Good Food, Good Wine, Good Living

Mustard Roasted Beef on the Weber

2009-11-29T23:32:00.000-08:00

What you'll need

A kg fillet beef or roast beef
2 fresh garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
Butter
Coleman's Wholegrain Mustard
Olive oil
Fresh rosemary
A deep roasting pot
A large braai dish (preferably metal)

Place a couple of charcoal briquettes evenly on two sides of your Weber and start the fire
Put your deep pot on the stove and heat the butter
Finely chop and crush your garlic cloves
Rub the outside of your beef with about 2 tablespoons olive oil
Rub salt and pepper well into the meat
Pop the beef into the hot pot and braise all sides until golden brown
Remove from the heat and allow to cool

Place your braai dish on the fire and add a good dollop of butter and some coarsely ground salt
The fire is ready when the butter melts but doesn't sizzle in the braai dish
On the top side / fatty side of the beef, evenly spoon the crushed garlic
With a teaspoon, spread the wholegrain mustard about half a centimeter thick across the hole fatty side of the meat.
Carefully place the beef, mustard side up, into the braai dish.
Close the lid of the Weber and allow to smoke for 2 hours or a little longer if you prefer your meat more well done.

Make sure to check on the fire, if it should be losing heat, add two briquettes on either side.

Serve with lemon butter seasonal veg, roast potatoes and rice or cous cous, or save it and eat it cold with salad and rye bread.

Enjoy!

Tall Horse Wines ... What a Find

2009-10-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

An absolute find.

What an amazingly pocket friendly seconds wine range.

Spectacular well rounded taste, pleasant on the pallet and stunning for just about every meal.

Oh, and the Merlot is around the R34- mark and passes my Merlot fussiness.

Give it a try!

Simple sweet pumpkin fritters

2009-07-30T01:59:00.001-07:00

Not for the weight watchers again.... sorry ladies, I promise to add some healthy recipes soon.

Here's what you'll need;

1 bag of peeled ready chopped pumpkin
1 cup of flour
1 egg
Oil for frying
Cinnamon
a fairly nice size blob of butter
1/2 cup sugar
Water

Boil your pumpkin until it is soft
Drain and mash in the pot
Allow to cool to room temperature
Add your egg and 1/2 a cup of flour
Mix through the pumpkin thoroughly
In a pan heat oil, about a cm deep
Spoon your pumpkin into hot oil, in desired size fritters
Turn the fritters when they are browned
Layer the fritter in a Pyrex dish once they are cooked on both sides and sprinkle with Cinnamon

Next you're going to make a regular white sauce but without the milk, directions below.

In a pot add;
Your blob of butter
Allow it to melt
Sift 1/2 cup of flour into the melted butter and using a whisk, mix through
Allow to stand on the heat for a short while to get rid of the floury taste
Slowly add water and whisk constantly
Allow to thicken and add more water until you have enough sauce, it should be a thick runny consistency.
Add 1/2 a cup of sugar and whisk through until sugar has melted.

Pour the entire pot of sauce on your pumpkin fritters, I like mine to float in their sauce.
Pop the Pyrex into the oven at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes, the sauce will go like jelly.

Dish when warm and enjoy.

Simple Chicken Pies

2009-07-12T23:49:00.000-07:00

Don't know what to do with your left over chicken roast?

Here is a quick simple recipe, for delicious individual chicken pies. So quick, so easy, and bound to be an absolute hit.

You'll need.

1 roll of puff pastry
1 egg
a very small amount of flour
Instant creamy chicken soup
Roberstons sweet sage or mixed herbs
1 x onion
Olive oil

Defrost your roll of puff pastry, not in the microwave, the pastry gets soggy.
Dice your onion and fry in a little olive oil
Shred your left over chicken roast or alternatively pop spiced chicken breasts into the oven to grill and then shred the meat.
Add your shredded chicken to the fried onion, add about a tablespoon of sweet sage or Robertsons mixed herbs. You can add a blob of butter at this stage if you like.
Add your ready mixed instant chicken soup to the chicken and onion mix. You don't want to add too much though, remember, you're going for a small amount of sauce, not your chicken swimming in soup.

In a bowl, lightly beat your egg and add about a tablespoon of milk.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees

Unroll your puff pastry, and using a dessert bowl or pastry cutter, cut the desired size rounds. Scoop your chicken mix onto one half of the pastry round, leaving some space to fold.

Fold the pastry over into a half circle and lightly brush with the egg and milk mixture on the top side only. Dip a fork into some flour, and press the joins down firmly. Grease an oven tray or use a non stick oven tray and pop your pies into the oven.

Bake until golden brown, +/- 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Humble 'lil Couscous

2009-07-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

Such a humble dish, but so easy to prepare and even easier to alter.

To make Couscous, pour the relevant amount into a bowl, and cover with boiling water. Close the bowl off with cling wrap or an air tight lid for approximately 2 minute or until the water has been absorbed. Use a fork and mix to get rid of any lumps and add a lump of butter, some salt and pepper and you're done.

Some variations, using the already prepared couscous

Herb Couscous

Lightly fry a chopped onion
Add 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic and a teaspoon of cumin seeds and fry
Finely chop a handful of fresh parsley, basil, and sage.
Add a dollop of olive oil and turn your herbs into the couscous
Squeeze the juice of one lemon over
Garnish with a fresh sprig of Rosemary

Italian Couscous

Lightly fry a chopped onion
Add 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic and fry
Add a dollop of olive oil
Finely chop a handful of parsley
Pit and chop approximately 4 olives
Rehydrate and coarsely chop a handful of sundried tomatoes
Crumble a wedge of feta cheese
Sprinkle +/- 1 tablespoon of Robertsons mixed herbs over and stir all the ingredients through

Summer Couscous Salad (A little more difficult but well worth it)
1 Chicken stock cube, prepared
Soak your couscous in the chicken stock rather than in boiling water
In a bowl whisk; 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 a teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 cup brown vinegar
Cut one pack cherry tomatoes into quarters
Peel and cut on medium sized cucumber
Finely chop 3 spring onions
Add a dollop olive oil to your couscous
Crumble a wedge of feta over the couscous
Turn your salad ingredients into the couscous
Add your dressing and stir through
Garnish with some finely chopped parsley

Beef rolls

2009-06-25T03:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick easy delicious meal.

You'll need.

Tenderised steak
Feta
Sun dried tomatoes
Olives
Onion
Balsamic vinegar
Parmesan or Parmesan spice
Salt and pepper to taste
Toothpicks

Place your sun dried tomatoes in some water to rehydrate.
Pit your olives and finely chop (leave them out if you're not a huge olive lover)
Dice your onion finely and lightly fry in a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
Flatten your tenderised steak nice and thin
In the centre of the steak add approximately;
2 tablespoons fried onions
1 tablespoon olives
Half a wedge of crumbled feta cheese
About a spoon of sun dried tomatoes
Lightly sprinkle Parmesan or Parmesan spice.
Fold your outer 2 corners of your steak in and over the stuffing
Roll the length of the steak over the stuffing and secure the end with a toothpick.
Grind salt and pepper on a bread board and roll your beef roll to coat.
In a deep pot or pan add a splash of olive oil and heat until quite hot.
Put your beef rolls in and cook until browned. The cook through very quickly, +/- 5 minutes.

Serve whole with fresh veggies and cous cous or in slices with roast potatoes and veg.

WARNING: This meal is incredibly rich and not to everyones pallet.

Enjoy.

Hubby's Birthday Meal

2009-06-08T01:46:00.001-07:00

Last night I cooked hubby his birthday meal of choice.

This is so quick and easy as a 3 course dinner, it takes little preparation and always goes down as a hit.

Serves 5

What you'll need

STARTER
15 x medium sized king prawns
1/4 cup self raising flour
1/4 corn flour (available in the health section of most supermarkets)
1 small egg
3/4 cup soda water (ice cold or it'll flop)
Oil
Sweet chili sauce
Fresh lemons

MAIN
5 x 300g rib eye, rump or sirloin steak
Soy Sauce
Honey
Crushed garlic and ginger mix
Salt to taste

Sushi or Jasmin rice
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Cumin seeds
1 x large onion
3 x medium cloves garlic
2 x large carrots
2 sprigs spring onions or chives
2 x oranges

2 x medium sized aubergines
1 x pack baby marrows
Butter
Lemon juice

DESERT
4 tablespoons cake flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips
A small splash of vanilla extract
A tot of Kahlua or Amarula
1 large coffee mug

PREPARATION
Remove prawns from the freezer, make sure they haven't been frozen too long or they will be floury in texture, and allow to defrost

In a large bowl, pour half a cup of boiling water and add 4 tablespoons of honey, mix until honey has melted
Add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce
and 2 teaspoons of crushed garlic and ginger
Coat each steak in the marinate and salt to taste.
Place the steak in back in the marinate and allow to stand for the day, occasionally turning to allow the sauce to cook through.

TEMPURA PRAWNS
Pull the heads off each prawn
Cut the prawn along the spine with a pair of scissors. At the tail, cut down and toward the abdomen so as not to remove the tail.
Peel the skeleton off, taking care not to remove the tail
Using a toothpick, at the head of the prawn, grab hold of the gut. Gently lift, the hole gut should pull out easily.

Put your side plates out and make a pretty squiggly pattern of sweet chili on it
Quarter a lemon and put on each plate

Pour enough oil in a large pot to cover the prawns completely and bring to the boil.
The oil needs to be hot!!!!

In a deep bowl, sift your flour and corn flour (you may use 1/2 a cup of regular flour if you like, it doesn't alter the taste, only the texture of the prawns)
Lightly beat your egg in a bowl and add the soda water and mix through lightly. (No.... you didn't do something wrong, it's supposed to foam like that)
Add your egg/soda water mix to the flour
Do not mix too much, the consistency should be more on the lumpy side, not smooth.
Grab your prawns by the tail and thoroughly coat each one with your batter, taking care not to get the batter on the tails.
Drop them in the oil
They are done when the batter has turned golden brown
Take the prawns out and lightly pat with roller towel to absorb extra oil

Place 3 prawns on each plate over the sweet chili sauce and serve immediately.

MAIN

RICE
Dice your onions finely
Dice your carrots finely
Leaving your garlic still in the skin, use the side of your knife and crush it
Put your rice on to boil
At the same time in a different pot place enough oil to lightly cover the bottom of your pot and add your cumin seeds and lightly fry
Add your onions and fry until limp
Add 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and stir through
Add your garlic cloves and stir through
Allow the onions to brown through
Turn the heat all the way down to 1 on your stove and add the carrots
Stir through and leave
Chop your spring onions into tubes and set aside
Soften 1 orange to allow for easy squeezing

Once the rice is cooked, wash lightly and drain thoroughly
Add your onion/carrot mix
Squeeze the juice of one orange into the mixture and mix thoroughly
Add the spring onions just before serving and mix through

A little trick.... the reason I use sushi, Jasmin, or Basmati rice is for pretty presentation.
I place the rice into a medium sauce bowl and compact it with the back of a spoon.
Tip the bowl onto a plate and the rice comes out in a perfect little shape

MAIN
VEGGIES
Slice your baby marrows in half
Slice your aubergines into circles about 5mls thick
Sprinkle a little salt on each aubergine slice and allow to sweat for about 5 minutes
In a large pan, melt your butter and add a decent splash of lemon juice
Lightly fry your veggies
Place a lid on your pan and allow to steam on low heat

MAIN
STEAK
I cook our steaks on a hot rock, I find that it seals the meat nicely and keeps all the juices in
Cook your steaks as required.

Place your marinate in the microwave and heat, it should thicken slightly and use to garnish your main.

Serve with a slice of orange for the rice.

DESERT
Add dry ingredients to your largest mug and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using), vanilla extract and Kahlua and then mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate
Can be served with custard, ice cream or cream

And there you have it, a very simple 3 course meal to serve 5.

ENJOY

Bacon, Tomato, Pasta

2009-06-04T02:02:00.000-07:00

Apologies, there are no photos, my camera has finally given up the ghost.

This is one of my favourite recipes. It's quick, easy and delicious.

Start to finish - approximately 25 minutes

Serves 4

Easily frozen and reheated for those lazy days

You'll need a pack of diced smoked bacon, or shoulder bacon that you can dice at home.

Olive or regular oil

An onion

Crushed garlic, or 3 cloves fresh garlic

Balsamic vinegar

A tin of tomato and onion relish

A tin of tomato paste

Worcestershire sauce

Chutney

Brown sugar

Robertsons mixed herbs

Robertsons sweet basil or regular basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan

Spaghetti

A strong mature cheddar (optional)

Dice your onion and fry in a little olive or regular oil

Add your crushed garlic when your onions are soft but not browned

Add two tablespoons balsamic vinegar and brown your onion and garlic

Add your diced bacon and cook through

In a pot add water, spaghetti and salt and bring to the boil

While your spaghetti is cooking,

Add the tomato and onion relish and add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste

Add about two tablespoons of chutney and a nice dollop Worcestershire sauce

Add a tablespoon of brown sugar

Add about a tablespoon of mixed herbs

Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Stir through and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes

Drain your spaghetti once cooked, making sure not to drain all the water as it tends to dry out the pasta

Add a nice dollop of olive oil and about a teaspoon of sweet basil or regular basil to the spaghetti and mix through

Dish up the the spaghetti in bowls and add your sauce

Garnish with Parmesan and mature Cheddar

I usually serve with a side salad and some homemade focaccia bread or mini rolls stuffed with sun dried tomatoes, feta and olives.

This recipe really is lovely because you double or even triple it without fuss and I often use it for Italian nights. I love the rich taste and it's absolutely divine with a dry red wine.

Something different. Old Brown Sherry Pork with garlic,parmesan and rosemary potatoes

2009-05-18T02:06:00.000-07:00

I love trying new things in the kitchen. This weekend I bought the latest edition of my favourite mag, and two recipes jumped straight out at me. The 1st of these two, I tried last night. It turned out absolutely delishy, and as per usual, I added my own little flair.

The recipe calls for a little bit of preparation, but is well worth it.

Please excuse the grainy photo, (my camera refuses to focus on anything), and the lack of presentation, (the kinder had been awake since 4:30, yes in the morning. By the time I dished supper up, I just wasn't bothered with how pretty it looked).

Enjoy!

What you'll need

1 x Pork fillet, or pork leg with the fat cut off
A bottle of Old Brown Sherry
1 x Large onion
4 x Spring onion
Soy sauce
Balsamic vinegar
Garlic / Ginger Mix
Olive Oil
Sesame or Peanut Oil
Flour or Maizena
Butter
1 x Lemon
Baby veggies of your choice
Potatoes to roast
Parmesan
Garlic powder
Dried rosemary (Robertsons)
Salt to taste

Cut the pork into steaks of your choice in size
Rub salt into the meat, to your taste
Finely chop half the onion and the 4 spring onions
In a fairly large casserole or marinating bowl add 375mls of Old Brown Sherry, 120mls Soy sauce, 30mls Balsamic vinegar, 20mls of your sesame or peanut oil, 2 teaspoons of the garlic / ginger mix, and your onions and spring onions. Mix it up and add the pork steaks, making sure they are completely submerged in the sauce and allow to marinate for 4 to 6 hours.

About an hour before you cook the pork, peel and cut your potatoes and par boil in salt. Once the potatoes are still firm remove from heat, drain the water and wash off. Coat in olive oil and sprinkle garlic powder, Parmesan, salt and dried rosemary over them, cover and allow to cool in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

In a deep pot, add a little butter or olive oil and place your pork steaks into the pot, let them cook until the meat has turned brown and is cooked through.

In a separate pot, add the left over marinate sauce and bring to the boil, add flour or Maizena to thicken, turn the sauce down to the lowest heat.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and pop your potatoes in to roast while the pork is cooking.

Just before you dish up, put your baby veg in a bowel with a blob of butter and the juice of half a squeezed lemon, and microwave until they are cooked but still firm.

The result, a wonderfully rich meal with contrasting flavours.

Enjoy with a glass of dry red wine, preferably a rich Merlot like Stellar Winery's Organic Merlot.

Chicken Chingada - (Kinda)

2009-05-11T01:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my sister for this recipe. My muse in all things cooking!

This recipe is not for the weight watchers, and is sure to go straight to the hips, but it is absolutely DIVINE!!!!!!!! Real comfort food for those cold winter nights.

Here's what you'll need.

A little Olive or regular oil

1 x Medium sized onion

Salt

500 to 750 grams Deboned, skinless chicken breasts

1 x Tub of pouring cream

1/2 a bottle of Wellingtons Sweet Chilli Sauce

3 to 5 Tablespoons of cheap mustard, I used Mellow and Mild

A French loaf or assorted breads

Oil in your frying pan and pre-heat

Pop your onion in and fry until slightly brown

Cut your chicken breasts into strips

Turn the stove down and fry your chicken with the onions, until the chicken is almost cooked. (No blood, but still a little tough)

Add salt to taste

Remove the chicken and onions into a bowl

Put the pan back onto the stove and turn the stove down to 1 or 2

Pour the cream into your pan

Add the mustard and half the bottle of sweet chilli sauce

Give the sauce a good stir so that everything is mixed

Put your chicken and onion back into the pan with the sauce and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Serve in separate bowls or in a large caserole dish, with your french loaf or assorted breads.

The point here is to dip your bread in the yummy, yummy sauce whilst picking out the chicken bits.

ENJOY!

WARNING

2009-05-06T03:41:00.000-07:00

I have to warn you before I start posting pics and recipes, I don't do bland food in any form.

For me, food becomes appealing when it is rich in colour, texture, aroma and taste. I like to "play with my food". I very rarely measure quantities, unless the recipe calls for exact measurements, so get used to words like dollop and glug. I use a lot of salt, we never salt, or assault as we like to call it, our food once it has been cooked, and I love spices and fresh herbs, so it may be best to visit your local spice shop as well as purchase a mortar and pestle.

Like my food, my wines should be bold and rich. A sweet wine should be like mixer drink, and a dry wine needs to have a full woody dryness about it. I usually have a cheap dry red, aka Tassenburg, and a white, aka Crackling, on standby for cooking purposes.

I am never without my 4 cooking luxuries, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Peanut Oil and Coconut milk. I have stock cubes in every flavour, including onion, garlic and chili.

I only warn you so that you can adjust what I post in ways you see fit. Some people don't like, or cannot handle rich foods.

However, in complete contrast to my food and wine choices, I love trinket/bargain shopping for my home. The best finds are usually the goods relegated to clearance sales and back shelves. We have a huge warehouse 2nd hand store in Port Elizabeth, and I love browsing one shelf after the next looking at the things people discard. No wooden piece of furniture is beyond repair without a little TLC. Similarly, I love Mr Price Home, I find their range of candles, cushions, towels etc fascinating. There is a reason I have limited credit with them.

I understand my minimalistic approach to living and my rich tastes in food and wine do not fit in with everyone's approach, and because of this I would love to hear and see pictures of everyone elses favourite recipes, wines and bargain finds.

I will upload once a week with my input and photos, unless something very exciting comes up.

Keep well ladies,
Nix

Welcome

2009-05-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... far too much on my plate, so to speak.

Welcome to my new creation. A place where we can share our passion for food, wine and bargains we may pick up along the way.

This is my passion, so please share any ideas or bargains with us.