Night off from COOKING

So last night was a COOKING-FREE-NIGHT and Wacky Wednesday @ Steers .....

For the price of ONE cheese burger you get ..... wait for it ...... TWO cheese burgers,
and believe me, it was so good!


And for dessert? (I hear you ask) ~

nothing else but Woolies (Woolworths) Homemade PALMIERS (They are to die for!!!)

So tonight I'll try something new, with a pinch of crazy and share it as soon as I can.....

  

Quick and easy... my lazy cooking

Yes I know, I'm getting lazy but getting home at 8 pm, the last thing I wanted to do was..... COOK.
So I grabbed a pack of Pick N Pay Ham And Mushroom Pasta & Sauce....

Quick and easy.
Heat the 125 ml of milk
and 375 ml of water with 
30 ml of margarine 
in a microwaveable bowl, on high for 2 minutes.

Add the contents of the packet and cook for 12 - 15 minutes
(I used a small 800WD combi grill/microwave and it took me 10 minutes)
Stirring ever 2 - 3 minutes (AND DO REMEMBER TO STIR)
*I got a bit side tracked (watching Chuck) and forgot to stir a couple of times*

Cover and stand for 2 minutes.

Voila!! a quick and easy meal.


(an idea) You can always add chopped red and green peppers or diced smoked ham.
Sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs or grated cheese and finish with freshly ground black pepper.

PS: there are many flavors to choose from ~ not just mushrooms.
  
I added a salad just to complete the meal.

Red Chicken Curry With Elbow Pasta

Serves 4 No description

INGREDIENTS 250 g Elbow Macaroni 5 Filleted Chicken Breasts - Cubed 30 ml Oil ± 125 ml Coconut Milk 15 ml Fresh Coriander Red Curry Paste INGREDIENTS 1 Onion - Small sized, chopped 2 Garlic Cloves - Crushed 5 ml Ground Coriander 7 ml Dried Chilli Flakes 10 ml Fresh Root Ginger - grated 10 ml Lemon Grass - Finely sliced 10 ml Lemon Juice 6 ml Paprika 5 ml Ground Cumin 10 ml Peanut Butter DIRECTIONS Put elbow pasta in a pot of boiling water to which 15 ml oil and 5 ml salt has been added. Boil until al dente, drain and set aside. Heat 30 ml oil in a wok or pan, add curry paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add chicken in batches, stir-fry until chicken is tender. Stir in coconut milk and coriander. Bring to boil and simmer uncovered until thickened. Serve curry over elbow pasta.

Apricot Clafoutis

Serves 4 portions This traditional classic tastes even better if you rest the batter for about 30 minutes before baking

410 g Apricot Halves -  in fruit juice 1 Butter - knob for greasing 250 ml Milk 1 Vanilla Pod -  split in half lengthways,  or 5 ml Vanilla Essence 4 Large Eggs - beaten 100 g Castor Sugar 50 g Cake Flour - sifted 1 Icing Sugar - for dusting Directions Preheat oven to 180°C. Drain apricots and place  cut side up in a buttered  shallow 20cm ovenproof  dish. A cake tin also works  perfectly. Pour milk into a saucepan, scrape seeds from vanilla pod and add to the milk. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat and leave to infuse for about 5 minutes. Discard vanilla pod. Whisk eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in flour. Gradually stir milk into egg mixture to form a smooth batter. Pour batter over the apricots and bake for about 30-40 minutes until risen and set. Dust with icing sugar and serve with a scoop of ice cream or drizzled with custard.

Step-by-step salmon rolls on rocket

A practical, low fat starter that’s an excellent way to make smoked salmon stretch a little further to feed more people. Smoked salmon is rich in healthy essential fatty acids.

More than 2 hours Serves: 6 Recipe Type: Appetisers Main Ingredient: Fish and Seafood

Main Ingredients

1 tub creamed cottage cheese, (250g)

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp lemon juice

3 tbsp chives, finely chopped

1 tsp lemon and black pepper seasoning

2 packets smoked salmon ribbons, (200g)

Salad

60 grams wild rocket

30 grams caper berries, (such as Mayfair), for serving

1 drizzle french vinaigrette

Oysters with three vinaigrettes

Step 1

• Mix cottage cheese, lemon peel and juice, chives and seasoning together

Step 2

• Lay a length of clingfilm on a work surface
• Place a slice of salmon on the clingfilm to form a rectangular shape
• Using scissors, trim salmon into a 6-7cm rectangular  strip. (Overlap any off-cuts to fill in gaps or to straighten uneven edges).
• Carefully spread 1 heaped tablespoonful creamed cheese mixture over salmon
• Roll salmon up from the thinnest end, lifting clingfilm and using your index fingers to guide roll

Step 3

• Tightly push clingfilm around roll while gripping the bottom piece to neaten shape and tighten roll

Step 4

• Tightly twist ends to squash roll into mini-salami shapes. Tie  
  the ends with string.
• Repeat with remaining salmon and cream cheese.
• Freeze for at least 2 hours or up to a week
• Slice into 3mm-thick spirals
• Dress rocket with French vinaigrette and serve salmon spirals on rocket leaves  with capers

Tip

• Use up every bit of salmon by overlapping  leftover pieces before spreading with filling

Dry chicken curry

Great with rotis and a tomato sambal.

Less than 30 minutes Serves: 4 Recipe Type: Mains Main Ingredient: Chicken

Main Ingredients

60 ml vegetable oil

5 ml yellow mustard seeds

5 ml cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2 small onions, chopped

5 centimetres ginger, thinly sliced and cut into strips

12 curry leaves, fresh or dried

600 grams chicken thighs, skinless, deboned and cut into chunks

125 ml coconuts, grated, fresh, or use desiccated coconut soaked in a little water

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

5 ml chilli powder

1 tbsp ground coriander, plus extra for serving

125 ml water

1 pinch salt and milled pepper

For serving

2 cups basmati rice, steamed

125 ml plain yoghurt

• Heat oil in a saucepan.
• Add mustard, cumin and cinnamon and fry for a minute.
• Add onion and fry until it turns a dark golden colour.
• Add ginger, curry leaves and chicken and fry for another minute.
• Toss in remaining ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and most of the liquid has  evaporated.
• Serve with rice and yoghurt.

Simonsvlei Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

Thai-style chicken and glass noodle salad

The popped rice is cooked in exactly the same way as popcorn.

Less than 45 minutes Serves: 4 Recipe Type: Salads Main Ingredient: Chicken

Main Ingredients

400 grams chicken breast fillets, or pork fillet

2 tbsp Thai red curry paste

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 pinch salt and milled pepper

Salad

100 grams salad onions, chopped

1 half cucumber, or 6 Israeli (baby) cucumbers, shaved into ribbons

25 ml bean sprouts

1 small pineapple, cut into strips

1 cup coriander leaf

125 ml mint leaves

300 grams glass noodles, cooked

45 ml basmati rice, toasted

Dressing

2 tbsp fish sauce, or light soy sauce

3 tbsp lime juice, or white balsamic vinegar

2 tsp sugar

1 small chilli, chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil

• Preheat oven to 200ºC.
• Coat pork fillet in paste and oil and season. Heat a pan over a high heat and sear fillet on all sides. 
• Roast for 10 minutes or until cooked through. 
• Rest for a few minutes, then thinly slice.
• Toss all salad ingredients, except rice, together. 
• Toast rice in a medium hot pan, covered, until popping subsides.
• Mix dressing ingredients together.
• Place salad on a platter and top with meat. Drizzle with dressing, scatter over popped rice and serve.

Vodka-spiked smoked salmon pasta

Leave out the vodka and add a squeeze of fresh lemon just before serving. Smoked salmon can be salty, so check the flavour before adding salt.

Less than 45 minutes Serves: 2 Recipe Type: Light meals Main Ingredient: Pasta Main Ingredients 160 grams pasta, bavette 1 glug olive oil, for drizzling 1 packet white sauce mix 1 tbsp dill, freshly chopped 3 tbsp vodka, (optional) 1 dash milled pepper 150 grams smoked salmon, offcuts Cook pasta according to packet instructions Drain and add a little oil. Toss to coat and set aside. Make white sauce according to packet instructions Toss dill, cooked pasta and vodka through sauce Season and stir salmon through pasta. Serve immediately.