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Mushrooms, LCHF and Paleo not a complete stuff up I think……

May 12, 2013 in vegetarian

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A mushroom also add meatiness to a dish so it is ideal for those who are trying to cut down on meat, yet sometimes misses the flavors of a grilled piece of steak. A well-seasoned grilled mushroom can cure many a craving for meat. Even the carivores in my family swoon over these grilled Portabello Mushrooms with Spaghetti Carbonara and it is such a show off way of serving spaghetti too! Talking of pasta dishes, I have yet to eat a more delicious Fettucini Alfredo than that of my friend Jan Tripepe, give it a try!

Anyway, back to the mushroom and the other strange things I mention in my title…… At the moment, it seems every body is doing the LCHF thing…… No, it is not the name of a new  pop band, nor a new drug on the market, it is actually a diet, a lifestyle that more and more people choose to follow, because they feel better, look better and can eat the so called forbidden fruit…..fat and meat…loads of it! It is the same as the Paleo diet, the so-called caveman diet or the Stone Age diet, which according to Robb Wolf, is the healthiest way you can eat because it is the only nutritional approach that works with your genetics to help you stay lean, strong and energized. No, I am not on diet yet, considering it, yes, but I can develop and invent recipes and I am always up for a challenges so when the good people at Nosy Rosy asked me to send a few LCHF and Paleo-friendly recipes their way, I was happy to oblige!

LCHF-friendly Stuffed Mushrooms

  

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by ninatimm

Peppers stuffed with spicy rice

May 6, 2013 in vegetarian

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I don’t have green fingers, sad state of affairs, I know, but let’s just for now say my talents are invested elsewhere, but having said that, peppers were the very first vegetables I was successful in growing.

My sister and I were both late bloomers  where men and babies where concerned and while our peers ran after drooling and teething toddlers, we were content at building our own careers and even threw in a few memorable holidays every year. When we eventually got hitched and pregnant quickly after that, we had our babies more or less at the same time, although there is a 4 year gap between the two of us. My sister being the eternal student, raised her children according to the book and her children were fed the ultimate  vegetable meals and for good measure she would stir in a spoonful of beetroot, just because it is packed with iron.

One would think that her children later in their lives would love vegetables, but “Oh No”, her plan failed miserably. Her daughter said up till last year: Nina’s  food is too detailed and her son just refused to touch vegetables most days.  Anyway, beginning of this year, my niece proudly asked if I will make stuffed peppers for her. Needless to say I was dumbfounded. So dumbfounded that it has taken me till now to make her stuffed peppers.

Stuffed Peppers with Spicy Rice

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by ninatimm

My easy pastry recipes at your fingertips!

May 2, 2013 in beef

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Beef Empanadas

Pastry making does not have to be that difficult. As with so many other processes, life is to short to sweat about stuff. I will show you the easy pastry recipes, the recipes that will make your life easier, not more difficult.  O f course we all want to, at some stage, try our hand at the integrate processes of real puff pastry, but I am talking about life here…… mom comes home at 5 and has to serve supper at 6. Yes, you can stop at the shop and buy some puff pastry… or you can make your own. It cost less and it tastes way better!

The cottage cheese recipe was given to me yesterday in a coffee shop by my dear friend and chair lady of the Fynproewersgulde, Retha Cronje. I made little Spanish Empanadas with the pastry today and it was delicious. Flaky, crumbly and rich pastry, just the way I like it. So in this post I will aim to share a whole variety of easy pastry recipes. Recipes that have been passed down through generations on little scraps of paper. I love those recipes, because they work.

Click here for more

Easy Pastry Recipes

pastry

Tomorrow morning just after the 9 o’clock news, I will be  back in my seat at RSG studios, chatting to you about easy pastry recipes. I will also in weeks to come take you into the kitchens of other bloggers, chefs and interesting South Africans this year. So buckle up, it is going to be an awesome ride. Tune in 100-104FM or listen online here!

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by ninatimm

Bean Soup, the easy way!

April 30, 2013 in vegetarian

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ciabatta

Bean soup is such a classic and food cultures around the world  give it their own unique twist.  This Italian White Bean Soup with prosciutto is not only a feast for the eye, but it is darn tasty too.  If you feel the need for a thick stew-like bean soup, try this Spanish Potatje de Garbanzos, a meal on its own!  Here in South Africa traditionally our fore fathers or mothers have  cooked it for hours and hours  on end and later when pressure cookers arrived in our kitchens, making bean soup became a breeze. I find it quite ironic that after making bean soup in  a pressure cooker that many housewives then went back to the slow-cooker, because the slow-food movement was the next to hit our kitchens.

I am not sure which meat is the correct one to use in the classic South African version, some swear by spek or pork knuckle and other by shin and marrow bones.  My mom used pork spek that she cut up in small cubes and when the soup was done, the little nuggets of yumminess will float on the top of the soup. Either way your bean soup will be delicious, even if you decide to make it totally meat free, like I did here.

Bean Soup

Bean Soup

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by ninatimm

Expect a lot of cheesy goodness – it is Cheese Festival week!

April 22, 2013 in beef, cheese

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Yes, indeed it is a the time of year where we all haul out to Sandringham farm for the annual Cheese Festival and eat ourselves silly on cheese and more cheese. So to get you all inspired and excited, I will dedicate this entire week’s posts to cheese and trust me, I have loads of cheese recipes on My easy Cooking.

I recently made boozy figs and served it with Fairview Camembert which is now made with 100% goats cheese and what a plate of sexiness that turned out to be.  Not all my cheesy recipes are a threat to your heart though, I have a very healthy, gluten-free, Paleo-friendly recipe for Goats cheese tarts, asparagus and peas that will convert any hard-core carnivore to  a vegetarian diet.

Competition

I have 4 tickets available to the Cheese Festival for Friday 26 April. This ticket allows you to visit every stall and sample your way through tons and tons of cheese. You can also come and see me cooking with , guess what CHEESE! I will be in the DStv Arena, everyday at 2pm.

To win these tickets, please email me at myeasycooking@gmail.com with your answer to the simple question.

Where is the annual Cheese Festival held?

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by ninatimm

Detox Monday calls for beetroot and feta salad!

April 15, 2013 in vegetarian

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After a weekend filled with all kinds of deliciousness and overindulgence at the Taste of Cape Town, I am sure everyone could do with a detox kind of Monday, because we all need to get ready for the Cheese Festival and the Good Food and Wine show which is just around the corner…..

For today however, I can help you out with a beetroot salad, perfect for a Monday detox! The pigment that gives beetroot its colour, beta cyanin, is an antioxidant that speeds up detoxification in the liver. This again enables your body to turn the alcohol into a less harmful substance that can be excreted quicker than normal.

Beetroot contains betaine, a substance that relaxes your mind and is used in other forms to treat depression and contains trytophan which is also found in chocolate and contributes to a sense of well being.

Two very good reasons to hurry and get some beetroot, won’t you say?

Beetroot and Feta Salad

More beetroot recipes

Crumbed Tenderized steak with pickled beetroot

The art of roasting vegetables

 

Salad with crumbed goat’s cheese, beetroot and figs

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by ninatimm

Think of what you can do with a tin or Caramel over Easter….

March 27, 2013 in baked goods

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Caramel……. that sweet indulgence that adds calories and centimeters to your body, just by saying the word. Add caramel to just about anything and  you can start a new addiction.

I remember the years before we were fortunate enough to buy caramel all ready made in a can. My mom had to boil tins of condensed milk in a pressure cooker….. timing was everything and  if your timing was out, a ceiling covered in caramel was your reward! Those days are gone, luckily!

Three ways with a can or caramel

Tomorrow morning just after the 9 o’clock news, I will be in my seat on RSG chatting to Anel Potgieter, winner of DStv Food Network Eat Out Local Foodblog of the year award. I will also take you into the kitchens of other bloggers, chefs and interesting South Africans this year. So buckle up, it is going to be an awesome ride. Tune in 100-104FM or listen online here!

 

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by ninatimm

Lamb for Easter….that is how we roll!

March 27, 2013 in lamb

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Roast lamb on Easter? Wow, there are some strong opinions on this topic trust me! Some say it is a no-no, some say yes please and others simply couldn’t give a damn.  So whether you are a Christian or not, or whether you eat certain things over Easter or not, let’s just agree to not disagree…. for now!
The last thing on my mind is to rub someone up the wrong way before a wonderful long weekend. So if you make roast chicken, roast pork, roast fish or even roast vegetables, make sure it is shared with love and compassion for one another.

I grew up with the aromas of lamb roasting in the oven on a Sunday morning, but sadly with the price of meat nowadays it has become a luxury rather than a tradition. I wanted to de-bone my leg of lamb, something I have never done my self and I also wanted the meat to speak for it self! No fancy marinades, basting sauces or rubs….just the bare necessities!

Read further

how to de-bone a leg of lamb and cook it on the Weber

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by ninatimm

Easter would not be the same without chocolate right?

March 22, 2013 in baked goods, desserts

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To be quite honest with you, I’m not a big Easter egg fan, I love the little  marshmallow eggs and have been guilty of eating far too many of those, but the hollow eggs are not doing it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate, the darker the better and I have loads of recipes here to prove my affection for it! This chocolate pudding in a mug is so easy, so cheap and yet, it can stop the toughest chocolate craving in its tracks. Tell me, who can resist a chocolate eclair, certainly not me! For a midnight craving, I suggest you make loads of these Chocolate samoosas and keep them in the freezer. When the cravings  hit you, just pop a few in the fryer and voila, all sorted!

This chocolate tart however is a whole different story….. it is a total chocolate indulgence, dark chocolate, hints of ginger and then to top it all, fresh figs…… come to think of it, a swirls of cream will make these tarts even better! The trick is not over bake this tart, the filling must still have a little wobble in the middle when you stop baking it. It will set, promise!!

Chocolate Tarts with Fresh Figs

 

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by ninatimm

Moussaka in under 60 minutes…….delish!

March 20, 2013 in lamb

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As a grown-up I simply love aubergines, but as a child, it was without a doubt my worst nightmare to eat.  There was a time when my mom used to dip  slices of eggplant in egg and flour to fry them…..blegh!!!

I’m not sure when I changed my mind about eggplant, but these days, I love it grilled just with olive oil, salt and pepper and I’m happy!

Most versions of moussaka are based  on sautéed eggplant (aubergine), tomato and minced lamb or beef. The Greek version includes layers of meat and aubergine topped with a Béchamel sauce, and baked. On the other hand, Turkish mousakka, is not layered. It is prepared with sautéed aubergines, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and minced meat.

The debate whether to use lamb or beef in your moussaka is not something that I am going to choose sides on. If there is a debate, why don’t I throw a spanner in the works and say: “In South Africa we can even use ostrich for a an even healthier option. I used lamb, simply for the flavor and I reckon if it is authentically Greek, lamb would be the meat of choice.” So here then is my version of this classic! (click on link below for recipe)

Moussaka

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