as night falls
my soul
abate
in silence
with the
sound
of your
voice
reflecting
in the wind
humming
to music
and in the
distance
playing
a sweet
ballad
as I sip
of your
ardor
in our
covert
space
where passion
are met
and
questions
are not
***
I close
my eyes
and wait
*
“anti meridiem”
©AvdL 2015
Picture courtesy of @Naghi63
I’m always looking for an easy, healthy, recipes that don’t skimp on flavor, so when I saw this recipe for a Roasted Eggplant Spread on Ina Garten’s show, Barefoot Contessa, I was sold. The title is a little misleading though, as I find that the peppers and tomato paste are just as important here as the eggplant.
Semantics aside, the recipe is wonderfully easy and I wouldn’t change anything about it except to perhaps double it so you have plenty!
Just chop up some eggplant, red peppers, onion, and garlic, roast them off, and puree in a food processor (or strong blender) with some tomato paste. Roasting takes some time (about 45 min.) but it is worth it with the intensified, caramelized flavors you get from the veggies.
Toast up some homemade pita chips and you are in shape! Just cut store-bought pita into wedges, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano, and bake in the oven until golden brown. I however, prefer the pita bread fresh!!!
Perfect for parties or a healthy snack to have on hand .
Dumplings are a bit of a time commitment to make, but if you can manage, it’ll go by in a flash, and you’ll all be rewarded with more homemade dumplings than you can eat in one sitting. It’s fun and you can stock the freezer, ready to boil for any given easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
½ pound shrimp, peeled, cleaned, tails removed
8 dried Chinese mushrooms (1/2 cup after finely chopped)
1 onion (1/2 cup after diced and browned)
½ cabbage (1 cup after finely shredded)
2 eggs
3 tablespoons mushroom-flavored soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 packages round wonton wrappers (1 pound each)
Preparation:
1. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for about 15 minutes until softened. Squeeze the excess water out, remove stems, and chop into a fine dice.
2. Dice the onion and brown in a frying pan.
3. Finely shred the cabbage until you have 1 cup.
4. Place the shrimp in a food processor and pulse until it is a chunky mixture. Be careful not to over-process, you don’t want to create a paste.
5. Combine the pork, shrimp, mushrooms, onion, cabbage, 1 beaten egg (reserve the other one to make an egg wash), and all the remaining seasonings.
6. Knead the mixture with your hands until just combined. Cover and chill for 10 minutes.
7. While mixture chills, line a few large baking sheets with paper towels and dust lightly with flour.
8. Take one of the wonton wrappers and place a small mound of filling in the center (don’t over-fill or it will be hard to seal). Dip a finger in the egg wash and dab a little on the bottom half of the wrapper. Fold the top edge over and press to seal, creating a half-moon shape.
9. Moisten the curved edge again, and using the thumb and forefinger of one hand, form pleats. Place the dumplings on the lined baking sheets as you complete them, arranging them in 1 layer so they don’t stick to one another.
10. Cook the dumplings in a pot of boiling water (they’re done when they float), or in a hot pan. If pan-searing, heat vegetable oil in a skillet until hot, but not smoking. Fry the dumplings until the bottoms are lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes, then add ½ cup water, cover with a lid, and cook until the liquid is evaporated and the bottoms of the dumplings are crisp, 8-10 minutes.
11. Serve dumplings immediately with dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced green onion
4 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon spice vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
Pumpkin fritters are delightful, especially when served warm with crunchy cinnamon sugar. You can almost serve it as desert! (And a favourite in South Africa)
ENJOY….I PROMISE YOU’LL COME BACK FOR MORE!!
One cannot let the winter pass without preparing oxtail a couple of times! This delicious stew can be cooked in a very slow oven, or in a slow cooker. Best made the day before.
2T (30ml) flour
2t (10ml) Garlic Pepper
1t (5ml) Meat Spice
2T (30ml) canola oil
1T (15ml) butter
1.25kg oxtail – trimmed of excess fat
2 onions, chopped
1 large carrot, scraped and sliced into rings
2 sticks of celery – finely sliced
½ cup (125ml) red wine
1 cup (250ml) beef stock
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
4T (60ml) Tomato Pesto
1T (15ml) orange marmalade (optional)
Green Onion Seasoning to taste
GREMOLADA
Grated rind of half an orange
Grated rind of one lemon
¼ cup (60ml) finely chopped parsley
3 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
Adjust the oven rack to one slot below the middle shelf. Preheat the oven to 100°C or preheat your slow cooker on auto.
Measure the flour and two seasonings into a plastic bag, add meat and shake to coat.
Heat a heavy frying pan and add oil and butter. When the butter becomes brown and bubbly, add half the meat and brown it on all sides. Remove browned meat from the pan, and add to the raw meat. It is not necessary to brown all the meat. Add the onions to the pan and brown. Add the carrot and celery and stir fry together with the onions for 2 minutes. Add the red wine – boil fast for one minute to reduce it a little. Add the stock, chopped tomatoes, Tomato Pesto, marmalade, the oxtail (browned and raw meat) and any left over seasoned flour.
Transfer the stew to a heavy cast iron pot with a lid for oven cooking, or to a slow cooker. Cook for 5 – 6 hours until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone. At this stage it is best to leave the meat to cool down completely (overnight is best). Skim off as much fat as possible the next day.
TO SERVE
Reheat the meat. Taste for seasoning. Mix all the gremolada ingredients together and sprinkle over the oxtail just before serving. Delicious with Creamy Polenta and Red Cabbage with Apple.
NEXT WEEK I WILL HAVE THE HONOR OF HAVING SOMEONE VERY SPECIAL DOING A HOST-BLOG FOR ME….RIGHT FROM HER KITCHEN…AND CAN’T WAIT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU!! http://lifeinarecipe.wordpress.com WATCH THIS SPACE!
I remember the day’s when we would have this on a Sunday at my Grandmother’s…we would say a prayer and my Grandfather would dip his finger in the gravy and swipe it under my nose!! Much to my disgust!! A wonderful way to express your love….go on….it’s almost Father’s Day!!!!!
INGREDIENTS:-
– 1.8 kg leg of lamb
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– Freshly ground black pepper
– 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
– 6 unwashed potatoes, peeled and quartered
– 1 kg butternut pumpkin, chopped and seeds removed, or 1 kg kumara (sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into large chunks
– salt
– 1 tablespoon plain flour
– 1 1/2 cups beef stock
– 400 g green beans, topped and tailed, boiled, to serve
– 4 small carrots, peeled and thickly sliced on the diagonal, boiled, to serve
INSTRUCTIONS:-
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the lamb in a large roasting pan and brush it all over with a little of the oil. Season well with pepper. If you are using the garlic, make 1-cm-deep slits with a small, sharp knife in the leg of lamb, and press a piece of garlic into each slit with your fingers. Roast the lamb in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C.
2 Meanwhile, place the potatoes and pumpkin or kumara on a board and brush with the remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes around the lamb and roast the lamb and potatoes for 30 minutes. Add the pumpkin or Kumara to the roasting pan and roast for a further 40 minutes (for medium-cooked lamb). Transfer the lamb to a carving plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest. Transfer the vegetables to a large well-greased roasting pan. Increase the oven temperature to 230°C and return them to the oven for 10 minutes to crisp up.
3 For the gravy, skim off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat from the juices remaining in the roasting pan. Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the base of the pan to loosen any crisp bits, for 1–2 minutes, or until the flour just starts to brown. Gradually stir in the stock until well combined. Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until the gravy thickens.
4 Carve the lamb and serve with the pumpkin or kumara, potatoes, carrots, beans and gravy.
This is an easy and fast recipe….I have added vegetables for a bit of variation but it is entirely up to your own taste.
ENJOY!!
Cold and flu season is upon us. This is my version of a simple soup to make you feel better.
Chicken . Dice 1 large onion
Chop 3-4 stalks of celery
Chop & peel 4-5 large carrots
Mince 4-5 cloves of garlic
Peel and mince 2 inches of ginger
Chop handful of parsley and cilantro, or other desired herbs.
Add ¼ cup of olive oil to a big soup pot. Cook on medium-high the onion, ginger, garlic, and celery until soft (about 4 minutes).
Salt and pepper chicken and add whole chicken to pot. Brown all sides.
Cover with quart chicken stock and enough water to cover the chicken. Add the carrots and 2 bay leaves.
Bring soup to a boil then turn heat down to simmer. Cook until chicken is done (about 20 minutes).
When chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove the meat from the bones and put back into pot.
Add chopped parsley and cilantro.
Add red pepper flakes if you would like some spice.
Enjoy and let the healing begin!
This recipe is more traditional and not as generic, so the fat content is a lot less. If you do want a richer dish, add 1/2 cup of cream in the end. Make sure to add hot to cold not vice versa, so that the cream does not curdle.
INGREDIENTS
2 to 3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of crushed garlic
2 teaspoons of crushed ginger
½ teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 to 2 teaspoons of chilli powder
1 tablespoon of coriander
2 boneless chicken thighs or breasts
2 tablespoons ground almonds
225 gram / 8 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
½ cup of unsweetened yoghurt
salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Trim and cut the chicken into small cubes, season it with salt and pepper and put aside. Heat oil in a large saucepan or frying pan and add the chicken. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes untill it is golden brown. Remove the chicken and put it aside. Melt the butter in the same frying pan. Add onions and cinnamon and stir well. Add all the remaining ingredients garlic, ginger, chilli powder, almonds, tomato and tomato paste and yoghurt. Stir them well. Bring it to boil and let it cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook further for 5 minutes. Serve on rice with a salad and naan bread.
I know, I know…no longer must we coat our arteries with all the bad things and most importantly, no longer must we eat meatloaf! I have tried many variations over the years but this one will fill your soul and is truly juicy and succulent. It is winter here in Australia and I can think of nothing better for a lazy Sunday night. I normally do the preparations in the morning and leave it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large skillet heat the butter over medium-high heat until melted. Add all but 1/4 cup of the onions, the celery and all but 2 tablespoons of the bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to caramelize around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of the garlic, the thyme, rosemary, and parsley and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
When the vegetable mixture is cooled, transfer to a mixing bowl and add the eggs, mustard, 1/4 cup of the ketchup, 1 teaspoon of the Worcestershire sauce, and heavy cream and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the breadcrumbs, ground chuck, pork sausage, ground veal, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Transfer meat mixture to a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan and using your hands, form mixture into a loaf shape. Arrange the slices of bacon on the top of the meatloaf and set aside.
In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped onion, remaining 2 tablespoons of green pepper, remaining teaspoon of garlic, remaining 1/2 cup of ketchup, remaining 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, remaining 2 teaspoons of pepper, vinegar, and canned tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the uncooked meatloaf and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bacon and sauce are slightly caramelized on the top of the meatloaf. Remove from the oven and cover loosely with aluminium foil. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
The leftovers can be used on sandwiches the next day!! (Forget about your arteries just once and walk it off the next day!) Enjoy!
♥♥♥ I'm so happy that you decided to stop by! Come in...rest your mind for a while. You might relate to my poetry as I write with passion and from the heart. Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. Thanks for reading...from my corner of the world, Australia ♥♥♥
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