Autumn Weekday Recipes
I have made it no secret in the past that I am not the biggest fan of summer. I know that many of you (especially my friends in the UK) are probably waving their fists at the computer screen right now and saying “who can not like summertime?” Well, my reason is simple: I find it challenging to say the least to come up with recipe’s every night that would prevent/limit my use of the stove or oven. It’s the bane of my husband’s existence to live with the knowledge that in my quest for culinary satisfaction, I increase the already suffocating temperature inside our house.
Well, cooking has just become easier, and the autumn provides me the reprieve to cook to my heart’s content! So switch on those ovens, and heat those pots…I have some great seasonal recipe’s to warm your heart as well as your house. Enjoy!
Monday: Stuffed Leg of Lamb with Balsamic-Fig-Basil Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup coarsely chopped prunes
1/4 cup currants
2 tablespoons port or sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
+/- 2kg boneless leg of lamb, rolled and tied (you can ask the butcher to do that for you)
1/2 cup chopped roasted and salted almonds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 cloves garlic, cut into thirds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup thinly sliced figs
5 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
6 leaves mint
6 leaves basil
Preheat oven to 200’ C.
Combine the chopped prunes and currants with the port/sherry in a small bowl, and set aside. In another small bowl, combine the rosemary, thyme, coriander, salt, and pepper; set aside.
Untie and unroll the lamb, lay it out flat on the work surface. Trim off excess fat, and cut any thick parts open so that it is evenly thick and somewhat rectangular in shape. Sprinkle half of the herb mixture over the lamb. Mix the almonds and chopped mint into the prune mixture; spread evenly over the lamb. Roll up starting at one of the short sides, and tie with kitchen twine in 1cm intervals. Cut 9 slits about 1cm deep into the top of the lamb, and insert a slice of garlic in each. Rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining herb mixture.
Place lamb seam-side up on a rack set in a roasting pan. Roast in the preheated oven to desired doneness. For medium-rare, a thermometer inserted into the center will read 60 ‘C. Remove lamb from the oven and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes while proceeding with the recipe.
While the lamb is resting, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Boil until the vinegar has reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Once reduced, stir in the butter, honey, and sliced figs. Stir until the butter has melted, then remove from the heat, stir in the chopped basil and set aside.
To serve, remove the twine from the lamb and cut into slices. Arrange on a warm serving platter and drizzle with the fig sauce, garnish with mint and basil leaves.
Tuesday:
Pan-fried duck and plum sauce
For the duck
2 duck breasts, skin on ( available at selected Woolworths outlets)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
For the plum sauce
2 plums, stones removed
1 tbsp sugar
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
½ orange, grated zest and juice only
100ml chicken stock.
knob of butter
To serve
50g pine nuts, toasted
For the duck, season the duck with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then rub with the olive oil.
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the duck, skin-side-down, for 5-6 minutes, until the skin is crisp. Add the whole garlic cloves, turn the duck over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until cooked but still pink in the middle. Transfer the duck to a warm plate and set aside to rest. Discard the garlic and reserve the pan juices in the pan.
For the plum sauce, put the plums into a small saucepan with the sugar, chilli and 100ml of water. Place over a medium heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to help break down the fruit.
Strain through a sieve into the pan used to fry the duck, mixing it with any pan juices. Place over a medium-high heat and stir in the orange juice, followed by the chicken stock and butter. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until reduced to a gravy-like consistency. Stir in the orange zest just before serving.
To serve, carve the duck breasts into thin slices. Spoon the plum sauce over the duck and scatter with some toasted pine nuts.
Wednesday:Butternut and cinnamon fritters
Ingredients
500g butternut
250ml cornflour
5ml baking powder
5ml ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
salt to taste
Cook the butternut in salted water until cooked and soft. Drain and mash. Sift the dry ingredients and add them to the butternut. Mix thoroughly. Beat the eggs and add them to the butternut. Season to taste with salt. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add spoonfuls of the mixture. Fry over a medium heat. When bubbles form on top of the fritters, turn them over and fry the other side until golden brown. Serve warm with brown sugar and maple syrup, or even marmalade.
Thursday:
Nachos This much loved classic is easy and delicious to prepare.
250g corn chips
150g minced beef
425g chunky hot salsa
250g grated strong cheddar cheese
200g sour cream
150g red kidney beans
1 small onion
1 tomato
1 avocado
1 tblsp vegetable oil
sweet chili sauce
Pre heat oven to 230’C,
Place oil, kidney beans and mince into hot frying pan.
While mince is cooking, dice onion and tomato (small pieces)
When mince is brown add onion and tomato. Stir on low heat.
Place corn chips in large baking dish.
Layer with a 1/4 of cheese.
Place mince mix on top of corn chips and cheese.
Cover the top with salsa.
Place the rest of the cheese and cook in oven till golden.
Dice avocado and mix into sour cream.
When your nachos are golden serve with a large spoonful of avocado and sour cream, then drizzle over sweet chili sauce. Yummy!
Avo facts The avocado is one of the world’s most nutritious fruits.
It is nature’s original health food, important not only in maintaining one’s vigour, but also instrumental in reducing one’s chance of falling prey to common life threatening diseases.
Pregnant women and those trying to conceive will benefit from the high levels of folic acid (Vitamin B) in avocados, which is essential for the development of the foetus.
Folic acid deficiency has also been linked to the presence of precancerous cells in the cervix.
Eating half an avocado daily provides extra protection for both mother and baby.
Storage of avo’s:
Avocados should be handled with care and all varieties can be refrigerated for a few days in order to maintain firmness.
If avocados are stored for too long at low temperatures they will show signs of chilling injury.
A handy tip for ripening avocados is to place them in a brown bag with an apple or banana
Friday:Beer Margaritas
It’s the last day of the week, and time for you to unwind with one of these unique yet festive takes on the margarita. Arriba arriba!
350 ml tequila
350 ml Sprite
350 ml beer (preferably Carona for the authentic Mexican flavour!)
ice
5 g lime, cut into wedges
Pour sprite, tequila and beer into a large pitcher. Stir until well blended. Add plenty of ice, and garnish with lime wedges. Adjust with additional water, if needed.
Saturday:
I love doing recipes on the weekends you don’t normally have the time to complete in the week. The following two recipes are the perfect way to unwind in the kitchen, and will make you popular amongst those you share it with.
Old-Fashioned Raspberry Jam
4 cups (1 liter) granulated sugar
4 cups (1 liter) raspberries
1. Place sugar in an ovenproof shallow pan and warm in a 120°C oven for 15 minutes. (Warm sugar dissolves better.)
2. Place berries in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat, mashing berries with a potato masher as they heat. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add warm sugar, return to a boil, and boil until mixture will form a gel (see tips, below), about 5 minutes.
4. Ladle into sterilized jars.
• To determine when the mixture will form a gel, use the spoon test: Dip a cool metal spoon into the hot fruit. Immediately lift it out and turn it horizontally. The jam is done when the drops are very thick and two run together before falling off the spoon.
Sunday:
Yummy Seed Loaf
500 g whole wheat bread flour
85 g sunflower seeds
50 g pumpkin seeds
25 g poppy seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
350 ml lukewarm water
1 egg, beaten
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the water and oil and knead for about a minute.
Place the dough in an oiled loaf pan ( 8 inch x 4 inch) Brush with the egg and decorate with alternate lines of sesame and poppy seeds.
Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rise for about 30-60 minutes.
Pre heat the oven to 180’C and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on rack.
Serve with the old-fashioned raspberry jam and lashings of butter.
Well, cooking has just become easier, and the autumn provides me the reprieve to cook to my heart’s content! So switch on those ovens, and heat those pots…I have some great seasonal recipe’s to warm your heart as well as your house. Enjoy!
Monday: Stuffed Leg of Lamb with Balsamic-Fig-Basil Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup coarsely chopped prunes
1/4 cup currants
2 tablespoons port or sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
+/- 2kg boneless leg of lamb, rolled and tied (you can ask the butcher to do that for you)
1/2 cup chopped roasted and salted almonds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 cloves garlic, cut into thirds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup thinly sliced figs
5 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
6 leaves mint
6 leaves basil
Preheat oven to 200’ C.
Combine the chopped prunes and currants with the port/sherry in a small bowl, and set aside. In another small bowl, combine the rosemary, thyme, coriander, salt, and pepper; set aside.
Untie and unroll the lamb, lay it out flat on the work surface. Trim off excess fat, and cut any thick parts open so that it is evenly thick and somewhat rectangular in shape. Sprinkle half of the herb mixture over the lamb. Mix the almonds and chopped mint into the prune mixture; spread evenly over the lamb. Roll up starting at one of the short sides, and tie with kitchen twine in 1cm intervals. Cut 9 slits about 1cm deep into the top of the lamb, and insert a slice of garlic in each. Rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining herb mixture.
Place lamb seam-side up on a rack set in a roasting pan. Roast in the preheated oven to desired doneness. For medium-rare, a thermometer inserted into the center will read 60 ‘C. Remove lamb from the oven and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes while proceeding with the recipe.
While the lamb is resting, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Boil until the vinegar has reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Once reduced, stir in the butter, honey, and sliced figs. Stir until the butter has melted, then remove from the heat, stir in the chopped basil and set aside.
To serve, remove the twine from the lamb and cut into slices. Arrange on a warm serving platter and drizzle with the fig sauce, garnish with mint and basil leaves.
Tuesday:
Pan-fried duck and plum sauce
For the duck
2 duck breasts, skin on ( available at selected Woolworths outlets)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
For the plum sauce
2 plums, stones removed
1 tbsp sugar
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
½ orange, grated zest and juice only
100ml chicken stock.
knob of butter
To serve
50g pine nuts, toasted
For the duck, season the duck with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then rub with the olive oil.
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the duck, skin-side-down, for 5-6 minutes, until the skin is crisp. Add the whole garlic cloves, turn the duck over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until cooked but still pink in the middle. Transfer the duck to a warm plate and set aside to rest. Discard the garlic and reserve the pan juices in the pan.
For the plum sauce, put the plums into a small saucepan with the sugar, chilli and 100ml of water. Place over a medium heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to help break down the fruit.
Strain through a sieve into the pan used to fry the duck, mixing it with any pan juices. Place over a medium-high heat and stir in the orange juice, followed by the chicken stock and butter. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until reduced to a gravy-like consistency. Stir in the orange zest just before serving.
To serve, carve the duck breasts into thin slices. Spoon the plum sauce over the duck and scatter with some toasted pine nuts.
Wednesday:Butternut and cinnamon fritters
Ingredients
500g butternut
250ml cornflour
5ml baking powder
5ml ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
salt to taste
Cook the butternut in salted water until cooked and soft. Drain and mash. Sift the dry ingredients and add them to the butternut. Mix thoroughly. Beat the eggs and add them to the butternut. Season to taste with salt. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add spoonfuls of the mixture. Fry over a medium heat. When bubbles form on top of the fritters, turn them over and fry the other side until golden brown. Serve warm with brown sugar and maple syrup, or even marmalade.
Thursday:
Nachos This much loved classic is easy and delicious to prepare.
250g corn chips
150g minced beef
425g chunky hot salsa
250g grated strong cheddar cheese
200g sour cream
150g red kidney beans
1 small onion
1 tomato
1 avocado
1 tblsp vegetable oil
sweet chili sauce
Pre heat oven to 230’C,
Place oil, kidney beans and mince into hot frying pan.
While mince is cooking, dice onion and tomato (small pieces)
When mince is brown add onion and tomato. Stir on low heat.
Place corn chips in large baking dish.
Layer with a 1/4 of cheese.
Place mince mix on top of corn chips and cheese.
Cover the top with salsa.
Place the rest of the cheese and cook in oven till golden.
Dice avocado and mix into sour cream.
When your nachos are golden serve with a large spoonful of avocado and sour cream, then drizzle over sweet chili sauce. Yummy!
Avo facts The avocado is one of the world’s most nutritious fruits.
It is nature’s original health food, important not only in maintaining one’s vigour, but also instrumental in reducing one’s chance of falling prey to common life threatening diseases.
Pregnant women and those trying to conceive will benefit from the high levels of folic acid (Vitamin B) in avocados, which is essential for the development of the foetus.
Folic acid deficiency has also been linked to the presence of precancerous cells in the cervix.
Eating half an avocado daily provides extra protection for both mother and baby.
Storage of avo’s:
Avocados should be handled with care and all varieties can be refrigerated for a few days in order to maintain firmness.
If avocados are stored for too long at low temperatures they will show signs of chilling injury.
A handy tip for ripening avocados is to place them in a brown bag with an apple or banana
Friday:Beer Margaritas
It’s the last day of the week, and time for you to unwind with one of these unique yet festive takes on the margarita. Arriba arriba!
350 ml tequila
350 ml Sprite
350 ml beer (preferably Carona for the authentic Mexican flavour!)
ice
5 g lime, cut into wedges
Pour sprite, tequila and beer into a large pitcher. Stir until well blended. Add plenty of ice, and garnish with lime wedges. Adjust with additional water, if needed.
Saturday:
I love doing recipes on the weekends you don’t normally have the time to complete in the week. The following two recipes are the perfect way to unwind in the kitchen, and will make you popular amongst those you share it with.
Old-Fashioned Raspberry Jam
4 cups (1 liter) granulated sugar
4 cups (1 liter) raspberries
1. Place sugar in an ovenproof shallow pan and warm in a 120°C oven for 15 minutes. (Warm sugar dissolves better.)
2. Place berries in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat, mashing berries with a potato masher as they heat. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add warm sugar, return to a boil, and boil until mixture will form a gel (see tips, below), about 5 minutes.
4. Ladle into sterilized jars.
• To determine when the mixture will form a gel, use the spoon test: Dip a cool metal spoon into the hot fruit. Immediately lift it out and turn it horizontally. The jam is done when the drops are very thick and two run together before falling off the spoon.
Sunday:
Yummy Seed Loaf
500 g whole wheat bread flour
85 g sunflower seeds
50 g pumpkin seeds
25 g poppy seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
350 ml lukewarm water
1 egg, beaten
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the water and oil and knead for about a minute.
Place the dough in an oiled loaf pan ( 8 inch x 4 inch) Brush with the egg and decorate with alternate lines of sesame and poppy seeds.
Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rise for about 30-60 minutes.
Pre heat the oven to 180’C and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on rack.
Serve with the old-fashioned raspberry jam and lashings of butter.
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