Some things I love having when cooking.

Essential ingredients I love to have around to use in my cooking.

Mushrooms, I love one chopped up in my food, invariably at least one makes it into my pan. Onions also very nice to go in, there is invariably one in my fridge which i cut one or two rounds off a day. Garlic, both the whole cloves and some chopped are around.  Some herbs like parseley, Paprika, Pepper and Salt.  Baking powder, ok I love making ommelets and Baking powder makes them nice and fluffy.

Garlic is of course for medicinal use its very good for the blood.

Decision Points
Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6" Display - with New E Ink (Pearl) Technology
Stupid History: Tales of Stupidity, Strangeness, and Mythconceptions Throughout the Ages
Apple iPod touch 8 GB (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL
A History of South Africa, Third Edition

Stuffed Courgettes (baby marrows) or tomatoes with a Egg and Lemon Sauce

Ok this is a very mediterannean dish  (greek especially) and one of my personal favorites.

The quantities can be adjusted according to the amount of people...

8 large plump Courgettes
1 small onion peeled and finely chopped
6 table spoons Oil (pref Olive)
350g finely minced mince (beef, lamb or I use beef and Ostrich mix)
about 1 table spoon Oregano
some chopped parsley
ground pepper
4 table spoons rice (cooked)

Egg and lemon sauce
3 egg yolks
6 table spoons lemon
water

1. Chop both ends off each courgettes
2. using a corer or thin knife hollow out the middle
3. gently fry the onion in some oil about 2 spoons for two minutes add mince meat and fry until lightly brown
4. mix the meat and onion with oregano and parsley add salt and pepper and add the cooked rice
5. Stuff this mixture into the courgettess, (I sometimes use a piping bag for this) tightly
6. Bake the courgettes uncovered for around 30 - 40 minutes until tender at 180 deg (u can do them in the oven I do mine in a slow cooker. in about 4 spoons of oil
7. While cooking start preparing the sauce,  Beat the Egg yolks with  1 table spoon of water, then beat in the 6 spoons of lemon juice.
8. Once the courgettes are ready remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a serving dish.
9. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the hot cooking juices that were in the oven proof dish when the sauce thickens its ready to be spooned over the courgettes and served.

The Egg and Lemon Sauce (Avolemano) is the important part of this recipe care has to be taken in its making or it will curdle The juices from the cooking are what makes it thicken.

My Muffin Mix adaptation

OK I don't know why but I found a need to make muffins, I was shopping and found some Muffin Mix, basically flour with some flavouring. so I decided to get some. I came home with some Chocolate and some cappuccino mix and then the fun started. (This Mix needs two eggs about 150ml oil and 200 ml water added)

In my typical manner everything gets adapted. I made the first mix got naughty and added some rum  to the chocolate mix. Then I made the cappuccino mix and added brandy  not a little but a fair amount.  Now in typical style I made some choc some Cappuccino and then some muffins with  one mix at  the bottom and the other on top. Some also had some Nuttela added in between the two for good measure.  They have been rated amongst friends as the best muffins ever.

Cool way of cooking potatoes

I was lazy recently and decided to pan fry a piece of meat and cook my potatoes in the same pan.  I sliced a potato (with skin) into round slices about 2mm thick,  I put these in the pan with very little oil just greasing the pan and let them start fryng.  Turning them over after a few minutes. I then added my meat which I love dousing in Garlic lemon butter ( basically a blob of butter, and garlic melted in the microwave and then lemon added to it.

Resulting in my potatoes by now partially fried also absorbing the garlic and lemon butter, a nice add to this is to also add a healthy dash of Sherry or brandy just before taking off the stove which results in a really yummy meal.


Quick easy and with really little to clean up.

Living Alone and Cooking

Something I have noticed over the last few months is how many people actually live alone. Many of these people take short cuts when cooking and land up eating ready meals etc.  Over the last few years I lost what was left of my family, My mom many years ago, then my sister two years ago, followed by my dad almost two months ago.
My Dad was always the family's chef and over the years I developed a taste for his Mediterranean cuisine. Not having him cooking meals left me needing to find similar tastes but in a lot smaller portions.  I'm known for concoctions and trying out new stuff which I would love to share with all of you. I will post recipes and ideas on here for all to try out. I am also trying to compile an E-book of recipes both my own and those of my late family members. some of which I will share on this blog.

One thing you should know I dont really measure anything when I cook, I just add a little of this and a little of that, I love Garlic Lemon and cooking with alchol sometimes all together.

I currently have my nephew living with me, not that he is at home very much, and my girlfriend most weekends.