Festive Christmas Starter

Tags

Apple, Bresola, Cape Town, Chefs & Cooks, Christmas, Cifton Kitchen, fennel, food and drink, Food Blogs, Food Writing, grapeseed oil, Olive oil, recipe, Starters

A tasty and visually pleasing starter to brighten the Christmas table and very easy to prepare. For vegetarians you could exchange the Bresaola for a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and capers

Insalata Bresaola

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 fennel bulbs; rinsed and trimmed

1 granny smith apple, washed and dried, keep skin on.

100g thinly sliced Bresaola

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons water

100g natural yoghurt

4 tablespoons Grapeseed or olive oil

a gentle splash of Pernod anise or Ricard Pastis (optional)

Salt and pepper

Dill or fennel fronds to garnish

Method

In bowl, mix the lemon juice with 2 tablespoons water set aside.

Cut the fennel into thin slices. Cut the apple into thin slices, then briefly dip the apple slices in the lemon juice water to keep the pulp from darkening. Toss the apple and fennel together, season to taste with salt and pepper and place a portion on each plate. Arrange the Bresaola slices in the middle and drizzle with the dressing.

Dressing

In a bowl mix the yoghurt with oil, Pernod, salt and pepper. Set aside

Garnish

With dill or fennel fronds.

Note

Bresaola is dried salted beef available from delicatessens.

Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard.

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A Christmas treat – Spiced Cinnamon Shortbread

Tags

baking, Cape Town, Chefs & Cooks, Christmas Biscuits, Christmas Gifts, Clifton Kitchen - Cooking thorugh the seasons, food blog, Food Writing, recipe, shortbread, Spices

The flavour and fragrance of this shortbread is just so ‘Christmassy’ and I love to have tins of it in the pantry; some pieces beautifully packed for little home-made gifts and some for sharing with friends who pop in over the festive season. What’s more it is very easy to make. 

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 cups cake flour

¼ cup caster sugar

2 tbsp. corn flour

¼ tsp. cinnamon powder

A pinch of Allspice powder

Pinch of salt

250g unsalted butter, slightly softened

Extra caster sugar for sprinkling once baked

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Method

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until the ingredients are combined and just coming together. It is important to not over-process. If you don’t have a food processor, work the mixture lightly with your hands until combined.

Press the mixture as evenly as possible into a 20cm round pie dish and smooth the top. Using a fork, prick the dough evenly all over.

Place the shortbread in a preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until it turns a light golden brown.

Remove from the oven and slice into serving portions then sprinkle with some caster sugar while still hot. Leave to cool before serving.

spice options

ground star anise; ground dried ginger; ground cardamom, ground cloves

Buttery prawns with tomato, olives, capers and a splash of Pernod

Tags

Cape Town, chilli, Clifton Kitchen - Cooking thorugh the seasons, Cucumber, Entertaining, Food Blogs, Food Writing, Kate Abbott, Lifestyle, Parsley, Peppers, Pernod, Photography, Prawns, Radish, recipe, Salads, tomatoes

When it gets closer and closer to spring I start craving bright summery flavours, fresh greens and salads. Last evening although very cold gave way to this lovely dinner which has had everyone calling for the recipe, so here it is.

This is dead easy and utterly delicious. The flavour of the Pernod liquor complements but also mellows the intensity of the tomato and olives, coating the prawns in a heavenly buttery sauce.

Served as soon as it is made, accompanied by pieces of wholesome bread or rice to soak up the sauce.

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 plum tomatoes

20 tiger prawns

70g softened unsalted butter

1 tbsp. finely chopped capers

½ tsp. dried chilli flakes

70g Kalamata olives, stoned

25ml or Pernod

3 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

2 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Sea salt

Method

If you object to tomato skins then by all means skin them; I choose not to do so. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and set aside.

Peel the prawns, keeping the tail segment of the shell on. Cut a shallow slit along the back of each prawn and remove the dark vein using the tip of a small knife.

Place a frying pan over a high heat. When very hot, add 35gm of the butter and sauté the prawns quickly for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan as you go. Add the tomatoes, chilli and olives and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the prawns are nearly cooked through; then add the Pernod. Do this carefully as it may catch fire. Let the alcohol evaporate for a minute then quickly add the remaining butter, the garlic, the parsley and a little salt. Toss for a second or two to enable the juices to come together in a runny sauce.

Serve immediately, with good crispy bread or rice.

Cucumber, radish, peppers and poppy seed salad

Halve the cucumber along its centre and scoop out the seedy core, which is full of water, and will dilute the dressing and make the salad watery.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large cucumber

4-6 radishes, sliced

I red pepper finely sliced

2 mild red chillies, thinly sliced

3 tbsp. roughly chopped coriander

60ml white wine vinegar or rice vinegar

125ml sunflower oil

1 1/2 tbsp. poppy seeds

2 tbsp. caster sugar

Salt and black pepper

Method

Gently and quickly toast the poppy seeds in a hot, dry pan for a few seconds; semi cover with a lid during the process to prevent the seeds from popping out of the pan.

Slice off and discard the ends of the cucumber. Slice the cucumber down the middle and remove the seeds. Slice the cucumber so you end up with pieces 1cm thick and about 3 cm long. Slice the radishes.

Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and adjust the amount of sugar and salt if needed. The salad should have a sharp and sweet tang.

I find it best to have all the ingredients for this salad ready and to assemble this salad just before I start cooking the prawns. This prevents the liquid which the cucumber tends to release, from diluting the dressing.

Note

Adding a few capers also adds another lovely flavour dimension to this salad.

Smoked Salmon & Potato Blinis served with Caper & Lemon vinaigrette

Tags

Blini, Cape Town, capers, Chefs, Clifton Kitchen, Cooking Through The Seasons, Cooks, Food Blogs, Food Writing, Healthy Meals, ingredients, Kate Abbott, lemon, Lifestyle, Light Lunch, Photography, potato blinis, recipe, smoked slamon, starter, vinaigrette

 

Smoked salmon is always useful to serve as either as a starter or light lunch and is one of the staples in my fridge. In this recipe I have paired smoked salmon with little potato blinis and drizzled with a refreshing caper and lemon vinaigrette.

Serves 4

For the blinis you will need the following:

230 g potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes

Sea salt for boiling the potatoes

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Salt to season, about a ¼ teaspoon

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons thick cream

1 egg, extra-large and lightly beaten

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

Place the potatoes in a pot, add sufficient water to cover the potatoes by about 2 ½ cm. add the salt and boil until the potatoes are soft, about 12 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.

Pass the potatoes through a food mill or use a potato masher to crush the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with flour, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Mix together gently with a fork, then add the cream and mix until incorporated. Add the slightly beaten egg to the mixture and blend until incorporated.

Place a frying pan over high heat; when hot add one tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, and once melted reduce the heat to medium. Next drop tablespoons of the potato mixture into the pan and cook the blinis for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Once the blinis are nicely cooked, transfer to a plate. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook them in batches.

To serve:

Place some rocket and lettuce on each plate; place a blinis, followed by some smoked salmon, then another blini, more smoked salmon and end with a blini.

Drizzle over the caper lemon vinaigrette and serve.

For the vinaigrette

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon capers

A pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together until well blended, drizzle over the smoked salmon and potato blinis.

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.

Farewell To Summer …..

Tags

Autumn, Blogging News, Books, Books for Cooks, Bread, Food Blogs, Food styling, Food writer, Foods in season, Fruit, Life, Mayonnaise, nuts and seeds, organic, Photography, recipe, stews, Travel, Vegetables, Writing

In Season For March

With the month of March comes the dancing in of autumn, the days are cooling and the mornings are noticeably darker. It is time to welcome back stews and other autumnal treats.

Apples continue to be in season and make wonderful warm desserts or can simply be cut into quarters, sautéed in butter until softened and slightly caramelized, to serve with roast pork or with game birds such as pheasant. The classic Waldorf salad becomes one of my favourite light lunches or side dishes at this time of the year; all the ingredients required to make it of which apple is just one component, are of course in season, providing a perfect end result.

Enjoy the last of the blackberries; and spoil your family with this easy tart. Blind bake a short crust pastry case and when cooled fill with following mixture. For the filling you will need seeds from 1 vanilla pod, 250 ml Mascarpone, and 100 ml pouring cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 40 ml Vin Santo. Whip all the ingredients together until nice and shiny. Fill the cooked and cooled pastry case with the mixture and top with blackberries. Drizzle over the top with a little blackberry jam, gently heated and thinned with a little water or Vin Santo, cooled before drizzling over the tart.

Capsicums are at their peak from summer to autumn, make the most of them while in season. I love them simply roasted then sprinkled with herbs, salt and olive oil and eaten with sourdough or ciabatta bread; wonderful served either hot or cold and goes well with lamb, chicken, or grilled beef.

Eggplant with its alluring shinny purple black skin is a wonderful carrier of flavours and as such can completely transform a dish. Dusted with flour, fried and layered with a freshly made tomato sauce, basil leaves, parmesan and buffalo mozzarella, then baked, provides an unctuous simple dish to serve either as a starter or a main meal together with some bread; I usually choose a sourdough loaf.

Tomatoes; picking them fresh from my garden, still warm from the sun, served on toasted bruschetta or sourdough, sprinkled with salt flakes and drizzled with peppery olive oil is another one of my favourite light lunches.

Super markets although convenient, I have to say don’t sell the bright flavoured tomatoes I am seeking. Instead and sadly to say, I find the tomatoes they offer to be lacklustre, hard and rather devoid of flavour. If you want great tomatoes, seek out the organic growers at your nearest farmers market, or try growing your own, it is a lot of fun and extremely rewarding.

Also in Season:

Fruit

Apples, avocado, bananas, berries, figs, grapes, lemons, limes, melon, nectarines, oranges, papaya, passion fruit, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries

Vegetables

Asian greens, beans, capsicum, celery, chillies, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, shallots, silver beet, squash, sweet corn, sweet potato, tomatoes, zucchini

Other

Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Olives

Classical Waldorf Salad

This is an iconic and classical recipe and one with a long pedigree. For best results use the tender stalks from the inner part of the celery

Ingredients

75 g walnuts toasted and a few extra to garnish

2 red apples

Juice of 1 lemon

3 tender celery stalks, finely sliced

1 radicchio leaves torn into bite size pieces

2 Witlof leaves separated

200 g red seedless grapes

1 cup parsley leaves, use flat leaf parsley

Mayonnaise

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp. red wine or chardonnay vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

130 ml olive oil

25 ml walnut oil

Lemon juice to taste

Makes about 200ml

Garnish

A few leaves from the heart of the celery

A few extra walnuts toasted

Method

To make the mayonnaise: place the egg yolks, vinegar and mustard in a food processor and process for a few seconds. Combine the two oils and with motor running add the oils in a thin steady stream. The mixture should come together in a nice thick emulsion. Add lemon juice, to taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cut the apple into julienne (small strips) place in a bowl and combine with half the lemon juice. Add walnuts, celery, radicchio, witlof, grapes and parsley. Add 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and remaining lemon juice. Toss to combine and season to taste. Scatter with a few celery leaves from the heart of the celery and a few extra walnuts and serve.

Potato Bread Rolls ~ I just love the smell of bread baking

Tags

Bread, Bread Rolls, Chefs, Cook Books, Cooks, Food Blogs, Food Writing, Life, Photography, Portuguese, Potato Bread, recipe, Travel, Yeast

There are too many potatoes in the larder so I am using some to make potato bread rolls. I usually use this recipe to make bread loaves but today I am in the mood for making bread rolls instead, some of the rolls will go to a friend who I am expecting to arrive later today.

The recipe is Portuguese in origin, just one of the many cultural influences in our cuisine.

Potato Bread Rolls

Makes 24 rolls

Ingredients

500 g cooked mashed potatoes

900 ml lukewarm water

1.5 kg plain flour

20 ml salt

15 g instant yeast

Method

Preheat the oven to 220C and grease two baking sheets.

Start by blending together the mashed potato and warm water until smooth.

Place the flour salt and yeast in a bowl, make a well in the centre and add the blended potato mixture and work it into the dry ingredients until everything comes together, then turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place until double in size. Knock the dough back and divide into four equal portions, then pinch off pieces of dough roughly equal in size and form into plump sausage shapes. Arrange on baking sheets, leaving enough room for the rolls to rise during baking.

Leave to rise again until nicely plumped up, dust with flour, pop into the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 220C then reduce oven temperature to 180 C and continue to bake for about 10 to 15 minutes. He rolls should have a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.

In Season For January – The Summery Bounty of the land and Briny Punch from the Sea

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Basil, Cape Town, Cook Books, Food in season, Food Writing, Foodblogs, Fruit, Healthy eating, Lemon Thyme, Lifestyle, News, Photography, recipe, Seafood, Soup, Sweetcorn, Travel, Vegetables

In Season For January – The Summery Bounty of the land and Briny Punch from the Sea

Prickly Pears: A curious fruit, fleshy with a flavour reminiscent of guava. The seed is nutty in flavour and crunchy in texture. Sliced they make a very attractive and delicious platter, served with wafer thin slices of prosciutto, or as a salad with buffalo mozzarella and rocket leaves, simply dressed with fruity olive oil and flakes of sea salt.

Lovely fresh plump mussels are available now and at the moment I tend favour the ones from the Saldana coast (most fishmongers seem to have a plentiful supply of mussels year round). Mussels should be alive when you buy them. They can be stored in the refrigerator, in a colander covered with a wet cloth with something underneath to catch the liquid. This allows them to breathe and drain; you can keep them like this for three to four days.

Gorgeous fresh sweetcorn can be found in the markets; always buy the corn which is still in the husk and which should look fresh and green, not yellowing or browning. Corn brings a burst of sweetness, a flash of colour and a satisfying crunch to just about any meal. I like simple steamed or boiled sweetcorn on the cob, served with salt flakes and butter; a nice accompaniment to roast chicken.

Also in season are:

FRUIT:

Apricots, avocados, bananas, berries, cherries, currants, lemons, lychees, mangoes, mangosteen, nectarines, oranges, passion fruit, peaches, pineapples, plums, rock melons.

VEGETABLES:

Beans, capsicum, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, okra, onions, peas, radishes, squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchini, zucchini flowers

SEAFOOD:

Abalone, lobster, mussels, school prawns, salmon, oysters, tuna

Recipe

Summery Corn, Basil & Lemon Thyme Soup

This delicious soup is a real treat. the Avocado garnish provides a lovely sweet sour salty contrast. This soup is makes a nice starter or is perfect as a light meal, and It can be served either hot or cold. Although I have used basil and thyme in this recipe you could also use fresh coriander with a bit of ginger and a pinch of chilli.

Serves 6

Ingredients

30 ml butter

2 onions, diced

750 ml sweetcorn cut from the cob

1 ½ litres warm chicken stock

200 ml picked basil leaves, roughly chopped

20 ml roughly chopped lemon thyme leaves

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper to taste

Garnish

1 avocado chopped into small dice

1 small chilli finely diced

30 ml fish sauce

30 ml rice wine

100 ml olive oil

Method

Place the butter in a heated pan. When melted add the diced onion and soften until translucent.

Add the sweetcorn and warm stock. Bring up to the boil then simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the herbs and blend. Season to taste.

Place all the garnish ingredients in a bowl, mix gently together to incorporate all the flavours. Spoon a small mound in the middle of each bowl of soup.

Serve soup hot or cold with some crisp toast or fresh bread.