Chef up Your Tuna Steak

Tuna Steaks on Fried Potatoes and Raw Beetroot

 
As a working wife and mother, I know the weekday humdrum of meal preparation. For those who still have small children, getting anything (except stray pieces of lint or toy parts) into their children's mouth, with out a temper tantrum, is enough of an achievement.

I am very lucky to have a family who are well trained ("You don't have to like it - You just have to eat it"). They eat most things I give them, without too many complaints (and even fewer I take seriously). There is a slight downside to this - you get a similar reaction to toasted cheese sandwiches, as the fancy meal you spent all afternoon slaving in the kitchen preparing.

But sometimes I pull out all the stops, even if it's only for myself.  I like to pretend I'm a professional chef and plating meals at the Rubens. It's over-kill I know, but it's great to play with your food occasionally.

These flavour combinations might seem strange, but they work well - balancing colour, texture, flavours and temperature. I like to mix hot and cold in the same dish - I call it " a surprise party in your mouth", you never know what to expect.

Tuna Steaks on Fried Potatoes and Raw Beetroot
Serves 2

2 Tuna Steaks (2cm thick)
2 Potatoes
2 Small Beetroot (peeled)
Olive Oil

Slice the peeled potatoes into 5mm rounds.
Fry the potatoes in a little oil, until golden and cooked through
Slice the beetroot as thinly as possible, wearing gloves (a vegetable peeler will work well)
Heat a griddle pan to medium hot.
Rub the steaks with olive oil
Grill until just done - medium rare is best with tuna.
Lay the potatoes and the beetroot on the plate, top with the cooked tuna.
Drizzle with a olive oil. 
Serve with this green sauce :

Green Sauce

5-8 Green Olives (pitted)
20g Parsley
3-4 Anchovy fillets
15 -20ml Capers
Juice and Zest of 1 Lemon
10 - 15ml Olive Oil

Pound all the ingredients together, taste and adjust to your liking.
Serve with fish.

Kedgeree and Didgeridoo

I love reading and especially love unusual words. Some words just feel so good in my month - I find myself randomly staying words like didgeridoo, bamboozle, cowabunga, plutz or like yesterday when I couldn't get the word "kedgeree" out of my mind.

 It been blisteringly hot in Cape Town for the last week. I can neither face cooking or eating a big hot meal, after spending the day trying to find cool breezes to offer slight relief.

So back to kedgeree, this was something I enjoyed many Saturday mornings, when Dad would get up early and make the family big breakfast. Although I was never a fan of haddock, somehow kedgeree with the pieces of orange fish and boiled egg nestled in spicy rice always had me asking for seconds.

This is my take on kedgeree, adapted to my family's tastes fussiness.

Kedgeree Didgeridoo

Serves 3 -4 (depending on how hungry they are)

2 Cups Cooked Rice (cooked al dente)

400g Smoked Haddock

4 Boiled Eggs, cut into 8th's (I boil them medium not blue)

1 Large Onion sliced

½ teaspoon Curry powder

1-2 Green Chillies chopped (this is to taste)

Salt and Pepper

1 Tomato peeled, seeds removed and chopped (garnish)

Thyme leaves (garnish)

Poach the haddock in water until just cooked.

Strain and keep the liquid- set aside.

Fry the onion in a little oil until golden, add the curry powder and chilli and fry for 1 minute.

Add the rice and add ½ cup of the poaching liquid.

Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, until rice is properly soft.

Season and if you want to have more sauce, add more poaching liquid.

Add the fish, which you break into pieces and the eggs.

Turn off the heat.

Garnish with tomato and thyme.

I served my warm rather than hot, but it's equally nice hot.

Fish Cakes Again

If you have followed my blog for more than a month, you will undoubtedly know that I love fish cakes. I love to make them, I love to eat them and best of all my family love them too.

To actually give you "my fish cake recipe" would be almost impossible. I make them differently each time, depending on what fish I have on hand and what flavours I fancy that day.

One of the wonderful things about fish cakes, is that they taste as good hot on the day you make them as they do cold the next day. You can splash out and use expensive fish like salmon, or go on the cheap and use tinned pilchards - both are equally good in my eyes mouth!

I know many of you will baulk at the idea of using instant mash, but I find it gives great consistency and holds the fish cake together beautifully. You are welcome to use your own real mash, just make sure that it has no lumps, is very dry and is perfectly smooth.

Butter Fish Cakes
Serves 2

150g Butter Fish
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 Big Handfull of Parsley, with stalks (for Steaming)
15ml chopped Fresh Parsley for the fish cakes
50g Instant Mash Potato
Salt and Pepper to taste
Breadcrumbs for rolling the fish cakes before frying
Oil for Frying

In a steamer place the parsely on the base and top with the fish and then the chopped garlic.
Steam the fish until just done.
Reserve the liquid.
Flake the fish in a bowl, together with the as much of the garlic you steamed it with to taste.
Add the chopped parsley, the mash, salt and pepper.
Mix together and add enough of the steaming liquid to get firm but workable mixture.
Place in the fridge or freezer until well chilled.
Shape the fish mixture into patties, roll in breadcrumbs and fry in shallow oil until golden on both sides.

I served my fish cakes with the great home made tartar sauce. I would only suggest you thy this if you have a food processor, as beating mayonnaise by hand is a long and tiring job.

TarTar Sauce

1 Fresh Egg
300- 400ml Sunflower Oil
2 Pickled Gherkins
30-45ml Pickling Juice from the Gherkins
Lemon Juice
Salt and White Pepper
1 Small Onion peeled and roughly chopped

Place the egg in the food processor bowl.
Start the processor on high.
Add about 20ml of gherkin pickling juice.
Add the oil in a very thin stream while the motor is running.
After each 100ml of oil, check the mayonnaise until you have the correct consistency.
Once your mayonnaise is thick and creamy, add the salt and pepper to taste.
Add the gherkins and the onion and whizz until smooth.

Check the taste, you might need to add more pickling juice or lemon juice to help even out the taste.


Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.

A Fishy Winner

Following on from last week's Sweet and Sour Fish with Egg Fried Rice I decided to use the other half of the hake fillet.

Before I start with the recipe, which is more of a re-make than an original, I thought I would give some thought to good choices for fish. My mission with last week's fish recipe was to promote the City of Cape's campaign to encourage Capetonians to pick one day of the week where they eliminate red meat from their diet and eat more fruit, vegetables and grains instead.

Today I want to address some fish choices which are better than others with regard to their sustainability.

The Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) was initiated in November 2004 in order to inform and educate all participants in the seafood trade, from wholesalers to restaurateurs through to seafood lovers. SASSI has three primary objectives:

1. Promote voluntary compliance of the law through education and awareness
2. Shift consumer demand away from over-exploited species to more sustainable options
3. Create awareness around marine conservation issues

Having said and supported all this, I do on occassion choose fish from the orange list, but it is definitely more of an exception than a rule. I have even blogged on fish on the orange list, only because I feel I should be honest. There those who don't share those tasty morsels with their readers for fear of reprisal. 

Hake is on the green list, so it's a good choice for the environment and the sustainability of our sea stocks and is also relatively cheap when bought in season.

For more information on choosing the "right" fish click here.  You can also SMS  the name of the fish as a text message to the number 079-499-8795 you will get a prompt response telling you where the species is on the list, as well as some additional information such as minimum size and bag limit in the case of line-fish. The SMS is charged at standard cellular rates.

Lime Battered Fish with Aubergine and Red Bean Salad

Hake fillets (skin on cut into 4.5cm pieces)
1 Cup of Plain Flour
Finely grated Zest of 1-2 Limes
2 Eggs Beaten
Salt and White Pepper
Oil for Deep Frying

Warm the oil to 190ºC.

Add the zest of the limes, the salt and a little pepper to the flour.
Dry the fish thoroughly.
Coat the Fish in the flour, then in the egg and again in the flour.
Deep fry until golden brown and cooked through.

Warm Aubergine and Red Bean Salad

1 Large Aubergine cut into 1" disks and then cubed evenly.
4 Whole Dried Red chilis
Olive Oil
1 Tin Kidney Beans, drained and washed.
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and Black Pepper
Pomegranate Concentrate (I use Verlaque Persian Pomegranate Concentrate)

Pre-heat your oven to 200ºC
Place the aubergine and chilli in a roasting tin and coat with olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper and bake for about 30-35 minutes until browned and cooked.
Add the kidney beans and bake for another 10 minutes, until the are heated through.
Squeeze over the lime juice and toss through.
You might want to add a little extra olive oil (if you not watching your fat intake)
Serve and drizzle with the Pomegranate Concentrate.  

Meat-free Day in Cape Town

Cape Town is the first African city, and one of seven progressive cities in the world, to officially endorse a Meat-free Day a week for the sake of animal welfare, human health and climate change.

The City’s Health Committee unanimously backed a call by the Compassion in World Farming organisation for Capetonians to pick one day of the week where they eliminate red meat from their diet and eat more fruit, vegetables and grains instead. (source City of Cape Town)


 When I heard this initiative announced on the radio, I believed that this was one of the most progressive health ideas our leaders have come up with. After the debarcle when  'Manto' Tshabalala-Msimang announced beetroot and garlic were more effective treatment of AIDS than antiretroviral medicines, heath advice from government have been met with much scepticism.

I have featured Meatless Monday before and I strongly endorse it, even though I can't always make it on a Monday, we still have at least one meatless meal per week. This not only make sense for our health, the environment but also on my purse!

 I have not been at a loss for ideas, which I often find when it comes to meaty meals. I really try to be more imaginative on the meatless days and I enjoy the challenge.

This weeks meal is so simple to make but will impress the fussiest carnivore.

Sweet and Sour Fish with Egg Fried Rice

Hake fillets (skin on and sliced into 1½" pieces)
1 Cup All purpose Flour (seasoned with Salt and White Pepper)
2 Eggs Beated
Oil for Deep Frying

Pre-heat the oil to about 185ºC (Medium Hot)
Dry the fish.
Dip the fish into the flour and then into the egg and then again into the flour.
Deep fry for 3-5 minutes until golden and cooked through.
Drain on kitchen paper.
Serve with Egg Fried Rice and sweet and sour sauce.

Egg Fried Rice

2 Cups Cooked Rice
2 Eggs Beaten (add the Soya Sauce below)
5ml Dark Soya Sauce
Onion cut into wedges and separated
½ cup of Cooked peas (optional)
Oil

Pre-heat your wok to smoking
Place 15 ml Oil in the wok.
Add the egg and allow to cook, omelette style.
Once the egg is crispy and cooked through on both sides remove from the wok - cut into small pieces.
Fry the onion pieces until they have some colour, but are still slightly crunchy.
Add the rice, the cut up egg, the peas and stir fry until the rice is hot.

Serve the fish with this sweet and sour sauce and egg fried rice.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 Cup Rice or Apple Cider Vinegar
1½ Cups of Sugar
2" Piece of Ginger, peeled and cut into fine dice
1 Green chilli left whole
½ teaspoon of Sea Salt
50g Tomato Paste
1 Star Anise (optional)
½ Red Pepper (seeded) sliced into thin strips

Boil the above at a simmer for about 1 hour, until reduced and thickened.
Strain and serve hot.

Spanish Victory from the Sea

As the Fifa World Cup 2010 came to a close on Sunday, there is a feeling of loss throughout the country. Not the loss of a soccer game (we dealt with that weeks ago), but the loss of the positivity and unity which the country has been bathed in for the last month.

I was sent an email with a link to Keep Flying the Flag. Keep Flying is a simple idea. An idea that matters. It believes that its all of our responsibility to fly the flag. Every South African Brand; Every South African, and to recognize what the flag symbolizes: Us, and our unity. It would be great to keep this feeling of invincibility which has come about over the last 30 days. 


So, back to the soccer. The Spanish are "Ole, Ole,Oleing" because of their victories. Spain are on a bit of a roll, with Rafa winning Wimbledon,  Alberto a firm favorite in Le Tour and now being crowned Soccer World Champions - what else is there? 

One thing the Spanish have always done well and that's seafood. Fresh BBQ prawns with lemons and paprika, all while soaking in the sun on Costa Del Sol. I think even a Dutch soccer player could force them self to enjoy that.


I made this Spanish inspired prawn dish ,which is better suited for winter, but still with enough summer freshness to keep the dream alive.

Ole Prawns with Butter Beans and Spring Vegetables.

500g Prawn tails (peeled)
1 Large White Onion (cut lengthwise)
2 Tins Butter Beans (drained and rinsed)
125g Sliced Mushrooms
125g Sugar-snap Peas
125g Baby Peeled Carrots
1 cup Spinach (shredded)
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
2 Cloves of Garlic chopped
1-2 green Chillies Thinly sliced (optional)
500ml Vegetable Stock

Fry the onion until soft.
Add the beans, the carrots, the mushrooms, the chili, the garlic and the paprika and stir to combine.
Add enough stock to make a sauce and cook until the carrots are just softening and the sauce is thick.
Stir in the prawns, the spinach and the peas and cook until prawns are done.
Add more stock to ensure you have a good sauce.
Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Serve with rice or fresh crusty bread.

Blessings from Above

I have so many things to be grateful for over the last week. I should be falling apart after all the tragedies which have come my way, but thanks to the prayer, love and support of friends and family, I am doing very well.

My step-son was involved in a very serious motor-cycle accident, which really shocked us all. It was an extremely emotional time for our whole family. I am pleased to say that he is doing so much better now, although it will be a very long road to recovery.

As you can imagine, cooking was not top of my priority list, and for the last week I have been eating very sporadically. Now that things have started to settle, I decided to pull out a few stops and make a fantastic meal, even though I was only cooking for one.


Fresh Tagliatelle with Pesto and Garlic and Chilli Prawns
Serves 2

300g Cleaned Prawn Tails
1 Green Chilli
1 Garlic Clove
Oil for Frying

Fry all the ingredients on medium heat until the prawns are cooked through.

Pesto
3 Cups Basil ( I used purple basil, fresh from my garden)
1 Cup Parsley (also from my garden)
½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
50g Lightly toasted Pine-nuts (toasted in dry non-stick frying pan)
Juice of 1 -2 lemons (this you have to judge by taste)
2 Garlic Cloves
Olive Oil (this you have to judge by consistency required)
Salt and Pepper

Place all the ingredients in a food processor - except the oil.
Start whizzing the machine and slowly start adding the oil.
Once you think you have the right consistency, you need to taste and adjust the seasoning and acidity to taste.

Cook the pasta as per the instructions.
Drain the pasta, and stir in as much pesto as you require.
Top with the cooked prawns and serve.

Oh Baby, baby

I trust you all made it through Valentine's Day without any heart-ache or break. For those who wished for love, I trust he or she came through . I'm not really big on Valentines Day, actually that is an exaggeration - I am a non-Valentine person.

I get extremely irritated by the hype. Perhaps we should start a Valentines day where we promote loving those that don't usually get it - like the elderly, the homeless or the single mom fighting to make the end of the day with all her marbles in the bag. Instead of wasting money on old flowers, which are so over-priced, let's give a little kindness to those who really need it more.

So there you have my rant - it's of my chest and I'm back to happy!

Last night's meal was a first for me - Baby Octopus. I bought a bag of frozen cleaned baby octopus a while ago, and have building courage to cook it. Turns out, it is really simple and can be cooked just like calamari. Just make sure you remove the beak if it's not done already.


Salt and Pepper Baby Octopus

500g Baby Octopus ( Cleaned and cut into bite size pieces)
Salt and White pepper
Corn four
Oil for Deep frying.

Dry the octopus and season with salt and pepper and dust with cornflour.
Deep fry in hot oil for about 1 minute, depending on the size.
Serve with lemon and savoury rice.
That is it - simple and very tasty!

Be My Guest

">I am so excited to share my latest find with you – a beautiful find, and something to be treasured for years to come.

With Christmas wish lists growing daily, I have the perfect gift to add. If you are a lover of food and enjoy entertaining, then this book is a must have.

Be my Guest, by Fay Lewis is the ultimate entertaining guide. Not only will you have the know how to make beautiful food, which will leave your guests in awe, you will also have simple and fun ideas on how to create the perfect setting for any occasion.

The recipes are very simple to follow, using ingredients which are readily available. There are great tips relative to forward planning, ways to stay ahead of the last minute scramble. It is always good to have parts of the menu ready ahead of time, so that you don't have to stress over things once your guests start to arrive. There is not much that is better than looking your best when the guests arrive, makeup in place, and then being able to confidently serve a meal which looks like you have spent all day slaving over. I love being able to say “Oh this, only took a few minutes to prepare - no hassle at all", and with this book you can say it with honesty!

In my book shelves, I have many, many recipe and cook books and Fay seems to have combined the best aspects of each of my books, and has produced an absolute masterpiece. The book is broken into chapters, starting with brunch and working through to formal winter dinners, picnics, pool parties, even a retro party, simple midweek family dinners plus many other party themes and ideas.

If you don't do much entertaining, this book is still ideal for help and ideas in preparing regular meals for the family. If you don't cook at all, you can use it as a coffee table book. The photography, which is done by Neil Corder, is exceptional. You will find yourself drooling over the pictures.

The recipes are all triple tested (which is important). I decided to test 3 of the recipes for myself – and I can assure you that they work, tasting just as good as they look in the book. Looking good and tasting good is very different in the life of a Foodie!

I share a quote from the cover, which clearly shows what this book is about :
" Whether you're a beginner when it comes to entertaining guests, or an
old hand, you'll find inspiration in Be My Guest.
Best of all, your guests will leave with nothing but admiration for your
professional and stylish hosting skills.
..... Be My Guest is your indispensable guide to entertaining"

A must have on your Christmas wish list, and, if you do not celebrate Christmas, get it anyway - you deserve to spoil yourself, and your guests



Old Fashioned Granadilla Lemonade
This can be made up to 2 day ahead

Juice of 10 Lemons, strained
Pulp from 3 Granadillas or 60ml canned pulp
1.5l Water
200g White Sugar
Ice Cubes, for serving
Slices of Lemon
Maraschino Cherries

Combine the lemon juice, grandadilla pulp, water and sugar in bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To Serve: Serve well chilled over ice and decorate with lemon slices and cherries.
My alternative serving : Place the lemonade in the freezer until frozen to a slush and serve in a salt rimmed martini glass.


Mustard and Potato Salad
Serves 6

700g New Potatoes
2 sprigs of rosemary
80ml Dry White Wine
1 Red Onion, Chopped
5ml Salt Crystals
250ml Mayonnaise
15ml Dijon Mustard
15ml Wholegrain Mustard
2 Hard Boiled Eggs
30ml Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley

Boil the potatoes and the rosemary in a large heavy-based saucepan of salted boiling water until tender.
Drain, cut in half and transfer to a mixing bowl.
While still hot, pour over the wine.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix throughly.

To serve : Transfer to a platter and serve.


Poached Salmon
Make Ahead : The broth can be made 1 day ahead and refridgerated.
Serves 6

6 x 200g Salmon Fillets (Norweigian or Scottish)
3 Limes, halved for serving

Broth
1 Onion, sliced
3 Fresh Bay leaves
2ml Salt Crystals
5 whole Peppercorns
250ml white Wine
500ml Water

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Coat an oven proof dish with cooking spray.
Place the fillets in the prepared dish.
Pour over the broth and poach, uncovered for 20 mins or until cooked.
Remove from the oven and cool in the broth for 20 minutes.
Using a spatula, remove the fillets from the broth and set aside until ready to use.

To make the broth
Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, strain and refridgerate until ready to use.

To serve : Transfer the salmon to a serving platter and serve toped with cucumber and dill salad, and the limes on the side.

Cucumber and Dill Salad

2 English cucumbers, peeled, halved and sliced
100ml White Wine vinegar
15ml Chopped fresh dill
30ml Castor Sugar

Place the cucumber in a serving dish.
Combine the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the cucumber.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Bouillabaisse a la Cape Town

If you have been following my blog for a while ( a week would be long enough), you'll know I have been reading Julia Child: A Life by Laura Shapiro.

I am totally inspired to stretch my South African culinary boarders to France. As you read how Julia explains French food, it no longer seems daunting. She said "Once you have mastered a technique, you barely have to look at a recipe again", and this is so true about all cooking.

So I thought I would start with something simple, yet quintessentially French - Bouillabaisse. This dish is a bit of a scared cow in France, each chef claiming their version as the only truly authentic dish. I looked through all my cook books, scoured the Internet and finally came full circle back to Julia's interpretation as the only one I felt confident enough to try. Who better to ask about French food than an American?

I sourced the recipe here. Using as much French flair as I could muster, I ended up only making one change. I used a fresh fennel bulb thinly sliced and added with the leeks and onions, instead of using fennel seeds as instructed.

While the recipe looks long and complicated, it is really very easy and is perfect for entertaining, because everything revolves around the stock, which you can even make a day ahead if you think you will be pressed for time.

I did spend a fair amount of time preparing my fish and seafood, so that everything would be bone free and perfectly portioned. I used the following fish - yellowtail, sole and panga, as this is what I could get at my fish monger, but so long as you follow the "rules" set out in the beginning of the recipe, you can use whatever is local and lekker (nice)! I also included prawns and calamari - again these are ingredients which are easily available and within my price range.

I strained the stock twice - once as instructed and again after I had cooked the fish in it - just to ensure it was perfectly (my new favourite word) clear.

I served this with heaps of French bread and a homemade olive focaccia. My guests and husband loved the meal and I will definitely be making this again soon.

The best way to execute French cooking -
is to get good and loaded and
whack the hell out of a chicken.
Bon appétit.

When Smoking is good for your Health

We all know the dangers of smoking, but yesterday I decided to try smoking - and it was great! Now don't get all worked up, this kind of smoking is suitable for children and breastfeeding mothers.

I smoked some fresh Mackerel. It is so easy, and the results are much better than any bought variety I have tried. It was soft and juicy, without any added artificial smoke flavourings.

This is how I did it....
It is best to do the actually smoking outside, unless the ventilation in your kitchen is very good. I just used our camping gas bottle.

Take a wok and line it with heavy duty foil. I then added some lemon rind, chamomile tea leaves and plum tree shavings (I had these after my plum tree was pruned early this year, but you can use any untreated fruit or even oak).

Place your bamboo steamer on the wood chips, put the fish in the steamer and cover with the lid and enclose the entire wok in foil, so there are no escape routes for the smoke.

Place the wok on a a high heat (a gas burner works best) and leave to smoke for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave without opening for another 15 -20 minutes.

Throw away the foil - and open the steamer and you will have beautifully smoked mackerel in less than half an hour!

This might seem like a lot of work, but it literally takes 30 minutes from start to finish and I guarantee you will love the flavours. You can play around with the smoking mixture and infuse any flavours which you might like - I have heard that Earl Grey tea also works very well.

Give it a try - at least once, you'll never see smoking in the same light again - just don't get addicted!


I hope you are having a fantastic spring and getting ready for summer. We finished spring cleaning the garage and the storeroom this weekend, so now it's just the house and then we'll be ready for lots of outdoor activities and no more cleaning!

If the shelves are dusty
and the pots don't shine,
it's because I have better things
to do with my time.
This mess is a place!

Sole Mates

We have had the strangest weather this last month. One day we are freezing cold, snow on the mountains, rain lashing down and then we have days like Sunday and you think it's November.

Everyone has some kind of cold or flu - either recovering or catching. Keith is the only person I know who never gets flu sick, just goes to show smoking does not kill you! (Only joking!)


Last week I managed to pick up sole on special, this is a very rare treat for us, as they can be pricey and I can be very cheap when it comes to buying fish!

I prepared them very simply, lightly dusted with flour seasoned with salt and black pepper and fried in olive oil. Before I fried the sole, I fried one thinly sliced lemon until it started to caramelize and then added the fish and the juice of one lemon. Just before it was finished cooking I added some caper berries.

The fried lemon works as a great accompaniment to the fish, not only does it taste great, it looks good too.

Silver and Red

Yesterday I was catching up on food blogs and reading how the girls (and boys) in the Northern hemisphere are enjoying their summer. It's amazing how only a few short months ago I was complaining about how hot it was and crying for a respite. Now I'm sitting under my blankets and my fingers are blue with cold. How difficult I am to please!

All the dreaming about summer, got me thinking back to a summer camp I attended as a teenager. It was in the middle of summer, in one of the hottest areas in South Africa - Beaufort East, on the banks of the Orange River. Every day the temperature would rise well into the late 40's (°C). It was wonderful, we would go swimming in the river and then laze around all afternoon.

The one session I remember was the "Colour me Beautiful" course. We took all our clothes and the instructors showed us which combinations of colours best suited our complexion. I was told to wear red and silver, which in the 80's was not what I wanted to hear- we were into bright pink and dark purple (wore together). Lucky for me, I out grew my purple dungeree's and BIG shoulder padded pink shirt, with matching pink shoes and belt!

So, what exactly did I learn? Silver and red are a great combination when you talking grilled Silvers and Red pepper sauce, which is exactly what I made for supper last night.


For the fish I took Silvers fillets and brushed them with olive oil, dusted with Jenny Morris Zesty Fish spice and rubbed in some peri-peri sauce. I then grilled them for 15 minutes under a hot grill until just done.

The sauce is very easy. Take one red pepper and roast until the skin is starting to blacken. Place the peppers in a plastic bag for 5 mintues and then rub the skin off. In a blender, place the peppers, the juice of half a lemon, 1 garlic clove, ½ teaspoon of Jenny Morris Chilli and Lime Spice and a little olive oil - blend until smooth and creamy. Serve the fish with char-grilled pak choi (with black sesame seeds) and roasted potatoes - That is a real "Colour me beautiful" plate of food.

Another Fish Cake

You might have picked up from reading this blog that I love fishcakes! They are so easy to make, are very economical and can be eaten hot or cold - anywhere, anytime!

So forgive me if I am boring you with another fishcake recipe, but the great thing is, every time you make them, they can be different. A culinary trip around the world on a fishcake!

Hake Fishcakes

750g raw Minced Hake (I buy this at my local supermarket, but you can mince your own in a processor)
1 Onion finely chopped
30ml Mayonnaise
Juice of 1 large Lemon
52g sachet of Smash (Instant mash potato)
1 Teaspoon of Jenny Morris Zesty Fish Spice (or whatever fish spice you can get)
½ Teaspoon Salt
Pepper
Breadcrumbs

Mix all the ingredients together and form into patties.
Roll in breadcrumbs.
Fry in a medium hot pan with a little oil for about 5 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden brown.
Serve hot or cold.

Taking it Easy

Last week I hurt my knee during our hike, nothing serious - just a little cartilage problem. I was advised not to take any strenuous walks or do any running for a week.

I have been feeling so much better, and the knee is doing great, so we decided to take a long walk along Blouberg Beach. I have never been to Blouberg when the wind is not blowing, and when ever I think of Blouberg, I think of kites and wind surfers!

What a surprise yesterday to find a perfect wind free day! I actually had an ice cream without sand - and after all these years I thought that was the only flavour you could buy in Blouberg!

As you can see from the photos the views from Blouberg are postcard beautiful.

The weather is cooling down now, and the evenings are bearable again. I am once again making time to cook meals, rather than just having salads every night.

This simple Monk Fish and Chorizo Sausage dish is quick to prepare and filled with warming flavours.


Monk Fish and Chorizo Sausage

2 Monk Fish Fillets (enough for 2 people)
10cm piece of Chorizo sausage (or spicy sausage equivilent)
½ teaspoon chilli Flakes
Oil for frying (only use if needed)
Lemon

Slice the sausage into 1cm thick slices.
Fry in a dry pan until you have rendered most of the oil and they are nice and crispy.
Slice the monk fish into medallions about 2cm thick and add to the sausage, together with the chilli.
You can add a little oil to stop it from sticking (this will only be needed if your sausage did not contain much fat).
Keep frying the fish until it is just done and coated in the juices.
Give a squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste.
Serve hot with oven baked chips.

I also served this with home grown aubergine, stacked with roasted butternut.

I ended my wonderful weekend watching "The Bucket List", I would recommend this movie to everyone - it is an eye opener as to how little time we have on this earth and how important it is to live life to the full - don't miss a thing and never leave something for tomorrow, because : "Forty-five years goes by pretty fast." - " Like smoke through a keyhole."
Here is another quote from the movie which really touched my heart :

Edward Cole: I envy people who have faith, I just can't get my head around it.
Carter Chambers: Maybe because your head's in the way.

Cricket Lovers

One of South Africa’s favorite past times is watching cricket. It is the second most popular sport and is the only sport in South Africa to feature in the top two sports of all race groups.

Yesterday, I was very lucky to be able to attend the first day of the last test between South Africa and Australia. Our boys did so well, and bowled the Ozzies out for just 209. Seeing lots of wickets fall (against the another team) is much more fun than watching them bat all day!

As promised here is the recipe for the Spicy Pilchard Fishcakes, which we took on our last hike. They are perfect for picnics and would go down very well at the cricket too.

Spicy Pilchard Fishcakes.

1 410g Tin Chili Pilchards

52g Packet of Smash (Instant mash potato)

1 grated Onion

2 Chopped chilies (Optional)

Oil to fry

Empty the pilchards into a bowl, with all of the sauce.

Mash the pilchards and then add the onion, the Smash and the chilies (if using).

Leave to chill in the fridge for about an hour (this makes it easier to work with).

Form into cakes and fry on medium hot heat until browned.

Serve hot or even better chilled.

Hiking Food - Part 1

Many of you may be wondering why on earth would a reasonably sane woman (generally speaking) want to walk 40 kms in the blazing hot sun? Perhaps she lost her car in a high stake poker game or her mind in cyberspace?

I have shared that we are doing the Fish River Canyon Hike in May this year(Deo Volente) . This hike is 85kms (58miles) long and we plan to do it in 5 days. No facilities are available and hikers sleep outdoors for the entire trip as well as carry all food provisions! The terrain consists of rocks, boulders, sand and a number of river crossings. Temperatures can go down below zero at night, but quickly pick up during the day to a moderate 20 to 28 °C . Mad or brave ? - you decide.

Because you have to carry everything you eat and then have to carry all your trash out again, planning meals is a very important part of the preparation. Everything you take has to weigh as little as possible, but still provide enough energy to hike approximately 20kms per day.

I have decided to try to prepare meals that we can look forward to in the evening, rather than just concentrate on loading calories. This is the first in a series for the next two months in which I will share my meals.

Tuna and Smash Fish Cakes
Serves 2

1 Sachet John West Tuna (Tins are wasted weight)
1 85g Sachet Smash
1 Tablespoon Dried Onion Flakes
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes
Water - room temperature

Mix all the ingredients together, except the water.
Slowly add enough water until you have a mixture that you can form into patties.
Fry in a little hot oil until golden brown.
Do not move them around to much and work gently while they are frying, as they will fall apart very easily.
Serve hot or cooled.

These are very nice little fish cakes and work very well indoors too. When making them at home I would roll them in breadcrumbs first and then fry them.
The total uncooked weight is less than 200g.

Sword Fighting

When ever I feel like treating myself to excellent service I visit my fishmonger! Yesterday, not only did I feel like being treated like a princess, but I was also craving fish, something gamey with a nice salty sauce!

As I arrived, the sign outside showed I was in the right place - Marlin and Swordfish, both on special and I love specials!

I settled on the swordfish (my favourite), as well as some monkfish for another day.

The sword fish needs very little advance preparation. I simply marinated it for 20 minutes in lemon juice, Jenny Morris Chilli and Lime (you can use plain chilli pepper if this is not available) and a little olive oil.
I then heated my griddle pan until smoking, cooked the one side for about 3 minutes, turned the fish and switched off the heat and then left it for another 4 minutes. It is very important not to over cook fish - you want it soft and juicy. I served it hot on a bed of grilled courgettes.

The green sauce is super easy and very good with fish. The qualities are a little vague, you will need to adjust to your personal taste.

Green Sauce

5-8 Green Olives (pitted)
3-4 Anchovy fillets
15 -20ml Sliced Jalapeño chillies (the ones that are pickled in a jar)
Juice and Zest of 1 Lemon

Pound all the ingredients together, taste and adjust to your liking.
Serve with fish.

Simple and Light

After enduring what we felt was an incredibly harsh winter, which never seemed to end, summer is here and showing no remorse about being a little late. Yesterday the temperature in Paarl, which is about 40km outside Cape Town, was 44°C (111°F).

Needless to say, warm comfort food is out of the question. Just turning on the stove takes super-human courage.

I made this quick supper, an effortless meal that required minimum time in the kitchen.


Monkfish wrapped in Sage and Bacon

Monkfish fillets
Streaky Bacon
Fresh Sage leaves

Season the fish with salt and pepper.
Wrap the fillets first with a few sage leaves and then in bacon.
Grill in a hot oven (220°C) for about 15 -25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

½ head of White Cabbage very finely shredded
1 Large Carrot finely grated
1 Tbsp Jenny Morris Caraway Seeds
1 Tbsp Jenny Morris French tarragon
1 Tbsp Castor Sugar
½ Tbsp Salt (you might need more, depending on your tastes)
½ Tbsp Jenny Morris Lemon Pepper
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Olive Oil (optional)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and allow to stand for at least an hour before serving.
Check the seasoning, adding more sugar, vinegar or salt if needed.
Drizzle over some olive oil just before serving (I left this out).
It actually tastes even better the next day.
This salad goes perfectly with fish.

Fish Friends

I insist on having either fish or seafood at least once a week, more if I can convince the carnivores. They do "like" fish, regrettably not as much as they "love" chops and wors (sausage) but I take my victories where I can get them.

I like to cook new things all the time, I'm constantly reading blogs, buying magazines and cookbooks looking for the perfect meal. I have come close, but I keep thinking there must be something better out there - perhaps I'm wrong, but that's what makes cooking fun for me - the quest.

I bought a fennel bulb on my last trip to the vegetable market. When I got home I had no idea why I bought it, I have a feeling the friendliness of sales lady had more to do with the purchase, than my desire to own it! But there it was, and I had to use it.

Fish night arrived and I had very little inspiration. It was one of those days when I would rather be at the dentist than standing in the kitchen cooking. Excuses aside, supper had to be served and I was the one who had to make it - inspired or not!

So out came the fennel bulb and 4 Gurnard fillets which I had over from my last fishmonger visit.

I thinly sliced the fennel and poured over a dash of olive oil and salt and pepper. I laid the fillets on the fennel with a squeeze of lemon and a generous sprinkling of Jenny Morris Zest Fish Spice.
This went into a hot oven for 15 minutes until the fish was cooked.

The result was very good. I loved the combination of the crunchy fennel with it's aniseed flavour and the soft flesh of the fish. It just goes to show, that not everything in life has to be planned to end up totally fabulous!

My husband sent me my quote for the day...

'The laws of nature are but the mathematical thoughts of God.