Recipes – DAILY RAMBLINGS (2024)

It’s supposed to be gorgeous hot summer weather here in Johannesburg, however, it’s been pouring with rain! Last night, amidst the thunder & lightning, I decided to try out my new waffle recipe.

It turned out super delicious! Although I only added syrup, you can add chocolate chips, ice cream, cream and any other sauces you can conjure up!

Recipe:

375ml cake flour (I used self raising flour and skipped the baking powder).

15ml baking powder

15ml sugar

300ml milk

2 eggs (don’t add all at once – they need to be separated).

50g melted butter (margarine)

Method:

1. Sift the DRY ingredients into a bowl.

2. Add the sugar

3. Whisk the milk, egg yolks and melted butter/margarine together.

4. Add them into the dry ingredients, mix well.

5. Using an electric beater, whisk the eggs until stiff (i usually turn the bowl upside down, if nothing comes out, they’re ready 🙂

6. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, allow to stand for 10-15 minutes.

7. Spray the waffles plates with non-stick spray, gently pour the batter onto the plates, just enough to cover the base. Let it set slightly, then close the lid.

8. Cook until golden brown (they start smelling really delicious!)

9. Serve with syrup, cream, ice cream, chocolate, fruit – whatever your heart desires.

This makes enough for 3 people.

Enjoy!

Ever have one of those days, where all you can do is think of food, and eat?

Let me help you out with drool worthy, scrumptious fare.

Photo and Recipe by Katie Morris of Katie at the Kitchen Door

Visit her website here: http://www.katieatthekitchendoor.com/

Daube Provençale (French Beef Stew with Red Wine)

Recipe from Home Made Winter, by Yvette van Boven. Serves 8.

A note on the orange/grapefruit: I found that, when using a grapefruit, leaving the entire grapefruit in the stew gave it a slightly bitter aftertaste (a reader using grapefruit as well found the same thing). Although not mentioned in Yvette’s original recipe, I’d recommend separately adding the zest of the grapefruit and the fruit of the grapefruit to the stew, avoiding the bitter pith. No one seems to have had this problem with oranges yet, but the same technique could be applied to them.

• 3 lb stew beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 (750-ml) bottle Cote du Rhone [I used Bordeaux and it was fine, but Yvette recommends Cote du Rhone, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, or Minervois]
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 orange, washed well and cut into 8 wedges [I substituted grapefruit]
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into rings
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• olive oil
• 1 6-oz can tomato paste
• 3 1/2 oz. pitted black olives

1. Season meat with salt and pepper on all sides. Place meat in a big bowl with wine, thyme, bay leaves, carrots, orange, onion, and garlic. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours, and preferably 24 hours.
2. Heat some olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot. Remove the meat from the marinade and brown the pieces in the oil on all sides. Pour the marinade (including the oranges, bay leaves, etc.) over the meat and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, skimming any foam from the surface. Lower the heat to a simmer, stir in the tomato paste, and add 4 1/2 c. water. Cover, and let stew on low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. 15 minutes before the stew is ready, add the pitted olives. Let cook for 15 minutes on medium heat without the lid to thicken the stew.
4. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Serves 6-8.

• 6 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• salt
• 8 cloves garlic, cut in quarters
• 1/2 c. heavy cream

1. Place cubed potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, salt liberally, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, skimming starch foam from top occasionally and checking to keep from boiling over – lower heat if necessary. Drain potatoes and place in a blender.
2. Return saucepan to heat, lower heat to low, and add garlic and heavy cream. Heat until garlic is fragrant and cream begins to simmer, then add to blender. Blend until potatoes are a totally smooth puree. Add water or skim milk as necessary to even out texture.

Image and Recipe Source: here

Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Brie Grilled Cheese

• 2 Slices French Bread
• Brie Cheese
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 5 Mushrooms
• 50-100ml Concentrated Beef Broth
• Thyme
• Flour
• Butter
• Salt & Pepper

BEWARE! The following grilled cheese takes time and patience, so grab a book, your tablet or a computer, sit back and relax while you watch your onions turn into caramelized gold!

First things first, get a pan going on medium heat with 1-2 tablespoons of butter. While your pan is heating, evenly slice your onion (if you are impatient, thinner slices will cook faster), then place them in the pan once the butter is bubbling. Stir the onions, coating them with the butter and only stirring periodically after that, allowing them to brown, but not burn. After a few minutes, turn the heat to medium-low and start slicing up your mushrooms and garlic.

After about twenty minutes, add in your mushrooms, garlic and more butter. Stir everything around and add a few pinches of thyme (not necessary if you don’t have any on hand) and a generous amount of salt and pepper (the brie will tone down the salt and pepper once everything is combined). Let everything cook for about five more minutes, then sprinkle a pinch or two of flour over everything and begin adding in the beef broth. I poked a hole in the can and slowly added the broth a little at a time, letting it reduce and then adding more. This allows the onions to continue caramelizing instead of steaming from too much liquid. As you pour in the broth, you will get a nice gravy forming around the onions; taste it as you’re going, and stop once you’re satisfied with the “beefiness” of your onions and mushrooms!

Cut two slices of bread and spread butter on both sides of each slice. Place brie cheese on one slice, then top with your onions, mushrooms and more brie! Put the sandwich together, and grill it in the same pan you used for the onions and mushrooms (you’ll get some nice flavour on your bread this way!). Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until browned, then slice in half and enjoy this gloriously gooey mess!

The time spent caramelizing the onions is definitely worth it, and adding the beef stock gives this sandwich a flavour similar to a roast beef dip almost tricking you into thinking there actually is meat in it! Overall, you can’t really go wrong with a sandwich loaded with caramelized onions and mushrooms, and tons of creamy brie. Just thinking about it makes me want another!!

Image Source & Recipe: here

Veggie Gyros
serves 2

2 pieces of white or wheat round flat-bread
olive oil

6 falafel balls (you could also use seitan, tempeh or veggie burgers)

1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
pepper

1 small tomato, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced – tossed in lemon juice
2 dill pickles

tahini sauce

secret sauce:
2 tsp harissa OR non-spicy option: 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp vegan mayo
pepper

To Make:

1. Thinly slice the onions and toss in rice vinegar. I like to let mine chill over night in the fridge to pickle a bit – but this step is optional.
2. Brush your flat-bread with olive oil and grill on until charred – I used a panini press.
3. Mix up your secret sauce
4. Prep your veggies: tomato, avocado, pickles.
5. Grill to warm your falafel balls – I pressed mine on the panini press with the flat-bread.
6. Assemble! Lay out a square sheet of tinfoil. Add the avocado, onions, falafel, pickles, tomato – drizzle some secret sauce over the filling as well as some tahini (or serve tahini on side) and close the flat-bread – wrap tightly in foil to secure. Serve!

Image & Recipe Source: here

Be still my heart! How beautiful, and delicious looking is this?

INGREDIENTS
(makes 4)

4 sea scallops
Salt and pepper
Wondra flour
1 head bok choi
1 small heirloom tomato
2 slices of bacon
Honey Mustard Glaze (recipe below)
Herb Mayonnaise (recipe below)

For the Honey Mustard Glaze:

1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp brewed coffee
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cinnamon

Process:
This glaze and method for cooking bacon can really be used any time you make bacon. It’s so easy and gives the bacon an extra little kick that will surprise you.

1. Mix ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Arrange bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil.
3. Using a pastry brush, apply glaze to one side of the bacon. Cover with foil and weigh down using a second, smaller baking sheet or flat-bottomed oven safe pan.
4. Bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Cut into 1×1 inch pieces.

For the Herb Mayonnaise:

1 egg yolk
1 tbsp Dijon
1 cup Canola oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp celery seed
½ tsp cumin

Process:

1. Put egg yolk and Dijon into a medium sized bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until you have created an emulsion – don’t add the oil too fast, or the emulsion could break.
2. Add remaining ingredients to taste.

For the Bite:

1. Set a pot of water to boil on the stove for the bok choi. For this bite, it’s best to blanch the bok choi so that the leaves are softened and easier to work with. Blanching the greens in salt water will also help retain their vibrant green color. We used large bok choi and removed the stems. The leaves only take a second to blanch – you want to keep a little crispness to them. Dip them into the boiling water, wait a second, and then put them straight into a bowl of ice water.
2. While the water is heating, prepare the bacon and bake.
3. In the meantime, cook the scallop. Heat a small pan on high heat. Oil pan with canola oil and heat until nearly smoking. Sprinkle scallop with salt and pepper, and dust the top of the scallop with a thin coating of Wondra flour. Sear the scallop on the floured side until golden brown, about a minute. Flip when golden and cook for another minute. Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and baste the scallop to finish cooking and give it some extra buttery flavor. Let scallop rest for at least 30 seconds before cutting it in half.
4. When all the components are ready, assemble the bite. Halve the scallop and layer the bok choi, tomato and bacon. Slather top half of scallop with the herb mayo and serve

Image and Recipe Source: here

Marinted feta, zucchini, pea & mint tarts
(serves 2)

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, slightly thawed,
2 small zucchini, cut lengthways into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (70g) frozen peas, thawed on paper towel
100g Marinated feta
1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a tray with baking paper.

Place the puff pastry on the prepared tray and prick all over using a fork. Place in the freezer until ready to use. Place a baking sheet or a pizza stone in the oven to heat.

Add zucchini, onion and peas to a bowl, and season with black pepper.

Remove the pastry from the freezer and divide the zucchini mixture between pastry rectangles, leaving a 1cm border, then top with pieces of feta. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the baking paper with the tarts to the hot baking sheet. Bake the tarts for 15-18 minutes until the pastry base is crisp and sides are golden brown.

Scatter with mint and drizzle with a little olive oil.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 5mins. I did not include the eggwhite from the original recipe, it wasn’t necessary.
cooking time: 13mins.
total: 18mins.

Image & Recipe source: here

Image & Recipe Source: here

What it took for 6 tostadas:

by Bev Cooks

* 6 corn tortillas
* cooking spray
* 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
* 2 avocados
* 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
* juice from 1 lime
* 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
* 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 Tbs ground cumin
* 2 Tbs chili powder
* 1 tsp crushed red or green pepper
* 1 tsp garlic salt
* 1 red bell pepper, cut into small slices

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly coat both sides of the corn tortillas with cooking spray. Bake for 4 minutes on each side. Switch oven to broil. Evenly divide the cheese over the tortillas and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, 2-ish minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the avocados, cilantro, lime juice and a pinch of kosher salt. Mash up with a fork until you get guacamole. Go ahead and eat a few bites for your well being.

Toss the shrimp with the cumin, chili powder, crushed pepper flakes and garlic salt.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium high. Sear the shrimp on one side for 2 minutes; flip and sear 30 more seconds. Remove from pan.

To the pan, add the sliced red bell pepper. Saute for 2 minutes, scraping the browned bits from the pan, seasoning the peppers. Sprinkle in a leetle salt.

Spoon the guacamole over each cheesy tostada, followed by shrimp and red bell pepper. Garnish each tostado with cilantro and give another good squeeze of lime juice over each one. Enjoy!

Images and Recipe Source: here (Click on the link to also check out some fantastic recipes! Bev Cooks is great!)

Chocolate and Caramel Cake
Printable Recipe

Caramel
1 c (198 g) sugar
1/4 c (59 ml) heavy cream

Prepare a small bowl by rubbing it with shortening/butter or spraying it with Pam so that the cooling caramel will not stick to it completely. Set aside.

Cook the sugar in a heavy-bottom pan until a dark amber color (I don’t know which temp is right… I got lucky, I guess!). Remove from heat and pour in the cream, stirring gently until combined and no longer bubbling. Pour into the prepared bowl and let rest until cool to the touch.

Be careful, hot sugar is hot! The goal is to have a very soft caramel that is a little runny when cooled. You’ll be adding it to buttercream.

Caramel/Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Please click here for a step-by-step guide to making Swiss Meringue Buttercream and troubleshooting tips!

1 3/4 c (348 g) sugar
8 egg whites (save 2 yolks for the cake recipe!)
3 1/2 sticks (28 Tbls) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
Resulting caramel from above recipe
1/4 c (40 g) dark chocolate, melted and cooled

Cook the egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved (test by rubbing some between your fingers. If it’s completely smooth, it’s done). Pour into another bowl (a stand mixer is preferable) and whip on high speed until room temp. Then, on a medium-slow speed, slowly add the butter, a few pieces at a time, waiting until each addition is fully incorporated before adding more. After it has all been added, whip it until it thickens up, about five minutes, and add the vanilla. Remove half of the buttercream, place in a separate bowl, and whip in the chocolate. Add the caramel to the remaining half. It may be necessary to heat the caramel slightly to make sure it is the correct consistency, but be careful it’s not so hot that it will melt the buttercream!

Super Chocolate Cake
3/4 c (177ml) heavy cream
1 c (160 g) dark chocolate chips (I used 52%)
2 c (250 g) flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3/4 c (177 g)butter, cubed and at room temp
1 c (142 g)firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs + 2 yolks, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) then grease and line two 6 inch pans.

Heat cream until steaming, then pour over chocolate. Allow to set for 5 minutes, then whisk gently to combine. Allow to cool to room temp (put it in the fridge/freezer for a bit, if you like).

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add both yolks plus the vanilla. Then, alternating between wet and dry (beginning with wet), add the flour and cream mixtures in 2 additions each. Be sure to scrape down the bowl!

Divide batter into the two prepared pans and bake 35-40 min.

Assembly
Level and split each layer of cake so you have four layers of equal height. Fill with caramel buttercream, crumb coat with either frosting, and then frost completely with the chocolate buttercream. I decorated very simply by drizzling chocolate over the edges of the [chilled] cake. Additional caramel would also be great!

Recipe and Image source: here

This is one of my favourites! I found the recipe on Pinterest, and have made it twice already.

You HAVE to try this! yummm!

Recipe:

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: SERVES 4
Ingredients:

4-5 cups cooked rice
1 boneless chicken breast or 2 thighs, chopped into small bits
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 spring onions, sliced, white parts separate from green
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced into thin matchsticks
1 red or green chili, thinly sliced (or less for milder rice)
5-7 fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped into small pieces (I used normal button mushrooms)
1 egg
1/2 cup frozen peas
2-3 vegetable oil
optional: 1 stalk celery, sliced (adds a little crunch to the dish)

STIR-FRY SAUCE:
3 Tbsp. chicken stock
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar

Preparation:

1. To prepare leftover cold rice: Pour a teaspoon or so of oil onto your fingers and work through the rice, separating clumps back into grains. To prepare chicken: Chop into small pieces and place in a bowl. Pour over 1 Tbsp. soy sauce and stir. Set aside.
2. Combine all ‘stir-fry sauce’ ingredients together in a cup, stirring to dissolve the sugar and pepper. Set aside.
3. Warm a wok or large frying pan over high or medium-high heat. Drizzle in 2 Tbsp. oil and swirl around, then add the white parts of the onion, garlic, galangal/ginger, and chili. Stir-fry 1 minute, then add the chicken. Stir-fry 2-3 minutes, or until chicken turns evenly opaque on the outside.
4. Add the mushrooms and celery (if using), and stir-fry 2-3 more minutes, until mushrooms and chicken are cooked through. If your wok/pan becomes too dry, add 1-2 Tbsp. chicken stock or white wine.
5. Keeping heat high, add the rice. Stir-fry everything together using a spatula or other flat utensil to gently lift and turn the rice. After frying for 1 minute, gradually begin adding the sauce you made, 1-2 Tbsp. at a time. Continue stir-frying in this way 6-10 minutes, or until all the sauce has been added. Tip: The idea is to keep the pan as dry as possible throughout the frying process. It’s the dryness of the fried rice that makes it light and fluffy (as opposed to heavy and clumpy), and frying it over high heat with a conservative amount of moisture (sauce) achieves this.
6. Add the frozen peas and stir-fry briefly to incorporate. Then push everything aside to reveal the center of the pan. Crack in the egg and quickly stir-fry to scramble. Note that the egg will dry out the pan, which is what you want at this stage. Continue stir-frying everything together for 2 more minutes, until rice is light and falls easily into separate grains.
7. Switch off heat and taste-test, adding more fish sauce until desired flavor and saltiness is achieved (I usually end up adding an extra Tbsp. fish sauce when frying 5 cups rice). If rice happens to be too salty, add a squeeze of lime juice. Top with reserved green onion and serve hot from the pan. For those who like it extra spicy, serve Thai Chili Sauce on the side, and ENJOY!

Image source: here

Recipe source: here

What is Le Creuset I hear you ask?

Well, only the most coveted cookware ever!

Founded in 1925, Le Creuset is a French cookware manufacturer best known for it’s colourful enameled cast iron casseroles, they also make many other types of cookware such as sauce pans, skillets, tagines etc.

Seeing that I frequent the Yuppiechef website almost more than Pinterest (shock horror), I have included a few photos of the new Marseille Le Creuset range which can be found on www.yuppiechef.co.za and don’t be surprised if you find yourself ordering a lot more than just pots and pans.

Sources: here and here

Pink Grapefruit Margaritas
From: Barefoot Contessa’s How Easy Is That

• 1 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 4 limes)
• 1 cup triple sec orange liqueur
• 3 cups ice
• 1 cup silver tequila
• 1 lime cut in wedges, optional Kosher salt.

If you prefer to rim the glasses take a lime wedge and rim, then dip in salt, if you do not like a salted rim sprinkle a touch of salt in each glass, the salt really brings out the flavor.

Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, triple sec and ice in a blender. Pour into a large pitcher (or just keep it in the blender) and pour in the tequila, stir. (I personally just added it all to the blender- I like slushy, that is totally up to you)

Makes 4 drinks.

* Just as a note: it is important to use Ruby Red grapefruit juice, it is much sweeter than regular and it has the lovely pink color.

Image and Recipe source: here

Grilled Soft Cheese, Thyme Honey and Fresh Figs

1 small wheel of soft cheese such as brie or a triple cream

1/4 cup honey

a couple sprigs of thyme

fresh figs (as many as you’d like)

In a small saucepan add the honey and thyme and heat on low. You simply want to warm the honey and infuse it with the flavor of thyme. If it starts to simmer, remove from the heat and set aside.

Preheat a grill (indoor or outdoor) until very hot. Carefully place the cheese on the grill and sear until marks appear and the inside starts to melt, about one to two minutes on each side. Using a spatula, remove the cheese from the grill and transfer to your serving platter. Half and quarter several figs and place on top of the grilled cheese. Drizzle the figs and cheese with the honey. Serve immediately with crackers and/or bread.

Recipe and image source: here

Ingredients:-

• Rocket leaves (arugula), about 60g (2 oz)
• An avocado
• 1/2 of a full sized lebanese cucumber
• 100g (3 oz) smoked salmon
  
• 1 tbsps sesame seeds

Dressing (measure to taste):-

• 1 lime
• about 1/2 cup of olive oil (adjust to your preference)
• Salt to taste
• A drop of sesame oil *optional*

(1) In a small dry pan, toast 1 tbsp of sesame seeds over medium flame until lightly brown. Set aside. (2) Wash and dry the rocket leaves. Set aside. (3) Slice cucumber. Set aside. (4) Halve a lime and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Then add olive oil, sesame oil (if using), salt to taste and 1/2 tbsp of the toasted sesame seeds. Whisk until it emulsifies. (5) In a salad bowl, add rocket leaves, cucumber and hand torn smoked salmon. (6) Use an avocado slicer to slice the avocado. To avoid the avocado from turning brown, I dip slices of the avocado in the dressing and add into the salad bowl. Scatter the remaining toasted sesame seeds as a finishing touch. (7) Serve with the dressing separately. Serves about 2-3.

Recipe & Image source: here

We (Martha Stewart) covered dried sour cherries in marzipan and luster dust, then added faux leaves on top for a touch of gold. For the stems and leaves of these cherries, we dismantled gold plastic foliage.

Ingredients

Recipe & Image source: here

We all love parties right? So, here is some cute, delicious, pretty party food!

Enjoy!

xxx

Recipe here

Recipe here

Recipe here

Recipe here

Recipe here

Recipe here

Source: here