Prickly pears and pomegranates

Last night I finally got around to my entry to win a copy of a magnificent South African cookbook. This is not a regular cookbook, with a collection of old fashioned "boerekos" (farmers food). This is modern, without the pretentious ponciness of some food authors of late, where the food photographer and the stylist should get more credit than the author!

If you're looking for something to add to your Christmas wish list - this book would make any foodie stay up late into the night reading!

I tried the Roasted lamb chops with cloves and rosemary and the .Butternut with bacon, almonds and onion marmalade .

I must say, the rules of the competition say you have to stick to the recipe exactly, I burst into tears when I first read the butternut recipe and saw "5 large butternuts peeled and cubed" - WTH (and I try not to swear)!
There are 2 people living in my house, one of which equates eating vegetables with scrubbing bathroom floors (at the aiport) - how am I going to eat that much butternut?

So I just had to reduce the quantities, but if you have the Bradey Bunch around for lunch - then you can happily make the full amount! And they will all be coming back for seconds.


This dish has everything which makes a dish great - soft, salty, sweet, nutty, crunchy, sour and it all ties in perfectly. I made the full amount of onion marmalade and am going to be enjoying it with some strong cheese and biscuits for lunch. The honey dressing would be a great addition to any salad - and worked equally well over my baked potato.

Now for the chops - I am not the best person to rate lamb chops, as they are not my favourite part of a lamb. I am more a lamb rib girl. The flavours worked well, the only thing I would have added is some lemon juice as I enjoy lamb with zing, but saying this, the rosemary, honey and cloves worked well - but I would change this recipe to suit our family's taste if I made it again (less cloves, more lemon juice).

I hope you'll go to the link and try one of these Proudly South African recipes - They call us the Rainbow Nation - there is always hope (and a pot of gold) at the end of the rainbow!

Under Construction

The Homemade Heaven kitchen is under construction and is being upgraded by my wonderful husband (with help from Markwin). We ate bread (and takeouts) this whole weekend and all the dishes are being washed in the bathroom!

Once everything is finished and clean, I'll be back to cooking (and cleaning)!

If a building looks better under construction
than it does when finished,
then it's a failure.
Doug Coupland

To the one I love

Happy birthday to my best friend -

you are my love and the light of my soul.
You have shown me how to be me and
when I am with you I want to be better.
You are the man I dreamed of loving,
even before I knew what love was.

How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and
height my soul can reach.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

New Twist Bolognaise

The first meal Keith invited me to have at his home was Spaghetti Bolognaise. He described it as the one meal his house keeper really cooked well. Spaghetti bolognaise has never rocked my boat or lifted my skirt (lol - he wished), but I was rather excited after all the hype involved in his boasting.

I arrived early and was proudly presented with a huge plate of food. It was terrible! Because we had just started dating and I was very young (21 years old) and naive, I ate as much as I could, making all the right noises. It was just like you see on TV when presenters are forced to eat something they obviously hate and still have to smile and compliment the chef, " OOH this is wonderful, but unfortunately it's time to cut to a commercial break (so I can spit this out my mouth)". It was food hell for me.

Since then, I have matured and with the love handles, gravity infected breasts and laugh lines has come the confidence to say "Please don't make me eat that, I'll rather have a glass of water - thank you"!

I still make Spaghetti bolognaise for Keith, using my own recipe but usually make something for myself without the dreaded mince. Last night however, I was not up to making 2 separate meals, so I had some bolognaise and it was great. I changed the recipe yesterday and will say this is a winner for me.


Spaghetti bolognaise for Spaghetti bolognaise haters

500g Steak Mince
2 Large Onions Thinly sliced
1 Large Carrot Grated
1 Chicken Stock Cube
2 Tins chopped peeled tomatoes
60ml Nomu Tomato chili Pesto Stir
60ml Pepperdew Jam (or chili jam if you can't get hold of it)
1 Large hand full of Fresh Oregano
10ml Crushed Black Pepper
Salt
15ml Crushed Garlic
Olive Oil
Water

Fry the onions and carrot in the olive oil until soft.
Add the Mince - break up and brown.
Add all the other ingredients and cook on high for 5 minutes - keep stirring.
Simmer for about 2 hours, adding water when necessary.
Serve with cooked spaghetti.

Soft Hot Milk Sponge

I love baking, the only problem I always have to watch my intake of luxury items like cake and chocolate, otherwise I'll be as big as a house before the end of the month. My family like baked goods, but unlike most families I read about, they certainly do not "devour" every cake or cookie before it gets to the cake tin.

I do give lots away, but you can only give so many cakes and cookies to your neighbors and friends before they start wondering "so what's the catch?".

I have so many recipes I am dieing to try, but I have to pace myself to maybe two a month, which means the collection of recipes is far more than the production.

I have had this recipe for months, it was given to me by my Mom from one the ladies in her church. She told me that it was one of the best cakes she had eaten in years - so it has been close to the top of the pile for ages.

I eventually got around to baking it and I will say this one is a definite keeper.



Orange Hot Milk Sponge with Orange Crème Pâtissière

Sift together 2 Cups Flour and a pinch of Salt
Put 100g Butter, 1 Cup of Milk and the grated zest of 1 large orange
in a pot and bring to the boil.
Beat together 1½ cups of Sugar and 4 eggs until light and fluffy.
Add 1 teaspoon Orange extract.
Add the flour mixture to the egg/sugar and mix well.
Add 4 teaspoon of Baking powder and fold in well.
Lastly add the hot milk/butter mix and mix well.

Pour into 2 greased cake tins and bake at 180°C for about 15-20 minutes until done.

I used this recipe for my Crème Pâtissière, were I added the zest of another 2 oranges to the milk while it was heating.

Layer the cake with Crème Pâtissière in the middle and dust the top with icing sugar.