Celebration of Bubbles Festival

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Bubbly (see past champagne posts here, here and here), so when I read about tasting festivals happening around Joburg I'm always delighted! This coming weekend on 29 and 30 March the first SizweNtsalubaGobodo Celebration of Bubbles Festival is happening at the (newly renovated) Inanda Country Club. 

Guests can expect to be treated to a selection of Méthode Cap Classiques (MCC) and Champagnes, from Villiera, Simonsig and Genevieve MCC to Veuve Clicquot and Piper Heidsieck. Sipping bubbly on a sunny autumn day? I don't think there is a better way to spend a weekend :) 

The Festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 -18:00, and tickets are R250 per person (this includes 10 tasting tokens and a champagne flute). 

For more info, visit www.facebook.com/bubblesfestival

and for tickets, click here or buy at the venue on the day. 

“Come quickly! I’m tasting stars!”  Dom Pierre Perignon, French Benedictine Monk (1638 - 1715) on tasting his newly created Champagne

Easter Gifts from LekkerBek

Give a LekkerBek gift this Easter

Spoil a colleague, friend, family member or loved one this Easter 

with delectable gifts from LekkerBek. 

We offer tasty treats from little jars filled with chocolate eggs to large gift hampers 

– something to suit everyone and every budget. LekkerBek gifts make the

prefect desk drops and event favours. Our gifts are customisable and can be 

branded according to your company colours. 

Click here for all the Easter gift ideas.

Chicken and Lentil Korma

There aren't many things we like about cold weather… but one of them has to be curries! This mild and creamy chicken and lentil curry is the perfect meal for a cold evening (not to mention budget friendly).

Chicken and Lentil Korma

Serves 4          

You will need

For the chicken:

4 Chicken thighs, bone in, skin on

Hot masala powder

1 L hot chicken stock

For the curry:

Vegetable oil

1 brown onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 – 2 red chillies, sliced (remove seeds if you want it milder)

1 Tbls Korma Curry Paste (about 50g) – We like the one from Woolworths

1 can coconut milk

1 can lentils (400g), drained

Smoked salt (plain salt will do)

For serving:

Fresh coriander

Tomato

Red onion

Cucumber

Naan bread

Basmati rice

How to make it

For the chicken:

Heat a pressure cooker.

Generously season the chicken thighs with masala powder.

Place the chicken thighs skin side down in the warm pot.

Fry for a few minutes until the fat starts to seep out and the skin starts to brown.

Turn over and brown on the other side for a minute or two.

Cover the thighs with hot chicken stock and cook in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes. 

Turn off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes.

The thighs should be super tender and fall-off-the-bone soft.

Once the chicken has cooled, remove the skin and discard.

Using your hands, strip the chicken meat off the bones and discard the bones.

NOTE: If you don’t have time, you can use a cooked store bought chicken.

For the curry:

Heat some oil in a deep heavy based pot.

Gently fry the onion until soft.

Add the garlic, turn up the heat and fry for another 2 minutes.

Add the chilli and fry for another minute.

Add the curry paste and fry for a minute or two until the onion is well coated and becomes fragrant.

Add the coconut milk, lentils and cooked chicken. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients.

Bring to the boil, remove from heat and serve.

Serving:

Serve with basmati rice, naan bread and a salad of chopped tomato, red onion & cucumber.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Spicy Mango & Chicken Salad

The sun has come out in Joburg (finally)! and it makes us crave fresh summery salads, 

like this Asian inspired dish. It is delicious on a hot day, with bursts of sweetness 

and kicks of chilli.

Spicy Mango & Chicken Salad

Serves 2 as a main      

You will need

2 Chicken fillets

Braai or chicken spice

Olive oil

1 large or 2 small ripe sweet mango

2 – 4 green chillies, finely sliced (remove the seeds if you want it less spicy)

Fresh coriander (about 2 Tbls) chopped and extra for garnish

Rainbow salad (Purple coleslaw, beetroot, carrot, iceberg lettuce), all shredded finely

Salted peanuts

How to make it

Heat a griddle pan to very hot.

Pound the chicken fillets with a meat hammer lightly (just to tenderize them).

Season well with a braai spice of your choice and brush lightly with olive oil.

Grill the fillets until lines appear and they are cooked through. Set aside to cool down to room temperature.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the mango, slice the chillies and chop the coriander. 

Gently mix the mango, chillies and coriander together.

Serve with the grilled fillets and rainbow salad, and garnish with crushed peanuts and fresh coriander.

Tips:

-          Use pineapple instead of mango and prawns instead of chicken.

-          Serve with fresh lime wedges for extra zing.

Amarula Gold

I love Amarula Cream. Sipping on it, neat over ice as the sun sets - just delicious! 

My only reservation has always been that it's cream based... So it becomes a bit rich after 

a few drinks and eventually ends up on you hips! 

Enter Amarula Gold. For the first time in 25 years (coinciding with it's 25th anniversary) 

Amarula is launching a new product. It's made the same way traditional Amarula Cream is 

made (from marula fruit, fermented into a wine and double distilled and aged 

in oak for 2 years), but without the cream and seemingly more 

versatile when it comes to the ways in which it can be consumed.

I look forward to experimenting with this one!

Read more about it here: www.amarula.com/gold 

Garden Route Must Eats

The husband and I spent a fabulous week road-tripping along the 

Garden Route. From Herlod's Bay to Plettenberg Bay with a turn 

in Oudtshoorn and a few stops in between, we wined and dined 

on glorious local fare, here are some of the highlights: 

Herold's Bay

Seriously garlicky mussels with a view at Dutton's Cove

Herold's Bay

The perfect morning after Russian and Cheese Vetkoek from the corner cafe

 George

The BEST Steak & Kidney Pie at the Outeniqua Farmers' Market

 George

Asian style grilled chicken salad at Foo Bar Cafe

Plettenberg Bay 

The Mussel Pot and Clam Chowder are delicious at The Fat Fish

Plettenberg Bay

French bakes and the best baguettes at Le Fournil de Plett 

Plettenberg Bay

Cold meats and cheeses from the fabulous The Deli Factory,

a foodie heaven!

Knysna

Mitchell's Beer tasting

Knysna

Bread and breakfast delights at Ile de pain

Knysna

Fresh wild oysters

 

Knysna

The best fish & chips at East Head Café

Knysna

 Spicy creative tapas at Firefly Eating House

Oudtshoorn

Soft-as-lamb Ostrich Stroganoff at the Karoo Pot

Peppery Chickpea & Cannellini Beans

A fabulous vegetarian meal or side to any meat dish in minutes.

Peppery Chickpea & Cannellini Beans

Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side           

You will need

1-2 Tbls Olive oil

½ large sweet (or white) onion, finely chopped

1 Tbls garlic

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

½ Tbls white pepper

Salt to taste

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

How to make it

Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan.

Fry the onion on a low heat until it becomes soft and translucent.

Turn up the heat and add the garlic, fry for a minute or two.

Tur off the heat and add the beans and chickpeas.

Season well with salt and pepper (add more pepper if you like it very peppery).

Toss through chopped parsley.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips:

-          Bump up this dish to a fabulously easy and healthy lunch by adding 

           a tin of tuna to the bean mixture.

-          Add a teaspoon of chilli powder or chilli flakes for some more kick.

Yuppiechef Simple Summer Cookathon

In December I took part in the Yuppiechef Cookathon. A great excuse for a mid-week dinner party, right? Personally I felt the menu was a little dislodged, that the dishes didn’t complement each other. I also really don’t think Wild Mushroom Risotto (which I absolutely adore!) is suited to a summer menu. But nevertheless, we had great fun and all my guests left satisfied with full tummies.

Here are some pics from the evening and links to the recipes.

PS It's really tricky taking pictures of your friends and dishes while trying to be social and getting to taste the food at the same time!

No dinner is complete without friends. 

Beautiful nut brittle. 

Melon salad with spicy seed brittle (I added some parma ham.)

Click here for the recipe.

Wild mushroom risotto 

(I made it with shitake stock and drizzled with truffle oil just before serving.)

Click here for the recipe.

Chocolate pudding with strawberry ripple ice cream
Serves 6 

You will need

For the chocolate pudding:
2 Tbsp melted butter, for greasing
125g butter
150g Valrhona chocolate (or use at least 70% cocoa solid equivalent)
200g castor sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, beaten
100g flour
Cocoa powder, for dusting

For the strawberry ripple ice cream:
200g strawberries
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tub vanilla ice cream

You will need six ramekins.

How to make it

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Brush each ramekin with melted butter and dust with cocoa powder.
Remove your vanilla ice cream from the freezer so long to allow it to melt for about 20 minutes to half an hour.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate. Stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Once melted, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
In the meantime, prepare your strawberry ripple sauce. Blend the strawberries with the castor sugar and vanilla until puréed. Place in the fridge to chill for a few minutes.
Your chocolate mixture should be cool enough now. Whisk the eggs into this cooled chocolate mixture. 

Once that’s sufficiently mixed begin folding in your flour.
When you’re done mixing your chocolate batter, divide the mixture between 4 ramekins or mugs and bake for 12 -15 minutes.
Return your attention to your melting vanilla ice cream. Pour it into a large bowl or bigger container. Stir through the chilled strawberry mixture to make a ripple and return to the freezer while your chocolate puddings bake up in the oven.
Just before they’re done, remove your strawberry ripple ice cream from the freezer for a few minutes to defrost for easy scooping.
Once your chocolate puddings are perfectly baked, serve with a big dollop of strawberry ripple ice cream.

Valentine's menu ideas

This menu is perfect for a summer Valentine's dinner.

It's light, easy and perfectly colour coordinated for the 'Day of Love' :)

Try one (or all) of the dishes to spoil that special someone on the 14th.  

This refreshing cooler can be served as a welcome drink, palate cleanser or even a dessert.

Strawberry Cooler

Makes about 6 servings  

You will need

500g frozen strawberries

¼ cup castor sugar

4 tots Vodka (optional)

Cold water

How to make it

Combine the strawberries, sugar and vodka in a liquidiser.

Pulse the mixture, adding small amounts of water until you reach your desired consistency.

(Make it runnier as a drink and more solid as a sorbet.)

Serve in martini glasses. 

A lovely combination of tart and creamy flavours, this makes a beautiful looking starter.

Beetroot & Goatscheese Stack

Serves 2               

You will need

4 baby beetroot, cooked

100g log plain Chevin cheese

Rocket leaves & micro herbs for garnish

Balsamic reduction

How to make it

Slice the Chevin into thin 5mm rounds.

Slice the beetroot into the same sized rounds.

To serve, layer some rocket leaves on a plate. Lay down the first piece of beetroot. Stack the cheese on top of the beetroot and repeat until you have a mini tower.

Garnish with micro herbs and serve with balsamic reduction.

Tip:

Use gloves when working with beetroot, and slice the cheese with a clean knife to avoid staining everything purple. 

 There aren’t many things as satisfying as perfectly cooked steak, serve it with a few quirky ingredients and it becomes a fabulous romantic summer dinner.

Rare beef, Strawberry & Pink Peppercorns

Serves 2               

You will need

300g – 400g beef of your choice (we used sirloin)

Canola oil

Maldon salt

8 Fresh strawberries

Pink peppercorns

Micro herbs for garnish

Balsamic reduction

How to make it

Pre-heat a griddle pan. (Or you can cook it on the fire)

Rub the beef with a little bit of oil and season well with Maldon salt.

In a hot pan, cook the beef to your liking (we prefer rare).

Cover the meat with foil, and rest it for at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the strawberries.

Slice the beef into thin strips and arrange it on a plate of your choice.

Garnish with sliced strawberries, micro herbs and pink peppercorns.

Drizzle with balsamic reduction and serve immediately.

*Serve with warm crusty bread if you’d like.

This dessert is just gorgeous!

Mixed Berry & Mascarpone Pots

Makes about 4 portions  
* This recipe was inspired by My Baking Addiction

You will need

For the berry sauce

1 packet (400g) frozen mixed berries

¾ cup water

¾ cup castor sugar

1 Tbls fresh lemon juice

2 Tbls corn flour, dissolved in 2 Tbls cold water

½ tsp vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon

For the Mascarpone

1 tub (224g) Mascarpone cheese

¼ cup castor sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

¾ cup heavy cream

½ tsp vanilla extract

To compile

Vanilla cake/Madeira cake, cut into fingers

Fresh berries to garnish

How to make it

For the berry sauce

Combine the berries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan.

Bring to the boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

Stir in the dissolved corn flour. (Careful not to squash the berries.)

Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and covers the back of a metal spoon.

Remove from the heat and gently stir in the vanilla extract and the lemon zest.

Set aside to cool.

For the Mascarpone

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Beat the mixture until peaks form.

To compile

Place a layer of vanilla cake into the bottom of a glass.

Cover with a layer of the berry sauce, and top with the mascarpone cheese mix.

Repeat until you have a few layers and the glass/pot is filled.

Garnish with fresh berries.

*You can make it a few hours before serving.

Have a fabulously delicious Valentine's Day!

Red Velvet Cupcakes In A Jar

Image by Jamie Lothridge | My Baking Addiction

Valentine's Day is around the corner and we've been cooking up a storm to bring you a selection of light, fresh and easy recipe ideas (watch this space ;). I stumbled upon this recipe form My Baking Addiction and just loved the look of it! Below is the recipe as it appears on her blog, visit www.mybakingaddiction.com for more inspirational baking ideas and drool-worthy images.

Red Velvet Cupcakes In A Jar

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cupcakes
1 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar

For the Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1 pound confectioners’ sugar (about 3 ¾ cups), sifted
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract*

DIRECTIONS:

For the Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cupcake wells with paper liners or spray pan with spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Sift together cake flour, cocoa powder, and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine oil and sugar until well-blended. Add egg and mix until combined.

4. Turn your mixer down to the lowest speed and add vanilla, then slowly add in the food coloring. Note: If you are using liquid food coloring, it will take about 2 tablespoons of coloring to get a dark red shade. I used about 1 tablespoon of gel dye to achieve the shade in the photographs. Add the dye slowly and color according to your preference.

5. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches; scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing until just combined, taking care not to over mix.

6. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with the machine running. Beat for about 10 seconds.

7. Using a medium scoop (about 3 tablespoons), divide batter between the 12 wells, filling each well about 2/3 full of batter. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese and butter until well combined.

2. With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar until thoroughly incorporated and smooth. Add vanilla and mix to combine.

To Assemble in Jars

1. Slice cupcakes horizontally to create layers. Each cupcake will yield 2-3 layers depending on how thick you want your layers to be.

2. Place one cupcake layer into the bottom of your jar, pipe a layer of cream cheese frosting directly onto the cake layer. Repeat the layering process until you reach the top of your jar. If desired, garnish with festive sprinkles or red velvet cake crumbs.