hake fish cakes with crunchy vegetables :)

i knew that i was going to have this for lunch, but the minute i took out everything to make it, i was convinced that this needed to go on the blog. it is sooo delish! here you go:)

i used woolies hake fish cakes and wow they are so creamy and wonderful, you have to get it if you live in south africa. otherwise, any other fish cakes that you love will do. if my grandmother was around then i would have had home made ones!

literally pan fried the fish cakes for 4 minutes on each side, turning them until they were golden brown.

now for the crunchy vegetables:

• as much green beans and brussel sprouts as you like.
• blanch in boiling water for 4 minutes then remove and place in cold water.
• saute them gently in a little olive oil and a small knob of butter and season with salt and pepper

so easy and simple! try it:)

comforting toasted cheese *sigh*

so this is such a procrastination post it is actually ridiculous but I just had my favourite toasted cheese and I think it is necessary to dedicate an entire blog post to the satisfaction and comfort that is this humble meal.

may's favourite toasted cheese recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 slices of white bread
• grated cheddar or gouda cheese
• thinly sliced onion (as much as you like)
• finely chopped green chilli

METHOD:
• butter your bread and layer on your cheese with the onion and chilli
• butter the outside of the bread
• heat up a pan (i use a thava at home)
• put your sandwich into the hot pan and toast until the cheese has melted and the outside is golden brown

yummiest and quickest comfort award goes to the humble toasted cheese!

enjoy everyone!

ps: this was my first blog post from my phone! yay!

blue monday with a side of vegetables

the world cup is over. devastation has hit the country with a force. even the weather understands. it is a cold, dark day in usually sunny durban. how will we recover from the lack of soccer?

lol that was me being dramatic :)

anyways, i am pretty devastated purely based on the fact that i love sport. always have, and always will. like i just told a friend, i was born with my dad's favourite premier league football team's scarves, flags and momentos decked around my crib! liverpool is the team i have supported since. i was also the athletics captain in primary school and my dad being a cricket player and my mum being an athlete always made sure my brother and i watched sporting events no matter how big or small it was.

Torres who plays for Liverpool and Spain (who are now the World Champions

after winning at the final yesterday against the Netherlands)

 

my point is that sport is in my blood and i'm sad this world cup is over not just because i loved watching it, but also cos the whole country (and the whole world) got excited about watching sport. we all came together over soccer and people who were never really interested in it now know what it is all about and how awesome it can be!

Image via Wikipedia

Fabregas who plays for Arsenal

tackling a Manchester United player (hehe)

well anyway, that's enough of my emoness. today is monday and it is a vegetarian day for us. we fast on mondays and today it is curries on the menu. well everyone loves mixed vegetable curry at my home but i certainly do not. i just don't like everything mixed together like that. so my mum is making me spinach (which she cooks with whole garlic and dried red chilli) as well as mushroom and some dhall. yum:) it is days like this i appreciate being indian. our food is so vibrant and full of flavour and everyone knows the best food is the food you grew up with. india never played in the world cup back in the day because they wanted to play barefoot (hahaha) BUT maybe india will play in the next world cup if they can get over playing with shoes on?

:)

(s)pain and memories

 guess my tapas menu gave them luck! ok ok, i am sure it was more paul the octopus than me :)

anyway, the final is tomorrow *tear* but it just means more food! i can't believe a month has passed and all this excitement that has been building for the last couple years is almost over! i really have no idea how south africa is going to cope.... i guess we have to win the olympic bid for 2020 :)

anyway, back to the food. i stayed at my gran's yesterday after years with my brother and we felt like kids again. the only person missing was my grandfather. he passed away almost 3 years ago and we haven't really spent much time in that house since then. my brother and i decided it was getting too weird and sad so we had to break the rut we were in - avoiding the house and spending time there. after all i think it could help my gran be comfortable there again. so we stayed over there last night - watched rambo on tv and had a slumber party - chips, cream cheese dip, jam donuts and chocolate donuts, tea, cool drinks and lots of laughs with my gran. she cooked for us and we ate chicken curry at the dining room table like we did after school. it was really nostalgic... but we couldn't help but feel kinda sad. could not be denied that we still felt his presence.

lots of people say that acceptance of the death of a loved one gets easier as time passes.. i have to say that it isn't really like that for me. sure i've accepted it, but i just miss him more now.

sitting at the dining room table yesterday studying, i couldn't help but think of my grandfather's favourite spot on the table. my grandparents had a really methodical way of eating lunch and dinner. my grandma would wait for him to come home from school or wherever he went, and wait for us. as we walked in the door the table would be laid with plates, glasses, food dished out and things to drink. we'd all sit down and eat together sharing our days ups and downs, laughing, smiling, talking, sharing a meal.

i guess we'll always have the memories...

viva espana - tapas for dinner?

it would be blasphemy if i didn't write a post about the world cup wouldn't it? indeedy. well (feel it) it is here! i actually have lost track of so much since it started... it is infectious, no denying that! but with the world cup unfortunately, has come a LOT of take-out since no one wants to walk away from the tv these days! we literally are eating pizza, pasta, burgers, fried chicken sooo much... not to mention all the hot dogs, chips and schwarmas at the fan fests!

but it is almost over and us south africans have no idea how we are going to cope once it is over! come sunday, a severe depression may come over us!

the thing i forgot about my blog was that it is not just a place for me to put up my favourite recipes but to talk about food and food memories and experience. I realised that this is a place for me to WRITE. i love to write. and i especially like to talk about food, which often gets on the nerves of those around me. but this is all besides the point - back to the world cup!

well today, spain is playing the semi finals against germany (booooo!) spain must win. torres must score a goal. we can't be sure given spain's run so far, and given germany's run so far, it is fair to say that spain may get completely slaughtered! BUT in honour of spain, i am going to list my top 5 favourite tapas dishes:

• fried mixed peppers with chorizo and garlic (sooo yum!)
• stuffed swiss chard (its swiss chard that has been stuffed with cheese and fried... woooow)
• of course olives and pates with garlic toasts
• melon with serano ham
• spanish omelette - nothing beats this. it is so filling because of the potato in it, and just drizzled with olive oil and a side salad!

the thing i love about tapas is that you think it is not going to fill you up, but once you have a whole table of these dishes, snacking and talking and enjoying a glass of wine, you don't actually realise how much you eat!

ok it is time to go....

VIVA ESPANA!!!!

oooh i forgot one (guess it is gonna have to be top 6 favourite taas dishes!) - gambas! that's shrimp/prawns thats soaked in all this garlicy olive oil - too delish!

flu - the best way to lose weight

the last couple weeks have been so intense... not only has the all consuming world cup taken over my life, my house and my country, but i have been wracked with a winter school course and the flu. which is why i needed to blog.

i have been so sick with the flu this past week... unable to *gasp* EAT! it has been hell! and my appetite has still not returned. i guess the plus side is i've lost some weight lol. my face has gotten smaller and my waist line and i will not complain because which girl doesn't like to lose a few kilograms right? i have been restricted to cup-a-soup and toast as nothing else has been appealing. i mean i've eaten what has been cooked but i haven't enjoyed it. i feel absolutely weird. i am not used to not thinking about food, not wanting food, not cooking. i am starting to think there's something wrong with me!

i am sure things will get back to normal quickly... i will post again in a few... i have some awesome stuff to write about "food and the world cup".

til later xx

caramelised onion, mushroom and feta tart (v)

another quick vegetarian dish i like to whip out is this absolutely delish caramelised onion tart. its sooo simple you could literally make it as a snack, or if friends are coming over and you have very little time to prepare.


INGREDIENTS:

• shop bought puff pastry
• a large onion
• balsamic vinegar
• sugar
• feta
• mushrooms
• garlic
• napoletana sauce (i get mine from woolies)

METHOD:

• roll out your puff pastry and put it on a greased baking tray. then cut 2cm border around the edges. brush the border with butter and prick the inside with a fork. this is so the border gets crusty in the oven and the inside stays flat.
• in a pan, fry off some onions until soft and then add in about 5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons of sugar. stir occasionally until the onions are completely caramelised.
• saute the mushrooms with half a clove of garlic and a bit of olive oil.
• layer the caramelised onion and mushrooms on the puff pastry, and then crumble over as much feta as you like.
• lastly, pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes (or until your puff pastry has puffed up and is golden brown) on 180 degrees.