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Pancake Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday

February 21, 2012 in DESSERT, Uncategorized

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Today is Shrove Tuesday or FAT Tuesday as it is also known, in other words the day before Ash Wednesday which begins the time of Lent…. so traditionally that means its pancake day people…….Pancake is something that we often make in the brownie household and both Tyler and Jay, my grandsons, have been making these beauties with me since they were very small. Of course we usually make them on a Friday when they sleep over but you cannot miss out on a mid week opportunity for pancakes can you? The beauty about my pancakes is that you can mix up the batter, pop it into an empty soda bottle and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days…for those times when you just feel like a freshly made, hot pancake, dripping in syrup and melting butter, or all crunchy with cinnamon sugar and some face crinkling fresh lemon juice! As I like them!

So since it is Shrove Tuesday get those pans out and lets have some fun in the kitchen…..

My Petit Chef Tyler

Little Jay’s cute hands – grating nutmeg

This is my ancient recipe, handed down in my family for generations and pimped, of course, by me!

MOM’S EASY PANCAKE RECIPE

Ingredients:

500ml Flour

4 Eggs

400ml Water

300 – 400ml Milk  – I like to use half milk and half Buttermilk *see notes below re the amount of liquid to use!

Salt to taste – start with about 2,5ml or ½ tsp then add more later to taste

A good grating of Nutmeg  – I use about 1,5 mls or 1/4 tsp

10ml  Brown Vinegar

Method:

· Sift flour, salt & nutmeg into a bowl & make a well in the centre

· Break in all the eggs then mix up slightly with a wooden spoon

· Add most of the water at once & beat well – I use my mixer for this but you can use the wooden spoon if you have the stamina :o – add the rest of the water and continue beating until no lumps remain. At this stage the mixture should look like thick cream

· Add the milk mixture bit by bit until the mixture looks like thin cream – I find that I use it all and maybe even a bit more

· Stir in the vinegar

· Taste the mixture (ugghh but this is an important step!!) and add more salt if it tastes too bland. I find that salted pancake batter makes much tastier pancakes

· If the mixture is lumpy you can pour it through a strainer into a clean bottle · Let it rest for about 15minutes in the fridge before you make the pancakes

To make the pancakes:

Have your dry pan smoking hot over a medium heat or flame

Pour in a tiny amount of peanut oil – just to coat the pan

Pour in about 30ml or so of batter into the hot pan & swirl it around immediately to coat the base of the frying pan

Watch carefully & as soon as it starts to bubble and turn light brown around the edges start shaking the pan to loosen the pancake. Use a silicon spatula to help loosen the sides

Once the pancake is loose you can either flip it over using just a light flick of your wrist or using the spatula

Cook briefly on the second side before sliding it into a waiting dish or plate

Repeat until you have as many pancakes as you want

Keep warm until ready to eat

Sprinkle warm pancakes with cinnamon sugar, a little knob of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice

Or enjoy them with savoury or sweet fillings….

Brownie Notes

I bottle my batter in any clean 1 litre cool drink bottle and keep it, sealed, in the fridge for up to 4 days – Just give it a little shake then pour whenever your pan is smoking hot :)

The bottle makes for easy, clean, controlled pouring into the pan

You can double or treble the recipe quite happily if you need to make a lot of pancakes. Always use the ratio of 2 eggs to 1 Cup flour and increase the other ingredients proportionately

I like to use half buttermilk but you can use only milk if you prefer

I find that Peanut Oil handles the high heat the best of all the oils and it has no flavour to taint the pancakes. I keep a little squeezie bottle for my pancake oil. I use the one that you get in some home hair colour kits :o

Pancakes can be successfully frozen. Interleave dry plain pancakes with wax paper and freeze flat on a tray for a couple of hours then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Just remove as many as you need each time and thaw at room temperature or microwave very briefly

Pancakes make wonderful wraps with savoury fillings as well as sweet ones. They also replace cannelloni tubes or lasagna sheets very successfully in pasta dishes

Most importantly….have fun & ENJOY!!!

browniegirl xx

Here are some more “pancake/flapjack” recipes from my archives

Stack of Flapjacks dripping with butter & maple Syrup

Stack o’ Jacks

 Buttermilk Oat Flapjacks with Caramelized Banana (& maple bacon)

Savory Pancakes with Chicken Fricassee 

Folded Pancakes with Rum Flambeed Caramelized Banana

This is a re-post of the original pancake entry here

PS My surgery went well for those who are following. I have been in a lot of pain and am badly bruised, cannot eat anything but liquids and very soft foods right now. But all positive and a start to healing. Thank you for all the love, support and prayers and good wishes xx

PS Dont forget to pass a little blog love my way if you would…..vote for me browniegirl in the EatIn DStv FoodNetwork best local blog awards  :) xx

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Sexy Valentine Food Prawn Mango Avo and Asparagus Salad with Goats Cheese

February 14, 2012 in MAIN MEALS, SALADS

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Happy Days people……here is a continuation of my sexy food theme for Valentine’s Day. Please pop over there and read all the information that I have already given for aphrodisiac foods and essential oils. I am an old romatic at heart. My lifetime Valentine and I have shared 37 Valentine’s Days already. Of course, to have a lifetime Valentine the sentiments of Valentines Day should be carried through into every day of our lives together and I think that we have achieved that pretty well. We have had our times of not getting on well. All couples experience that. But we have grown closer and more in love through them, and despite them all. I have a wonderful forever Valentine. Feet of clay, imperfect, but with a heart full of love and caring for me. I love you MY Valentine….thank you for sharing your heart and life with me xxxxx

PRAWN MANGO AVO & ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH GOATS CHEESE AND MICRO GREENS

300g Prawns – shelled with tails left intact, deveined and briefly dropped into boiling water until pink

1 Mango – peeled stoned and sliced lengthwise

1 Avocado Pear – stoned and sliced thinly then each slice cut into halves

½ Red Pepper – deseeded and thinly sliced lengthwise

Small bag of Rocket

100g Asparagus – washed, bottoms cut off then dropped into boiling water for 3 minutes refresh in cold

50g Blueberries

½ Chilli – deseeded and finely sliced

½ Cucumber  sliced into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler

Micro Rocket Greens

1 Red Spring Onion – finely sliced at an angle

100g Goats Cheese Chevin Fairview

Method:

Place the mango slices on the plate then add  prawns

Add the rest of the ingredients randomly

Sprinkle over the sliced chilli and micro greens

Drizzle generously with the vinaigrette and grind over a bit of black pepper

Serve with crusty country bread to mop up the delicious juices

 

CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

90ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ ClemenGold – finely grated zest (use orange if you don’t have ClemenGold)

20ml ClemenGold Juice (use the juice that dribbles out while segmenting for the salad)

15ml Lemon Juice

10ml Honey

5ml Dijon Mustard

½ Clove Garlic – crushed or finely grated

Small piece of fresh Ginger – peeled and finely grated

Few Mint Leaves – finely chopped

½ Red Chilli – deseeded and very finely chopped

½ Vanilla Bean – split and seeds scraped out

Salt Flakes and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Method:

Whisk all together in a small glass bowl and set aside until needed

 

We enjoyed our Valentines picnic with some JC Le Roux bubbly, I dropped some fresh raspberries into each glass. Such a beautiful floral scent and flavour, released by the raspberries, permeated the bubbles. Le sigh! Le Good Life! :)

Our dessert was simple – chocolates, strawberries, blueberries and some ice cold black seedless grapes with the rest of the bubbles!

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone out there. And I include all the singles too. Don’t limit love to only one day a year….love is so precious it deserves a HUGE place in our everyday lives. Not only romantic love, but that all encompassing, unconditional, accepting, working love that is so essential to living joyous, fulfilled and peaceful lives!

browniegirl xx

 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never dies”1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

PS I am going into hospital tomorrow morning for more follow up surgery to the procedure that I underwent in June 2011. I see lots of soup, smoothies, jelly, ice cream and yoghurt in my foreseeable future. But this salad was a wonderful send-off. Catch you all on the flip side.

And please dont forget to give me a bit of blog love and vote for me in the EatIn DStv Foodnetwork Blog Awards…a BIG thank you to all who have already voted. It is only a once off vote!

Originally blogged here as part of a series of posts for ClemenGold 

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Food and Wine Blogger Indaba 2012 Survey

February 13, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Beautiful Cape Town - photo by my talented friend Ricky De Agrela

Exciting news! We are busy planning the 2012 South African Food and Wine Blogger Indaba, which will be a Cape Town winter event this year planned for the weekend of 23/23 June, and Jeanne and I have decided to put out this survey so that you, the most important part of the whole event, can tell us what YOU want – in return we will do our very best to tailor make this Indaba to suit everyone. So whether you have attended any previous Indaba, or whether you are planning on attending for the first time this year or possibly in the future, please would you take a couple of minutes to fill out the online survey to help us in putting together the best Indaba possible, and one that fulfils your needs. And of course, keep watching this space and facebook for regular future updates on the 2012 event!

So please pop over and fill in the online survey. It will only take a couple of minutes and will give us a great perspective on how we can tailor make this Indaba to suit you.

And pencil in that weekend, book airline tickets, do whatever you have to to become part of this exciting event. Look forward to seeing you all there.

Thank you,

Have a great week,

browniegirl and Jeanne (cooksister)

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Eat something sexy, its good for you – Fig & Smoked Salmon Salad

February 10, 2012 in Uncategorized

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GO ON! EAT SOMETHING SEXY! It’s good for you!

With Valentine’s Day falling in the middle of the hottest month of the summer season I have always turned to salads and the fresh produce aisles at the local stores to plan and prepare my picnic. We always end up having a picnic, one of life’s simple pleasures, just the place differs… depending on what the weather is doing. I don’t enjoy sand or dust with my meal so if the south easter is blowing we resort to plan B and enjoy our picnic indoors or on the patio if it isn’t too bad. I love going for sunset picnics at this time of year as the sunsets are spectacular and I am such a sunset freak. I have to get my regular dose of Dopamine you know….mind you I do get that from eating as well…so combining two simple pleasures like eating and watching a sunset gives double the pleasure :)

I usually plan my salads around what produce I am able to find when I do my shopping so no picnic is ever the same. But my one rule of thumb for what I do buy is that I look out for all those natural aphrodisiac ingredients…you know, those that are supposed to ummmm….increase your interest in your partner! ;)

The interest in aphrodisiac foods began when Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, rose from the sea on an oyster and then gave birth to Eros. The first aphrodisiac food was born. An aphrodisiac food is one that is believed to stimulate libido and enhance sexual performance. These foods have been used as far back as the Romans and the Greeks to increase sexual powers. During those periods, people were concerned about fertility and sexual performance more so than passion itself, so a great amount of time was spent on determining what aphrodisiac foods would help these two separate concerns.

You will find all of these on a good aphrodisiac food list: salmon, prawns (both so sexy to eat!) figs, asparagus, avocado, oysters, caviar, champagne, chocolate, vanilla, almond, truffles, chilli, basil, garlic, honey, rocket, ginger, mustard, seedless green and red grapes, mango, papaya, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

Of course the Puffer Fish is also considered both a delicacy and an aphrodisiac in Japan. If the poisonous gland is not properly removed, the tiniest, teeniest, weeniest taste is DEADLY. The flirt with death is said to give a sexual thrill. Ummmmmm, I don’t think so Mildred!! Not recommended, unless you are in Japan in a speciality restaurant and the chef shows you his certification and proof that he has never killed anyone and you’re in the mood for that particular kind of thrill!!!

If you would like to know more about aphrodisiac foods you can go and read here..

So then, switch off those pesky cellphones, slip into something sexy, get the groove on in your kitchen with the food of love, set the table, scatter those rose petals baby (Cleoptra was such a clever woman, poor Mark Anthony never stood a chance!), crank up the old love songs, burn some erotic essential oils (for example bergamot, rose, geranium, sandalwood, ylang ylang, black pepper and cardamom oil  - these make a fabulous massage oil as well when 1 -2 drops of each are mixed into 50mls of a carrier oil like almond oil – you can thank me later! ;) ), light the candles and pour the bubbles! It is time for a little bit of romance darlings!!

“Sometimes your nearness takes my breath away; and all the things I want to say can find no voice. Then, in silence, I can only hope my eyes will speak my heart.”

Robert Sexton

 

CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

90ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ ClemenGold – finely grated zest (use orange if you don’t have ClemenGold)

20ml ClemenGold Juice (use the juice that dribbles out while segmenting for the salad)

15ml Lemon Juice

10ml Honey

5ml Dijon Mustard

½ Clove Garlic – crushed or finely grated

Small piece of fresh Ginger – peeled and finely grated

Few Mint Leaves – finely chopped

½ Red Chilli – deseeded and very finely chopped

½ Vanilla Bean – split and seeds scraped out

Salt Flakes and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Method:

Whisk all together in a small glass bowl and set aside until needed

Sexy Black Fig Smoked Salmon Mozzarella and Basil Salad


SEXY BLACK FIG AND SMOKED SALMON SALAD WITH CITRUS MOZZARELLA AND BASIL

(Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Sexy Salad in Happy Days With The Naked Chef)

6 Black Figs

1 ClemenGold (or orange) – peeled and segmented (no pith or skin (keep the juice that runs out for the vinaigrette)

3 Radishes -  finely sliced

100g Smoked Salmon – torn into ribbons

1 Mozzarella Ball – torn into pieces

Few Basil Leaves

Micro Rocket leaves

Black Pepper and Salt Flakes

Method:

Slice  a cross through the figs stopping before you cut right through. Squeeze open and place on a serving plate

Weave the ribbons of salmon around and between the figs

Randomly add the torn mozzarella ball and the basil and micro greens

Drizzle generously with the vinaigrette and serve with fresh crusty country bread

~o~o~o~o~o~

Coming up soon my sexy prawn, mango, avo & asparagus salad with goats cheese and micro greens!

Until then, have a wonderful weekend!

browniegirl xx

Originally blogged here

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Tame your Dragon with these Citrus Wontons

February 6, 2012 in DESSERT

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Are you self-confident, innovative, brave, impulsive, compassionate and a perfectionist who is strong and decisive? Do you not care to listen to the advice of others? Like being in command? Then you were most likely born during the Year of the Dragon, the mightiest of all the Chinese Zodiac signs.

The Chinese year 4710 began on the 23rd of January 2012, and of course this is The Year of the Dragon. The Year of the Dragon comes around every 12th year . Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth day, when the moon is brightest. So, much is being celebrated all over the world by Chinese and non Chinese alike.

To enter into the mood I decided to make a dessert.  My inspiration for this recipe came from Amy at she wears many hats  My eye caught her photograph that had been pinned onto Pinterest so I followed the link and found her recipe. I pimped it a bit to suit my ingredients that I had to hand

Citrus & Mascarpone Wontons

 

CITRUS MASCARPONE WONTONS

Ingredients:

4 ClemenGolds – canned mandarins will also do)

2.5ml Chinese 5 Spice Powder

15ml Brown Sugar

10ml Cornflour

Mascarpone Cheese

Wonton Wrappers (I couldn’t find any around here so settled for phyllo pastry)

Peanut Oil and Vegetable Oil – enough to cover about 2.5cm of your saucepan base

Method:

Peel and segment the fruit (catching the juice that runs out in a bowl as you do so)

Place in the bowl with the juice and add the 5 spice powder, cornflour and sugar. Mix well and set aside

Open up Wonton Wrappers (if using the phyllo pastry as I did brush melted butter on sheets and layer 2 or 3 on top of each other. Cut them out into squares

Place a small dollop (about half a teaspoon) of Mascarpone Cheese into the centre of each square or wrapper, add a teaspoon of the ClemenGold mixture then wet the edges of the pastry, fold the one corner over to the opposite corner to form half a triangle then fold over the other corners all to meet in the middle. Fix with a bit of water

Repeat with all the wrappers.

Heat up some oil (I used half and half peanut and vegetable oil) in your wok or saucepan and add the wontons a couple at a time and fry until golden brown all over

Set aside on paper towel to drain while you complete the rest of them

When cool dust liberally with icing sugar and serve as is or with some vanilla ice cream.

I made a yummy dipping sauce to dip my wontons into:

Mix together until dissolved :

50g Dark Brown or Muscovado Sugar

1 teaspoon Lime Juice

¼ teaspoon Five Spice Powder

Few drops Kikkomans Soy Sauce

20ml Hot Water

Serve alongside the Wontons or pour over ice cream as I did and enjoy!

Oh….and seeing as this is the month of luuuuurve………

Dragons will give in to love, but won’t give up their independence. Because they have quick, sometimes vengeful, tempers their partners need to be tough-skinned. Dragons enjoy others who are intriguing, and when they find the right partners, they’ll usually commit to that person for life. If you would like to read more about the Year of the Dragon you can go here

Happy Chinese New Year to all my readers,

browniegirl xx

A reminder – If you enjoy reading my browniegirl blog I would be so happy if you would pop over and vote for me. I have been selected as one of 10 finalists for the Eat In DStv FoodNetwork Best Local Food Blog Award and need all the votes I can get to win this. Thank you!!

Vote here or by clicking on the button in the sidebar to the right of this post!

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Eat In DStv FoodNetwork Food Blog Awards

February 2, 2012 in Uncategorized

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To all my fabulous readers and friends,

I have just been notified that my humble blog browniegirl is one of the TOP TEN finalists in the Local Food Blog Awards. This is an exciting new category in the Eat In DStv FoodNetwork Produce Awards and I am thrilled and honoured to be counted along with the other nine great blogs selected.  I really need your help in making it to the No 1 position. If you could pop over to the link and just vote for browniegirl I will be eternally grateful to you all. Click here and it will take you directly to the voting page . You do NOT need to register for anything….just supply your details to verify your vote! You may only vote once so remember that the one click you make today will make a world of difference for me! Thank you! The winner will be announced at the Awards ceremony at that takes place at the  Stellenbosch SlowMarket on the 24th March 2012! Anyone is welcome to attend the market so keep a watch for more information!

Eat In Food Blogger Awards Voting now

Have a fabulous weekend….yes, it is already Thursday afternoon and I can smell the weekend baby!! :)

browniegirl xx

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Spiced Citrus Tarte Tatin with Butter Puff Pastry

January 23, 2012 in DESSERT

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Tarte Tatin……the word conjures up cold nights and comforting food eaten around the fireside with a delicious glass of sweetish wine to accompany it. Tarte Tatin also conjures up visions of firm crisp apples and caramel and delicious puff pastry. So easy and simple to prepare and yet so delicious and comforting. ClemenGold also conjures up wintry thoughts as it is a winter citrus and only available for that season….but I turned both into a wonderful summery delight this past week.

The new year has firmly entrenched itself and 3 weeks have just flown past in a blur. Here in the Western Cape where I live we have been overwhelmed by a heatwave of massive proportions. I have not been able to bear spending any time in my kitchen during the days. Nights are oppressive and everyone is battling to sleep. I think airconditioning companies have been benefiting from it all. In the bowels of my freezer I came across a bag of ClemenGolds this past week that I had popped in there towards the end of the 2011 season. As I was contemplating them the idea of using some for a tarte tatin  came to mind. Using my favourite spices of course for my ClemenGold goodness. It ticked all the right boxes for me….quick and easy to prepare and delicious with a big scoop of icy cold vanilla ice cream! I was sold on the idea and this is what I came up with…

Spicy citrus deliciousness with vanilla ice cream



SPICED CLEMENGOLD TARTE TATIN WITH RICH BUTTER PUFF PASTRY

Serves 4-6

Easy to prepare

Ingredients:

1 roll good quality Butter Puff Pastry – thawed but still cold

2 ClemenGolds (or other clementine/mandarin if you cannot get the ClemenGolds)

125 g butter

100 g Light Brown Sugar

½ Lemon – juice only

5ml NoMU Sweet Rub

1 Vanilla Pod – split and seeds removed with the tip of a sharp knife

2 star anise

1 Egg – lightly beaten for brushing the pastry

Method:

Wash and slice the ClemenGolds thinly (leaving the delicious peel on) and set aside. I am so in love with my new Lassar ceramic knife that is perfect for this job :)

Unroll the puff pastry and, using your skillet as a measure, cut out a circle  about an inch wider all round than the size of the skillet that you are using. Set aside in the fridge until needed

Place the skillet (it needs to have an oven proof handle) onto the hob over a low to moderate heat

Place the butter, sugar, sweet rub and lemon juice into the skillet and melt all together without stirring

Add the vanilla seeds and pod and star anise

Allow the mixture to caramelize and turn a medium golden colour giving it a bit of a shake every now and again.  Don’t allow it to go any darker than that as it can burn very easily

Remove the pan from the heat and place the ClemenGold slices in the caramel in circles, overlapping the slices slightly and placing the last one in the centre of the pan so the whole base is covered

Set aside to cool for 10 – 15 minutes

Preheat oven to 200C while the caramel is cooling

Remove puff pastry from the fridge and place it lightly over the top of the caramel in the skillet. Fold and tuck the extra bits down the sides carefully as the caramel might still be hot enough to burn your fingers

Brush lightly with the egg wash and bake on the middle shelf in the oven until the pastry is puffed up  and a deliciously medium golden brown colour

Remove from the oven then place a large flat serving plate over the top of the skillet

Using oven gloves or a couple of folded dish towels hold the plate and pan tightly together and in a quick motion flip them over and place plate down  on to the counter

Remove the pan – if any slices have remained behind gently lift with a spatula and place back into position

Allow to cool slightly then remove the star anise and vanilla pod and cut into wedges

Serve with whipped cream, crème frâiche or ice-cream (personally I prefer the iciness of ice cream with the still slightly hot tarte tatin!)

browniegirl tip: Wash the stickiness off the vanilla pod then let it dry thoroughly on your windowsill in the sunlight. Once dry pop it into a jar of sugar and cover tightly. In a week or two you will have delicious vanilla sugar for all your baking needs :)

To interact with Lassar ceramic knives visit their facebook page or take a peek at the Essentials page in the latest Crush online magazine edition to see how to slice and dice an onion…the Lassar way!

Enjoy,

browniegirl xx

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Fudgey Cheesecake Topped Brownies

December 19, 2011 in CHOCOLATE, DESSERT

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Who doesn’t love a dense, moist, decadently dark, fudgey brownie? My tagline on my browniegirl blog says there is more to life than brownies….but not much! I think chocolate cures just about anything!

I do apologize for my long absence….but with the changeover to wordpress my log in details got messed up (my own fault I guess as I was changing email addresses in the background) but thanks to the devs and Caro I finally got it all sorted. By then, however, time was spinning out for me with schools closing (I take care of grandsons) and deadlines looming for work and baking. Today the last of the Christmas cake orders left and I am up to date with other deadlines so things are looking up! I have been ill the past week with a throat and chest infection so I have not seen my two bugs….have missed them terribly and look forward to spending some happy baking time with them tomorrow.

I don’t know who is out there anymore, who of my old readers are still able to follow this blog, as I noticed after the changeover to WordPress that all my subscribers had disappeared. I keep thinking that if only we had been told maybe there might have been a way to let them all know to come here and re-subscribe. The other thing of course that has gone are all my sidebar badges :( But I guess that, if this is a much better, bug-free blogging platform that is going to run smoothly,  then it might be a small price to pay!

Seeing as we are new to this blogging platform, well give or take a couple of weeks, and as my blogging name is browniegirl (as opposed to the name of my blog Kitchen Diary) and I am known to all and sundry as browniegirl I thought I would share my namesake, my signature dish, with you all today. Yes, there is a reason that I am known as browniegirl……..and here it is!

Fudgy Cheesecake Topped Brownies
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Recipe type: dessert
Author: browniegirl
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 16 squares
a decadent, rich, fudgey and dense chocolate brownie, swirled with cheesecake. What more could you want? Original Recipe from “Cookies & Brownies” by Alice Medrich; Adapted by me!
Ingredients
  • Brownie Layer:
  • 125 grams Lurpak unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 150 grams 80% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 250 grams granulated white sugar
  • Fresh Vanilla Bean – split and seeds scraped out with the tip of a sharp knife
  • 2,5ml pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Jumbo Free Range eggs – at room temperature
  • 90 grams Cake (or all purpose) Flour
  • 2.5ml Salt
  • Cream Cheese Layer:
  • 250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese at room temperature
  • 50ml Fresh Cream
  • 70 grams granulated white sugar
  • 2,5ml pure vanilla extract
  • 1 Jumbo Free Range egg – at room temperature
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and place the rack in the center of the oven.
  2. Melt a little regular butter then brush base and sides and line a 23 x 23 cm square baking pan with 2 sheets of baking paper across the bottom and up all four sides of the pan. The paper needs to come above the edges of the pan as you will use it to lift the baked brownies out of the pan. Brush the paper as well. Set aside.
  3. In a large glass bowl melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave – you can do this over simmering water but I prefer the micro method. It only takes one minute at about 40% power.
  4. Remove from microwave, stir well then stir in the sugar and vanilla extract and seeds.
  5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon) after each addition.
  6. Stir in the sifted flour and salt and beat, with the wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the bowl (about one minute).
  7. Remove 1/2 cup of the brownie batter and set aside. Pour the remainder of the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.
  8. Then in the bowl of your food processor (or with a hand mixer), process the cream cheese & cream until smooth.
  9. Add the sugar, vanilla and egg and process until creamy and smooth.
  10. Spread the cream cheese filling over the brownie layer. Spoon small dollops of the reserved brownie batter evenly on top of the cream cheese filling.
  11. Then with a table knife or wooden skewer, swirl the two batters a bit (without mixing them together) to make a marbled effect.
  12. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are just beginning to brown.
  13. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool.
  14. Once cool refrigerate the brownies (still in the pan covered with foil or cling wrap) for at least 2 hours
  15. Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the paper and transfer to a cutting board.
  16. With a sharp hot dry knife, cut into 16 squares. It is a good idea to have a damp cloth handy to wipe your knife between cuts.
  17. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Bring to room temperature before serving if you want the fudginess!
  18. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
  19. Delicious with a scoop of ice cream!
Notes

browniegirl baking tips:

Don’t use a mixer when you make brownies….you don’t want to incorporate any air into the batter which will not result in fudgy dense brownies
Don’t use any leavening agent in your brownie mixture
Don’t over bake – You want your brownies to be a little bit moist in the middle when you take them out of the oven
Do use the best quality ingredients that you can afford to buy.
These days you can get a very good comparable local cream cheese called Lancewood Superior which I have started using.
Pegs come in very handy in my kitchen. Use them to peg the paper firmly into place onto the edges of the pan. Once the batter is in the pan you can remove the pegs.

2.1.7
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by browniegirl

Easy Boerewors Wasabi Mash and Gravy

November 16, 2011 in MAIN MEALS, MEAT

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Boerewors (literal translation farm sausage) is such a versatile ingredient to have on hand in the freezer. You can pop it onto the grid over hot coals, into the oven to bake, remove it from its casing and make meat balls to serve with pasta or in soup, or make hamburger patties or any other number of delicious things. Or you can cook it on the stove top like I did last night. This is the method that I enjoy the most. You can zwoosh it up in any number of ways by what you add to the pan…and the beauty of it all is that rich, delicious gravy that you have to pour over your hot mash

Now we all know that there is wors in the fridges at the stores…..if it is labelled just WORS it does not have a high percentage of ground meat in it and can have lots of cereal additives to bulk it up….then there is BOEREWORS….which has to contain 90% and upwards of meat product. That is the real McCoy!  Boerewors comes in a mulitude of flavour (herb and spices)combinations, some nicer than other but it all depends on your personal flavour choices. My family has always enjoy the thick Grabouw boerewors made with ground beef and pork and flavoured delicately with clove and nutmeg. We love it on the braai and always cook more than we need so that we can enjoy the ubiquitous boerie roll the next day for lunch – on a soft hot dog roll smothered in oozy delicious home made tomato and onion smoor. But I digress….back to the stove-top creation. . The surrounding mountains have been covered in a very late Spring dusting of snow, thunder, rain and hail accompanied by icy winds have been the order of the day around here….while the rest of the country has been melting in the midst of a heatwave. At this time of year I am usually complaining about the heat as I bake Christmas cake orders and so it has been very comfortable for me to bake while it is chilly outside! Sorry rest of the country! And we have enjoyed lovely comforting meals like this boerewors with wasabi mash, gravy and steamed green veggies.

BOEREWORS AND GRAVY WITH WASABI MASH AND STEAMED GREEN VEGETABLES

Serves 4

Ingredients:

700g Boerewors

20ml Olive Oil

2 Red Onions

1 Clove Garlic

Few sprigs of Fresh Thyme

100g Cherry or Baby Rosa Tomatoes – whole

Sweet Balsamic Glaze – I used the Verlaque Wild-Flower Honey Infused Balsamic Reduction

Splash of Verjuice to deglaze the pan

10ml NoMU Beef Fond

250ml Boiling Water

20mls Tomato Sauce/Ketchup

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Ice cold cubes of butter – about 50g

Method:

Place the boerewors in a large saucepan or deep frying pan with a glug of olive oil and brown gently on both sides, remove and set aside

Peel and slice the onions (no need to chop),add to the pan with a bit more olive oil and the balsamic glaze and saute gently until limp and transparent

Add the  thyme (I add the whole sprigs and fish them out before serving) garlic and cherry tomatoes and saute a few minutes longer

Deglaze the pan with a splash of Verjuice (you could use red or white wine or even Sherry or Masala) then add the beef stock (mix the fond in the boiling water), tomato sauce, a good grinding of black pepper and the browned boerewors.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cover with a lid. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down a bit and the sauce has reduced.

Turn off the heat and stir in the butter cubes  to give a thick glossy rich sauce/gravy

Serve with steaming hot Wasabi Mash and Steamed Vegetables

WASABI MASHED POTATOES

Serves 4 hungry souls

 

Ingredients:

 

800g Potatoes – peeled, cubed and boiled in slightly salted boiling water

Milk

Butter

10-15ml Wasabi Paste – I use Wasabi-O  putting the OOOOOH into Wasabi :)

Ground White Pepper (my secret ingredient in any mashed potato!)

Method:

Boil the potatoes in slightly salty water until just done – never overboil that they turn to mush!

Drain the boiled potatoes completely then add a generous splash of milk (sorry I never measure) and about 50g Butter and return to the heat just to warm the milk and start the butter melting

Remove from heat and mash all the ingredients together, sprinkling on some white pepper and a bit more salt if needed

Serve piping hot with boerewors and vegetables of your choice  – The wasabi just gives extra oomph to the boerewors…like hot english mustard or horsradish does to a rare roast beef sarmie :)

A simple meal, made real easy!

Enjoy!

browniegirl xx

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by browniegirl

Butternut Rocket and Parmesan Penne

November 2, 2011 in Uncategorized

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I don’t often participate in Meatless Monday posts although we do try to have at least one meatless dinner per week. I have a husband who loves his meat. I on the other hand can do without it for days, if not weeks, on end. We have been enjoying the lovely little crop of rocket that my patio garden has blessed us with. As well as the most awesome fresh broad beans. The wind has knocked the stuffing out of the poor plants and I thought they had seen their day but this morning when I went out there I saw new flowers on them…so await another crop with anticipation! When I saw that Tandy over at Lavender and Lime had chosen rocket as her regional and seasonal ingredient for the current challenge I was rather excited at the prospect of popping out onto the patio and picking my own.  How much more regional can you get than your own front garden? And seasonal as in it is out there growing right now hehe! Now the instruction, as I understand it, is for us to actually COOK with rocket. I usually use it as a salad green, or in a delicious wholewheat sandwich with smoked chicken or cheese and tomato and basil pesto…there are endless opportunities to use this awesome peppery green leaf! For those friends over on the big continent with many united states rocket will be known to you as Arugula. I must say that Rocket sounds way more spiffish to me :)

 

 

When you type  rocket into the Google search bar this is what you find……

A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. HAHAHA! I am SO not talking about that kind of rocket! Nooo, the rocket I am talking about is this one….(and I only found it because I had to change my search to edible rocket!!)

Eruca sativa (syn. E. vesicaria subsp. sativa (Miller) Thell., Brassica eruca L.), is an edible annual plant, commonly known as rocket, roquette, rucola or arugula. Rich in Vit C and Potassium, this leafy plant has a strong peppery taste that goes incredibly well in salads and cooking. According to Wiki it is considered an aphrodisiac.[9]  In addition to the leaves, the flowers (often used in salads as an edible garnish), young seed pods and mature seeds are all edible. And I find that out after I just returned all the seeds to the earth!

This is what I did with my rocket – I have two varieties growing, the regular larger leaf one you see in the centre of the photo and then a small, delicate, spikier leaf that was labelled Italian Rocket at my nursery….see left front and far right of the photo

BUTTERNUT PARMESAN AND ROCKET PASTA

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Medium sized Butternut – peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes the size of a dice

1 Red Onion – chopped

1 Clove Garlic – peeled and finely sliced

1/2 Red Chilli – seeds and white pith removed and finely sliced

20ml Olive Oil

20g Butter

200ml Sour Cream

50g Parmesan – freshly grated

50g Blue Cheese (I used Simonzola which is a mild tasting gorgonzola type cheese)

50g Rocket – washed and roughly cut if large leaves

1 packet Penne Pasta – I used wholewheat

Salt & Pepper

 
Method:

Heat the butter and oil together in a large saucepan over moderate heat.

Add the butternut and toss well. Saute until the edges start caramelizing and the butternut is almost tender

Add the onion and chilli to the pan and continue sauteeing until the onion is glazed and translucent.

At this stage bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and add the penne pasta. Cook for about 8 minutes until al dente

Add the garlic and saute very briefly, you don’t want the garlic to burn and turn bitter

Mix the sour cream and cheeses and add to the pan with the butternut. Toss all together well and turn off the heat

Season to taste

Strain the pasta through a colander, reserve about 100ml of the water for thinning the sauce if needed

Toss a drizzle of premium quality extra virgin olive oil and the rocket leaves through the pasta then add to the saucepan of butternut, together with the pasta water if you want a saucier dish.

Serve with extra rocket leaves and a grating of parmesan cheese.

My meat eater declared this a winner for our meatless days. It was more than delicious! I hope you try it yourself for your next vegetarian meal.

I am also submitting this to Ruth, for this week’s Presto Pasta Night #237  I’m surprising myself by being so on the ball  :)  

Enjoy the rest of your week,

browniegirl xx