Pasta e Fagioli

My husband was out for the evening so my friend and her son came over for dinner. Since it was a cold and rainy day, I was in the mood for a hearty Italian soup. I found a Cooking Light recipe for Pasta e Fagioli that I adapted. It was rich in flavor and thick with beans, meat and pasta. At the last minute I threw in some fresh spinach which topped it off nicely. This soup was served with a fresh salad made by my friend and some crusty bread lathered with butter. All of us loved this soup, especially the kids. It was a wonderful meal shared with great friends.

* 2 tsp olive oil
* 2-3 turkey Italian sausage, casing removed
* 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
* 4 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, blended
* 4 cups of chicken broth
* 2 15 oz cans of white beans, drained
* 1 tsp of dried basil
* 1/2 tsp of dried oregano
* Pinch of crushed red pepper
* Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
* 1 cup of tubed shaped pasta
* 1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach
* 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
* Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish



Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the turkey sausage, removed from casing, and cook until done and well crumbled. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds then add the chicken broth. Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl, blend the tomatoes thoroughly with an immersion blender (or just use a blender) then pour into the Dutch oven. Add the drained beans and seasonings to the soup and simmer partly covered for 1-2 hours.

When you are ready to eat, turn the soup up to a slow boil then add the pasta and cook per instructions. Taste the soup and re-season if needed. Once the pasta is cooked, add the fresh spinach and parsley. Serve with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy.

Note: Be careful not to add too much pasta because it will thicken up the soup too much.

Roasted Vegetable Medley

We were leaving town for the weekend and I needed to use up the vegetables in my refrigerator. I grabbed the fennel, zucchini, squash, onion, green beans and asparagus. I roasted the fennel and onion for 30 minutes then added the rest of the vegetables and roasted until fork tender. I topped it with lemon zest and fresh shaved Parmesan cheese. It was a delicious side dish that we all really loved.

* Handful of green beans, trimmed
* Handful of asparagus spears, ends removed
* 1/2 a fennel bulb, sliced into chunks
* 1/2 an onion, sliced into chunks
* 1 yellow squash, cut into spears
* 1 zucchini, cut into spears
* 2 tsp olive oil
* Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
* Zest of one lemon
* Parmesan cheese shavings



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Chop the onion and fennel into large chunks, making sure to leave the cores on so the chunks stay attached. Drizzle with one teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes then remove from oven. Add the other vegetables to the baking sheet, drizzle the last teaspoon of olive oil over the veggies and re-season with salt and pepper, toss to coat. Roast for an additional 10 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender. Top with lemon zest and Parmesan shavings. Enjoy.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

I had some lean ground beef that I needed to use up. I Googled ground beef recipes and kept coming up with salisbury steak. I used to love those frozen dinners in the tin tray when I was a kid. I decided to try my hand at a healthy yet tasty version of salisbury steak. I used packaged brown gravy because my daughter loves it and it's low in fat and calories. The bacon, roasted garlic and caramelized onion really made the steak patties full of flavor. This was an easy meal to make and tasted really delicious - it took me back to my childhood. My husband and I both enjoyed this dish and our kids did too.

* 3 tsp olive oil (divided)
* 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
* 8 oz of button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
* 1 lb of lean ground beef (96/4)
* Bulb of roasted garlic
* 2 pieces of bacon, crumbled
* Snider's Prime Rib seasoning (or your favorite steak seasoning), to taste
* Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
* 1-2 packets of brown gravy mix, prepared per instructions



Prepare roasted garlic (click on link above for directions). Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, once done remove to a paper towel to drain. Remove all but 1 teaspoon of bacon grease from the skillet then add 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion and cook until soft and tender, about 5-6 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil to the same skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms once the pan is very hot. Let them sit, without stirring for 3-4 minutes for a nice golden color. Flip the mushrooms and continue to cook for a few minutes until golden brown.

In a small saucepan, prepare gravy per instructions. Once it's thickened, add the golden mushrooms and simmer.

Combine the ground beef, bacon bits, caramelized onion, roasted garlic bulb, steak seasoning, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper in a large bowl. Form into oval shaped patties, not too thick or thin. Add the last teaspoon of olive oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the salisbury steak patties and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or to your desired degree of doneness.

Place the cooked steak patties on a serving dish and cover with mushroom gravy. Enjoy.

Turkey, Swiss and Vegetable Sandwich

I was craving a healthy lunch filled with fruits and vegetables. I had some turkey, low fat Swiss cheese and loads of veggies in the fridge so I decided to make a tasty sandwich filled with good things. This was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. The flavors were fantastic. It was hearty, filling and delicious. I served with fresh grapes and strawberries for a very satisfying lunch.

* 2 pieces of good whole wheat bread
* 3 thick slices of roasted turkey breast
* Roma tomato slices
* Cucumber slices
* Avocado slices
* Handful of sprouts
* Handful of baby spinach leaves
* Thin slices of red onion
* 1 piece of low fat Swiss cheese
* Low fat mayonnaise
* Deli mustard (optional)
* Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste



Add the mayonnaise and mustard to the slices of bread. Add the turkey, spinach, tomato, sprouts, cucumber, red onion, Swiss cheese and avocado. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Featured Recipes for Crispy Fried Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken, cut into pieces - 1 (4 pound)
Buttermilk - 1 cup
All-purpose flour for coating - 2 cups
Paprika - 1 tsp
Salt and pepper - to taste
Vegetable oil for frying

Method

1.Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them .

2.Put the flour in a large plastic bag and season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper to taste (paprika helps to brown the chicken).

3.Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, put them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well.

4.Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with a clean dish towel or waxed paper.

5.Set it aside until the flour becomes a paste like consistency

6.Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot.

7.Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides.

8.When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (the chicken will be cooked through but not crispy).

9.Remove cover, raise heat again and continue to fry until crispy.

10.Drain the fried chicken on paper towels.

11.Depending on how much chicken you have, you may have to fry in a few shifts. Keep the finished chicken in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.

Chicken and Galangal Soup Recipe

Ingredients : Serves 6

1 Roasting chicken

10 slices Fresh, frozen, dried or brined galangal

400 ml Canned coconut milk

4 Coriander plants with roots

12 Black peppercorns, pounded

2 stems Lemon grass, thinly sliced

4 Fresh green chilies

1 teaspoon Salt or to taste

6 Fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves

1 tablespoon Fish sauce

Lime juice to taste


Method :

*

Cut the chicken into joints, then chop the joints into small serving pieces.
*

If using dried galangal, soak it in hot water to cover for 30 minutes.
*

Put chicken and galangal into a saucepan.
*

Set aside half the can of coconut milk for adding later, and dilute the rest with water to make 750 ml thin coconut milk.
*

Add thin milk to the pan with the chicken, add the well-washed and crushed coriander roots, pepper, lemon grass, whole chilies, salt and lime leaves.
*

Bring to the boil over low heat.
*

Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender.
*

Add the thick coconut milk, stirring constantly until heated through.
*

Remove from heat and stir in fish sauce and sufficient lime juice to give a piquant flavor.
*

Serve sprinkled with chopped coriander leaves and with steamed rice served separately.

Thai-Garlic Chicken

A while ago, while searching out recipes, I stumbled across a video cook on You Tube. He has a great series of videos called Cooking With Kai. I've made his Mongolian Beef several times (it's very good), last night we had his Kung Pao Chicken (another winner), and here's the Thai Garlic Chicken I made last week. You can check out all of Kai's recipes by visiting his You Tube profile, great stuff there!

Note: The key to stir fry cooking is to have all ingredients measured out and sitting close by BEFORE you begin. Stir frying is a fast process and you don't have time to cut things up as you go.

Thai-Garlic Chicken
Serves 2-3

(I double everything in this recipe and it feeds a family of 6. However, please note that my nine year old rarely eats anything and my eleven year old eats a small portion, so maybe realistically it serves 4-5.)

1 lb boneless chicken, cut into bite size pieces
cooking oil
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cooking wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp sugar (optional)
1 carrot, sliced thin (can substitute water chestnuts, I did both)
4 green onions, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup straw mushrooms (hubby hates mushrooms so I substituted broccoli)

Set wok to medium heat and add 1 tbsp. cooking oil. Add garlic, stir fry 15-20 seconds.

Add vegetables, stir fry for 1 minute. Remove vegetable to a platter and wipe out wok.

Set wok to medium heat again and add 1 tbsp. cooking oil. Add chicken, stir fry 3-5 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.

When chicken is done, do not remove it from pan, push it all off to one side of the wok. On the other side of the wok, add chicken stock, cornstarch, soy sauce, and cooking wine. Stir until sauce thickens, a few minutes. Add chicken into sauce and stir to combine. Add vegetables and stir fry everything for a few minutes until combined well.

Serve over white rice.

Hoisin Beef on A Bed of Noodles

I don’t feature many recipes with beef on the blog, simply because the quality of the beef which we get here is very poor (tough, tasteless, fatty etc) and as a result, I don’t cook it often. This is because the cattle are often not fed a proper diet and usually have to be walked for miles and miles to find grazing (or to reach the market to be sold) which also makes for a tough cut of meat.

I suppose that growing up in Rhodesia (present day Zimbabwe) on a diet of local meat – which in those days was known for it’s outstanding, to-die-for, best quality in the world beef – I’ve been spoilt for life, and nothing now even comes to close to the melt-in-the-mouth, flavoursome beef which I grew up with as a child !

Over the years, my husband and I have therefore become used to eating a lot of pork and chicken ! I do buy imported beef though (mostly from Kenya and sometimes from Brazil) but then we usually just enjoy it as any good cut of beef should be enjoyed – as simply as possible, usually on the barbecue or quickly pan-fried on the stove top & accompanied with chips and a crisp, fresh salad.

Pak Choi (which is spelt in many different ways) is a Chinese vegetable which is also sometimes known as “Chinese Cabbage”. As we can’t get it here easily, I use white cabbage instead.

Hoisin Sauce is a soy based sauce used in Chinese cooking. It usually contains ingredients such as garlic, chilli & vinegar.


Hoisin Beef on A Bed of Noodles

500 gm Beef, cubed (I use fillet as the other beef cuts we get here are very tough)
2 tsp’s fresh grated Ginger
3 tsp’s fresh grated Garlic
bunch of Spring Onions, finely chopped (reserve green tops for garnishing)
2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
200 gm Pak Choy, finely sliced (I use green cabbage)
Sesame Oil for frying
Noodles for serving (Egg noodles work well) – cooked according to packet instructions

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the cubed beef, cooking until done. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside. Now add the ginger, garlic, spring onions (& a little more oil if necessary) to the pan and fry for a few minutes until golden. Add the beef back into the pan along with the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and Pak Choy (or cabbage). Stir-fry until the beef has heated through, the sauces are mixed and the Pak Choy has wilted. Serve immediately on a bed of freshly cooked noodles, and garnish with the spring onion tops.

Spring Roll

Ingredients:

* 1/4 pound barbequed pork,
* 3 dried black mushrooms
* 1/2 cup bean sprouts
* 1/2 medium carrot
* 2 table spoons chopped red bell pepper
* 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
* 2 tablespoons chicken broth
* 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
* a few drops sesame oil, to taste
* 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
* 12 spring roll wrappers
* 1 lightly beaten egg, or 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
* 3 cups oil for deep-frying, or as needed

Preparation:

* Cut the barbecued pork into very thin strips. Soften the dried black mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water and finely chop.
* Rinse and drain the bean sprouts. Peel the carrot. Shred until you have 1/4 cup.
* In a small bowl, combine the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken broth, granulated sugar and sesame oil. Set aside.
* Heat a wok over medium high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the barbecued pork. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the vegetables. Stir-fry for another minute, then push up to the side of the wok. Add the sauce in the middle. Heat briefly, then mix in with the pork and vegetables. Remove the wok from the heat and allow the filling to cool.
* Pre-heat the oil for deep-frying to 360 degrees Fahrenheit while preparing the spring rolls.
* Lay a spring roll wrapper in front of you so that it forms a diamond shape. Use your index finger to wet all the edges with the beaten egg or cornstarch/water paste. Place approximately 2 tablespoons of filling near the bottom. Roll over once, tuck in the sides, and then continue rolling. Seal the top.
* Deep-fry the spring rolls in 3 to 4 batches, cooking until they are golden brown and crispy (about 3 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Dry Chilli Prawn

Ingredients:

* 8 nos king prawns marinated
* 1 tsp cornflour
* 1 tsp ginger paste
* 1 tsp garlic paste
* 2 nos fresh red chillies chopped
* oil for frying
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp white pepper
* 1 no lemon juice
* 1 np red bell pepper
* few springs coriander
* 1-2 drops orange-red color

Preparation:

* Heat oil in a frying pan, fry the marinated prawns and keep them aside.
* Heat oil in another pan and fry the ginger, garlic paste and fresh red chillies in it. Add water to the above mixture.
* Then add ajinomoto, white pepper and lemon juice.
* Add fried prawns and juliennes of bell pepper and cook till the water is partially absorbed.
* Add cornflour paste and chopped coriander to it.
* Remove from fire after a while. Serve hot with sweet and sour sauce.

Chicken Picante

I should just point out that you’ll find a lot of chicken recipes on my blog. This is mainly because it is one of the few decent quality meats we can get here. Even then, it leaves a lot to be desired as most of the chicken we buy here has a very fishy taste as the chickens are fed a lot of fish meal. Also, even when completely cooked the chicken sometimes remains pink inside – I always had to explain this to guests in our safari camps, and sometimes I think that they really doubted me and just thought that we’d undercooked the chicken !

Anyway, chicken is the one meat that you will always find in my freezer. Beef ? Well, local beef is quite dreadful so we buy a lot of beef imported from Kenya, but even then it is often “hit or miss” and not of a very consistent quality … no matter what the cut. Pork is okay although not very common here and many shops do not stock it due to religious beliefs.

My husband and I are not that fond of fish so it does not feature regularly on our menu. Lamb ? Neither my husband nor I eat (or enjoy) it. Even though the 'lamb' we get here is not lamb but mutton (masquerading as lamb). The only time we ever eat it is when we are served it at someone’s home. (Having said that though, my husband will eat the very odd lamb shank.)

You’d think we’d be better off as Vegetarians, eh ?! Well, we do manage quite well and of course we get quite nice imported (from Kenya, again) pork sausages and bacon, cold meats and I use beef or pork mince for making pasta sauces, Bolognese, lasagna, meatballs and the like.

I was thrilled to discover a shop in the that city is currently stocking jars of “Taco Sauce” … a well known American brand, to boot ! So I snapped several up (you never know when you might see them again !). Apart from the ‘standard’ uses for Taco Sauce, I had to find a nice recipe to use it in, and came across this one which I adapted from the original version from the book “Hurry Up Chicken Recipes”(my adaptations are in brackets) -:


Chicken Picante

½ cup medium hot Salsa (or Taco Sauce)
¼ cup creamy Dijon Mustard (or Honey & Mustard salad dressing)
2 tbsp Lime Juice
4 Chicken breasts
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Crème Fraiche (or Plain Yoghurt)

Mix Salsa, Mustard & Lime juice together and marinade the chicken breasts in this for about 30 minutes. Then remove them from the marinade (reserve it) and pan fry in the butter until golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour the marinade in to the pan. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes, whilst stirring. Just before the end of the cooking time, stir in 2 tbsp Crème Fraiche and stir to blend. Arrange the chicken breasts on a serving platter and pour the cooked marinade/sauce over the breasts and garnish with some coriander leaves (or lime slices). Goes well with rice.

Recipe for Orange Marmalade Chicken

I stumbled upon this recipe for Orange Marmalade Chicken several years ago in a South African magazine – either “Fair Lady” or “Femina” … I can’t remember now. Anyway, it caught my eye because I happened to have all the ingredients listed in my pantry at the time – they are the sort of ingredients that you usually do have on hand yet would never think to use in this combination.

It makes for an unusual but tasty meal and has made a regular appearance on our dinner table over the years, especially when we’ve had friends and family to stay. In fact, it’s become a sort-of standing joke amongst some family members “Oh - first night at Lynda’s means it’ll be Marmalade Chicken !” Which is true, I usually do serve it to people on their first night’s stay with us !

I have to say that my toddler does not enjoy this one, which is unusual as she eats almost anything. She says it’s “got too much chilli in it, Mama” which I suspect is actually the peppery tang of the ginger she’s referring to. Still, she loves helping me pick the rosemary sprigs that go in it ……..

Orange Marmalade Chicken

8 x chicken pieces
Salt & Pepper to taste
6 tbsp Orange Marmalade
2 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
2 tbsp English Mustard
2 tsp Ginger, finely grated
¼ cup Orange Juice
¼ cup Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Mustard Seeds (Optional)
Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Place the chicken pieces in an ovenproof dish, & season with the salt and pepper. Mix the remaining ingredients together to make a sauce, & pour over the chicken pieces. Tuck fresh rosemary sprigs in between the chicken pieces and bake (uncovered) at 200’C/400’F/Gas Mark 6 for about an hour, basting the chicken with the sauce at least twice during the cooking time.

I usually remove the cooked rosemary sprigs and decorate with fresh ones before serving.

Spinach Mushroom

Ingredients:

* 8 tbsp of washed and chopped mushroom
* 5 tbsp chopped onion
* 6 tbsp tomato puree
* 1 tbsp hot and sweet tomato sauce
* 7 tbsp boiled spinach paste
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp pepper powder
* powder of 2 cardamoms
* 1 tsp cumin powder
* 1 tsp whole coriander
* 1 tsp red chilli powder
* 4 tbsp cooking oil
* 4 tbsp fresh cream

Preparation:

* Heat oil in a fry pan.
* Fry onions till pink, put chopped mushroom fry till cooked and oil comes on top.
* Add salt and other dry spicy powders.
* Put tomato puree and cook till oil comes on the surface.
* Add tomato sauce and spinach paste cook for a 5 minutes.
* Add fresh cream cook for 1 minute.
* Serve hot.

Mixed Vegetable

Ingredients:

* 1/2 bowl Peas (boiled)
* 1/2 bowl carrot (boiled)
* 1/2 bowl French Beans (boiled)
* 2 onions (finely chopped)
* 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
* 1/2 bowl Paneer or Cottage Cheese (cut into small cubes)
* 2 tea spoon ginger and galic paste
* 1/2 Bowl cashew nut powder
* 2 tbl sp. coriander leaves
* 6 tbl oil.
* salt and chilli powder to taste

Preparation:

* Heat 3 tbl sp. oil in a pan, add onion. Fry until light brown.
* Remove from the flame, together with tomatoes, Grind it.
* Heat 3 tbl sp. oil, add ginger garlic paste mix for few seconds then add the onion and tomato gravy. Add peas, carrot and French beans, paneer, cashew nut powder,1 tbl sp. coriander leaves, salt and chilli powder.
* Garnish it with the remaining coriander leaves and serve hot.

CHICKEN A LA KING

Is made with cooked chicken and a thickened sauce.

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 15minutes


Ingredients:
Boneless chicken ------------- 250 grams
Celery ------------- 2 inch stalk
Thyme ------------- 1/4 teaspoon
Bay leaves ------------- 2
Cloves ------------- 5
Salt ------------- to taste
Butter ------------- 3 tablespoons
Green capsicum, cubed ------------- 1 medium
Red capsicum, cubed ------------- 1 medium
Mushrooms, quartered ------------- 4 medium
Garlic, chopped 4 cloves-------------
Refined flour (maida) ------------- 3 tablespoons
Milk ------------- 2 cups
Black peppercorns, crushed ------------- 1/4 teaspoon
Egg yolk ------------- 1
Cream ------------- 1/4 cup
Fresh parsley, chopped ------------- 1 tablespoon

Method:
Heat three cups of water in a pan. Add chicken pieces, celery, thyme, bay leaves, cloves and salt to taste. Cook till the chicken is nearly done. Drain chicken pieces and set stock aside.Heat one tablespoon of butter in a pan, add green capsicum, red capsicum, mushrooms and garlic and sauté for two to three minutes. Set aside. In another pan heat the remaining butter and add refined flour. Sauté till the flour is pinkish in colour and gives off a nice aroma. Add milk gradually stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. Once it comes to a boil, add the chicken stock and freshly crushed black peppercorns. Stir well. Cut the chicken into medium sized pieces and add to the white sauce. Add the sautéed vegetables. Whisk egg yolk and fresh cream well. Add it slowly to the chicken and vegetable mixture and mix lightly. Serve hot garnished with chopped parsley.

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

* 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup milk
* seasoned bread crumbs
* 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
* 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
* Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish. Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with spaghetti, garlic bread and a nice green salad.

Thai butternut & chicken red curry

Ingredients

* 3-4 tbsp Thai red curry paste
* 400ml tin coconut milk
* 400g butternut squash , peeled and cubed
* 6 skinless chicken thighs , cut into cubes
* 250g cherry tomatoes
* fish sauce to season
* 2 limes , 1 juiced and 1 cut into cheeks to serve
* 2 large handfuls Thai basil (available from Thai shops and sometimes in Sainsbury's as a growing pot) , or coriander

Method

1. Heat the curry paste gently in a wok until it starts to fry in its own oil, add a little extra oil if it starts to stick. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the squash and simmer for 10 minutes or until it is almost tender. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes or until they just start to burst.
2. Season with fish sauce (this is the equivalent of salt, so add a few drops and taste, then add more if you need it) and the lime juice and sprinkle with the herbs.

Per serving

386 kcalories, protein 32.1g, carbohydrate 13.9g, fat 22.8 g, saturated fat 15.7g, fibre 2.2g, salt 1.26 g

French bean & duck Thai curry

Ingredients

* 3-4 duck breasts , about 700g/1lb 9oz in total
* 6 tbsp green Thai curry paste
* 1 tbsp light brown sugar
* 400ml can coconut milk
* 2 tbsp fish sauce
* juice 2 limes
* 6 kaffir lime leaves , 3 left whole and 3 finely shredded
* 200g French beans , trimmed
* 2 handfuls bean sprouts
* handful coriander leaves
* 1 red chilli , deseeded and sliced (optional)


Serves 4
Preperation and cooking times

Prep 20 mins


Cook min 1 hr 45 mins


1. Place a sauté pan over a low heat and add the duck breasts, skin-side down, to the dry pan. Slowly fry until the skin is brown and a lot of the fat has rendered off - this can take about 20 mins. Flip them over to seal the other side for 1 min, then remove to a board until cool enough to handle. Pour all but 2 tbsp of the fat from the pan.
2. While the meat is resting, return the pan to the heat, then fry the curry paste and sugar for 1-2 mins until it becomes fragrant. Tip in the coconut milk, then fill the can with water and add this, too. Add the fish sauce, half the lime juice and the whole lime leaves, then bring to a simmer. Slice the duck breasts, then tip into the curry. Cover the pan, then simmer everything on the lowest heat for 1 hr until the duck is tender. Add the beans to the curry, then continue to cook, covered, for 10 mins until the beans are tender with a slight crunch. Taste and add more lime juice, fish sauce or sugar to season.
3. Stir in the bean sprouts, cook for 1 min more, then serve with coriander, shredded lime leaves and sliced chilli, if you like, and boiled jasmine rice.

Per serving

638 kcalories, protein 28g, carbohydrate 11g, fat 57 g, saturated fat 26g, fibre 2g, salt 2.32 g

Tomato, squash & spinach curry

Ingredients

* 1 large onion , halved and sliced
* oil
* 2 tbsp madras curry paste
* 1 small butternut squash , about 500g, cut into chunks
* 5 tomatoes , quartered
* 100g spinach , roughly chopped
* steamed Basmati pilaff , to serve





Serves 4
Preperation and cooking times
Ready in 30 mins
Vegetarian

Vegetarian, Vegan


1. Cook the onion in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes until softened. Add the curry paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add the squash, tomatoes and 200ml water, stir well.
2. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the squash is just cooked and the tomatoes have broken down. Stir through the spinach and leave for a couple of minutes to wilt. Season and serve with basmati rice.

Per serving

131 kcalories, protein 3.8g, carbohydrate 18.7g, fat 5.1 g, saturated fat 0.4g, fibre 4.3g, salt 0.42 g

Baked raspberry cheesecake

Easy

Serves 8
Preperation and cooking times
Preparation time

Prep 20 mins
Cook time

Cook 40 mins
Ready in 1 hour
Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Crush the biscuits in a food processor (or put in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Mix with the butter. Press into a 20cm springform tin and bake for 5 minutes, then cool.
2. Beat the cream cheese with the flour, sugar, a few drops of vanilla, eggs, the yolk and soured cream until light and fluffy. Stir in half the raspberries and pour into the tin. Bake for 40 minutes and then check, it should be set but slightly wobbly in the centre. Leave in the tin to cool.
3. Keep a few raspberries for the top and put the rest in a pan with 1 tbsp icing sugar. Heat until juicy and then squash with a fork. Push through a sieve. Serve the cheescake with the raspberry sauce and raspberries.

TIPS FOR WHEN YOU GO TO COOK

Hello friends!
My biggest concern is that you do not be deprived of the pleasure of cooking and delight you with a dish prepared by yourself for fear you need more expertise, components, ingredients and expertise. You going to realize that all the recipes from my books are easy and quick preparation, but for those who are just starting in this wonderful art of cooking, I wanted to provide some TIPS related to all of those skills that take into be strengthened and every day easier and more practical to give your kitchen.
1. To peel tomatoes, ptu them rapidly boiling water so that will not cook. You can then remove the skin more easily and without ruin tomato.
2. Cauliflower when cooking, not to smell, add a piece of bread in the water where you are cooking the cauliflower.
3. Beware add mayonnaise to the oil, because if you do this very quickly can be cut.
4. If you are going to prepare a cake with chunks of potato and do not want you go to the bottom of the preparation, pass the chunks in wheat flour.
5. The bigger the pie or cake to be cooked in the oven, its temperature must be lower in order to not be raw in the center.
6. If you do not have special nonstick or removable kitchen moulds, you have to put paraffin paper.
7. When you go to cook any kind of pasta you need in plenty of salted water and add a little bit of oil to avoid sticking together and enhances its flavor.
8. Beets should be cooked with it’s skin and covered in water.
9. Before you start cooking to make sure that you have all the ingredients and utensils have to hand that you will require.
10. If you do not have a machine that can crush ice, you can put it in a plastic bag and hammer hitting a rock or on a hard surface until it is ground.

EGG WRAP

This delight is something you can do easily at home, I usually do for breakfast or a light dinner, is nutritious, easy to prepare and inexpensive.
Besides having an elegant presentation by itself, these kinds of recipes are the best way to surprise everyone with something simple.
Remember that the best things in the universe come from simple ideas and this is one of them.
This recipe can be taken as a normal meal, snacks or fast food.
Likewise they’ll love this meal you offered them

These are the ingredients
For 1 or 2 servings









2 eggs
1 tortilla (To make tacos)
1 Large Onion
1 Tomato
Cheese
Ham
Preparation:
Preheat a frying pan without oil, and place the tortilla on it to be hot and easier to handle, do this if you had the tortillas in the freezer, are hard to handle and it could be broken . Leave it only about 2 or 3 minutes on each side to make them soft.
In a chopping board placed the Large Onion chop it into small squares.
Then place the tomato, and in the same way chop it into small pieces or squares
Put an iron skillet over high heat and add oil, let it be hot, and when it’s hot, add the onion first and allow it to cook about 5 minutes.
When sautéing, add the tomato and allow it to cook with the onion for about 2 or 3 minutes.
Take the eggs in a bowl and beat them well
Add eggs to skillet with onions and tomatoes and allow it to cook the eggs do not have to be fully cooked, must be half-cooked, ie that they are smooth and soft.
On the preheated tortilla add a little cheese can be grated or slice, and also add a slice of ham.
Above the ham and cheese, add a good portion of the cooked eggs.
Now take the tortilla and Fold the bottom up, then take one side and Fold inward and do the same with the other side, the tortilla should be wrapped and its top should be free to see the content.

Voila! This is the delicious Egg Wrap, a wonderful meal, very nutritious and delicious. Enjoy it.

CHICKEN WRAP

Yesterday i was in home with my family, of course sunday is the laziest day of the week when you are without batterys, the lunch time arrive and there was not anything to prepare, then i remembered that i love simple but delicious recipes, so i used again my imagination and i prepared a snack for lunch, something easy and quick to do but delicous and nutritious.
Here we go with this delicious meal
with the ingredients here you can prepare two delicious chicken wraps
2 Tortillas (To make Tacos or Enchiladas)
4 Slices of Cheese
5 Letuce sheets
a half of chicken breast
mayonaise
All right here we go¡¡¡
First, grate the slices of cheese, once grated lay on a plate, take the lettuce leaves, wash them properly and in a chopping board, cut into strips, take one tortilla and heat it a little in a pan without oil to soft it and can be wrapped in the right way and wont break it, take the chicken breast and cut it in a half so you’ll have two fillets, put them in a pan with a little oil and allow it to fries well, do not let that cook a lot, just enough until they are crispy, once cooked chicken, take the tortilla place it in a dish and add a bit of Mayonnaise, then put a bit of lettuce and after a bit of cheese, place on the breast of chicken and again over the chicken appends a bit of cheese and lettuce.Take the bottom of the tortilla and fold it then took one end and Fold it too, then take the other side of the tortilla and Fold it too. To avoid tortilla disassembling you can put a pair of toothpicks to keep tortilla assembled. If you prefer this Wrap warmer, you can put it in the microwave for about 10 seconds, and Voila!! A simple meal to prepare and very delicious for sure and yours will be satisfied with this very nutritious food, and you did not have to spend much time and money preparing this delicious dish.
As you see cooking time is very easy if you put a bit of imagination and love what you do
P.S:
The Images above are the images of the Wraps i made yesterday…Hmmm Delicious just seeing it i´m hungry again.

PANCAKE SANDWICH

Hello Again, I was thinking this morning what to do for breakfast, and I made this recipe
of my invention. Enjoy it¡¡¡
To 7 servings
What do you need?
For the pancake’s dough mix one cup flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ cup milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame.
Else you need to
7 slices of smoked ham, cut in half, 7 pieces of yellow cheese cut in half, 1 tomato sliced thin and cut in half, honey, 3 tablespoons melted butter for garnish.
How to prepare?
In a small pan heat a teaspoon of butter until completely melted. Add a dipper of dough and bake the pancake on both sides.
Assemble the sandwiches spreading butter on 2 sides of the inner face of the pancake, put the cheese and ham folded and tomato slices between them, cover and decorate with the melted butter and honey to your taste.

COLOMBIAN RECIPES (AJIACO)

Hello my frequent readers.
I’ve been talking about various topics related to kitchen, foods and drinks, but now enjoying a delicious lunch with my family, I thought that I wanted to share this delicious recipe with you. I’m talking about one of the most representative dishes of my city (Bogotá) and the many foreigners who visit us, want to return again soon to try this wonder of culinary, typical of my country. I’m talking about the Ajiaco, you can accompany a soup with rice and avocado and becomes a perfect recipe for a family lunch today and I will teach you to do it the traditional way.
The times of cooking that I show you in this recipe are in a pressure cooker. If you are using a traditional pot, increase in average 15 minutes.To do this you will need (for 8 persons):7 cups water½ tomato chopped without skin3 stalks of chopped onion2 cloves garlic2 chicken breasts2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced2 pounds potatoes Creole (yellow) cut in pieces4 tender corn cobs chunk in items1 cup creamSalt to taste
The preparation is as follows:Heat the water in a large pot, add tomato, onion, garlic, salt and chicken. cook for 15 minutes from when it starts off steam. Remove chicken, let cool a little and slice it. Reserve it.Add the corn cobs and potatoes and let cook for 10 minutes from when it starts off steam.It is possible that the Creole potato fade away, but this is what makes giving consistency and thickness to the soup that is key.Serve and decorate with sliced chicken and cream.

The result will be this:

COLOMBIAN RECIPES (ROASTED BANANAS)

I dont know if you happens the same, but after a delicious lunch you have that feeling of wanting to supplement with something sweet. Well, for those like me, I present to you a good recipe that accompanies any meal, either as dessert or as part of it.
Roasted bananas are delicious … and very easy to prepare! For 4 people you need only:
4 ripe bananas
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons guava jelly
4 slices white cheese cream
2 tablespoons grated panela
To prepare:
Placed in a pressure cooker without the lid on the valve and low heat, in little water, bananas and sugar (water should not cover bananas) for 22 minutes from when it starts off steam. Uncovers and put the cheese and jelly on each. Cover again for 8 minutes from when it starts off steam.
You must serve hot and then scatter a bit of butter on each. This same recipe can be prepared in the oven and the result is this:

COLOMBIAN RECIPES (SANCOCHO VALLUNO)

With great joy I have received many favorable comments from readers of other websites on the latest Colombian food recipes
that I have submitted. The food of my country is as varied as its landscape and its people so I can share with you many typical delicious recipes.

This time I want to share with you a recipe from a region of my country called Valle del Cauca, which combines several ingredients in an extraordinary way, is called Sancocho Valluno and is very easy to prepare. For 8 servings you need:

4 cups water
2 Big Head Onions
2 chopped green tomatoes
4 Long Onions
11 / 2 pounds beef rib
1 Cutting Chicken
4 green bananas
1 pound yucca, peeled and chopped in squares
1 / 2 teaspoon cumin
Salt, pepper to taste and color

The time of cooking in this recipe you are doing in a pressure cooker. If you are using a traditional pot, increase in average 15 minutes.

Liquefy onions and tomatoes with a cup of water. Add to the pot above the water, onion and meats. Cook for 15 minutes from time when the steam comes out, uncover and remove the chicken. Add the peeled bananas (It is very important that you cut the bananas with your hand not with a knife), add the yucca, color and salt, cover and let cook for 10 minutes from the time it leaves the steam. Uncover and add the chicken to be hot again. Serve as a decoration of chopped coriander and accompanied by rice, avocado and chili

I hope you enjoy this recipe as you enjoyed the previous
Do you want to learn more about cooking?? Click Here to Know my Books, and enjoy great food¡

GREAT RECIPES (FRUIT SOUP)

Who said that a soup can not be delicious, many do not like soup, but this soup I will teach you, you will love it, but truth is this soup is a dessert, is called soup because the presentation serves. As always it is a very simple recipe to prepare and can be served as dessert or snack for children or for us adults, is much tastier and more nutritious than a common snack.

This recipe is for 4 servings

First you have to liquefy, then strain.
1 cup Banana
1 cup strawberries
1 cup diced pineapple
2 cups orange juice


To add the liquefied fruit


4 large strawberries sliced
1 banana sliced thin
2 kiwis sliced thin
1 slice of pineapple chopped into pieces
9 tablespoons of cornflakes
9 tablespoons granola

Serve in soup plates. On each plate place a mixture of liquefied fruit with some chopped fruit, cereal and granola.
Do you want to learn more about cooking?? Click Here to Know my Books, and enjoy great food¡

DRINKS - CANELAZO

I don’t know how the weather is in these days in your country, but in mine the cold and rain have not stopped. Reaching my home in the evening is most gratifying, but what is more when I can sit on the couch to enjoy a hot drink to revive me. Do you know which my preferred option is? A delicious sweet drink with a touch of alcohol, which is also comforting to be very pleasant to the palate. This drink is called Canelazo.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Panela or Brown Sugar
4 cups water
6 cinnamon Chips
2 cloves
Lemon juice
1 ½ Ounce Aguardiente or Brandy
Cup sugar to frost
Put water to boil, take it out to the boil and add the
Panela. Let it boil until get the agua de panela (Panela water)
Strain the water and pass it back to the pot. Add cinnamon, cloves and let it boil for 10 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and add lemon juice and brandy. Put back over high heat a few seconds while boiling to prevent alcohol evaporates.
Moist the edge of the cup or bowl, supporting face down on a little lemon juice. Support the edge of a plate with sugar to frost. Serve taking care not to damage the frost and Garnish with a sprig of cinnamon.