Garithes Yiouvetsi (Prawns with Tomatoes & Feta)

Remember that movie Wedding Crashers? You know, the one where Owen Wilson and Vince Vaugh teams up (again - really, how many movies have they made together?) and, well, crashes a wedding? The duo are smooth-talking bachelors, out to have a good time on someone else's tab and  hopefully get lucky. Because, let's face it, if getting lucky is your aim, a wedding is the perfect backdrop. All that romance in the air? It's like taking candy from a kid.

Want to know a dirty secret from the archives of the Creative Pot family tree? Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn has nothing on my dad. He was the original wedding crasher. For real.

As child my brother and I would delight in grand tales of how my dad and his best friend at the time used to crash weddings in their youth. They almost always got away with it and knew all the popular wedding reception venues in their hometown intimately. Unlike the characters in Wedding Crashers though, they didn't have a different back story for each wedding they went to. No, my dad and his buddy kicked it old school, sticking to a story that worked. For my dad, that was pretending to be Greek.

Now, if you've met my dad, you'll know that he does not look Greek at all. But he claims they got away with it every time. Either he's just bragging or there were some pretty gullible people around in the 70's. Either way though whenever I see something Greek or eat Greek food, I think fondly of those legendary stories.

And so I couldn't help but giggle when Joanne issued the Regional Recipes challenge for June - we were going on a virtual tour of Greece! Land of my wedding crashing forefathers! And what could be more Greek than seafood? The name (yiouvetsi) initally puzzled me as I've come to associate it with a slow cooked lamb dish featuring sun-ripened tomatoes. Yiouvetsi, incidentally, refers to the dish in which the dish is traditionally cooked & served in. (Much like the Moroccan tagine.) So technically anything can be a yiouvetsi.

When I started plotting this prawn rendition, TheHusband eyed me with slight mistrust. You see, he is not a seafood lover. But he is also a very patient man and so he indulged me and even rooted from the sidelines. It paid off. The tomato and bellpepper stew formed the perfect backdrop for the man-sized prawns and together with some flat bread and simply sauteed babymarrows, this was a lick-your-fingers off kind of meal. After all, good things come to those who trust their wives.

Prawns with Tomatoes & Feta
(Garithes Yiouvetsi) 
Adapted from The Complete Book of Greek Cooking
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size squares
500g cherry (baby) tomatoes, halved
1/4 tsp peri-peri*
1/4 cup dry white wine
salt & pepper to taste
500g king-size prawns, deveined, but with tails attached 
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped oregano
75g feta cheese, cubed

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C (350F). Heat oilve oil in a large frying pan over medium to high heat. Add onion and fry for 2 minutes, then add bell pepper and fry another 2 - 3 minutes or until starting to soften.
2. Add tomatoes, peri-peri and wine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to boiling point, cover and reduce heat. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove lid and cook another 5 minutes over medium heat to evaporate most of the liquid and allow the sauce to thicken.
3. Toss prawns and herbs through, then spoon into an oven dish. Dot with feta and bake at 180C (350F) for 25 - 30 minutes.

Serve with orzo or crusty bread, and simply sauteed veggies or a fresh salad.

*or use chopped dried chillies.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 186.1, Total fat 5.3 g, Saturated fat 1.2 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.6 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.6 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 295.5 mg, Potassium 386.9 mg, Total carbohydrate 11.7 g, Dietary fiber 2.9 g, Sugars 0.4 g, Protein 23.0 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 122.1 %, Vitamin A 66.7 %,

Bokkom, Lemon & Basil Risotto with Fried Aubergine Slices

We recently visited Paternoster and while there I had a delicious dish of homemade pasta sheets layered with chillies, bokkoms and toasted breadcrumbs. In fact I was so taken with the bokkom flavour, that I bought some to take home with me (vacuum packed to give our nostrils a fighting chance...). I confess, they were lying on the kitchen counter for a few days, staring at me accusingly, then I unceremoniously dumped them in the kitchen cupboard, for later usage.

A few days later I started scouring the internet and racking my brain for risotto ideas and happened upon a recipe for a risotto with anchovies, mint and fried aubergines. And so I started thinking that bokkoms (at least to me) are somewhat similar to anchovies and wouldn't the preserved lemon that I made for the previous Daring Cooks challenge be a perfect complement to the flavours?

However I had another hurdle awaiting me  - the challenge demanded that we make our own stock. Yes, from scratch. At first I wanted to take the easy way out and make some vegetable stock. I really did not feel up to handling a chicken carcass. In the end though, I bullied myself into roasting a chicken (my first time) and making stock from the chicken bones and reserved skin. The things I do in the name of science... I stuffed the chicken with one of my preserved lemons which infused the whole bird with a deliciously lemony flavour. That was enough to convince me to make a lemony chicken stock too.

It was a simple affair really - add chicken bones, reserved skin, remainder of preserved lemon (plus some extra) and the leftover chicken juices at the bottom of the roasting pan to a pot, add a roughly chopped carrot and celery stalk, some onions, a bit of salt and top up with water. And voila! In about three hours you have a flavourful chicken stock. And it makes your whole house smell pretty good too.

As for the risotto - it was heavenly. The bokkoms added just the right note of saltiness and bite to the creamy risotto and the preserved lemon peel and basil delivered the final touches. I will admit that I never could understand the hype about homemade chicken stock, but I think it really made a difference in the end result. Bon appetit!

Oh and before I forget, the official challenge checking line:

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

Bokkom, Lemon & Basil Risotto with Fried Aubergine Slices

Adapted from About.com: Homecooking

Inspired by a meal prepared by Sardines on Toast (blogger/chef at Oep ve Koep, Paternoster)

Serves 4

1 medium aubergines, cut into strips

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 bokkoms, sliced finely*

1 3/4 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

6 cups lemon chicken stock

3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp preserved lemon peel

1. In a large saucepan, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the aubergine and fry until well browned and tender, about 8 - 10 minutes. Reduce the heat as needed to keep the aubergine from burning.

2. Heat the rest of the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, garlic and bokkoms and saute for 2 minutes. 

3. Add rice and stir for a few minutes to coat the rice with oil.

4. Add wine and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir constantly until all the wine is absorbed. 

5. Add the chicken stock, a half cup at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed before adding more stock. The whole process will take about 20 -25 minutes for the rice to be cooked al dente. 

6. Stir in the basil, butter and lemon peel. Spoon the risotto into individual serving bowls, and arrange the fried aubergine slices on top. Sprinkle with more basil and lemon peel if desired. Serve at once. 

* If you aren't lucky enough to be able to personally buy some bokkoms (dried salted mullet) on the West Coast of South Africa, I would imagine that you might be able to get away with using bacalao (dried salted cod). I have not tasted bacalao myself though, so you might want to use your own discretion on that one. Otherwise, use anchovies as per the original recipe.

Rustic Tuna Salad

No words today. Just a really simple light lunch, whipped up from (mostly) store cupboard basics. Enjoy!

Rustic Tuna Salad

Serves 2

1 tin (410g) butterbeans, drained & rinsed

75g french green beans, trimmed and halved

+/- 15 cherry tomatoes, halved

+/- 15 black olives

1 tin (170g) tuna chunks in brine, drained

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

a handful of basil, shredded

1. Toss beans, tomatoes and olive together in a salad bowl. Add tuna and gently stir through.

2. Drizzle oil and lemon juice over the salad, season to taste and scatter with basil. Gently toss to combine and serve immediately.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 271.1, Total fat 12.5 g, Saturated fat 1.5 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.1 g, Monounsaturated fat 8.2 g, Cholesterol 25.0 mg, Sodium 1,167.9 mg, Potassium 489.8 mg, Total carbohydrate 21.0 g, Dietary fiber 5.6 g, Sugars 0.7 g, Protein 15.6 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 29.5 %, Vitamin A 22.9 %, Iron 17.3 %, Vitamin E 15.9 %

Sweet & Sour Prawn Stir Fry

Have you met my friend S.Tirfry? S is  a very versatile lady - you can dress her up or down, make her asian, spicy, vegetarian or fishy. Best of all, once all the chopping is done, you can whip up a nutritious meal in a matter of mere minutes. S is a clever lady indeed!

Now I've made quite a few chicken stirfries and beef stirfries and even vegetable-only stirfries, but never tried my hand at a seafood stirfry. Truth be told, I'm a little bit scared of seafood. I assume it's because we didn't grow up eating a lot of seafood, so whenever I'm confronted with a whole fish in the supermarket, I swiftly turn the other way. 

I've tried being brave - using crabmeat in a pita for example, or making a spicy calamari stew (not blogged, but delicious!), I've even bbq'ed some prawn skewers. But to add it to something I already know and love? That seemed a bit risky. What if it completely screwed up the taste of the stirfry? Turned it into a big pot of yuck? The opportunities for disaster seemed endless. But, my logical side reasoned - what if it turned out tremendously tasty? And you missed out on the awesome flavour because you were a scaredy-cat? That would be tragic.

And so, without further hesitation (okay there was a little bit of hesitation) I plunged ahead and came up with this: Sweet & Sour Prawn Stirfry. Was it good? Hell yeah. Would I make it again? Come on look at that photo again - do you even need to ask? Seafood-cautious hubby also gobbled it up which is testament to it's success. The sweet and sour sauce with just a bit of chilli complemented the prawns perfectly, as did the pineapple.

Special thanks goes to Danie for his impromptu photography lesson on Wednesday - I think it paid off handsomely! And if there are any South African brides-to-be reading this: go check out the supremely talented Danie's portfolio - he will ensure that your special day is perfectly framed. (Full disclosure: Danie did not pay or even ask me to say this)

Sweet & Sour Prawn Stirfry
Serves 4

500g frozen prawns
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 red bellpepper, cubed
120g mangetout, halved
1 fresh pineapple, sliced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 - 1 tsp dried chilli flakes (depending on your taste)

1. Defrost prawns under cold running water in a colander. Let rest while continuing with the rest of the stirfry.
2. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat, add the onions and fry for 2 - 3 minutes, then add the bellpepper. Stir fry for 3 - 4 minutes, then add the mangetout and fry another minute. Remove from wok and set aside.
3. Using half the remaining oil, add the prawns to the wok and stir fry over high heat for a few minutes until cooked through. Prawns should be light pink and start to brown a little bit on the undersides. Remove from the wok and set aside.
4. Add the remaining oil to the wok, heat again over medium heat, then add the ginger, garlic, honey, soy sauce, lemon juice and chilli flakes. Cook for a few minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Add back the vegetables and prawns and cook, stirring for a minute or so until evenly coated. Serve immediately with freshly steamed rice.

Tuna & Coriander Pesto Pasta Salad

Let me tell you I am feeling the burn! My arms have officially taken up arms against me. At least, that's what it feels like. This of course is the result of my first two exercise sessions of the year (and indeed the first in a couple of months) that I so valiantly embarked on earlier this week. Don't get me wrong, normally I *like* feeling the burn. Odd? Perhaps, but it gives me a strange satisfaction and of course also warrants me having a smug smile on my face for a few days. But this? This is insanity!


 

Anywhoo, this isn't really about my lack of fitness though. This is about sprucing up old standbys to give them a delicious new lease on life. Kinda like my (semi-in-hiding) muscles...

Pesto Pasta Salad is one of those firm favourites that is easy to whip up and darn tasty to boot. But I think it could do with a little makeover for 2010. What do you think?

It's still pasta, still quick and super easy to make, but the normal basil pesto has been substituted with coriander pesto and I've chosen tuna and sweetcorn to pair up with the flavours. The end result is superb, if I do say so myself. Do add the fresh coriander at the end as well - it really brightens up the meal and just adds that extra layer of flavour that'll keep you going back for more.

Tuna & Coriander Pesto Pasta Salad

Serves 4 - 6

300g fusilli (or other short pasta)

2 tins (170g each) tuna in brine, drained

2 ears sweetcorn, cooked and kernels removed from cob*

1/4 cup coriander pesto

1/2 cup plain lowfat yoghurt

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

a big handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1. Cook pasta in a big pot of salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and allow to cool slightly.

2. Add tuna, sweetcorn, pesto and yoghurt. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, add the chopped coriander, toss lightly to combine and serve immediately.

*Can be substituted with a tin of drained sweetcorn kernels.

Note: Keeps for a few days in the fridge, but you will need to add a little water to loosen the pasta before serving.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 244.1 , Total fat 6.9 g, Saturated fat 1.7 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.4 g, Monounsaturated fat 0.2 g, Cholesterol 42.3 mg, Sodium 321.3 mg, Potassium 212.9 mg, Total carbohydrate 24.0 g, Dietary fiber 2.3 g, Sugars 4.1 g, Protein 20.6 g

Good source of: Selenium 65.1 %, Niacin 40.7 %, Vitamin B12 29.6 %, Vitamin B6 11.1 %, Folate 10.3 %

Crab Salad Stuffed Pita Pockets

The relaxation is really starting to hit me now and let me tell you, it is awesome! Day 2 of officially being on holiday and I already feel recharged. We've been waking up without an alarm clock, going for leisurely morning strolls around the neighborhood, picniking in the afternoons and catching up with family or a good book in the evenings.



With that said, holidays are clearly not meant for slaving away in the kitchen (it tends to interfere with all that lazing about time) but of course it's still nice to whip up something tasty. I bring you pita stuffed with crab salad. It's similar to good old tuna salad, but with the added luxury factor of using crabmeat instead of tuna. Even if it is still tinned. Because we all need a little bit of luxury around the end of the year...

Crab Salad Stuffed Pita Pockets

Serves 2

2 x 150g tins white crabmeat

1/2 small apple, finely chopped

1/4 medium yellow bellpepper, finely chopped

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup finely chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp light mayonaisse

2 wholewheat pitabreads

2 handfuls watercress

1. Mix crabmeat, apple and bellpepper together in a bowl. Season to taste, add coriander and fold mayonaisse through until evenly coated.

2. Toast pitabreads until puffed up, then cut open on one side. Stuff with some watercress, then the crab mixture. Serve immediately.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 253.8, Total fat 4.9 g, Saturated fat g, Polyunsaturated fat g, Monounsaturated fat g, Cholesterol 62.5 mg, Sodium 639.0 mg, Potassium 107.8 mg, Total carbohydrate 37.6 g, Dietary fiber 4.0 g, Sugars 1.0 g, Protein 16.5 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 79.7 %, Iron 13.5 %, Vitamin A 9.2 %, Calcium 8.0 %

Daring Cooks - Salmon En Croute

I'm not a big pastry person. Chocolate - yes, bring it on. But pastry? Meh. I can take it or leave it. Most often I abandon the pastry in favour of the filling. So when I saw this:

"The December 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking. Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online."

I kind of quivered in my boots a little bit. Because see, not only am I not a big pastry eater, I'm also not a big pastry maker. But, I reasoned, that's exactly the point of the Daring Kitchen. To step out of our comfort zones. To go boldly where no (wo)man has gone before! Or so it felt.

My experience in making this was quite positive though. It was fairly straightforward to make (and also a lot quicker than anticipated - bonus!) and I must say it did look quite impressive. Just the thing I needed for our 2  3/4 year wedding anniversary!

It tasted good too - the salmon really shined and the watercress puree was the perfect partner to the dish. The only downside was that the pastry was super rich. Both myself and TheHusband couldn't finish more than half of our servings. Next time I make this, I would probably use filo pastry. If you're a big pastry person though, I guarantee you'll be all over this like a bad rash.

 

Shortcrust pastry

Adapted from  Good Food online

Makes 500g dough

450g all purpose flour
200g cold butter
a pinch of salt

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Rub butter into flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. 2. Add salt and 2 - 3 tbsp of water, mixing to form a firm but pliable dough.

3. Knead briefly on a floured surface, then wrap in clingfilm and chill while filling is prepared.

Salmon en croute
Adapted from Good Food online

Serves 4

150g smooth cottage cheese

3/4 cup watercress

1/2 cup mixed greens (rocket and spinach)

salt & pepper to taste

500g shortcrust pastry (see recipe above, or use store bought)

500g salmon fillet (skinless), cut into 4 pieces
1 egg

1.Heat the oven to 200°C. Puree cottage cheese, watercress, rocket and spinach in a food processor to form a smooth sauce. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

2. Using a 1/4 of the dough, roll the pastry out  approx 2 - 3 mm thick and large enough to cover one salmon fillet in it. Transfer pastry to a greased baking tray, put one piece of salmon in the middle, spoon some watercress puree onto the salmon, then fold the pastry over to form a neat parcel. Repeat with the rest of the dough and salmon. There will be some watercress puree left over - reserve that for serving.

3. Make 3 neat cuts in each salmon parcel to allow steam to escape and make some decorations with the off-cuts to disguise the join if you like. Brush with the egg glaze.
4. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. Serve with the reserved watercress puree as a sauce.

Pissalidière

Don't you just love that background? It's a print that I fell in love with on my visit to Hermanus on Tuesday and I was lucky enough that my mom bought it as a gift for me. Have I got the best mom or what? Okay you have to agree with me, 'cause this is my blog so I get to make the rules. Cool right? 



Anyway, the print made me think of being sophisticated in Paris ('cause you just can't be as sophisticated anywhere else) and then of course my mind started wandering to food (as it usually does) and whaddayaknow, I just happened to have Pissalidière on my menu plan for the week. Serendipity? Hell yeah!

Of course TheHusband insists that this is just a French pizza, and I suppose, in a way it is, but it's also so much more. More flavour, that's for sure. The mixture of the anchovies, wine and olives is definitely not for the timid. But if you give it a chance, I'm sure you'll love it. And then you I'll invite you to come with me to Paris-in-my-head. Ladida Ladies, La-Dee-Da!

Pissalidière

Adapted from Easy Gourmet Dinners

Makes 8 slices

Pastry base:

2 cups white bread flour
10g instant yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup luke-warm water

Topping:
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
3 purple onions, sliced thinly
1/2 white onion, sliced thinly
3 tbsp white wine
1 bayleaf
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sugar
freshly ground black pepper

9 black olives, pitted & halved
11 anchovies (approx 1 tin)

1. For the pastry base: Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. When it starts to come together, turn it out onto a floured workspace and knead the remaining 1/2 cup of flour into the dough. Return to (cleaned) mixing bowl, cover with clingwrap and leave in a warm place to rise. It should take approx 30 - 45 minutes to double in size.
2. For the topping: Heat oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Add onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes until starting to soften. Add wine, herbs, sugar and pepper, cover and simmer for another 10 - 15 minutes, adding some water if neccessary to prevent the onions drying out.

3. Knock the dough down and roll out onto a rectangular baking tray. Drizzle with a teaspoon olive oil, then add the onions, spreading it out evenly onto the base. Lastly lay the anchovies on top in a decorative fashion, interspersed with the olives. Bake in a pre-heated oven (180C) for 15 minutes or until dough is fully cooked.

Nutritional info (per slice): Calories 181.0 , Total fat 3.2 g, Saturated fat 0.5 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.6 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.8 g, Cholesterol 4.7 mg, Sodium 433.7 mg, Potassium 150.7 mg, Total carbohydrate 30.5 g, Dietary fiber 2.0 g, Sugars 0.5 g, Protein 6.4 g

Good source of: Selenium 25.4 %, Thiamin 20.3 %, Manganese 19.2 %, Niacin 18.8 %, Folate 15.7 %

Creamy Pea and Salmon Spaghetti

What do you make when you've only got about 10 - minutes to whip something up? The answer is usually pasta, and this is one of the quickest ones I know of. Granted, it's nothing spectacular, but it's simple and tasty. And let's face it, on most weeknights, that's all you want.

Creamy Pea and Salmon Spaghetti

Serves 4

250g dried spaghetti

2 cups fresh/frozen peas

400g tinned salmon

100g pickled cucumber

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup low-fat plain yoghurt

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 tsp dried dill

1 tbsp olive oil

1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add spaghetti and cook 7 - 10 minutes, or until al dente.

2. In a seperate pan, cook the peas for about 4 minutes few minutes, then add salmon, dill pickles, buttermilk and yoghurt. Stir gently to combine, add dill and season with salt & pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes over low heat to allow the flavours to mingle.

3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Drizzle with olive oil and then toss with salmon and peas. Add reserved water to loosen. Serve immediately.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 382.6 , Total fat 11.8 g, Saturated fat 2.7 g, Polyunsaturated fat 2.7 g, Monounsaturated fat 4.6 g, Cholesterol 58.7 mg, Sodium 519.9 mg, Potassium 629.1 mg, Total carbohydrate 36.0 g, Dietary fiber 4.4 g, Sugars 9.1 g, Protein 32.0 g

Good source of: Vitamin B12 79.1 %, Selenium 71.1 %, Phosphorus 51.5 %, Niacin 44.5 %, Calcium 35.1 %, Vitamin A 32.4 %, Riboflavin 26.9 %, Folate 26.0 %

Jansson's Temptation

See that thumb in the left-hand corner? Isn't it the sexiest thumb you've ever seen? Huh? Oh this is a cooking blog? Not a look-how-gorgeous-TheHusband-is blog? My bad. But come on - you have to admit, that's a good-looking thumb!


 

Anyway, back to the food: this is another Swedish recipe I tried out. It's essentially a potato bake with the inclusion of anchovies. Both of us were initially a bit skeptical about the fishy component, but you know what, it blends beautifully in with the potatoes without even a hint of fishyness in the finished product. It's just a great creamy bake. And I like the textural diversion that the matchstick potatoes provides. I can see why Jansson was tempted!

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.

Jansson's Temptation

Adapted from Gretchen Cooks

Serves 8 as a side-dish

3 tbsp butter

2 large onions, thinly sliced

5  large potatoes, peeled and cut into matchsticks

10 anchovy fillets

3/4 cup low-fat evaporated milk

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Saute onions in 1 tbsp butter until glazed and see-through.

3. Arrange half the potatoes in a greased casserole dish and tear anchovies onto the potato layer, distributing evenly. Top with the sauteed onions and pour over 1/2 cup of evaporated milk. Dot with the remainder of the butter (2 tbsp).

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with another 1/4 cup of evaporated milk and bake a further 15 minutes until browned on top.

Note: Keep cut potatoes covered with water to prevent discolouring. Dry off before using.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 267.1, Total fat 6.0 g, Saturated fat 3.1 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.4 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.3 g, Cholesterol 16.4 mg, Sodium 257.2 mg, Potassium 1,058.3 mg, Total carbohydrate 46.1 g, Dietary fiber 6.0 g, Sugars 4.3 g, Protein 8.4 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 79.7 %, Vitamin B6 36.7 %,  Manganese 20.5 %

Tuna Spring Salad

Can you feel it? The lightness in the air, the chirping of the birds, the sun raising it's head much earlier? Yes ladies and gentleman - spring most certainly is on it's way! 



I had planned on making Hungry Desi's Palak Channa for lunch, but I soon vetoed that idea. Curries were definitely not meant for a day like today. No, days like today call out for crunch and flavour and crispness. And so I whipped up this light salad for two. But don't you worry my dear chickpea, I will soon put you to good use in that curry!

Tuna Spring Salad

Serves 2

5 button mushrooms, halved and sliced

5 radishes, sliced thinly with a vegetable peeler

1/2 medium apple

15 cherry tomatoes, halved

60g (2 oz) baby spinach leaves

1 tin (150g/5oz) tuna in brine, drained

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame seeds

1. Combine mushrooms, radishes, tomatoes and apple pieces in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Arrange spinach leaves on two plates. Spoon salad onto the leaves and top with the tuna.

3. Make a salad dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice and sugar. Drizzle over the salad and finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

4. Serve with warm pita bread on the side.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 320.8, Total Fat 21.5 g , Saturated Fat 3.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2.2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 15.1 g, Cholesterol 17.9 mg, Sodium 820.9 mg, Potassium 774.1 mg, Total Carbohydrate 16.8 g, Dietary Fiber 3.8 g, Sugars 1.3 g, Protein 17.9 g

Good source of:  Selenium 90.8 %, Vitamin A 73.4 %, Niacin 60.3 %, Vitamin C 58.4 %, Vitamin B12 37.5 %, Vitamin B6 24.4 %, Manganese 24.0 %, Folate 22.2 %, Vitamin E 20.6 %, Phosphorus 20.2 %

Fish Burritos with Guacamole and Coleslaw

This is a great meal when you're short of time but don't want to run to the nearest take-out menu. It received the thumbs-up from TheHusband on Saturday, which is saying a lot, considering he is not all that fond of fish. 



The flour coating turns lovely and crisp around the fish without the use of too much oil - a great healthier alternative to battered and deepfried fish and dare I say even tastier. The smoked haddock imparts a nice flavour here, if it was hake I would up the spices a bit to compensate.

Fish Burritos with Guacamole & Coleslaw

Adapted from Food & Wine.

Serves 2*

2 smoked haddock steaks
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp cajun spice
1/4 head purple cabbage
1 tsp sugar
lime juice
1 avocado
a few sprigs of fresh coriander
salt and pepper to taste
2 tortillas
2 tbsp mayonaisse
2 roma tomatoes, diced
sweet chilli sauce

1. Mix flour & cajun spice in a bowl. Dip fish in the flour mixture and pan-fry in a little bit of oil until cooked through and crispy on the outside.
2. Meanwhile, slice the cabbage thinly, mix with sugar and a squirt of lime juice. Leave to marinate while the fish is cooking.
3. In a separate bowl mash the avocado with a bit of lime juice, add salt & pepper to taste. Finely shred the coriander and add to the avocado, stir to combine.
4. To assemble, place each tortilla (warmed up) onto a plate. Spread down the middle with mayonaisse and top with the cabbage. Add spoonfuls of guacomole on top, as well as the tomato. Lastly top with the crispy fish steaks (you can cut the fish into chunks first if desired) and drizzle with the sweet chilli sauce.
5. Serve immediately.

* These made two very generous servings, our burritos didn't even close up! So you could definitely stretch this to four servings. I would just double up on the avocado - no-one likes stinginess when it comes to guacamole! 

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 620.4 Total Fat 27.3 g Saturated Fat 4.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 7.8 g Monounsaturated Fat 11.0 g Cholesterol 5.0 mg Sodium 666.6 mg Potassium 798.1 mg Total Carbohydrate 62.3 g Dietary Fiber 10.2 g Sugars 16.0 g Protein 35.1 g

Fish burritos with guacamole and coleslaw

Based on this recipe from Food & Wine. This is a great meal when you're short of time but don't want to run to the nearest take-out menu. It received the thumbs-up from TheHusband on Saturday, which is saying a lot, considering he is not all that fond of fish. The flour coating turns lovely and crisp around the fish without the use of too much oil - a great healthier alternative to battered and deepfried fish and dare I say even tastier. The smoked haddock imparts a nice flavour here, if it was hake I would up the spices a bit to compensate.

Serves 2*

2 smoked haddock steaks
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp cajun spice
1/4 head purple cabbage
1 tsp sugar
lime juice
1 avocado
a few sprigs of fresh coriander
salt and pepper to taste
2 tortillas
2 tbsp mayonaisse
2 roma tomatoes, diced
sweet chilli sauce

1. Mix flour & cajun spice in a bowl. Dip fish in the flour mixture and pan-fry in a little bit of oil until cooked through and crispy on the outside.
2. Meanwhile, slice the cabbage thinly, mix with sugar and a squirt of lime juice. Leave to marinate while the fish is cooking.
3. In a separate bowl mash the avocado with a bit of lime juice, add salt & pepper to taste. Finely shred the coriander and add to the avocado, stir to combine.
4. To assemble, place each tortilla (warmed up) onto a plate. Spread down the middle with mayonaisse and top with the cabbage. Add spoonfuls of guacomole on top, as well as the tomato. Lastly top with the crispy fish steaks (you can cut the fish into chunks first if desired) and drizzle with the sweet chilli sauce.
5. Serve immediately.

* These made two very generous servings, our burritos didn't even close up! So you could definitely stretch this to four servings. I would just double up on the avocado - no-one likes stinginess when it comes to guacamole! 

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 620.4 Total Fat 27.3 g Saturated Fat 4.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 7.8 g Monounsaturated Fat 11.0 g Cholesterol 5.0 mg Sodium 666.6 mg Potassium 798.1 mg Total Carbohydrate 62.3 g Dietary Fiber 10.2 g Sugars 16.0 g Protein 35.1 g

Sushi ala CreativePot

Made this quite a while ago, I think it came out quite nice! No real recipe, I made some salmon nigiri, salmon maki and rainbow rolls with salmon, avo, cucumber and carrot.

Asian Fishcakes with an orange mayo dipping sauce

This is such a Friday-night meal, even though I made mine on a Tuesday evening (granted, it was the night before a public holiday on the Wednesday, so that might explain it). Quick to make - especially if you cheat as I do and use smash (instant mashed potatoes) instead of making it from scratch. I console myself with the fact that the packet of smash does state that it's made of real potatoes...




Anyhow, a quick & easy meal and lovely to eat on the couch, dipping it into the mayo sauce. YUM.

Asian Fishcakes with an orange mayo dipping sauce

Makes about 16 fishcakes

2 frozen haddock fillets
1 packet of instant mash
1/2 onion, cut into big chunks
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2.5 cm fresh ginger, peeled
1 handful of fresh mint
1 handful of fresh coriander
2 eggs, beaten
breadcrumbs, to coat
sesame seeds, to coat
sesame oil for frying

For the mayo dipping sauce:

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
2ml orange essence (or use a spoonful of tangerine marmalade like I sometimes do)
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Steam the haddock fillets until just cooked.
2. Meanwhile, blend together the onion, garlic, ginger, mint and coriander until finely chopped. Transfer to a mixing bowl, adding the instant mash powder.
3. Add the fish fillets to the blender as well, blend briefly, until well minced. Add to the herb and mash mixture.
4. Add the eggs to the fish mixture, along with enough water to make a softish (yet still firm) batter.
5. In a seperate smaller bowl, mix together breadcrumbs and sesame seeds (about an 8:1 ratio).
6. Heat oil in a frying pan, form fishcakes with your hands, roll in the breadcrumb mixture and fry in the oil until well browned on all sides.

For the dipping sauce:

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve with your freshly-made fishcakes.

Nutritional info (per fishcake): Calories 120.4, Total Fat 5.7 g , Saturated Fat 0.7 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.8 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2.8 g, Cholesterol 48.4 mg, Sodium 47 mg, Potassium 119.4 mg, Total Carbohydrate 10.3 g, Dietary Fiber 1.2 g, Sugars 0.3 g, Protein 7.0 g

Nutritional info (dipping sauce): Calories 381.3, Total Fat 40.0 g , Saturated Fat 6.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 24.0 g, Monounsaturated Fat 10.0 g, Cholesterol 20.0 mg, Sodium 601.2 mg, Potassium 10.4 mg, Total Carbohydrate 2.9 g, Dietary Fiber 0 g, Sugars 0 g, Protein 0 g

Asian Fishcakes with an orange mayo dipping sauce

This is such a Friday-night meal, even though I made mine on a Tuesday evening (granted, it was the night before a public holiday on the Wednesday, so that might explain it). Quick to make - especially if you cheat as I do and use smash (instant mashed potatoes) instead of making it from scratch. I console myself with the fact that the packet of smash does state that it's made of real potatoes...

Anyhow, a quick & easy meal and lovely to eat on the couch, dipping it into the mayo sauce. YUM.
Makes about 16 fishcakes

2 frozen haddock fillets
1 packet of smash,
1/2 onion, cut into big chunks
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2.5 cm fresh ginger, peeled
1 handful of fresh mint
1 handful of fresh coriander
2 eggs, beaten
breadcrumbs, to coat
sesame seeds, to coat
sesame oil for frying

For the mayo dipping sauce:

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
2ml orange essence (or use a spoonful of tangerine marmalade like I sometimes do)
1 teaspoon sugar


1. Fry the haddock fillets briefly in some oil and butter until just cooked.
2. Meanwhile, blend together the onion, garlic, ginger, mint & coriander until finely chopped. Transfer to a mixing bowl, adding the smash powder.
3. Add the fish fillets to the blender as well, blend briefly, until well minced. Add to the herb & smash mixture.
4. Add the eggs to the fish mixture, along with enough water to make a softish (yet still firm) batter.
5. In a seperate smaller bowl, mix together breadcrumbs & sesame seeds (about an 8:1 ratio).
6. Heat oil in a frying pan, form fishcakes with your hands, roll in the breadcrumb mixture and fry in the oil until well browned on all sides.

For the dipping sauce:

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve with your freshly-made fishcakes.

Squid Ink Tagliolini

Found these black strings of pasta in a little shop in town the other day, and I just had to snap it up. Had no idea at the time what I would do with it, as I've never had it before. Searched a bit on the internet, but, though I saw some interesting recipes, nothing really grabbed me. 


So I decided to wing it and hope for the best. This is what I came up with and it tasted pretty damn good, if I do say so myself (although I have to admit, the pasta didn't really taste any different to normal pasta!)

Squid Ink Tagliolini

serves 2

good handful squid ink tagliolini
approx 2 large handfuls sundried tomatoes, marinated in oil or soaked in hot water for a few minutes
125 ml cream
1/4 cup dry white wine (I used a chenin blanc)
1 tin smoked mussels
1 tin smoked oysters
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
handful fresh basil leaves, chopped

1. Cook the tagliolini in plenty of salted boiling water. I added the drained oil from the tin of mussels, which seemed to add nicely to the flavour.
2. Put the sundried tomatoes in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spoon into a saucepan and warm up, adding the cream. Stir until well combined, add the wine and cook for about 5 minutes or so to give the flavours a chance to blend. Add the drained mussels, oysters and black pepper.
3. When the pasta is done, drain and drizzle with some olive oil.
4. Divide the pasta into individual bowls, spoon over the sauce and sprinkle over some chopped basil.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 794.4 Total Fat 18.4 g Saturated Fat 7.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.5 g Cholesterol 82.4 mg Sodium 940.0 mg Potassium 196.8 mg Total Carbohydrate 115.6 g Dietary Fiber 2.9 g Sugars 17.0 g Protein 36.7 g

Squid Ink Tagliolini

Found this in a little shop in town the other day, and I just had to snap it up. Had no idea at the time what I would do with it, as I've never had it before. Searched a bit on the internet, but, though I saw some interesting recipes, nothing really grabbed me. So I decided to wing it and hope for the best. This is what I came up with and it tasted pretty damn good, if I do say so myself (although I have to admit, the pasta didn't really taste any different to normal pasta!):

serves 2

good handful squid ink tagliolini
approx 2 large handfuls sundried tomatoes, marinated in oil or soaked in hot water for a few minutes
125 ml cream
1/4 cup dry white wine (I used a chenin blanc)
1 tin smoked mussels
1 tin smoked oysters
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
handful fresh basil leaves, chopped

1. Cook the tagliolini in plenty of salted boiling water. I added the drained oil from the tin of mussels, which seemed to add nicely to the flavour.
2. Put the sundried tomatoes in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spoon into a saucepan and warm up, adding the cream. Stir until well combined, add the wine and cook for about 5 minutes or so to give the flavours a chance to blend. Add the drained mussels, oysters and black pepper.
3. When the pasta is done, drain and drizzle with some olive oil.
4. Divide the pasta into individual bowls, spoon over the sauce and sprinkle over some chopped basil.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 794.4 Total Fat 18.4 g Saturated Fat 7.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.5 g Cholesterol 82.4 mg Sodium 940.0 mg Potassium 196.8 mg Total Carbohydrate 115.6 g Dietary Fiber 2.9 g Sugars 17.0 g Protein 36.7 g

Elegant Fish Burgers

(No photo - yet)

Now, the concept of fish burgers is a little bit iffy to me. Not exactly the most alluring concept, but I was bored and willing to try something new. And I was pleasantly surprised. It's also super quick & easy to make, which is always a bonus on a weekday.

Elegant Fish Burgers

Serves 1 

1 frozen crumbed fish fillet, any flavour you like (i used sweet red pepper)
1 greenpepper
1 panini, cut in half

For the mayo: (makes enough for 4 servings)
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar (or lemon juice, if you have)
5 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons sunflower oil
a handful of rocket, finely chopped
salt & pepper, to taste


1. Put the whole greenpepper in the oven and roast on the hottest setting until black & blistered.
Wait for it to cool of a bit and peel the skin of. Cut of the ends and cut into 4 slices, lengthwise.
2. Whisk up the mayo - in a blender, mix together the egg and vinegar. Gradually add the oil, until you get a pale golden colour. Stir in the rocket, add a little salt & pepper to taste and set aside.
3. Fry the fish fillet according to the instructions on the packet until crisp & golden.
4. Smear both halves of the panini generously with mayo (there will be some leftover mayo, but I'm sure you'll think up a use for that), top with the green pepper and fish fillet and dig in!

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 685.0 Total Fat 45.6 g Saturated Fat 5.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat 12.9 g Monounsaturated Fat 16.4 g Cholesterol 69.1 mg Sodium 547.9 mg Potassium 230.3 mg Total Carbohydrate 53.5 g Dietary Fiber 5.4 g Sugars 0.0 g Protein 16.8 g

Elegant Fish Burgers

Now, the concept of fish burgers is a little bit iffy to me. Not exactly the most alluring concept, but I was bored and willing to try something new. And I was pleasantly surprised. It's also super quick & easy to make, which is always a bonus on a weekday.

I used the following (to serve 1 person):

1 frozen crumbed fish fillet, any flavour you like (i used sweet red pepper)
1 greenpepper
1 panini, cut in half

For the mayo: (makes enough for 4 servings)
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar (or lemon juice, if you have)
5 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons sunflower oil
a handful of rocket, finely chopped
salt & pepper, to taste


1. Put the whole greenpepper in the oven and roast on the hottest setting until black & blistered.
Wait for it to cool of a bit and peel the skin of. Cut of the ends and cut into 4 slices, lengthwise.
2. Whisk up the mayo - in a blender, mix together the egg and vinegar. Gradually add the oil, until you get a pale golden colour. Stir in the rocket, add a little salt & pepper to taste and set aside.
3. Fry the fish fillet according to the instructions on the packet until crisp & golden.
4. Smear both halves of the panini generously with mayo (there will be some leftover mayo, but I'm sure you'll think up a use for that), top with the green pepper and fish fillet and dig in!
Very yummy, I think.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 685.0 Total Fat 45.6 g Saturated Fat 5.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat 12.9 g Monounsaturated Fat 16.4 g Cholesterol 69.1 mg Sodium 547.9 mg Potassium 230.3 mg Total Carbohydrate 53.5 g Dietary Fiber 5.4 g Sugars 0.0 g Protein 16.8 g