Pesto and Chilli Chicken with Cauliflower au Gratin

Chicken is almost a stable in our hacienda. While we often end up making similar kinds of things for weekday dinners, finding two chicken breasts lurking about in the fridge, I was determined to try something different yet make it as quick and painless as possible.

 

There was a half-used jar of green pesto from earlier in the week, and decided to marinade the breasts in this for a few minutes, with a few grinds of dried red chillie and black pepper before wrapping them in foil, scraping the extra marinade over the top and baking in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.

 

Was also making a cauliflower au gratin, using up the pale-fleshed beast that has also been lurking about in the fridge, a few shelves below the chicken. Making the white sauce, or should I say Bechamel sauce, for this dish  I always think of my grandmother, seeing as this is one of the first things I ever made, following her instructions which she called out from across the kitchen, letting me arrive at a creamy, lump-free sauce all by myself. However, her technique was not as swift as the one I now use, courtesy of Delia Smith. Throw in all the ingredients – flour into softly melted butter, add milk; start to whist. Whisk constantly, turning the heat down once the milk heats up, and keep whisking until the sauce thickens. It’s almost like magic.

 

Anyway, I chucked in a generous handful of grated extra mature cheddar, and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Always white pepper. I poured this over the boiled cauliflower sitting in an oven proof dish, top this with more grated cheddar and pop it in the oven below the chicken. Seeing as most of it is already cooked, it just needs to be in there for about 15-20 minutes to bubble a little and brown on top.

 

 

A rant about meat

Unlike some members of my family, and hoards of folk who are more devout followers of their respective faiths, I attach no religious significance to what goes into my belly. I was brought up to respect the cow and not eat the pig. But what did the lamb and goat and sheep and chicken do wrong in the presence of the cosmos? How come we eat those without guilt?

The brahmin I stubbornly asked this burning question of my youth patiently explained that all other animals are holy too and hence, the true Hindu is meant to be vegetarian, which in all fairness, a lot of Hindu people are.

However, when those who see me biting into a juicy New Zealand beef cheese burger (well done, and accompanied by a potent garlic mayo and chunky chips) or buying pork chops give me the evil eye – or someone in my family purses their lips at any allusions to beef eating tendencies, I say [cow's] bollocks to you. There are more important, and less hypocritical things in life, and it is pointless following the black and white without questioning, or just following. You may eat sheep and still be able to sleep at night without a nice cup of horlicks, but that does not mean you have to be one.

I believe abstaining from pork or beef does not bring eternal happiness and forgiveness from the universe, nor will it ensure the next life will be any better than a rat’s. It does not make one a better person and it certainly does not define one, or make one a more devout Hindu (I’m non-practising, by the way). It just means you’re a really fussy eater.

Now if you chose not to eat something because you didn’t like to taste, or not used to eating it and it made you gag slightly (like me with what is almost a Scandinavian staple – salt licorice), or are indeed allergic to it, then that’s a whole different story.

Anyway, the reason for all this word sprouting is that we had pork cutlets last night with a warm potato salad and fresh ribbons of lettuce, carrot and apple. Served the meat with a spicy garlic and red onion butter -it was truly delicious, and I slept like a baby.

Feeling Blue

There are times in London when I miss my family and friends that used to live in London but have since moved back to SA or gone to live in other parts of the UK and the world. This makes me want to eat or cook or bake, or do all three at once.

Claire, a South African friend of mine, used to make a Broccoli and blue cheese pasta, and this is one of the most delicious things a pasta lover could eat, and I find  the dish intensely comforting and imbued with fond memories of a shared time in South London. So come Easter, when my family in SA had gathered for the weekend, and with the other half having had to work for most of it, I was craving some sort of company, and I realised this blue cheese pasta would be better than what any doctor or alternative health practitioner could order.

Broccoli, Mushroom and Blue Cheese Rigatoni
(2 servings)
100g creamy blue cheese (Dolcelatte or St Agur)
8 large broccoli florets, broken up into smaller florets
6 medium button mushroom, sliced finely
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
125ml fresh single cream
250g Rigatoni
Olive oil

1. Boil the rigatoni in generously salted water until al dente.

2. Fry the garlic in a little olive oil in a large pan or wok, add the bacon first, fry this a bit then add the mushroom and broccoli and fry gently until softened. If you like broccoli with a bit of crunch, only add this only once mushrooms have had a bit of a go in the pan. 3. Once these are done, turn the heat down, cube the cheese and crumble it into the pan.

3. As the cheese starts to melt, pour in the cream, and let it simmer gently on a very low heat for about 10 minutes. If it looking a bit dry, add a dash of milk, or hot water even to thin the sauce slightly.

4. Season to taste and enjoy with some crusty bread.

The Big Cheese

I was watching a re-run of a cheese episode of Nigel Slater’s Real Food last night where he described ricotta as being the new black. That was in 1998. If I had to answer that question now, I’d say goat’s is the big cheese and that since 1998, blue veined cheeses have had their moments of glory, marscapone even, surpassed of course, by buffalo mozzarella, and Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano or Percorino Romano. Or so it seems.

 I adore cheese. A work colleague of my husband’s recent returned from Paris carting three rounds of creamy white cheese, one very smelly, so I have been in heaven all Easter. Forget a chocolate and spicy bun binge. I have been gorging on cheese on crackers, cheese on seed scones, cheese on home baked poppy seed bread, cheese off the back of a knife… I’ve been sneakily breaking off little corners and savoring the decadent softness almost every time I’ve been in the fridge for anything, or just passing by the fridge. Thankfully, I am back in the daily grind and that means I will have to restrict my cheese habit to evenings only. I enforced the muesli-for-breakfast rule this morning and decreed the cheese will have to wait. 

Now what shall I do with a small round of camembert?   Contemplating making Camembert and Swedish Lingonberry pastries, using phyllo to make triangles or puff pastry, I remind myself I need to think of the waistline, and option B is probably a slightly wiser option! I like the idea of rubbing the top with garlic, pricking the surface, pouring over white wine, and baking it in its box in the oven; then dipping chunks of crusty bread or fingers of garlicky ciabbata or wedges of apple and pear into the rich gooey moltenness.

Seedy Cheese Scones

While my other half and I are partial to sweet scones, but as part of some kind of ‘afternoon tea’, we are not that fond of the sweetness in breakfast scones, so I use this recipe from Rachel Allen, adapting slightly, by adding cheese (parmesan or a strong cheddar), and preferring poppy and sunflower seeds to her sesame and linseed.

 

Three Seed and Parmesan Wholemeal Breakfast Scones
(makes 10- 12 large scones) 

225g wholemeal flour
225g plain white flour
25g poppy seeds
25g pumpkin seeds
25g sunflower seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
25g butter
1 egg
400ml buttermilk (or plain low fat yogurt mixed with a little milk)
Large handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese 

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. In a big bowl, mix together the brown and white flour, seeds, salt and the bicarbonate of soda. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Now add the cheese and mix this through evenly.

2. Whisk the egg with the buttermilk, and pour most of the liquid into the flour mixture. Bring everything together in a soft, but not sticky dough, and turn out onto a floured surface.

3. With the palm of your hand, flatten the dough to about 4cm thick. With a sharp knife, cut into square scones, and, if you like, brush any leftover liquid over the top of each scone before sprinkling with extra seeds.

4. Place the scones onto a lined baking tray and place in a hot oven, baking for about 15-25 minutes (depending on the size). If the scones look as if they’re browning too quickly, turn down the heat a bit. Cool before serving.

Chapati chips

There were three chapatis left over from dinner tonight. I made about 12 paper thin ones which, now cool, have gone all crispy. So I’ve broken them up into segments and store these in an air tight container. These will make fabulous crunchy chips, ready for a delicious dip.

Making chapatis is so easy, especially if you have the special chapati flour which is wholewheat-flecked yet silky smooth.

Chapatis
(makes 8-12, depending on size)

2 cups chapati flour
1 tbsp of butter ghee or softened butter
3/4 cup of tepid water
1/2 tsp salt

1. In a large bowl mix the chapati flour, butter and salt. Rub in with fingertips as if you’re making scones then add the water and mix well.
2. Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and knead until you get a sofy, pliable dough, springy to the touch. cover with clingfilm and set aside for about 10 minutes.
3. After the dough has rested for 10 mins, divide into eight golf ball-sized pieces. Flatten each ball into a patties, dust them with dry flour and roll out until about 15cm in diameter.
4. Heat a heavy griddle or frying pan, rubbing a little ghee over the surface and place chapatis in one at a time, 1 1/2 minutes per side should do it until small bubbles form. Remove from pan, brush with a little ghee and serve hot.

Muffins for Health Nuts

How can I be a passionate lover of food and a health nut at the same time?!! It pains me when I have to limit my intake of gorgeous morsels of all the tastiest things in the world. Actually, all the tastiest things in the world are not always the wisest health choices – cheese, crackling, Nigella Lawson’s extra rich and creamy New York baked cheese cake (I can never stop at just one slice), gooey dark chocolate brownies, all kinds of pastries, need I go on? But I gain weight so quickly that I have to try and make healthier choices in the kitchen. So I figured some health muffins would do the trick.

Walnut, Poppyseed, Carrot and Coconut Bran Muffins
(makes 6 large muffins)

175g self-raising wholewheat flour
50g oat bran (or wheat bran)
140g light muscovado sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 grated carrot or apple or pear (small)
1 handful dessicated coconut
1 handful of poppyseeds
50g chopped walnuts, some for sprinkling over top
a sprinkling of sultanas and cranberries
1 large egg, beaten
200ml buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tsp extra virgin rapeseed oil (or sunflower oil)

1. Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan. Line 6 muffin tins with muffin cases or baking parchment.
2. Place dry ingredients (except nuts, carrot or fruit) in a large bowl and mix with fingers to ensure everything is combined evenly.
3. Beat egg then stir in all the wet ingredients, lightly mixing this into the mixture. Mixture should remain lumpy so don’t over do the mixing.
4. Carefully fold in the nuts, carrot and fruit into the mixture without bashing out too much of the air.
5. Divide between the muffin cases, sprinkle with walnuts and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Delicious with a glass of cold milk.

The light nuttiness of the rapeseed oil adds beautiful flavour and a delicious smell, while the distinct yellowness stains the muffin slightly.

Light and green salad

I can never seem to get enough of coriander, or dhania as we call it in Durban. I’m often surprised when some people list it as one of the herbs they find offensive on a plate, but to me, it’s mellow but distinct flavour with vague citrus overtones, can really enhance the flavours of meat, fish and salads. And today’s lunch: basmati rice and coriander salad with cherry tomatoes, spring onions, red pepper, tuna and slivers of green chilli. Lemon juice and spices optional. I think it’s delicious on its own. Healthy too. And it was a great way to use up the left over rice from last night’s Thai curry.

Tasty Thai Chicken Curry

Every now and again I get this intense craving for a hot red Thai chicken curry. All the way home on my scooter, at red lights and pedestrian crossings, I was ticking off ingredients in the cupboard and fridge and making a list of what I’d need to buy – coconut milk (reduced fat!); lime; fresh ginger. No lime leaves unfortunately, but there were satsuma leaves in the fruit bowl and I was contemplating using this as a substitute. I can’t make curries too hot however, seeing as I’m cooking for a partner who, while he enjoys hot food, does not have as much of a resistance to heat as I do. After all, I have been raised (virtually!) on curry.

Back at the ranch, out comes the wok, left over lemon grass from last week’s Thai cooking extravaganza, chicken breasts, ginger, lime, and I decide to add some red pepper and petit pois for some extra colour and flavour.  I also find some ready-made red curry paste which will make this a whole lot easier, and also means I will have to forego the satsuma leaves.

I pour a little oil (extra virgin rapeseed on this occasion – gorgeous nutty flavour) into the smoking hot wok and add some freshly grated ginger, frying this a little before spooning in the curry paste, some chopped coriander root, additional lime zest and some of the thick cream skimmed form the top of the tin of coconut milk. I let these have a good fry and as the delicious aromas waft around the kitchen, but before it starts to stick, I throw in the thin strips of chicken. I always feel that chicken thighs used in curries have bags more flavour, but on this occasion, I’m limited to what’s in the fridge. And…I hold myself back from chopping in more fresh red chillies.

I let the chicken brown a little on all sides then add most of the coconut milk to the wok, adding the rest after a few stirs, scraping off all the bits that have stuck to the bottom of the wok. I turn the heat down and let it bubble gently for about 15-20 minutes. I usually prefer the sauce to reduce slightly so it is all thick and juicy and oh so creamy.

I served it on a wonderfully large plate, above a bed of fragrant basmati rice and garnished with coriander. Yum yum.

The Anonymous Foodie

One of my earliest memories of food is the musty, sweet, dried wild grass smell of coconut milk slurped out of a giant green coconut, cut fresh by skinny young boys from the lanky palms of Goa, India. I was about three years old and on a family holiday from South Africa. The distinct smell is something I associated with exotic places and the taste of the milk itself, is not something I took to straight away. In fact the next time I drank green coconut milk was in Maputo, Mozambique as an adult in January 2000. And perhaps, by then, my tastebuds had matured so I did not recoil from the earthy flavour.

 

Coconut however, has been part of my diet since childhood (Hindu upbringing!). If the milk of mature coconuts was not being drunk, we’d be eating the flesh, my sister and I hollowing out the shell to be able to poke out the eyes in the spherical shell with the uneven crack created when the coconut was split in half. My grandmother would also finely slice coconut meat and roast it in the oven to make chevdah (a savoury snack with nuts, spices, toasted cereals, and colour-flecked coconut).

Why these thoughts of coconut, and why today? I’m making my own muesli and adding slivers of roasted coconut to the mix of cashew, walnuts, brazils, chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries, pinenuts, hulled sunflower and pumpkin seeds, whole rolled oats, rye flakes and puffed mixed grains lightly coated in honey. That’s going to be breakfast tomorrow and will taste fantastic with ice cold milk, and perhaps, chopped banana dusted with cinnamon.