A Friend in need featuring the Mother-In-Law

So my dear friend and colleague, MaiT, has called on me rather frantically, to help her with a few meal ideas for the Easter weekend...and for the arrival of her MOTHER-IN-LAW!! Yikes. And while she assures me that hers is not bad at all, we all know a mother in law is a mother in law is a mother in law, and truth be told, my dear friend will be on stage working her little butt off. While you may have noticed that my online presence, particularly on this forum, has been limited, I felt the incessant ringing of the saying 'a friend in need is a friend indeed' in my ears, coupled with the looming arrival of my own mother in law in the very near future- I figured good old Karma would spare me for being kind enough to help a friend- hmmm...me? Selfish? I think not!

Mashed Potato with with Basil

Salt and cook the potatoes until very soft and drain water. Blend a handful of basil with ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese and a cup of milk. Blend until it forms a semi smooth mixture. Mash potatoes and add liquid gradually while mixing the mash until it reaches the consistency you like. Add a tablespoon of butter for taste.

Mashed Potato with Mushroom

Salt and cook the potatoes until very soft and drain water. Chop a packet of brown mushroom (you can vary quantity) into diced pieces. Lightly sautee the mushroom in some olive oil, garlic and black pepper until brown, then add  ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese and ¾ cup of milk. Mix well and leave to simmer for a minute or so till cheese dissolves more or less. Mash potatoes and add mushroom mixture gradually while mixing the mash until it reaches the consistency you like. Add a tablespoon of butter for taste.

Easy Fried Rice

Cook a pot of rice, preferably basmati because its light and doesn’t stick. You can either chop up your choice of vegetables or make use of frozen veg- the diced ones. I prefer frozen veg when I cook for many, even though ordinarily its bland, in my fried rice it is well disguised. In a pan with olive oil, start by frying whatever meat element you may want to use. If not, then proceed to lightly fry the frozen veg, making sure it sizzles out the frozen element. If the oil is luke warm, the veg will boil- not good! Keep mixing to avoid burning and add some parsley, garlic and ginger- it’s a good idea to crush these ingredients. Add some barbecue spice and a bit of cumin spice if you like Indian aromas. When the veg is cooked, gradually add the rice and keep frying and mixing until it all blends.

Green Beans and Carrots

Chop off the ends of the green beans and julienne the carrots. Heat up some olive oil, just enough to coat the veg without dripping. Put heat at ¾ of the max and lightly fry the veg. Add some pepper and salt for taste and serve when veg starts to brown. If you prefer your veg softer than not, lightly steam the veg first.

Salsa- for stews and especially curries

Chop into small cubes the following ingredients- 1 firm red tomato, ¾ onion, approx 10cm cucumber with the skin and the soft inside removed, 1 yellow pepper-for colour really, though any pepper will do. Add as much chilli as you like, if any. Mix the diced veg. For the dressing mix the following: lemon juice, sugar, pepper, garlic, olive oil- add small quantities and keep adding the various ingredients until you get your taste. As a guideline, focus on perfecting the lemon-sugar ratio and then add the other ingredients. Mix ingredients about 30 minutes before you serve, as the salsa will adsorb the dressing without making it soggy during this time.

Pasta and Tuna Salad

Boil 1 packet of macaroni pasta and then let it cool off- don’t forget to add salt for taste. Mix 2 cans of tuna (the one preserved in oil) with finely chopped onion and green pepper- one of each. Add 4 tablespoons mayonnaise and mix with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Mix wet ingredients with pasta. If it is dry, add a little more mayo and milk. Add pepper for taste and garnish with parsley. Leave to chill in the fridge.

Prawn Stir Fry- see blog 22 January 2013

Grilled Fish in Foil

Season your fish fillets and leave overnight. For the seasoning use lemon, vinegar, salt, garlic and fresh coriander. The next day, place each fillet in its own foil pocket with shiny part inside and seal, warm up oven at 180 degrees or 2/3 of the heat. Place fish inside the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool while still in the foil- cooking will continue but this is fine if food cooks for 20 min exactly. Garnish with lemon slices and coriander.

Peanut Butter Chicken- see blog Wednesday 28th November 2012

Whole Chicken Grilled

Marinade the chicken with Portuguese spice, honey, olive oil, garlic, salt and rosemary. Because the chicken will cook slowly, maximise on flavours by slipping garlic and rosemary beneath the skin of the chicken. You can make small incisions on the flesh of the chicken and insert small chunks of garlic. Rub the spice mixture onto the chicken and leave to stand for as long as possible(over a few hours, overnight or even just a few minutes). When ready, place chicken on foil and cover completely. Heat up oven to 180 degrees or 2/3 of heat. Cook slowly over 2 hours. Serve with grilled veg and rice.

Mint and Rosemary Lamb Chops- to be posted soon