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CHEESE AND SPINACH SOUFFLÉ |
Ingredients
5 eggs, separated (only 4 yolks are used, but 5 egg whites)
½ cup grated Cheddar – White Cheddar is best
¼ Cup grated Parmesan (Fresh, not long-life)
4-5 Tablespoons approx. of cooked and drained spinach. Use frozen spinach for the easiest solution (but squeeze out all the liquid)
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons Plain Flour
1 cup milk, approx.
Grated nutmeg
Salt and Pepper
2 Teaspoons Cream of Tartar
Method
First, make your white sauce which is the basis of the soufflé; this can be made earlier and kept aside.
1. In a saucepan on a low heat, add the following and whisk together : butter, flour and milk. Ensure that the milk is fridge-cold – this means you can whisk to a smooth sauce without having to create a roux first.
2. When you have a smooth, thick sauce, remove from the heat and whisk in 4 of your 5 egg yolks. Beat until smooth.
3. Stir in Cheddar and Parmesan, then add the spinach.
4. Season with a generous amount of grated nutmeg (fresh nutmegs are best, but not essential)
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
This can now be left to cool until later or used straight away.
To assemble and bake the soufflé :
1. Heat the oven to 200°C
2. Grease the side of your soufflé dish with butter, then sprinkle grated parmesan on the bottom and sides. This helps the soufflé rise.
3. Whisk 5 egg-whites with the Cream of Tartar in a large bowl, until stiff peaks are formed.
4. Using a spatula, beat in 2 tablespoons of the egg whites into the base mixture. You can be heavy handed at this point!
5. Now gently fold in the remaining egg whites in batches – slowly your mixture will become light and airy.
6. Spoon mixture into your soufflé dish/dishes and pop into the oven on the middle shelf.
7. Turn the temperature down to 180°C immediately, and set your timer for 35 minutes.
8. After 35 minutes your soufflé should be risen, golden on top and delicious. Take it to the table immediately for the best effect!
The soufflé shouldn’t collapse swiftly as most soufflés tend to do – so long as you’ve used the Cream of Tartar and dusted the dish with parmesan which helps the soufflé cling to the sides.
Serve with a green salad (add blanched asparagus tips and mange tout for extra panache.)
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Sarah Graham's Granadilla Cheesecake (in a glass) |
Serves 4 – Prep time 5 – 10 minutes
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
1 tbsp butter
1/3 cup well-crushed biscuits, preferably ginger
Approx. 1 heaped cup fat-free cream cheese at room temperature
½ cup crème fraiche
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of ½ lemon
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 small can granadilla pulp (about 1/3 cup)
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
2 tbsp toasted slivered almonds (or any nuts of your choice – optional)
WHAT TO DO:
1) Melt the butter in the microwave for 15 – 20 seconds, add the crushed biscuits in a mixing bowl and mix well. Divide the mixture between four pretty glasses or small dessert dishes.
2) Beat the cream cheese and crème fraiche together until light and fluff6, and then fold the icing sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla essence
3) Spoon the cream mixture into each glass on top of the biscuit later and top with granadilla pulp. Refrigerate until serving garnished with chopped mint and toasted almonds.
Note: The easiest way to crush the biscuits is to put them in a Ziploc bag and bash with a rolling pin or wine bottle.
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Silvena Rowe's Lamb Moussaka Rolls |
For 8 to share
From Orient Express, by Silvena Rowe
RandomHouse. R295
INGREDIENTS:
2 large aubergines
6 tablespoons olive oil, for brushing
FOR THE FILLING:
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
400g ground lamb
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon mild chilli powder
½ teaspoon oregano
Small bunch of fresh parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
50g Parmesan cheese, grated
TO SERVE:
300g thick yoghurt or suzme (strained yoghurt)
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
TO COOK THE AUBERGINES:
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/gas mark 6.
Thinly slice the aubergines lengthways, about ½cm in thickness. You should have 8-10 slices. Arrange the slices on a baking tray and brush generously with olive oil. Place the oven and roast for 10 minutes, until soft and golden. Remove from the oven and allow cool.
TO MAKE THE FILLING:
In a large frying pan, sauté the onion in the olive for 2 minutes, until soft. Add the lamb and cook for further 4-5minutes, stirring to brown on all sides. Add the tomatoes, cumin, paprika, chilli and oregano and season to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes, until any liquid has mostly evaporated and the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat, stir in the fresh parsley and allow to cool.
TO MAKE THE ROLLS:
Preheat the grill to medium/high.
Take a cooled slice of aubergine, place a spoonful of the filling on one end. And carefully roll it up. Arrange the aurbergine rolls seam side down on a grill pan. Place a slice of tomato, or half a slice if that fits better, on top of each roll, and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Grill for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is gold.
TO SERVE:
Place the yoghurt or suzme in a bowl and sprinkle with the nigella seeds. Serve with the moussaka rolls, straight from the grill.
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BEEF FILLET STEAK with SMOKED MUSSELS (by Wynand Claassen |
Take a whole Beef Fillet (1,5-2kg), vacuum packed, or matured to perfection for +- 2 days in fridge.
Prepare marinated sauce consisting of a little Balsamic oil, Olive oil and Worcester sauce with 2 cloves of chopped Garlic and Parsley, a small bit of Lemon juice and ground black pepper. Place Fillet in flat dish 2-3 hours before braaiing, with marinating poured evenly over fillet and turning occasionally.
It is important to have a hardwood fire – preferably “hardekool”, “sekelbos” or mixed “Bosveld wood” (or a combination of them) if living in the northern provinces, or Rooikrans if living in the Cape. Wood adds a fantastic aroma to meat. Unfortunately it is not always available, and especially when I lived in Durban. When I moved back to Pretoria, my dad told me that from then on I would never have to braai with charcoal any longer. How correct he was!!
Before placing the meat on the grid, cut fillet into +- 80mm thick slices. Cut each slice again ½- to ¾-way through – just so that the meat could be opened. Place smoked Oysters inside each slice of meat and stich the two sections together with wooden tooth picks.
Braai over hot fire for a while, then raise the grid to braai over a more moderate fire. For me the best way to experience a fillet steak (as I experienced when playing club rugby in France 1977-78), is for the meat to be ‘rare’ although some people may prefer it ‘medium-rare’. For this, the required time to braai is 20-30 minutes, depends on the heat of the fire.
Serve this with oven-baked Potato in tin foil (like the former Meat & Eat Restaurant in Hatfield when we were students), with separate Garlic sauce, or sour crème sauce. Leave potato in foil, cut potato and add salt & pepper with sauce.
A delicious meal as the soft fillet and oysters melt in your mouth, with in between a few glasses of some nice red wine.
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Warm milk pudding |
65g castor sugar
4 egg yolks
1Whole egg
1g cinnamon
1g nutmeg
100ml full cream milk
400ml cream
100ml sugar syrup (1lt water to 1lt sugar)
1 granny smith apple
Mix eggs and sugar together and whip till ribbon stage add cold milk and cold cream and finish with spice’s. You may add more or less depending on your taste.
Put mixture in desired mould size, wrap in cling film. And steam at 65 deg for 40 mins. In water bath. Take out of mould it must be served warm. Great for cold winter days
For garnish thinly slice apple and submerge in sugar syrup. Leave in syrup for 10 minutes. The apple will become slightly soft. Serve with pudding.
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