Beer & Coconut Crusted Prawns

August 1, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

This is one of those cocktail snacks that is loaded with flavour, quick and easy to make and will impress any guests. You want to use coarse not fine shredded coconut to give the prawns lots of crusty finish. Prawns only take a few minutes to cook, you want to make sure the crust is crispy and the prawns inside cooked, but tender and plump. I had a bottle of lemon scented beer from my visit to the SAB World of Beer on Monday so it seemed like the perfect beer to use.

Beer & Coconut Crusted Prawns
Makes 12-18

Ingredients
– 125gms cake flour
– 60mls beer
– salt & pepper
– 1/2 tsp baking powder
– 1 jumbo egg
– 12-18 prawns, deveined and heads and shell removed, leave tail intact
– 2 cloves crushed garlic
– 1 crushed red chili
– 2 tbsp lemon juice
– 2 cups coarse shredded coconut
– oil for deep frying

Start by thoroughly cleaning the prawns, remove the vein, shell and head. Leave the tail intact as it is the perfect way to eat the prawns. Now in a bowl add the garlic, lemon juice, chilli and the prawns, allow to marinade for 20-minutes.

In another bowl combine the flour, egg, baking powder and the beer (start with 40mls beer). It should make a runny batter, if it is too runny add a little more flour, if it is too thick add a little more beer. In a pot heat enough oil to shallow fry the prawns in batches, begin to heat the oil. Once the oil is hot, a drop of batter will sizzle, dust the prawns in some seasoned flour, then quickly dip the prawns into the batter, allow most of it to drain off, then add the prawns to the coconut. Turn the prawns to coat thoroughly in the coconut then fry them till they are crisp and golden. Serve immediately with a chilli and lemon mayo and some extra lemon wedges.

Delicious bite size snacks

May 2, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

The Italians love bruschetta they are the perfect after work snack, quick and easy to prepare. I like to use French loaf for these bite size treats. Brush them with olive oil before baking them till golden and crisp. Then for a real garlic punch rub them with the cut side of a clove of garlic, the more you rub the stronger the flavour. The sweetness of the parma ham and fresh mozzarella goes really well with the Berry Vodka Tea.

Parma Ham & Mozarella Bruschetta
Makes 18

– 1 loaf French bread
– 60mls Extra Virgin olive oil
– 1 clove garlic, peeled
– 9 slices parma ham
– 2 large mozzarella balls
– 100gms cherry tomatoes, deseeded and roughly chopped
– 2 tbp Balsamic Vinegar
– 6 basil leaves
– salt & pepper

Start by preheating the grill of your oven. Now slice the French loaf and place on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil on both sides, before placing under the hot grill. Grill till golden and crispy on both sides. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before rubbing the bruschetta with the garlic. To assemble place the mozzarella first, then the parma ham before topping it with the finely chopped tomato and a few torn pieces of fresh basil.

Tuna Chick Pea Salad

April 27, 2014 by TSJC 2 Comments

Healthy and Light!

I love the nutty flavour of chick peas, I love their low fat, low carb profile and I love the fact that they fill you up without a tonne of extra calories. Give this Tuna, Olive and Chick pea salad a shot it’s a great diet meal that doesn’t taste like one, it takes 2 minutes to assemble and tastes even better after it’s had a few hours in your lunch box.

INGREDIENTS
– 1 can tuna in brine drained
– 1/2 can chick peas (a whole can if you like a bigger lunch)
– 20gms rocket
– onion rings to taste
– 2 tbsp chopped parsley
– 8 cherry tomatoes
– 1 tbsp capers
– 12 black olives
– balsamic and olive oil

Drain the tuna and the chick peas, assemble with all the ingredients, dress and enjoy! This is a basic add the flavours you enjoy to make it your own.

Bosc Pear

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

The Bosc pear – in season at the moment – is famed for it’s dense, juicy, smooth flesh which is why it’s also known as the king of pears. Dress a few slices of pear with blueberries, raspberries, figs and some yoghurt for a quick fix breakfast loaded with flavour and nutrients.

Basil Pesto

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

INGREDIENTS
– 2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
– 150g freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Pecorino cheese
– 125ml E.V Olive Oil
– 80g pine nuts or walnuts
– 3 medium sized garlic cloves, finely crushed
– Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pick out all the stems, then combine the basil, crushed garlic, with the pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to get things going. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Scrape down the sides of the food processor. Add the Parmesan, mix till combined, check your seasoning and add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

If you decide you are going to bulk up don’t be tempted to make the individual batches too large. Your food processor will only handle a certain amount and more than that and you wont get a nice smooth pesto. Don’t overwork the mixture or it will begin to oxidise and go a khaki colour instead of a vibrant green.

STORAGE:
FREEZER: If you intend to freeze it, stop before you add the cheese and freeze in ice trays, remove an ice cube when you need it.
BOTTLE: Fill clean jars that have been boiled in hot water for a few seconds, and then dried in a hot over. Fill till 3/4 full, knock out any air and seal the top of the pesto with a layer of olive oil.

Valentines Breakfast

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

February is the month of love, and love means chocolate… And even breakfast isn’t too early for chocolate!! Fresh baguette slathered with chocolate hazelnut spread and a good cappuccino… I’m in love… (If she loves chocolate get this quick simple breakfast ready for her on the 14th and earn some serious brownie points)

Tomato Bruschetta

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

The traffic behind you, the day is over and it’s time to chill… A quick fix snack to go with that glass of Sauvignon, pan grilled baguette, rubbed with garlic, topped with vine tomato’s and sweet white balsamic and olive oil. Olives on the side.

Ingredients
Serves 6

– 1 ciabatta loaf
– olive oil for drizzling
– 400g ripe tomatoes
– 3 sprigs thyme
– 4 tbsp white balsamic
– salt & pepper
– clove garlic, pe
Step 1:
Start by dicing your tomato into rough pieces, remove some of the seeds and juice as you go, there will be plenty of moisture. Now add the chopped thyme, salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Now heat a griddle pan till hot, brush 6 slices of ciabatta with olive oil before grilling them in the pan. Once they are grilled remove from the pan and rub with the whole clove of garlic. The longer you rub the stronger the garlic flavor will be. Top the slices of toasted bread with the chopped tomato.

Pomegranate

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Jewel of fruit!

Apart from the sheer beauty of it, the pomegranate is packed with nutrients and flavour. Can there be anything as beautiful as garnet red crystals sparkling on top of a salad or dessert? The easiest way to get to the fruit is to slice the pomegranate in half and then to hold it over a bowl and knock the hard skin till the fruit falls out, it’s easier but you will still get splashed with its juice if you get over enthusiastic. Pomegranate juice also has many uses, it’s tannins and sweetness make it a key part in many middle eastern dishes.

Pine Nuts

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Eat less by munching more of these little nuts!

Pine nuts: these tiny nutrient dense nuts, are actually the seeds of the pine tree. All pine trees produce pine nuts but only about 20 species produce a pine nut big enough to harvest. This tiny nuts is loaded with all sorts of claimed benefits from reducing cholesterol to helping lose weight. They contain essential fatty acid (ω-6 fat), pinolenic acid. Recent research has shown its potential use in weight loss by curbing the appetite. Pinolenic acid triggers the release of hunger-suppressant enzymes in the stomach. In addition, pinolenic acid is thought to have LDL-lowering properties by enhancing hepatic LDL uptake.
They don’t stay fresh forever so I prefer to buy as I need them at home. Lightly toasted they are great served with anything that’s needs a sweet nutty flavour, salads, cakes, tarts, biscuits even with steak.

Chewy Nougat

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Fruit for breakfast, therefore nougat for my mid morning snack, this seems like healthy balance… I can’t stress how a healthy diet is all about balance. I am a huge fan of Italian nougat, but nothing quite beats the delicious crunch of Wedgewood’s almond nougat. Loaded with delicious toasted almonds and with a honey flavoured chew, totally delicious.

The Secret Jozi Chef

Home of The Cookery

Beer & Coconut Crusted Prawns

Delicious bite size snacks

Tuna Chick Pea Salad

Bosc Pear

Basil Pesto

Valentines Breakfast

Tomato Bruschetta

Pomegranate

Pine Nuts

Chewy Nougat

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