Who You Know

I am sure you have all heard the expression, it is not what you know but who you know. When it comes to procuring fresh tuna this saying really does ring true.

It will not help you knowing the best recipe in the world for tuna, if you can't buy it fresh. You'd be better off using tinned tuna and have a tuna-mayo sandwich instead, which is a favourite of mine.

So getting back to who you know, I know a fisherman! Unfortunately, for me that is, he has a very successful day job, so he doesn't go fishing as often as I like to eat fish! But when he does, I very conveniently am always in the area (which is nowhere near where I should be)!

That is the story how I managed to score 1½ kgs of tuna, which was no more than 6 hours old. And now for the story of turning this into a feast fit for a King and Queen!


Take the tuna and place it into a ziploc bag.
Place the following into the bag with the fish
½ cup Thai Sweet Chilli sauce
Juice of 2 Lemons
15ml Jenny Morris Zesty Fish Spice
¼ cup Soya Sauce

Leave to marinade for about 2 hours, depending on the thickness of your steaks.

Heat your pan with lots of good olive oil and fry the tuna.
I usually stop the cooking when it is ½ done, turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
I like my Tuna medium.

The side dish for this is just as simple and works really well with the tuna.

Egg Fried Noodles

Egg Noodles cooked as per instructions
15ml Peanut Oil
Finely Chopped Carrot
Finely Chopped Celery
Garlic and Ginger chopped
1 Egg beaten
Sweet Soya sauce
15ml Black Sesame Seeds
Sesame Oil

Heat the wok and add the oil until it starts to pop.
Add the garlic and the ginger and flash fry, don't let it get too brown.
Add the carrot and celery and fry for a few seconds.
Add the egg and stir to break up while cooking.
Add noodles, the sesame seeds, the soya sauce and the sesame oil and fry until the noodles are coated and heated through.

Weekend Wildness

I love making "eat with your hands" food on the weekends, especially those which don't require piles of dishes. Who wants to spend Friday and Saturday washing dishes?

This simple Chicken Pita is so easy and tasty, you'll never buy one again, without thinking, " I can do better than this at home!".


Chicken Pita

4 Chicken breasts, skin and bone removed and sliced into "ring-finger" size pieces
2 Teaspoons Chilli Powder (I like it hot so I also add a chopped fresh chilli)
2 Teaspoons Runny Honey (I also like it a little sweet)
1 Lemon
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
Salt and Jenny Morris Lemon Pepper
8 Pitas breads warmed through until they look like a pillow

Place all the ingredients into a ziploc bag, squeeze the lemon and place into the bag also.
Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or over-night.
Heat your pan and fry the chicken with the marinade until cooked through.

Fill you pitas with the chicken and finely chopped salad.
I used avocado, lettuce, pepperdews and spring onion.

Take a bite and feel it flavours melt in your mouth!

Bread of Life

I am not a naturally jealous person. I don't go green when I see someone driving the latest model car or wearing designer clothing. Those things are nice, but they really are not something which I long for. I won't say I don't dream about having a body like Angelina Jolie (even when she is pregnant with twins) or hair like Jennifer Aniston, but on the whole I am pretty happy with what I have.

There is an exception to my non-jealous character. I am very jealous of people who can make bread, like Spicy_Kicks. She makes the most wonderful bread goodies, and even though she promises that it is dead easy, I still don't believe her! I have made my own dough before, but I am never happy with the texture or the taste.

I decided that I want to be a better person, and not allow the green-eyed monster to rule my kitchen any more, so I ventured where I have never gone before - and you know what? It is actually easier than I thought and there was really no need to be so jealous - I can do this too!

I made 1Kg bread dough using this recipe.

Once the dough was ready I started playing and I don't use that word loosely, because it was playing and I was having fun!

I made up some Nomu Tomato and Chilli Pesto, but if you can't get hold of this -make your own with sun-dried tomatoes, chillies and herbs.

I started with savoury rolls, plain and with a sausage.
I took a piece of dough, about the size of my hand flattened it, spread the pesto on and rolled it up. I then brushed it with egg and topped it with some Jenny Morris Lemon Pepper.

With the left over dough, I made a flat bread topped with pepperdews, rosemary, sea salt , black pepper and olive oil.

I then baked it everything in a hot oven at 200°C for about 20-25 mins, until done and hollow sounding.
Serve and eat!

Never again will I be scared to try bread making, and my son was so happy with the result, he wants them for lunch everyday!

More Rude Food

I am a great fan of Jenny Morris and that's no secret. For those who are unlucky enough not to know who I am talking about, I quote from her book More Rude Food:
"Jenny Morris, also know as The Giggling Gourmet, is one of South Africa's most-loved food personalities. She is an author, magazine and newspaper contributor, radio and TV presenter, celebrity chef, teacher and culinary tour guide who has had an ongoing love affair with food since she can remember".

I met her blogging and now most importantly am honoured to call her my friend!

When you read (yes, I read cookbooks like novels) More Rude Food, you will see this passion Jenny has, and she is not called The Giggling Gourmet for nothing!

Each chapter starts with a wonderfully seductive quote, which you would more likely find in a Mills and Boon, than a cookbook. Words like "voluptuous" and"sensual" are definitely not quotes out of Mrs Beeton's, but it sure does keep you turning the pages! Who can't help wanting to read more when you read a title like "hot and sticky thighs" or "prawnographic"!

But enough already, if I haven't made you want to run out and buy one (or both) of her books, then I am sure once you have tried this recipe you will!

Jenny's Beef and Noodle Soup

500g Chuck Brisket
1Kg Shin, with the bones
6cm piece of Ginger, chopped
5 Cloves of Garlic
3 Onions, unpeeled
1 Stick Cinnamon
3 Whole Star Anise
½ cup Soup Celery Leaves Chopped
8 Peppercorns
3 Litres of Water
Salt to taste

Place all these ingredients in a large pot and gently bring to the boil.
Turn down the heat and simmer gently with the lid on for 1½ hours.
Once the meat is tender, remove the lid and simmer for another 1½ hours.
remove the meat from the broth and slice it up.
Strain the broth, pout it into a clean pot and "fling" in a few ice blocks to gather up any floating fat.
Reheat by simmering for 20 minutes with the lid off.

While the broth is cooking, prepare the following

200g Rice noodles (cook as per packet instructions)
6 Spring Onions, thinly sliced
6 Fresh Chillies, thinly sliced
300g Fresh Bean Sprouts
Some mixed herbs - like Sweet Basil, mint, coriander and chopped fresh celery leaves.

To serve
Place some noodles at the bottom of each soup bowl, then the spring onions, chillies, bean sprouts and the sliced beef.
Cover with the broth.
Season with fish sauce and a squeeze of lime and add the herbs of your choice.

And the left over broth with some spring onions and bean sprouts makes a lunch that would make WFL jealous!

Winter Warmer

We have had the most beautiful mid-winter "Indian Summer" for the last week. These are the days when you find a nice sunny spot and thaw out your bones. The evenings however are colder and perfect for this lovely lamb stew.

I used lamb knuckles. They had lots of meat and very little of the fat which usually you find with lamb. Cooked slowly to release all the flavour and become beautifully tender. Served with baked butternut (with a little nutmeg) and leeks braised with olive oil and Jenny Morris French Tarragon.


Braised Lamb Knuckle

1kg Lamb Knuckles, washed dried and dusted with flour
1 Leek washed and finely slices
2 Carrots peeled and chopped into small dice
1 Onion sliced
1 Cup of Chopped Celery Leaves
3 Tomatoes peeled and Chopped
2 Mutton Stock Cube (or fresh stock if you have)
20ml Jenny Morris Herbs De Provence
10ml Jenny Morris Lemon Pepper

Fry the onion until caramelised.
Add the meat and brown well.
Add the vegetables and fry for a few minutes.
Add the stock cube and a little water.
Turn the heat on very low or alternatively place in an oven at 150°C.
Keep checking and adding a little water if starts looking too dry.
By adding the water slowly you will build up a good gravy, which is thick and tasty.
Cook until the meat is soft.

Serve on a bed of steamed white rice.

As you will note I am a huge fan of Jenny Morris' spices. They are superior to anything else available locally. As well as the fact that I think she is the greatest girl I know!
If you can't get hold of them (ask your shop why not), you can use an Italian or French herb mix instead of the Herbs De Provence.