Recipe(tried): Weekend Fare in Sunny S.Africa

Hi All,
Have,t posted any recipes for absolutely age,s!!!!I,ve been busy finalising the opening of our Shop(which was quite an eye opener!!!as I have,t worked in the outside world for 15 years or so,and retail and sales is very different from nursing!)but it is dealing with people which I love,its wonderful to have a conversation with adults and not moody teenagers!!!!LOL.
So due to now being a "Working" Woman!!!!!my menu planning has taken a different route!I,m aiming for quick ,easy and light food to feed my "Tribe"Fortunately after an awful spell of bad weather we,ve a hot spell so its made my choices of recipes easier and my daughter is helping too she has finally taken an interest in cooking(she,s 19!)maybe its due to me being not there much during the week so its cook or don,t eat! thats spured her on.Here are a few things I made at the weekend.............

Baked potato salad
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(makes a large amount)

8 slices back bacon
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped Red onion
3 tablespoons flour
2/3 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 cups boiled, peeled and cubed potatoes (about 4 pounds)

1. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper toweling and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease from pan. Add celery and onions to bacon grease and saute over medium heat for 1 minute.
2. Stir in flour and mix to form a paste. Slowly add 1-1/3 cups water and vinegar to the skillet and stir until smooth. Continue stirring until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in sugar, salt and pepper, continue to heat and stir until sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Crumble reserved bacon and toss with cooked potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add potato mixture to a lightly greased 3-quart covered casserole dish. Pour vinegar-flour mixture over potatoes, cover and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until heated through, 35 to 40 minutes.
Peppered Fish with Lemon Butter
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Serves:4

1 1/2 Tbls olive oil
1/3 cup peppercorns, dried

lemon butter
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1/2 cup butter
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 Tbls pure lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic

Crush peppercorns in a multi-mill, mix with oil, use to coat the fish.Braai over hot coals, or under a red-hot grill.Top with slices of lemon butter when cooked.

To make lemon butter:
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Combine all ingredients, form into a log, wrap in foil.Chill.Fish most suitable for this marinade - white fish cutlets,

PAPINO AND CORN SALAD
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2 cups papino or pawpaw, cubed
1 can(medium) corn kernels, drained
1 small onion, preferably Spanish, cut into rings
1/2cup red pepper, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
3 Tbls fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Italian low oil salad dressing
black pepper, coarsely ground
fresh parsley, chopped, for garnishing

1. Place all the fruit and vegetables in a salad bowl and mix lightly.
2. Pour the salad dressing on top, season generously with the black pepper and toss well.
3. Garnish, cover and chill for an hour before serving.

Mint and Ginger Chicken
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1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce, divided
1 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled
2 green chilies, chopped
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 lime, peel grated and juice divided
3 cups chopped Chinese cabbage
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

In medium bowl place chicken. Sprinkle with flour, turning to coat. Add fish sauce and 1 Tbsp of the soy sauce; set aside. Place ginger in blender or food processor and mince, about 30 seconds; add chilies, remaining 1 Tbsp soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and 1/2 tsp grated lime peel. Blend or
process for about 1 minute; set aside. Into heated wok or Dutch oven over high temperature, pour oil. Add chicken, onion and cabbage, stir frying about 4 minutes until chicken truns white. Pour ginger sauce mixture over chicken and continue to stir fry over high temperature until sauce
thickens, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with lime juice and top with mint.
Serve hot with rice.

Marinated Chargrilled Chicken with Lemon and Honey
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4 x 170g (6oz) boned chicken breast
1 lemon, grated zest and juice
2 tbsp clear honey
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 small red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp olive oil
oil for the griddle pan
salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together (except the chicken) ensuring the honey is well dissolved. Place the chicken in the marinade and leave for preferably 1 hour.

Heat the griddle pan or barbecue. Add a little oil to the griddle pan. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in the pan or on the barbecue. Cook for around 2-3 minutes on each side. Ensure that the chicken is cooked all the way through

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Lamb kebabs in marinade
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Serves six people

1 de-boned leg of lamb, cut into chunky cubes
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1\/2 cup olive oil
6 cloves of chopped garlic
1\/2 cup torn fresh coriander
1\/2 cup fresh, chopped parsley
1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, ginger, salt and turmeric

Mix all the ingredients with the meat cubes and let it marinate overnight in the fridge, or for about 2 hours at room temperature.
Remove the meat from the marinade and thread on six long skewers.
Another optional choice is to skewer pieces of pork or beef fat between the lamb pieces for extra flavour.
Roast the kebabs over fairly hot coals, turning frequently.

Vegetables on a skewer
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Thread chunks of cucumber, brinjal,(eggplant) mushrooms, green or red peppers, small tomatoes, baby marrows and pickling onions (parboiled for about 5 minutes) on to six skewers.
Mix 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar with half a cup of olive oil and a good grinding of black pepper.
Paint this over the vegetables which you must roast over moderate coals for about 10 minutes.

Ginger Cake
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4 ozs. butter
1 lb. flour
2 ozs. sugar (brown)
1 lb. treacle
1 oz. candied peel
1 oz. ground ginger
2 eggs
1 teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda
1 teacupful of milk

Heat together the treacle, butter and sugar. Mince the peel and add the beaten eggs. Put dry ingredients in a bowl, add the beaten eggs gradually and then the treacle, ets., and milk as required. Pour into a shallow tin, well greased, and bake for 3/4 hour in a moderate oven.

CHEESE & CHILLI MUFFINS
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2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 Tbls chopped fresh coriander leaves or parsley
2 chillies, finely chopped or 1\/2 tsp ready prepared
crushed chillies
4 ozs Creamed Cottage Cheese, at room temperature
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Pre-heat oven to 200 C.(400F)
Brush a muffin tin with melted butter. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add cheese and stir to combine. Beat cottage cheese and egg in a separate bowl until creamy. Add milk, herbs and chilli and stir well. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture all at once; stir until just combined - do not over-mix, batter should be quite lumpy. Spoon batter into prepared tin and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

I wish you all a good day
Love
Julie
From sunny South Africa