Winter food to warm the soul.....

"With winter comes a need for warmth and a hankering for comfort food. Winter is the time of year when we crave warm, home-cooked food.We all crave a bit of heat on the inside, or rather for the insides, when it’s cold outside.  Which is why winter is the perfect time for soul-soothing, heart-warming dishes. It is a time for hearty soups, "hot" curries, thick stews, Hungarian Goulash, Stuffed Peppers, warm puddings and aromatic Gluhwein with cinnamon, spices and winter fruits - Winter is tasty, comforting, and crazy delicious....! Over the next few months I will be sharing some of my families and my favourite dishes...I hope they bring you warmth and comfort during the cold winter days and nights!"

Bread & Butter Pudding ~ It's simple, fast, oh so comforting

 

Ingredients:

A loaf of any kind of bread ~ preferably a few days old
Butter ~ enough for buttering each piece of bread
1x 250g Marmalade or Smooth Apricot jam
2x Jumbo eggs
250ml Full cream milk
250ml Fresh Cream
1x TBSP (15ml) Vanilla Essence
2 x TBSP (30ml) Sugar

Half a cup of white raisins ~ soaked in brandy for a couple of hours, till plump & soft

Method:

 

1. Preheat your over to 180 Degrees Celsius.
2. Generously butter an over proof dish ~ do not use a spray!
3. Cut your bread or loaf into pieces that are about 2cm in thickness.  Spread each piece with butter and marmalade or apricot jam, and place in the oven proof  dish.  Drain your raisins, and sprinkle a few on each layer of bread that you lay.  Leave a little marmalade or jam for the top.
4. In a jug break your eggs and whisk, add the milk, cream, vanilla essence, sugar and whisk well. Slowly pour over your layers of bread, so that the bread soaks up the liquid mixture.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until set.
6. In a saucepan, over a low heat soften the marmalade or jam, you may need to add a little water, so it has a syrup texture. 
7. Remove your pudding from the over and brush the syrup over the top, turn your oven onto grill, and grill the top of your pudding till golden brown and crispy.  Serve hot with Vanilla Ice Cream or Custard.

Enjoy the comfort and warmth of this winter favourite!


The Dining Bachelorette

Rattle them Pots & Pans....

"After a short intermission... It's time to rattle them pots and pans!"

"Banana Muffin, Bread or Cake"

The word banana makes people smile; why?

Maybe it's the spelling. Hubert Horatio Humphrey, who knew he had a tendency to speechify at great length, liked to say, "I'm like the little boy who knew how to spell banana , but never knew when to stop."

Perhaps it's the sound that gives the word a comical air. "You say ba-NAA-nuh, I say ba-NAH-nuh," goes the lyric to the Gershwin song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"; it could be the NAA pronunciation that triggers the amusement.

Or it could be the fruit itself, a sunny yellow curved in the shape of a smile, as if to say, "Have a Nice Day." Let's go Bananas in the kitchen.........

This is a never fail recipe, but must be followed to the "T"!~

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Large bananas (the riper the better)
• 2 Eggs
• 250ml Softened butter - not margarine but you can use "Stork bake"
• Finely grated rind of 1 lemon (this adds a zesty freshness and brings out the banana flavour)
• 2 TBSP Vanilla extract
• 375ml White sugar
• 500ml Self raising flour
• 1 TBSP Baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• A little full cream milk ~ if necessary

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a potato masher.  Add the melted butter and mash through properly.
2. Add the two whole eggs and mix thoroughly with a whisk, add the vanilla essence and the lemon rind, whisk.
3. Add the sugar and mix with the whisk again.
4. In a bowl sieve the dry ingredients ~ flour, baking powder and salt, add this to the banana mixture and mix well with the whisk.  The batter must be thick, not runny, but if dry ingredients is not binding with the banana mixture add a little milk to bind.
5. Scoop into muffin trays, or bread tin or cake tray and bake at 180 Degrees for 45minutes or until golden brown and baked through.  Do not leave in the oven, it will dry out.  Remove and leave to cool, dust with icing sugar.

        
 Enjoy with butter and jam and a steaming Cappuccino!~

The Dining Bachelorette

 

 

"I've been busted........!" ♥(✿◠‿◠) ̇·٠•●♥

 

 

Restaurant Review ~ Xing Ye Chinese Restaurant at the Well ~ Tel: 032 946 0432

One of my favourite cuisines will always be Chinese. Although Chinese food we eat here is quite different from the Chinese food in China and not only that, Chinese food is different in every country.

China being a very large country has diverse cuisines originating from diverse regions. The history of Chinese cuisine in China can be traced back thousands of years. It has undergone changes from time to time in each region according to climate, imperial fashions and local preferences. Over time, techniques and ingredients from the cuisines of other cultures were integrated into the cuisine of the Chinese people due both to imperial expansion and from the trade.

I did study that there are eight traditional cuisines of China such as Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Shandong, Szechuan and Zhejiang. With each of these dynastys new recipes were created until the art of food preparation reach its peak during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). What I love about Chinese food is that each dish has its own distinctive flavor and appeal.

I had the privilege of having lunch at one of our local Chinese Restaurant, Xing Ye, which is situated at The Well in Ballito. 

On appearance, the décor is very basic and plain, but the restaurant is clean and has a certain welcoming brightness to it, the Chinese background music sets the mood and if you allow your imagination to take you away as the warm smells tickle your nose and your mouth starts to water, you could be sitting in the heart of China. 

We started with their Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls, the presentation was basic, but as you bite into the spring roll the flavour and crispiness, resonates "perfection".  It was not at all soggy or dripping in oil.












The main course was sublime, I had the chicken Chow Mein, and it was cooked to perfection.
The vegetables were crispy and full of flavour, the colours on my plate vibrant, not at all over cooked, the chicken was soft and melted in my mouth, the noodles were cooked just right.  I asked for extra chili, and the incorporation was to perfection.  The lunching Bachelor had beef stir fry with lemon grass, ginger and garlic, also a dish that could not be faulted.

I most certainly will be back to try their Sushi, as I believe it is one of the best in town, and there is a whole menu of mouth-watering dishes waiting to be enjoyed.

There is a language barrier, as both wife and husband do not speak English very well, but this too adds to the ambiance of the place, and all is forgiven when one can eat Chinese food of this quality!

The prices of the dishes are also very reasonable!  They are open 7 days a week till 9:30pm in the evenings and they also do take-aways. So the next time your taste buds are screaming for something oriental, please support this wonderful little restaurant so we have them around for many years to come, you will not be disappointed!

My Rating:

Décor:             7/10

Service:           7/10

Ambiance:       8/10

Cleanliness:     9/10

Food:               10/10

The Dining Bachelorette

"Never, ever make the "cook" angry......!!" ♥(✿◠‿◠) ̇·٠♥



"Real Chicken Soup for the Soul"

“Yesterday was the first day that I felt that first “nip” in the air, there is no doubt that Autumn is upon us.  The wind was howling and the sky was a dusky grey.  The start of this new season provided a perfect day to have some “Chicken Soup for the Soul”. I remember when I was a young girl, and actually even to this day my mother believes that a home-made chicken soup cures every ailment, from a cough to a broken heart!  It was the perfect day to share a bowl of this warm hearty comfort with my Special Lunching Bachelor…..!” 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

 



• 1 Whole Chicken - cleaned and all excess skin removed ~ you can remove all the skin if preferred, but the skin adds a lot of flavour to the broth, you can remove the skin once the chicken is cooked
• 6 Carrots - try and get as thick as possible - peel and cut into large chunks
• 1 Bunch Celery sticks with leaves - remove leaves and tie together with string, clean stalks and cut into large chunks
• 1 Bunch parsley with stems - tie together with string ~ you can take out a few florets and chop finely to eat fresh with the soup
• 1-2 Onions - only remove the skin - do not cut the core, you want the onion to stay whole in the pot. You can only add one onion, but I love cooked onion, it has such a natural sweetness
• 1-2 Thick red chillies (Optional)
• 3 Turnips (if available)
• 3-4  Chicken cubes
• 10 Whole Black Peppercorns
• 1 Packet very fine Soup Noodles, or ABC Alphabet Noodles

Note:~  Do not substitute above vegetables with other vegetables, it will not taste like clear chicken soup!

Let's Cook......

1. In a deep heavy pot, bring water to boil, enough to cover the whole chicken.  When the water is boiling immerse the chicken into the pot turn the heat down so the chicken is simmering and cook the chicken for approximately 10 minutes.  Whilst the chicken is boiling, with a tea strainer, remove the froth from the top.  After 10 minutes, there should be no froth.
2. Add your onions, celery, celery leaves, parsley, carrots, chillies, and peppercorns. Cover with a lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes. 
3. In a bowl add the chicken cubes, and with a ladel spoon some warm broth from the pot over the cubes and melt, add this to the chicken and vegetables.  Do not stir the chicken or vegetables, just gently with a wooden spoon move  them around in the pot. Taste the broth, if you like it stronger add another chicken cube for good measure.  Taste again and add salt if necessary to taste.
4. Cook this for approximately 20-30 minutes, until your chicken is soft and cooked through.  Turn the heat off and set aside.
5. In a large pot bring water to boil, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, when water is boiling add your noodles and cook till the noodles are soft, strain and set aside.
6. Remove the chicken from the pot and put onto a serving plate, add the onions, chillies, parsley parcel and celery parcel.
7. In a soup bowl dish up some noodles, cut your favourite piece of chicken, place on top of the noodles, add some onion, celery leaves, parsley and chilli, then spoon the warm broth with carrots and celery on top.  Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Jó étvágyat ~ ♥(✿◠‿◠) ̇·٠•●♥

 

 

 Dessert on the other hand was a case of ….“He said….She said!” Thank goodness it was dripping in sticky goodness and sweetened the mood!~ Layered pancakes with strawberry jam and almonds!”  

 

The Dining Bachelorette  



"Cooking prawns to plump, juicy perfection....."

1. Over a medium heat in a pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1tbsp butter.  Add a few shelled and deveined prawns, leaving the tails on, add one at a time (approximately 5 medium to large prawns), if you add too many at a time they will steam instead of cooking properly.
2. Once the prawns begin to curl slightly and turn opaque - turning a pinkish-orange colour (after approximately 1 minute) turn them over and cook the other side for one minute.
3. Add 1 tbsp butter and 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and quickly sauté the prawns until the garlic is cooked, season with salt & pepper and toss through, if you like you can add 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley.
4. Transfer prawns to a platter and repeat the process with the remaining prawns.  Serve with fresh lemon, well chilled Chardonnay and garlic bread.

Bon Appetite!~

"A pinch of this..... and a dash of that.... and I shall dish up "happiness!" ♥(✿◠‿◠) ̇·٠•●♥

 

 

"Who cares what you are..... Remember to just enjoy it!" ♥(✿◠‿◠) ̇·٠•●♥

 

"Avolicious.... Slice it, dice it, mash it, scoop it, blend it, spread it..or simple eat as is!"

"With the local avocado harvest upon us, there is no excuse not to get your dose of avo goodness everyday!

Here in South Africa we are fortunate enough to have numerous avo varieties to choose from, such as the popular green-skinned avos, Fuerte, Pinkerton and Ryan which is available from March to August, the dark-skinned, nutty flavoured Hass which is available from June to November.
 
Avos are the ultimate fuss free, healthy and tasty snack - smothered on toast with a hint of lemon; served in pita breads or wraps; shrimp/prawn cocktail; smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers; used in dips and the ultimate Avo Smoothie.

They are high in dietary fibre, a great source of Vitamin B5 and virtually sodium free.  They are also high in monounsaturated fat and aid in helping reduce cholesterol.

Add it to your shopping list.....!"

Start your day with this delicious Avo Smoothie..... The Duracell Bunny will have trouble keeping up with you.....(✿◠‿◠)♥

You will need:

1x  Pear (core removed)
1x  Avo ( core & skin removed)
3x  Dates (pip removed)
1x  Cup Almond Milk (if you cannot get almond milk, mix 1 tsp almond extract with 1 cup low fat milk
Squeeze of honey

Put all ingredients in a blender with a few cubes of ice ~ blend, pour and drink!

 

"Beauty is being the best possible version of yourself, on the inside and out!" ♥(✿◠‿◠) ̇·٠•●♥