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by bitsofcarey

Mouthwatering “mean ass” moussaka

May 8, 2013 in Meat, vegetables

12 Comments »


I’ve been wanting to post this recipe for a while now. It came about after 3 days of shooting when I was left with bits and bobs of various ingredients, namely, chorizo, aubergine, peppadews , 1/2 a punnet of mushrooms etc. I was also in a “low carb” mood since I’ve been stuffing my face for days with carbs galore. Since I had mince in the freezer, I thought, “moussaka time!”.  And let me tell you, this was no ordinary moussaka, it was a “mean-ass” moussaka!  In other words, it’s pretty damn delish with all the added extras ;-)

My dear friend inspired me to post this because she happened to make hubby and I her version a few weeks ago when I was a bit worse for wear. You really get your 5-a-day when you eat Kirsten’s moussaka, it is utterly mouthwatering! She packs hers with loads of garlic(her favourite ingredient of all time) and grills the tradtional aubergine along with a myriad of other meditteranean veggies. Next time I make moussaka, I will definitely be trying her recipe…but in the meantime, here’s mine with a full on photo gallery because I love ya’ll so much xx





Mean ass Moussaka:
Serves: 4-6

2 medium aubergines, thinly sliced into rings
Olive oil, salt and pepper

500 g beef or lamb mince
200 g chorizo, diced – optional
2 onions, finely chopped
125-250 g button mushrooms, chopped – optional
2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
6 mild peppadews, chopped(adds some sweetness and a leeetle bite) – optional
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup prepared Nomu lamb or beef stock
1 tin chopped tomatoes
3 T tomato paste
1 t cinnamon
1/2 ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (my secret ingredient)
1 t origanum
salt and pepper to taste

White sauce:
50 g butter
50 ml flour
500 ml milk
1 wheel of feta, crumbled
125 ml grated mature white cheddar cheese
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
1 egg yolk

Topping:
1/4 c finely grated parmesan cheese
ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven grill and arrange the aubergine slices in a well greased baking tray, drizzle with a little more oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden, turning once. Set aside and set oven temperature to 180 degrees celcius.

In a large pot, heat 1 T olive oil and brown the mince then remove and set aside. Add the chorizo and saute until the fat has rendered, add the onions and gently saute until soft and translucent, now add the mushrooms and fry until softened.

Add the remaining ingredients including the mince, cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for +- 30 minutes. The mince mixture should be quite thick (not runny) and fragrant. Season to taste.

White sauce: in a medium pot, melt the butter and add the flour, whisking together to make a roux, add the milk, whisking all the while and continue until thickened(sauce must coat the back of a spoon). Stir in the feta and half of the parmesan cheese and season to taste. Whisk in the egg yolk.

Layer the aubergine slices and mince in a greased medium to large oven proof dish and finish off with a thick layer of cheese sauce. Top with remaining parmesan cheese and sprinkle with some nutmeg.

Bake for +- 40 minutes until goldena nd bubbling over the sides. YUM!
Serve with garlic bread and a Greek salad.





Moussaka anyone?

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by bitsofcarey

Butternut lovin’ – Rustic roasted butternut with bacon and sage

May 7, 2013 in Meatless meals, Pasta, salads, vegetables

4 Comments »



Rustic Roasted butternut with bacon and sage

Simply cut 1 small butternut into thin wedges – leaving the skin and pips intact (skin and pips are edible and a great source of fibre).
Wrap each wedge with 2 – 3 slices of streaky bacon and top with some sage leaves. Drizzle with a little olive oil and lightly season.
Roast for 50 minutes at 180°C until caramelized and crispy.
These are delicious torn up and added to a salad of preserved figs, rocket and maybe some blue cheese…oh my heavens, that’s pure deliciousness right there!

Anyone that reads my blog will know that I am obsessed with butternut.  I can’t get enough of this humble vegetable and when Women’s Health asked me to share a butternut recipe, I was quite happy to do so.  In this mag’s May issue, there’s a stunning feature with 4 of SA’s top chefs showcasing their mouthwatering dishes with butternut as the core ingredient.

It was interesting to see what the chefs came up with. I have to say,  Pete Goffe-Wood’s dish appealed to me the most – he did a caramelized butternut and goat’s cheese rotolo. I’ve always wanted to know how to make rotolo, by the looks of it, it’s pretty much a pasta roulade. Looks yum hey?
(Image by Russel Smith, Women’s Health May 2013 issue)
So now after all this butternut porn, I’m sure you’ll want to get into the kitchen and cook that butternut that’s been sitting in your vegetable basket for a while now. I suggest you go check out what Margot, Reuben and Luke did too!

In the meantime, here are some of my most popular butternut recipes:

Butternut soup infused with cumin and orange

Butternut, sage and pine nut penne

Lush winter salad

Butternut gnocchi with blue cheese sauce

 

 

 


 

 

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by bitsofcarey

Comforting chicken, mushroom and leek soup

April 2, 2013 in Chicken, Crush mag recipes, Soups, vegetables

10 Comments »

Oooh, it’s cold and rainy here in Cape Town and I am in my element. This soup will definitely be bubbling away in my kitchen tonight. I can smell it already! Rich creamy chicken soup with a sweetness that only leeks can provide with loads of “mushroomy” flavour – truly comfort in a bowl. Mop up with generously buttered crusty bread and be taken to a happy place.

Clearly, I’m a lover of soups and all things comforting so I just have to share my other 5 favourite soups of all time:

Creamy tomato soup – The best ever!
Roasted butternut soup – sweet and intense colour and flavour
Dr Chicken soup – for the flu-ish and overindulged
Creamy chicken soup with lemon – mouthwatering deliciousness
Thick ‘n creamy cauliflower and cheese soup with bacon bits – need I say more!

Creamy chicken, mushroom and leek soup
A family favourite of note. Hearty, flavourful and comforting.
Serves: 6- 8

3 chicken breasts on the bone
2 L water
2 T (30 ml) chicken stock powder
1 carrot, sliced
1 celery stick, sliced
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
50 g butter
2 bunches leeks, trimmed and chopped
400 g brown mushrooms, chopped
¼ c (62 ml) cake flour
1.5 L reserved chicken stock
1 c (250 ml) cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Place the chicken in a large pot. Add the water, stock powder, carrot, celery, onion and bay leaves. Cover and bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from the stock and allow to cool. Strain the stock and discard the veggies. Set aside. When chicken is cooler, remove skin and bones and shred into small pieces.

In a medium pot, heat the butter and sauté the leeks until soft and glossy, then add the mushrooms and cook until softened and fragrant. Stir in the flour until veggies are well coated, then add 1.5L chicken stock, heat through and continue stirring until it starts to thicken. Add the shredded chicken and cream and heat through for 15 minutes to allow all the flavours to combine. Add some parsley and season to taste.

Serve with fresh crusty bread.

Enjoy and keep warm! xx

This recipe featured in Crush online magazine Issue 21.

 

 

 

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by bitsofcarey

Baked butternut gnocchi with crispy sage and blue cheese sauce

March 27, 2013 in Crush mag recipes, Meatless meals, Pasta, vegetables

11 Comments »

Oooh, it’s chillers outside and all I can think about is this delcious dish of melt-in-your-mouth butternut gnocci with crispy sage smothered in creamy blue cheese sauce. Oh my life! If there ever was an IDEAL autumnal dish, this would be it!
It’s a match made in heaven. Sweet butternut, earthy sage and tangy blue cheese. Yum yum yum!
I did this recipe over two years ago for Crush online magazine but my oh my, it’s still a winner!  Try with crispy bacon bits ;-)

Baked Butternut gnocchi and sage with creamy blue cheese sauce

This gnocchi is par boiled and then baked with sage to golden perfection and drizzled with a classic blue cheese sauce. Need I say more?

Serves: 6
Difficulty: moderate
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 – 50 minutes

For the gnocchi:
500 g butternut, cut into cubes
30 ml ( 2 T) olive oil
Seasoning
250 g Ricotta cheese
500 ml (2 c) cake flour
7 ml( 1 ½ t) baking powder
125 ml ( ½ c) Parmesan cheese
2 egg yolks
2 ml ( ½ t) ground cinnamon
1 ml (pinch) nutmeg
5 ml ( 1 t) salt
Freshly ground pepper

Bake with:
40 ml olive oil
Sage leaves

For the sauce:
125 ml   cream
+- 100 g blue cheese, crumbled
30 ml (2 T) grated parmesan
Salt and pepper

To serve:
60 ml ( ¼ c) grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Put the butternut into a baking tray with a few sage leaves, drizzle with the olive oil and season. Bake for 30 minutes or until soft. Allow to cool.

Blend the butternut into a puree with a food processor. Allow to cool slightly and then add the flour, baking powder, ricotta, Parmesan and seasonings, mix until the ingredients are well blended and form a doughy consistency. Add more flour if too sticky.

Turn the heat up to 220°C.

Remove the gnocchi mixture from the processor and knead onto a floured surface until it becomes more pliable. Divide mixture into 4 and roll each piece into finger width sausages, cut into 4 cm pieces and press lightly with a fork.

Place prepared gnocchi into salted boiling water for 3 – 5 minutes or until they float to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and place into a baking dish (30 x 25).

Drizzle the gnocchi with some olive oil and top with sage leaves. Place in the oven for +-12 minutes.

For the sauce: Gently heat the cream and add the blue cheese bit by bit until it has all melted. Stir in the Parmesan. Remove from the heat and season with salt and black pepper.  Pour over the baked gnocchi.

Serve immediately with grated Parmesan.

Delicious with a salad of rocket, pine nuts, balsamic reduction and extra virgin olive oil.

 

 

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by bitsofcarey

Lush winter salad

June 18, 2012 in Meatless meals, salads, vegetables

1 Comment »

I dont know about you, but we have been eating alot of meat, starch and fat lately. It’s like we innately want to put extra padding onto ourselves or something.  Hub and I are trying to be healthy, although we need to cut down on a few things, we wont can’t entirely.  I for one still need something that fills my belly and satisfies my tastebuds. This lush winter salad hits the spot. Enjoy as a meatless meal or serve with grilled chicken or fish fillets.

Lush Winter Salad
Serves: 2 main meals or 4 sides

500 g butternut cubes
Olive oil, salt and pepper
+- 250 g ready cooked beetroot cubes (or boil with skin on until soft, then peel and cut into wedges OR roast with the butternut)
4 spring onions or 1 small red onion, sliced
100 g mixed seasonal salad greens
Handful of basil leaves
100 g chevin or danish feta, broken into cubes
1/4 cup mixed seeds
To serve:
Parmesan infused olive oil for drizzling
Balsamic reduction

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.
Place butternut onto a roasting tray. Drizzle with some oil and season. Roast for +- 40 minutes until softened and slighly charred.
Gently combine all the salad ingredients and serve drizzled with olive oil and balsamic reduction.

Other variations:
Add ripe cubes of avo
Add parmesan shavings
For something meaty, add slices of prosciutto or crispy bacon

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by bitsofcarey

Roasted butternut and sage risotto with crispy bacon

March 13, 2012 in Pasta, Uncategorized, vegetables

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Print
Butternut and sage risotto with crispy bacon
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

Ingredients
  • 500 g butternut cubes
  • 6 sage leaves
  • olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 250 g streaky bacon
  • 3 T (45 ml) butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 c (250 ml) arborio rice
  • 1 L vegetable stock
  • 45 ml grated parmesan
  • 2 T (30 ml) butter
  • 12 sage leaves

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius
  2. Place butternut and sage leaves onto a baking tray, drizzle with oil and season.
  3. Bake for 30 minutes.
  4. Blitz butternut in a food processor until smooth.
  5. Grill the bacon on both sides until crispy. Set aside.
  6. Heat the butter and saute the onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.
  7. Add the rice and stir until well coated in melted butter.
  8. Over moderate heat, add stock slowly, 1 ladleful at a time until stock has absorbed each time.
  9. When all the stock has been absorbed and rice is cooked (+- 12-15 minutes), add the butternut puree and parmesan cheese, mix well. Season to taste.
  10. For crispy sage garnish, heat the butter until bubbling, add sage and fry for +- 2 minutes or until crispy.
  11. Roughly chop the bacon.
  12. Serve butternut risotto with crispy bacon, sage and some grated parmesan.
  13. Optional, drizzle with a little parmesan infused olive oil.

 

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by bitsofcarey

Spinach, roasted butternut and feta pie

March 4, 2012 in Meatless meals, Pies, vegetables

4 Comments »

This scrumptious vegetarian pie is super satisfying as a meal on its own. Yummy veggie goodness all wrapped up in light and crispy phyllo pastry. For your  “not so meatless days”, enjoy with a salad of cos, crispy bacon and parmesan.

Spinach, roasted butternut and feta pie:
500 g butternut cubes
olive oil
15 ml (1 T) butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
150 g baby spinach, chopped
10 ml ( 2 t) cake flour
200 g feta cheese, crumbled
ground nutmeg  and cinnamon to taste
salt and pepper to taste

5-6 sheets of phyllo pastry
olive oil
sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
Place the butternut in a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender and slightly charred. Mash the butternut.
Turn the oven temperature down to 180°C.
In a large frying pan, heat the butter and sauté the onion until translucent and glossy, add the spinach and continue cooking until wilted. Add the garlic and heat through for a few more seconds, remove from the heat and stir in the flour.  Set aside and allow to cool.
In a mixing bowl, gently combine the mashed butternut with the onion and spinach mixture. Add the feta, spices and season with salt and pepper.
Brush each sheet of phyllo with olive oil and lay them one on top of another in a greased tart dish.
Spoon the mixture in the centre.  Pull up the sides of the pastry and scrunch together in the centre. Brush with more oil to moisten. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds.
Pop in the oven for 25 -30 minutes.
Enjoy!

C xx

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by bitsofcarey

The B.O.C spud! Baked potato topped with mushrooms in sour cream & biltong

January 17, 2011 in Sauces, vegetables

18 Comments »

Yes B.O.C – The Bits of Carey Spud/potato/tato! ha ha ha!

This is a quick and delish weeknight dins for you! A few nights ago I felt like a mushroom “stroganoff-y” dish, but wasn’t in the mood to eat rice or pasta with it, instead, I did cheat’s baked potatoes. These squishy potatoes were topped with mushrooms in sour cream and biltong shavings – for the “meaty” bit – leave it out if you like, but it was rather scrummy if I do say so myself! Also try with sweet potatoes- it’s a great combination of sweet, sour and salty.  As always in this blog…quick, quick, quick and yummy too! Promise!

What you will need:

4 large potatoes, boiled until soft in the centre – but not mushy

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 small onion, sliced

200 – 250 g button mushrooms

1 sprig rosemary

1 tub(250 ml) sour cream

125 ml chicken stock(5 ml Ina’s stock powder with 125 ml water)

pinch of paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat then oven to 220 degrees celius.

Prick a few holes in the cooked potatoes, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.

Saute the onions until golden and soft, add the mushrooms in batches and fry until browned or until the liquid has cooked away.

Over medium heat stir in the cream and stock and simmer gently for +- 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning if need be. This can be made in advance and reheated too!

Remove the potatoes from the oven – the skin should be crisp with a soft centre. Cut each one and squash open.

Top with creamed mushrooms and end off with some biltong and black pepper.

Squishy, mushy goodness! mmm…

 

 

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by bitsofcarey

Holiday Food – 3 delish recipes for you x

December 22, 2010 in Eggs, Pastry, salads, vegetables

5 Comments »

I’ve been on leave since last week, so most of my time has been spent “starfishing” on the couch watching bbc lifestyle (when the christmas foodie specials are on…Jamie, Gordon and Nigella), christmas shopping and glorious afternoon naps to recover from the shopping. It’s almost like my my brain has switched off and a little “reciped” out for this year!  Looking forward to the upcoming christmas festivities and our 2 weeks away! Hopefully I’ll get my mojo back from all the inspiration around me!

Lately, my cooking has been very simple and minimal, but I do have 3 winners to share with you, they are not “christmassy”, but more, holiday food.

The first dish was inspired by Nigella(from all the telly watching, you see). My healthier version of Stuffed potato skins.

You will need: serves 4

4 large floury potatoes

Coarse sea salt

olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

2 spring onions, sliced

1 tub fat free smooth cottage cheese or sour cream(Nigella way)

1/2 cup grated mature cheddar

extra grated cheese to sprinkle

Place a handful of salt onto a baking tray(this helps crisp up the skin), prick holes into the washed and dried potatoes and place them on top of the salt. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast the potatoes in a 200 degrees preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours or until the skin is crispy and the inside in tender.

Cut them in half and scoop the flesh out of the skins and into a mixing bowl. Place the skins back onto the baking tray. Add the remaining ingredients to the flesh and mix until well combined. Season well. Spoon mixture into the skins and sprinkle with cheese.

Pop back into the oven the heat through and to crisp up the topping, +- 15- 20 minutes.

Serve with roast chicken and a light salad.

TIPS:

You can assemble these in advance and just pop in the oven when ready to serve!

Try adding tuna, bacon or ham to the mixture – to make up a complete meal.

Top with crispy bacon bits(Nigella).

 

Smoked Chicken and forelle pear salad

This fresh and vibrant salad hits all the right notes! Try it x

 

You will need: serves 2

1 smoked chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 firm forelle pear or any other pear of your choice, thinly sliced

1 spring onion, thinly sliced lengthways

100 g salad greens

125 ml smooth cottage cheese

olive oil

zest of 1 lemon

freshly ground pepper and salt

 

Arrange the chicken, pear, spring onion and greens onto a plate/platter.

Place dollops of cottage cheese onto the salad.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with zest, salt and pepper.

Delish with baked potato or crusty bread.

 

Bacon, spinach and feta quiche

Homemade pastry, no blind baking and major crowd pleaser!

You will need: makes 1 large quiche

Pastry

250 ml cake flour

3 ml baking powder

pinch of salt

50 g cold butter

1 egg yolk

+- 45 ml cold water

Filling

250 g shoulder bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped

300 g spinach(swiss chard), trimmed and chopped or use baby spinach

15 ml cake flour

100 – 150 g feta cheese, cubed

egg custard

2 large eggs

125 ml cream or milk or smooth cottage cheese

100 ml milk

salt and pepper

 

250 ml grated cheddar cheese

 

Pastry:

Sieve the dry ingredients together into a bowl.

Grate the butter into the bowl and rub into the flour to form a fine texture.

Combine the egg and water and slowly add to the mixture using a knife to combine/cut in. It should from a ball of dough. Flatten slightly, wrap with clingfilm and refrigerate for 20 minutes(this gives you time the prep the filling).

Filling:

In a non stick pan, saute the bacon until cooked then remove and set aside. In the same pan, fry the onions until golden, then add the spinach and continue frying until it wilts. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour to absorb the excess liquid from the spinach. Add the feta and set aside.

Combine the egg custard ingredients together and season well.

To assemble:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

Roll the pastry out and place into a greased quiche pan. Sprinkle the base with half of the cheese, followed by the filling. Pour the egg custard over the filling and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake for +- 25 – 35 minutes depending on how deep your dish is.

 

Eat this dish as is, it’s a meal on it’s own!

Best served at room temperature.

 

I suspect that this will be my last post for this year, so I had to make it worthwhile! I wish you all a blessed christmas, happy holidays and a splendid new year!

 

See you in 2011 – Looking forward to sharing many more recipes next year!

 

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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