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by bitsofcarey

Thai green curry Carey style

September 30, 2010 in Asian flavours, Chicken, Curries and casseroles

9 Comments »

This is a favourite in our home and you guessed it, quick of course!  Life has been hectic over the last 2 weeks. We became members at the local gym(just like the other 89 % of South Africans when Spring arrives) and are on a strict work out plan. When we get home I am usually in a semi paralytic state and starved out of my mind! So, lately I have been choosing meals that are not only more healthy but super quick to prepare! We also have not been dining out as much…not even Chai yo, our weekly fix of Thai take -away. I suppose it is good in a way, having more control on how your food is prepared (just look at those guys in masterchef AUS – they use copious amounts of butter , I love butter – but that is over the top!). It’s dishes like this Thai Curry that make my(our) road to fitness and health easier to bear!

What you will need:

Canola oil

4 free range chicken breasts, sliced

1 onion, sliced

30 ml green curry paste

1 can light coconut milk

juice of 1 lime or 1/2  Lemon

1 small packet of long stem broccoli

125 g portobellini mushrooms

Fish sauce to taste

Handful of fresh coriander, chopped

  

In a hot oiled wok, brown the chicken breasts slightly, remove from the wok and set aside.

Add the onions and saute until soft, the add the chicken back to the wok together with the curry paste. Heat through a bit and then add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil. Add the lime juice, mushrooms and broccoli and simmer for +- 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked – do not overcook the broccoli and mushrooms!

Add some fish sauce for seasoning and stir in the coriander.

Chicken should be tender and broccoli deliciously green and crisp!

Serve with jasmine, basmati or brown rice.

Try a vegetarian version(using aubergines, butternut etc) or replace chicekn with prawns or beef strips.

P.s. I’m cheating tonight because it’s my father in law’s birthday and we are going to Col’Cacchios for dinner! Yay!! Eat love pray pizza here I come!

 

Have a splendid weekend all!

 

C xx

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by bitsofcarey

Minty pea and feta fritters

September 29, 2010 in Meatless meals, Snacks, vegetables

14 Comments »

Feel like something light for lunch? or dinner maybe? Try this! It is so easy and super satisfying. The perfect spring snack!

I love this recipe because you don’t need to go out and buy any of the ingredients and it took no more than 15 minutes to prepare. And most of all,  they are uber delicious!

 

 You will need:

serves 2 peeps or makes 6- 8 little fritters

bit of olive oil

1/4 onion or 4 spring onions chopped

250 ml frozen peas

3 Tbs self raising flour

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 feta round, crumbled

a handful of fresh mint, chopped

salt and pepper

 

In a non stick pan, saute the onion in some oil until soft, add the peas and heat through for a minute or two.

Now in a mixing bowl, combine the pea mixture with the remaining ingredients.

 Place heaped teaspoon amounts of batter into a lightly greased non stick frying pan and fry(over a moderate heat) until golden on each side and cooked through( about 1 – 2  minutes a side). Drain on kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil.

Serve with a fresh herb salad. Dollop or dip into sweet chilli sauce, lemony mayo or minty yoghurt.

These were gone within a blink of an eye!

 

nom nom!

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by bitsofcarey

Simple steak salad after the “groot braai”

September 27, 2010 in Meat, salads

7 Comments »

We woke up on Saturday morning with dishes piled to the roof after our “groot”  braai the night before. It was all worth it though, good times! Our fridge was filled with left overs, particulary, steak (it was a bring and braai – everyone took advantage of the woolies steak promotion, i suspect). So with the steaks in mind, we opted for a light lunch – a simple steak salad.

No recipe needed…I sliced left over steak(rump) into thin slices and tossed it with mixed salad greens, sliced salad onions and a few ripe baby tomatoes. Drizzle with Ina Paarman Blue cheese salad dressing. A bit of freshly ground pepper. Serve with crusty bread.

Here’s to a awesome week all!

C x

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by bitsofcarey

Dr Chicken soup to the rescue for the flu-ish or overindulged!

September 23, 2010 in Chicken, Soups

7 Comments »

This bowl of soup is the ultimate remedy when your body is taking strain.  Too much food and alcohol has been consumed over the last few days and now it’s time for something simple and nourishing. When I eat this soup, I can almost feel the nutrients from the chicken and veg being absorbed into my bloodstream, as well as the much needed saltiness and bit of fat to restore my batteries, so to speak. The vermicilli rice noodles are added to make it more substantial, you could leave it out if you like.

DR CHICKEN SOUP

What you  will need:

2 or 3 chicken breasts on the bone

+- 1 L Ina chicken stock powder or Nomu concentrate

5 ml olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 carrots, grated

a big handful of spinach, chopped

a handful of vermicilli rice/glass noodles

Salt and pepper

In a large pot, boil the chicken in a litre of weak chicken stock for +- 20 minutes. Remove chicken and allow to cool.

Pour the stock in a jug and set aside.

In the same pot, heat the oil and saute the onion and carrots until soft. Meanwhile, shred the chicken into fine pieces and set aside.

Add the spinach and allow it to wilt, then add the chicken back to the pot together with the stock and bring to a gentle boil . Add the vermicilli, and cook until soft. You can add more water if necessary – just remember t readjust the seasoning!

TIPS:

If you are not feeling that fragile:

Add some cumin, chilli or garlic to the onions.

Fry a bit of chorizo or bacon before the onions and add a dash of smoked paprika.

Use egg noodles instead(will just take longer to cook).

Add some cream

P.s Thanks to Cath Shone for hosting the Vinatics evening (http://www.food24.com/Wine/Features/September-Vin-atics-the-most-Food-Friendly-one-yet-20100901) at her home together with Cathy Marson. They were a laugh a minute, especially playing 30 seconds! Thanks to Caro for preparing the DIVINE food and lugging that ”portable” oven to Cath’s house. Although Caro was not present for the evening, she was definately there in spirit of the dishes she prepared(try the twice baked souffles – just do it!). It was great to meet the the couple owners of Spit or Swallow (http://spitorswallow.co.za) they are as cheeky as the name! Paul from yuppie chef( http://yuppiechef.co.za ) - this guy is a walking encyclopedia and Laura from Durbs, studying to be a botanist but bakes and caters under the name of  Fat fairy - look out for her! Hubby and I felt extremely welcome, with the wine flowing and all – I sincerely hope I didn’t make too much of an arse of myself! It remains to be seen… what will Cathy write?gulp! It was truly an honour to have been invited, thank you! xxx

So this is what we are having tonight in the hope to recover nicely for the “groot braai” tomorrow! My tummy is on strike for today! (oh the soup behind this one is just a mixture of  butternut, sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower cooked in veg stock with loads of nutmeg and pureed – no cream today…)

 

Anyway, have a lovely heritage/braai day. Looking forward to seeing what everyone made over the weekend!

 

Lovies C x

 

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by bitsofcarey

Mushrooms baked in creamy spinach and feta sauce

September 22, 2010 in Meatless meals, Sauces

9 Comments »

You know you’re a foodie, when you get more excited over big beautiful mushrooms in the fruit n veg department than a clothing sale happening nearby! So I came home with 2 stunning “braai” mushrooms and a fresh bunch of spinach. Now what to do? I did not want to cut these beauties up, so I decided to make a thick spinach and feta sauce, pour it over the mushrooms, top them with cheese and bake until golden…not too shabby I say… Be warned this is an extemely filling dish!

Wipe the mushrooms clean,  pull the stems out(use in the sauce) and place them in desired individual dishes.

For the sauce: Serves 2 – 4

45 ml butter

1 onion, chopped

stems of mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves, garlic, chopped

1 bunch of spinach(swiss chard), washed and chopped

45 ml flour

+- 300 ml milk or cream

1 wheel of feta, crumbled

nutmeg to taste

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan, saute the onion, mushroom and garlic until soft. Add the spinach and saute until wilted and most of the liquid had cooked away.

Remove from the heat and stir the in flour, coating the veg. Place back onto the heat and add the milk, stir continously until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the feta, season well.

Pour the sauce generously over the mushrooms and cover each one with a handful of grated cheese(mixed cheddar and parmesan).

Bake in a preheated oven for +- 40 minutes (or until golden and the mushrooms are tender).

The liquid from the mushroom created a slightly thinner sauce , so it is best served with some cooked tagliatelle(or any other pasta) on the side. Alternatively, serve with crusty bread to mop up all the sauce.

TIP: Add some chopped bacon / try with brown mushrooms / use baby spinach.

Perfect for a chilly night x

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by bitsofcarey

Hudson Burger Kloof Street Cape Town

September 16, 2010 in Restaurants

2 Comments »

If you like the occasional burger with a twist, then Hudson is a must. They have a variety of burger combinations which is great. You have a choice to order extra shoestring fries, huge beer battered onion rings or salad with your burger. Nice and simple. The milkshakes are good too :-) . 

 

 We hadthe bacon chilli poppers with blue cheese dipping sauce to start with. Very more-ish, yet rich(understandably)..

 

The restuarant itself is small and cosy with trendy american vibe. There is outside seating for the smokers. They play rock ‘n roll oldies to current which is great, a tad too loud to have a proper conversation(I found myself shouting to the person next to me). Am I just turning into an old fart or does that annoy other people too? Service was friendly and helpful.

I had the cranberry jelly, goats cheese and rocket burger with onion rings of course!! yum yum yum!!

Forgive me for this, but I was so mesmerized by my own burger that I forgot to photograph and ask what everyone else had? Most of the guys had a bacon, avo feta burger, I think, a few chicken options for the ladies, if I’m not mistaken…..nope complete blank!!

All washed down with a glass of Jack black. Because sometimes you just have to embrace your burger with a beer! Phewww…I’m full again just writing about it!

 

 

So if you’re in Kloof street over the weekend, give it a bash!

 

Have a good weekend all!

 

C x

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by bitsofcarey

A fish “braai” and Sunday loving!

September 15, 2010 in Fish, Sauces, vegetables

16 Comments »

A few Sundays ago, we were going through a serious fish craving. I bought a beautiful fat angel fish and got the fishmonger to butterfly it for me. Angelfish has such a clean delicate flavour, so I wanted to keep the flavours simple. I chose to wrap the fish in foil and steam it rather than cooking it directly onto the heat of the braai. I even wrapped asparagus in foil with some butter etc, and steamed that over the fire. The end result was a flavour and texture sensation. I quite liked the foil idea, I saved myself from plenty of dishes, serving the fish and veg as is and everybody just helped themselves. I suppose you could’ve done this all in the oven, but it was superb just sitting in the garden next to the crackling fire, a glass of bubbly brut in hand and munching copious amounts of olives and bread while we wait for the “piece de restistance”. This is what Sundays are made for!

Wash and dry the fish

  • Fish: Top the one side with blocks of butter, a handful of parsley, crushed garlic and the zest and juice of 1 lemon.Season. Then fold the other side over the filling and wrap tightly in foil. The fish takes 20 minutes on each side to cook over a medium heat from the coals.
  • For the asparagus, just add butter and seasoning and wrap in foil. Place the asparagus on the heat for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
  • For sweet potato wedges: boil 2 large sweet potatoes until tender, then cut them into wedges. Place onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, season and Just before the fish goes on the braai, roast at 220 degrees for +- 30 minutes or until super crispy. I like them almost cajun!!
  • For smoor(tomato and onion sauce): Fry 1 chopped onion and some garlic in a bit of oil until soft and caramelised. Add 4 chopped tomatoes(or 1 tin), 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp brown sugar, salt and pepper, 1/2 tsp mixed herbs, cover and simmer for +- 30 minutes until reduced, sweet and delicious! Serve with the fish and wedges!

While prepping the food, J made freshly squeezed OJ….yum yum yum… we just love this mellerware juicer thingy mabob.

Our lovely array of nibbles and delicious, crispy Rhebeek Cellar Brut.

And there you have it! the smoor, the buttery asparagus and the fall off the bone lemony angelfish.

Crunchy asparagus, tender fish, crispy sweet wedges and sweet and sour tomato smoor finished off with some lemon of course!

 

All together, a lovely Sunday late lunch!

 

We all loved the angelfish and we will definately be eating it more often!

 

Isn’t this the healthiest looking “braai” ever?

 

Excuse the pics, wasn’t in the food styling zone at the time! :-)

 

Well, it’s cold and rainy in CT and I feel like a big bowl of soup!

 

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by bitsofcarey

Polenta and parmesan chicken strips – a healthy home made take away!

September 14, 2010 in Chicken, Snacks

7 Comments »

Not only are these chicken strips delicious, they are much healthier than the Pub style fried version. No breadcrumbs and no oil! These are perfect for those days when you want food on the table, fast! While they are baking in the oven for 10 -15 min – you make a salad and done! Dinner is served!

You will need:

4 chicken breasts, cut into strips – not too small – +- 2/3 cm thick

Juice of 1/2 lemon

drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper

“CRUMBS”:

200 ml FINE polenta

25 – 50 ml grated parmesan cheese

loads of salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

                                

Coat the chicken strips with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

 

Combine the polenta, parmesan and seasoning and spread out onto a plate.

Coat the strips with the polenta mixture and place onto a greased baking tray.

Bake for 10 – 15 minutes max!

Serve with sweet chilli sauce, lemony mayo and a crispy salad on the side.

How quick was that?

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by bitsofcarey

Simple Supper: Tomato and rocket tagliatelle with lemon and parmesan

September 13, 2010 in Meatless meals, Pasta

9 Comments »

Last week I got home from gym(sweating like a pig after working out for 10 minutes – no joke!) and I was ravenous! Something light and refreshing was in order but it had to satisfy my hunger and be quick of course! I scanned around the kitchen… oooh!, I had a packet of tagliatelle, lemons(staple), parmesan(staple), rocket in the garden, rosa tomatoes, garlic and olive oil(staples). Nice! So I threw it all together and boom! All the flavours just worked and it was a joy to eat! This literally took 12 minutes to make. Easiest pasta under the sun!  Might I just add, this is an awesome meatless monday dish.

Tomato and wilted rocket tagliatelle with lemon and parmesan

 

 

Serves 2 greedy people or 4 normal people

What you will need:

1 packet tagliatelle, linguini or whatever you have in the cupboard

salt

5 ml olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

250 g rosa tomatoes

2 handfuls of rocket

zest and juice of 1 lemon

extra virgin olive oil( a must)

Parmesan shavings ( as much as you like)

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente

While pasta is cooking. In a separate frying pan, halve the tomatoes and saute in hot oil with the garlic for 2 minutes.

Strain the pasta,*don’t rinse with cold water*, and put back into the pot.

Add the rocket, tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, a good glug of olive oil, parmesan and season well. Toss until well combined.

Serve immediately with an ice cold glass of vino!

Other suggestions:

add a few toasted pinenuts

add some fresh ricotta or feta

if you must a few pieces of grilled chicken strips

You could just add the tomatoes without frying them – I just do it to sweeten them up a bit!

Have a blessed week all!

C x

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by bitsofcarey

Vegetarian’s dream! Mushroom and grilled aubergine lasagne with a preserved fig and brie salad

September 9, 2010 in Meatless meals, Pasta, salads

12 Comments »

We had friends around for an early dinner the other day, only it was too windy to braai so I decided to cook. I felt like something light but still substantial, so I opted for a flavoursome vegetarian lasagne. This ain’t no ordinary lasagne, this is the shizzle nizzle! Brown mushrooms, Grilled aubergine slices, baby spinach, feta, cheesy sauce! What more could you ask for! Who needs meat? For variation of texture and temperature. I made a wild rocket, preserved figs and brie salad to serve on the side! Perfection!

 

Mushroom and Aubergine Lasagne

Serves 6

You will need:

For the filling:

olive oil

2 medium aubergines, thinly sliced

knob of butter

1 onion, sliced

500 g brown mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 sprig of rosemary

100 ml white wine

100 g baby spinach

1(or 2) feta rounds, crumbled

salt, pepper and ground nutmeg to taste

8 – 10 lasagne sheets

Sauce:

100 g butter

100 ml flour

1 L low fat milk

1 heaped cup of grated mature cheddar

Grated cheddar or parmesan or mixed for topping

few bits of rosemary

Lighly coat the sliced aubergine with olive oil and fry in hot griddle pan(or non stick pan) until golden on both sides. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat the butter and saute the onion until soft then add the rosemary and mushrooms until almost cooked, add the wine and allow to reduce. Toss in the spinach and combine well allowing it to wilt slightly. Remove from the heat. Add the feta and season.

IN a sepaerate pot, prepare a roux with the butter and flour, then add the milk, whisking continuously over high heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. season.

In a medium lasagne dish, layer with sauce, mushroom filling, aubergine, pasta and repeat ending with a generous layer of sauce(I did 2 layers). 

Sprinkle with loads of cheese and some rosemary.

Bake for +- 40 minutes or until pasta is tender and the top is golden and bubbling.

Serve with rocket fig and brie salad.

 

Rocket, preserved fig and brie salad

This salad is so simple, allowing all 3 ingredients to be the star in their own right. Try this out with fresh figs and use honey instead of the preserve syrup!

Serves 6

1 packet of wild rocket

1 wedge of Fairview Brie, sliced

6 preserved figs, quartered

 

Dressing:

100 ml fig syrup(in the jar)

100 ml extra virgin olive oil

a squeeze of lemon

 

Toss the 3 salad ingredients in a bowl

combine the dressing ingredients and toss through the salad when ready to serve.

 

“Booorrrnupatreeeeee!”

 

Have lovely weekend all!

 

Lovies C xx

 

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