VEGETABLES AND LAVENDAR

Now I have tried a lot of different fresh herbs with my roasted vegetables but on sunday when we braaied we put some fresh lavendar sprigs in and roasted the vegetables on the braai. I will admit I was very skeptical at first because I thought it would totally overpower the vegetables and I was leaning more to lavendar being associated with sweet things...BUT I was sorely mistaken.

The subtle lavendar flavour just coated the vegetables and left a gently lingering flavour of lavendar on the palate which was fantasticly scrumptious. We also added  fresh thyme and butter to the vegetables but the lavendar was the distant flavouring and it worked really well.

So if you are roasting vegetables and you dont have rosemary, lavendar works just as well. TRY IT

BREAD ON THE BRAAI

Yesterday with the weather being so stunning I decided to stay at home and braai instead of going out, my husband always wants to experiment so he decided to make mini springonion and sesame seed bread rolls on the braai and they were absolutely divine.

He made the bread dough and allowed it to prove, then he folded in fresh springonions and sesame seeds, rolled it out, brushed with olive oil then folded up and allowed to prove for a little while and then straight onto the braai.

They had such a stunning flavour from the springonion and toasted sesame seeds and then the smoky braai flavour, you should definitly try these at home.

RECIPE:

850g flour
50g bran
10g yeast
15g salt
15g sugar
350ml water
300ml milk
3 springonions
45g sesame seeds
olive oil

METHOD:

• Heat the milk and water in a microwave for 1 minute, then add the sugar and the yeast and leave for 10 minutes.
• In a kenwood combine the flour, bran and salt then add the wet mixture and mix until all combines then knead in the kenwood for 7 minutes, the dough should be pulling away from the sides and form a ball, if not add more flour or more liquid.
• Cover the mixture and allow proving until double in size.
• Cut the springonion, knock back the dough and fold in the springonions and sesame seeds.
• portion into little balls, roll out and brush olive oil over then fold up and leave to prove for 15 minutes.
• Place onto the braai but only turn when you see a golden crust forming on the bottom of the bread. Turn over and cook on the other side.
• Serve hot with the meat and vegetables

NATIONAL CHAINE COMPETITION

Its the National Chaine des Rotisseurs young chefs competition next thursday at nestle, they will be competing for the international round which will be held in Turkey,Istanbul in september.

Its a mystery basket competition with the basket leaning towards turkish influenced foods where the competitors have 3 hours to cook and 3 course meal for 4 people, they then have their food crit by 6 professional judges and watched in the kitchen by 2 kitchen judges.

Every establishment should aid their young chefs to compete and better their skills and knowledge, and this competition is the way forward for them.

WHAT A FIND

Today I found out that there is a shop in boksburg that is called the UK emporium, and its like a mini supermarket with all UK products from food to beverages to toileries, how about that, a shop that sells overseas produce right on my door step and I didnt have a clue.

I cant wait to go shopping and see what the UK has to offer right here in johannesburg.

Lai Lai Gardens

I heard from a friend that this restuarant Lai Lai gardens in Illovo is fantastic, its in the thrupps centre. Im going to go try it out on sunday, its the best day to go but you have to book.

Will give it a write up on monday.

PETITS FOURS

On saturday I will be at Petits Fours deli doing a hands on demonstration on yeast based patisserie items and tea time treats.

Avocado magazine will be there to shoot pictures of the demo and place it in next months magazine.

The menu will be...

Homemade ciabatta bread
Croissants
Hands on roast chicken and butternut quiche
Hands on icing and garnishing orange cake

So look out for it it the next avocado magazine

GRAND DESIGNS SUCCESS

Grand designs was a huge succes not only for SMEG but for the Live chefs theatre as well.

On friday I was in the chefs theatre demonstrating a menu consisting of Chicken, shitake and fresh herb springroll with a chilli and mint dipping sauce and then pan seared scallops with a lightly curried cauliflower puree with a druken sultana, red onion and gherkin vinegarette.

Then on the SMEG stand I demonstrated a simple dark chocolate, cinnamon and fresh mint fondue with coffee sponge, coconut marshmellos and citrus segments to be dunked in.

On saturday in the theatre again I demonstrated pan fried cob on a bed on sauted porcini and wooden ear mushrooms, dressed with a basil pesto dressing and a lemon sauce hollandaise.

On sunday on the SMEG stand we made a divine chicken curry which we served in the form of little bunny chows topped with a tomato, onion and fresh coriander salsa.

A good weekend all round with SMEG dominating Grand designs on many other stands and stalls.

STAR TOMATO

Has anyone seen a star tomato, this is what I found in my fruit basket yesterday ha ha ha, amazing what nature can do

WEDDING CAKE NO2

This is the 5 tierd wedding cake I made for a friends wedding on saturday... all 5 layers are a different flavour, the base is coffee then chocolate then almond then orange and the top is fruit cake.

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

This was a menu I came up with in my 3rd year of chef school, its funny to see how quickly you grow being in the industry

Prosciutto wrapped fig skewers

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Warm Goats cheese and asparagus tartlets

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Venison carpaccio with a petit rocket and parmesan salad

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Avocado Ritz with a twist

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Mango and chilli sorbet

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Black Trumpet crusted pan fried beef fillet with a red onion infused fondant potato and a panache of grilled vegetables with jus corse

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White chocolate and frangelico panna cotta with poached summer berries and hazelnut biscotti

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Fudge

Canapés

Prosciutto wrapped fig skewers

 Serves: 10

Ingredients:

5 very thin prosciutto slices

2 ½ ripe figs, quartered

15ml grated parmesan

Seasoning

Equipment:

 10 toothpicks/ 10cm skewers

 Method:

     ·        Cut each prosciutto slice lengthways into 2 strips.

·        Slice the figs into quarters then lay each quarter on a strip of prosciutto. Wrap up and secure together with a toothpick. Sprinkle over grated parmesan and season.

Preparation time:

 20 minutes

Plating:

 Remove the toothpick if desired and garnish with a chervil

Sorbet

Mango and chili sorbet

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

250ml water

250ml sugar

90g glucose

50g lemon juice

1 chili, deseeded and chopped

1kg mango, peeled and stoned

1 mango, peeled and sliced thinly

Equipment:

Ice cream machine

Blender

Fine chinoise

Stick stop

10 Chinese spoons

Method:

 ·        Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice and a chopped chili in a pot over a low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved then turn up the heat and allow simmering for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat add the mango and blend until smooth. Pass through a fine chinoise, allow to cool in the fridge until cold then pour into the ice cream machine to churn.

·        Slice a mango thinly and dip into sugar syrup, place onto stick stop and place into the pass over night.

·        Once churned scoop into a container and freeze in the freezer. Scoop 10 balls and place into Chinese spoons.

Preparation time:

1 ½ hours not including freezing time

Plating:

Scoop 10 individual balls and place into Chinese spoons. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a dried mango crisp.

Friandise

Fudge

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

330g granulated sugar

100ml water

1 can condense milk

60g butter

30ml golden syrup

Equipment:

20x20cm tin, greased well

Method:

·        Dissolve the sugar in the water then bring to the boil. Add the condense milk, butter and syrup.

·        Allow simmering, stirring occasionally until the mixture is half way between soft and hard boil on the sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat and beat with a electric beater until the mixture holds a ribbon.

·        Pour into a greased tin and allow setting.

Preparation and cooking time:

30 minutes and 30 minutes

TODAYS LUNCH

The Italian directors are here today so I had to make lunch, I wanted to give them some nice local produce but full of flavor and freshness so I decided to serve then a lightly smoked trout, marinated in fresh ginger and chilii and quickly grilled under the salandar, and I served them with grilled sugar snaps, baby button, porcini, long stemmed brocoli and baby corn dressed with a balsamic and porcini jus.

It went down really well so I suggest everyone try this "local is Lekker" dish at home.

INTERESTING QUICHE

Yesterday I made a roasted garlic butternut and fresh ginger chicken quiche, it was absolutly divine and I suggest you all try this.

Butternut and chicken Quiche

Ingredients:

1 roll pastry
2 chicken breasts, rubbed with fresh chopped ginger
1 small butternut, cut into cubes and roasted with garlic and drizzled with olive oil
3 eggs
250ml cream
small bunch fresh chives, snipped
seasoning

Method:

• Line the quich pan with the pastry, bake blind until cooked then remove the foil and bake the pastry until lightly golden.
• Rub the chicken with the ginger and toss the butternut with the olive oil and garlic and roast in the oven at 180'C.
• Combine the eggs, cream, chives and seasoning.
• Fill the pastry case with the filling then the egg mixture and bake at 170'C until the egg mixture sets.
• Serve warm with a crisp green salad.

GRAND DESIGNS

Just a preview of whats to come, grand designs is happening in 2 weeks time in joburg and its going top be totally SMEGGED out, so all come and see our amazing appliances, taste some mouth watering food and come and watch me do live demos in the Chefs grand arena.

WINTER BREAD

This bread is a rich wintery bread served best straight from the oven with butter and cheese, or otherwise the next day when all the flavour have infused.

Fresh orange and sultana fruit loaf

Yield: 10

Portion size: 20g

Ingredients:

200ml milk

1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

50g butter, melted

200g cake flour

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

100g brown sugar

250g sultanas

50g  almonds chopped

30ml orange juice and zest of 1

30ml marmalade

Equipment:

20cmx 10cm loaf tin

Preparations:

1) Pre heat the oven to 160’C

2) Mix the milk with the bicarbonate of soda, combine the remaining bread ingredients into a bowl. Add the mix and beat together for 5 minutes.

3) Spoon the mixture into a greased tin and bake for 2 hours.

4) Once cooled warm the marmalade and spread in on top of the bread.

Preparation and cooking time:

25 minutes and 2 hours

THE CRISPIEST CRISPY PRAWNS EVER

My husband taught me how to season prawns to make them taste absolutly divine, the trick is to season them overnight in fish sauce and black pepper, the salty liquid almost slighty pickles them which also gives the prawns an even better texture.

Then I just drain them and coat them in cornflour or rice flour and place them straight into hot oil and deep fry until golden and crispy, allow to drain on paper and eat immediatly with a homemade chili mayonnaise or and anchovy aioli.

The corn flour or rice flour is what gives the prawn the light crispy coating, normal flour is to heavy so often it absorbs to much oil and make the prawn more greasy than just light and crispy.

You have to try these at home, they are so simple but super tasty, and if you dont like prawns you could substitute them for calamari rings or tubes and I would add a tiny amount of 5 spice to the corn or rice flour then, mmmmm

UP AND COMING

To everyone its Taste of Cape Town starting tomorrow until sunday, come and sample the mouthwatering mouthfulls of the top restaurants and chefs in cape Town and ofcourse come to the live chefs theatre to see the STUNNING SMEG appliances they will be cooking on.

Taste of Cape Town, greenpoint bowling club, thurs-sunday, BE THERE

DECOREX CAPE TOWN 3

For my last demonstration yesterday afternoon I made...

Pan seared scallops with a curried cauliflower puree, drunken grape and red onion vinegarette
Cinnamon chocolate fondue with fresh fruit and toasted coconut marshmellows

The fondue was really simple I just heated cream with ground cinnamon, once it had scaled I added the 70% dark chocolate and allowed it to melt slowly then simmer gently for a few minutes to thicken and serve with fresh fruit - berries or stone fruit is the best to serve because of the tart flavour that compliments the rich chocolate cream sauce.

You have to try this at home it is so simple and easy and fun at the table as well, you could aso add brownies or biscuits to be dunked in the warm chcoclate as well, its your choice. ENJOY

DECOREX CAPE TOWN 2

Yesterday at Decorex I introduced different kinds of springrolls to the public, most people are so tired of the usual vegetable, chicken, beef and prawn which is sad because there are so many other fillings out there you can try. Yesterday I made a sweet and savoury springroll.

Fish and shitake mushroom springroll
Banana, dark chocolate and mint springroll with a ginger cream dipping sauce

The fish and shitake springroll was a huge success, not many people had had that combination before and I flavored the filling up with springonions, coriander and mint.

The public loved the sweet springrolls as well, as they to were different and the sweet banana and dark chocolate was complimented very well with the ginger cream sauce.

So for everyone that is bored with springrolls, try these or come up with your own filling and experiment and have fun.

DECOREX CAPE TOWN

Im in Cape Town for decorex and I am doing demonstrations in the Live Chefs DSTV theatre as well as on the SMEG stand.

On friday I demonstrated...

Pan fried gnocchi with a porcini cream and crispy sage leaves
Parmesan crusted chicken skewers

Everyone loved the chciken skewers because instead of just doing a normal egg wash I added wholegrain mustard to the mixture which gave it a really intense flavour then instead of just doing the normal bread crumb layer I crusted the chicken with parmesan, place it under the grill and gratinated the skewer until it was a stunning golden colour.

With the gnocchi I blanched it first until it floated and then instead of just putting it straight into the sauce I toss them in a hot pan with butter until they had a golden crust, it makes the gnocchi lighter but gives it a good texture.

For the porcini cream to give it a even more intense porcini flavour the water that I soaked the porcinis in I added to the mushrooms while they were being panfried and allowed the mixture to reduce right down then I added the cream, it give the sauce a really strong mushroom flavour as well as a good colour as well.