The Corkless Mind

Tag: food styling

  • A Very South African Christmas – A Food24 Recipe Round-up

    A Very South African Christmas – A Food24 Recipe Round-up

    Recently I was tasked with developing summer dessert recipes with a South African twist for Food24. So it is official, I am now a Food24 contributor in recipe development. This enables me to go back to my first passion which is being in the kitchen, playing around and adapting recipes. With a week to go until Christmas, I thought I’d share my recipes I developed and photographed for Food24 with you!

    peppermint crisp pavlova wreath 076

    19 NOV 028

    I love making and experimenting with meringue. It’s stiff, glossy peaks are reminiscent of a Christmas snowy summit that I can only dream to experience (for now) The brief was to make summer desserts with a South African twist. The pavlova wreath I made, was topped with decadent caramel, flecked with chunky bits of peppermint crisp chocolate and studded with raspberries to create balance and give a bit of tart flavour. This is my ode to the very South African festive dessert – peppermint crisp fridge tart.

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    A Lolly to Make You Jolly! 

    Christmas in the Southern hemisphere is a scorcher, so to keep cool and calm, I made rosè, rooibos (the South African twist) and strawberry Ice lollies.

    21NOV 027

    Creme Soda Gummy Bears 

    I’ve been looking for a gummy bear mold and dropper set for ages! Imagine my elation upon finding an affordable set on Takealot! The South African twist you ask? The legendary green fizzy drink that is our version of creme soda. It only takes 20-30 minutes in total to make and set in the fridge. Such a fantastic idea to make with the kiddos in the school holidays. Here’s the recipe.

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    19 NOV 005

    Tropical Fruit Meringue Roulade 

    Inspired by my mom’s famous swiss roll cakes she used to magically conjure up in the kitchen, I made my own modern twist on the traditional by making a roulade with seasonal summer fruits. You can find the recipe here

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    What will you be making for your festive table this year? Recreating any of my recipes? Let me know and share a photo of your lovely festive fare 🙂

    Wishing you and yours a joyous and safe festive season!

    Happy feasting x

  • Nigella’s Red-Hot Roast Salsa.

    Nigella’s Red-Hot Roast Salsa.

    Roasted Tomato Salsa 015-2

    At the moment I am cooking my way through Nigella’s book, At My Table.  I admire her careless abandon and prowess in the kitchen. One of my favourite recipes so far is the Roasted Salsa, and the Sticky Toffee Pudding.At My Table is perfect for anyone who wants to cook good, simple food.

    Roasted Tomato Salsa 126-2

    Roasted Tomato Salsa 096-2

    Tomatoes are a favourite of mine. My cousin introduced me to eating it in a whole different way. She would take an enormous bite of a juicy tomato and sprinkle salt on as she eats her way through the deliciously plump fruit. This to me was foreign and strange, seeing my mom only ever cook with it and never seeing anyone eating it as is. Now to this day, that is exactly how I enjoy eating a tomato. I love this recipe because I always have surplus tomatoes, and who doesn’t want salsa they know exactly what ingredients are in it!?

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    Roasted Tomato Salsa 176-2

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    Roasted Tomato Salsa 037-2

    Nigella’s Red-Hot Roast Salsa. 

     

    Ingredients: 

     

    • 10 Medium sized Roma Tomatoes (halved across the equator)
    • 4-5 Red Chillies, I used dried ones, you can of course stick to the original recipe and use fresh if you have any on hand.
    • 1 large Red Onion, peeled and chopped into eighths
    • 2 Red peppers, de-seeded and chopped into strips
    • 4 large Garlic cloves, peeled and smashed or bruised with  the back end of a knife
    • 1/4 teaspoon of Smoked Sweet Paprika
    • 1 teaspoon of Smoked Sea Salt flakes, plus more to taste
    • 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil

     

    Method:

    Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees C/200 fan. Add the halved tomatoes cut-side up in a large roasting dish. Add the chillies around the tomatoes, then the red onion wedges, strips of red pepper, and the garlic. Season with the salt, paprika and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast for 40 – 45 minutes, until everything is soft and slightly charred around the edges.

    Take out of the oven and set aside for 5 minutes. Pull off the stalks of the chillies and discard. Transfer everything into a large bowl or blender(If using a blender wait 10-15 minutes for the roasted mix to cool down further, to avoid explosions across your kitchen) and blitz with a stick blender or stand blender. Until smooth but with a little chunky texture. Blitz according to preference. Add a little more salt and store in a sterilized jar or wait to cool completely before serving with tortilla chips or spread over a breakfast burrito.

    I used this salsa in every way imaginable, to get the best out of it. I spread a generous amount over chicken breasts with garlic, parsley and a lemon juice, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes on high. This was such a great way to add moisture and flavour to the lean and sometimes bland part of the bird.

    Let me know in the comments section if you love salsa and the different ways you use it.

    Have a delicious week x

     

     

     

  • Fig and Speck Salad with Parmesan Crisps.

    Fig and Speck Salad with Parmesan Crisps.

    West coast and fig salad 067West coast and fig salad 070This recipe is inspired by two amazing women, Donna Hay, and my sister. My sister texted me some food inspiration when I really had none at all, she had a vision of me making something delicious with luscious figs she spotted in store, with that in mind I recalled a recipe from Donna Hay I have been saving, not sure why though. With Figs in peak season, I knew this was the perfect time to make this gorgeous recipe. West coast and fig salad 038West coast and fig salad 028

    I’ve noticed and made a mental note that the figs I see in store are a lot smaller than previous years, and makes me wonder, if at all, there is some sort of correlation between that and the ongoing drought the City of Cape Town is experiencing.West coast and fig salad 075

    Recently I have started a journey of mindful eating and fitness, so whilst I won’t be posting as many indulgent recipes any time soon, I will surely not deprive myself, nor you! I am on the hunt for delicious yet healthy recipes. If you have any ideas on how to spruce up healthy foods with ‘oomph’ please do let me know in the comments section, I would love to hear from you!

    Fig and Speck Salad with Parmesan Crisps.

    Ingredients: 

    • 4-6 Black Figs, or any figs for that matter
    • 4 slices of Speck or prosciutto roughly torn into strips
    • 100g Rocket and Baby Spinach
    • 5 Samphire sprigs
    • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • 1/2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 100g Grana Padano, or any other Parmesan
    • a little salt and freshly ground black pepper to serve

    Method: 

    Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Grate the Parmesan and spread out evenly on a silpat on lined baking tray. Bake for 5-6 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool and harden. To assemble, wash the rocket and spinach and place onto a plate. Place the speck, then the figs and samphire, drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Break the Parmesan crisps into shards and add a little salt and pepper. Serve as an entree or snack.

    *side note: if it does happen that you have any leftover Parmesan crisps, you can keep it in an airtight container for a week.*

    Happy eating and happy weekend! x

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  • Spiced date and pecan nut pudding

    Spiced date and pecan nut pudding

    This gorgeous dessert is straight out of this month’s issue of PnP’s Freshliving magazine, and oh what a decadent treat it is for the cold days that are still ahead!

    I don’t get to shoot much these days, it however feels amazing to be back behind the lens and it feels like second nature to me. There is no better reminder of your passion than to constantly put it to practice. This I am glad I made the time for. We all need reminders of what we love doing or what we are good at when times are turbulent.

    This dessert is a spectacular as a hearty addition to any Sunday lunch or dinner for that matter. I love that the flavour reminds me of Cinnabon, especially with the caramel sauce I added, crushed pecan nuts and subtle notes of cinnamon. Eat with caution should certainly be the caveat that should accompany this dessert.

    I wanted to serve this dessert with a molten, salty, dripping caramel sauce to complement the nutty sweet flavours of this pud. I improvised and made a smokey salted buttermilk butterscotch sauce to drench the pud with. Butter being the key in this recipe 🙂 butter indeed does make everything taste so much better!



    Spiced Date and Pecan nut pudding with a salted buttermilk butterscotch sauce. 



    Ingredients:
    – 150g Medjool dates

    – 100g Butter, melted.

    – 250ml Milk

    – 2 free-range eggs

    – 8ml vanilla extract

    – 125g caster sugar

    – 3ml salt

    – 300g self-raising flour

    – 50g pecan nuts, chopped

    – 10ml cinnamon

    – 5ml ground ginger

    – 5ml ground cardamom

    – 250ml sugar

    – 310ml boiling water

    – 60ml sherry or clemengold mandarin juice (I used a combination of both)

    – Smokey salted buttermilk butterscotch sauce to serve.
    Method:

    Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease any dish. I used a Bundt mold.

    Whisk eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Using my NutriBullet or you could use any other blender, blitz half of the dates together with the melted butter until a paste-like consistency is achieved. Roughly chop the rest of dates, I did this for extra texture in the pud. Add this to the date paste.

    Add the date mixture, milk, vanilla extract to the egg mixture. Combine the flour, salt, nuts and spices together then fold into the egg mixture.

    Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin or dish, sprinkle over brown sugar evenly over the batter.
    To make the topping: 

    Mix together the water and sherry/mandarin or orange juice, pour over the back of a spoon to cover the pudding. Bake the pudding for 35 minutes or until just cooked. Serve with cream and the salted buttermilk butterscotch sauce drizzled over.

  • Oatmeal and mushroom risotto

    Oatmeal and mushroom risotto

    This week, Woolworths had finally launched Steel cut oats in their stores, as you can imagine the excitement was palpable  with so many foodies patiently waiting for it to hit our shores! Steel cut oats are different from regular rolled oats, instant oats, and quick cook oats, in that it is processed in different ways. Steel cut oats are toasted groats that are coarsely chopped into small pieces, and have a chewy texture and nutty flavour. Of all the variation of oats, steel cut oats take the longest time to cook, approximately 20-30 minutes, you can of course reduce the cooking time by soaking the oats overnight. 
    This recipe is adapted from the Savoury oatmeal risotto recipe from Geoffrey Zakarian, spotted on an episode of The kitchen. I love the unusual idea of savoury oats, as opposed to the accepted norm of oats, I.e honey drizzled oats, topped with fresh fruit or poached fruit, or simply sprinkled with brown sugar and dusted with cinnamon. I’m crazy about mushrooms, and always love experimenting with different kinds and variations. I added dried porcini to the chicken stock to add the extra kick of umami and meatiness to the risotto, added chopped shiitake mushrooms for added texture and flavour. 

    Oatmeal and mushroom risotto. 

    Ingredients: 

    2 cups of steel cut oats

    750ml chicken or vegetable stock 

    1 red onion finely chopped

    dried pieces of porcini mushroom

    Four shiitake mushrooms sliced 

    50 ml Olive oil, and extra for drizzling. 

    Smoked sea salt flakes 

    Freshly cracked black pepper 

    1/2 cup Parmesan, I used Grana Padano 

    2 tablespoons of butter 

    A few basil leaves, torn 

    Method: 

    In a large pan, on a medium high heat, heat the olive oil then sauté the onion until translucent and soft, for 8 minutes. In a separate dry pan, toast the oats for 2 minutes until a nutty scent is emitted, then add to the sautéed onion, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the dehydrated porcini mushrooms to the warm stock and set aside for a few minutes. 
    Add two big ladles of chicken stock to the pan with two big ladles of water, and bring to a simmer whilst stirring frequently until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the shiitake and hydrated porcini mushroom, then add more water and chicken stock accordingly as you go along, cook for 25 minutes. 
    Stir in the butter, Parmesan and add the torn basil to finish. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a little more Parmesan grated over the dish. 

    I could never perfect the ‘death dish’ before but this dish has proven to be incredibly simple and dare I say incredibly delicious! With loads of patience and vision for the end product, making risotto doesn’t have to intimidating! 

    The hydrated porcini in the stock with the shiitake mushrooms finished with the Grana Padano, elevated the dish into an umami bomb that supersedes all else! The steel cut oats lends a nutty flavour to the dish and a creamy texture that would fool anyone to think this is a norm for risotto. I would happily indulge in this risotto any day!
    Yesterday was probably one of the best lunchtime meals I’ve had in a long time! Every morsel packed with umami goodness and texture, made me mindfully consume my meal and sit down to enjoy good food the way it truly should be enjoyed. 

    **This post has not been sponsored, and thus all ingredients were purchased by myself**

  • Olive oil, lime and coconut biscotti. 

    Olive oil, lime and coconut biscotti. 

    It’s been a while since I’ve baked anything, I find the process of baking quite calming and sort of a temporary escape from the real world in exchange for that a realm of whimsy and wonder. Now if only I could escape washing the dishes after the mess that ensues… With my olive oil purchase from Babylonstoren from the Olive workshop, thought I should do something a little out of the ordinary, instead to just use it primarily for cooking and drizzling over salads and luxurious homemade pastas. Whilst flipping through a stack of food magazines early this week, frantically searching for inspiration, I happily stumbled across a recipe for olive oil biscotti, and with zeal recreated the recipe with my own take and improvised here and there. This recipe is for an advertisement for the S.A Olive association, featured in the Fresh Living magazine. 

    The recipe is adapted from the recipe as mentioned above, and thus used as a guideline. I added dried cranberries, cashew nuts, coconut flakes, the zest and juice of two limes, this I find works complementary with the grassy peppery notes of the extra virgin olive oil. 

    Olive oil,lime and coconut biscotti. 


    Ingredients    : 
    1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 

    250g sugar 

    330g cake flour 

    2 free-range eggs 

    1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

    1 tbsp vanilla paste 

    1/2 cup dried cranberries 

    100g cashew nuts roughly chopped 

    50g coconut flakes roughly chopped 

    Zest and juice of 2 limes 

    A pinch of sea salt flakes 

    Method    : 
    Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. In a bowl or standmixer beat the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla paste together. In a different bowl combine the flour and bicarbonate of soda and whisk till combined. Stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough. Divide the dough into two, form each piece into a log/roll, as long as your baking tray lengthways. Press down to a 13mm thickness. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled, slice the logs into 13mm slices. Place the slices cut side up and bake for a further 5-10 minutes on either side. Serve with a freshly brewed espresso.