Place the milk in a heavy bottom pot. Add salt and heat gently, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching until the milk reaches a temperature of about 80-90C, or if you don’t have a thermometer, heat until the milk starts to simmer and foam at sides. Do not boil.

Remove from heat and add vinegar or the lemon/lime juice. Give the mixture one or two stirs, and then leave alone for the curds to develop. This should take about 5 minutes.

Line a sieve with cheese cloth and place over a bowl. Gently pour the milk mixture into the cheesecloth, disturbing the curds as little as possible in the process. Leave to drain for 5 minutes then bring the ends of the cloth together and tie the bag to the tap over the sink and leave to continue draining for about 15 minutes. The ricotta is now ready to use. The longer it drains the drier the ricotta will be.