New Recipes
Savoury Potato Pancakes with Cured Salmon
Ingredients (makes 14 small pancakes) 250g cold mashed potato 2 tsp djon mustard 80g plain flour 5g baking powder 2 eggs 130ml milk 1 tbsp chopped chives 2 tbsp chopped dill Season with salt and pepper MethodMix together eggs, milk, mustard and herbs. Add the mashed potato and sifted dry ingredients, mix together carefully and season with salt and pepper. Brush a frypan with a little butter and oil and over low heat, cook the pancakes until golden on both sides. Serve with cured salmon, steamed asparagus, fresh rocket and soft goats cheese (seasoned with salt pepper and lemon zest). Serve with a wedge of fresh lemon and fresh dill. Serving suggestion: Add a poached egg and capers for a hearty breakfast/brunch.
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Pizza Pie
IngredientsPizza Filling 150-200 hot sopressa cut into chunks 250g button mushrooms cut into chunks 1 onion sliced 1 large red capsicum, sliced 1 can chopped tomatoes 1 can artichoke hearts chopped 100g pitted olives Few sprigs of fresh marjoram picked A few sprigs of fresh thyme picked 2 tbsp capers Salt and pepper to taste 100-150g bocconcini balls broken into chunks Pizza Dough 250g flour 7g dried yeast 150-180ml warm water 7g salt MethodPizza FillingPlace a little olive oil in pan and sauté the onion and capsicum until soft. Add the sopressa, mushrooms and herbs. Add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients except the bocconcini. Season to taste. Pile into the centre of the pie dish lined with pizza dough, and dot in the bocconcini and then pull the overlapping dough towards the centre. Bake in a hot oven until golden.Pizza DoughCombine together all ingredients and knead until a nice smooth ball. Cover in bowl and allow to double in size. Roll out to fit a 25cm pie dish with enough dough to over lap the sides.
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Tomato Goats Cheese Tart
Ingredients 1 x 25cm pie dish Pastry Pinch of salt 140g softened unsalted butter 40ml soda water 180g flour Filling 3 eggs 300ml cream 200g soft goats cheese (curd) Salt and pepper to taste 1 spring onion sliced 4 tbsp chopped parsley For the Tomatoes 8 medium tomatoes cut in half Brown sugar Salt and pepper Balsamic vinegar Pomegranate molasses Chilli flakes 6 shallots cut in half Olive oil To Garnish 20g toasted pine nuts 60g soft goats cheese Basil leaves Parsley/Basil to drizzle MethodPastryRub the butter into the flour add the salt and add the soda water. Roll into a ball and wrap and chill until firm. Roll out to about 2-3mm thick. Chill, and blind bake at 180°C until golden.FillingCombine together the filling ingredients and pour into the pre-baked pie base. Bake 15-20mins until set.For the TomatoesArrange the shallots and tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle a little oil, vinegar and pomegranate molasses over the tomatoes. Season with chilli flakes, salt and pepper and sprinkle with brown sugar. Roast in a hot oven until starting to colour.To ServeArrange the tomatoes and shallots over the pie. Scatter with toasted pines nuts, torn basil, dollops of goats cheese and a drizzle of parsley or basil oil.
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Pulled Pork Empanada
Ingredients For the Pulled Pork 2kg piece pork shoulder, off the bone, rind & fat removed 4 chipotle chillies in abodo sauce, chopped 5 cloves garlic crushed 2 tsp smoked paprika 3 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp black pepper crushed Juice 3-4 limes 3 bay leaves 2 cinnamon sticks 12 whole cloves 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 200ml orange juice Salt For The Pastry 1kg flour 1 tsp of salt 360g cold butter 3 eggs 240ml cold water 45ml vinegar For the Empanadas (makes about 60-70 small) Pulled pork 1 bunch of chopped parsley 4 chipotle chillies in abodo sauce, chopped 3 red capsicum, sliced 4 bay leaves 4 cloves garlic, crushed 6-8 tomatoes, chopped 3 onions, sliced Salt Pepper Method For the Pulled Pork Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl & then add the pork, & rub well with marinade. Allow to marinate for a few hours, or overnight. Transfer to a cast iron pot & place in a hot oven 200°C uncovered for 20 minutes. Cover & reduce the heat to 150°C & cook for 3-3½ hours until ender & falling apart. Remove from the oven & allow to rest for ½ hour before shredding. Shred the pork & toss with pan juices. Use for tacos or empanadas. For the Pastry Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. Add the remaining ingredients & bring together to form a ball. Wrap in cling film & allow to rest for at least an hour before use. For the Empanadas Heat a little oil in a pan & add the onion, red capsicum, garlic & bay leaves. Cook on a low heat until soft. Add the chipotle chilli & tomatoes & cook down. Add the pork & chopped parsley, & allow to cool. Roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured work surface to 3mm thick, cut out rounds & place a spoonful of empanada mix into the centre. Brush with egg, fold over & crimp the edges together. Place onto a lined tray & brush with egg & bake in a hot oven at 180°C until golden. Sprinkle with chopped spring onion & fresh parsley or coriander & serve with sour cream & coriander dressing.
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Garfish Involtini
Ingredients (Serves 4) 6 double fillets of garfish 1 cup cooked burghul ¼ bunch dill, chopped ¼ bunch parsley 2 spring onions, finely sliced 1 lemon, zested & flesh chopped 30g currants, soaked & drained ½ chilli, chopped 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped Juice 1 lemon Handful fresh chunky bread crumbs 40g pine nuts Olive oil Salt Pepper Method Combine the burghul, nuts, currants, spring onion, lemon, chilli & herbs. Season with salt, pepper & olive oil. Line the garfish horizontally on a board skin side up, & stuff with burghul. Roll & place in a small baking dish brushed with oil. Toss over tomatoes, bread crumbs, season with salt & pepper & a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in a hot oven 200ºC for about 10-15minutes. Until cooked through. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon.
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Roasted Eggplant
Ingredients 2 eggplants Burghul mix (see garfish involtini recipe) 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp coriander powder Juice 1 lemon Olive oil Salt 20g flaked almonds toasted Yoghurt to drizzle Herbs to garnish Pomegranate seeds to garnish MethodMix together the dry spices, lemon juice and olive oil and season with slat and pepper. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways and then score the flesh. Rub the cut side with spice mix and roast in the oven until tender. Spoon over a little of the burghul mix, drizzle with yoghurt, and garnish with herbs, pomegranate seeds, almond flakes and olive oil.
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Thai Style Yellow Curry Chicken Balls
Ingredients (serves 6-8)Chicken Balls 1kg chicken thighs, bone out skin off, minced 3 shallots finely chopped or blended 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 stalks of lemon grass white part only, finely chopped 1 inch piece ginger, grated 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp good quality fish sauce 1 red chilli, finely chopped or a pinch of chilli flakes 4 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped Zest of 1 kaffir lime 2 spring onions, finely sliced 1 tsp white peppercorns crushed Salt to taste 1 egg (optional) The Sauce 2 stalks of lemon grass, bruised 1 inch piece fresh turmeric, scraped and sliced 1.5 inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and sliced 3 shallots, peeled and sliced 3 garlic cloves 1 long red chilli, sliced 12 coriander roots, washed and scraped 1 inch piece fresh galangal, sliced 3-400ml coconut cream 2 cups chicken stock Salt and pepper to taste Lime juice to taste 12 kaffir lime leaves, torn 1 punnet cherry tomatoes 1 punnet baby corn, sliced into chunks 1 spring onion, finely sliced on the diagonal Method Chicken Balls Mix all ingredients together and roll into balls. Heat a large frypan with a little peanut oil, and fry the balls until golden. Set aside. The Sauce In a mortar and pestle pound the turmeric, ginger, garlic, shallots, chilli, galangal and coriander roots with a pinch of salt to a paste. Heat a little oil in a large frypan add the pounded ingredients and lemongrass, and cook for a few minutes, add the coconut milk and chicken stock, kaffir lime leaves and bring to a simmer. Add the baby corn and the chicken balls. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste, then add the cherry tomatoes. Serve with steamed rice or fresh rice noodles. Garnish with fresh lime and coriander leaves and sliced spring onion. Serve with cucumber pickle.
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Spaghetti & Meatballs
Ingredients(serves 8-10) 750g veal mince 750g pork mince 2 x 1cm slices sour dough bread, crusts removed, soaked in milk to soften 10g fennel seeds crushed in a mortar & pestle 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1/3 bunch flat leaf parsley chopped 3 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped 5g chilli flakes 2 tsp dried oregano Salt & pepper 2 eggs MethodCombine all ingredients together and mix well. Roll into balls and cook in a frypan with a little oil until browned. Set aside. In a large saucepan, heat a little oil, and add 1 onion finely diced, 3 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 red chilli and 4 stalks of basil and sauté until the onion is soft. Add 3-4 cans of diced tomatoes and season with salt (or use fresh tomatoes diced if in season). Add the meatballs and simmer until the sauce reduces a little. Season to taste. Serve on cooked spaghetti, with fresh basil and grated parmesan, and a drizzle of good olive oil.
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Chicken Meatballs with Orzo
Ingredients 1x 500g pkt orzo (risoni) 60g nut brown butter 2L chicken stock, preferably homemade 150g grated, good quality parmesan 1 bunch chopped parsley Pinch chilli powder (optional) 1kg chicken mince 1/3 bunch fresh thyme, chopped 2 handfuls of baby spinach 1 piece sour dough bread, crusts removed, soaked in milk to soften 150-200g peas 2 eggs MethodCombine the chicken mince, 70g grated parmesan, 1/3 of the chopped parsley, eggs, bread, thyme, salt and pepper. Roll into balls. Heat the chicken stock and cook the chicken balls in the boiling stock. Remove and set aside. Add the risoni to the stock and cook until tender. You may need to add more stock or water. Add the peas, chicken balls and baby spinach. Add the remaining parmesan and parsley, and season with salt and pepper, add some fresh lemon zest and/or a squeeze of lemon. Add the nut brown butter, stir through and serve hot, and garnish with a sprinkle of grated parmesan and more chopped parsley.
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Shakshuka or Chakalaka
Ingredients(serves 4-6) ½ tsp cumin seeds 60ml olive oil 1 large onions, peeled and sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 red capsicum cut into 2cm strips 1 yellow capsicum, cut into 2cm strips 1 green capsicum, cut into 2cm strips 2 tsp soft brown sugar 2 fresh bay leaves 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 4 thyme sprigs, picked and chopped ¼ bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped ½ bunch fresh coriander, chopped 2 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 red chilli chopped ½ tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp smoked paprika Salt and pepper Up to 150ml water 4 free-range eggs MethodDry-roast the cumin in a pan on high heat for two minutes and set aside. Add the olive oil and sauté the onions for a few minutes then add the capsicums, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, cumin and half of the coriander, and cook on high heat to get a nice colour. Add the tomatoes, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, adding a little water from time to time to keep it the consistency of a pasta sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Place into 4 small serving dishes, (or one large) and make little indentations in the mixture and break an egg onto the top of each dish. Sprinkle with salt, cover and cook very gently for 10-12 minutes, until the egg just sets. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with labneh and harissa. Labneh is simply drained natural yogurt, seasoned with salt and a little crushed garlic and harissa is a chilli paste.
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African Chicken and Peanut Stew
Ingredients(serves 6-8) 1kg chicken breast, cut in large cubes 1 small red capsicum seeded & finely diced ½ green capsicum, seeded & finely diced 1 large sweet potato, cut into cubes 2 handfuls spinach, roughly chopped 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste) 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 4 cloves, garlic crushed 1 onion, finely diced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 chilli chopped 1 litre chicken stock ½ cup peanut butter 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp fresh thyme 2 tomatoes, seeded & chopped Parsley or coriander, chopped for garnish 1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped to garnish 1 inch piece ginger, peeled & grated 60ml coconut milk (optional) 200g small okra (optional) MethodMix together the garlic, cayenne, salt & pepper & a little oil to marinate the chicken. Heat a little oil in a large saucepan, & add chicken in batches & brown on all sides. Transfer browned pieces to a platter or bowl. In the same pan add more oil if needed & add the onion, garlic, ginger, capsicum, thyme & chilli to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste & chicken & simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the sweet potato and reduce heat to low & simmer for 10 minutes, add the okra, peanut butter and coconut milk if using. Simmer until the chicken is tender, add the spinach & season to taste. Serve in a casserole dish & garnish with parsley or coriander & chopped peanuts. Serve with spinach salad & rice.
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Seared Snapper
Ingredients For the Marinade 1 fillet fresh snapper, skin and bones removed Pinch saffron threads salt and pepper 20 ml olive oil 1 lemon zested For Cooking 1 small onion finely diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed Pinch saffron 1 lemon zest Salt and pepper Good pinch cinnamon powder ½ tsp roasted coriander , ground 20-40ml sherry or red wine vinegar to taste Olive oil MethodTo MarinadeCombine marinade ingredients together and marinate the snapper fillet for at least 1 hour.To CookHeat a little oil in a pan and add the garlic and onion and cook until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste. Set aside. Sear the fish on both sides very quickly. Coat with the onion mix and set aside in the refrigerator until cold. Slice into thin slices and arrange on a serving plate. Garnish with a little of the onion mix, mixed with lemon zest, finely sliced olives, ¼ sliced red onion, ½ tomato finely sliced and chopped parsley. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon or lime.
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