lamb casserole

 

on a cold winter’s day, there is nothing that warms you up better than a hearty meal. whenever cooking wintery food now, i remember some wise words i heard while watching masterchef australia last year. chef john torode (resident judge on masterchef in britain) was a guest judge on that particular episode for the “british food” theme and when explaining to the contestants about the heart of british cuisine, he emphasized that it is the hearty meal that brings the sunshine to the dull, grey days england is known for. i kept that in mind when making this delicious casserole that warmed us up nice and easy on saturday night :)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 kg lamb – shoulder, shank or leg are great cuts to use.
• 2 tbsp plain flour – seasoned with salt, pepper and chopped rosemary
• olive oil
• butter
• 5 cloves of garlic
• baby pickling onions
• baby potatoes
• 3 carrots chopped
• 1 turnip
• 4 stalks of celery
• 1 leek
• 1 punnet mushrooms
• 2 and half cups of good, rich beef stock – if you don’t want to use beef, then chicken will work just as well
• 1 cup red wine – use a wine that is full bodied and pairs well with red meat. also remember to use a wine you would love to drink, because if it is not good enough to drink it’s definitely not good enough to cook with! i used a cabernet sauvignon/merlot blend
• fresh rosemary
• fresh thyme
• fresh parsely

 

METHOD:

in a heavy based casserole dish, start off by slightly browning the pickling onions in some olive oil and butter then remove from the pot. this will start the dish off with a layer of flavour. the most important thing with a casserole is creating a level of flavour with the addition of every ingredient.

put your lamb in a bowl and season well with the flour, salt and pepper. chop up your rosemary and add to the flour dredged meat and then brown in batches in the oil and butter used to brown the onion. remember not to overcrowd the pot as this will decrease the temperature in the pot and in turn, take much longer to brown the meat.

once all the meat has been browned, you may need to add more olive oil and butter into the pot and then turn the heat down and throw in your chopped vegetables and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened and brown. once this is done, add the lamb back into the pot along with the browned onions and deglaze with the red wine. after the wine has reduced by half, add in the beef stock together with a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary. bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes on the stove.

throw in more fresh thyme and rosemary and put in the oven for 1 and half hours on 180 degrees or until the meat falls off the bone.

serve with crusty bread and you’re ready to be warmed up on a cold, winter’s day :)  

apple crumble deliciousness and larousse gastronomique

 

mekarl and i just recently celebrated our 5 year anniversary and being the most awesome boyfriend in the world, naturally he bought me the most awesome present in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is larousse gastronimique. the most awesome and amazing cookbook/cooking encyclopaedia in the world. 1206 pages long with 3800 recipes, it is the bible of cookery. and it is MINE. yes, i just used caps. it has been the most amazing addition to my list of cookbooks and cooking literature and i have not stopped reading it since the day i got it.

dying to cook recipe from it, i foraged in the house for inspiration and finally found some beautifully delicious apples. i then decided that apple crumble was the order of the day. i first thought i’d make an apple crumble tart but my short crust pastry didn’t come out right the first time so i threw that idea and just made the simple crumble. on thursday though, i plan to make the short crust pastry for the tart because (hoorah!) my parents and my brother, mahesh, are coming down to durban for the weekend!

so here’s the (paraphrased) recipe i used from this fabulous book: rub 150g cold butter into 150g plain flour and sugar until it looks like breadcrumbs. then top it over 1.5kg quartered and cored apples in an oven-proof dish and put into a 200 degree oven for 35 minutes.

for the creme anglaise ( it’s just fancy french custard really), i used another of my favourite books (has to be like 3rd favourite now though), sauces by hamlyn. i got this book on sale at adams in 2008. and i tend to go to book sales for cooking books so i was ecstatic when i found this one (as well as one on different types of margaritas) on sale.

here’s the recipe: in a pot, put 1 vanilla pod (or a tsp vanilla extract) into a saucepan with 300ml full cream milk and 300ml single cream. bring to the boil gently and then turn off the heat and let it infuse for 15 mintues. in a bowl, whisk together 25g caster sugar and 6 egg yolks. once the milk mixture has cooled sufficiently, add gradually to the egg and sugar mixture and return to the heat and stir continuously for 10-15 minutes until the custard has thickened. serve this hot or cold, your preference, but please try it because it is the best custard ever.

 

although these pictures aren’t stellar, here’s a few of the finished product :)

 

   

 

may

xo

ultimate breakfast (more like brunch)

 

yesterday morning i woke up starving. it tends to happen on tuesday mornings given that i’m vegetarian on mondays. i could have scoffed an entire chicken but i decided to restrain myself with an egg white omelette instead. since i only got out of bed at around 10am (yes, i am enjoying my last days of unemployment) it was more brunchy than breakfasty and here’s the recipe:

saute as much diced onion and green chilli as you like – i used a quarter of a brown onion and one large green chilli. throw in 3 egg whites and wait for it to brown more a less on the bottom. throw in some smoked chicken slices and cheese, fold over and a delicious start to the day is made :)

 

may

xo

baked lemon cheesecake with strawberry glaze

 

i have discovered in the last year that i actually do enjoy a dessert or two and this is definitely one of them and cutting into this creamy piece of deliciousness brings such joy that it is impossible for anyone to resist trying this recipe. once you have this cheesecake in the oven, the intoxicating smell that will permeate through your kitchen and your home will have you salivating and no one will ever want you to bake anything else. i can tell you this with all my heart because i speak from experience!

the first time i made this cheesecake, it was mekarl’s mom’s birthday and it was a cool but beautifully sticky january. sitting at the estuary on the south coast of kwazulu-natal on a warm summer’s evening (after an incredible saddle of lamb that mekarl deboned like a pro) this was just the dessert that finished off the meal. dead scared, i fearlessly decided to make the cheesecake even though it was my very first time but it came out amazingly and was an instant hit! it is one of my absolute favourite recipes and it is completely fool-proof.

you will need:

FOR THE CHEESECAKE:

• 50g unsalted butter
• 100g digestive biscuits
• 50g brown sugar
• 200g plain cream cheese
• 200g mascarpone
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 vanilla pod or 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g caster sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 150ml double cream
• pinch of salt

FOR THE GLAZE:

• 1  cup strawberries
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• half a cup of sugar
• water
• firstly, melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave if you’re a little lazy like me (lol), and while that melts crush your digestive biscuits ‘til they’re fine and set that aside in bowl. when the butter is completely melted, add into the biscuit mixture together with the brown sugar and mix thoroughly before pressing well into the oven-proof dish you’re going to bake the cheesecake in. after you’ve pressed the base in well, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until you’re ready to pour in the cheesecake filling.
• whilst that is hanging out in the fridge, mix together the mascarpone, cream cheese, vanilla, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest and whipped double cream. in a separate bowl, whisk your egg whites with the salt until soft peaks and fold into the cream cheese mixture then pour into the cake dish.
• bake for 30 minutes at 160 degrees celcius, then at 170 degrees celcius for another 30 minutes. turn off the heat thereafter and leave the oven door open to cool. once cooled, leave in the fridge til you’re ready to glaze and serve.
• for the glaze: in a saucepan put in your strawberries, corn starch, sugar and a little water and stir over a medium heat until the strawberries are completely broken down. glaze your cheesecake once the glaze has cooled and you’re ready to serve.

i actually don’t have a decent photo of this cheesecake, but i promise the next time i make it i will update this post with a photo! for now, i hope you try this recipe and enjoy every second eating this deliciousness!

may

xo

a new beginning

 

it has been 4 months since i last updated this blog and it has been on my “to-do list” in the back of my mind for too long. i have realised that as time goes by and we grow up, time for yourself becomes something more and more rare. that being said, i’m going to try and update as much as i possibly can. this blog is so much a part of me and is dedicated to one of the biggest loves of my life.

these last few months have been such a change for myself. i completed my degree and am starting my articles of clerkship with a really good firm in 2 weeks. as my career has started to take shape, i am constantly reminded in cooking that this is where my heart is. at some stage, i know that this is where my life needs to be. as committed a lawyer i will be, i know that a certain void can only be filled when creating and producing food to the ones i love. to share this love would be a beautiful thing that i know will lead to a fulfilment i could not get otherwise.

i hope to share new recipes, techniques and food journeys with whoever takes the time to read this blog.

to a new beginning…

:)

xo 

soy burger with mushrooms and cheese with a mixed squash salad (v)

 

this week i am fasting with my grandmother for kavady. kavady is a hindu festival that my family observes every year which focuses on carrying your burdens and meditating on them whilst sacrificing every day luxuries. traditionally, it is usually a very strict sacrifice that includes eating only vegetables and fruit, and praying every day – morning and night. since i am not physically carrying kavady this year, i am not fasting too strictly and have just given up meat for the week.

it is a great detox and as someone who has no problems eating vegetarian options, it comes as a welcomed change to the diet. i feel lighter and happier and it’s adding some (much needed!) variation to my weigh-less diet.

today, in the hope of eating something yummy, i made myself the most delicious vegetarian burger that would make any person content when substituting a beef burger. actually – i take that back, because it STAND ALONE is pretty awesome and i’ll probably make it again, even on a day i’m not observing a fast.

i pan fried the fry’s soya burgers in a pan after doing a quick sauted squash salad. for the salad – prepre patty pans, baby zuchini and baby gem squash and saute in a pan with olive oil and garlic. add salt and pepper and a splash of lemon juice for taste. i actually have a gooseberry and lemon reduction that i like to deglaze the pan with and it adds a delicious dimension of flavour to the vegetables. finish with parsely and leave aside to cool.

on top of the burger i added some sauted mushroom and any white cheese and it was an AMAZING lunch option that i hope you all will try :)

 

peace and love friends and have an amazing week! xo

journey

 

these past couple of months have been really quite life changing. with my parents and brother in another city and me on the last leg of my degree and first leg of my career, everything has changed around me. but unlike my old self, i have embraced it and am enjoying my new found freedom and lifestyle.

one such lifestyle change is my joining weigh-less at the end of january. i have gained an inordinate amount of weight over the last 4 years. i was not obese but i definitely was over weight and i just wasn’t happy anymore. my relationship with food was becoming something i was starting to resent. i would feel guilty every time i ate. it took a long time for me to accept where i was in my life and that i seriously needed to stop stressing about it and do something about it.

the day came and i decided that i would join the one in the glenwood area, with a group leader i knew a little. it was the best decision of my life. yes, i have my lows where i just want to give up but i have lost 4kg so far and have another 6 to go and the goal is the reason i am not giving up.

i know that i love food. i know that a good meal – both eating and preparing – will always be so satisfying to me, but not to the detriment of my health and my happiness. as a woman, no matter what we say, we KNOW what we need to do to make ourselves happy on the outside. even if we pretend that the outside doesn’t matter sometimes, it really does and deep down looking good really does make us feel good and i’m DEFINITELY not talking about being THIN, i’m talking about the outward expression of ourselves through our clothes and our bodies. if we are not confident in our bodies, no matter what size or shape, that will always come through in our confidence and it’s one of the reasons i want to do this so badly. when i looked in the mirror, be it at home or out at a restaurant, i would feel unhappy and that was the sign.

but now i am on this road and it’s a great feeling. it’s an exciting feeling. it’s a step in the right direction and it doesn’t matter whether it takes me 2 months more or 6 months more – perseverance is what is going to pay off :)

i’ve decided that although for the next few months i will not be blogging rich, decadent foods, i will be blogging my healthy options and my journey to my goal weight.

hope you’re all in for a ride :))

may

xo