Risotto myths…

For reasons completely obscure to me people think risotto is difficult, time consuming and tricky to make. This is simply not true! There are some traditional methods of making risotto which are completely beyond me - rules where the meat / veggies and the rice are prepared separately and where the rice needs to be stirred continually while the rice is cooking. This is all rubbish.

Simply get a good tasty stock going, add the veggies which can be cooked for 10 minutes on simmer (if not add them later in the cooking process). Add the rice and allow it to cook for about 8 minutes until 90% cooked. Gently stir it from time to time, simply to prevent sticking. Now the rice will have sucked up all the great veggie and stock flavours. Not over stirring means that the rice is left with great body and the risotto isn’t like porridge. Add the cheese and cream if using and you’re done. 20 minutes tops, not fuss.

Try my mushroom risotto below, it’s fool proof and totally delicious. Adding bacon at the same stage as when you’re frying the mushroom adds great flavour! For greens add asparagus tips or pea’s half way through cooking. It is a winner recipe.

Mushroom Risotto

Serves four main course portions

30 g of dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in a cup of boiling water (optional, but if not using add an extra cup of stock or water)

3 Tbsp olive oil

500g button mushrooms

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp of cumin

½ tsp of coriander

½ tsp of mixed spice

1 Tbsp of soya sauce

½ tsp of freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ tsp of salt

500ml of vegetable stock

250ml of water

1 ½ cup of Arborio rice

1 tsp of fresh chopped herbs, like thyme, sage, oregano, basil etc.

125ml of cream

1 cup of grated parmesan

Get your dried porcini soaking in boiling water. Heat the oil in a medium size heavy bottomed pot and add the mushrooms, onion and garlic. Fry them on medium heat until the mushrooms have reduced to half their size. Add the spices and soya sauce and fry until the mushrooms start to colour in the pan a little.

Add the water, stock, porcini and the water it was soaking in and stir until the flavours from the mushrooms have combined nicely with the stock. Add the rice and allow it to cook on a light simmer for about 7 – 10 minutes (taste the rice, it should be very slightly under done). Only stirring every now and again so as to ensure that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

The dish is ready to remove from the heat when the rice is about 90% cooked. It must still have a little bite in it, as it will carry on cooking with the retained heat of the pot and rice. Add the herbs, cheese and cream, stir lightly to combine and allow this to stand with the lid on for a further 10 minutes before serving.

Superfoods for fast paced living

This week is a crazy week for me so prolific blogging will not be on the cards, neither prolific cooking for anyone other than my clients.

Yesterday I was on my feet all day teaching and then ended off cooking dinner for 14 people in celebration of my dear friend’s birthday. A few too many glasses of bubbly and late night after a long day… I need an energy boost to get me through the rest of today. I have just whipped up and am sipping on a raw cacao, maca root powder and banana smoothie. It tastes great, was quick to make and I know I am getting the natural boost I need. I think kids would love it too, ‘cause it tastes like milk shake.

I am very into superfoods powders at the moment, when you read up about them it’s hard not to be impressed. Maca root powder sports the following list of qualities – Increased energy, endurance and strength; blanaces hormore levels; improves brain function and boost immunity. It also mentioned something about increased libido and fertility…mmm. Wow… that’s quite a few promises there packed into a packet of powder…

Raw cacao (aka raw coco powder) is a great source of magnesium, is a natural anti depressant, aids with weight loss and it’s one of the highest sources of antioxidants of any food there is. Cool.

I blended a spoon of each powder with a banana (which I had frozen), some milk and added a touch of stevia for sweetness. I should be ready to take over the world in about 45 minutes or so!

Sepia tinted thoughts and Karoo farm flavours

I have a list of firm family favourites which I often suggest when I set up a cookery training plan for a family. The one recipe which almost all families choose is chicken pie. Chicken pie is the ultimate comfort food. It has an old fashioned appeal, conjuring up sepia tinted thoughts and Karoo farm flavours.

Despite being such a loved dish, very few people actually make it at home and I don’t blame them, it’s time consuming. The ready-made product is available at almost every store, so opting for the short cut is just so easy. 

I have for a while been considering ways to simplifying the recipe and think this may be a good option. Store bought puff pastry, ready roast chicken, mushroom sauce - combine. Easy!

The combination is just right, the pastry is light and crispy; the filling is thick and juicy and the whole dish looks pretty too. Serve it with a big salad and creamy mash for a seriously satisfying meal.

Open chicken and mushroom pie

Serves 6

1 x ready roast chicken

Break up the chicken and separate out all the pieces of meat you would like to see in your pie. If you like chicken skin, choose some good bits and cut that up smallish and add it to the chicken you are separating for your pie.

1 x roll of ready-made puff pastry, defrosted

Pre heat the oven to 220°C. Grease a baking tray and roll the pastry on to the tray. 

Bake the pastry for about 15 – 20 minutes until golden and crispy.

For the mushroom sauce

250g of mushrooms, washed and sliced

2 Tbsp of olive oil

½ tsp of salt

½ tsp of pepper

½ tsp of cumin (optional)

½ tsp of coriander (optional)

1 Tbsp of soya sauce

4 Tbsp of flour

2 Tbsp of butter

1 ½ cups of milk

Heat the oil in a pan on high heat. Add the mushrooms and spices and fry until the mushrooms have reduced in size by at least half (5 - 10 minutes). If the mushrooms stick or dry out, add a dash of water to the pan. Add the soy sauce and fry for a further minute.

Remove from the heat and add the butter and flour. Stir until the butter has melted and mushrooms are coated with flour. Return to the heat and fry this for an extra minute or so. Remove from the heat again and add the milk. Stir until the milk and flour have combined before returning the pan to the heat. Stir gently until the sauce has thickened. It should be quite thick. If it is too thick, add a little extra milk. 

Add the chicken, stir lightly to combine and spread it over the baked pastry.

Garnish liberally with fresh herbs – basil, thyme or parsley will work well. Serve immediately. 

In praise of my favourite curry recipe!

I haven’t made this chicken curry recipe in ages but I trained it yesterday and am training it on Monday again and it is truly a must have recipe in your repertoire. First and foremost it is quick to make. I can make the whole curry in the time it takes my rice to steam. Secondly, it is light, using low fat yoghurt as the sauce base and chicken breast as the meat. And finally, it is fricken delicious!

The recipe originates from a recipe book of my mom’s called Curry Leaves and Cumin Seeds which is a healthier approach to Indian cooking – a magnificent book. I have however significantly simplified the ingredients and reduced the steps in the method to make a recipe which is quicker and easier but still super tasty.

A few last words in praise of this curry – it can be eaten as a quick family meal or be dolled up for guests. If you add sambals like cucumber raita, fresh tomato relish, toasted coconut, chutney, atchar and serve the dish with naan, roti or popadoms it because a seriously festive meal. It improves in flavour over night so great for pre making if you need to save time. It freezes beautifully so double up and freeze for further meals. It is also very easy to teach your housekeeper so she can make it for you in future.

How many more reasons do you need? Make it!

Yogurt Almond Chicken Curry

Serves 4

2 Tbsp of olive oil
3 medium onions
50g of ground almonds
400g plain yogurt (or a can of coconut cream if going for a diary free option)
6 Medium chicken breasts or one pack of Fry’s vegetarian chicken style strips
3 tsp (15ml) cumin
2 tsp (10ml) coriander
2 tsp (10ml) garam marsala
2 tsp (5ml) turmeric
½ tsp (2.5ml) chilli powder (optional)
½ tsp (2.5ml) black pepper (optional)
1 ½ tsp (7.5ml) salt (or to taste)
Chopped fresh coriander to serve

Chop up and fry the onions in half the olive oil until golden brown. If the onions start to stick add a dash of water here and there to loosen the sticking. Combine with the ground almonds and yogurt and blend until smooth. It will still be slightly grainy in texture, not 100% smooth. Set aside.

Cut the chicken up into small cubes. Gently fry the spices in the remaining oil until flavours are released (1 or 2 minutes) and then add the chicken, frying until just cooked. Do not over cook the chicken.

Add the yoghurt sauce to the chicken along with the salt and stir gently until all the flavours have combined and curry has just begun to gently simmer. Remove from heat and allow flavours to develop. Heat through just before serving.

This dish is ideally served topped with fresh chopped coriander and served with sambals. Basmati rice, Jasmine rice, rotti’s or naan are the ideal starches to serve with it.

If cooking for dinner party this dish is perfect to prepare the day before as flavours only improve over night.

For those of you who would prefer a lower fat option, use fat free yogurt. It won’t be as creamy but will still be very yummy. For those of you who don’t care – double cream Greek yogurt is awesome!

Soft and chewy chocolate chip treats

Adam has been in Joburg for a conference and is coming back late tonight. I’ve been thinking of a treat to welcome him home and know that this will have to be in pastry form… his Achilles heal.

I have come across a recipe for soft and chewy chocolate chips cookies in a recipe book I have on loan from my aunt (an inspired cook and fellow food nut) called ‘The new best recipe’ complied by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated. I love the concept of this recipe book. They take each recipe and try between 30 – 50 version of it and then vote on the best one.

I have translated the recipe into South African ingredients, measurements and temperate and the cookies are now in the oven… they smell amazing! Am very excited.

One ingredient I want to mention is the chocolate chips. I went to my favourite speciality food store, Komati foods, and they to my great delight had Callebaut chocolate drops – a far superior baking chocolate to most you can find in SA stores. I bought both the milk and dark chocolate and put half a cup of each in the cookie dough.

The cookies are out and have been tasted hot off the baking sheet. They are all that was promised in the recipe. Crispy on the edges and chewy in the centre with little pools of melted chocolate as you bite into them… seriously good. The recipe recommend eating them warm and I totally second that!

I do however have a few amendments I would make. I think they are touch too sweet and would drop the sugar content by about 25% If I try them again. I would also only use the dark chocolate chips next time. They have a far richer flavour than the milk.

I can’t wait for Adam to get home… he's going to platz.

Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies (with my amendments)

Makes about 20 medium cookies

200g butter, just melted (not too hot)

¾ cup of brown sugar (I have dropped this from the original recipe)

¼ cup of castor sugar (I have dropped this from the original recipe)

1 large egg, and one large egg yolk

2 tsp of vanilla essence

½ tsp of salt

1 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice (my addition – it cuts the sweetness a little)

2 cups and ¼ cup of cake flour

½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda

1 cup of dark chocolate chips (Callebaut chocolate drops are my recommendation)

Preheat the oven to 160C˚. Place one wrack at the top and one wrack in the middle of the oven. Have two large baking sheets ready.

Combine the melted butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric whisk. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt and lemon juice. Add one cup of the flour, then the bicarb and then remaining flour. Combine on slowest speed. Lastly stir in the chocolate chips.

Grease the baking sheets with butter or spray and cook. Roll the dough into balls of about golf ball size and place on the baking sheet allowing about 6cm between each ball for spreading.

Place the baking sheets into the oven and bake for about 15 – 18 minutes until golden brown. Half way through baking, turn the sheets 180˚ and switch wracks, so the cookies can bake evenly.

Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets. Remove from the baking sheets with a flat spatula and serve warm if possible. They will be just fine served cool as well and should be stored in an airtight container.

Ever eaten a soufflé omelette?

I have left over egg whites in the fridge from making custard for my tarts this weekend and I hate throwing stuff out. My thoughts have run to an egg white soufflé omelette. It’s not as fancy as it sounds, it’s just a fluffier puffed up version of a traditional omelette.

Ever since I had the good fortune of staying at Tsala Tree Top Lodge (heaven…!) where I ate a soufflé omelette filled with wild mushrooms and gruyere cheese I have wanted to make one. Today was that day and after watching a clip on the internet on how to make one I was ever so pleased to find that it’s dead easy too! Sadly, the end result in the video was appalling. Thankfully, mine was better, a little too dark but nothing to cry about.

I decided to make a three white, one yolk soufflé omelette for breakfast and filled it with fresh herbs, tomato and garlic and served it with toasted 100% rye. Naturally one can go wild on the filling but I’m still trying to ease my tummy back to my normal eating habits. If I had had my way I would have gone with sautéed mushrooms, fresh avo, herbs and gruyere... yum!

Never the less this omelette was satisfying, delicious and pretty much guilt free. If you are curious about the health benefits of eggs, read this article – it cleared allot up for me.

http://www.lifemojo.com/lifestyle/eggs-good-or-bad-for-health-54818560

Soufflé Omelette

Serves one hearty or two light breakfasts

One ripe tomato

Fresh basil and chives

½ clove of garlic

Oil for frying

1 egg yolk

3 egg whites

(you can use two yolks and two whites if you want a normal omelette)

Salt and pepper

Chop the tomato into cubes, finely chop the garlic and herbs and have them all ready for use. Set your oven on grill and the wrack close to the top.

Using an electric beater, whip the egg whites until they have just stiffened. With a metal spoon gently stir in the yellow and season with salt and pepper.

Get a non stick pan (metal handle preferably) the correct size for the omelette you are making, about 18cm – 22cm should do well). Oil it well and heat it on a higher medium heat on the stove. Once the pan is hot, pour in the egg and with the back of a spoon flatten the omelette and shape it. If it puffs up, poke a hole in the center for the steam to escape. Try to shake the pan and lift the edges with a spatula to prevent the omelette from sticking.

After a minute or two of frying, put the pan under the grill for two minutes with the oven door open. If you have a plastic handle try to keep the handle a little way away from the grill while still having even heat on the omelette. The omelette should just be starting to colour.

Return the omelette to the stove and cook for a further minute or two. Test the omelette with your finger tips. If it is springy all the way through, it is done.

Add the filling to one half of the omelette and using a long spatula if you have one, flip the half without the filling over the filled half. Try to get as much of your spatula under the unfilled side of the omelette as possible. I find slipping it under long ways the best and then gently flipping it over.

Press it down slightly and then ease the omelette from the pan onto the plate. You can help it out with the spatula gently so as not to break it. Serve immediately.

Don't bash it till you've tried it…

As mentioned yesterday, I have a tummy bug. I have tried to reign in my general malaise as I need to be sensible about what I eat now, so as to get rid of this bug as quickly as possible. I have heard many theories about what one should and should not eat, but I am mostly in favour of the “eat whatever you can keep down” theory.

When I’m sick, marmite is one of the foods I can usually stomach and this sparked a memory. A few months ago a friend had told me about a Marmite pasta she had heard about via Nigella Lawson. I had been doubtful as to Nigella having anything to do with something as mundane as that but after a short goggle search there it was. You have to watch this clip – it is just too divine. Makes me want to eat it all over again. I love that woman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdVGc6PY1F8

Anyway, I used one tablespoon of butter, to one teaspoon of marmite for one helping of pasta. I didn’t add pasta water, but will certainly do that next time. I am sure lashings of grated parmesan would doubtless improve the dish (as it does anything), but thought it wisest to avoid that in my current state. It was delicious!

I have still to try this pasta on kids but from Nigella’s account, you can’t go wrong!