Recipes

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, outer green leaves removed and broken into florets

foodies for food lovers Flaky Sea Salt 

foodies for food lovers Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 knob butter

2 t cumin seeds

2 t coriander seeds

1-2 dried red chillies

1 handful blanched almonds, roughly chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method

Preheat your oven to 200°C

Blanch the cauliflower in a large pot of salted boiling water for a couple of minutes. Drain and allow it to steam dry (you don't want any water left in your cauliflower or it won't roast properly).  Add a good dollop of foodies Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the butter to the steam dried cauliflower.  In a pestle and mortar, grind the spices and chillies with a pinch of salt, and mix them with the almonds.  Lightly dry toast this mix in a large frying pan or wok. Add the cauliflower and when it gets a nice bit of colour on it, add lemon zest and juice. Toss well. Fry for about a minute longer then pop the pan into the preheated oven for about 15 minutes to crisp up.

Serves 4

Ruth Pretty's Famous Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse

My Onion Jam

Delicious on Meat and Salad sandwiches, with fritters, with cheese and crackers or adding to a frittata

Ingredients

2kg onions, finely sliced
50g butter
2 T foodies for food lovers Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 T grated fresh ginger
30g yellow mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
1 t  fresh rosemary, if you have it
750g brown sugar  
375ml balsamic vinegar

Method

Place the onions, butter and oil in a saucepan and cook over a gentle heat until onions are tender.

 Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Bring to the boil and simmer until dark in colour and jam like in consistency.  This should take about 1 hour for this quantity but more for increased quantities

 Pour into sterilised jars and seal.

Makes about 5 x 250ml jars

Honey and Chilli Glazed Pork Medallions

Ingredients 

1 t chilli powder
1/2 t foodies for food lovers Flaky Sea Salt
zest of 1 lime 
400g (1lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 25mm (1-inch-thick) medallions
2 t foodies for food lovers Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 T raw honey
6 - 8 baby carrots, washed and blanched for 3 minutes and then cooled (shocked) in ice cold water

Method

Mix chilli powder, lime zest and flaky salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle over both sides of pork.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Add cider vinegar and honey to the pan. Bring to the boil, scraping up any browned bits and then add the carrots. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, turning the pork occasionally to coat, until the sauce is reduced to a thick glaze, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove the pork to a warm plate, reduce the heat to low and cook carrots for 2 minutes more and cover with the glaze. 

Serve the pork drizzled with the glaze, carrots and your desired vegetables or salad.

Serves 4

Israeli Chicken

This recipe is one of my favourites. I refined it to make it dead simple and guests just love it. Serve with couscous or potato. Don’t forget to prepare it the day before.

Ingredients

1 ½ kg chicken thigh fillet

1 T chicken soup mix or chicken stock

¾ c Extra Virgin Olive Oil  foodies for food lovers of course!

3 T Curry Powder

2 T Garam Masala (Indian is the preference)

Method

Put the chicken into a baking dish. Add the marinade and massage into the chicken

Cover with cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours, overnight is preferable, turning and massaging when you can.

Preheat your oven to 200°C

Bake for 45 minutes

Suggestion

Fry onion with some of the warm marinade; add slices of chicken and sautéed onions to cooked couscous, yum!

Lamb Tagine with Olives

Tagine’s are the wonderful stews of Morocco and have the same name as their cooking pot. These earthenware dishes with conical lids come in every conceivable size from tiny ones for a single person to huge ones that can cater for a vast banquet.

The meal is cooked and served in its dish and as you lift the lid you are enveloped with the delicious aroma of lamb, chicken or fish combined with prunes, quince, coriander, cumin or ginger – the variations are endless.

Ingredients

1.5 kg lamb, cut into cubes
5ml powdered ginger
2 onions, grated
5ml ground cumin
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
90ml foodies for food lovers Extra Virgin Olive Oil with a dash of lime
Handful of parsley, chopped
250g green olives
60ml fresh coriander leaves chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Put all the ingredients, except the olives into a bowl, and let the lamb marinate overnight. Transfer the lamb and the marinade to a tagine or casserole dish. Add enough water to cover the meat and simmer over a low heat, covered for 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Put the olives into the casserole after about 45 minutes. 

To serve, arrange the meat on a warm serving dish and reduce the sauce until it is thick.  Pour over the meat.

Serves 4 - 6