BAKED POTATOES WITH MUSHROOM CABERNET GRAVY...

What can i say? This is just good food that keeps on giving...

Baking Potatoes (depending on the size, could be one per person)

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1kg Beef Tenderloin

Salt and Pepper

11/2 Tablespoon Butter

11/2 Cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine

1 Onion (chopped)

1 Seasoning Cube

1/2 Cup Warm Water

2 Teaspoons Chopped Fresh Thyme

Runner Beans

Chopped Parsley

1 Teaspoon Flour

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

Wash your potatoes thoroughly with soap, water and a sponge (yes, that thorough). Using a fork or a knife, poke a couple of shallow holes on each potato, this helps steam escape while its cooking, if you don't you will have a lot of cleaning to do as your oven will become like a mini science lab run by 5 year olds when your potatoes accumulate all of that steam and explode (sounds fun, i know). Coat skin with olive oil, sprinkle some salt over it and pop into a pre-heated oven for 90 minutes to bake.

Slice up your raw mushrooms and set aside.

Have your meat cut up into 1 inch pieces and sprinkle with salt and cracked dry pepper.

Sear meat in a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until evenly browned all around.

Take meat out and set aside.

Turn the heat down and 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir in the mushroom and chopped onion and cook until they soften down, this should take about 3 - 5 minutes.

Add the wine, water, beef seasoning cube and thyme (you can add some of the stems too, they also pack some flavour). Return meat to the pan and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes.

In a separate small bowl, mix flour with 2 tablespoons of water until you have a smooth consistency. Add this to gravy and allow to cook together and thicken for another 2 minutes then turn your heat off.

Wash runner beans and add to a dry pan remaining butter, garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir fry it for 2 minutes, just until it just begins to soften then take it off the heat.

When your potato is cooked, slit it through the middle and with both hands (with your thumbs and your fore and middle fingers on both sides of the slit) squish the potato till it spreads open.

Spoon in some gravy, add a side of runner beans and garnish with chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

:D

CHICKEN ADOBO...

Ever get tired of the taste of regular tomato stew but can't be bothered with something fancy? Do you ling food with a bit of tang. You might wanna try this then, it has less than 10 recipes and is one of the least fussy meals i've ever made. Its a dish from the Philippines that i was introduced to by the Filipinas i work with. Ps. The name has nothing to do with Adobo* seasoning, or so i was told...

This recipe needs no salt because of the amount of soy sauce used. 

750grm Chicken Cut Into Pieces

1/2 Cup Dark Soy Sauce

3/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Grated Ginger

2 Bay Leaves

1 Tablespoon Ground Peppercorns

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1/2 Shallot (Chopped)

In your cooking pot combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil with the lid off the pot. As soon as it starts to boil cover the pot and turn down the heat.

Allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Take off lid and allow to cook for another 5 minutes until liquid has reduced to about half. Allow to rest for a few minutes, this will give your sauce time to thicken up fully.

Serve on a bed of basmati rice.

And that is all she wrote!

Apologies for the picture quality, baby girl was hungry. Will put up a better pic next time i make this, don't let it deter you from trying it.

Ps. It tastes even better on day 2.

:)

1, 2, 3 HOT WINGS...

The best kind of comfort food is the kind you can just pick up with your fingers and devour, the ones that make you lick your fingers later, smack your lips and ask a friend if you have any food on your face. Best still, when this can be made in a flash...

Hot wings fit this bill. A lot of people think Hot Wings and Buffalo Wings are the same thing but they really aren't except for the fact that they are both finger food made from chicken. A Buffalo Wings recipe will come up in the near future.

1 Kg Chicken Wings

Salt & Pepper

Garlic Powder

Chicken Seasoning

1 Cup of Flour

Oil for Deep Frying

Wings Hot Sauce (of your choice depending on flavour or heat you wish to achieve)

Combine all the seasoning spices together and rub wings with it with it. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

Bring out of fridge and dust with flour. If you want a thicker crust and crunch, mix 1 cup butter milk with 2 eggs and beat together. Toss chicken in flour, dip completely in buttermilk/egg mix and then back into flour.

Deep fry until golden brown on all sides and allow excess oil drip off.

While still hot, transfer to a bowl and cover with hot sauce and toss till completely coated

Have as a summer snack with crinkly fries, sitting under a shade.

:)

SALMON AND NEW POTATOES ON A BED OF GARDEN VEGGIES AND WHITE WINE SAUCE...

Salmon is one of the tastiest kind of fish out there and doesnt need to be fussed over, its one of the pricier kinds of fish but its so good for you and even on its own is quite filling.

Smoked Salmon Fillet (with skin on)

4 New Potatoes

Garden Salad Mix

200ml Single Cream

1/2 Cup White Wine

Salt and Pepper

Parsley

Garlic Powder

Onions (chopped)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Butter

Mix salt, black pepper and garlic powder and rub on your cut of salmon and set aside for about 15 minutes.

Wash potatoes properly and boil with skin on until tender.

Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in pan and put the fish in, skin side down first and allow to get a good sear. Don't move it around, just let it be for about 3 - 5 minutes, then gently flip over and allow the other side sit for the same amount of time.

Flip back the the skin side down, turn down the heat and cover the pan for about 2 minutes so that you are sure its cooked all the way through. The time really depends on how thick your cut of salmon is.

Take out and note how crisp the skin is.

In same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and butter then add chopped onions. Season as required the pour in cream and wine. Turn heat down and allow to simmer till it reduces to a thick creamy consistency again.

Lay a bed of veggies on your plate, add potatoes and break it open. Garnish with chopped parsley, plate fish and cover all with white wine sauce.

Voila!
Enjoy!