Sausage and Red Lentil Soup

I suppose that when you get bogged down by the first sniffles of the season, you know well and truly that winter has arrived. Not that it was a big consolation for me when I had to take not just one, but two days off work last week. And while days off work are great, it's not so great when you are forced to take it easy at home. And made to wrap up snugly in bed. 

Wait, who am I kidding? That sounds like my ideal day. Minus the stuffy nose of course.

With that being said, I've had my fair share of soups over the past few days. There's just something about soup - I am fairly certain even the sickest person perks up a little bit when they get that first whiff of something hot and steamy. No, not McSteamy - although I'm sure that could also cause some perkiness...

One of my favourite things about soup (which I relayed to my imaginary cooking show viewers the other day - what, like you don't pretend sometimes?) is that it's just so versatile. You can throw the most ordinary of ingredients in a pot, allow to simmer for a while in a liquid of your choice and voila, you've got a great (and usually pretty balanced) meal at the end. With very little effort. Bonus points if your soup is a little bit out of the ordinary, a little bit zingy perhaps or even a smidge fiery like this one. 

You can vary the heat to your liking of course, but I do think the bite of chili adds a lovely dimension to this Italian inspired soup. You may notice the inclusion of a rather odd last ingredient - olive jam. I had a semi-finished bottle hanging out in the fridge which just begged to be part of this spicy production. How could I say no?

Sausage and Red Lentil Soup
Serves 4 - 6

2 red bell peppers, seeds removed and quartered
1 cup red lentils
2 tins (410g each) tomatoes
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp olive oil 
1 tsp minced garlic
400g pork sausage, sliced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried mint
1/2 - 1 tsp dried red chili flakes
1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive jam (optional)

1. Place bell peppers on an oven tray at 180C to broil. This will take roughly 5 - 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add lentils, tinned tomatoes and water to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to cook, covered for 10 - 15 minutes or until the lentils have softened and broken down.  
3. While the lentils are cooking, heat olive oil in frying pan over high heat. Add garlic and fry for a few seconds, then add the pork sausage.
4. When the pork sausage has browned on all sides, add oregano, mint, chilli flakes, salt, lemon juice and olive jam (if using). Cook for another minute or two to develop the flavours. Set aside.
5. When bell peppers are done, remove them from the oven and puree in a food processor with a little bit of water. Add this to the lentil mixture along with the sausages.
6. Stir to combine everything, taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then cook for another 5 minutes to blend the flavours.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 449.7, Total fat 33.3 g, Saturated fat 11.7 g, Polyunsaturated fat 4.4 g, Monounsaturated fat 15.3 g, Cholesterol 77.3 mg, Sodium 1072.2 mg, Potassium 803.9 mg, Total carbohydrate 18.6 g, Dietary fiber 5.6 g, Sugars 4.3 g, Protein 19.9 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 181.4 %, Vitamin A 58.4 %, Thiamin 50.2 %, Selenium 38.2 %, Vitamin B6 32.6 %, Folate 26.0 %, Niacin 26.0 %

Dublin Coddle with Guinness

You know I never really believed the saying less is more. For me, (mostly) more is more. Especially when it comes to chocolate. And shopping. Come on ladies, you know what I mean. Which is why I was so pleasantly surprised at this very pedestrian meal of essentially boiled potatoes and pork. Sound exciting? Didn't think so.

Unfortunately (or fortunately in hindsight!) I didn't really have a choice in the matter as I needed to make something Irish for the Regional Recipe roundup. And let me tell you - it's damn difficult thinking of appropriate Irish things to make when the last few days of summer insists on being swelteringly hot. Sure Irish beef stew sounded good, but in this weather? Um... And on I plodded until I happened across various incarnations of this recipe on quite a few websites. I'll be honest, it didn't sound particularly appealing. But it did have a catchy name, and wouldn't you know it ended up sealing the deal.

And it seems I'm in good company - Dublin Coddle is said to be a favourite of the original (and some would argue best) James Bond, Sean Connery. It also appears in various Dublin literary references, which includes the works of James Joyce.* Don't you just love how that makes you feel all important-by-association? 

I'm going to be honest with you - this is not a quick weekday meal. But wouldn't you put in a little bit of effort for your own James Bond-esque supper? And I'm definitely not exaggerating when I say that the somewhat lengthy cooking time is worth it through and through. I don't know if it's the Guinness or the bacon, but the sauce ends up being oh-so-flavourful which, in my opinion, makes this one of the best simple meals out. Maybe less really is more?

I'm submitting this to Regional Recipes (March's theme is Ireland), hosted by Joanne of Eats Well With Others
and created by Darlene from Blazing Hot Wok.  

Dublin Coddle with Guinness

Serves 4 - 6

170g lean back bacon, cut into chunks

350g pork sausages (bangers), cut into thick slices

1 large onion, sliced

4 large potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp (30ml) fresh chives, roughly chopped

1 cup (250ml) water

1 cup (250ml) Guinness

1. Preheat oven to 160C

2. Dry fry the bacon in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat for a few minutes to brown. Remove (draining the fat if necessary) and repeat with the pork sausages.

3. Arrange bacon, sausage, onion and potatoes in an ovenproof dish. Season with salt and pepper (bearing in mind the sausages and bacon are quite salty already) and scatter chives over.

4. Pour water and Guinness around the meat and potatoes, cover and place in the oven for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the meat cooked.

Serve as is, with perhaps a pint of Guinness and a chunk of Irish soda bread on the side.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 521.3, Total fat 20.0 g, Saturated fat 7.0 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.2 g, Monounsaturated fat 0.0 g, Cholesterol 54.0 mg, Sodium 1,120.8 mg, Potassium 1,329.9 mg, Total carbohydrate 58.8 g, Dietary fiber 6.0 g, Sugars 2.8 g, Protein 28.6 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 42.6 %, Manganese 28.5 %, Iron 19.6 %, Folate 18.5 %

*source: Wikipedia

Picadinho de Porco (Minced Pork)

What do you get when you mix exploding eggs, with spicy mince and a fresh salsa? Well in my case, you get a Brazilian dish called Picadinho de Porco, a late supper and a side-scoop of irritation.


 

The exploding eggs? My (very unsuccesful) attempt at cooking eggs in the microwave. At least this time I wasn't splattered with bits of egg all over (and by "all over" I do mean ALL over - hair included). Everything did still wind up smelling like egg though. Which is not really the smell you're going after when you're already past hungry and have to clean up the debris to the soundtrack of the neighbours' whiny kids.

I suspect all of the above might have clouded my judgement of the final dish, as I found it pretty so-so, although TheHusband claimed to really like it. I will give it the benefit of the doubt and encourage you to make it and judge for yourself. And next time I'll stick to boiling eggs on the stove. But I think that pretty much goes without saying.

This is my submission for the Regional Recipe Roundup created & hosted by Darlene from Blazing Hot Wok. The spotlight falls on Brazil this month.

Picadinho de Porco (Minced Pork)

Adapted from The Global Gourmet

Serves 4 - 5

1 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

2 tomatoes, finely diced
500g lean pork, ground*
120g chorizo, casings removed

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp dried chilli (or to taste)
salt to taste

2 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
coriander sprigs to garnish

1. Saute onion in oil over medium heat until softened. Add tomatoes and cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.

2. Grind/finely chop the chorizo and add to the tomato/onion mixture along with the minced pork. Stir through and cook, covered for 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes or until meat is cooked through.

3. Stir in lemon juice and chilli and season to taste (bear in mind the chorizo is salty already). Cook for a further 5 minutes over low heat.

Serve hot, garnished with egg and coriander and accompanied by rice and a fresh salsa.

* You can do this at home in a food processor if you struggle to get hold of pork mince (or want to avoid the fat content in store bought pork mince)

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 378.7 , Total fat 20.4 g, Saturated fat 7.0 g, Polyunsaturated fat 2.2 g, Monounsaturated fat 9.1 g, Cholesterol 216.4 mg, Sodium 430.5 mg, Potassium 756.6 mg, Total carbohydrate 4.9 g, Dietary fiber 0.8 g, Sugars 0.2 g, Protein 41.8 g

Good source of: Selenium 95.6 %, Thiamin 83.9 %, Phosphorus 40.5 %, Vitamin B6 39.2 %, Riboflavin 37.0 %, Niacin 35.7 %, Vitamin B12 30.5 %, Zinc 28.8 %

Bola-Bola (Filipino Meatballs)

Hands-up who doesn't love meatballs? No you have to put your hands up hiiiiggh, I can't see them. What? Oh there aren't any people like that? Yup,that's what I thought.




Yes, I'm a meatball lover, but I'm a bit of a late bloomer. When I was growing up, my mom never made meatballs (well, not that I can remember anyway) and so, when I started cooking for myself it never really crossed my mind to make them. I kind of thought they would be a lot of effort and quite frankly didn't think they were that great. I mean sure they were good, but not worth a few hours of slaving in the kitchen.

Well it turns out I was wrong. Not only are they much quicker to make than I thought all along, it also turns out that with the right flavourings they can really be transformed into something delicious. Something which became evident again with the first mouthful of my Swedish meatballs.

So I started looking at other meatball recipes. And just looked what I stumbled across while browsing through some Filipino recipes online. A perfect partner for my sunshine salad. These are unusual in that they combine grated sweetpotato and carrot with the meat and gives them a softer texture and also quite a cool spicy appearance. They are quite mild in flavour, perfect for off-setting a more spicy side-dish or dipping sauce. And isn't that what you want from a great meatball?

Bola-Bola (Filipino Meatballs)

Adapted from [eatingclub] vancouver

Serves 4/Makes 28 meatballs

650g extra-lean ground pork
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1 small sweet potato, grated
1 egg
1/4 cup plain white flour
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Mix all the ingredients together. Form into small balls and place on a greased baking tray.
2. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for about 20 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 362.3 , Total fat 11.2 g, Saturated fat 3.9 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.1 g, Monounsaturated fat 4.5 g, Cholesterol 181.5 mg, Sodium 798.3 mg, Potassium 897.4 mg, Total carbohydrate 13.5 g, Dietary fiber 1.5 g, Sugars 2.2 g, Protein 48.9 g

Good source of: Selenium 119.8 %, Thiamin 107.8 %, Vitamin A 56.5 %, Phosphorus 48.6 %, Riboflavin 45.9 %,Vitamin B6 40.3 %, Zinc 30.8 %

Ham, Cheese & Sweetcorn Muffins

Good friends of ours had their first child this afternoon. And what am I doing? Baking muffins. Multiple batches for the proud parents. Oh, that's besides BEAMING with pride & joy, as TheHusband and I are B's godparents. And boy oh boy are we gonna spoil that kid! I've only seen him on a photo and I'm already head over heels in love with him. This does not bode well... Welcome to the world little B!

Ham, Cheese & Sweetcorn Muffins

Adapted from recipebook.co.za

Makes 12 muffins

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2 tbsp melted butter

90g cooked ham, finely diced

1/2 cup grated cheddar

3/4 cup sweetcorn kernels (cooked)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1. Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add milk, butter, ham, cheese and sweetcorn and stir gently to combine.

2. Sift flour, baking powder & salt together in a seperate bowl, then add to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

3. Spoon into a muffin tray and bake at 180C for 25 minutes or until browned on top. Allow the muffins to cool slightly in the tin, then remove and let cool further on a wire rack.  

Nutritional info (per muffin): Calories 156.7, Total fat 5.8 g, Saturated fat 3.0 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.5 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.8 g, Cholesterol 51.4 mg, Sodium 361.0 mg, Potassium 82.6 mg, Total carbohydrate 19.4 g, Dietary fiber 0.8 g, Sugars 1.0 g, Protein 6.6 g

Good source of: Selenium 16.6 %, Calcium 11.2 %, Phosphorus 10.4 %, Manganese 8.2%

Rainbow Rice Salad

This weekend was like those you dream of having. Relaxing, full (but not TOO full) of great friends, and even including an afternoon nap or two. Just what the doctor ordered. And on a relaxing weekend, you want a relaxing time in the kitchen too, right? This light salad promises just that. And look how pretty it turned out! I love colourful food... *smile*

Rainbow Rice Salad

Serves 5 (as main dish, more if served as a side)

1 1/3 cups uncooked brown rice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 large slices of ham (approx 100g), finely chopped

3 babymarrows, finely chopped

3/4 small yellow bellpepper, finely chopped

4 radishes (approx 60g), finely chopped

a handful of fresh basil, finely shredded

a handful of fresh parsley, finely shredded

salt & pepper to taste.

1. Cook rice in a big pot of salted boiling water until done. Don't overcook. Allow to cool down slightly, then dress with olive oil and lemon juice.

2. Add the ham and vegetables, as well as the herbs and mix through the rice to distribute evenly. Season to taste and serve.

Note: Yes, the babymarrows are eaten raw - try it, they're great that way. 

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 240.8, Total fat 6.5 g, Saturated fat 1.1 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.5 g, Monounsaturated fat 3.0 g, Cholesterol 11.0 mg, Sodium 270.9 mg, Potassium 189.8 mg, Total carbohydrate 40.0 g, Dietary fiber 2.7 g, Sugars 0.2 g, Protein 8.3 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 71.8 %, 

Swedish Meatballs (Kjøttkaker)

I was simultaneously intrigued and panicky when Darlene from Blazing Hot Wok announced the theme for the latest Regional Recipe Roundup. Scandinavian cuisine is something that I knew very little, nothing about, so coming up with something to submit would involve hours of research I initially thought.



But then I remembered some lovely meatballs I encountered at a International Food Evening while still at varsity a few years back and the memory brought a smile to my taste buds. Because those meatballs were gooooood. Despite my weirdness regarding berries in a mushy state (I won't even try to explain). Because the cranberry preserves complemented the tender meatballs in a creamy sauce perfectly. And who can argue with such a sublime combo?

Making these were super easy and the end result was just as good as I remembered. Perhaps even better, as I can now rest safe in the knowledge that I won't have to wait for another International Food Evening to taste these babies again. Come to Mama!

I'm submitting this to the Regional Recipe Round-up for October, hosted by Eats Well With Others and originally created by Blazing Hot Wok.

Swedish Meatballs (Kjøttkaker)

Adapted from Norway-Hei

Makes 36 balls (serves 4 - 6 people)

For meatballs:

1 tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
250g ground beef

225g lean ground pork

1 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup milk

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1 tsp grainy mustard

2 eggs

For sauce:

1/4 tsp minced garlic

2 1/2 tbsp butter

1 tsp tomato paste

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

a pinch of dried dill

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F)

2. Heat butter in a small saucepan and saute onion over medium heat until soft (a few minutes).

3. Mix ground meat in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients for the meatballs (including the onions). Form into small balls and place on a baking tray (no nead to grease the tray). Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until nicely browned.

4. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add garlic and tomato paste, cook for a minute, then add stock and simmer until slightly thickened and reduced. Add sourcream and stir nutmeg and dill through.

5. When meatballs are done, transfer to an ovenproof dish, pour sauce over and return to oven for another 15 - 20 minutes. Sauce will have thickened substantially.

6. Serve warm with boiled baby potatoes tossed in butter and a dollop of cranberry jelly.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 351.4, Total fat 25.3 g, Saturated fat 8.7 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.0 g, Monounsaturated fat 6.8 g, Cholesterol 127.2 mg, Sodium 243.2 mg, Potassium 314.2 mg, Total carbohydrate 9.2 g, Dietary fiber 0.6 g, Sugars 1.6 g, Protein 21.2 g

Good source of: Vitamin B12 24.3 %, Selenium 24.2 %, Riboflavin 19.0 %

Nori-wrapped Pork Rolls

 

I was surfing the web yesterday, looking for some inspiration as I planned my weekly meals, and these little Chinese morsels leapt out at me from [Eating Club] Vancouver's post. So simple, yet I've never thought about trying this. The perfect low-maintenance meal to make after the day I had at work (let's not even go there...).

I steamed them in my bamboo steamer, instead of baking or frying them as per the original recipe and I think they came out pretty good. Even TheHusband liked them in the end, even though he was a bit skeptical when I started making them. And they do present nicely, don't they? The only comment I have is that they were quite rich because of the pork mince (or maybe I just used a very fatty mince...). Or it could be because of the steaming none of the fat rendered out, which made them richer than intended. Next time I'll try using chicken mince or baking them.

Nori-wrapped Pork Rolls

Adapted from [Eatingclub] Vancouver

Makes 30 individual rolls
Serves 4 as part of main meal

500g (1 lb) lean pork mince
1/2 onion, chopped (or 2 spring onions, chopped)
1 tbsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 egg
5 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)

1. Mix everything but the Nori together until well-combined.
2. Divide the pork mixture into 5 equal parts and spread thinly onto the nori sheets. Leave about 1 inch of the top of the nori clean. Start rolling the nori sheets up into a roll, wetting the clean edge of the nori with some water to seal.
3. Cut each roll in half and place in a bamboo steamer over a pan of boiling water.
4. Leave to steam for 30 minutes, then remove from steamer, cut each roll into thirds and serve with sweet chilli sauce to dip into. Great as a starter or appetizer, or add some jasmine rice and steamed cabbage to make a meal of it.

Nutritional info (per roll): Calories 29.3, Total fat 1.2 g, Saturated fat 0.4 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g, Monounsaturated fat 0.5 g, Cholesterol 9.2 mg, Sodium 51.3 mg, Potassium 9.5 mg, Total carbohydrate 0.6 g, Dietary fiber 0.2 g, Sugars 0 g, Protein 4.0 g

Nutritional info (per serving as main meal): Calories 219.7, Total fat 8.7 g, Saturated fat 2.9 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.1 g, Monounsaturated fat 3.8 g, Cholesterol 69.1 mg, Sodium 384.5 mg, Potassium 71.2  mg, Total carbohydrate 4.3 g, Dietary fiber 1.6 g, Sugars 0.1 g, Protein 30.0

Good source of: Iron  12.8 %

Spaghetti 'a la Espanola'

Participating in Blazing Hot Wok's Regional Recipes - Spain has got me thinking about the flavours of Spain - sweet bellpeppers, juicy tomatoes, tangy olives. And so, with that in mind, I threw a couple of ingredients together and came up with this pasta dish, which has, what I'd like to think of as a bit of a Spanish flavour.



I might be completely off the beaten track here, but let's indulge me okay? And besides, I can't think of a better name for this one. So Spaghetti 'a la Espanola' it is!

Spaghetti 'a la Espanola'

Serves 4 - 5

1 medium aubergine, chopped into small cubes

1 small greenpepper, chopped into small cubes

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 tbsp olive oil

a dash of salt and a grinding of black pepper

1/2 cup red split lentils

3/4 cup water

1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes, Spanish style*

1 tsp olive oil

250g extra-lean bacon, finely diced

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp paprika

1/4 tsp chilli powder

65g pitted green olives, halved

300g spaghetti

*if you don't have this where you live, just use a regular tin of tomatoes and up the other spices

1. Arrange eggplant, greenpepper and onion on a baking tray. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and massage through to combine. Place in oven at 180C and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, put the lentils into a microwaveable container. Add the tomatoes and a cup of water, mix to combine everything and microwave on high for 20 minutes.

3. Place spaghetti in a pot of boiling salted water and cook for 10 minutes.

4. In a seperate frying pan, heat 1 tsp of oil. Add bacon and fry for about 5 - 6 minutes until browned and crispy. Add garlic, fry for another minute, then add eggplant mixture as well as the lentil mixture. Add enough water to loosen the sauce (1/2 - 1 cup). Add paprika and chilli, as well as the green olives. Cook for about 2 minutes to combine flavours and heat through. Serve, spooned onto the spaghetti.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 429.1, Total fat 9.3 g, Saturated fat 1.4 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.4 g, Monounsaturated fat 3.9 g, Cholesterol 41.6 mg, Sodium 708.6 mg, Potassium 544.8 mg, Total carbohydrates 63.2 g, Dietary fiber 8.1 g, Sugars 1.2 g, Protein 24.2 g, GI 37 (low)

Good source of: Vitamin C 27.3 %, Selenium 19.2 %, Folate 12.9 %, Manganese 12. 6 %

Spaghetti a la Carbonara

One mouthful and I was addicted. I can't believe I'd never had it before Wednesday - of course I'm talking about that silky-smooth-richness that is carbonara sauce.

The venue: Primi Piatti.
The diners: myself, TheHusband and my parents.
The verdict: OhMyGoodnessIHaveBeenMissingOutWhyDidn'tAnyoneTellMeAboutThis?

Of course I had to find a recipe to re-create this classic in my own kitchen. A google search rendered loads of recipes for Carbonara, some using cream (not traditional), some wine (a must), some cooking the eggs slightly, others not at all. Amateur Gourmet's recipe seemed the easiest to follow and posed the least risk of accidentally scrambling your eggs - a horror that befalls many when making Carbonara. I did adapt it slightly - most notably adding spring onions to the mix. Not sure how traditional that is, but that's how I fell in love with them at Primi, so spring onions, in my mind at least, were essential.

So here's how I made mine last night:

Spaghetti a la Carbonara

Serves 2 (people in love with each other & Carbonara)

250g (1/2 lb) spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
125g (4 oz) bacon, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup dry white wine
4 spring onions, chopped
2 eggs, at room temperature
50g (about 1/3 cup) grated parmesan cheese
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
a handful of French chives

1. Bring salted water to the boil in a medium-sized pot. Add spaghetti, lower heat and simmer for 8 - 10 minutes, until cooked to your liking.
2. In a seperate frying pan, cook bacon over high heat in the olive oil until crispy. This should take about 3 - 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for just a minute more to release the flavours, then immediately add 1/2 cup of white wine. Cook over medium-high heat until all the liquid has evaporated (another about 5 minutes).
3. Add the spring onions to the bacon, together with the rest of the white wine (1/2 cup). Lower heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Meanwhile, break the eggs into a big bowl, whisk lightly. Add parmesan and whisk again to combine.
5. By this time both the bacon and spaghetti should be done. Working quickly, drain your spaghetti (but reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid) and immediately add to the eggs. Stir fast for a minute or two until the sauce thickens. Add bacon as well as the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the pasta. Snip a handful of french chives into the pasta, season with a little bit of salt and lots of black pepper and serve immediately.

Prepare to become addicted...

Nutritional info (Per Serving) : Calories 844.4 Total Fat 26.7 g Saturated Fat 9.3 g Polyunsaturated Fat 2.8 g Monounsaturated Fat 11.8 g Cholesterol 323.0 mg Sodium 1,279.5 mg Potassium 500.1 mg Total Carbohydrate 100.6 g Dietary Fiber 3.1 g Sugars 0.0 g Protein 46.3 g

Good source of: Selenium 76.0 %, Calcium 38.5 %, Phosphorus 38.5 %, Riboflavin 32.3 %, Folate 30.0 %, Thiamin 20.5 %

Indian Pork with Pickling Spices

This is what I made last night, based on Meena Patak's recipe. It is hands down one of the best tasting things I've had in a while. And so simple! Let me tell you, the lemon pickle flavour is out of this world! 


If you haven't tried it before, and you can get your hands on a bottle (I use Patak's Lemon Pickles. How original...), please do yourself a favour and and give it a whiff. That alone will convince you of the wonders that lie inside that bottle. 

This is so different from the normal flavours I associate with Indian food, you know, spicy & creamy & tomatoey, but you know, sometimes you just don't feel like something heavy & creamy. Right? Right. So this one is for when you feel like something a bit lighter, more zesty and refreshing. Best of all, it only takes about 30 minutes. Now that's what I call a good deal.

Indian Pork with Pickling Spices

Serves 3

1 tbsp oil
450g pork, cubed
half of a medium yellow bellpepper, sliced into strips
125g babymarrow, sliced diagonally into thickish slices
a handful of springonions, chopped (i like to chop into biggish pieces, but it probably doesn't make a difference)
2 tablespoons of lime pickle
2 tablespoons of mango chutney (if you can't get mango, use normal chutney, but add a bit of sugar)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked brown rice

1. First get your rice going - add 2 cups water, salt and cook for about 25 - 30 minutes.
2. Next, heat up the oil in a pan and add the pork. Fry for about 3 - 4 minutes over high heat, then add yellow bellpepper.
3. Fry another 2 - 3 minutes, stirring every so often, then add babymarrow.
4. After another 3 minutes, when babymarrow is starting to soften, add the spring onions, lime pickle and mango chutney. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower heat, cover with lid and cook for another 5 minutes until veggies are soft but still crispy and pork is cooked through.
5. Serve over brown rice.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 402.0 Total Fat 19.6 g Saturated Fat 5.3 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g Monounsaturated Fat 3.5 g Cholesterol 62.5 mg Sodium 1613.7 mg Potassium 86.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 19.2 g Dietary Fiber 2.1 g Sugars 0.3 g Protein 29.1 g

Indian Pork with Pickling Spices

This is what I made last night, based on Meena Patak's recipe. It is hands down one of the best tasting things I've had in a while. And so simple! Let me tell you, the lemon pickle flavour is out of this world! If you haven't tried it before, and you can get your hands on a bottle (I use Patak's Lemon Pickles. How original...), please do yourself a favour and and give it a whiff. That alone will convince you of the wonders that lie inside that bottle. This is so different from the normal flavours I associate with Indian food, you know, spicy & creamy & tomatoey, but you know, sometimes you just don't feel like something heavy & creamy. Right? Right. So this one is for when you feel like something a bit lighter, more zesty and refreshing. Best of all, it only takes about 30 minutes. Now that's what I call a good deal.

Serves 3

1 tbsp oil
450g pork, cubed
half of a medium yellow bellpepper, sliced into strips
125g babymarrow, sliced diagonally into thickish slices
a handful of springonions, chopped (i like to chop into biggish pieces, but it probably doesn't make a difference)
2 tablespoons of lime pickle
2 tablespoons of mango chutney (if you can't get mango, use normal chutney, but add a bit of sugar)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked brown rice

1. First get your rice going - add 2 cups water, salt and cook for about 25 - 30 minutes.
2. Next, heat up the oil in a pan and add the pork. Fry for about 3 - 4 minutes over high heat, then add yellow bellpepper.
3. Fry another 2 - 3 minutes, stirring every so often, then add babymarrow.
4. After another 3 minutes, when babymarrow is starting to soften, add the spring onions, lime pickle and mango chutney. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower heat, cover with lid and cook for another 5 minutes until veggies are soft but still crispy and pork is cooked through.
5. Serve over brown rice.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 402.0 Total Fat 19.6 g Saturated Fat 5.3 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g Monounsaturated Fat 3.5 g Cholesterol 62.5 mg Sodium 1613.7 mg Potassium 86.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 19.2 g Dietary Fiber 2.1 g Sugars 0.3 g Protein 29.1 g

Spaetzle with Bacon and Celery

This is YUM YUM YUM!!! Please don't be put off by making the spaetzle from scratch, it really is quicker to make than you think. I made this last night and the whole thing took me 30 minutes from start to finish.



I first saw this in a cookbook about Eastern-European cooking. Unfortunately I can't remember the name, but would love to buy the book - they have some very good recipes in there, including Uzska, some lovely little Polish filled dumplings, rather like ravioli... But I'm going off on a tangent again. The spaetzle is unbelievable and the addition of the bacon & celery just elevates it to heavenly. I'm 1/8th German (my grandmother's father came here from Germany), so this dish makes me feel all German! Or maybe that's just my excuse for eating copious amounts of it's buttery goodness??

Warning: those on diet better stay away from this one, it contains a ridiculous amount of butter. I try to make up for it by using low-fat (3g) bacon, but I think I might just be fooling myself...

Spaetzle with Bacon & Celery

Serves 3 - 4 people (depending on your appetite - last night me & hubby went back for seconds and managed to eat everything between the 2 of us, it's so yummy!)

250g (1/2 lb) bacon, chopped
1 big bunch of celery, chopped (I usually include the leaves as well, but it's up to you if you just want to use the stems)
1/4 - 1/3 cup of butter
salt & pepper to taste

For the Spaetzle:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs

1. First make your Spaetzle - mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Set aside, while you bring a big pot of salted water to the boil and get started on the bacon & celery topping. 2. Dry-fry the bacon in a frying-pan until nice & crispy. (if you're using very low-fat bacon, you might have to add some butter here). Add the celery, turn the heat down to medium low, add half the butter and cook until softened and fragrant. Add salt & pepper to taste. I normally add a little bit of garlic to this as well, but not everyone is a garlic freak like I am, so feel free to leave it out!
3. By now your water should be boiling. Spoon the spaetzle mixture onto a big plastic/glass chopping board (I find those handle easier than the wooden ones). Now the labour-intensive bit starts, but don't worry, it goes very quickly! Holding the chopping board over the pot of boiling water, scrape the spaetzle mixture bit by bit into the pot, so you're forming little strands of spaetzle. Don't add too many pieces at once, I normally do this in 3 of 4 batches, depending on the size of the pot you have. The spaetzle will quickly rise to the top of the water - this means they are done and you can scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Continue until all the Spaetzle has been cooked. This should take no longer than 10 minutes for all of them.
4. Now add your spaetzle to the bacon & celery mix in the pan, add the rest of the butter and fry for a minute or 2 to coat the spaetzle with all the flavours. Add salt & pepper to taste & serve while still warm.

Optional: you can grate a bit of cheese on top if you want to go the full artery-clogging way (like we did last night...), but really it's just as delicious without.

Spaetzle with Bacon and Celery

This is YUM YUM YUM!!! Please don't be put off by making the spaetzle from scratch, it really is quicker to make than you think. I made this last night and the whole thing took me 30 minutes from start to finish.

I first read this in a cookbook about Eastern-European cooking. Unfortunately I can't remember the name, but would love to buy the book - they have some very good recipes in there, including Uzska, some lovely little Polish filled dumplings, rather like ravioli... But I'm going off on a tangent again. The spaetzle is unbelievable and the addition of the bacon & celery just elevates it to heavenly. I'm 1/8th German (my grandmother's father came here from Germany), so this dish makes me feel all German! Or maybe that's just my excuse for eating copious amounts of it's buttery goodness??

Warning: those on diet better stay away from this one, it contains a ridiculous amount of butter. I try to make up for it by using low-fat (3g) bacon, but I think I might just be fooling myself...

Serves 3 - 4 people (depending on your appetite - last night me & hubby went back for seconds and managed to eat everything between the 2 of us, it's so yummy!)

250g (1/2 lb) bacon, chopped
1 big bunch of celery, chopped (I usually include the leaves as well, but it's up to you if you just want to use the stems)
1/4 - 1/3 cup of butter
salt & pepper to taste

For the Spaetzle:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs

1. First make your Spaetzle - mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Set aside, while you bring a big pot of salted water to the boil and get started on the bacon & celery topping. 2. Dry-fry the bacon in a frying-pan until nice & crispy. (if you're using very low-fat bacon, you might have to add some butter here). Add the celery, turn the heat down to medium low, add half the butter and cook until softened and fragrant. Add salt & pepper to taste. I normally add a little bit of garlic to this as well, but not everyone is a garlic freak like I am, so feel free to leave it out!
3. By now your water should be boiling. Spoon the spaetzle mixture onto a big plastic/glass chopping board (I find those handle easier than the wooden ones). Now the labour-intensive bit starts, but don't worry, it goes very quickly! Holding the chopping board over the pot of boiling water, scrape the spaetzle mixture bit by bit into the pot, so you're forming little strands of spaetzle. Don't add too many pieces at once, I normally do this in 3 of 4 batches, depending on the size of the pot you have. The spaetzle will quickly rise to the top of the water - this means they are done and you can scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Continue until all the Spaetzle has been cooked. This should take no longer than 10 minutes for all of them.
4. Now add your spaetzle to the bacon & celery mix in the pan, add the rest of the butter and fry for a minute or 2 to coat the spaetzle with all the flavours. Add salt & pepper to taste & serve while still warm.

Optional: you can grate a bit of cheese on top if you want to go the full artery-clogging way (like we did last night...), but really it's just as delicious without.

Italian Sausages

Impromptu dish, thrown together a few nights ago when I felt like some comfort food (and preferably with as little effort as possible). Of course, I just had to grab the fennel that the store had on offer and I think it complemented the other ingredients very nicely. I served this with polenta and rocket (aragula) and it was delicious!

Italian Sausages

Serves 5 - 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 medium onion, sliced in rings
3 small bulbs of fennel, sliced into rings (reserve a few of the leaves, and chop those as well)
2 packs cocktail pork sausages (about 400 - 500g)
1 punnet mushrooms (250g), halved
1/3 cup sweet white wine
2 tablespoons dried aniseed
balsamic reduction to drizzle over
salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan, add the garlic & onion and saute gently until the onion starts to soften, add the fennel rings, saute another 2 - 3 minutes. Lastly add the sausages, cook for a few minutes more to lightly brown them on the outside.
2. Spoon the sausages, onions & fennel into an ovenproof dish. Mix in the mushrooms and pour the white wine over.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes, then sprinkle the aniseed and balsamic reduction over and season with salt&pepper to taste. Bake for another 30 minutes, turning the sausages once to brown evenly. It is ready when the fennel is soft.
4. Serve with polenta and optionally a few rocket leaves.

Nutritional info (Per Serving) : Calories 384.7, Total Fat 28.6 g Saturated Fat 9.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat 3.6 g Monounsaturated Fat 13.6 g Cholesterol 62.5 mg Sodium 669.7 mg Potassium 914.5 mg Total Carbohydrate 14.6 g Dietary Fiber 4.9 g Sugars 0.9 g Protein 15.0 g

Good source of: Selenium 36.5 %, Thiamin 35.4 %, Vitamin C 32.7 %, Niacin 26.4 %, Phosphorus 22.7 %

Italian Sausages

Impromptu dish, thrown together a few nights ago when I felt like some comfort food (and preferably with as little effort as possible). Of course, I just had to grab the fennel that the store had on offer and I think it complemented the other ingredients very nicely. I served this with polenta and rocket and it was delicious!

Serves 5 - 6

1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 onion, sliced in rings
3 small bulbs of fennel, sliced into rings (reserve a few of the leaves, and chop those as well)
2 packs cocktail pork sausages (about 400 - 500g)
1 punnet mushrooms (250g), halved
1/3 cup sweet white wine
2 tablespoons dried aniseed
balsamic reduction to drizzle over
salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan, add the garlic & onion and saute gently until the onion starts to soften, add the fennel rings, saute another 2 - 3 minutes. Lastly add the sausages, cook for a few minutes more to lightly brown them on the outside.
2. Spoon the sausages, onions & fennel into an ovenproof dish. Mix in the mushrooms and pour the white wine over.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes, then sprinkle the aniseed and balsamic reduction over and season with salt&pepper to taste. Bake for another 30 minutes, turning the sausages once to brown evenly. It is ready when the fennel is soft.
4. Serve with polenta and optionally a few rocket leaves.

Bockwurst with roasted apples and onions

I made this a while ago, but never got around to posting the recipe, so playing a bit of catch-up.

Made a few tweaks to the original recipe and I think it turned out quite well, although perhaps a little bit sweet. I think this was exaserbated by me serving it with sweet potato mash. Not a good idea. Next time I'll leave out the sugar and serve with plain mash (as the recipe suggests), or even polenta.

Bockwurst with roasted apples and onions

Adapted from food24.com

4 Granny Smith apples, cored and quartered
3 onions, peeled and quartered
2 tsps sugar
1 tsp caraway seeds
3 oranges, juice of
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
freshly milled black pepper
4 bockwurst or frankfurters

1. Preheat oven to 180 ºC. Arrange apples and onions in a roasting pan and sprinkle with sugar and caraway seeds. Pour orange juice over and sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, or until onion have softened.
2. Add the sausage to the oven dish, spoon juices over and return to oven to heat through. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Bockwurst with roasted apples and onions

I made this a while ago, but never got around to posting the recipe, so playing a bit of catch-up.

Got this recipe from food24.com and made it with just a few tweaks. I think it turned out quite well, although perhaps a little bit sweet. I think this was exaserbated by me serving it with sweet potato mash. Not a good idea. Next time I'll leave out the sugar and serve with plain mash (as the recipe suggests), or even polenta.

4 Granny Smith apples, cored and quartered
3 onions, peeled and quartered
2 tsps sugar
1 tsp caraway seeds
3 oranges, juice of
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
freshly milled black pepper
4 bockwurst or frankfurters

1. Preheat oven to 180 ºC. Arrange apples and onions in a roasting pan and sprinkle with sugar and caraway seeds. Pour orange juice over and sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, or until onion have softened.
2. Add the sausage to the oven dish, spoon juices over and return to oven to heat through. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Surfing tastespotting, I saw a post about a dish at some restaurant - it was a bean mixture topped with a fried egg. Taking into account my fondness for stuffed peppers and the fact that I had some spinach & ham in the fridge that needed to be used, this was the logical result. 



My personal opinion is that it looked a lot better than it tasted (not that it tasted bad, but it really wasn't spectacular). I think next time I might add some mexican salsa sauce instead of the tomato sauce and see how that goes.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Serves 4

2 red or yellow bellpeppers, halved and de-seeded

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tomato, finely chopped

4 slices gypsy ham, chopped

350g (12 oz) spinach, shredded

1 tin (400g/13oz) beans (borlotti, kidney, or mixed), drained

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon peri-peri

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

4 eggs

pepper

1/4 cup grated cheddar

1. Place bellpeppers on a baking tray and roast until just soft (must still be firm)

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan, and saute onion and garlic for a few minutes until soft. Add tomatoes, fry together for about 5 minutes. Add ham, fry another 3 minutes. Now add spinach, and cook until wilted (it should only take a few minutes). Add spices and stir tomato sauce through.

3. Fill each pepper with the spinach mixture (I found it easiest to place each pepper in a ramekin), break an egg on top, pricking each yolk, season with pepper and sprinkle with a bit of grated cheese. Return to oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until eggs are just set.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 254.8, Total Fat 14.2 g , Saturated Fat 4.8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2.0 g, Monounsaturated Fat 5.5 g, Cholesterol 299.8 mg, Sodium 574.7 mg, Potassium 1,011.2 mg, Total Carbohydrate 15.6 g, Dietary Fiber 5.8 g, Sugars 0.8 g, Protein 19.2 g, GI 30 (low)

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Surfing tastespotting, I saw a post about a dish at some restaurant - it was a bean mixture topped with a fried egg. Taking into account my fondness for stuffed peppers and the fact that I had some spinach & ham in the fridge that needed to be used, this was the logical result. My personal opinion is that it looked a lot better than it tasted (not that it tasted bad, but it really wasn't spectacular). I think next time I might add some mexican salsa sauce instead of the tomato sauce and see how that goes.

Serves 4

2 red or yellow bellpeppers, halved and de-seeded
olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tomato, finely chopped
few slices gypsy ham, chopped
1 bag of spinach, shredded
1 tin beans (borlotti, kidney, or mixed)
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon peri-peri
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
4 eggs
pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese

1. Place bellpeppers on a baking tray and roast until just soft (must still be firm)
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan, and saute onion & garlic for a few minutes until soft. Add tomatoes, fry together for about 5 minutes. Add ham, fry another 3 minutes. Now add spinach, and cook until wilted (it should only take a few minutes). Add spices and stir tomato sauce through.
3. Fill each pepper with the spinach mixture (I found it easiest to place each pepper in a ramekin), break an egg on top, pricking each yolk, season with pepper and sprinkle with a bit of grated cheese. Return to oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until eggs are just set.