Birds Cafe - Bree Street Cape Town

This little gem in Bree street Cape Town goes to show that you do not need all the frills and fancy decor to create an amazing cafe. In fact, you don't even need real chairs! (YES, those are beer crates).You just need great food made with love. The decor and crockery are eclectic and add to relaxed atmosphere.

This is the perfect spot for lunch and meeting friends. The staff are friendly and vibrant, and it is great to see happy people smiling away and chatting in the kitchen as they prepare delicious food.

Easy Rusk Recipe

Anyone who knows me well, will tell you that I prefer cooking dinner to baking any day. I leave baking to the professionals at Woolworths! This recipe however, is fool proof and I have been making my own rusks ever since.

You will need:
4 cups self raising flour
Half a cup margarine or butter
Half to 3/4 light brown sugar
3/4 cups buttermilk (or just add a tbsp of lemon juice to your milk and stir till it thickens)
1 egg (beaten)
Half a cup muesli and handful of raisins

Start by preheating oven to 200 degrees c.
Sift flour and rub in margarine, mix in sugar and stir in the egg and milk.
Work with hands till it forms a dough. (note: The dough will be fairly dry- see photo below)

Press dough flat into a baking tray that has been greased or has been coated with non stick cooking spray. Cut flattened dough into rectangle and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour and then remove and separate the rusks.
Place them back in the oven and switch oven OFF. Leave them in oven overnight to dry out. Repeat this drying out process if not completely dry by morning.
Enjoy with a hot cuppa!

Melanzane

Baked aubergine is a favorite of mine lately and have started making this vegetarian dish once a week. It is a great dinner that is healthy and packed full of flavor.

You will need: 

2 large aubergines sliced into medallions. 

1 large onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 tin of chopped diced tomato

Half a cup red wine

2 baby marrows grated

3 tbs tomato paste

3/4 cup chicken stock

Half a cup breadcrumbs

Half a cup parmigiana cheese grated (you could use any other cheese you like)

To start brush aubergine with olive oil and fry till golden on both sides. Season with salt and black pepper. Set aside and start on the tomato sauce.

Fry onion till translucent and add the garlic. Add tin of tomato,paste, stock,wine and the grated baby marrow. Reduce till it thicken and creates a rich sauce.

Layer the aubergine and sauce (like you would a lasagna) and top with the bread crumbs and cheese. Bake for 30 min in over 200c till cheese and bread crumbs form a golden crust.

American Style Beef Chilli

This is a rich Winter warmer, based on a Jamie Oliver Navajo inspired recipe. It's a one pot dish that will wow any guests at a dinner party or family get-together. To make this beef chilli you will need the following ingredients:
Note: This recipes serves 4-6 people

• One red onion 
• One large green pepper finely chopped 
• Two cloves fresh garlic finely chopped 
• Handful cherry tomatoes cut in half 
• 500g lean beef mince 
• Glug of olive oil 
• Tin chopped tomato with chilli 
• Tin red kidney beans drained 
• Half cup of filter coffee(you will put the dried chilli flakes into this coffee) 
• 4 tbs tomato sauce 
• 2 tsp origanum 
•  1 tsp dried chilli flakes 
• 2 tbs paprika 
• 1 tsp cumin 
• 2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 cup beef stock 
• 2tbs molasses 
• Secret ingredient was the 6 tbs chipotle sauce (available at Spar) 

Start by frying all the spices and herbs with the olive oil, garlic and onion. While the onions fry for 5 min, make the half a cup of filter coffee and add 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes to rehydrated and release their flavor. Add the coffee to the onions and simmer for 5 min. 

Dried chilli flakes in filter coffee

Stir in the mince as you break apart with a fork. Now for all the wet ingredients: the molasses,tin of tomatoes,stock, chipotle and tomato sauce. Simmer on low heat for 30 min. Stir and add the chopped green pepper, cherry tomatoes and tin of kidney beans and continue to simmer on a low heat for another 30 min. Serve with crusty bread to soak up all the goodness.

Easy Pancake Recipe

Easiest pancake recipe:

• 2 cups self raising flour
• 2 cups milk 
• 2 eggs 
• 2 tbs oil or melted butter 
• Pinch of salt 

Measure the flour and make a well in the middle, add the eggs, milk then oil and gently whisk till all ingredients mixed together to form a smooth batter. If possible leave batter for a half an hour, stir through and start making pancakes. The great thing about this simple recipe is you can add your own personal touch by adding chocolate chips,cinnamon or even bright sprikles for colour. You could also serve pancakes with a savory filling like mince, chicken, stir fry or grilled veg for an easy delicious dinner.

Parma Ham and Spinach Lasagne

Spinach and Parma Pasta

Start by preheating oven to 180 degrees.

You will need:

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 green chilies (chop one finely for sauce and can keep the other for garnish)   

Glug of olive oil

2 tins of chopped tomatoes (I like tin that has garlic or herbs added to it)

5 slices Parma Ham

Worth getting a good quality Parma Ham as this adds amazing flavor to the dish.

2 tsp dried Italian herbs

1 chopped red onion

1 large packet of chopped spinach

Half a cup water

3 tbs tomato sauce (All Gold) to add a little sweetness to the sauce

Lasagne sheet 250g 

I prefer pre-cooked as it takes less time 

1.Start by frying onion, chili and the garlic in a little oil. Add spinach and the ham. It might look like far too much spinach but remember this will cook down and wilt to about half the size.

2. Add the tinned tomatoes and cook for a further 5 min before adding the tomato sauce.

3.Add a half a cup water to mixture and let it simmer while you start on the cheese sauce (it might seem very watery but the lasagne sheets will need this excess liquid to cook). Now for the Cheese sauce...

To make cheese sauce you will need to top the lasagne:

2 heaped tbs butter or margarine 

3 heaped tbs flour

2 and a half cups milk

1 cup grated cheese (strong matured cheddar ideal)

nutmeg to sprinkle over sauce (grating your own fresh nutmeg worth the effort)

4. To make cheese sauce start by melting the butter, then adding the flour to form a flour paste. The trick with cheese sauce is not to leave it as it will become lumpy ans you will need to stir it continuously until it thickens. I also prefer stirring with a whisk. 

5. Start layering the pasta sheets and spinach.

6. Top with the cheese sauce and a little Nutmeg. 

7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 35 min, test if pasta cooked through with knife before removing from oven.

8. When the pasta is soft and cooked through remove from the oven and serve. Add a crack of fresh black pepper and chili to finish. Best served with a glass of red vino. 

Warm Chicken Salad

Just because the weather is getting a little cooler does not mean that salad isn't a perfect healthy lunch. This warm chicken salad with homemade garlic and mustard dressing is a great lunch or light supper with a glass of white wine.
Start by preparing the dressing.
Dressing: (Do not be lazy and buy a mustard dressing, this is quick, easy and delish!)
2tsp Dijon mustard
2tbs red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove crushed
60ml olive oil
Half tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients with a whisk and give a shake! Dressing done...now you can move to preparing the salad.

Salad:
1 loaf ciabatta bread (you will use this to make your own croutons)
4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
4 leaves cos lettuce/or rocket
2 avocados peeled and sliced
10 cocktail tomatoes cut in half

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and cut the bread into cubes. toss these in olive oil and bake bread for 5-10min or until golden and crispy.
2. Fry and season chicken in a pan until cooked through, any chicken spice is great.
3. Toss remaining ingredients, warm chicken and croutons together and serve with dressing you made earlier.

(This recipe is from Fresh Living and is a hit! Thanks Marisa for showing me the way:)

Baked Risotto with Spanish sausage, thyme and peas

This risotto is easy to make and you don't need to spend time stirring the pot and adding stock. Perfect for when you have people around as it feeds a big group easily and who doesn't like risotto?! Recipe served 4-6 people but you could double ingredients for a larger group.

You will need:
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
1 large onion chopped
1 and a half cups risotto rice
Half cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock heated
Thyme leaves removed from stems (I love thyme so use 10g)
1 pack spicy sausage (I used the Spanish sausage from Woolworths)
2 cups peas
Half cup Parmesan cheese
Half a cup of almonds (heat in pan till toasted)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and fry onions sausage and garlic in olive oil till cooked through and onion soft. Stir through risotto rice and the wine. Cook for about 1 min. Spoon the mixture into a large ovenproof dish and pour stock over. Cover with lid or foil and bake for 15 min. Give it a good stir, add cheese and the peas and put back in for 30min. Give a final stir and top with the toasted almonds.

What Sup: Clarke's Diner in Bree Street Cape Town

This little gem is situated in trendy Bree street and is our SA version of the an all American diner. Its service, staff and food are fantastic and the sandwiches include winning combinations of mustard, sweet pickles and pulled pork subs. I just loved the fact that you can see all your food being prepared as you sit at the counter. You simply cannot beat good quality ingredients served fresh from the grill. Well worth a visit!

What Sup Good Food Studio

 This was a fab foodie outing with friends and a great "girly" day. The day included cooking demonstrations,beer tastings, avocado oil tastings and a three course lunch. There were also prizes and a fantastic goodie bag filled with treats.

 We got to meet the Fresh Living Editor and the very talented chef from Steenberg (restaurant : Sixteen82). The cost R280 and was well worth it for just the lunch alone. Lunch consisted of Thai Tom yum soup,Tuna Loin with grilled asparagus and sauce vierge and a classic chocolate hazelnut torte with berries and cream.

The Good Food Studio offers many courses and is located in the PnP Office Park 101 Rosmead Avenue in Kenilworth. They offer casual cooking classes, Girls' Night Out, Men in the Kitchen, Big Birthday Bash, Bride-to-Be Kitchen "Tea", Book Club Coo-ups experimenting with your latest cook books... in fact, any event involving good fun, good food and good friends.

For booking info, click here.

Call . . . 021 658 1162

What Sup - spicy sausage,butter bean and sweet pepper salad

This salad takes ten min to make and is a great healthy dinner.
You will need the following: one red pepper, one yellow pepper, chopped flat leaf parsley leaves, one can of butter beans, spicy sausage,one chopped clove garlic,one chopped tomato and a little chili. Dress with an Italian vinaigrette. Fry sausage in a pan and reserve any oil. Use this oil to sightly heat the butter beans (drained and rinsed) before combining all the other chopped ingredients. Toss in the dressing and serve with a healthy seed roll.

You could easily make it a vegetarian dish and leave the sausage if you prefer. 

What Sup: Val de Vie

My hubby and I decided to capitalise on the phenomenal coupon deal from CitySlicker - R170 for 2 people which included wine tasting, any 2 glasses of wine and 2 pizzas as well as viewing a polo match to keep you entertained. Without the voucher a pizza is approximately R80 and wine per glass R25-35. The atmosphere is relaxed and classy. I would recommend the Sauvignon Blanc and if you into red the Craftsman was reasonably priced and as good as their flagship. We will definitely be back and this time with friends...

What Sup: Bon Amis Bloemendal Durbanville

http://bonamis.co.za/cafe.html

The seafood tapas platter had a crab and radish salad, spicy calamari, mussels with garlic butter and breadcrumbs and an oyster. Order bread to soak up all the delicious sauce!

Over the weekend my hubby and I decided to head towards the Durbanville wine route and ended up sharing a lovely seafood platter at Bon Amis. What a little gem! It has a french feel and fantastic selection of wines(Bloemendal). They offer buffets over the weekend as well as a tapas menu so there is really something for everyone.

What Sup: Bouillabaisse Soup

 

Bouillabaisse Recipe

Ingredients:

At least 3 different kinds of seafood, fresh or frozen. I used-10 mussels, 6 large prawns, 1 hake fillet

1 cup thinly sliced onions

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large tomato, chopped, and 1 can canned tomatoes

1 carrot cubed into small pieces

tomato paste to taste

4 stalks celery, thinly sliced

3 sprigs fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Zest of half a lemon

1/2 teaspoon powdered smoked paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chicken stock or fish stock

2/3 cup white wine

optional-dollop of smooth cream cheese

Sliced French bread

Heat a little olive oil in a large deep saucepan. When it is hot, add onions and garlic. Sauté for a minute, then add tomato, celery, and paprika. Stir the carrot pieces into the oil with a wooden sppon until well coated. Then add hyme, bay leaf and lemon. Cook until the onion is soft and golden but not brown.

Cut fish fillet into 2-inch pieces. Add the pieces of fish, mussels and prawns. Then combine stock, wine and tomato paste and pour to the vegetables to mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low heat, uncovered, for about 30 minutes till soup redueces.  Add salt, pepper.  Bring to a simmer again and cook about 5 minutes longer.
At serving time taste and correct the seasoning of the broth, adding a little more salt or pepper if need be, and maybe a touch of lemon juice. Into each soup bowl place a thick slice of crusty French bread, plain or slighlty toasted. Add the cream cheese and serve.

What Sup: Valentines at Lanzerac



This year my hubby surprised me on Valentines Day and we celebrated at Lanzerac. In typical Jay style, he got it so right:) We got to have dinner under the stars in the Lady Anne Courtyard with a stunning 4 course French inspired menu. French cafe music was playing all night and to make the atmosphere even more special (if that is even possible) we even had romantic black & white movies projected around the courtyard. The cost of the menu was R290 per person and highly recommend.

The starter was amazing! I didn't end up taking more photos because the food disappeared in seconds:)



What Sup: Tuna, green bean and sweetcorn wraps

Cut the wraps into smaller sections and stand them up

These are so simple to make and can be served as a snack or as a dinner with a side salad. They are healthy and perfect when you don't feel like being near a hot oven. I use the sweetcorn to cut down on the amount of mayonnaise so you can eat these guilt free:)
You will need:
Half a can creamed sweetcorn
1 tin tuna
1tsp mayo
Green beans (steamed in micro for 3 min)
a little sweet chilli sauce
Rocket leaves / you could use any fresh herb you like
Feta (optional)
Mix the tuna, sweetcorn and the mayo in a bowl. Spread the tuna in the middle of the wrap and add the other ingredients. Cut into small sections and add a little sweet chilly to finish off.

What Sup: Baked Spaghetti

The good thing about this supper is it easy, cheap and you can cook everything beforehand and just bake it when you are ready to munch!
You will need:
1 onion peeled
2tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped finely
500g mince (you could use pork,beef or chicken mince for this)
2 tbs tomato paste
1tsp chutney
1tbs flour
half cup white wine
2 can chopped tomatoes (I like the KOO brand with garlic and herbs added)
half tsp nutmeg
1 tbs of fresh or dried thyme and oregano
spaghetti
grated Parmesan ( to cover top, this will give it a the crisp cover when baking in oven)

Fry onion and garlic and dried/fresh herbs till oil is infused, add mince continue frying till brown. Sprinkle flour and cook, stirring for few min. Add wine,paste,chutney and canned tomatoes and reduce (cook gently for 20 min). while the sauce is reducing boil pasta (remove from heat and drain when tender but firm). coat with a little olive oil and coat with sauce. Scatter cheese and bake till golden brown crust forms.

What sup: Aubergine sandwich (no bread)

You will need:
1 large aubergine cut into thick pieces (this will be the"bread" in this sambo)
rocket leaves
1 tbs smoked paprika
1 large onion
BBQ sauce (I like Spur BBQ)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large red pepper
Note:You will need a griddle pan to fry aubergine and peppers, you could use also gas braai griddle.
Coat aubergine in olive oil salt and pepper fry in hot pan, turn after 4 min and continue cooking till cooked through but still firm. Remove from pan and set aside. Add oil to pan and add red pepper, blacken and remove from heat. Lastly fry onion in the BBQ sauce.Now stack aubergine, onion, rocket and peppers. serve with a dollop of mustard.

What Sup: basil, cucumber, grilled baby-marrow and tomato salad

You will need:
5 large baby marrows sliced into ribbons
1 large cucumber also thinly slices into ribbons
2 large handfuls of basil leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut into halves
garlic infused olive oil, salt and black pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
juice from 1 nectarine
Coat in oil and grill the baby marrows in oven till tender, this will only take 5 min in oven
sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with other salad ingredients. Squeeze juice from nectarine and vinegar over salad and serve.