Chicken Chop Suey

Chicken in Soya Sauce, Dumpling delight

Joy and Jubilation!

Well maybe not so much, but I must say I was rather chuffed when by chance, I came across a Chinese supermarket in Rivonia, rather close to my ‘hood. Kong Tai is a restaurant and supermarket situated at The Wedge Shopping Centre in Joburg. The restaurant looks quite smart and welcoming while the aromas set off Pavlovian-like salivating impulses- can I get an AMEN!??

 The food was impressive much to my relief because I have been longing for a reliable Asian takeaway spot and have been left disappointed one too many times.

I spent a good buck in the supermarket as well, buying everything from variations of Soya sauce, Dumpling Sauce, Eggs Noodles, Spinach Spaghetti, Chicken and Cabbage Dumplings- (to die for!), Chinese Vegetables like Pak Choi and some Chinese Crockery.

This week I am trying out an Oriental twist to my menu, owing to the fact that after having suffered a fateful case of food poisoning (someone else’s food I assure you), I am leaning more towards light and easy going food.

I hope to explore a few dishes by talking to people and getting pointers, researching but mainly experimenting with flavours.

Oriental Soup

If you've been a bad person like me and stuffed your face with bad food, and now you feel so bad inside, here is a bad ass recipe for you and your bad, bad self.

Serves 2

 Ingredients

Crush and make into a pulp  in a pestle and mortar the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon of garlic

1 tablespoon of ginger

1 tablespoon of coriander

Salt

Pepper

5 de-shelled prawns cleaned and chopped into smaller pieces

1 reel of egg noodles

1 small head of pak choi

Method

1) Bring to boil 2-3 mugs of water.

2) Add the coriander/garlic/ginger pulp.

3) Add pepper and salt seasoning and allow the mixture to boil.

4) Add the prawns in first and simmer for a minute, then add pak choi and egg noodles. Turn down the heat and simmer until noodles are cooked- (they cook quick)

5) Serve and Enjoy.

Lunch at Katjusha's Fried Tilapia and Nshima

Yeoville is Joburg’s hub for a myriad of cultures from all over Africa, and fortunately what follows is an even wider choice of cuisines to excite the pallet. I have had the privilege of dining at a couple of restaurants in the area and each experience has been adventurous, delightful and left me wanting more. Having decided that for my own safety and because I lack the confidence to venture into Yeoville alone, I did some research and was pleased to find that Randburg has its fair share of African Restaurants.

On the edge of Randburg, somewhere close to Bryanston, I came across the restaurant and pub, Katjusha’s. Humble and hidden behind a local shopping centre, this place is misleading. What seemed like a simple pub from the outside turned out to be a warm, friendly and well run establishment. And what’s even more endearing is the Fish and Nshima (Sadza/Pap) that comes second only to my mother’s own version. 

The Chef, Danny, is a cool fellow who took my complements in his stride and went on to tell stories of his escapades in the olden day Zimbabwe.

My host for the day, Nyembe, provided entertainment in the form of his own tales and managed to distract me from what would otherwise have been a lonely lunch with my novel for company. All in all I enjoyed my experience and vowed to return with a hungry and nostalgic contingent.

Nshima and Tilapia Fish

Chef Danny At The Entrance

Simple Chakalaka Recipe

Chakalaka is a South African veggie delicacy best served at braais (barbecues) with pap/sadza/nchima and braii’d meat. If you haven’t tasted chakalaka at least once in your life, where have you been? Never fear- I have a quick recipe for it. Feel free to alter the ingredients to get your desired taste.  (this is for FaraiJ)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

30 ml of vegetable oil

1 medium onion diced

1 medium green pepper diced

3 carrots grated

1 tomato chopped

1.5 can baked beans

3 tablespoons crushed garlic

1 teaspoon of crushed ginger

2 tablespoons of curry (I prefer masala which is an Indian medley of spices)

Coriander

Fresh Chillies (quantity based on hotness and chilli type)

Method:

1)      Heat up the vegetable oil in a sauce pan at 2/3 of maximum heat.

2)      Add the garlic, ginger, onions and chillis and fry till onions are translucent.

3)      Toss in the curry/masala and a pinch of salt.

4)      Add tomato and leave to cook for 7-10 minutes.

5)      Mix in the carrots, green pepper and coriander and let cook for a minute.

6)      Finally add the baked beans. Mix well and remove from the heat.

7)      Enjoy.

Carpe Diem

Life happens. And if you don’t stop to take audit of yours, now and then, it could pass you by while you work your empty 9 to 5. The notion of ‘Following My Dreams’ has been playing on my mind for years now yet I have often not been able to, for one reason or another. My procrastination masks my inner fears of failure, my hesitance to venture into the unknown and my reluctance to step out of my comfort zone even when I am actually not comfortable at all. The time to start living your dreams is now, so do just that.

I recently hooked up with an up and coming photographer, Thabiso Mbegabolawe, who took a few fun pictures of a meal I cooked. A university graduate with an IT qualification under his belt, his passion and drive for his photography hobby/skill inspired me greatly because he is seizing every opportunity to do what he loves and doing it very well. I will definitely post the recipe for this Indian Curry, in the interim here are a few of his shots from our session. 

Carpe Diem...NOW!

Lemon and Herb Chicken and Veg (for a lazy day)

Lemon and Herb Chicken and Veg

Most days I am raring to cook up a storm. Other days? Well they are few and far between but I do get very lazy. In the absence of quick meals such as noodles or toast, I have to formulate a tasty dish that requires minimal effort. I made this lemon and herb chicken with shockingly low levels of energy and next to no exertion. 

INGREDIENTS

2 Sweet Potatoes
10 Cherry Tomatoes
1 head of Broccoli
6 Skinless Chicken Drumsticks
2 Lemons or 1/4 mug of Lemon Juice
Some Salt, Italian Spice, Parsley and Rosemary
3 cloves crushed Garlic
Olive Oil
Crushed Peppercorns
2 tablespoons of Honey


METHOD

1)     Marinade the chicken by sprinkling the seasoning, the garlic, herbs, honey and the lemon juice.
2)     Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
3)     Mix and Leave to stand.

4)     Wash the sweet potato and chop into blocks the size of half a golf ball- no need to peel, that requires too much energy and besides the skin is healthy.
5)      Separate the broccoli.
6)     Mix the sweet potato, broccoli and cherry tomatoes together and mix with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper for taste.
7)     Line a tray with foil and preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius or 2/3 of heat.
8)     Place chicken on the tray and add the vegetables around the chicken.
9)     Pour the remaining lemon juice marinade on the food.
10)   Cover tray with foil and grill for 1 hour.
11)   Open foil and brown the chicken and vegetables.
12)   ENJOY!

Delicious Butter-nut Shepherds Pie

The monotony of my eating plan is driving me absolutely crazy and I am often left wondering if healthy food is indeed boring (rather melodramatic- I know:-). I would say I cook rather tasty meals, however I have a tendency to cook the same ones out of pure laziness and ease, and this right here is killing me. While I am still very much in love with Butter-nut   my relationship with chicken is steadily approaching the rocks- yeah that’s right- me and my first love may not make through the woods if I don’t switch up my diet. Which is what led me to make my very first Butter-nut Shepherd’s Pie, and boy was it a hit! 

Random Fact: Did you know that Shepherd’s Pie is actually a type of Cottage Pie however cooked with Lamb only. Nowadays though the terms are used loosely and interchangeably. My friend Tina has a virtual gun to my head and so I must mention she pointed this out to me:-)

This meal serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

The Vegetables

1 large Butter-nut cubed

1 Red Onion julienned

½ Broccoli head split into sections

10 White Button Mushrooms sliced

1 Red/Green Pepper julienned

3 tablespoons of Soy Sauce

2 cloves of Garlic

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

Mince Meat

100 g of Mince

2 Carrots cubed

1 Red/Green Pepper diced

1 can of Tomatoes

1 Red Onion diced

3 tablespoons of Tomato Sauce

2 Garlic crushed

2 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
Salt, Herbs, Paprika and Barbecue Spices- (basically your choice)

Butternut Mash

1)      Cut the butter-nut into cubes and boil

2)      When soft, drain and remove from heat.
3)      Mash the butter-nut and if necessary add a little milk to make it smooth.

METHOD

Mince Meat

1)      Heat up some vegetable oil in a pan and fry the mince until it has browned.

2)      Add onions, carrots and garlic to the mince and fry till the onions are translucent. Also add your           salt, herbs, paprika and barbecue spice.

3)      Add the peppers and the can of tomato and mix well. Leave to cook until tomatoes are cooked.

4)      Add tomato sauce and half a cup of hot water.

5)      Lower heat and leave to simmer.

Vegetables

1)      Heat up some olive oil in a pan and empty all vegetables into it.

2)      Mix the vegetables well while they cook, adding the soy sauce.

3)      Add some salt (if needed) and pepper to taste.

4)      Mix the vegetables and the mincemeat.

The Finale-(PIE)

1)      Place the  mixture in an oven dish and smooth it out to make it flat.

2)      Spread the butter-nut mash over the mince and veg and smooth it out.

3)      Sprinkle two pinches of cinnamon on top.

4)      Bake at 240 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes then brown the top. (add butter on top to enhance the browning)

5)      ENJOY!

Dinner at The Maslow

My recent lifestyle escapades saw me dining at the Sandton's newest hotel and 'It-Spot', The Maslow. Situated on the edge of South Africa's Wall street district this really is a classy hotel. Our dinner invitation requested that we dress to the nines, and upon arrival, it was clear that riff raff are not part of the outfit on any given day. The cars parked outside, the suave patrons, the sophisticated ambiance- sigh...Let's just say I found myself questioning what ranks high on my hierarchy of needs.

We were ushered to the Lacuna Private Dining Room where we were greeted by a very friendly team of waiters. I am a sucker for good service and this here started my evening off on the right foot.

The menu was a set 3 course meal, with a choice of one out of 2 or 3 options in each course. I thoroughly enjoyed my starter which was a Fresh Tomato and Basil Tart; the alternatives being Warm Spanish Paella Salad or Szalouk Salad. The former was a generous portion that many failed to finish, the latter was a salad that was uneventful from what I gathered.

Fresh Basil and Tomato Tart- Absolutely Delicious

Szalouk Salad

For my mains I chose to have the  Pan seared Linefish with Moroccan spiced vegetable Tagine. After having loved working in a Moroccan restaurant before, I am always  ready to partake in the flavoursome delicacies from the North. Absolutely tender and succulent and well cooked- the fish was epic! The spice on the side of the plate went unidentified as I was too caught up in the meal to ask our lovely waitress what it was, but it definitely complemented the dish. And yes, you guessed it, the vegetables were great too.

Pan Seared Linefish

The alternative to my fish was a Marinated Lamb Shank confit with mash and steamed asparagus. I know! What was I thinking ordering fish over lamb? Heck, I don't know but this was just as delicious. I cannot compare the taste of the two but both did it for me in their own ways- just superb!

Marinated Lamb Shank confit with mash and steamed asparagus

By the time the dessert came, I was stuffed, which explains why I ordered 'cereal' as a sweet! The Seasonal Fruit Clafoutis was boring, strange tasting and made me pine for the Leopard Tiramisu or even the Signature Lacuna XXL Chocolate Delight- though I must confess, I was way too stuffed to care- I didn't even get a chance to take any more pictures.

Overall The Maslow experience was great and the food was top notch. I am sure it cost someone a lot too. 

Tom Yum Soup (pt.II)

I thoroughly enjoyed this soup last night. The last time I made it, it was smooth and easy going. I decided to add some funk to it and put in some key ingredients:

-cherry tomatoes
-coriander
-prawns

1) Bring two cups of water to boil
2) Add 5 prawns and a dash of lemon
3) Add two tablespoons of Tom Yum paste to the water and mix well
4) Cut cherry tomatoes in half and add
5) Add a few coriander leaves with the stems on.
6) Boil until prawns are cooked and tomatoes are just soft.

Enjoy!

Potato and Coriander Soup

I was never a soup person but lately my food taste has shocked me and I am falling in love more and more. My cousin made a delicious potato soup at a dinner recently. It inspired me to make my own version- Potato and Coriander Soup!

Serves 2
1. Peel and boil 2 potatoes.
2. While they boil, blend one spring onion and a handful of coriander until smooth.
3. Add blended mixture into boiling potatoes and add salt to taste.
4. Chop up half a stick of celery and add to boiling mixture.
5. When potatoes are soft, remove from heat and cool for a few minutes till warm.
6. Blitz the mixture in a blender until its as smooth as you like. I prefer mine medium lumpy- see image.

Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!!!

Dinner for Two: Dummy's Guide!

So my personal trainer may be a boss in the gym but apparently in the kitchen, he is ummm... well lets say, he is rather challenged. In order to romance his lady, I offered to do a DIY- Stir fry for dummies.

Ingredients

15 de-shelled prawns

2 large carrots

0.5 green pepper + 0.5 red pepper +0.5 yellow pepper

15 sticks of green beans

1 red (also known as purple) onions

6 mushrooms

5 Garlic Cloves 

Olive Oil

Soy Sauce 

Honey

Handful Fresh Coriander

Preparation

Prawns

Lightly season your prawns with salt, pepper and half the garlic and leave to stand for 15 minutes minimum time.

Vegetables

Prepare the carrots, red, yellow and green peppers, onions, green beans and mushroom. 

• PEPPERS: Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and inside skin, slice them length-wise to create long thin strips. 

• CARROTS: Peel the carrots and cut off ends. Slice them in half length-wise to create two pieces. Cut each piece in half again- repeat this until you half thin carrots strips. 

• ONION: Peel the onion and cut off the ends, then slice into rings, cut rings in half to create semi circles. 

• GREEN BEANS: The green beans- remove the ends and cut each one in half to make a shorter piece.

• MUSHROOM:  Slice the mushrooms into thin slices. 

The Method: The Stir Fry

1. Heat up a pan at 3/4 of the max heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. After 5 minutes, test the oil with a speck of garlic and see if sizzles.

2. Sizzle the prawns while mixing well to avoid burning, adding remaining garlic as well. After approximately 5 minutes, add some soya sauce (1.5 tablespoons).

3. Add all the veg and mix well. Remember to add the coriander.

4. Add some more soya sauce (2-3 tablespoons). At this point the vegetables should be cooking and shrinking gradually. The soy sauce will accumulate at the bottom- that’s fine.

5. Sprinkle some honey for sweetness- (3 tablespoons).

6. After about 10 minutes of adding the vegetables, taste them and see if you like the crunchiness and the taste. Adjust salt if you like, or garlic or any flavour you see fit. Be bold.

The Method: The Rice

1. Bring two cups of water to boil. 

2. Add one cup of rice.

3. Add a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of olive oil.

4. Cook on low, at ½ of maximum temperature.

5. Taste. If hard, add ½ cup of water.

6. Boil until cooked and serve.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Chicken, chicken and more chicken! It seems that’s all I eat these days, with odd the fish and red meat for a treat, but generally I am all chickened out. I absolutely love chicken but since I went through on this Lifestyle change, I eat a hell of a lot. Chicken breasts can be quite boring and there is a tendency to make stir-fries over and over again. I decided to stuff my chicken breast with cream cheese.

Cut the chicken breast in half leaving one end closed like you would a hotdog roll. Season the chicken as you please, I chose to use salt, barbeque spice, Italian dry herbs, garlic and a smidgeon of honey. (Quick tip- when frying chicken or anything for that matter, try and add basting or honey right at the end to avoid burning or caramalising). I fried the chicken lightly in olive oil until done and left them to cool. Just for good measure I sprinkled a few lines of honey on the breast. When the chicken cooled, I spread cream cheese on the inside and folded the chicken closed before sealing the edges with tooth picks. And ta-da!!! Cream Cheese stuffed chicken breasts. The honey and the cheese combo provide a tongue teasing sensation- Enjoy with a side couscous salad.

My very first Tom Yum Soup

At this time of the year, when winter is looming, we all have a million and one excuses to over indulge. The only other time we eat so much is at Christmas- but that’s a whole new story of gluttony and glee and  well...guilt eventually. I have heard a few excuses like, ‘oh the change of weather means I get more hungry’ or ‘ughhh its getting cold, now so to keep warm I just keep eating’-GUYS. No. Stop.It. I for one did not spend the past three months working out like a horse to just pack on the weight again- nah ahhhh! I plan to combat these hunger pangs with yummy foods that trick my body and incidentally score high on the health scale.

My first winter craving- obviously not taking into account the KFC and Steers Chips- has been Tom Yum Soup. After having made two trips to KOI in Sandton and ordering the soup each time, I made the decision to learn how to make my own, along with a host of other soups.(Vietnamese Soups also excite me!)

Incidentally I made my first lot of Tom Yum Soup- today!!! I use the term Tom Yum very loosely here as you see, I had only a few of the ingredients in the fridge, however I must say I was impressed!

Having not planned and cooked my work lunch the night before, I hurriedly seasoned a piece of kingklip fillet, adding lemon juice, paprika, garlic and salt- basic seasoning for a quick meal. Accidentally I added too much water so once the fish was done (or rather in my case- overdone), I was left with some stock. I decided to add a tablespoon of Tom Yum paste (which I cannot for the life of me remember where it came from), a handful of coriander and dash of lemon juice and water. I left it to boil for about 15 minutes, allowing for a more concentrated reduction and for the taste to be just right by adjusting the ingredients. I decided to sieve the mixture mainly because I don’t like tiny bits like garlic in my mouth- pet peeve- but also because I didn't get to add any of the solid ingredients like tomatoes, mushrooms and prawns! That my friends, is something to look forward to when I make the conventional Tom Yum Soup very soon. Enjoy!

The remnants of the Tom Yum Soup 

The Fish that gave birth to the Soup- and a yummy Salad