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!

Banana and Coconut Bread

Bananas and coconut are a great combination and using really old bananas makes it even better! You really have wait until the bananas are so ripe the skin is almost black and the inside is soft and smells like - banana!

I made these in a new "muffin tin" I was given. It's not a actually a muffin tin, because it has a dent in the bottom - I guess it would be like a mini bundt tin. It works very well in a loaf tin too. You can use regular butter instead of coconut oil, and sugar instead of Xylitol - but I love the taste and the guiltless pleasure of having my cake and eating it!


Sugar Free Coconut Banana Bread Muffins

300g Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt
5ml Bi Carb.
75mg Coconut Oil
100mg Xylitol
3 beaten Eggs
3 very ripe Banana (Less for a drier cake)
15ml Lemon juice and the zest of 1 lemon (the zest is optional, but it really is worth trying)

Grease and line loaf tin. Preheat oven to 190°c.

Cream coconut oil and Xylitol.
Add eggs.
Mash bananas and add lemon juice and the zest.
Add the bananas to the butter mixture.
Add sifted flour and baking powder and salt and vanilla.
Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and top with shredded coconut. ***

Bake for 50 – 60mins if you using a loaf tin or about 20/25 minutes in a muffin tin, until golden brown and cooked through.

***If you are using Xylitol, spray the top of the loaf (before baking) with some non-stick spray so that is browns nicely.

Weekend in Pictures

This weekend we went to Swellendam to visit Markwin, in an attempt to salvage a little birthday cheer, after not being able to celebrate the actual day with him.

We decided to drive there via the Bain's kloof pass - please click on the link to read all about it's history.

Once we arrived in Swellendam and fetched a rather surprised Markwin, we headed off to find pizza for lunch. Generally speaking, finding good pizza in country towns is not an easy thing. But if you ever find yourself in Swellendam looking for great food and authentic wood-fired pizza -Woodpecker Pizza Deli is the place to go. There are lots of things you can't find in Swellendam - antacid anytime after 6.30pm or even a decent book shop - but restaurants and places to stay, you won't battle with!

Another gem in Stellendam is the Old Gaol Restaurant. This place has a wonderful "story" too.

The Old Gaol Restaurant was established in Swellendam in 2001 by Brin & Judi Rebstein of Jan Harmsgat Country House. Four local ladies, who had gained experience and confidence as employees of the Old Gaol, were offered a 30% equity shareholding in 2004, and are now empowerment partners, responsible for the day-to-day running of the restaurant. (read more here)

This is a silver tea service chanderlier, hanging in the Old Goal Restaurant - isn't is beautiful?

Another historical monument in Swellendam, the Dutch Reformed Church, which had a recent mishap while they were restoring the tower. You have to click this link to watch the drama unfold.

Un menage a trois!

Thanks to Caro's recipe, I was able to make Markwin's favorite - Turkish Delight, it was a huge success and since he is now writing exams, I am sure this will keep his energy levels at an optimum! Thanks Caro!

The best thing about Swellendam - visiting my darling son Markwin!

Salad the Holford Way

I have been reading The Holford Low GL Diet this last week and was really inspired to try some of his weight loss and health improvement tips. He says this is "the only diet that will seriously undamage your health" - which sounds great to me.

I made these two salads, which not only tasted great but are packed full of good things for my over indulged on nougat and Turkish delight body! (more about the Turkish delight on Monday).

Firstly I made a Quinoa and Kidney Bean Salad

1 Cup of Cooked Quinoa ( still warm)
½ cup of cooked Kidney beans (from a tin)
Chopped cucumber
Chopped Red Pepper
1 Small Avocado (slice and drizzeld with lemon juice)
Salt and Black pepper
Hummus
Lemon juice

Mix the ingredients into a bowl, and add enough hummus to coat and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

The second salad is even easier - no cooking involved.


Tuna and Chickpea Salad

½ cup Cooked chickpeas (from a tin again)
85g of Tuna in Brine (this is enough for one serving, about ½ a tin)
½ an Apple chopped
Red Pepper chopped
Cucumber Chopped
Lemon juice to taste
Fat Free (or low fat) smooth Cottage Cheese (enough to coat the ingredients)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and ENJOY!

Honey Nougat

Last week I received an email from my husband, it didn't say anything - just a link to here. A rather strong hint if ever you saw one!

I spent the day getting all the ingredients ready and then went foodie searching for some tips on nougat making and how to not to make nougat.

I found a recipe which caught my fancy because it uses honey and I know from experience (shopping) that honey really does make good nougat. Be aware if you don't like honey - you are not going to like this nougat.

I am going to try Caro's recipe this week and compare which I like the most.

Honey Nougat

500g Honey
500g Sugar plus 1 Tbsp extra for the egg whites
125ml Water
125g Glucose Syrup
2/3 egg whites (about 85g)
½ Teaspoon Vanilla seeds
400g Mixture of Walnuts and Cranberries
Rise Paper

Boil the sugar, water and glucose to 140°C
Allow the sugar to cool and when it has reached 115°C, boil the honey to 122°C
Meanwhile beat the egg whites and the sugar until stiff.
Add the honey in a slow stream continuously stirring (easier with a stand machine)
Add the vanilla seeds.
Add the sugar syrup and keep mixing for about 15 minutes (like I said you need a mixer)
Spray a swiss roll pan with non-stick spray and place a layer of rice paper at the bottom.
Lastly add the nuts and fruit to the nougat mixture.
Place the mixture in the prepared tin.
I found if I dipped my spatula in hot water it helped to level it out.
Place a second sheet of rice paper on top.
Allow to cool (I used the freezer, but you can leave it at room temperature.)
Cut into blocks and enjoy!

Lastly, I want to wish my darling son Markwin a very happy birthday. I can't be with you today, but you never leave my thoughts. You have brought sunshine into our lives since the day we met you and our family is blessed to have you - thank you for choosing us to be your parents!