Old Years Eve '08 Feast - Roast Lamb, Pork Belly....

We, as always, escaped the New Years Eve's madness and spent it at the cottage. Paulie, Sabrina and Luigi joined us for a meaty feast and some lovely veggies from Son. All this with the ocean in the background and the Mtwalume night sky bursting with a riot of rainbow colour from the surrounding fireworks.

Luigi did an all too succulent Leg of Lamb, that according to urban legend took copious amounts of scotch to lubricate the chef and his helper during the four hours it took to cook.

Soni's Veggies took the form of roasted bean and potatoes with pine nuts and ricotta stuffed mushrooms.

...and I couldn't resist the temptation and my contribution was a juicy Pork Belly.

With all the attention on the meat going around, we all forgot dessert - Soni and Sabrina to the rescue! Marshmallow and Nutella SURPRISE!

Pinwheels

Sonia was quick to the rescue when the boys were looking for a sweet biscuit and we had none in the store cupboard. The variety of potential fillings are endless and the boys had loads of fun making, baking and eating these.

Roll out a pack of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface, divide evenly into three sections along the width and spread each with a filling of choice. We used peanut butter and honey on the first, cinnamon and brown sugar on the second and chocolate spread on the third.

Roll up on the short side into a tube and slice into 5mm sections. Lay these on their sides on a baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 deg C for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden.

They are great with a coffee or as a topping to ice cream. Enjoy!

Crayfish Lunch on the deck @ La Vista

It is always with great awe and excitement that I look at the bounty of the ocean. We were lucky enough to get a clutch of crayfish whilst on holiday at our South Coast cottage.

I made a bouillon of white wine, celery, lemon, onion and parsley, in which I poached the whole crays three at a time (we were spoilt! 9 awesome specimens!)

Once the juicy delectable meat was extracted from the shells we decided to keep it simple, and I served the tails on a bed of dressed rocket with course salt and pepper to sprinkle, sliced red chili on the side and a homemade aoli with a vicious garlic kick.

No words can describe....

Christmas '08 - Instalmant 6 - Dessert

By the time one comes the the PUD on Christmas day, most of us feel like "Not just now! Maybe later?" For this reason we have developed the habit of keeping dessert much simpler and lighter for both ourselves and our guests, and it takes the form of a sweet treat, late afternoon.

This year the traditional Italian Panetone was a chocolate, much to the delight of the kids young and old. We served this dusted with cocoa, chocolate puffs and fresh cherries macerated in Frangelico liqueur.

I also made ice-cream the day before. Lemon-curd based with dried cranberries and a twist of lime.

The kids had theirs in cones, whilst most of the adults had the panetone with the ice-cream, splashed with Frangelico - Yummy!

Christmas '08 - Instalment 5 - Side Dishes

The side dishes:

Mixed garden salad with Mint, Cranberries and fennel.

Washed mixed salad leaves of your choice.

A generous handful of dry roasted hazel nuts.

1 fennel bulb sliced very thinly on the diagonal.

Small bunch of fresh mint.

Half cup of dried cranberries.

10 caper berries.

Dress the salad leaves, fennel, berries and mint in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Layer on a salad platter, scatter with the nuts and caper berries and squeeze over the juice of half a lemon.

New potatoes and beans in mustard dressing

500g each of new potatoes and runner beans
large white onion
1 tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
1 crushed and minced garlic clove
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Parboil the potatoes in salted water until soft. In a separate saucepan do the same with the beans that have been top and tailed, and cut into bite size pieces, along with the finely sliced onion. Mix the potatoes, onion and beans and let cool.
Heat the olive oil in a small pan, take off the heat and add the garlic to infuse the oil. When luke warm, add the mustard to the oil and beat with a whisk till it emulsifies into a creamy sauce. Mix into the potato and beans and serve at room temperature.

Roasted Roma tomatoes, with Ricotta, pesto and pine nuts.

1 kg Roma tomatoes

350gm Ricotta

1 Jar of organic basil Pesto

Half a cup of dry roasted pine nuts

1 garlic bulb, cleaned into cloves

1 Jar of organic marinated artichokes

Cap the tomatoes and de-seed, spoon in the ricotta and drizzle with pesto and top with the pine nuts. Place in a oiled oven dish, and scatter baby tomatoes, whole peeled garlic and marinaded artichokes in between. Roast in a medium, hot oven (180 deg C) for 20 minutes.

Christmas '08 - Instalment 4 - Parma Fillet

For the Beef Parma:

Good quality organic beef fillet - 200 to 250g per guest
Mushrooms of choice
Parma ham slices to cover the fillet
minced garlic
small green chili
Saute the mushrooms, garlic and chili in olive oil till soft, put aside.
On a clean, dry work surface, lay cling film long and wide enough to roll up the fillet. Lay the parma ham in overlapping fashion and spread with the mushroom mix. Brown the fillet in a griddle pan, while you heat the oven to a moderately hot temperature.

Rest the fillet for 10 minutes, than place in the centre of the parma and mushrooms. Roll up using the cling film, making sure the fillet is totally covered, wrap tightly in the cling film and chill for 20 minutes in the fridge.


Remove the cling film and place in the hot oven and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, rest for 10 and carve.

Serve on a bed of rocket, scattering all the crunchy parma bits, left on the board after carving, over the top.

Christmas '08 - Instalment 3 - Dorado in Salsa Verde

What can beat the idea of fresh Dorado with Herbs? Even better the ease of this dish on a hot summers day - Christmas or not.


With the fish butterflied and oven ready, all I had to do was rub generously with olive oil and Maldon salt, spread the inside with fennel, dill, oregano and lemongrass. Be generous with the lemon juice, wrap in foil and pop into the oven for 20 to 25 min.

For the salsa, pick and wash two generous hands full of Basil and the same quantity of baby spinach. Wilt the spinach in a pan with salt and a little water, combine with the basil, a table spoon of toasted pine nuts, half a cup of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, two crushed garlic cloves, freshly ground pepper and half a cup of Italian parsley. Blitz all together in a blender till smooth and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Plate the cooked Dorado on a wide platter and surround with the Salsa Verde.

Christmas '08 - Instalment 2 - The Savoury Phyllo Tarts

Soni's Savoury Phyllo Tarts

Son came across this a few years ago on a girls night out.

All you really need is thawed ready made Puff Pastry, Imagination and a pre-heated oven at 180 C.

For the appetizer on Christmas day, Son made 2:

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Parma ham, Gorgonzola, Fig preserve and Chili, garnished with Rocket.

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Tomato, Mushroom and Mozzarella

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Lightly roll out the dough and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush the inner part of the dough with olive oil, leaving a rim of about 1.5 cm, un-oiled.

Layer the ingredients, always ending with the cheese, if you are using any. Fresh herbs must always be added after the baking process.

Bake in the hot oven for approximately 20 minutes until the pastry is cooked through at the centre and puffed and golden brown on the crusts . Carefully slide onto a wooden board, cut into squares, and serve.

Tip:

For dinner parties, take a bit of extra time and make individual tarts. The average Puff pastry sheet should give you 6 generous portions to serve on their own, or 9 smaller single portions to serve with a side salad as starters.

Once you've tried these they will become a standard in your repertoire, as the combinations are only limited by your imagination. These are also excellent to rustle up a snack with for unexpected visitors, using what ever you find in your store cupboard and fridge.

Christmas 08 - Instalment 1 - Soni's table

Christmas '08 started off as going to be , not the usual whole extended family thing, but rather just us and Oumie, with minimal fuss and something tasty but with minimal effort. Well as always....it changed and ended up as being, to quote from that ubiquitous 'Dinner for one' Old Years classic, "The same procedure as every year, James"

As there was multiple dishes and lots to post on, I'll be doing this in segments over the next two days or so.

Instalment 1 - Soni's Table

The colour theme this year was Black and White, with Cerise Pink.

The details of the Look:

Black and White sateen stripe table cloth.

Black and White Polka dot and Pink Rose napkins, layered alternately by place setting, held together with either a pink bauble or faux diamond ring serviette ring.

Clear glass and black cut glass drink ware, with white antique dinner ware, and silver cutlery.

Metallic Black and Silver crackers for the Boys and whimsical pink fairies for the Girls.

Pink double dip candles in silver plates with pink and black jelly-beans, and pink foil wrapped chocolate truffles and party favours.

A centre piece of Cerise Gerbera's floating in a glass bowl with black pebbles.

It blew everyone away, as always! Soni is a creative genius!

16 Dec, Pre-Christmas-Christmas @ Greg and Elsie

On the 16th of December, in the great southern hemisphere summer heat, we had a traditional Christmas Lunch at Greg and Elsie.

There were the girls...

...and a few Good Men...

Greg was a demon on the Weber with a great, big, fat bird! He also juggled the gas braai and delivered perfectly crisp Chirizo to nibble on, (and it wasn't as dainty as nibble sounds!), whilst the Main attraction was being put together.

It was cooked to perfection and I got hustled into carving the Beast....err Bird.

Liz contributed a succulent roasted Gammon, and there was a host of Yummy side dishes, not least of all these mouthwatering, bacon wrapped potatoes, Elsie's Mom's receipe, which She used to make as a tradition for Christmas.

By the time the dessert had to come out, which we'd been responsible for, we were all well oiled!

So I added fat to the fire and served the World's most decadent Chocolate Pots, on demand from Elsie, with a nice sweetish dessert wine.

175g 70% chocolate, 2 egg, 2 tbl spoon of strong coffee, 2 tbl spoon of coffee liqueur and 285ml cream.

Blend all the ingredients except the cream in a blenders, whilst heating the cream to just below boiling. Pour the hot cream into the running blender in a slow stream and continue blending until colour is even and consistent.

Pour into espresso cups and chill until set.

As a variation I did two lots, the first with a chili chocolate, garnished with the chocolate truffle, and the second batch with Kirsch instead of coffee liqueur, garnished with fresh cherries. I served with dessert wine and chocolate biscotti to dip with. Unbelievably Triple Yummy!

13 December - Anniversary Dinner

The 13th of December was our 11th Anniversary, and to celebrate Soni and I had full day and evening planned!

Soni treated me to a whole day of pampering at the Mangwanani Spa @ Sibaya, http://www.mangwanani.co.za/, which was awesome, and we walked away feeling fresh and rejuvenated. Thanks my Baby!

I cooked her a three course meal at home that evening:

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Heirloom Tomatoes,

stuffed with Ricotta, Spinach and Sun dried Tomatoes, on garden Greens

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Seared Tuna,

wrapped in Proscuitto di Parma, on Polenta with roasted, seasonal Vegetables

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Pasteis de Nata,

with toasted Hazel nuts, Honey and fresh Cherries

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A very ambitious menu, but by Soni's reaction a Winner!

Stuffed Tomatoes

1 medium Tomato per person, a small tub of fresh Ricotta, a small bunch of baby Spinach, 2 or 3 Anchovy fillets and a third cup of chopped Sun dried Tomatoes. To serve, Garden greens like assorted Salad leaves and marinated whole Caper Berries.

Blanch the Spinach till just wilted. Mix the Sun dried Tomatoes, Anchovies and cooled Spinach and chop roughly. Mix in with the ricotta and spoon into the hollowed out tomato cases, and bake in a moderate oven for 15 to 20 minutes.







In the meantime dress the greens with a good quality olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Nest on the serving plates, plate the roasted Tomatoes on top and drizzle with chopped Sun dried tomatoes and garnish with the Caper berries.

Seared Tuna

About 250g of Tuna for two, Harissa paste and 6 to 8 slices Prosciutto di Parma, for the main portion of the dish. Assorted seasonal vegetables(I used baby squashes and zuchinni), trimmed to roast and 150g of instant Polenta.

Rub the tuna with the Harrisa paste and sear in a hot griddle pan. Allow to cool, slice into 2.5 cm fingers and wrap them in the Prosciutto.

Roast the vegetables and when done, pop the wrapped tune into the oven briefly for the Prosciutto to crisp - DON'T OVER COOK THE TUNA!

Prepare the Polenta as per manufacturers instructions.

Plate the Polenta, surround with the roasted veg and top with the Tuna fingers.

Pasteis de Nata

1 cup milk, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 vanilla bean, 1 cup white sugar, 6 egg yolks, 1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups and line bottom and sides with puff pastry.

In a saucepan, combine milk, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into egg yolks. Gradually add egg yolk mixture back to remaining milk mixture, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove vanilla bean.

Fill pastry-lined muffin cups with mixture and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is lightly browned on top.

Toast half a cup of Hazel nuts in a dry pan, remove from the heat and cool. Drizzle with Honey and swirl around the tart and garnish with the fresh cherries.

I hope you attempt some of these! The tomato starter is really easy, the Tuna fingers takes mostly preparation time but well worth it and the dessert can be done in 2 minutes if you get the tarts from a bakery, (which I have to admit I did!)