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Cream of Haddock soup served with almost stale rolls! ...
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10:56AM, Wednesday, 17 Jun, 2009
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Alas. Another recipe by absolute mistake ...
I really didn't feel up to eating the usual 'Haddock with cheese sauce on toast' and needed (wanted?) something warm and soothing this morning. I scrounged around in the fridge and the herb garden, and after some plucking (in the garden) and pushing (around in the fridge) i thought a warm and hearty fish soup would be ideal with the almost stale rolls (which was buttered and crispened up on the stove) !! ... for breakfast.
In a pot, sautee a medium onion, chopped very fine in a wee bit of ghee.
Add handfuls of chopped potato, celery and leek.
If you have carrots, throw them in for good measure (about another handful, cubed small)
... The smaller these pieces are, the quicker they will cook)
Toss in a few whole black peppercorns and 1 or 2 fresh bay leaves (dry will work just as well) and some cardamom pods.
Top with water and allow to soften.
In a seperate pan, poach 2 small peices of haddock in some salted milk.
Once cooled, break the haddock into smaller peices, and stir into the prepared and softened vegetables. (milk and all) ... Season with salt and fine black pepper and add 2 tblspns of Knorr Vegetable soup powder (mixed with a bit of water) ... Allow to thicken and taste for salt. Stir in a tspn of butter and a dash of Robertsons Fish Spice and white pepper. Finish of with some chopped chives and a swirl of cream, and some more crushed black pepper.
Is it enough for dinner? .. No. Perhaps as a starter. But works perfectly for breakfast. I simply adore the little specks of orange that come through, such a picture pleaser this one is!
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Little Chicken Pots with a crispy pastry lid
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10:23AM, Wednesday, 17 Jun, 2009
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Of course i didn't spend hours making my own pastry ... I cheated with the store bought version, but that was perfect for my little chicken pots. These are comforting for when you're just not sure what it is you want to eat. And there really is something very therapeutic about tapping onto the shell of a very crispy pastry lid, and mooshing up the saucy filling below.
Sautee the onions in ghee (or a mix of butter and oil).
- 1 onion finely chopped
Add and continue to stir:
- 5 to 8 sprigs of fresh thyme (try not to compromise here)
- A few whole black peppercorns
- Some cloves ... Some cardamom pods and a small cinnamon stick (some = 2)
And then spoon in:
- A tspn each of ground garlic and ginger
And cook till soft and mushy:
- Half a green pepper, cubed (same for the red)
- Half a punnet mushrooms, chopped fine
... And allow to cook.
Stir in:
- 3 chicken fillets cubed very teeny
Don't overcook these, just allow to whiten up a bit.
Finally ...
- 1 Packet Knorr Cream of Chicken soup (mixed with some water to prevent lumps)
- 1 tblspn freshly ground black pepper
- Quarter tspn red masala
- A dash of Robertsons Veggie Seasoning
- Splashes of water to get the correct thickness and consistency
- Salt to taste
To finish:
- Coriander, chopped up super fine (use a mezzaluna for this)
Spoon the cooked mixture into little pots and top with a pastry lid.
Sprinkle over some mixed herbs and sesame seeds or poppyseeds. Using a fork, pattern the edges.
Bake until brown and crispy.
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Pitta-nini's ... Cheesy mince filled pitas
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4:25PM, Tuesday, 16 Jun, 2009
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This, like many other of my other recipes, was dished up by 'fluke' ... The pita was originally meant to be eaten with butter chicken for the night before, but was saved by chance for the morning after!
No bread that morning meant coming up with an inventive way to use the pitas, and by golly was this good! ... Be sure to use the best quality pita you can for this, those frozen ones simply won't do im afraid! Enjoy warm, while the cheese still has a chance to ooze out ...
What goes in:
250g of mutton mince (well, almost a cup full)
2 tblspns butter
A quarter of an onion, very finely chopped
A few whole black peppercorns
1 or 2 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
A very tiny cinnamon stick
1 tsp Robertsons Veggie Seasoning
1 green chillie, sliced
1 heaped tblspn Robertsons Steak & Chops spice
Half a tsp crushed red chillies
1 tsp ground garlic
Half a tsp ground ginger
Half a tsp of tomato sauce
Lots of freshly ground black pepper (lots = 1 tblspn and a bit)
How to make it:
Saute the onions, peppercorns, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick in the butter.
Toss in the washed and drained mince.
Cook slightly, and add the rest of the ingredients, finishing off with the freshly chopped mint and coriander. Slice your pitas, just enough to form a little pocket. Add a few slices of cheese, and tuck in the mince, being careful not to let it spill out.
Add butter to a griddle pan, and place the pitas on.
Leave for a few minutes, just enough for a pretty pattern.
Flip over, and score the other side.
Serve immediately, while the cheese is still goo'ey ...
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Indulgent Chicken pasta with Cream cheese
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11:26AM, Wednesday, 03 Jun, 2009
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Talk about indulgence!
Rich cream cheese flavoured delicately with a hint of spring onion and chive, swirled with dollops of thick, white cream ... This says "comfort" soulfully! ...
For a happy 4 portions worth:
Cube 3 chicken fillets into very small pieces.
In a pan, add 3 tblspns of ghee along with 7 to 10 little blacks peppercorn balls.
Add the chicken and move from the heat.
Grind over a good tablspoon full of black pepper (and then some) and season with salt.
Add 1 and a half teaspoons of green masala (i used the Gorima's brand in this instance) and stir well.
Return to the heat and allow to cook for a few minutes.
No need to over cook this, as it will become rather hard and rubbery.
Add half a teaspoon of Robetsons veggie seasoning and a dash of cumin and coriander powder (literally a dash). Add the baby marrows that have been cut and a few studs of red pepper. Add a few fresh thyme leaves as well as finely chopped chives. Finally, stir in half a prepared cup full of Floyds Garlic and Herb sauce. This thickens up the pasta, avoiding any runny sauce.
Allow to rest, while waiting for the pasta to boil. I used the "Divela Fusilli al Pomodoro e Spinach" variety here, essentially for colour. Once boiled, drain and fold into the chicken mixture.
Finally, stir 1 small carton of long-life cream and half a tub of Simonsberg fat-free cream cheese with spring onions and chives. Spoon into an oven-proof dish and grate cheese over. Grind some pepper over and sprinkle a bit of the red pepper. Bake for 20 minutes and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
This is perfect for that day when you need some pasta to warm your senses ...
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er ... more methi ?
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3:06PM, Saturday, 30 May, 2009
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Doesn't mean that i've stopped being pregnant that i've stopped eating methi all together!
In fact i've found a new way to enjoy this herb! ... The fragrance of the ginger and freshly ground pepper makes this a pungent eat, perfect for some warmth on a cold night, very therapeutic ...
Be extra liberal with your ingredients ...
In a bowl, add:
- Half a grated onion
- A piece of fresh ginger, about 10cm's long, grated
- 6 (or so) whole black peppercorns
- A tblspn of freshly ground pepper
- Half a teaspoon of lemon pepper
- A dash of vinegar
- 1 tsp of lemon juice
- 1 green chillie, cut into thick slices
- Half a teaspoon of ground red chillies
- 1 dried chillie
- 2 cardamom pods
- A small stick of cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 1 tblspn of whole cumin
- Half a tsp each of cumin and corinader powder
Coat chicken pieces (cut for curry) well and allow to marinate if you have some time.
Add 3 - 4 tblspns of ghee to a pan and add the marinated chicken in.
Add salt to taste and allow to cook until the meat is white and well done.
Add a cup full of washed methi bhaji and allow to wilt.
Taste for salt and add if necessary.
Can be eaten with potato chips, or kurdi kitchri.
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{ Dotty about you! }
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10:49AM, Wednesday, 20 May, 2009
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It was such a treat planning this lunch (baby, feeding, pooping and all!)
What a spectacular array of colour and a somewhat child-like sense about it all! The dotty runners, the story-book extracts and quirky little favours all lent itself to the 'it's a boy ... tell someone you love them today' theme ...
Tables were laid out with white crushed tablecloths. Instead of the predictable overlays, i bought a roll of jade polka-dot giftwrap and had them cut to fit each table as a runner. The silver underplates were trimmed with little indented polka-dots and crisp white triangular plates were used. We alternated the serviettes and had them hanging over like napkins. As a centre piice, i chose clear glass and silver candlelabras, with a candle in the middle, and white roses on the outsides.
My mum made a delicious little tidbit called 'almond brittle supari' which were filled into little cellophane bags. Many thanks to my sister-in-law Saaleha for the many hours put in helping me fold, staple, punch and tag! They made for gorgeous favours which each guest received on their plate.
Starters was a selection of pies and samoosas, served with a red chutney for dipping. Refreshments included a quenching punch provided by our goorie maami.
My mother in law and crew put in many hours preparing the sweetmeat for the day. Each table had a platter which included over 9 different varieties! With the left-over tags, i simply ribboned and bow'ed.
I thought of a clever way to use up all the paper that i bought. I printed out little quotes from 'Winnie the Pooh' and 'The tale of Peter Rabbit', and scrapbooked little notecards to place around each table. Excellent point of interest!
Desserts included an assortment of chocolate ganache cakes, vanilla sponge with grated coconut and biscuits. I chose a 2-tier stand for effect and neatness.
I made menu cards (at the very last minute!) which added some character to the table.
I carried over the same look and feel as the favour tags.
Many thanks to Shameema and Birdie from D'zigner Function Coordinators {011 660 5605} who assisted in setting up the event. They managed to take my concept, ideas and vision and turn them into a fabulously zhoosh affair! They specialise in indian functions and offer full catering and waitering services. Thank you for helping create a truly memorable event for our guests.
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{ By invitation only }
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12:05PM, Tuesday, 19 May, 2009
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"Tell someone you love them today ... You'll be glad you did" ...
 This was the inspiration for a series of gift-bag invites that i made for guests attending a lunch that my husband and I hosted in welcoming our little pudding into our lives.
I tried to steer clear of the tradional pink and blue, and thought id bring a special fun-ness out in my invites.
Each one was fully personalised and presented in crisp white boxes, accented with polka dot ribbons and 'it's a boy' stamps.
Inside, cushioned by jade and lime tissue paper, was 4 biscuits in the shape of a pram, a rattle, a onesie and bottle, custom designed by Myrtle from the Cake Studio.
I scrapbooked each notecard, each with it's own special uniqueness in 5 seperate designs.
90 in total!
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{ 10 little fingers ... 10 perfect toes ... }
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10:40AM, Friday, 08 May, 2009
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it's rather difficult to tell exactly what part about being a mummy it is that i love ...
it could be the lovely sourymilk smell of his spit every morning,
or the way he presses his lips together after a feed.
perhaps the way he stretches out his legs when he knows that all im trying to do is put them back,
so they're warm and tucked into his growers.
it could be that i love playing dress-up and take out
something special to wear everyday,
knowing that all i want to do and give is the best to our little boy.
it could be the teeny beauty spot on the top of his head that
i kiss every morning, while i tell him how much i love every part of his body.
being a mummy truly is a blessing, and our precious miracle reminds me
of how much more love there can be in life :) ...
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