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Saucy Asian Meatballs | 10:03 PM, Apr 09 2012 |
On Sunday, a few of us got together to have dinner and afterwards play a bit of Nintendo Wii & 30 Seconds. Our host made a few traditional Bulgarian dishes while everyone else brought a little something as well. In the end, we were around 10 people with enough food to feed an entire football team and the reserves. It goes without saying: I was very very happy! =) I wanted to make something light but most importantly something that is quick & easy. I came across a post for Saucy Asian Meatballs on Gimme Some Oven. Without actually looking at the recipe – I decided to make these. (I was pretty much won over by the pictures). However, I had to change the recipe a little due to constraints on ingredients and practicality. The original recipe asked for ginger (which I didn’t have) and it didn’t call for any salt or pepper at all. So I pretty much had flavour-less meat balls after the first try. After adding a fair amount of pepper & garlic, salt and coriander powder, the 2nd batch was a vast improvement. Also, if you like eating raw meatballs you can follow the recommended cooking time on the original recipe. I had to keep them in the oven for 15 - 18 minutes. Ingredients for the Meatballs
Preheat the oven at 200C and combine the ingredients above. Use as many cups of breadcrumbs until you are able to shape balls with the mixture without it falling apart. Add as much salt & pepper to your liking to the mixture. Place the balls on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15 -18 minutes. Ingredients for the Sauce I must admit, I did cheat a bit making the sauce. I didn’t have most of the ingredients that were placed on the original recipe. I did however have Royco Sweet & Sour Sauce – just add boiling water, whisk a bit and it’s done. I also added:
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Plum Crumble Cake | 11:32 AM, Mar 18 2012 |
Ingredients for the Base
Combine 150g flour with a pinch of baking powder. Then add vanilla exteract, 2 eggs & 100g butter (place it in the microwave for a few seconds if its still too cold). Mix the ingredients thoroughly until it forms dough. Let it cool off in the fridge for a 20 minutes and spread the dough evenly in the baking tin afterwards. Then, use a fork to punch a few holes into the dough. Place in an preheated oven for 10 -12 minutes at 200C. Ingredients for the Filling
Place the plump onto the cooking tin on top of the base. Add sugar as seen in the picture below. You can also add plump marmalade & cinnamon to enhance the flavour.
Ingredients for Crumbles
Add the ingredients to a bowl and use a mixer to knead the ingredients until you are satisfied with the size of the crumbles. Add them on top of the plums in the baking tin. NB: Make sure to cover the the sides as well. Place in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes at 200C. Read More |
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Seared trout with spinach | 12:13 PM, Nov 20 2011 |
The other day I popped over to my sister’s house for lunch. Now we have a little bit of a thing going, she goes shopping and then I raid her cupboards for the ingredients I want, and cook. It’s a win-win situation for the both of us. So you can imagine my excitement when I peered inside the fridge and saw some beautiful fresh trout fillets. The pieces were thick, smelt like the sea and had a perfectly shiny skin – just right for a light searing. If your fillets have a row of pin bones running through them it isn’t a problem as you can pull them out with a pair of kitchen tweezers. Just rub a finger against the “grain” of the bones to feel where they are, and then gently pull each one out, with the “grain”, in the direction which it faces. This meal is perfect for dinner or lunch. I made a lighter option and served it with baby spinach, but if you throw in some baby potatoes or seasoned couscous, you have a meal fit for a hungry king. My “lighter” option was actually enough for 4 or 5 not-so-hungry people. But there were 3 of us and we were hungry, so we ate it all. And it was great.
Find the recipe inside
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Stuffed Peppers for 4 people | 2:04 PM, Nov 18 2011 |
This is probably one of my favorite dishes and it's so easy to make. Also, it can be tuned with some special flavors if you like! Beef can be combined with rice, barley, pasta, cheese or just veggies to fill the peppers. Ingredients:
Instructions:
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Beer Can Braai Butt Chicken | 9:57 AM, Sep 27 2011 |
Yeah, this one has an awful name, but it’s pretty awesome. Marinade a chicken for a good 24 hours before cooking. Open a can of beer and drink half, then spoon in a table spoon of your marinade. Shove, I mean, insert the beer up the chickens’ rear end. Place the entire thing balanced upright in the centre of a hot, closed braai and about an hour later, voila! You really can just make your favourite marinade, but here are a few options: Simple and Easy
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
100ml olive oil
100ml oz fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot and Spicy
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon barbecue spice
½ teaspoon peri-peri
3 cloves crushed garlic
100ml olive oil
Salt, to taste
Chilli flakes, to taste
Fresh and Fruity
1 lime, juice and zest
1 orange, juice and zest
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 finely chopped red chilli or more if you like it haaawt
Salt to taste
Sweet and Salty
100ml honey
100ml soya sauce
50ml Hot English mustard
50ml Wholegrain mustard
3cm ginger, finely chopped
Smokey and Sweet
150ml tomato sauce
150ml chutney
1 teaspoons barbecue spice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
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Quick Beer Bread | 9:34 AM, Sep 27 2011 |
A light bread that is given warmth and depth through quite a substantial amount of beer. It’s great left plain, or in the final 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle on some grated yellow cheese and even some spring onion. Thick slices, slathered with butter are great for a gourmet sandwich and dunked in to soup, it is just fantastic.
Preparation:
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Amarula Cocktail Recipes | 6:10 PM, Sep 11 2011 |
Amarula, the Spirit of Africa, has just introduced two new refreshing cocktail recipes that reflect the vibrancy of spring and summertime in the Southern Hemisphere. These two cocktail recipes can be found inside this post along with the recipe of the springbok shooter.
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Thai Red Curry | 1:37 PM, Aug 25 2011 |
I love me a good curry. I want my curry to be so hot and spicy that I break out into an awkward forehead sweat – sexy, I know. There are so many varieties of curry that I am not being very descriptive. The truth is I really do love them all, except when the curry is so full with cinnamon sticks, star anise, curry leaves, cloves, cardamom and other bits and pieces, that eating it become more of a chore then it is worth. If you are still getting used to eating curry (I don’t know how this is possible in South Africa) a really good place to start is with one of the Thai variety. Thai curries are made with coconut milk which adds a delicious rich creaminess. It is also very easy to regulate the heat in a Thai curry, because you choose how much chilli to put in it and if somehow you still make a mistake, just add more coconut milk and you are good to go. Thai curries all start with curry paste, be it Green, Red or Golden. Depending how proactive you are, you can make this paste yourself or you can buy it from your local supermarket (haha I have always wanted to say that). I have done both and to be honest, as lovely as a homemade curry paste really is, the quality of the bought variety is perfect so if you aren’t in the mood to make your own, it really is ok. I won’t tell. Read More |
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Wine Making at Home DIY-Style | 7:59 PM, Aug 10 2011 |
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Mousakke Recipe | 5:56 PM, Aug 09 2011 |
At the risk of being attacked by a hoard of Greek’s, I would tentatively like to describe Mousakke as lasagne without the pasta. Mousakke is layers of vegetables and mince in a tomato based stock, which is then topped with savoury “custard” that sets into a creamy and rich sauce. Because each element has to be made separately and then layered to create the final dish, people think that it’s difficult to make. But as per all of my recipes: it isn’t.
I prefer to use beef or lamb mince rather than chicken mince, which isn’t as easy to cook and doesn’t bring any colour to the dish. Alternatively, you can make a vegetarian Mousakke which is delicious when also topped with breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
Method
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Sweet and Sour Chicken Noodle | 7:39 AM, Feb 28 2021 |
In movies, what take away is always first choice? Chinese. Why? Because it is quick, it’s simple and it a crowd pleaser. Authentic Chinese food is wholesome and rich. It has a richness which is brought to it through its simple cooking process and aromatic ingredients. So this may not be a truly authentic recipe but it’s delicious, it’s very easy to make and it really has made a lot of people in my life extremely happy. Especially me. Ingredients: Feeds 3 hungry people
Sauce
1. Firstly you need to make the sauce. In a saucepan combine wet ingredients and then add the dry ingredients. Whisk till smooth and thick. Set aside to reheat later.
2. Flatten the chicken breasts slightly and cut into chunks. (A simple way is to place the breasts between layers of plastic wrap, then hit them with a rolling pin).
3. Make the batter by placing cornflour in a bowl and slowly adding the egg yolks, salt, pepper and water. Mix thoroughly. Don’t worry, the mixture will be very thick. Just make sure you get rid of all the lumps.
4. Dip the chicken into the batter, allow excess to drain and fry till golden and crispy. Since stoves vary, try one piece to test the cooking time. You don’t want your batter to burn and the chicken to be raw. Be sure not to overwhelm your pan with too much chicken, as this brings down the temperature of the oil and the pieces will stick together
5. Put your crispy chicken pieces on your freshly cooked noodles, top with a generous helping of the reheated sweet and sour sauce and sprinkle with the spring onions and chilli.
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Microwave Mug Cake | 9:31 AM, Jul 21 2011 |
I haven’t got much of a sweet tooth so I am not one to keep chocolate or cake or anything of the sort at home. However sometimes I do get that little craving which annoying knocks on the inside of my skull saying, “Hey Kayli.. *knock knock* yeah you.. pssst, Kayli. I want chocolate. Now”. As much as I LOVE cooking, I HATE baking. It’s mainly because I hate following recipes and when it comes to baking; measuring and weighing and counting and all that boring stuff, is so necessary.
That’s why this Microwave Mug Cake is the perfect way to satisfy your chocolate craving, without it being a complete pain. I know it sounds strange, but it really is amazing. You have to eat it literally as soon as it comes out of the microwave as that’s when it is the most delicious. Don’t burn yourself though. It’s hot. And if you do burn yourself, don’t try suing me, I warned you.
![]() I know it’s not the healthiest cake or the classiest for that matter, but you know what? I don’t care. It tastes great.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
This is a one bowl, urrr, I mean mug, dessert. All the ingredients (other than the ice-cream) go into the mug as follows:
You can also add chocolate chips or nuts or flavored liquor such as Frangelico to give it a bit of a twist. If you try any other additions which work out well, let me know!
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Creamy Peri-Peri Chicken Liver Pasta | 11:13 PM, Jul 12 2011 |
Many people are terrified of the concept of eating liver. I understand that it is different from your average drumstick and the consistency can take some getting used to, but chicken livers, cooked well, are truly just delicious. For this recipe you will need:
Process:
DE-LI-CI-OU-S. Read More |
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Fanta Cake | 7:51 PM, Jan 11 2011 |
As some of you know, it was my birthday on the weekend and on that special occasion, we baked a Fanta Cake. I tweeted on Friday, that Fanta Cake must surely be the best cake in the world. You must forgive me, I wasn't thinking clearly as I was very excited. It’s not the best cake in the world – not really. However, it’s the best birthday cake in the world! I know fans of Charly's Bakery will object,...but I'm talking about cakes you can actually make yourself! Add
-4 eggs
-300mg sugar
and stir
Add
-1 cup oil
-1 cup Fanta (Orange)
-1 packet vanilla sugar
-300mg flour
-I packet baking powder
and stir. Spread it on a baking tray. Bake at 180 – 200 C for 30 mins
Cover the pastry with 2-3 cans of peaches, and spread glaze on the fruit. Now add whipped crème on top. Finally, sprinkle the crème with sugar & cinnamon! All done!
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Watermelon Pops | 6:20 PM, Jan 03 2011 |
Watermelon PopsI just came across this simple "recipe" for a great summer snack. I know part of eating a watermelon is making a mess - but it doesn't have always have to be like that. This is perfect for a kid's birthday party or when entertaining guests during the summer.
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes Ingredients: 1 Watermelon
popsicle sticks
Foil
Cookie sheet
1) Cut the watermelon in half. Reserve one side for the "pop holder." 2) Cut thick ring slices of watermelon. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the watermelon slices. 3) Insert the craft sticks into the watermelon shapes, taking care not to poke it through. 4)Place on foil lined cookie sheet and freeze for a few hours. 5) Stick the watermelon pops in the remaining half of the watermelon to serve. |
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Nussecken | 8:24 PM, Dec 21 2010 |
This is the first recipe, I’ve published on this blog - there might be some confusion. Also, I’m translating this from German into English – it’s not that easy, especially if you aren’t really familiar with all the baking terms. But I will try my best. Nussecken will change your life - True Story! I know its Christmas on Friday, but you still have time to make these! It’ll be worth it!
Ingredients for the Pastry:
· 200mg flour
· 1 pinch of salt
· 60g grounded almonds
· 70g sugar
· 1 egg
· 125g cold butter
Ingredients for the covering:
· 3 table spoons cream
· 150g butter
· 175g sugar
· 3 table spoons honey
· 300g grounded hazel nuts
· Cream
Knead ingredients for the pastry and keep it cool while you prepare the covering. Later you will roll it out on a baking sheet and cover the top with cream.
For the covering, dissolve butter, sugar and honey. Add the hazel nuts and boil it up for a short while. Add cream to the mix and stir. Let the mixture cool off and then spread it onto the pastry.
Baking time: 15 – 20 minutes at 200 – 220 C. Cut the pastry into triangles while still hot.
(Read entire post for pictures)
Hope everyone can follow this! Enjoy… And Merry Christmas.
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