|
Hello one and all,
I have,t been here for a while its been pretty busy here with exams(Sarahs Matric starts on Wednesday!)Sports(lots of Cricket for both my sons so I,ve been living in my car!)and finalising the opening of our new shop for Nov.1 so I have,t been in the kitchen much except to whilp up quick stirfrys,salads and pasta dishes!!!!Thank goodness the weather has turned warm its absolutely beautiful here at the moment.As I type the trees are full of new foliage,the birds are chirping,a gentle breeze is blowing and the pool is sparkling.I actually feel quite peaceful after the last few busy weeks.So Yesterday I thought we better have a good old family meal as Craig(my eldest son) felt he was tutning into a chinese rabbit with all the food he,d been eating lately!!!!!!Here is yesterdays meal..........
Beetroot Soup with Chive Cream
************************************
Serves 8-10
1 3/4 lbs whole beetroot
1/2 lb onions
2 Tbls butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 cups good veggie stock
cream
Chive cream
*************
1/2 cup softly whipped sour cream
chives, finely chopped
Wash the beetroot carefully under a cold tap. Don't scrub it, simply rub off the oil with your fingers - you don't want to damage the skin or cut off the top or tails because the beetroot will 'bleed' in the cooking. Put the beetroot in to boiling water and simmer, covered, for anything from 20 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the size. The beetroot are cooked when the skins will rub off easily.
Meanwhile, chop the onions and sweat carefully and gently in the butter until they are cooked. Chop the beetroot and add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Put into a liquidizer with the chicken stock. Liquidize until quite smooth. Reheat, add a little cream, taste and adjust the seasoning - it may be necessary to add a little more stock or cream.
Serve garnished with swirls of whipped sour cream and a sprinkling of chives.
I served this with some crusty french bread,
Chicken breasts with tarragon & mustard
******************************************
4-6 chicken breasts, well rinsed and patted dry
15 ml (1 tbsp) powdered mustard
15 ml (1 tbsp) cornflour for dusting
sea salt and milled black pepper
30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh tarragon*
30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
250 g(1/2 lb) Portabellini mushrooms, sliced
1/4lb baby mushrooms
30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
30 ml (2 tbsp) white wine
(Serves 4-6)
To successfully sauté £hicken breasts, they should be bone dry. Pat dry between layers of paper towelling.
Mix mustard, cornflour seasoning and tarragon together. Sprinkle over chicken breasts.
Heat butter and olive oil in a heavy-based pan. When hot but not smoking, add chicken breasts and flash-fry for a minute or so on each side. When golden brown remove and cut up slant-wise.
Sauté ushrooms in butter. Slowly add wine, stirring constantly for a minute or two. Add seasoning, spoon over the chicken and serve with lemon and garlic mashed potatoes.
Served with.........
Lemon and garlic mashed potatoes
************************************
Steam 4-6 large peeled potatoes, thickly sliced together with 10 fat peeled cloves garlic. When potatoes are soft, mash with garlic and fresh lemon juice to taste (1-2 teaspoons) and slowly drip in about 2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly milled pepper
Green Bean Salad
**********************
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sweet white onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced stuffed green olives
Cook the beans in a large pot of boiling water until tender. Drain well.
In a large bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Add the onions, green olives, and hot beans and toss until coated. Serve immediately.
Melon Salad
****************
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water or fruit juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 Spanspek or your fav.
1/4 watermelon
Salt, pepper
2 tablespoons muscadel or port
Mint, for serving
In a small saucepan, place the sugar, water, lemon juice, vinegar, and ginger. Heat to a boiling, stirring well. Continue boiling for about 5 minutes, then strain syrup through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl. Cool.
Meanwhile, de-seed the cantaloupes and watermelon. Using a melon baller, collect balls and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then sprinkle on the muscatel. Toss gently. Pour syrup over melon balls and refrigerate for several hours before serving. To serve, decorate with mint sprig.
Dessert was some Mango ice-cream I had in the freezer and some......traditional south african spicey biscuits.......
Soetkoekies
**************
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup brown sugar
4 ounces chopped almonds
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup port or sherry
1 egg white, beaten
Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, brown sugar, and almonds in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture. Add the beaten eggs and red wine and mix dough together vigorously until it can be formed into a ball.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rough circle about 1/4" thick. With a cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2" rounds. Arrange the rounds about 1" apart on a buttered cookie sheet. Continue cutting cookies, then brush each gently with the egg white. Bake for 15 minutes - until golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool completely.
Wishing you all a wonderful day
love Julie
|
