serves
6680g/1Vlb runner beans, sliced diagonally into 5cm/2 inch pieces
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
a few good lugs of extra virgin olive oil
1 x 400g/14oz tin of chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
South Africans are a melting pot of cultures which you find reflected in its cooking. These recepies have been suppiled by little guest houses where I have enjoyed the food and the hosts company
I love the dusk in Marrakech. I love the cacophony of sound as the musicians start, and the smells as the local lads set up their stalls of food, freshly squeezed juices and other food offerings. Some of their cauldrons look sinister, but others are tempting enough. A chicken leg grilled over coals and smothered with raisins and pine nuts and a mind blowing quantity of garlic is one of the best things I have ever eaten there, a bowl of dishwater flavored with chili the worst. This is my version of the former.
Chicken fillets or bones pieces.
fresh red chili finely chopped
cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves
a squeeze of lemon juice
olive oil
ground cinnamon
raisons or sultanas
pine nuts
chopped mint
Mix the chicken pieces in a shallow dish together with the chilies, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cinnamon, sultanas, pine nuts and mint. Leave for at least 20 minutes but and hour would be better if you have it.
Add the marinated chicken pieces into a pan of sizzling oil. Cover over a high heat and cook till golden brown. Turn over and do the other side. Then pour over the marinade and bring to the boil. season with salt and pepper and serve it hot with the pan sauces. As a lunch snack I wrap this up in a piece of flat bread with a few trimmings of lettuce for supper its accompanied by couscous and sliced oranges drizzled with olive oil and dusted coarsely with black pepper with just a hint of cinnamon.
serves
6
680g/1Vlb runner beans, sliced diagonally into 5cm/2 inch pieces
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
a few good lugs of extra virgin olive oil
1 x 400g/14oz tin of chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Steam the beans in a foil-covered colander over a pot of boiling water, or blanch in salted boiling water until tender. While they are cooking, make a quick tomato sauce: fry the garlic in some olive oil, add the tomatoes and bring to the boil, then season and simmer for about 15 minutes until you have a thick sauce. Season to taste. When the beans are cooked, stir them into the sauce.
When
tomatoes are good, this is super nice. It's a warm dish as opposed to hot, but
is even great when cold as a salad for picnics.
serves 4
455g/1lb dried spaghetti, spaghetti or linguine
310-400g/11-14oz ripe cherry tomatoes, red and yellow
2 good handfuls of fresh marjoram or basil, leaves picked
6-8 lugs extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put your pasta into a large pan of salted boiling water and cook until al dente
(check the packet for cooking time). While it's cooking, halve the tomatoes, put
them into a large bowl, and add your herbs, olive oil, garlic and vinegar.
Season to taste, and scrunch with your hands to slightly mush the tomatoes. This
can sit now until the pasta's ready. Drain the pasta, and while still steaming
hot mix well with the tomatoes, check the seasoning and serve. Easy peasy.
serves
4
2 peppers, red or yellow
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
20 cherry tomatoes
1 handful of fresh marjoram and basil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
extra virgin olive oil
optional: anchovies
optional: herb vinegar
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Cut the peppers in half and remove the
seeds. Place in an oiled baking dish and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Prick the cherry tomatoes with a knife and place in boiling water for around
30-60 seconds until the skins can be easily and quickly pinched off. Feel free
to run cold water over them before peeling. Once peeled, place the tomatoes in
the peppers. Stuff in your herbs and sliced garlic and season. You could drape
over some anchovies instead of using seasoning at this point. Drizzle with olive
oil. Cook in the preheated oven for 15 minutes lightly covered with tin-foil,
then around 30 minutes without. The smallest little splash of herb vinegar on
each pepper can be a real joy - try it and see.
Dome shaped bread or small
French loaf
Cookhouse spice
sun-dried tomato pesto
whole grain mustard
lettuce leaves
sliced tomato, sliced cucumber and sliced avocado
Warm Filling:
sesame oil
2 spinach leaves
fresh basil leaves
slices of green and yellow pepper
handful of grated mozzarella
Cut the bread through and smear both sides, then place under grill to toast lightly. Once toasted, spread tomato pesto on one half and mustard on the other to taste. Sprinkle liberally with Cookhouse spice. Arrange sliced lettuce, tomato and cucumber on one half. In a pan, flash fry the spinach leaves, brinjal, basil and peppers in sesame oil. Just before taking off the heat, add the mozzarella cheese to melt slightly. Spoon this onto the bread, arrange avo slices on top, close and serve.
Oil for frying.Large onion.100g gram flour.
Cup of cold water.
Pinch of salt & black pepper.
Half teaspoon cumin powder.
Half teaspoon coriander, fresh or ground.
Half teaspoon hot chilli powder.
Chop onion finely.Sieve gram flour and add enough cold water to mix into a batter which should not be too runny. If this occurs then more flour can be added.Add onion to the mixture as well as all the spices, mix well.Heat oil in a deep frying pan.Add spoonfuls of the mixture, shape into balls with two forks and fry on each side until golden brown.When cooked, place Bhajee's on kitchen paper to soak up excess oil.
This will make about eight Bhajee's. They may be flat as it's difficult to keep them rounded when frying, however they will still taste good.
The Bits and Pieces
100 ml of sunflower oil 20 large basil leaves (fresh if possible) 300 grams of prime rump steak 1 tsp brown sugar 2 red chillis chopped fine (more if you prefer it hotter) 40 ml Thai fish sauce 4 garlic cloves chopped fine 1 tsp ginger chopped fine 1 large onion sliced very thinly into rings 1 tsp pure lemon juice 2 pinches of salt ¼ tsp ground black pepper 2 cups Thai jasmine scented rice
How to create your masterpiece ---------------------------------------- Heat the oil in a work and, when hot, fry half of the basil leaves and for about I minute until crisp and golden.
Drain on paper towel. Remove the wok from the heat and pour off all but 30ml/2 tbsp of the oil.
Cut the steak into thin strips (across the grain for tenderness). Mix together with the fish sauce and sugar in a bowl and leave to marinate for about half an hour.
Reheat the oil until hot; stir-fry the chillis, garlic, ginger and onion for 1 minute. Add the beef and the rest of the basil leaves (chopped coarsely), and stir-fry for about 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Transfer to serving plate, scatter over the fried basil leaves and serve immediately over Thai jasmine rice.
Sit back and admire your masterpiece for 10 seconds and then get stuck in.
Method:
Soak bread in milk. Heat oil and then saute onions and garlic, add curry
powder, salt, chutney, apricot jam, worcester sauce, tumeric and vinegar and
mix well
Drain and mash bread. Reserve milk.
Add mashed bread, ground beef and sultanas to pan and cook over low heat
until the meat has browned and then remove from stove.
Mix in 1 beaten egg to the mixture and then spoon into a greased 12" x
8" baking dish.
Add a pinch of salt and tumeric to the left over milk and whisk this with
the remaining eggs. Pour this mixture over the meat mixture and decorate
with a few bay leaves.
Place the baking dish in a large pan of water and bake uncovered for 60
minutes at 180C or until firmly set.
Serve Baboti with rice, dessicated coconut, peach chutney, grated nuts and
sliced bananas