Spring is here

Spring is here…the smell of jasmine is strong in the air..love is in the air.. 

Sweet potato Salad with Orange and ginger dressing

Serves 6

 You’ll need:

1kg Sweet potatoes, peeled

1½ Tablespoon Olive oil

1 Teaspoon Garlic

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Spring Onions, chopped

50g Fresh Coriander, chopped

4 Oranges, squeezed

3cm Ginger, grated

Here’s how:

·         Pre-heat oven to 200̊C

·         Place sweet potatoes and spring onions in a roasting pan, rub garlic, salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil

·         Grill sweet potato in the oven for 35mins, turning all the time

·         Allow sweet potatoes to cool

·         To make dressing: Place orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil

·         Once boiled, remove from heat and allow to cool

·         Once cooled, add ginger, fresh coriander and oil

·         Dress the sweet potatoes with orange dressing

·         Sprinkle more coriander and serve with roasted chicken or lamb

 Broccoli and Mangetout Salad with feta

Serves 6

You’ll need:

500g Broccoli

500g Mangetout or Green beans

1 Tablespoon, Salt

100g Greek Yoghurt

200g Feta cheese

2 Lemon, Juiced

1 Teaspoon ground black pepper

Handful parsley,chopped

Here’s how:

·         In a saucepan, bring broccoli and mangetout to a boil in salted water, for 3mins

·         Remove from saucepan and place in iced water for 2mins, drain and set aside

·         Sprinkle half the lemon juice onto the vegetables and set aside

·         To make dressing: In a bowl mix yoghurt, lemon juice, pepper and parsley together

·         Mix the dressing into the vegetables and top with feta cheese

·         Serve immediately 

Sparkling Strawberry Cocktail

Makes 6 cocktails

You’ll need:

350g Strawberries

3 Shots, Grenadine

1 Bottle Sparkling wine

Crushed Ice

Here’s how:

·         Blend 300g strawberries with a tablespoon of water, or mash with a fork

·         Divide the crushed ice into 6 glasses

·         Pour ½ a shot of grenadine into each glass

·         Spoon the strawberry puree into the glasses

·         Top with sparkling wine and stir lightly

·         Cut the remaining strawberries at the base and place at the rim of the glass as decoration

·         Serve immediately

Spring is here

Easy jazzy entertaining..

Easy Jazzy Entertaining…

Jambalaya

You’ll need:

3 Cups Rice

1 Whole chicken, cut into pieces

3 Chorizo sausages

1 Onion, chopped

1 Habanero Chilli, deseeded and chopped (optional)

50ml Tomato paste

400g Canned Tomatoes

2 Carrots Chopped

200g Mange Tout or Green beans

2 Celery sticks, chopped

1 Tablespoon Garlic, chopped

1 Tablespoon Ginger, Chopped

750ml Vegetable stock

15ml ground Cumin

15ml Paprika

30ml Olive oil

Here’s how:

·         In a bowl, rub the Paprika into the Chicken and set aside.

·         In a saucepan, add the oil and brown the chicken and sausage, remove and set aside

·         Add chopped onion, chilli, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, cumin and cook for 5mins

·         Add the rice, tomatoes, tomato paste and cook for a further 3mins, stirring continuously

·         Add the meat and sausage, cook for 2mins

·         Add the vegetable stock, lower the heat and cook for 30mins

·         Add the Mange tout and cook for a further 5mins

·         Serve with a spicy tomato salsa or a simple green salad

Friends gather round the table as delicious aromas fill the air, mingling with funky jazzy sounds of Tania Maria’s ‘come with me’.  Everyone is relaxed and enjoying Rupert and Rothschild’s classique, 2009 which is a Carbenet Sauvignon and Merlot blend. The classique’s ripe, rich fruity taste with blackberry and pepper notes is an excellent wine to pair off with our main dish, the Jambalaya.

My guests; like me always like to travel with their palates…our evenings together are a journey that ignite the senses. We always begin with an easy a bowl of soup served with crusty bread in the winter or like tonight my spicy chilli, coriander and lemon marinated tiger prawns. I cook these in their shells under the grill until they are a pink, about 10-15minutes and a little squeeze of lemon completes this dish. I serve these tapas style with bowls of Ghanaian deep fried spiced plantains, called Kelewele or deep fried yams with a chakalaka dip, keeping it simple and delicious.

Our main dish the Jambalaya, enters the room to the soothing sounds of Diana Krall’s “ the girl from Ipanema”. The Jambalaya, originates from the french quarter of New Orleans and the recipe is an adaptation of the Spanish paella. The French influence was strong in New Orleans and spices from the caribbean changed this paella into a unique rice dish. Jambalaya just like Jazz has become synonymous with New Orleans culture. It is a testament to how different flavours can blend together to create an orchestra of deliciousness. Over the years the Jambalaya has influenced other rice dishes across the world, including the Jollof rice in West Africa.

I love serving the Jambalaya when I have friends over for dinner, as it is an easy one-pot meal that has me spending very little time in the kitchen and as much time with my guests. I like to serve the jambalaya with a crisp green salad and a tangy dressing or a simple tomato and herb salsa. The Jambalaya is always a feast of flavours.

We end off our feast to the sounds of Hugh Masekela’s and Oliver Mtukudzi. The dessert is meringue baskets filled with fresh cream and strawberries. The strawberries are in season at this time of the year and are readily available and well priced. This simple dessert can be put together in just a few minutes, giving me more time to enjoy some more wine and beautiful jazzy sounds of Wynton Marsalis. A nice pot of freshly brewed Ethiopian Coffee always ends the evening on a high note…

Decadent Desserts

I have always had a sweet tooth, but my food issues always kept me from completely indulging in my favourite treats. When indulging in your favourite  dessert  treat,  remember to always keep the portions small . If you deprive yourself of the things you love, you’ll end up over indulging and guilt ridden. If you have a sweet tooth like me, remember that having a little bit of what you love once a week or on special occasions, is good for the soul. So be good to yourself and try some of these easy to make, decadent desserts.

Malva Pudding

My favourite winter pudding..i love the sticky toffee sauce that makes this dessert gooey and delicious. A real indulgent and decadent pudding.

Serves 4

You’ll need:

200ml Castor Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 Tablespoon Apricot Jam

200g Cake flour

1 Teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon butter1 teaspoon Vinegar

80ml Milk

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

200ml Fresh cream

105g Butter

155g Sugar

80ml Hot water

1 teaspoon Vanilla essence

Here’s how:

·         Preheat Oven to 180 degrees

·         Beat or whisk the sugar and eggs until thick and light

·         Add apricot jam and mix thoroughly

·         Mix together the flour, bicarb and salt

·         Melt the butter(do not boil) and ad the vinegar

·         Add butter mixture, as well as milk to the egg mixture

·         Add the flour, salt and bicarb mixture and beat well

·         Pour into an oven proof dish and bake for 45-50minutes

·         In a pot, melt together the ingredients for the sauce.

·         When the cake is halfway baked, take it out of oven. Prick cake with skewer or toothpick to make holes in cake.

·         Pour the sauce over the pudding and return to the oven, cook for a further 15mins

·         Serve warm with custard.

  Crème Brulee

This is the simplest crème brulee recipe I have ever tried. It is fool-proof and will work out everytime.

Serves 4

You’ll need:

4              Egg yolks

40ml       Castor sugar

1              Teaspoon Vanilla essence

250ml     Whipping Cream

Castor Sugar to sprinkle on top

Here’s how:

·         Preheat oven to 180C

·         Beat egg yolks and sugar until pale

·         Add vanilla essence

·         Add cream into the egg mixture and whisk until well mixed.

·         Pour mixture into ramekins.

·         Pour cold water, halfway  into an oven proof dish

·         Place ramekins into the oven proof dish

·         Bake the mixture for 40mins

·         Take ramekins out and let them cool for 20mins

·         After they have cooled, cling wrap them and place in fridge for 2hrs or overnight

·         Before serving, sprinkle castor sugar over each ramekin and caramelize with torch or under a hot grill until the sugar caramelize.

·         Remove from oven and serve.

·         OR  melt sugar in a pan on a stovetop

·         Pour melted sugar on top of ramekins and leave to harden

·         Serve  immediately

Strawberries and Cream

It is so easy to put together this delicious and decadent strawberry dessert. The strawberries in this  recipe can be substituted with any fruit that is in season.

Serves 4

You’ll need:

400g       Strawberries

275ml   Whipping cream

4              Medium  ready-made meringues, broken into small pieces 

Here’s how:

·         Slice strawberries roughly and place in a bowl

·         Whisk the cream until thick with small peaks

·         Pour the thick cream into the strawberries and mix

·         Add most of the broken meringue and mix lightly

·         Scoop the strawberry mixture into serving bowls and top with remaining meringue

·         Chill n the fridge for 5minutes and serve chilled.

Decadent Desserts

Decadent Desserts

I have always had a sweet tooth, but my food issues always kept me from completely indulging in my favourite treats. When indulging in your favourite  dessert  treat,  remember to always keep the portions small . If you deprive yourself of the things you love, you’ll end up over indulging and guilt ridden. If you have a sweet tooth like me, remember that having a little bit of what you love once a week or on special occasions, is good for the soul. So be good to yourself and try some of these easy to make, decadent desserts.

Malva Pudding

My favourite winter pudding..i love the sticky toffee sauce that makes this dessert gooey and delicious. A real indulgent and decadent pudding.

Serves 4

You’ll need:

200ml    Castor sugar

2              large eggs

1              Tablespoon Apricot jam

200g       Cake flour

1              teaspoon bicarbonate soda

½             teaspoon salt

1              Tablespoon butter (a generous spoonful)

1              tsp. vinegar

80ml       Milk

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

200ml    Cup fresh cream

105g       Butter

155g       Sugar

80ml       Hot water

1              teaspoon vanilla essence  

Here’s how:

·         Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

·         Beat or whisk the sugar and eggs, until thick and lemon colored. Then, add the apricot jam and mix thoroughly.

·         Mix together the flour, bicarb and salt.

·         Melt the butter (do not boil!) and add the vinegar.

·          Add butter mixture, as well as the milk, to the egg mixture,

·         Add the flour, salt and bicarb mixture . Beat well.

·         Pour into an oven-proof dish, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

·         In a pot, melt together the ingredients for the sauce.

·         When the cake is halfway baked, take it out of oven. Make holes in cake and pour the sauce over the pudding. Return to the oven and cook for a further 15 mins

·         Serve warm with custard or ice-cream

Crème Brulee

This is the simplest crème brulee recipe I have ever tried. It is fool-proof and will work out everytime.

Serves 4

You’ll need:

4              Egg yolks

40ml       Castor sugar

1              Teaspoon Vanilla essence

250ml     Whipping Cream

Castor Sugar to sprinkle on top

Here’s how:

·         Preheat oven to 180C

·         Beat egg yolks and sugar until pale

·         Add vanilla essence

·         Add cream into the egg mixture and whisk until well mixed.

·         Pour mixture into ramekins.

·         Pour cold water, halfway  into an oven proof dish

·         Place ramekins into the oven proof dish

·         Bake the mixture for 40mins

·         Take ramekins out and let them cool for 20mins

·         After they have cooled, cling wrap them and place in fridge for 2hrs or overnight

·         Before serving, sprinkle castor sugar over each ramekin and caramelize with torch or under a hot grill until the sugar caramelize.

·         Remove from oven and serve.

·         OR  melt sugar in a pan on a stovetop

·         Pour melted sugar on top of ramekins and leave to harden

·         Serve  immediately

Strawberries and Cream

It is so easy to put together this delicious and decadent strawberry dessert. The strawberries in this  recipe can be substituted with any fruit that is in season.

Serves 4

You’ll need:

400g       Strawberries

275ml   Whipping cream

4              Medium  ready-made meringues, broken into small pieces

Here’s how:

·         Slice strawberries roughly and place in a bowl

·         Whisk the cream until thick with small peaks

·         Pour the thick cream into the strawberries and mix

·         Add most of the broken meringue and mix lightly

·         Scoop the strawberry mixture into serving bowls and top with remaining meringue

·         Chill n the fridge for 5minutes and serve chilled.