My Chicken and Leek Pie is one of our family’s favourite meals. The recipe started out as a casserole and evolved into a Chicken and Leek Pie! [Read more…]
Coriander Chilli Prawns Recipe
Today I am sharing a recipe for all you seafood lovers! These Coriander Chilli Prawns are perfect for a light summer meal or a starter if you are entertaining. Best enjoyed with a glass of bubbly or rosé in hand! It is quick and easy to prepare and delicious! I have used the Woolworths Pre-cooked prawns for this recipe, but you can also cook raw prawns. [Read more…]
Two Oceans Simple Snacking Challenge
I was recently invited to take part in the Two Oceans Simple Snacking Challenge. Our brief was to create a simple snack solution for four people and pair it with Two Oceans wine ~ tough job one might say! The most difficult part of the challenge, was that the snacks for four, had to come in budget at no more than R100. The best part about the Challenge, is if my snacking solution is deemed the best, I stand a chance of winning a two nights at either the Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel in Paternoster or Birkenhead House in Hermanus.{“pick me” “Pick me”}Well I was certainly up for the challenge 🙂
I simply love living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, surrounded by gorgeous mountains and the stunning blue ocean! Summer is definitely one of my favourite times of the year – it is perfect for alfresco dining, spending time with good friends and sipping great local wine. I used all these influences to create my Two Oceans Simple Snacking Challenge menu. It combines all the flavours and ingredients I love, to create a delicious snacking platter for four people.
Red Pepper & Feta Dip served with Toasted Pita Triangles and Salad Crudités
Red Pepper & Feta Dip:
3 Large Red Peppers
¼ Cup Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves (peeled)
1½ Rounds of Feta Cheese crumbled
Halve and de-seed the red peppers. Place on a foiled covered baking tray, along with the garlic cloves and place under a hot grill until the peppers are blistered and slightly blackened. Remove the peppers and place in a glass bowl and cover. Once cooled remove the outer skin of the peppers. Place the peppers along with the roasted garlic, olive oil and feta into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in the fridge to chill.
Toasted Pita Triangles:
4 White Pita Breads
50g Salted Butter
Slice the pita breads in half and pop into a toaster until golden and crispy. Slice the halves into quarters and brush with melted butter. For extra flavor you can add garlic to the melted butter.
Salad Crudités:
4 Large Carrots
1 Cucumber
Slice the carrots and cucumber into sticks for dipping and place into serving bowls.
Daily Dish
Last week a bespoke box of a different sort was delivered to my door. Daily Dish is a new on-line service which offers clients the unique service of menu planning, ingredient sourcing and home delivery! Imagine my intrigue when I was offered an opportunity to try out their service. Being an avid cook myself but often plagued by the frustration of not having time to shop on the spur of the moment or not being able to source the necessary ingredients, it was certainly something I was excited to experience.
At Daily Dish, we’re not chefs (or foodies). We were just so frustrated with the last-minute dash around the crowded supermarket after work and bored with the same old meals and sad take-outs every week that we decided to do something about it. So we hunted around for a service that would deliver either fresh ingredients or home cooked meals. On-line ingredient shopping turned out to be a nightmare and “home-cooked meals” looked worse than boarding school fare. ~Daily Dish
My first step was to log on to the Daily Dish website and select my recipe of choice to try; I chose a Sirloin Stir-fry. All that was left to do was to select a day and time for delivery – how simple. My delivery arrived promptly at 3pm last Tuesday in an elegant black box, filled with all the ingredients necessary for me to create the Stir Fry recipe.
I was really impressed with the quality of the ingredients and the fact that items are measured out, which helps prevent waste. All I had to do now was read the recipe and get cooking.
We change the menu every week so you don’t get bored. And we spend loads of time researching and test cooking new dishes to make sure they meet our strict requirement to deliver amazingly tasty dishes in under 30 minutes. Vegetarian options always available. ~ Daily Dish
The recipe was easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions; even the most inexperienced cook would be able to pull it off. Everyone in the family loved the flavours in the dish and it was wonderful to create something different from my normal repertoire.
I think this service is an excellent idea for anyone who enjoys cooking and eating good food but does not always have the time to plan and shop, especially if you feel like whipping up something unique on the spur of the moment. It is also perfect for entertaining and the fact that it is delivered to your door is super convenient.
You can choose from the selection of available dishes on the Daily Dish website and you are able to order up to 3 dishes at a time. Place your order online before 10am Monday to Friday and they will deliver it to you after 6pm on the same day. Daily Dish currently delivers in the greater Cape Town area: City Bowl, Atlantic Seaboard and Southern Suburbs, including Tokai, Westlake and Steenberg.
Images: ©FAR Photography
Prawn and Chilli Pasta
This pasta recipe is simple to make and utterly delicious! It is perfect for a weekday dinner or a light meal for entertaining. You can serve it with a green salad and crusty ciabatta bread. If you like you can always reduce the amount of chilli you use if you are not a lover of hot food or add more if you are.
The first step to this recipe is to make the Fresh Homemade Tomato Sauce, you will find the printable recipe here; this is something you could do in advance and either store in the fridge or freezer, for when you need it. I have tweaked this recipe slightly from the original by adding cream and parmesan cheese. This recipe does make more sauce than you need for this dish, but you can use any leftovers for other meals or over pasta for a quick easy weekday lunch.
Ingredients for the Fresh Tomato Sauce
- 1 tin large plumb tomatoes in their juice (or 2 smaller tins)
- 15ml tomato paste
- 2 -3 garlic cloves(crushed or finely chopped)
- 1 Tbsp. fresh or dried oregano (If fresh then chop finely)
- 2 tsp. chilli paste or 2 small chilli’s (chopped finely)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A splash of balsamic vinegar
- 50ml red wine
- 75ml fresh Cream (you can add more it you like it more creamy)
In a large saucepan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and then add your garlic, chilli and herbs; sauté over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Then add the tin of whole tomatoes to the pan and cook on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. You can begin to break up the tomatoes now, then add the sugar, tomato paste, salt & pepper, balsamic vinegar, red wine, and stir to combine. Continue simmering for a further 20-30 minutes to soften the tomatoes and reduce the liquid. Once you are happy with the consistency remove from the heat and add your cream and parmesan cheese; set aside.
Ingredients for the Pasta:
- 800g -1kg shelled and cleaned prawns
- 500g penne pasta
- 1 small chilli finely chopped
- 1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 1 small lemon
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add your dry penne pasta. Cook the pasta for the advised time on the packaging. Once cooked, drain, drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
In a saucepan heat your olive oil and butter, add your garlic and chilli; sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add your prawns to the pan. The pan must not be too cold or the prawns will stew and become tough. Allow them to cook for a few minutes, then add your white wine and lemon juice. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Once the liquid has reduced sufficiently, add half of your tomato sauce, which you made earlier. I usually add half first to check the flavour and then add more if necessary. Whatever sauce you have leftover you can store in the fridge or freezer for next time.
Serve the prawns on a bed of penne pasta, with shaved parmesan and wild rocket. As I mentioned earlier you can accompany it with a green salad and crusty bread.
Bon Appetit!
Prawn and Chilli Pasta
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian Fusion
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
This pasta recipe is simple to make and utterly delicious! It is perfect for a weekday dinner or a light meal for entertaining. You can serve it with a green salad and crusty ciabatta bread. If you like you can always reduce the amount of chilli you use if you are not a lover of hot food or add more if you are.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the Fresh Tomato Sauce
- 1 tin large plumb tomatoes in their juice (or 2 smaller tins)
- 15ml tomato paste
- 2 -3 garlic cloves(crushed or finely chopped)
- 1 Tbsp. fresh or dried oregano (If fresh then chop finely)
- 2 tsp. chilli paste or 2 small chilli’s (chopped finely)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A splash of balsamic vinegar
- 50ml red wine
- 75ml fresh Cream (you can add more it you like it more creamy)
- Ingredients for the Pasta:
- 800g -1kg shelled and cleaned prawns
- 500g penne pasta
- 1 small chilli finely chopped
- 1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 1 small lemon
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
Instructions
- In a large saucepan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and then add your garlic, chilli and herbs; sauté over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Then add the tin of whole tomatoes to the pan and cook on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. You can begin to break up the tomatoes now, then add the sugar, tomato paste, salt & pepper, balsamic vinegar, red wine, and stir to combine. Continue simmering for a further 20-30 minutes to soften the tomatoes and reduce the liquid. Once you are happy with the consistency remove from the heat and add your cream and parmesan cheese; set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add your dry penne pasta. Cook the pasta for the advised time on the packaging. Once cooked, drain, drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
- In a saucepan heat your olive oil and butter, add your garlic and chilli; sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add your prawns to the pan. The pan must not be too cold or the prawns will stew and become tough. Allow them to cook for a few minutes, then add your white wine and lemon juice.
- Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Once the liquid has reduced sufficiently, add half of your tomato sauce, which you made earlier. I usually add half first to check the flavour and then add more if necessary. Whatever sauce you have leftover you can store in the fridge or freezer for next time.
- Serve the prawns on a bed of penne pasta, with shaved parmesan and wild rocket. As I mentioned earlier you can accompany it with a green salad and crusty bread.
Photography: ©FAR Photography