Culinary Inspirations

Sushi

2009-06-21T04:09:00.001-07:00

Sushi has become increasingly popular in South Africa and elsewhere in the world. This is partly due to increased health consciousness and sushi being regarded as one of the healthiest meals around.

Numerous variations of sushi can be found, including many that are not even available in Japan. In short, sushi is vinegared rice topped or mixed with various fresh ingredients, usually fish or seafood. There are different kinds of sushi including sushi nigiri, which is sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice and maki sushi, which is translated as ‘roll sushi’, which consists of rice and seafood or other ingredients placed on a sheet of seaweed (nori) and rolled into a cylindrical shape on a bamboo mat and cut into smaller pieces.

Sushi Rice
2 cups sushi rice
2 cups water (and additional water to wash rice)
2 TBSP rice vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP salt

Place the rice in a bowl, cover with water and stir with a spoon. Pour off the water and repeat 2 or 3 times until the water is no longer cloudy.
Place the rice in a pot and cover with 2 cups of water. Place over a high heat, uncovered and bring to the boil.
Once boiling, turn the heat down as low as possible, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the rice stand covered for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave for a few seconds.
Place the rice in a glass bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Using a spatula, fold the vinegar mixture into the rice until every grain is coated.
Cool to room temperature before using to make your sushi, but don’t let the rice dry out.

Maki Sushi

There are two kinds of maki sushi – futmaki, which is fat maki, and hosomaki, or thin maki.

2 to 3 sheets of nori (seaweed)
Sushi rice
Strips of tuna fillet
Vegetables such as avocado, cooked carrot, cucumber

To make maki sushi, place the rough side of your nori (seaweed) upwards on the bamboo mat.
Wet your hands and place a ball of rice on the nori, spreading it evenly.
Place a slice of tuna between one and three pre-cut vegetables, such as avocado, cucumber and cooked carrot onto the rice.
Roll, tightening it as you go, until completely rolled.
Cut the roll into 6 or 8 slices, using a sharp wet knife.

California Rolls

These are rolled sushi with a slight variation.

2 to 3 sheets of nori (seaweed)
Sushi rice
Crab sticks
Vegetables such as avocado and cucumber
Mayonnaise
Sesame seeds

Place the rough side of your nori upwards on the bamboo mat.
Wet your hands and place a ball of rice on the nori, spreading it evenly.
Press the rice down firmly and turn the nori over.
Place crab sticks and vegetables such as avocado and cucumber onto the nori.
Add a line of mayonnaise.
Roll, tightening it as you go, until completely rolled.
Coat with sesame seeds.
Cut the roll into 6 to 8 slices, using a sharp wet knife.

Spicy Tuna Roll

This can be made in the classic way or with the rice on the outside, as with the Californian rolls.

2 to 3 sheets of nori
Sushi rice
Strips of tuna fillet
Avocado
Spicy mayonnaise

Roll and cut as for maki sushi.
Serve with a drop of spicy mayonnaise.

Sushi Nigiri

These should be made in pairs as it is a sign of peace.

Sushi rice
Salmon, tuna, prawns
Wasabi

Shape a thumb size lump of rice into an oval with a flat base.
Take a 1cm thick by 5cm by 3cm piece of salmon or tuna, or a prawn.
Spread a small amount of wasabi on the fish and place the fish, wasabi side down, firmly onto the rice.
This will glue the fish onto the rice.
Serve with maki sushi.

Sashimi Salad

Ice and water
A piece of fresh fish such as tuna or salmon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
Carrots, peeled
Cucumber
Celery stalks
Radishes

Dressing
1 TBSP onion, finely chopped
2,5 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP rice vinegar
2 tsp water
0,5 tsp sugar
Pinch salt
Pinch mustard
Pinch ground pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP sesame oil

Fill a bowl with ice and water.
Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a skillet and grease with a little oil.
Add the fish and sear for about 6 seconds on each side.
Plunge into the ice-bath to stop the cooking, drain and dry off the excess water.
Slice the tuna into2mm thick slices. Roll them into cylinders.
Make the salad by thinly slicing the vegetables.
Place directly into an ice bath and let them stand until the vegetables begin to curl (about 15 minutes).
Drain and place in the centre of each plate, add the fish rolls.
Make the dressing, by mixing all the ingredients together.
Serve the salad ingredients together with the fish and/or prawns.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad.

Sweetcorn And Cheese Muffins

2009-04-22T05:02:00.000-07:00

Makes 12 to 15 large muffins

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1½ cups cheddar cheese, grated
3 TBSP chopped fresh mixed herbs or 3 tsp dried mixed herbs (optional)
150g margarine or butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup creamed sweetcorn
¼ cup milk

Set the oven to 180ºC.
Mix the dry ingredients together including the grated cheese and herbs.
Add the melted butter, egg and sweetcorn.
Add milk until a dropping consistency has been reached.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Health Crunchy Bars

2009-04-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

These are great for lunchboxes (for kids or for adults) and to have in the biscuit tin. They are also really easy to make and have some healthy ingredients!

220g butter or margarine
3 TBSP golden syrup
1 cup flour
1 cup coconut
1 cup sugar
2 cups oats
1/3 cup dates, chopped
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1/8 cup or 2 TBSP sunflower seeds
1/8 cup or 2 TBSP sesame seeds

Set the oven to 150ºC.
Melt the margarine or butter slowly in a large pot on the stove.
Add the syrup.
Add the flour, coconut, sugar, oats, dates, nuts, and seeds.
Press into a baking tray.
Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown.

Herbed Chicken Breasts with Tzatziki, Avocado and Feta Cheese

2009-02-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

This dish can be prepared and cooked early, or prepared early and the chicken cooked just before serving. The chicken is best served slightly warm. The dish serves 6 to 8 people.

½ cup fresh herbs, including coriander, marjoram, parsley, basil, chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
6 to 8 TBSP olive oil
Salt and milled black pepper
8 chicken breasts, filleted and cut in half lengthways
½ cucumber
½ cup plain yoghurt
2 cups rocket leaves
1 cup mixed lettuce leaves
1 punnet cocktail tomatoes
80g Feta Cheese, chopped into squares
1 avocado, chopped into squares
Balsamic vinegar

Mix the chopped herbs and four of the cloves of garlic together with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Spread over the chicken breasts and put to one side
Heat a pan and grease with non-stick spray.
Gently cook the chicken on both sides over a medium heat.
Before the chicken is completely cooked through, remove from the pan and wrap in tinfoil, with the shiny side inside. Leave the chicken in the foil until ready to serve. This will keep the chicken warm and finish off the cooking process.
Make the tzatziki by grating the cucumber and allowing it to drain in a sieve. Squeeze it out slightly.
Add 1 clove of crushed garlic, the yoghurt, salt and pepper.
Place the rocket and mixed lettuce leaves on a platter, top with the chicken, tomatoes, feta cheese and avocado. Drizzle over the tzatziki and balsamic vinegar.
Scatter more fresh herbs over the top and serve while the chicken is slightly warm.

Basic Survival Food

2009-02-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

For anyone who's just finished school, heading off to college or moving into their own place, it's not always easy to develop a basic understanding of cooking. Meryl's School of Cooking recently held a survival course that aimed to help young people develop basic skills in the kitchen and to introduce them to the fun side of cooking so that it will be something that they enjoy doing.

Some of the dishes prepared during the course were:
* Spicy Chicken Tortilla
* Lamb Curry
* Lentil, Butternut and Sweet Potato Pie
* Malva Pudding

Spicy Chicken Tortilla
Serves 4 to 6

Oil and butter for frying
4 chicken breast fillets, cut into strips (you can also use vegetarian strips)
Flour for dusting
1 red pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Sweet chilli sauce to taste
Fresh coriander
6 tortilla wraps
Lettuce and cucumber sticks

Heat a little oil and butter.
Toss the chicken strips in flour and stir fry quickly in the oil/butter mixture.
Remove the chicken from the pan.
Fry the sliced peppers and garlic until slightly brown.
Return the chicken to the pan to reheat.
Toss the chicken mixture with a little sweet chilli sauce and the coriander.
Heat tortilla wraps by putting two wraps between two pieces of paper towel in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Fill the wraps with the lettuce, cucumber sticks and chicken mixture.
Repeat until you’ve put together all the wraps.

Lamb Curry
Serves 4 to 6

Oil for frying
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 TBSP grated root ginger
2 dessertspoons curry powder
2 TBSP chutney
2 tomatoes, chopped
500g lamb cubes
1,5 tsp salt
400g potato, peeled and cut into cubes
Handful of fresh coriander and coconut

Heat the oil and brown the onions garlic and ginger.
Add curry powder and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chutney and tomatoes.
Add the meat and brown.
Add the salt.
Add enough water to cover and simmer until nearly tender. Depending the type of meat used this can be an hour or so.
Add the potatoes and cook until soft.
Check the gravy and seasoning.
Garnish with coriander and coconut and serve with rice.

Lentil, Butternut and Sweet Potato Pie
Serves 4 to 6

1 medium butternut, peeled and chopped into cubes
2 to 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
½ onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP basil, chopped
A sprig of sage, chopped
Salt and milled black pepper
½ cup lentils
1 roll pre-made puff pastry
1 egg for egg wash

Heat the oven to 200ºC.
Roast the cubed butternut and sweet potatoes and sliced onion with the garlic and butter.
Add the chopped herbs to the vegetables and season.
Boil the lentils for 10 minutes and then drain.
Mix the lentils together with the roasted vegetables.
Roll the pastry into a rectangle and fill the centre with the vegetable mixture.
Pull the edges together and crimp to close.
Brush with egg and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until well risen and brown.

Malva Pudding

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 TBSP vinegar
1 TBSP apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Mix together the above ingredients.
Place in a round, deep dish in the oven.
Bake for 30 to 60 minutes.

To make the sauce, boil together the following ingredients, while stirring continuously:

½ cup sugar
70g butter
½ large tin ideal milk

Pour the sauce over the cooked pudding.

Meryl's Biscuits

2009-01-10T03:30:00.000-08:00

Ginger Biscuits

These biscuits make a great teatime snack. The kids love them because the ginger is subtle. It’s tempting to overcook them because they are quite soft when they come out the oven, but they cool as they harden leaving a chewy biscuit. If you cook them for too long they become very hard.

120g margarine or butter
75g syrup
225g sugar
350g cake flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
Pinch salt
1 egg
Brown sugar

Set the oven to 180ºC.
Gently melt the margarine or butter, syrup and sugar together in a pot on the stove. Do not boil.
Add the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt.
Stir and add the egg.
Using a tablespoon, drop rounds of dough onto a greased baking tray.
Sprinkle each biscuit with brown sugar.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cool, and store in an airtight container.

Vanilla Nut Fingers

These biscuits are very rich and probably not the type of biscuit one would cook on a daily basis. They are lovely for special occasions and with a cup of coffee. I use them instead of dessert at the end of a braai. It is important to use butter for this recipe.

250g butter
100g castor sugar
1 TSP vanilla seeds
2 cups flour
1¼ tsp baking powder

Topping:
125g butter
3 TBSP syrup
180g icing sugar
1½ cups nuts, slightly chopped

Set the oven to 180ºC.
Beat the butter and sugar together.
Add the vanilla seeds and mix until evenly spread. Add the flour and baking powder.
Spread onto a baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper, and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool the biscuits in the pan.
Meanwhile, melt the topping ingredients together.
Spread the hot nut topping over the cool base and bake for another 10 minutes.
Cool in the pan, trim the edges and cut into fingers.

Cappuccino Wafers

These delicious biscuits have a nut, coffee and chocolate combination. You may want to double this recipe as they get eaten rather fast. It is best to use real butter.

125g butter
¼ cup castor sugar
1 heaped cup flour
1 TBSP cocoa
½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup chopped pecans

Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp coffee, melted in a small amount of milk

Set the oven to 180ºC.
Beat the butter and the sugar together, until light and fluffy.
Add the flour, cocoa and baking powder to the butter mixture and beat until it forms a dough.
Add the pecan nuts.
Roll into small balls and press with a fork until quite thin.
Bake for seven to 10 minutes.

To make the icing, beat together the icing sugar and the butter.
Add the coffee and milk to the right consistency and beat until the icing is light and fluffy.
When cool, sandwich the biscuits together with the coffee icing.
Dust with icing sugar.

Spice Biscuits

If you want a biscuit recipe that is not very sweet, this is ideal. This recipe makes about 36 biscuits, but can easily be doubled. These are very neat looking biscuits, and so easy to make.

1 cup flour
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp baking powder
120g butter
85g brown sugar
2 tsp syrup
Nuts – for garnish

Set the oven to 190ºC.
Place the flour, ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice and baking powder in a food processor and add small chunks of butter.
Process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and syrup and process until the mixture comes together to make a dough. Add a little water if necessary.
Shape the dough into a square or round log.
Wrap in wax paper and chill until firm.
To bake, cut thin slices and place on a baking sheet.
Decorate the top by placing one nut in the middle of the slice.
Bake for about seven to 10 minutes, until golden.