Braai Season

I love summer because it means braai season has begun and, being a Zimbo, I love to braai.  Below are pics of a couple of the braai's that we have had this year so far.  :-)



Getting ready



Chicken

Chicken



Pork Chops and Prawn Kebabs



It's ready - come and get it.



Delicious

Salad and home made salad dressing

Ready to eat

Relish

Sadza and Relish

Soweto Chicken - take 2

Soweto Chicken with Mashed Potato, Mixed Veg and Chakalaka


I'm so excited to tell you that I have a new stove!  It's really nice and I am extremely lucky to have such caring friends.  It's funny how you crave something when you know you can't have it. I have been craving roast chicken these last 3 weeks so decided that the first thing I'd cook would be a roast.  I used my Soweto Chicken recipe which turned out even nicer than the last time I made it.  I added an extra tin of Tomatoes for the Chakalaka Sauce though as I didn't think I made enough of it last time.




Preparing the Chakalaka

 

Ready to cover with tin foil

 

Ready

Time to carve

Mayo & Chutney Chicken

Mayonnaise and chutney may sound like an unusual combination for a chicken casserole, but this saucy, flavorsome dish is much-loved in South Africa. It never fails to increase the appetite of your guests, who will invariably ask for more chicken, or, as they say in Afrikaans, "vra na meer hoender".

Ingredients:

6 Chicken portions, with skin

1 x Onion, finely chopped

2 x cloves of chopped garlic

1 x 1 teaspoon Worcester sauce

¾ to 1 cup chutney (I used Wellingtons)

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Put the chicken, skin side down, into a pan.

Cook for about 8 mins on each side but drain the fat from the pan whilst doing so.

Put the oil from the chicken into a pot.  Add the onion and gently sauté for about 5 mins.

Add the water, Garlic and Worcester Sauce and stir well.

Mix the mayo and chutney together and add it to the onion mix.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook on a moderate heat for a further 30-40 mins, turning occasionally.

Melkkos

Melkkos is a comforting milk and cinnamon dish that can be served as a light breakfast, lunch or evening meal. The name "melkkos" (which means "meal made from milk") doesn't do justice to this wonderful dish that will warm up even the most dismal of winter days.

Original Recipe by Rainbow Cooking.  Pictures by Amanzi-Fundu

Ingredients

¾ cup (190 ml) flour

1 x tablespoons butter

A pinch of salt

4 x cups (1 litre) of milk

1 x cinnamon stick

Cinnamon sugar to serve

Method

Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour and salt.

Bring the milk (with a cinnamon stick) to boil on the stove.

Add the butter and flour mixture a little bit at a time while stirring.

Turn the heat down and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until cooked. Stir regularly.

Soweto Chicken

This is a heart-warming spicy chicken casserole dish that you can make as mild or as hot as you like.  The original recipe came from Soweto in Johannesburg and was published in Peter Veldsman's excellent cookbook, "Kos van die Eeu" (Food of the Century).  

I was really happy with the way the chicken turned out.  It was very moist and extremely tasty.

Adapted Recipe and Pictures by Amanzi-Fundu

Ingredients

1 x whole chicken

2 x medium or 3 small onions, sliced into rings

1 x can of chunky tinned tomatoes

2 x cloves of garlic, crushed

2 x teaspoons cinnamon

1 x teaspoon turmeric

3 x whole red chilli, fresh or dried

1 x teaspoon mild curry powder

Freshly grounded black pepper

Salt

Method

Add crushed garlic to the canned tomatoes and pour into an ovenproof casserole dish.

Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Combine spices, salt and pepper and rub into chicken.

Place chicken in the casserole dish and arrange onion on top.

For a very mild dish, simply slip the chilli into the side of the casserole and remove it before serving. If you prefer your chicken hot, slice the chilli along its length, remove the seeds, chop, and scatter over the chicken.

Cover the casserole dish and pop it into the oven.

Set the temperature to 180°C and cook for 1½ hours if it's a small chicken, or 2 hours for a large one.

I served mine with chips and salad. 

Chilli Bites

I fell in love with Chilli Bites whilst living in South Africa many years ago.  They are really tasty and go down a treat when you are having a couple of beers and/or watching rugby.  I hope you will like them as much as I do.

Recipe and pictures by Amanzi Fundu.

Ingredients:

150 g Chickpea flour

15 ml Cake flour

1 Medium-sized potato, coarsely grated

1 Medium-sized onion, grated

2 x Teaspoons ground coriander seeds

1 x Teaspoon ground cumin

3 Green chillies, diced

½ x Teaspoon salt

1 x Teaspoon Paprika

1 x Teaspoon Baking powder

Oil for frying

Method

Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Then add the remaining ingredients.
Mix in enough water to make a stiff batter.

Heat some oil in a large frying pan and then add spoonfuls of the mixture to the oil.

Turn over when golden brown

Drain on paper toweling.

Serve with a dip of your choice (I used Mrs. Balls Chutney and Crème Fraiche)

Malva Pudding

A sweet pudding of Dutch origin, Malva Pudding is usually served hot with custard or ice-cream. Made with apricot jam, this typical South African dessert has a spongy, caramelised texture.

Recipe and pictures by Amanzi-Fundu

Ingredients –cake:

1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tbsp margarine
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp apricot jam
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp table salt

Ingredients – sauce:

1 cup cream
125g margarine
½ cup white sugar
½ cup hot water
5ml vanilla essence

Method:

Cream the margarine and sugar together.

Add the egg and beat well in a mixer.

Add the apricot jam and vinegar.

Sift the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.

Mix well.

Pour into a deep round dish about 19cm in diameter.

Cover the dish with a lid or foil, then bake for one hour at 180 ºC.

For the sauce, melt the margarine and add the sugar and water. Stir well before adding the cream and vanilla.

Dinner with Friends

My friends, Kelly and Darren, came for dinner recently.  I originally wanted to cook a South African themed menu but as I couldn't get all tbe ingredients I needed I had to change it.  The pictures aren't good.  I really need to invest in a proper camera.  Maybe FC will bring me one, I am sure that I have been a good girl this year.  lol.


I made:

Starter:

Prawns with chorizo, tomato and Mozzarella.  Served with Melba Toast.  

(I bought these miniture Gino D'Acampo casserole dishes from Morrissons for £1.50 each!  Bargain!)

Main Course:

Moroccan Lamb Casserole served with cous cous and roast veg.

(I have made this dish so many times and it has always been nice.  I was very dissapointed and quite embarressed to serve it to be honest)

Dessert:

Lemon Curd Pudding

Malva Pudding

(Served with icecream and a waffer twirl)

Bread:

I made some home made bread although I used a different recipe to what I originally use. 

Garlic Bread

Chilli and Herb bread sticks and plaits.



Home made Bread





Tomato Bredie

Tomato Bredie is a South African stew.  Referred to in Afrikaans as 'tamatiebredie' is normally made with mutton and is cooked for a long time.  It some how tastes better the next day so make it in advance (I started mine off on Monday night). 

Ingredients

2 large onions halved and thinly sliced
1 kg lamb knuckles
2 tins peeled chopped tomatoes with juice
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 large dry red chili crushed(optional)
50ml tomato paste
4 medium potatoes quartered
2 tablespoons sugar
Oil

Method:

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil on a medium heat in a large pot and cook the onions until they start to brown on the edges.

Add the knuckles, stir them around for a while and then place the lid on and cook for 40 minutes stirring every 5 minutes or so. The meat should be browned and pretty much cooked.

Add the tomatoes and crush any large pieces (you can also crush up the tomatoes or even puree them slightly before adding). Add chili, tomato paste, garlic and salt, stir and let it simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Add the potatoes and simmer for a further 20 minutes until they are tender.

Lastly add the sugar, stir and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Bobotie

Bobotie (pronounced /bɒˈboʊti/) is a South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping.


Ingredients:
2 pounds of minced meat
1 onion, chopped
1 slice of white bread
2 tablespoons apricot or peach jam
2 tablespoons chutney (or mix 1 tablespoon jam with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise)
1 tablespoon oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of curry powder or curry paste
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 bay leaves (or lemon leaves)
salt to taste

Method:
Soak the bread in half a cup of milk. Drain the milk and add the bread to the minced meat.
Add the jam, chutney, lemon juice, curry powder, turmeric and salt. Mix well.
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook till soft. Add the meat mixture and brown, stirring all the time.
Put the mixture into a greased ovenproof dish.
Beat the rest of the milk and the eggs. Pour the egg mixture over the meat mixture. Carefully place the bay leaves (or lemon leaves) on top of the mixture and bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the eggs are set. This should take about 45 minutes.

Serve with yellow rice.