Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a must for us in summer.  It gets patio eating going with gusto.













Preheat oven to 180C/350F.  Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1500g ripe tomatoes
10 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling tomatoes
Salt and Grd. Black Pepper
450g Wholewheat bread crumbs
2 cucumbers, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
4 red bell peppers, deseeded and cut into quarters
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup (8Tablespoons) red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons tomato puree
1200 ml. water

First place the whole tomatoes in a roasting pan and lightly drizzle with oil.  Roast for one hour; cool.  Put through a sieve, saving the puree and discarding the pulp.

Put the bread in a food processor and blend to fine crumbs.  Slowly pour in the oil while machine is on low speed.

Add the sieved tomatoes , cucumber, red peppers and garlic.  Place all in a large container.  Stir in the vinegar, water, and tomato puree.

Refrigerate until cold.  Serve sprinkled with croutons.

Courgette and Gruyere Quiche

Like the looks of this vegetarian savoury?

I was motivated to make it the other day because my local grocery has been giving free cream with the purchase of British strawberries.  We prefer a splash of Amaretti on our berries so the cream was collecting in the frig.

It is easy to make and keeps well.






First make short crust pastry, using butter,  to cover a 9-inch pie plate.  (See previous posts for recipe).  Bake blind for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and fill with the recipe below.

Ingredients:  Preheat oven to 180C/350F

8 oz/225g Courgettes/Zucchini, sliced thin
2 oz/50g Gruyere, grated
1 onion, chopped
1 oz/25g butter
2 eggs, plus one extra yolk
150 ml single cream plus 150 ml double cream
Parmesan cheese, grated....just a sprinkling
salt and black pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat, place the butter and onion.  Saute for about 5 minutes; add the courgettes and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn the cooked onions and courgettes into the partially baked pastry case.  Cover evenly with the cheese.

Whisk the eggs, cream, a dash of salt and black pepper in a small mixing bowl.  Pour over the cheese and vegetables.  Sprinkle lightly with grated Parmesan.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Pap and African Safari Pictures

My husband and I were introduced to Pap while on safari in Botswana this April.  It is the staple very white cooked cereal eaten by the locals.  Traditionally the hands are used instead of forks.  The firm texture makes this possible.

Our cook, Adamente, in the bush camp told how easy it is to make.  One fills a large sauce pan with water and brings it to the boil.  Add a couple of cups of maize to the boiling water; give it a thorough stir.  Cover and turn the heat down to let the cereal just simmer until thick.  More maize can be added at the last minute or two of cooking to insure firmness of the final product.

We enjoyed Pap with a tomato sauce as shown in the picture.  Other dishes served at the meal with the Pap were green beans and beef stew.

Pap has little taste on its own but takes on the flavour of the sauce it is served with.

Duck Giblet, Vegetable, and Pearl Barley Soup

Another hearty soup which is easy on the pocket book and busting with taste and nutrition.











Ingredients:

Giblets and necks from two ducks
2 quarters/litres water
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 to 5 celery stalks, cut into bite size pieces
4 to 5 carrots, cut into bit size pieces
100g Pearl Barley

Salt, to taste
Black Pepper, to taste

Put all the above ingredients into a large soup pot and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.  Remove giblets and necks.  Chop giblets and remove neck meat from the bone.  Replace meat into the soup pot.  Serve hot garnished with fresh coriander.

Duck Salad for Wraps

This is a nice easy meal for an informal get together.  It was a hit at my husband's birthday lunch last Saturday.  We also mixed it upon returning home on Christmas Day after serving guests lunch at Wesley's Chapel.  Both times we've made the bowl with duck meat pictured as well as a second bowl without duck and an extra handful of cashews for our vegans.

Roast the duck ahead of time according to package instructions.  Let it cool and then remove the skin; discard.  Tear the meat from the carcass and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare the salad.

 The giblets of the duck can be made into a great soup another time.


Serves about 4

Ingredients:

meat, shredded into thin strips, from one roasted, cooled duck
1 large handful of cashew nuts
1 handful of dried cranberries
2 teaspoons ground Chinese five-spice
bunch of fresh mint leaves
bunch of fresh coriander leaves
2-3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves
handful of fresh rocket leaves
handful of watercress
2 tablespoons runny honey
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded, and finely chopped

About 8 tortillas, heated through

Dressing:

juice of 2 fresh limes
juice and seeds of one pomegranate
1/2 red onion, coarsely grated
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
one thumb size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Good shake or two of extra virgin olive oil

In a large wok on medium heat, put in the duck meat, cashews, cranberries, five spice, and honey.  Stir and heat thoroughly.

In separate bowls, mix the salad leaves with chilli, and in another the dressing ingredients.  Combine into one and add the hot flavoured duck.  Toss.

Place salad on the table along with heated tortillas.  Pass around for each person to place a handful of salad on the flat bread and wrap.

Fresh Asparagus with Tuna and Tarragon Sauce

In these warmer Spring days we can enjoy lovely new asparagus.  An easy, no cooking required, dish like this one is great for a light lunch or supper.  Good value too.   Here I have garnished it with baby plum tomatoes and served it with a large grilled flat mushroom and toasted Ciabata.  Yuuuummm!







Serves 4

1.5 kg/3 pounds asparagus, simmered just until tender and then drain; divide onto 4 dinner plates

2 eggs, hard boiled and cooled

 Put all of the ingredients below in the food processor, but only 2  ounces of the oil;  mix.  The rest of the oil is poured in a small steady stream during mixing of the of all the ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 small can tuna, drained
2 to 3 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons white wine
2 cooked egg yolks, removed from hard boiled eggs mentioned above
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
2 tablespoons snipped fresh tarragon

200 ml/7 ounces extra virgin olive oil

Pour mixed sauce into a medium size bowl or pitcher.  Roughly chop the cooked egg whites and add them to the sauce.  Coarsely grated Parmesan is nice to pass around at the table.

Pan-fried Rainbow Trout with New Potatoes and Button Mushrooms

                                                                       

  Catching and cooking pan-sized rainbow trout are fond memories from living on Porcupine Lake, Alaska.  The seasoned, lightly floured fish frying in a little oil sent the smell of thyme wafting through the rustic cabin.

Fresh water trout are one of the better buys at your fish monger.  Try this easy preparation to enjoy them today.

Pan-fried Trout with New Potatoes and Button Mushrooms

Serves two

Ingredients:

1 medium fresh water trout, cleaned,
washed, and blotted dry

2 Tablespoons plain flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme plus extra shake
over frying potatoes and mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 to 6 small new potatoes, each cut in
half

1 packet (200g) button mushrooms

½ cup/4 oz white wine

2 Tablespoons toasted flaked almonds

Put the flour, salt, pepper, and thyme in a bag with the trout and shake to coat.
Remove trout from bag.

Par-boil the potatoes for 10 minutes.   Drain

Place oil in a large heavy skillet and heat to medium. 

Add the potatoes and mushrooms; sprinkle with a bit of dried thyme; cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

Add the floured seasoned trout to the middle of the skillet, making way between the potatoes and mushrooms.  Cook for 5 to 6 minutes continuing to turn over the potatoes and mushrooms occasionally during the cooking.  Turn over the trout.  Add the white wine and cook for 2 minutes.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes more.

Divide trout into 2 fillets, removing the back bone in the process. Sprinkle each with a tablespoon of flaked almonds.  Serve with the potatoes, mushrooms, lemon and a green vegetable.

Serve hot with fresh lemon and your favorite green vegetable.