Food for thought (The food thread)

[wizardofid]

Well some one has suggested we start up a thread with great recipes and have a general chat about food.

So before I start with recipes and the likes.I just need a general consensus of what type of food you would like to see.I would generally prefer on the go food as most people here don't want to spend or either can't afford to spend a few hours in a kitchen slaving away making a meal.

However I would still like to maintain the feel of not a every day meal and still keep it cost effective.With the prices of meat sky high other avenues needs to be looked while still maintaining a healthy diet.

That means cutting out sugar, salty produce, poly unsaturated fats. So what would you like to see presented here.

• Sugar-free oatcakes
• Pork spare ribs
• Vegetarian, err... meatballs? (koftas)
• Lasagna
• Spaghetti sauce
• Spaghetti sauce a-la doo_much
• Kalster's Paptert

[wizardofid]

Well to start of with people generally think cutting out sugar means no desert.But ideally this is an ideal treat for any one suffering from a sugar related illness or any one looking for a alternative to sugar in their diets.

So have your cake and eat it.

Summary:

This delicious treat, borrowed from Patrick Holford, is wheat-free, low-GL and fibre-rich. Nairn’s oatcakes are available at health shops and can be substituted with any other healthy, sugar-free biscuit. Xylitol is a natural sweetener available at health shops.
Method:

Preheat the oven to 150 °C and line a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking paper. Combine the melted butter, xylitol and biscuit crumbs. Press into the bottom of the cake tin and 1cm up the side to seal the base. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 170 °C.

Beat all the filling ingredients together until smooth. Pour onto the base and bake for 40 minutes or until the filling is set. Turn off the oven and allow cake to cool in the oven for 30 minutes to prevent cracking, then chill for a few hours before serving. Serve with raspberry coulis.
Health kick:

Serve this delicious cake with berries to add an extra boost of antioxidants to your meal.
By: Juleta Hirner | serves:8
Ingredients:

For the base:
100mg butter, melted
2Tbs xylitol
100ground almonds
150Nairn’s rough, organic oatcakes, ground in a blender
2tsp ground ginger
For the filling:
4free-range eggs
5Tbs xylitol
500low-fat cream cheese
150ml natural yoghurt
2finely grated zest and juice of lemons
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
4Tbs cornflour
Nutritional Information:

1 287kJ; 16g protein; 12g carbohydrate;
2g total fibre; 20g total fat; 9g saturated fat;
9g monounsaturated fat; 2g polyunsaturated
fat; 175mg cholesterol; 419mg sodium

[wizardofid]

And then a little some thing for the guys.

Pork spare ribs

Marinade:
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cloves crushed garlic
Mix all marinade ingredients together.
Glaze:
1 cup apple jelly
1 tsp finely chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry
Combine jelly and chopped peppers in a small sauce pan and cook over low heat until jelly is melted. Continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in sherry.

Well personally I have adjusted this recipe to suite my needs.You can use either smoked or plain pork ribs, however if I do use plain pork ribs I prefer to pre-cook them in water with a 1/3 packet of pickling spice for about an hour or till the ribs are nice and soft, but with the bones still attached.

Then add the marinade and let is stand over night in the fridge.

[KatrynKat]

sounds scrumptiously delicious!!!
but will wait for when you make them for me...

[wizardofid]

sounds scrumptiously delicious!!!
but will wait for when you make them for me...

Actually I will braai them you still have to prepare the marinate Any one that visits will be involved in preparing some thing, even if that means chasing down A cow to milk it....

[wizardofid]

Some thing for the veggie people.Previously posted

meatballs

* For the koftas:
* 2 cups peeled and diced boiled potatoes
* 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, sweet corn) boiled
* 1 cup paneer cubes
* 2 tbsps of thickened/ heavy/ double cream
* 1 tsp cumin powder
* 1 tsp coriander powder
* 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
* 1/2 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts and cashewnuts)
* 1/4 raisins chopped fine
* Salt to taste
* Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil to fry the koftas



* For the sauce:
* 3 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
* 2 large onions quartered
* 2 tomatoes quartered
* 2 tbsps garlic paste
* 1 tbsp ginger paste
* 2 tsps coriander powder
* 1 tbsp cumin powder
* 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
* 1 tsp poppy seeds lightly roasted and ground into a powder
* 3 tbsps nuts (cashews and almonds) ground into a thick paste
* Salt to taste
* 2 tsps garam masala

Preparation:

* Mash the potatoes, mixed vegetables, paneer and cream together. Add the kofta spices to this mash and mix well. The resulting dough should be firm. If not add some more boiled potato. Season with salt.
* Make this dough into balls and put 1/2 a tsp of the nut and raisin mix in the center of each ball. Roll into perfect rounds.
* Heat the oil kept aside to fry the koftas, on a medium flame. Deep fry these rounds till pale golden in colour.
* Drain on paper towels and keep aside.
* For the gravy, first heat the 3 tbsps of oil in a deep pan and fry the onions till light brown.
* Grind into a paste along with the tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin and red chilli powders.
* Put this paste back into the pan and fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala.
* Add the poppy seeds powder and nut paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
* Add 1 cup of warm water (the sauce for this dish is meant to be thick so do not add too much water) to this masala to form a sauce/gravy. Mix well. Season with salt.
* Bring the sauce/gravy to a boil and then reduce the fire to a simmer.
* Gently add the kofas to this sauce/gravy and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes.
* Turn off the fire and sprinkle the garam masala all over the top of the dish. Cover immediately and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
* Serve with hot Naans (tandoor-baked leavened Indian flatbread) or Jeera Rice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paneer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garam_masala

[KatrynKat]

bwahahahahha.......
that i can do! and i can braai, but won't emasculate you by taking that away from you...

[RuadRauFlessa]

Hmm keeping to my nature I would have to say a nice glass of properly aged blood works wonders for the soul. Round about 24yr is about the best you can get. Depending on the donor of course.

[KatrynKat]

Hmm keeping to my nature I would have to say a nice glass of properly aged blood works wonders for the soul. Round about 24yr is about the best you can get. Depending on the donor of course.

24 ne.... what about a 25 or 26 year... more matured...

[RuadRauFlessa]

If you go too old you will get the matured but they tend to lose the naughtiness.

[wizardofid]

Hmm keeping to my nature I would have to say a nice glass of properly aged blood works wonders for the soul. Round about 24yr is about the best you can get. Depending on the donor of course.

Here have a look at this.
http://www.halloween-website.com/fake_blood.htm

[KatrynKat]

LOL.... is dit so.....

getting back to topic.... i have a cake recipe that you make in the microwave... 5min!

[wizardofid]

LOL.... is dit so.....

getting back to topic.... i have a cake recipe that you make in the microwave... 5min!

Well
I avoid baking microwave cakes the texture is not the same and the moisture content is also much lower compared to cakes in ovens and convection ovens

[RuadRauFlessa]

Nah I prefer the real thing.

[KatrynKat]

i know all this....
was just a quick thing i tried out, you make it in a mug.

but i too actually prefer the real deal.... and licking out the bowl at the end...

[RuadRauFlessa]

i know all this....
was just a quick thing i tried out, you make it in a mug.

but i too actually prefer the real deal.... and licking out the bowl at the end...

Hmm care to donate some O-

[wizardofid]

i know all this....
was just a quick thing i tried out, you make it in a mug.

but i too actually prefer the real deal.... and licking out the bowl at the end...

Cake in a mug is an old fav among many people.But it is all about personal taste.

[KatrynKat]

by bowl! go get your own!

[KatrynKat]

oh, en as my ma lasagna maak (die beste) los sy altyd bietjie mince en wit sous in die potte vir my...

[RuadRauFlessa]

Hmmmmm.....

[KatrynKat]

yes, this cat likes her lasagna and pasta

[RuadRauFlessa]

Well like he said it is the most perfect food in the world.

You can make so many different ones. Veggie, Mince, Rib, Chicken, hot/not. My personal fav is a Spinach Lasagna with a cream cheese souse.

[KatrynKat]

Well like he said it is the most perfect food in the world.

You can make so many different ones. Veggie, Mince, Rib, Chicken, hot/not. My personal fav is a Spinach Lasagna with a cream cheese souse.

and yes... you can make many varieties

[wizardofid]

Spinach Lasagna with a cream cheese souse.

Actually that is a pretty good mixture but a bit rich for most.But I will add some mushrooms to that mix and bacon bits and maybe the odd pieces of parma ham....

[RuadRauFlessa]

Spinach Lasagna with a cream cheese souse.

Actually that is a pretty good mixture but a bit rich for most.But I will add some mushrooms to that mix and bacon bits and maybe the odd pieces of parma ham....

Well the mushrooms and bacon goes without saying.