Revolutionary Spaghetti Bolognese

When I first made this recipe I was completely blown away. I never knew this traditional meal could taste so good. This is definitely one to try and please don't be put off by the long simmering times!

Ingredients 

2 tbsp olive oil or sun-dried tomato oil from the jar 6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped 2 large onions, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed, 1kg/21⁄4lb lean minced beef 2 large glasses of red wine 2x400g cans chopped tomatoes 1x290g jar antipasti marinated mushrooms, drained 2 fresh or dried bay leaves 1 tsp dried oregano or a small handful of fresh leaves, chopped 1 tsp dried thyme or a small handful of fresh leaves, chopped Drizzle balsamic vinegar 12-14 sun-dried tomato halves, in oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper A good handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces 800g-1kg/13⁄4-21⁄4lb dried spaghetti Lots of freshly grated parmesan, to serve 

Preparation method

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the bacon until golden over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, frying until softened. Increase the heat and add the minced beef. Fry it until it has browned, breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon. Pour in the wine and boil until it has reduced in volume by about a third. Reduce the temperature and stir in the tomatoes, drained mushrooms, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and balsamic vinegar.

2. Either blitz the sun-dried tomatoes in a small blender with a little of the oil to loosen, or just finely chop before adding to the pan. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer the Bolognese sauce over a gentle heat for 1-11⁄2 hours until it's rich and thickened, stirring occasionally. At the end of the cooking time, stir in the basil and add any extra seasoning if necessary.

3. Remove from the heat to 'settle' while you cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water (for the time stated on the packet). Drain and divide between warmed plates. Scatter a little parmesan over the spaghetti before adding a good ladleful of the Bolognese sauce, finishing with a scattering of more cheese and a twist of black pepper.

(SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE, BBC.CO.UK/FOOD)

Piri-Piri Chicken "Good Meal"

So, obviously Jamie Oliver can make a three course meal in 30 minutes but there were two of us in the kitchen and it still took us approximately two hours to bang out this one. It may be completely impossible to produce such a meal in 30 minutes but it was well worth the time and effort. His instructions are so straight forward, step by step, and the final product was certainly to his standard, if I do say so myself.

The piri-piri sauce, so simple and with a bit of a kick can be put together in about 2 minutes.
The sweet potato and feta salad was incredible and 99% of it done by the microwave.
The Portuguese cinnamon pastries are just fantastic and so incredibly easy to make to.
I actually now wonder where our time went. Lets just say, it went into prep.

Our food turned out a dream. Its that simple to do.
You can impress yourself and someone else with this meal.

Ingredients:
CHICKEN:
4 large checken thighs, skin on an bone
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
6 springs of fresh thyme

POTATOES
1 medium potato
2 sweet potatoes
1/5 a lemon
1 fresh red chilli
a bunch of fresh coriander
50g feta cheese

PIRI PIRI SAUCE
1 red onion
4 cloves garlic
1-2 birds's eye chillies
2 tbs sweet smoked paprika
2 lemons
4 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
a large bunch of fresh basil

SALAD
1x100g bag of prewashed wild rocket
1/2 lemon

SEASONINGS
olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & black pepper

TARTS
plain flour, for dusting
1 x 375g pack of pre-rolled puff pastry
ground cinnamon
125g creme fraiche
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla paste/extract
5 tbs golden caster sugar
1 orange

TO START: Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Turn the oven on to 200 degrees C. Put a large griddle on a high heat.

CHICKEN: Put the chicken thighs on a plastic chopping board, skin down, slash the meat on each one a few times. Drizzle with olive oil and season, then put on the griddle pan that is heating up, skin side down. Cook until golden underneath, then turn over. Wash your hands.

TARTS: Dust a clean surface with flour. Unroll the sheet of pastry, then cut it in half so you end up with two 20x20cm squares of pastry (put on back in the fridge). Sprinkle over a few good pinches of ground cinnamon, then roll the pastry into a Swiss Roll type shape and cut into 6 rounds. Put these into 6 of the holes in a muffin tin, and use your thumb to stretch and mould the pastry into the holes, so the bottom is flat and the pastry comes up to the top. Put on the top shelf of the oven and cook for about 8 to 10 mins (set the timer), or until lightly golden.

POTATOES: Wash the potatoes and sweet potatoes and halve lengthways. put them into a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/5 a lemon. Cover with cling-film and put into the microwave on full power for 15 mins.

CHICKEN: Turn the chicken over.

TARTS: Spoon the creme fraiche into a small bowl. Add the egg, vanilla paste or extract, 1 tbs of golden caster sugar and the zest of 1 orange. Mix well.

PIRI PIRI SAUCE: Peel and roughly chop the red onion and ass to the liquidizer with 4 peeled cloves of garlic. Add the chillies (stalks removed), 2 tbs of paprika, the zest of 2 lemons and the juice of 1 lemon. Add4 tbs of white wine vinegar, 2 tbs of Worcestershire sauce, a good pinch of S&P, the large bunch of basil and a swig of water. Blitz until smooth.

CHICKEN: Slice the peppers into strips and add to the griddle pan. Turn the heat down to medium and keep moving the peppers around.

TARTS: take the muffin tin out of the oven, and use a teaspoon to press the puffed up pastry back to the sides and make room for the filling. Spoon the creme fraiche mixture into the tart cases, and return to the top shelf of the oven. Set the timer for 8 minutes.

CHICKEN: Pour the piri piri sauce into a snug-fitting roasting tray. Lay the peppers on top and put aside. Add the chicken to the roasting tray with the sauce. Scatter over the sprigs of thyme, then put the tray into the middle of the oven.

TARS: Put a small saucepan on a high heat. Squeeze in the juice from the zested orange and add 4 tbs of golden caster sugar. Stir and keep a good eye on it till once golden brown, but remember caramel can burn badly so don't touch or taste.

POTATOES: Finely chop the red chillies and most of the coriander on a board, mixing as you go. Add feta and keeping chopping and mixing.

CHICKEN: Take the tarts out of the oven and move the chicken up to the top shelf to cook for around 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

TARTS: Pour some caramel over each tart (they'll still be wobbly, but thats good). Put aside to set.

SALAD: Quickly dress the rocket, still in its bag, with extra virgin olive oil, a good pinch of S&P and the juice of 1/ a lemon. Tip into a bowl and take to the table.

POTATOES: Check the potatoes are cooked through, then use togs to squeeze over the cooked lemon. Add the coriander mixture from the chopping board and mix everything together. Season, then take to the table.

TO SERVE: Get a try of chicken out the oven, sprinkle over a few coriander leaves and take straight to the table.





TAKEN FROM: (JAMIE'S 30 MINUTE MEALS, A REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO COOKING GOOD FOOD FAST, PAGE 120, PERRI PERRI CHICKEN, PENGUIN GROUP UK 2010)

Most Important

www.overd0z.com

The Heart Attack

Something to consider next time you buy fast food!

Death Star Canteen's Penne Arrabiata

Eddie Izzard and his monologue on the Death Star Canteen, which is, I might add, absolutely brilliant, got me thinking about Penne Arrabiata.
"Arrabbiato means angry in Italian - the name of the sauce is due to the heat of the chili peppers. It is a pasta sauce made from garlic, tomatoes, and red chili peppers cooked in olive oil. Basil is sometimes used, although many chefs do not. The dish is usually served with pasta (especially penne and may have chopped fresh parsley sprinkled on top." [1]

I've adapted the conventional Arrabiata to include a few more ingredients and flavours. Give it a go you shall not be disappointed.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 Red onions chopped
2 cloves garlic - crushed
2 chillies finely chopped
Ginger - about a garlic clove size - finely chopped
2 Tins of chopped/whole tomatoes
1 Tblsp Tomato paste
Chorizo - thinly sliced (A meat alternative is bacon)
Green and Red pepper chopped
Big handful of whole cherry tomatoes
Glass of Red Wine
Oregano
Lemon
Sugar
Salt
Olive Oil

Recipe

With some olive oil fry the onion, garlic, chilli and the ginger together.

When the onions have gone slightly translucent add in the chorizo. Stir for a minute and then add the canned tomatoes, the whole cherry tomatoes and a tblsp of tomato paste. Also add some Oregano. Stir with all the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the small glass of red wine. Stir. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the peppers. Stir. Leave to simmer for another 15mins. Season if you think necessary.

While simmering the Arrabiata for the last 15 minutes put on the penne or whichever pasta you choose. When serving up, rather place your pasta in a big bowl and stir in the sauce to really base the pasta.

Buon appetito

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

Chilli Poppers

"Chilli poppers are American and were inspired by Mexican chile relleno which is made from roasted poblano peppers that are stuffed with a variety of things, coverd with the typical queso Oaxaca and often drenchedor cream cheese and breaded to be deep fried. It’s a really great snack"

The first time I tried a chilli popper was at the Fat Cactus in Mowbray, that was a couple of years ago and I have been chasing that chilli popper ever since. None seem to taste the same as that very first one.

Ponchos, Observatory - I remember them being pretty good a few years ago too, but I went there in January this year and they were truly and regrettably average.
Mexican Kitchen, Bloemstreet Street, Cape Town - wouldn't go back twice for the Chilli poppers, but I'll go over and over again for their fajitas.
Fat Cactus, Gardens - Plain and without much flavour, granted I had had a few beers but shouldn't they taste better in that situation? Everything else does!
Cape to Cuba, Kalk Bay - It's got some flavours.
Rafikis, Kloof Nek Rd, Cape Town - very bad mistake, the end.

After trying so many restaurants, I had to give it a go. It really cannot be that hard. The ingredients are limited. Really, the only real thing you have to think about is the batter. I have tried and tested a few of these recipes and these were my findings from my experiment.

A) Its really easy and super quick to make chilli poppers or alternatively I'm a chilli popper protege.
B) Jarred Jalapeno peppers are far more tasty that using fresh jalapeno peppers - the jarred ones are far more flavoursome (preferably the green ones).
C) I found a three cheese chilli popper is the best!



Ingredients:
Oil
Green, jarred jalapenos
Milk
Flour
Bread crumbs
Chedder cheese (grated)
Feta cheese (grated)
Mozzarella cheese (grated)


My Recipe
Slice the jalapeno down the one side, about 3 to 4 cm long, depending on the size of the jalapeno. Carefully remove the insides. Then, take even amounts of the three grated cheeses and mix them together in a bowl and season with pepper or other favourites. Stuff the jalapeno with the cheese mix and close the slice by compressing the cheese. Next take the stuffed jalapeno and dunk it into a bowl of milk then roll it in flour till its evenly coated. Let it dry for 5 minutes then dunk it into the milk again and then roll it in  the bread crumbs for an even coat. Let it dry for 5 minutes. once dry you deep fry them in hot oil until crispy brown. once brown remove from oil and place on a paper towel to soak up any extra oil.

Tips
If your jalapenos don't close properly or the cheese keeps falling out, you can take a tooth pick and push it through to keep it together.

Enjoy!

Cape Town's Burger King

So many places have come to life in recent years and many compete for the best burgers in town, like Cafe Royale, Gourmet Burger, Clarke's, Hudsons are just a few to name. And who doesn't like a good burger? But in all honesty, they either focus more on the gourmet than on the actual burger, or more on the atmosphere than on the food itself. Don't get me wrong, a good buzz in the place is one of the most essential aspects to the success of a good restaurant but in my mind, it all boils down to taste.

A truly good burger will taste good all by itself with no condiments or added extras. That's the standard rule of thumb for which I set my high burger standards. The taste of the burger is what ill be doing my review on.

We all know Hudsons is always busy and Clarke's is the new trendy hotspot to be seen at. I'll tell you this much for free. But like I said, I'm out for the perfect burger, nothing else.

Restaurant Key
Food:
*          Bad
**        Very average
***       Ayyight
****     Good
*****   Excellent




Hudsons **
The burgers lack flavour and they are cooked well over-done.  No additional flavours to the patty and very little seasoning. Burger buns were not fresh.


Cafe Royale ***
Its ayyight, nothing spectacular at all. Cooked, slightly too well-done which really eliminates a lot of flavour. The garnish was good but a little too light on the relish. Good burger buns. 


Clarkes ****
They stick to the simple stuff. No gourmet stuff. Just burger. They're pretty sizey and taste is good. The only thing that I can say it lacked was the flavour that comes from the best burger in town. Its something that you'll just have to find out for yourself to really understand.


Rick's Cafe*****
In this fine city of Cape Town there is only one true "Burger King". This restaurant has by far the tastiest bloody burger I've ever had the pleasure of eating and, believe it or not, their specialty is not burgers! Rick's burgers are one of a kind. Their presentation is amazing, taste is even better and the variety is awesome! I tried the jalapeno burger which came with the most incredible garnish and sauce. Other than that the food there in general is very good and I highly recommend you check Ricks out!  

Gourmet Burger

Gourmet Burger Patties - Serves 6

Ingredients
1 Egg (beaten)
750g Mince
2 onions - grated
1 heaped tsp crushed garlic
1 handful of Parsley - finely chopped
2 peppers - chopped and diced
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Tomato paste
1 Cup of bread crumbs (optional)
1 Chilli finely chopped and added to the mix (optional)
Season to taste
6 fresh burger rolls (lightly toasted on the grill)

Put it in a bowl and mix all the ingredients together.
Separate into 6 equal patties.
You must then leave them on grease proof paper and put them in the fridge for 30 mins.
Then on a grill, cook each patty for 4 mins a side.
Thats it!!!

For garnish - All optional
Thinly sliced tomato
Bacon
Cheese: gouda, feta, brie, camembert, cheddar, parmesan  - whatever really!
Rocket
Mayonaise & Ketchup - mix them together in equal proportions and add a light layer of this on the buns
Pepperdews

My Own 514

Chicken Stir-Fry - Serves 2

The best thing about a stir-fry is that you can use any vegetables of your preference to the mix. Whatever you think might taste good. I have done a really basic stir-fry because thats all I had in the fridge at the time.

Ever had a 514 from Simply Asia? That stuff is the heat and so easy to make. This is pretty much the exact same.

Portion sizes - well thats something you can decide for yourself but rule of thumb, one chicken fillet per person.
If you remember you can use the usual egg noodle - these just require some soaking time.
Rice is a healthy alternative to the noodles, you just don't add it directly to the mix.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 12-15 mins


Ingredients:
2 x Chicken fillets - cut into thin strips
1 x brown onion
1 tsp garlic
2 x peppers - I like red and green but whichever you have
2 x Spring Onions - chopped
Chilli paste - to your preference, I added 1 tblsp of the home-made chilli paste
Fresh Chilli (optional)
Light Soy Sauce - 2 cups
2 Minute Noodles - 3 packs

Recipe:
In a wok or a deep pan, throw in the garlic and the onions and wait for the onions to go translucent. Add in the cup of soy sauce. Add in the chicken strips. Then continue to stir all the ingredients above.

On a separate pot cook the noodles as instructed on the pack but only for about 2 minutes. When the time is up, drain and add immediately to the wok and stir in amongst the other ingredients. Add in the peppers and the spring onions. Continue to stir all the ingredients so that all the ingredients are covered in soy sauce.

I prefer the peppers to be crunchy so only cook them for another minute or two. And there we go. Serve up!