Sugar & Spice is adding something nice to the world of catering
Hey
everyone! I finally have the time to sit down at my desk (with my two body-
heat snatching cats on my lap) to bring you up-to-date with my latest
explorations in the Mother
City
It has
always been a dream of mine to work in the food business. A fool’s dream it may
be, as it is an extremely hard industry to break through. I think, however,
that I might have Karma on my side for a chance, as I recently received the
amazing opportunity to do some catering for a local company. All it entails is
for me to create a delicious lunch every week for 22 very hungry mouths, as
well as something sweet to end off the meal. As exciting as the prospect
seemed, it was also daunting at the same time; having to cater for different
tastes and dietary preferences within a certain budget is no minor feat.
Alas, I
have enjoyed every minute of the process, and I think thus far, everyone seems
to be enjoying my meals (at least I haven’t given anyone food poisoning yet!).
So, here
is a sneak preview of what I have done so far. These dishes are super simple
and easy to create. Try them for yourselves!
Vegetarian Thai Green Curry:
Ingredients
½ butternut squash
1 red pepper
120g baby corn
½ a fresh red chilli
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ x 400ml tin coconut milk
200ml vegetable stock
75g mange tout
1 lime
For the green curry paste
1 stalk of lemongrass
2 spring onions
1 fresh green chilli
2 cloves of garlic
3cm fresh ginger
a small bunch of fresh
coriander
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
optional: 4 fresh or dried lime
leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
optional: ½ tablespoon fish
sauce
Method
Preheat
the oven to 190ºC
• Carefully halve the butternut squash, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard
• Chop the squash into 3cm chunks, leaving the peel on but removing any thick skin
Halve and deseed the red pepper and cut into 3cm chunks
• Add the squash and the pepper to a roasting tray
• Drizzle with a lug of olive oil
• Carefully halve the butternut squash, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard
• Chop the squash into 3cm chunks, leaving the peel on but removing any thick skin
Halve and deseed the red pepper and cut into 3cm chunks
• Add the squash and the pepper to a roasting tray
• Drizzle with a lug of olive oil
• Sprinkle with a pinch of salt
and pepper and toss together
• Roast in the hot oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden and slightly charred
• Remove from the oven and put aside
• Roast in the hot oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden and slightly charred
• Remove from the oven and put aside
For the curry paste
• Trim the lemongrass stalks, peel back and discard the outer leaves, bash them a few times with the heel of your hand or a rolling pin to crush them
• Trim the spring onions
• Halve and deseed the green chillies
• Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger
• Set aside a few sprigs of fresh coriander
• Whiz the rest in a food processor with the lemongrass stalks, spring onions, chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds and lime leaves (if using), until everything is finely chopped
• While whizzing, pour in the soy sauce and fish sauce, if using
• Blitz again until you have a smooth paste
• If you don’t have a food processor, chop everything by hand as finely as you can – it may take a while but it will be so worth it
• Finely chop the red chilli and put to one side
• Place a large pan or wok over a high heat
• When it’s really hot, add the groundnut and sesame oils, swirl them around, then carefully drop in the baby corn and your green curry paste and stir-fry for about 30 seconds
• Trim the lemongrass stalks, peel back and discard the outer leaves, bash them a few times with the heel of your hand or a rolling pin to crush them
• Trim the spring onions
• Halve and deseed the green chillies
• Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger
• Set aside a few sprigs of fresh coriander
• Whiz the rest in a food processor with the lemongrass stalks, spring onions, chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds and lime leaves (if using), until everything is finely chopped
• While whizzing, pour in the soy sauce and fish sauce, if using
• Blitz again until you have a smooth paste
• If you don’t have a food processor, chop everything by hand as finely as you can – it may take a while but it will be so worth it
• Finely chop the red chilli and put to one side
• Place a large pan or wok over a high heat
• When it’s really hot, add the groundnut and sesame oils, swirl them around, then carefully drop in the baby corn and your green curry paste and stir-fry for about 30 seconds
To cook
your curry
• Pour in the coconut milk and
stock
• Add the mangetout, roasted squash and roasted pepper
• Give it all a good stir, bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes
• Have a taste and add a bit more soy sauce if you think it needs it
• Push down on the lime and roll it around to get the juices going, then cut it in half
• Squeeze the juice into the pan – this will give your curry a lovely twang
• Pick the leaves off the remaining coriander sprigs
• Serve the curry sprinkled with the coriander leaves and the chopped red chilli, and some fluffy rice
Serves 4
• Add the mangetout, roasted squash and roasted pepper
• Give it all a good stir, bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes
• Have a taste and add a bit more soy sauce if you think it needs it
• Push down on the lime and roll it around to get the juices going, then cut it in half
• Squeeze the juice into the pan – this will give your curry a lovely twang
• Pick the leaves off the remaining coriander sprigs
• Serve the curry sprinkled with the coriander leaves and the chopped red chilli, and some fluffy rice
Serves 4
Chicken Coconut Curry With nutty Basmati
Rice
Ingredients
2kg chicken thigh fillets (the brown meat is much more tasty and wont dry out as much as the breast meat will)
¾ cup plain flour
3 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ cup oil (I used sunflower oil)
60g ghee
3 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin, extra
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups chicken stock
200ml plain yoghurt
½ cup coconut cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2kg chicken thigh fillets (the brown meat is much more tasty and wont dry out as much as the breast meat will)
¾ cup plain flour
3 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ cup oil (I used sunflower oil)
60g ghee
3 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin, extra
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups chicken stock
200ml plain yoghurt
½ cup coconut cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Method
Cut chicken into pieces.
Combine flour and cumin in a bag, shake well. Add chicken to the bag in batches, shake off excess flour.
Heat oil in a large pan, add chicken to pan and brown all over. Remove the chicken and repeat process with remaining chicken.
Clean the pan, add ghee, add onions and cook till golden brown.
Add the garam masala, curry powder and extra cumin, and cook for 1 minute.
Add garlic, ginger and sugar, and cook for a further 1 minute.
Return chicken to the pan with chicken stock, bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Cut chicken into pieces.
Combine flour and cumin in a bag, shake well. Add chicken to the bag in batches, shake off excess flour.
Heat oil in a large pan, add chicken to pan and brown all over. Remove the chicken and repeat process with remaining chicken.
Clean the pan, add ghee, add onions and cook till golden brown.
Add the garam masala, curry powder and extra cumin, and cook for 1 minute.
Add garlic, ginger and sugar, and cook for a further 1 minute.
Return chicken to the pan with chicken stock, bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Stir in
the coconut cream, yoghurt and lemon juice into chicken, and reheat without
boiling.
For the nutty rice
Ingredients
1kg basmati rice
90g ghee
2 tablespoons oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 litre hot water
tiny pinch saffron powder
¾ cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup sultanas
1 cup roasted cashew nuts
½ cup chopped pistachio nuts
Method
Wash rice; drain for 30 minutes.
Heat ghee and oil in large pan, add garlic, onion and spices and cook while stirring for 1 minute.
Add rice, stir until rice is coated with ghee, and stir in the hot water and saffron.
Bring to the boil, cover with tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to very low, and steam for 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
Add apricots and sultanas, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Stir in cashews and pistachios.
This recipe was enough for about 18 people. Ingredients
1kg basmati rice
90g ghee
2 tablespoons oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 litre hot water
tiny pinch saffron powder
¾ cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup sultanas
1 cup roasted cashew nuts
½ cup chopped pistachio nuts
Method
Wash rice; drain for 30 minutes.
Heat ghee and oil in large pan, add garlic, onion and spices and cook while stirring for 1 minute.
Add rice, stir until rice is coated with ghee, and stir in the hot water and saffron.
Bring to the boil, cover with tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to very low, and steam for 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
Add apricots and sultanas, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Stir in cashews and pistachios.
Portuguese Custard Tarts
Ingredients
butter, for greasing
3 free-range egg yolks
125g caster sugar
30g cornflour
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
175ml full-fat milk
225ml double cream
300g ready-rolled puff pastry
plain flour, for dusting
icing sugar, for dusting
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 12-hole muffin tray with butter.
In a pan, heat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour over a low to medium heat, whisking continuously until thickened and well combined.
Add the vanilla seeds, then add the milk and cream in a thin stream, whisking continuously, until the mixture is thick, smooth and well combined.
Continue to stir the custard mixture until it comes to the boil, then remove from the heat and cover the surface with cling film. (This prevents a skin from forming on the custard.)
Roll out the puff pastry onto a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour and icing sugar. Cut the pastry in half and place one sheet on top of the other. Roll the pastry sheets up like a Swiss roll and cut the roll into twelve slices.
Lay each of the rolled pastry slices flat onto the work surface and roll out into 10cm discs using a rolling pin.
Press a pastry disc into each of the wells of the prepared muffin tray. Divide the cooled custard equally among the pastry cases.
Transfer the muffin tray to the oven and bake the tarts for 18-20 minutes, or until the custard has set and is pale golden-brown and the pastry is crisp and golden-brown. Allow to cool in the tin.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food colouring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
500g cream cheese, softened
butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180’C. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food colouring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
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| The menu board |
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| Vegetarian Thai Green Curry |
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| Naan Bread |
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| Chicken and Coconut Curry |
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| The devilishly delectable red velvet cupckaes! |
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| Kitiwe - My right hand fairy in the kitchen |
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| The dining room table |
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| The small kitchen where everything has to come together at the last minute! |
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