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Macadamia Crusted Goats Cheese Salad

January 6, 2013 in vegetarian

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Ok, so everybody or most of us are back at the salt mines, with clothes a little tighter than when we left, but hey, we have a little more than 11 months to get back into shape before we do it all over again!

Welcome back here in Nina’s Kitchen where a year filled with promise and good food awaits! We have loads of new exciting things planned for 2013 so just stick around and you will not miss a thing, promise!

I could not think of a recipe more fit to kick off this year than this divine Macadamia Crusted Goats Cheese Salad. For me, it scored a perfect 10 for flavor, texture and sex appeal…this is one sexy salad! The raspberry salad dressing made my mouth sing and paired so beautifully with the salty goats cheese.

Visit My Easy Cooking for easy steps to make this….

Macadamia Crusted Goats Cheese with Raspberry Vinaigrette!

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Quick and easy snack recipes for the Festive Season

December 18, 2012 in snacks

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The Festive Season is upon us and so are the hordes of family and friends visiting every day and weekend. I love the fact that friends I haven’t seen in a while, pop in for a visit or family from other parts of South Africa phone to say they will “see us shortly!” Everyday of the holiday is different, filled with excitement and new possibilities.

However, with all this excitement comes the task of feeding all these people once they set foot in your house! Making snacks, light lunches or even little nibbles can be quite daunting if you are not prepared and before you know it, the excitement wears off and the holiday becomes a drag rather than a time of joy and fun! If however you are all stocked up and prepared, entertaining can be a breeze!

Always keep these items in stock

Bakery Items

an assortment of fresh breads or bake your own

packets of biscuits

tortillas

taco shells

fresh bread rolls

fresh pizza dough

Fridge Items

a variety of cheese – goats cheese, parmesan, cheddar, Emmenthaler, Grand Pandano ricotta, mozzarella

fresh fruit  – pineapples, berries, watermelon, melon, peaches, cherries

fresh vegetables – brinjals, cucumbers, tomatoes, baby marrows, mushrooms, celery, spring onions, avos

cream, Greek yogurt, sour cream, relishes and chutneys

cold meats and cured sausages

gherkins and pickle onions

marinated brinjals, peppers and mushrooms

eggs

Pantry Items

smoked mussels

tins of sardines

canned tomatoes in all flavors – Mexican, Italian and Indian

Canned corn

canned tuna and salmon

caramel

cream

artichokes

asparagus

beans- butter beans, baked beans, kidney beans

chickpeas

Visit My Easy Cooking for easy snack recipes and a quick recipe for

Blue Cheese Tartlets with Red Fig Jam

 

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Goats Cheese in a Cheesecake – you gotta be kidding!

November 26, 2012 in desserts

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Oh no, I’m not kidding there really is goats cheese in my cheesecakes and if you think it sounds a bit cheesy….it is! Deliciously cheesy that is and I think I will be making this dessert again very soon! Served with fresh or preserved fruit, it could be my take on a cheese course at the end of a meal. My family loved it and made into individual portions, you can plate it up beautifully with fresh summer berries or preserved figs for warmer take on this dessert.

Visit My Easy Cooking for

Goats Cheese cakes with Preserved Figs

Either way, you  have a winner!

 

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My Easy Cooking turns a new leaf……………

October 16, 2012 in Uncategorized

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It is time……. my favorite line from the block buster Lion King!  Well, it certainly was time to change My Easy Cooking, it was as outdated as my  most comfortable pair of slip slops, yet change is not always easy as one might think. Not only did I have to change my design and “feel”, I also had to move to a different platform and to move with 600+ posts with all the photographs, proved to be a nightmare. It had to be done and after 2 weeks of slogging, spitting fire and swearing never to do it again, I am proud to present to you the new My Easy Cooking! What do you think? Will you change, add or remove something? Please leave a comment and let us know!

For the occasion, I made something really quick and simple, yet delicious and quite snazzy if I have to say so myself!

Savory Cheesecakes with Caramelized Onions

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A Scrumptious Hot Caprese Tart on RSG

August 23, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Beautiful garden-fresh tomatoes

Scrumptious, Food for Family and Friends , is the delightful cookbook of my friend and fellow-blogger Jane-Anne Hobbs. Jane-Anne’s blog, Scrumptious South Africa, was one of the first blogs I visited when I started blogging back in 2007. Her blog, her colorful cooking and the manner in which she describes methods and cooking skills on her blog, set the bar for me long ago and when I do blog, I often wonder if it will pass the Jane test! She set the  standard that I blog, write and cook by!
So when I heard from the horses mouth that she is busy with her own cookery book, not only was I overwhelmed with excitement, but I felt daunted at the thought that the proverbial bar just raised  extensively!

On RSG tomorrow, I will be talking about pantry ingredients and for that reason I have chosen the Hot Caprese Tart from her book, Scrumptious, as it is made with phyllo pastry and I always keep phyllo pastry at home….for me a must as a life-saver when unexpected people arrive.

For the recipe and more about Jane-Anne’s Cookbook, Scrumptious, visit

My Easy Cooking

A scrumptious hot Caprese tart

For more Taste Tarts

Asparagus and Truffle Tart

Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Tart

 Tune in to RSG this morning and every other Thursday(100-104FM) just after 9 when I share a different easy recipe from My Easy Cooking. You can also listen online here!

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Mediterranean Snacks for the weekend

August 2, 2012 in Uncategorized

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a few humble ingredients

Mediterranean holiday is more what we need at the moment, but at least we can snack in style! Yes, it’s the weekend baby! Hard to imagine that a whole week has gone by and 2 days of a slightly slower pace is but a night away. During the week it is tough trying to keep up with deadlines, meetings, mom’s taxi duties as well as all the other things that come in between. Come Friday, we just want to shake some of the routine jobs….like cooking for instance!
I can hardly imagine that cooking is a “job”, but I do realize that for many of you reading this blog, it is! Not to worry, I will gladly be your closet chef. For this weekend, I have a snack idea that has 4-5 ingredients, takes minutes to prepare, yet the taste will quickly whisk you off to some Mediterranean destination! Keen to try, let’s go!

For the recipe, visit My Easy Cooking

Quite a tasty mouthful

More snack Ideas for the weekend!

Deli Sandwich - Caramelized onion with Goat's Cheese

Jam and Cheese Bites

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by ninatimm

Cheap as Chips – Chips Chicken!

July 27, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Cheap as Chips, but so rich in flavor!

Years ago, Chips Chicken was such a fad, everyone made it together with cute little chips sandwiches and chips rolls.  I think it was popular  because it was a place where mothers and children agreed. Mothers who tried to feed their children a healthy diet and children who only wanted to eat junk food. Healthy, definitely not, but delicious none the less and with a cheese sauce to boot,  Chips Chicken is still a firm favorite even after all these years.

You will not believe that 5 ingredients and so little time can result in such flavor and popularity, but try this easy recipe and you will be ever so popular with dad and the kiddos…

Chips Chicken

Ingredients
6 chicken fillets with skin ( the skin prevents the chicken from drying in the oven)
1 x 125 g Cheese and Onion Chips
1 egg – beaten with a little milk
125 ml flour
1 t barbecue spice

Method
Place the chips in a plastic bag and with a rolling pin, bash the chips until it becomes course crumbs. Place in a plate. Beat the egg and milk together and place in another bowl and lastly mix the flour and the seasoning and place in a 3rd bowl. Place a chicken breast between 2 layers of plastic and with a meat mallet, lightly beat the chicken to make a “schnitzel”. Repeat with all the chicken breasts. Now one-by-one dip the chicken first into the flour, shake off the excess flour, then into the egg mixture and lastly into the crumbs. Repeat with all the chicken. Place on a baling sheet and allow to set in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 180C. Bake the chicken in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Smother in a velvety Cheese sauce to make it even better!

For a luscious Cheese Sauce recipe to serve with the chicken, visit

My Easy Cooking

 More tasty Chicken Recipes

(click on picture for the recipe)

Mom, this chicken tastes like KFC

Another Retro classic - Coke Chicken

Roast Chicken Pasta Bake

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by ninatimm

Cheesy Corn Bread, perfect with just about anything!

July 5, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Delicious as a loaf or muffins for the lunchboxes

I have always been fascinated South American cuisine, after all what is not to like about chili con carne, fried chicken,( watch this blog for more about this ) gumbo, grits, pulled pork and other barbecue dishes. In the Southern parts of America, corn bread is called skillet-fried or skillet-baked corn bread and  butter is usually browned in a cast iron skillet and the cornmeal batter is poured into the butter and baked in the oven, resulting in a dense crumbly corn bread or cake.

Cheesy Corn Bread

Cornbread with pork roast and tomato relish!

The corn bread that you find at most South African braai’s, is more like the North American version and is usually made with half flour and half cornmeal and other ingredients. The bread is slightly lighter and sweeter in taste. It can be baked in bread shape or made into individual muffins, which are perfect for lunchbox treats…. As I have said earlier, there are so many recipes available, but we like this recipe, because it is moist and just perfect as a side dish, but also delicious on its own, toasted or plain, with or without toppings…

All finished!

More corn recipes

Corn and Country Ham quiche

Corn on the cob

Corn Fritters

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by ninatimm

Rice Pudding or Risotto?

June 26, 2012 in Uncategorized

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A savory twist on a classic rice pud!

I love the creaminess of rice pudding, I also love the fact that it is not so overly sweet as I am not a fan of sweet desserts, maybe with the exception of Malva Pudding, so when I saw rice pudding on the menu at Sidewalk Cafe, I was a happy camper, until my daughter pointed out to me that it was …….
indeed a savory rice pudding, in other words risotto which is also one of my all time favorite meals. At first I was somewhat confused  at the thought of a savory rice pudding, but the idea grew on me and when the dish finally arrived, I was so ready to tug in…..
I was in love, every bite was just so delicious with all the different textures from the sun-dried tomatoes and the toasted nuts and in between mouthfuls of the creamy risotto…heaven on a plate! I

Parmesan Rice Pudding

Tuck in!

More risotto recipes

 Risotto Balls

 Blue Cheese Risotto with Honeycomb

 Red Wine Risotto with Panfried Shiitakes

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Making Paneer and Cooking at Cheese Festival 2012

April 25, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Hang overnight

Make your way to the Cheese Festival near Stellenbosch this weekend, otherwise you will be missing out big time. If you are a cheese-o-holic like me, this is the place for you! You can sample the best cheeses SA has to offer and watch demonstrations and even learn to make cheese yourself at one of the many hands-on workshops.

I will be in the Checkers Emporium every day at 10.30 cooking up a storm with the illustrious Nataniel and the ever-so funny Jenny Morris. Must say, I am a wee bit nervous…..

In the meantime, I will share an old post with you on how to make your own paneer. That’s if you don’t make it to the cheese festival. It is the easiest thing to do and there is something so rewarding in making your own cheese just like there is in baking your own bread.
You can enjoy the cheese as is, or flavor it with a whole array of spices and herbs or even use it in vegetarian dishes such as curries.

Paneer

Ingredients
2 liter full cream milk
90ml fresh lemon juice
a pinch of salt

Method
Pour milk in a sauce pan and heat gently. Add lemon juice and bring the milk up to the boil. The milk will coagulate as the curd separates from the whey.( if you are making a herb cheese, now add the herbs of choice) Remove from the heat and pour the milk through a muslin cloth. Tie the cloth at the corners and place in a strainer and leave to drain overnight in the fridge. The next day, you can remove the cloth and serve.
For herb cheese, add pepper and 100g fresh herbs, chopped.

For olive cheese, add 100gr pitted and chopped black olives.

Ready to eat!

More Cheesy Goodness

Honey and Mustard Pork Sausages with Roasted Onion Dip

 

cornmeal fritters

Corn Fritters with Bacon, Camembert and olden Syrup

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