Recipe(tried): Sunday Cookout!!!!! - Ostrich Spinach Lasagna, Polenta Cheese Bread, Cucumber Salad, Warm Brown Pudding with Vanilla Sauce, Guacamole Soup, Health Loaf, Prosciutto-Wrapped Spiced Chicken Breast

Hello one and all,
I can't believe it's a week before Xmas! Where oh where has this year gone too/It seems to have flown by!As I mentioned last week I,m doing most of my cooking at weekends,during the week its lots of salads and quick pasta dishes(my eldest son says hes, going to look like a Rabbit soon!!!!! At least his skin is looking good!So judging by how many phone calls he receives from girls! I must be on the right track!.It was a muggy weekend here in South Africa with some rain which cooled things off nicely during the evenings.Here is what we had this weekend ..

Saturday

Ostritch getting very popular here due to its low fat qualities here is a recipe for a Lasagna I,ve been waiting to try I can,t remember where I got the rec from but it turned out really well

OSTRICH SPINACH LASAGNA

1 pound ground ostrich
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 can whole tomatoes
1 jar light Ragu Spaghetti Sauce
2 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried basil leaves
12-15 uncooked lasagna noodles (1lb. box has 18), or use lasagna noodles made with pasta maker
2 cartons (24 oz.) light cottage cheese
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp garlic powder
16 oz. mozzarella cheese (4 cups)
10 oz. spinach, washed well and drained

Brown ostrich and onion in a dutch oven or large sauce pot. Drain. Add tomatoes (with liquid), spaghetti sauce, 2 tbsp parsley, basil and 1 tsp garlic powder. Heat to boiling and then simmer for 15 minutes.

Cook noodles as directed on box or if you choose to make your own (This makes lasagna even better and well worth the time!) according to your recipe. Drain.

Mix cottage cheese, 1 tbsp parsley, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp oregano leaves and 4 cups mozzarella cheese in a bowl.

In a deep 9 x 13 x 3 inch, ungreased pan layer your lasagna as follows:

3 noodles, meat/tomato sauce, spinach leaves then cheese mixture. Repeat 3 to 4 times ( you may need to press down a little periodically, as the spinach is sort of puffy). After the final layer of noodles, put a layer of sauce and sprinkle cheese mixture on top. DO NOT put spinach on top layer.

Bake, uncovered for 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Polenta Cheese Bread
Mix and knead this full-flavored bread in your food processor. Don't process for more than 60 seconds or the dough will overheat.
Preparation and rising time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours
Baking time: About 35 minutes
Yield: Makes 1 loaf (about 2 pounds)

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
2 tablespoons sugar
4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into small chunks
About 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup polenta or yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg

Combine yeast, water, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a small bowl; let stand until softened (about 5 minutes).

Combine cheese, 3 1/4 cups of the flour, polenta, salt, and remaining 1 2/3 tablespoons sugar in a food processor; whirl until cheese is finely chopped. Add egg. With motor running, add yeast mixture in a slow, steady stream. Whirl for 45 seconds to knead (dough should be slightly sticky; if too wet, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, using short on-off bursts).

Shape dough into a smooth ball. Turn over in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (1 to 1 1/2 hours).

Punch dough down and knead briefly on a floured surface. Shape into a smooth ball. Place on a greased baking sheet; flatten to a 7-inch round. Lightly cover and let rise until about 2 1/2 inches high (about 1 hour).

Sprinkle with 1 to 2 teaspoons more all-purpose flour. Bake in a 375 degree oven until well browned (about 35 minutes). Let cool.

Cucumber Salad
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1 cup lowfat sour cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium onion sliced very thin
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 1/2 cups very thin cucumber slices, peel cucumbers first

A food procesor is ideal for this. cucumbers & onion. Put slices in a large bowl. Blend the sour cream, lemon juice, sugar & salt. In the Processor Pour over cucumber & onion slices and stir with spoon until thoroughly mixed. Cover & chill at least 2 hours before serving. I added a cup of freshly grated carrot too.

This dessert I have posted before it is a family fav so here it is again

Warm Brown Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
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BATTER
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbls fine apricot jam
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp ginger(ground)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

SAUCE
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla essence

BATTER
Heat oven to 180 0 C(375f). Cream butter and sugar. Add jam and egg. Mix very well. Add milk and beat well. Sieve all the dry ingredients together and add to the butter mixture. Mix until smooth. Pour into a greased oven dish and bake for 30 minutes. Take out of the oven and pour 250ml of sauce over the pudding. Put back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve with rest of sauce.
SAUCE
Bring the milk, sugar and butter to boil. Add the vanilla essence and take off.

Sunday

GUACAMOLE SOUP
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1 medium green cucumber
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 spring onions, including half the green tops
1/2 each read and green capricums (sweet pepper), roughly chopped
1 tblsp chopped dill, parsley and chives
1 tblsp cider vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 cup Vegetable Stock
1 ripe avocado
2 tblsp white wine
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 firm red tomato, diced
2 tblsp lemon juice
1 extra tsp chopped chives
garlic croutons to serve

Peel and seed the cucumber and chop roughly. Put cucumber, garlic, spring onionss, capsicums, herbs, vinegar, sugar, stock and half the peeled and chopped avocado into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Blend well, then pour into a large serving bowl and add white wine, salt, pepper, olive oil and diced tomato. From now on, it must be stirred not blended. Just before serving, stir in the remaining avocado, diced and tossed in lemon juice. Sprinkle with remaining chives. Serve with garlic croutons.

HEALTH LOAF
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2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup muesli
1 Tbsp husked sunflower seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarb. of soda
2 cups natural yogurt
1 Tbsp honey
sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

Prehaet oven to 180c(350f).Grease a loaf pan.Mix whole wheat flour,oats,muesli,sunflower seeds and sesame seeds,salt and bicarb.Add yogurt and honey and mix well.Place in loaf pan and smooth over .Sprinkle with seeds.Bake for about an hour.Turn out and allow to cool.It freezes well also.

I saw the next dish cooked on the Superchef program from the U.K via satalite I promised my self i would try it and it turned out really well it does seem like a lot of ingredients but I promise you its worth it

Prosciutto-Wrapped Spiced Chicken Breast on Cep Lentils and Baby Courgettes

For the spice rub for chicken:
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3 tbsp sea salt
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp rosemary, very finely chopped
1 tsp soft thyme leaves
2 tsp ground caraway
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp harissa
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
ground black pepper
3 x 250g (9oz) chicken breasts, skin off, bones on
6 slices Parma ham
For the cep lentils:
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15g (1/2oz) dried ceps, soaked in 290ml (1/2 pint) hot water for 15 minutes
2 rashers smoked streaky bacon, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp soft thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
350ml (12fl oz) red wine
450ml (16fl oz) chicken stock
100g (3 1/2oz) puy lentils
55g (2oz) chorizo sausage, skinned and diced
85g (3oz) unsalted butter
chives, snipped
flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients together for the spice rub for the chicken. Rub the spice mix all over each chicken breast. Wrap two slices of Parma ham around each of the chicken breasts.

Drain the ceps thoroughly, chop reserving the soaking liquor.

In a medium casserole dish, heat the olive oil and fry bacon until crispy. Add the onions, garlic, celery, carrot, thyme and bay leaves and cook until vegetables are soft but without colour. Add the ceps and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the red wine, scraping all the coagulated bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the lentils, soaking liquor and stock and cook for about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the chicken breasts on a griddle pan to brown all over and remove and place in the oven at 200 C/400 F/gas mark 6 for 15 minutes.

Fold in the chorizo to the lentils 10 minutes before the end of cooking. The lentils should be of a soupy consistency, add more stock if necessary. Fold in 2/3 of the butter and parsley before serving. Season to taste. Divide between three plates and place a chicken breast on top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with baby courgettes tossed in remaining butter with some snipped chives and chopped parsley.

I served this with some plain basmati rice

For dessert I served a selection of fresh fruit(strawberrys,mangos,kiwi fruit and pineapple)with a light lemon sauce.

I wish you all a wonderful week
Til later
love Julie