Griddled beef, spinach and papaya salad

I do enjoy the classic salad but every now and again I like to try something fresh and new. This recipe has simple and wholesome flavours with a bit of an exotic twist.

Give it a try and let me know what you think :)

Ingredients 

400g sirloin steak

1 tbsp olive

200g baby spinach leaves

1 papaya, peeled, deseeded, sliced lengthways and fanned

For the dressing

 

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

5cm/2inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsp Canderel Yellow

Before you begin

Serves 4 people

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 15 minutes

Per serving: 735 kilojoules

Step by step

1. Coat the steak with the olive oil and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put to one side.
2. Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix until the Canderel Yellow dissolves. Taste and adjust as needed - if it needs sweetening add more Canderel Yellow.
3. Heat a griddle pan to hot then add the steaks and cook undisturbed for about 2-3 minutes each side, remove and leave to sit for 5 minutes then slice into elegant thin slices across the grain.
4. Now assemble the salad into individual bowls, dividing up the spinach and layering with the steak and papaya.
5. Just before serving, drizzle over the dressing.

Celebrate World Cake Day with some delicious cake recipes!

Today is World Cake Day! So time to whip out those baking pans ladies, I found some top rated cake recipes!

Ready set bake!

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Ingredients 

• 200g low fat spread
• 25g Canderel Yellow
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons + 2 lemons for topping
• 2 tbsp mild olive oil
• 4 large eggs
• 150g self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder, sieved
• 100g fine polenta
• 1 tsp Canderel Yellow to mix with lemon juice for the topping

Before you begin

• Serves 10
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Baking time: 60 minutes
• Per serving: 216 kcals

Step by step 

1. Preheat the oven to 170C, you will need a 900g greased and lined loaf tin.
2. In the mixer bowl of a food mixer, add the low fat spread and Canderel Yellow and beat together until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and olive oil and beat again until incorporated.
3. Now add the eggs one at a time, along with a tbsp of flour then fold in the remaining flour and baking powder followed by the polenta and lemon juice.
4. Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the surface. Bake for about 60-70 minutes, loosely covering with foil towards the end if it is beginning to brown too much. It is ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. It will also just about feel firm in the middle.
5. Mix the remaining lemon juice with the Canderel Yellow and whilst the cake is still warm make small holes in the cake with a skewer then pour the mixture over and leave to cool completely before removing from the tin and slicing to serve.

 Coffee and Pecan Cake

Ingredients

• 225g self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder, sifted
• 20g Canderel Yellow
• 175g low fat spread
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp diluted strong coffee
• 50g pecan nuts, roughly chopped 
• For the icing:
• 100g low fat spread
• 20g Canderel
• 2-3 tbsp strong diluted coffee
• About 14 pecan halves

Before your begin

• Serves 8
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Baking time: 40 minutes
• Per serving: 324 kcals

Step by step

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. You will need a lightly greased and lined round loose bottom 18cm cake tin.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, Canderel Yellow, low fat spread, eggs and coffee and beat well with an electric hand whisk or use a food mixer.
3. When all combined and the mixture falls off the beaters, stir in the pecan nuts and pour into the prepared tin.
4. Bake in the oven for 35-45 mins or until golden and it springs back when touched with fingertips. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in tin then release and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the topping; beat the low fat spread until soft and creamy then add the Canderel Yellow and beat until combined. Now add the coffee and mix until it is smooth and creamy. If it needs more Canderel Yellow add some and stir through until it reaches the required consistency.
6. When cake is cool spread the mixture generously on top to cover and top with pecan nuts.

Honey and Walnut Cake

Ingredients

• 125g self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder, sifted
• Half a tsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice, sifted
• Half a tsp freshly grated nutmeg, sifted
• 50g low fat margarine
• 10g Canderel Yellow
• 100g runny honey
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 120ml skimmed milk
• 75g walnuts, roughly chopped

Before you begin:

• Serves 10
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cooking time: 45 minutes
• Per serving: 161 kcals

Step by step

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. You will need a 500g loaf tin, greased and lined with greaseproof paper.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices to a large bowl.
3. Put the low fat spread, Canderel Yellow and honey into a pan and heat gently until it is melted and smooth then pour it over the flour and stir.
4. Now beat in the egg and milk until they are well combined then stir in the walnuts. The mixture will be fairly runny, this is how it should be.
5. Pour the mixture into the tin, put in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes until golden and risen and springy to the touch.
6. Leave to cool for 10 minutes then loosen the edges with a knife and leave to cool completely before turning out and slicing.

For the love of mum!

 

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With Mother’s Day just around the corner we are all on the lookout for something special to spoil our mum’s with. Treat her to a lovely Sunday lunch made with love.

Here is a quick, delicious and easy menu I put together for you to enjoy with her:

Chicken satay with Coconut Sauce as a starter, a Creamy Lemon Mustard Salmon for a main and for a fuss-free dessert, Chocolate Covered Strawberries.



foodnetwork.com

For the Chocolate covered strawberries you will need:

• 2 packs of fresh strawberries
• 3 x 85 g slab of Canderel Milk Chocolate

Method

 

Start by breaking up the chocolate slab into pieces over a double boiler - Take a metal bowl large enough to just sit over a pot of hot water. Place the pot of water on your stove over a low heat. Stir the chocolate pieces which will slowly melt over the heat from the hot water in the pan below.

 

Once your chocolate has reached a silky texture remove from heat.

 

You will now need to act quickly so that your strawberries can be coated evenly.Wash the fresh strawberries under cool water, dip them into the melted chocolate and allow to cool on a non-stick surface and enjoy!

 

For more recipes to amaze your mum, click on these hyper links! Chicken Satay with Coconut Sauce and Creamy Lemon Mustard Salmon

Tuna Roll Recipe

Healthy entertaining can be tricky. No one knows that more than me because as much as I really try to be healthy, the general “healthy meal” just seems either bland, boring and unappetising or incredibly difficult to prepare.

That is why I did imaginary cart-wheels when I found an amazing healthy recipe that not only tastes great but also takes just a few minutes to create.

Here it is:

Hot and Sweet Griddled Tuna Rolls

These mini slices of tuna are packed with a piquant mix of spring onions, ginger and chilli. Make ahead and leave in the fridge until ready to serve.

16 Servings
15 minutes preparation time plus cooling and freezing
10 minutes cooking time
Save 2 calories
1.5g fat (per serving of which saturates 0.3g)
37 calories (per serving)
0.8g carbohydrates (per serving – of which sugars 0.7g)

1-2 tsp olive oil
2 large fresh tuna steaks 
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
½ small onion, finely diced
2 tsps minced fresh ginger
1 fresh jalapeno chilli pepper, de-seeded and minced
Juice of 1 lime or more if needed
1-2 tsp granular Canderel Yellow

1. Brush the tuna steaks with the oil. Heat a griddle pan until hot then add the tuna steaks and cook very briefly for about 3-5 minutes each side. This will depend on how thick they are but you don’t want to overcook them as they should still be pink in the middle.

2 Put the tuna steaks to one side and leave to rest while you prepare the filling. Add the spring onion, onion, ginger, jalapeno chilli and lime juice to a bowl, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper then add a little of the Canderel Yellow and taste.

3. Keep adding the Canderel Yellow until you get the required sweetness you want. Mix well then cover and put in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.

4. Slice the tuna into thin strips, add a little of the onion mixture, then roll and secure with a cocktail stick. Lay out on a platter and serve with lime wedges if you wish.   

Tip: If you are buying really fresh good grade tuna from a fishmonger you trust, you can slice and roll the tuna raw. The lime juice will ‘cook’ it.

Fun Book Club Foodstuff

Every weekend I look forward to the delicious spread of snacks served at book club. We have a great mix of ladies and it’s a well needed break from my weekly routine. This excitement lasts all of five seconds when it’s my turn to be the host, because for some reason I immediately begin to panic about the little things.  I want to keep it fresh and exciting, with the least amount of preparation.

As it would be, most of the ladies in my team are very health conscious, which adds to the pressure on the snacks that I serve.  My new quest is to find a few healthier alternatives that are not only quick and easy to prepare, but taste great as well.

Here are a few of my finds on healthy entertaining tips: 

1. Serve crudités with some home-made dip. The dips we buy can often have loads of additives and    preservatives, not to mention fat. At home you are able to substitute extra fatty ingredients for the lower fat content. 

banquetexpress.com.au

2. Avoid the greasy crisps, why not try healthy oven baked sweet potato chips instead. They have added fibre and taste great too!

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3. Fruit platters are also great and visually appealing.

foodfruits.com

   
4. Low Free Cream Cheese and Crackers are lovely simple snacks for any get together.

uniqueviewsofnature.com

       5. Apples dipped with a side of honey makes for a healthy and low calorie finger food. Not to mention so simple to prepare.

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6. Go to your local fruit spot and buy a packet of trail mix , which has all the essential food groups in one packet, carbs, fats and proteins. It also keeps the ladies fingers full at all times and in a healthy way. 

myrecipes.com

An intimate dinner with new found friends

Last week we enjoyed a wonderful evening with a few of Cape Town's Foodie Bloggers at celeb chef Jenny Morris's stunning venue, Cooks Playground/Giggling Gourmet in De Waterkant. 

I've fallen in love with this city and its’ people, the foodie culture, the ocean and of course the beautiful mountainous views that make the mother city a perfect getaway. 

The Cape Town bloggers were an amazing crowd and such great fun in the kitchen. We were very grateful that they braved the wet weather to join our interactive cooking session. 

On the menu was a delicious tomato tart tartin as the starter, succulent Sicilian style tuna steak as a main and a refreshing fruit salad "soup"with seasonal fruit, tender coconut flesh and an almond essence infused syrup.

All the wonderful dishes made with Canderel Yellow and enjoyed with good wine and wonderful conversation.

Handy Household Tips

Handy household tips are always welcomed within my circle of friends. Especially with me, the one who seems to always battle with keeping things in order. With a full time job and a family to take care of I’m always looking for simple ways to do things. I recently got an interesting email that I just had to share. It’s filled with wonderful tips and tricks. The kind that make you think Wow! Why didn’t I think of that!

Store bed linen sets inside one of their own pillowcases. This is a great trick to help reorganise your linen cupboards. No more hunting through piles for a match.

Plastic bags are really handy to have around the house but storing them is something that I often struggle with. So much so, that I have banished them to the corner cupboard of my kitchen. So when I reach for a bag and the rest fall out along with it, I can quickly shove them back in with the least amount of witnesses. If you are familiar with this situation the next tip will be perfect for you.
Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags

Tired of tripping over your child’s favorite teddy? Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.

Tired of gift wrap rolls taking up space? Use wire to create a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling, this will also protect them from being crumpled at the edges.

Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose.

Tired of not getting back your favourite Tupperware? Just cut a few crosses into a box lid to make an instant cupcake carrier.

Are you forever losing your bathroom essentials? I’m going to try this trick on those little metal bathroom essentials! Use magnetic strips to store bobby pins (and tweezers and clippers) behind a vanity door. Genius!

Great tip for holiday packing! Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing against your clothes. You can find them in just about every hotel!

If you have little kids you will love this next trick.Turn a muffin pan into a craft caddy. Magnets hold the plastic cups down to make them tip-resistant.

Bread tags make the perfect-sized cord labels.

Brilliant space-saver: install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles.

Great tip for those that live near the coast, freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.

Gutter garden: Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering. Nice trick to keep the pets off.

Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations. This is make Christmas décor this year a breeze!