In the first year of our relationship, I offered to host my husband’s
family for dinner. I thought it was the polite thing to do – to prove to them
all that I was decent long-term material for their son, and to generally just
have a fun evening together. A day later I realised what a stupid suggestion it
was. I detest cooking and I am terrible in the kitchen. Those close to me
happily regale the tale of me giving my grandfather salmonella poisoning . Oi
vey.
So I took it all in my stride.
I threatened my then boyfriend with his life if he didn’t make up an
excuse to get out it, and then feigned crippling illness the morning of the
dinner. Alas, he was by then aware of my tactics and refused to budge. “You’re
amazing” he said. “You’ll be fine” he said. “We’ll do it together” he said. His
toe wasn’t so fine after I stomped on it on my way to the kitchen.
What to do, what to do.
My only option was Jamie Oliver. Mostly because it was the only cook
book I owned at the time. And for goodness sake – if he can teach an island
full of Brits to feed their kids properly, it can’t all be bollocks.
I won’t venture into the full production now. But I will tell you about
the starter that I served. Yes, Starter!
The point of this post is to fully illustrate that this recipe is FOOL
proof. I make it at least once a week in winter, and this weekend it was even
enjoyed by someone who dislikes peas.
Jamie Oliver’s Pea and Mint Soup
Pg 132 of Jamie’s Ministry of
Food
Serves 6-8
2 Carrots
2 Sticks celery
2 Medium onions
2 Cloves of garlic ( I just
use the minced John West garlic)
Olive oil
2 Chicken (or veg) stock
cubes
800g Frozen peas
A small bunch of fresh mint
Sea salt and black
pepper
300g Cooked ham (I used bacon)
Method:
Peel and roughly slice carrots
Slice the celery
Peel and roughly chop the onions
Peel and slice the garlic (or just chuck a teaspoon into the pot into pan with olive oil)
Put a large pan (pot) on a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Add all chopped ingredients to the pan and mix together
Cook for around 10 minutes with the lid askew until soft but holding shape
Put the stock cubes into a jug or pan and pour in 1.8 litres of boiling water from the kettle
Stir until the stock cubes are dissolved then add to the veggies
Add your peas
Give the soup a good stir and bring to the boil
Once boiling allow to simmer for 10 minutes
When the peas have softened, remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper
Add mint leaves (just a few – it can be overpowering)
Hand blend or liquidise the soup until smooth
Chop up the ham and stir it in.
Food Love. Images my own.
I served it with Heat and Eat rolls from Woolies and it went down with a treat.
Strange? Yes! A welcome
emotion on a cold day? Yes!
Know what I’m talking
about? (you all scream Yes!)
Comfort food...mmmmm. After a
busy couple of days, and some very chilly weather, last night felt the perfect
night for some good old fashioned comfort food.
If you want the official
Little Kitchen definition for comfort food it’s rich, saucy, delicious and absolutely loaded with carbs ;) It can
usually partner with a good bottle of red wine like they are long lost soul
mates, and it has to involve a couch somewhere along the line. That’s comfort
food. And so is this:
Spicy Sausage and Mushroom
Pasta
Serves 4. Okay who am I
kidding? Serves 2 ;)
Ingredients
500g Pasta - I used the bow-tie
one, but Penne will be just as good.
1 Chorizo sausage - I used the
Woolworths one - delicious
500g Lean beef mince
1 Punnet of button mushrooms
Fresh Basil
Fresh chili
Fresh Garlic
Olive Oil
Mozzarella
Salt and Pepper
1 400g tin of chopped and
peeled
Ready...Steady...Cook! Images my own.
Method
Heat the oven to 180
Degrees.
Add chopped garlic and a
pinch of chili depending on your taste into a warm pan with some olive oil, and
gently fry. Be careful not to burn the garlic, it will be all you can taste.
Once this mixture is
browning nicely, add about a tablespoon of hand torn fresh basil. Someone once
told me that torn herbs hold their flavour much more than chopped or cut herbs. Not sure how true this is,
but it feels creative so go with it!
Fry lightly in the olive
oil until it smells and looks delicious. Be careful not to dry out the basil
leaves, they should still be shiny with Oil.
The base flavours are often the most important. Images my
own.
Slice up the button
mushrooms and add to the herbs and garlic, stir so that they are evenly
covered. Remember the trick with mushrooms, don't ever wash them, as they
absorb monumental amounts of water. If they are dirty rub them down with some
kitchen towel or invest in one of those fancy little mushroom brushes. Just
don't wash them. Put a handful of mushrooms in at a time, I find that if you
put them all in together they release liquid and go all soggy. Not ideal.
Get your water for the
pasta on to boil. Pinch of Salt in the water, and get it boiling.
The prep. Images my own.
Next... get going with your Chorizo. I find working with
Chorizo extremely tough, I end up eating most it before it even gets to the
board. Try and resist!
I traditionally buy the Woolworths
Chorizo, but
there is no denying that it is a pricey purchase. You can swop this with spicy
Spanish sausages or add regular sausage meat and generously add in smoked
paprika and extra chili.
Chop the Chorizo into bite
size pieces and pop them into a blender, to grind them up. If you don't have a
blender, don't panic. Slice and dice the sausage into small pieces which will
mix well with the Beef mince.
Life is too short grind a Chorizo by hand. Images my own.
Add the Chorizo to the
cooked mushrooms, stir and let simmer for about 5min.
Make sure the pan doesn't
become too dry, add a splash of Olive Oil if the contents start to stick.
Pop in the mince, and give
it a good stir, mixing the mince, chorizo, mushrooms and herbs. Make sure the
mince browns evenly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the tin of tomato paste
and one tin of chopped and peeled tomatoes. Stir and simmer until evenly mixed
and looking delicious. ABout 8-10min depending on the heat of your stove.
Don't forget about your
water on the boil. Once it has come to a fast boil, pop your pasta in and give
it a good stir. Depending on what your pot is like, I often add the tiniest
dash of olive oil into the water to ensure it doesn't stick together. This
really isn't a hard and fast rule, all depends how I'm feeling and how the
pasta is looking. Sticky pasta is my worst.
Once the pasta is Al Dente
(not mushy, cooked, but still firm). Drain using a colander and stir into the
meat mixture and simmer for about 2min.
All coming together. Images my own.
Grate some cheese, I used
mozzarella, sprinkle generously on top. Pop in the oven for 10min until the
cheese is melted.
Cheese. Glorious Cheese. Images my own.
Serve with fresh rocket,
extra chili and if you managed to avoiding polishing off the Chorizo, add
some extra slices of Chorizo to top it off.
Out of the oven. Into bowls. Into hungry tummies. Images my own.
I’m desperate for feedback
on the blog, so let me know if you’ve tried any of the recipes and how it went.
Alternatively hit me up
with one of your comfort food favs...I am always looking for a new couch friend :)
As you may have gathered from my pics from the weekend yesterday, we spent Sunday lunch at the Vineyard Hotel...
I usually find it quite intimidating eating at hotels. I have absolutely no clue why.
Ok, that was a lie. I do.
Now please keep in mind that I refer to fancier hotels with the below admission: Hotel guests are usually substantially better dressed than your average South African. Ok me. What with their Louis Vuitton handbags, Kurt Geiger ballet pumps and clean, fresh European appearance.
In addition, they ARE actually guests at the hotel, not local walk-in’s. They are always seated when you walk in. There aren’t any available tables. The waiter spots your South African demeanor and ignores you. The service staff are usually akin to the kind you find in boutique clothes shops. Snooty, judgmental and completely unhelpful. It’s unbearably awkward. You fizzle into obscurity.
Dramatic much?
Now forget all that as it wasn’t my impression at all when strolling down the road to the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands, Cape Town this weekend.
The Vineyard Hotel. Image my own.
We decided to hit the Vineyard patio for a spot of lunch to celebrate a family member’s birthday. We were graced by the most spectacular weather in Cape Town on Sunday, which is rather unusual, and I wouldn’t suggest the patio if the sun isn’t out. You aren’t allowed to book on the patio, so if you’re a large group, I would suggest arriving at midday if you want to get a table for lunch.
The menu is fantastically diverse offering everything from spaghetti Bolognese to sushi and fillet to Moroccan chicken wraps. I went for sushi (do I hear an ‘oh no’ dear reader?). I would love to tell you otherwise, but even the staid Southern Suburbs delivers a fantastic plate of sushi, and this is definitely the case at the Vineyard. A favourite at the table was the battered fish and chips – the upmarket kind – neat wedges and only the best fillet of fish delicately swathed in a light and fresh batter. After polishing off all my husband’s wedges (paired with his tartare sauce accompaniment) I can authoritatively say that it’s a good option.
Before I stole his wedges. Images my own.
To be honest, I could rant on about the food, but that’s not where the charm lies in this establishment. The Vineyard Hotel is an oasis in a highly dense residential area boasting rolling lawns, bubbling fountains and their very own Cape Mountain Tortoises of fine old ages.
Postcard Views. Images my own.
Take a stroll along the banks of the Liesbeek River which trickles through the property and enjoy the serenity in the midst of the frenetic Newlands/Claremont area. Not a block away frantic shoppers whip their way around Cavendish. The Vineyard is what the weekend should be about: great food, incredible surroundings, peace and relaxation.
Loving the sunshine. Image my own.
I have a sneaky suspicion that most Capetonians are keeping this gem secret from us ex-Joburgers, so don’t tell too many people. Pick a nice day and take the family or a bunch of friends for lunch – the setting is serene and the service impeccable.
I hope you all had great weekends, and ate some delicious food and drank some special wine!
Our's was fabulous , and pretty easy to sum up :)
Champagne..... At Blakes, what a great place! Loved it!
Portugese.... At Diaz Tavern, the Cape Town institution.
Birthdays.... June is a busy month.
Dancing.... Until your feet hurt or you fall over. Whichever comes first.
Eating.... What weekend isn't great without food?
Running.... My first ever race. And I finished!
Sipping Pongratz at Blakes - Images my own.
My first time at Blakes for Birthday drinks, I must say it won't be my last. A sophisticated, elegant venue, where wearing heels and a dress is a must. Have a look at their website here, definitely considering Birthday drinks of my own there.
Celebrating the night away at Diaz Tavern - Images my own.
Diaz Tavern situated at 15 Caledon Street in the CBD, is a Cape Town institution. Excellent Portugese food, great ambiance, fun music, and the perfect spot for a dancing evening.
Running the SACS Memorial Trail Run and finishing - Images my own.
Early on Sunday morning, we joined about 200 other avid trail runners, for the John Ince Memorial Race, with the SACS Old Boys Union. For my first race, it was quite a tough route, with about 4km of serious uphill at the start, but I loved every moment, and will be signing up for the next race soon. I think the bug may have bitten.
Rediscovering breakfast favourites - Bovril with Cheese - Images my own.
A food blog, with no mention of food? Never fear, I rediscovered this little gem for breakfast, Bovril (yes I am a Bovril fan, not a Marmite fan) with cheese on toast. Simple, easy and just delicious. I ended up having 4 slices. It was that good.
This weekend is going to be a great one. Two birthday celebrations this evening, a day with family tomorrow, baking the most delicious chocolate cake, and then my first ever trail run race on Sunday.
