This Thai-style recipe comes from a wonderful addition to our cookbooks, HOT PLATE Asian-Inspired Barbeque, a gift from visiting friends. Having eaten at Spirit House Restaurant and Cooking School, they wanted to share some of the inspiration. In a mortar and pestle pound to a rough paste 6 cloves of garlic, 6 coriander (cilantro) roots, 3 small green chillies, ¾ of…… Continue reading spicy pork patties
rojak
This traditional Malaysian salad is a refreshing accompaniment for a spicy barbecue. From your Asian grocer buy a jar of rojak sauce (made in Malaysia), a packet of bean-curd puffs (deep-fried squares of tofu) and either a Chinese turnip or a daikon radish. The other ingredients in this salad are green apple, pineapple, cucumber and…… Continue reading rojak
apple blackberry almond cake
Flourless and gluten free, this ambrosial cake will leave you wanting more. To make it you will need 4 apples, a handful of blackberries (frozen will do), dry white wine, a lemon and an orange, butter, sugar and caster sugar, whole cloves, eggs and orange blossom water. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Peel and…… Continue reading apple blackberry almond cake
prawns baked with feta
This combination of prawns with feta is a traditional Greek one which works wonderfully well. In some olive oil gently fry a finely chopped onion with 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic and a cup of chopped spring onions. When the onions have wilted, add ½ a cup of white wine and allow this to evaporate…… Continue reading prawns baked with feta
beetroot and yoghurt dip
Although this fresh beetroot dip requires some forward planning, it’s well worth the effort. The day before you need this dip place a clean cotton or linen tea-towel into a bowl and empty 3 cups of plain Greek style yoghurt into it. Bring the ends together, tie securely and hang over a bowl or basin, allowing it…… Continue reading beetroot and yoghurt dip
flan de naranja
This cake-sized flan (or creme caramel) is flavoured with oranges, cinnamon and vanilla. Choose an oven dish with a 10-cup capacity and a flat bottom for the flan. To make the caramel, place 1½ cups of sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved then continue to…… Continue reading flan de naranja
giant fusilli with chorizo and mushrooms
Cooked by my son, this pasta dish has a wonderful balance of flavours. Bring enough salted water to boil for a 500g (1 lb) packet of giant fusilli. Soak 2 tablespoons of dried sliced porcini mushrooms in a little boiling water. Meanwhile skin and dice a good quality aged chorizo and fry in a pan…… Continue reading giant fusilli with chorizo and mushrooms
chicken tagine
A wonderfully fragrant one-pot meal! In a tagine or a heavy saucepan, drizzle a little olive oil then place a layer of onion rings followed by a layer of carrot rounds. Now place the chicken pieces over these (I used drumsticks) and season with ¼ of a teaspoon of saffron, ½ a teaspoon of ground ginger, 2…… Continue reading chicken tagine
tres leches cake
Having eaten this cake in a restaurant my sister wanted to recreate it. Made with three kinds of milk as well as cream, it’s deliciously milky and has the consistency of a good trifle. Desserts made with milk are popular in all Hispanic countries and there are many versions of this cake. We used a recipe…… Continue reading tres leches cake
cauliflower velvet soup
Aptly named, the ‘velvet’ in the title lured me to try this Sylvana Franco recipe. Place a saucepan over medium heat adding 3 cups of milk, 2 roughly chopped cloves of garlic, the white part of a bunch of spring onions and a teaspoon each of cumin seed and ground turmeric. Wash and cut a whole cauliflower into…… Continue reading cauliflower velvet soup
michelle picker cooks 