Gourmet Greek Tiramisu

August 21, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

I love tiramisu and frankly their is absolutely nothing wrong with the original recipe made using mascarpone, it is rich, luscious and always a winner. However, I am so in love with the Gourmet Greeks Greek Yoghurt that I had to give it a try using yoghurt instead of mascarpone. What a treat, it is still as delicious, but a little less rich which means you can eat more! Now that’s what I call a successful recipe update.

Please note I tried this with 3 other supermarket Full Fat Greek Yoghurts it did not work, I noticed that only a truly drained yoghurt works, even the premium supermarket products may contain vegetable starch to thicken this prevents the tiramisu from setting.

Tiramisu
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
– 3 free range eggs, separated whites and yolks
– 1/3 cup castor sugar
– 250gms Gourmet Greek Yoghurt
– 250mls heavy cream, whipped till thick
– 250gm pack of Savoiardi Biscuits
– 2 cups strong coffee
– ½ cup marsala
– cocoa powder for dusting

Method
STEP 1: Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick, pale and creamy
STEP 2: Now gently fold the whipped cream and Greek yoghurt into the egg yolk mixture
STEP 3: Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold these into the yoghurt & egg yolk mixture, being careful to not knock out too much air
STEP 4: Using a flat glass dish mix your coffee and marsala
STEP 5: Quickly dunk the biscuits into the coffee mixture, then place on the base of your serving tray, dunk the biscuits quickly or they will become too soft.
STEP 6: Pour out a third of your yoghurt cream mixture onto the biscotti, now give a good sprinkle of fine unsweetened cocoa powder
STEP 7: Top this with another layer of soaked biscuits and some more cocoa powder. Repeat until ending on a layer of cream and cocoa powder

STEPS TO REMEMBER
CREAM – VOLUME – DUNK – LAYER – DUST

Moist Carrot Cake Muffins

August 5, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

It doesn’t matter what you call these, small cakes or muffins, just so long as you make them. Its a really simple recipe to achieve moist, dense, spicey carrot cake muffins.

Moist Spicy Carrot Cakes Muffins
Makes 1 cake / 12 muffins

Ingredients
– 200gms dark brown sugar (demererra works well)
– 180ml sunflower oil
– 60mls buttermilk
– 3 large eggs
– 10ml vanilla extract
– 100gms canned pineapple chunks, drained
– 200gms finely grated carrot, I use a microplane
– 1 tsp nutmeg
– 2 tsp cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 250gms cake flour
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 100gms pecan pieces, roughly chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting
– 250gms full fat cream cheese, room temperature
– 2 cups icing sugar
– 100gms butter, room temperature
– 1 tsp vanilla essence
– 1 tbsp cream

To start preheat the oven to 180°C, and place the wrack in the middle of the oven. Grease 12 large muffin tins, or 1 22cm springform cake tin.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the sugar and oil – mix until combined about 30-seconds. Now with the mixer running add the buttermilk once combined begin adding the eggs 1 at a time until well combined. The mixture will still be gritty, unlike when you cream butter and sugar.

In a another bowl sieve together the flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Then add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, using a spatula stir until just combined – don’t be temped to overwork the mixture the muffins will become chewy. Once the flour is combined fold in the drained pineapple, carrots and pecan pieces. Stir until just combined.

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full and bake in the centre of the oven for 18-24 minutes – or until the muffins are golden on top and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Don’t overbake the muffins or they will dry out, remove from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes before removing the muffins from the tray and allowing them to cool completely.

To make the cream cheese frosting, place the softened butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer or in a large mixing bowl and blend until fluffy and combined. Once combined start adding the icing sugar in batches, blending thoroughly between additions. Now add the vanilla extract and milk and blend until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Warm Winter Bruschetta

July 30, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

There are a multitude of bruschetta ideas, I love adapting them based on whatever I have on hand. Today’s were loaded with summery flavour and colour and make a great light lunch.

Warm Winter Bruschetta
Ingredients

– finely sliced Parma ham
– grilled artichoke hearts
– ricotta cheese
– pine nuts
– sundried tomatoes
– crispy chorizo pieces

Start by toasting the bruschetta then top it with all the ingredients, starting with the ricotta and ending with the crispy chorizo pieces. Mediterranean summer on a plate.

Quick, simple and delicious Melktert

July 15, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

This is the recipe which can be given credit with me embarking on a hunt for the ultimate Melktert, quick and easy to make, the filling cooks in under 10-minutes this is ideal for those bakers who need a quick melktert fix with little hassle. I am taking this as the first entrant in my Melktert hunt- Congratulations to Mandy Watermeyer who the recipe came from.

Melktert – Mandy Watermeyer

– 1 packet Tennis biscuits crushed and mixed with 125g melted butter – press into rectangular glass
dish to form crust

Filling
– 1 Tin condensed milk
– 3 “condensed milk tins” milk
– 2 extra-large eggs
– 3 heaped tablespoons Maizena (cornflower)
– 1 heaped tablespoon custard powder
– Pinch of salt
– 1 teaspoon butter
– 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Bring 2 cans of normal milk to the boil in microwave, then add condensed milk and butter to hot milk and mix well.
In another bowl beat remaining tin of milk, 2 eggs, maizena, custard powder and salt till smooth and runny. Pour this mixture into the bowl of hot milk and beat again – add vanilla

Place in microwave on high for 2 minute intervals beating with hand beater in between to remove lumps. Repeat until mixture is consistency of thick porridge – usually 4 x 2 minutes

Pour over base and sprinkle with cinnamon then allow to cool and set

Keeps well in fridge – if there is any left!!!

I made this exact recipe except I took it to the stove stop, old habits die hard. If you prefer to do it this way it still only takes about 10 minutes to make but there is more elbow grease involved. Heat the milk in a pot, then make the cold custard mixture as suggested and add the hot milk to that slowly, then place it on the stove and whisk till it s thickened.

Savoury Mini Breakfast Pancakes

July 11, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

These little pancakes are the perfect thing for a brunch with friends. You can prep the batter in advance, and it only takes a few minutes, then make a huge batch, which cook really quickly because they are so little. Then let your guests do the rest just provide them with some sliced parma ham, smoked salmon and a bowl of hot spicey mushrooms, depending on what they feel like they can assemble them themselves.

Savoury Breakfast Pancakes
Makes 24

Ingredients
– 200gms cake flour
– large pinch salt
– 2 level tsp baking powder
– 2 large free range eggs
– 250ml milk
– butter to fry

To make the batter, sieve the flour, salt and baking powder together. Whisk the eggs and milk together. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and milk mixture. Whisk together thoroughly – allow to stand for at least 10-minutes. Heat some butter in a heavy frying pan and add the mixture 1-tbsp at a time, once bubbles begin to appear, turn the pancake over and cook for a further minute until done. Stack the pancakes to help keep them warm and repeat until all the batter is finished.

If you have a small gas burner that won’t look out of place on a table you can make the pancakes with your guests so that they are always hot and fresh, plus its actually fun!

Yum! Wow!

July 8, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

We create our greatest meals not for money, or fame but for love! I am not talking about dinner party wow factor meals I am talking about suppers! The meal time whose purpose is to do so much more than just feed – supper is about a happy space at the end of the day, it’s about comfort and love. By example, Benjamin is my nephew, he inspires so much of the food I create. For him I want it to be healthy and natural, for his love of good food I want it to be tasty, for his mom to be able to reproduce it quickly and easily I want it to be simple and because of him you all get such great healthy quick easy recipes!

Take this cottage pie for example, will it change the world? Unlikely! Will it make my nephew smile? Definitely! So in my book that makes this a great meal created not with strange ingredients or foreign spices but simply with good ingredients and the magic of a 20-month old going “Wow!” every time you add anything to the pan and clapping when the bright yellow bowl is presented to him!

Grass Fed Beef Cottage Pie
Serves 4

– 400gms grass fed beef mince
– 4 tbsp olive oil
– 2 red onions
– 100mls beef/veg stock
– 6 carrots
– 120gms frozen peas
– 1 can organic plum tomatoes
– salt & pepper
– 2 bay leaf, whole
– 1 small sprig rosemary, whole
– 1 tsp finely chopped parsley
– 1 egg beaten, for egg wash
– 4-6 medium to large potatoes

Preheat the oven to 180°C. To start peel the potatoes and boil them in a large pot of salted water. If you are in a hurry cut larger potatoes into smaller chunks. Whilst the potatoes are boiling heat the olive oil in heavy based pan. Now add the meat to the pan, spreading it around, don’t stir it allow it to sit and caramelize before turning the meat. Using your wooden spoon break the meat into smaller pieces, once the meat has browned add the onions and allow them to cook till just softening.

Now add the stock and allow it to reduce a bit before adding the cut up vegetables (excluding the peas), herbs and the tomatoes. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes till done, then stir in the peas. While the meat is cooking prepare your mash potatoes!

To assemble spoon the meat into individual dishes, it should be thick and moist but not wet. Now spoon your mashed potato over the top, before brushing it with some beaten egg. Bake in the middle tray of the oven until golden brown and bubbling.

Quick Scones

June 29, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

This recipe takes 4 ingredients and about 15 minutes to make from start to finish. You can use your food processor to do the first step, however, if you work quickly with cold butter you can achieve great results by hand in about 3 minutes.

Quick Scones
Makes 6 – 8

Ingredients
– 225gms cake flour
– 3 flat tsp baking powder
– 60gms butter
– 140mls milk
– 40gms caster sugar (optional)
– pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Sieve the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt into a large bowl. Then working quickly and with cool hands rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Mix the sugar in if you are using it, then with 2 butter knives mix the milk into the flour. Criss cross the knives as though you are chopping up food for a child. Only add about 85% of the milk to start, add more if needed. However, the mixture should rather be slightly soft than too dry. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and quickly kneed it until smooth, should only be about 4 or 5 turns, don’t over work the mixture or the scones will be biscuity.

Gently roll the dough until about 2cm thick and then cut out scones. If you want your scones to have a glossy top, brush them with an milk wash, for soft tops dust them with flour. This mixture should only produce about 6-8 scones, anymore and it means your scones are too thin and they will not rise. Bake in the hot over for about 8-9 minutes.

Serve topped with fresh cream, scones and strawberry jam!

Pistachio, chocolate & date macaroons

June 23, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Somewhere between a cup cake, a macaroon, a meringue and a chewy marshmallow lie these perfect little chewy cakes. I used pistachio in them but they work equally well with almonds or hazelnuts. The chocolate and dates become a chooey gooey mass and the nuts add loads of crunch, the recipe does call for chocolate and sugar. You can replace the sugar for honey, and if you are worried about the calories, you could swop out your dark chocolate with a high cocoa content so it has less fats, or you could just add a little less chocolate and add a little more dates and nuts to make up the lost weight.

Pistachio, Chocolate & Date Macaroons
Makes 12

Ingredients
3 large free range egg whites, room temperature
60gms caster sugar (35gms clear honey)
125g roughly chopped nuts (pistachio/hazelnut/almond)
125g good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
125g fresh medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped

Start by preheating the oven to 165°C, preferably no fan. Spray a 12 tin standard size muffin tin with non stick spray and sprinkle a little caster sugar into each cup. Now, in a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites till soft peaks form, now sieve the castor sugar in and whisk till thick and glossy. You can use a machine for all of this, but I do it in 5 minutes with a good quality balloon whisk. If you are using honey, make sure your egg whites are room temperature and that your honey is very runny, otherwise the sugars will not distribute evenly. DO NOT HEAT THE HONEY to make it runny and then add it still slightly warm to the egg white it will affect your chewy outcome.

Now fold the chopped nuts, dates and chocolate into the mixture. Spoon it into the cupcakes and bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes. Then switch off the heat and open the oven door slightly, after 10-minutes remove the tray and then allow the cakes to cool for a further 15-minutes before attempting to remove them.

Eat them just as is, or serve topped with greek yoghurt for dessert.

French Onion Soup

June 16, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

This really simple soup requires time to help the simple flavours develop into a robust soup.

French Onion Soup
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
– 4 large onions
– 60gms butter
– 4 sprigs thyme
– 2 bay leaves
– 2 cloves garlic
– 2 tbsp flour
– 1,5 liters beef stock
– 300mls red wine
– baguette
– grated gruyere cheese

Start by heating the butter in a heavy based soup pot. Now add the sliced onions, chopped garlic and herbs. Gently cook the onions for about 20-25 minutes until caramelised and softened. Now add the red wine and allow it to cook off completely being absorbed into the onions. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir it in, drop the heat and allow the flour to cook through. If the mixture becomes too dry add some of your stock and mix it in. Once the flour has cooked through add the stock and stir well. Lower the heat and gently simmer for 20 minutes.
When you are ready to eat, heat the grill till red hot. Then serve the soup into bowls top the soup with slices of the baguette and grated cheese. Place under the hot grill until bubbling and golden.

Weekend yum!

June 12, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

After having spent two days in complete shut down doing nothing but relaxing and eating. I spent a few days at the most incredible place Kings Walden near Tzaneen in Limpopo, I chose the venue because it looked like an incredible place to unplug for a bit – and it was! But what an incredible bonus to discover Chrissie, a secret chef, who until two years ago had never cooked professionally and who now was creating incredible food. Dinner was a simple but so good, fresh pea soup with a white truffle cream followed by perfectly medium, Kudu fillet served on candied potatoes and all locally sourced. Breakfast was an equally lavish affair of “oeuf en cocotte” with a delicate dot of truffle oil and Chrissies home made bread with farm fresh butter – Wow seriously good simple food!

I will share the recipe for oeuf en cocotte, a delicate baked egg, on Friday since its perfect for the weekend, but I wanted to share something simple today that would work perfectly as a simple breakfast, or light lunch, in fact with a few more rasher of bacon and an extra creamy egg and I’d be good for supper.

There isn’t really a recipe here more of an assembly, each of the ingredients wants the least amount of fuss. The toughest part is in trying to achieve the perfect poached egg. There are steps to cooking a poached egg, but getting the perfect poached egg requires starting with the perfect egg. Your egg has to be free range, this is only because only free range eggs have a thick enough white. Battery chicken egg whites tend to be runny, when you crack the egg and place it in a side plate the main mass of albumin, white, should cling tightly to the yolk in a thick jelly like mass. If you start with the right raw ingredient the egg will poach easily, even a greatest chefs would battle to poach an average quality egg.

POACHING AN EGG
Step 1: Heat water in a small sized pot, the pot should carry about 1,5l of water.
Step 2: Once the water has come to a gentle boil add a 2 table spoons of white balsamic condiment (white balsamic vinegar)
Step 3: Break the egg into a small bowl that is easy to handle
Step 4: Stir the water in a circular direction to create a whirlpool.
Step 5: Drop the egg into the whirlpool and allow it to slowly spin itself around, the thick egg white will cling to the yolk keeping your poached egg together
Step 6: After 4 minutes the egg should be cooked to a medium level, 5-6 for firm.

You have to poach eggs 1 at a time, but you can keep them covered on a warm plate while you make them.
Lemon Pesto Oil
– 1 tbsp basil pesto
– 2 tsp lemon juice
– 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

For a single portion use about 12 small asparagus spears, topped with a few rashers of crispy bacon, then the poached eggs and finally a drizzle of the lemony pesto oil.

The Secret Jozi Chef

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