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Biryani - Made with Papa's All in one Biryani Mix

You need:
3 Onions cut in half and then finely sliced
1/2 cup (125ml) Cooking Oil
1  1/2 Cups (375ml) plain yoghurt or  maas (sour milk)
1 Papas All in one Biryani Mix
2 medium potatoes diced 
1 kg chicken - 500 grams chicken thigh on the bone, (cut thighs in half), skin removed and 500 grams chicken fillet cubed
(If using beef/mutton, cube the meat). For a vegetarian biryani, use mixed veg. of choice.
2 cups uncooked basmati rice  
1.5 litres water
Salt to tast
Here's How
Place water, rice, lentils and tumeric in the pot that you will cook the rice in and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Heat the oil and fry 2/3 of the onion until golden brown. Set aside. In another saucepan, heat 2 Tablespoons oil, add remaining onion and fry until golden brown. Add Chicken, beef or lamb and powdered biryani mix and stir in. Add yoghurt, (maas, sour milk), tomatoes, diced potatoes and mix well. Add salt to taste. Cover and cook on low heat for 12 minutes. (If using beef or lamb, cook until meat is almost tender). Set aside. Salt the rice and bring to the boil.Cook for 5 minutes only, then drain. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius. In a 2 litre ovenproof casserole dish, layer half of the chicken mixture, spreading evenly across the bottom of the dish, then half of the rice, then half of the fried onion. Repeat another layer. Cover and seal dish tightly with tin foil, shiny side down. Bake the biryani in the oven for 30 - 45minutes. Oven temperatures may vary, so after 30mins, test the chicken and potato to see if cooked. (Beef and lamb may take a little longer). Serve with poppadoms and your choice of salads. This recipe serves 6 - 8.

Lamb Curry - Made with Papa's Curry Mix

Brown Wild Rice Salad

I have put together a few salad ideas that you might want to try out for your next braai, (barbecue). This is the first one, a delightful brown and wild rice salad, with crunchy bell peppers, roasted butternut, lentils and feta cheese. The peach, (optional), is an interesting variation, lending a little sweetness to the salad. The salad is a meal in itself and any leftovers can be used for lunch the next day. It's healthy and kids seem to love it and it goes really well with braaied meat. Also great with cold meats. I prefer to serve this dish at room temperature. The quantities  in this recipe will serve 6 - 8.

You need:


1 1/2 (375) ml Brown and Wild Rice
uncooked ( I use Tastic)
30grams each of green, yellow and red pepper chopped
120 grams butternut (cubed)
1/2 Cup cooked lentils (tinned lentils can be used)
100 grams feta cheese cubed
6 peach slices chopped (optional, cubed)


Heres How: Cook the brown wild rice
as per manufacture instruction. Drain and allow to cool. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on the butternut and roast in the oven until golden brown. Place the rice in a pretty serving bowl and add the butternut, chopped peppers, lentils and chopped peach. Mix together. Add the cubed feta and mix in. Add salt to taste.

Chicken Casserole

Our new chicken casserole mix has just been released. Superb flavour, quick and easy to prepare, a must for working moms. Serve this tasty meal with rice, penne pasta or chunky hot bread and butter. Yummy!!

You Need:

3 Tablespoons Oil
50grams Papa's All in one Chicken Casserole Mix
1 large onion finely chopped
1.3 kilos chicken fillet cut into bite sized cubes
3 medium potatoes quartered
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
 2 medium carrots, skinned and thinly sliced
125ml semi sweet wine
 375 ml water

 Here's How:

Saute the onion in hot oil until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, wine, water and the Chicken casserole mix and stir. Simmer for 30 seconds. Add the chicken fillet, carrots and potatoes. Mix, cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check consistency of mixture while cooking, adding a little more water if required. SERVES 4 - 6

Herbs and Spices

Herbs - Lemon Thyme


I love fresh herbs for cooking and have planted them in my garden, amongst my flower beds. Lemon thyme is one of the most versatile herbs. Apart from being a very attractive plant, this herb is fantastic for soups, stews, vegetables, in fact any culinary use. Brilliant fragrance too. I use lemon thyme on roasting veggies and the flavour is superb!

Rosemary and Basil


The picture on the right shows basil in the foreground and rosemary in the background. These are two of my favourite herbs. Basil can be used with pasta, raw in salads etc. Rosemary compliments many dishes and is an essential with lamb. Herbs are 
available from most nurseries and are relatively easy
to take care of. So why not visit your nursery and
invest in a plant or two of your favourite herb. Plant in your garden and you will have an abundance of
fresh herbs available.  Herbs can also be planted in pots. More on that later.

Papa's All in One Mixes

Fishermans Pot - A Seafood Curry

Preparing this recipe reminded me of my young days and many a happy school holiday spent exploring the banks of the Umhlatazana river. Armed with a fishing pole, made from bamboo, a length of gut, cork and hook we were ready to bag a few river fish. Fat wriggling earthworms served as tempting bait. We would pretend to be shipwrecked and had great fun, making a small fire and cooking tomatoes and onion in an old pot filched from my mother's kitchen. A tin of pilchards in tomato sauce thrown into the pot and this was our "Fisherman's Pot." Of course, a far cry from prawns and crayfish, but delicious none the less!

You need:

2 Tablespoons Oil
50grams butter
1 Cup (250ml) Water
45 grams Papas Seafood Curry Mix
1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
4 Spring Onions (finely sliced)
3 large ripe tomatoes ( skinned and chopped)
4 small crayfish tails
500 grams medium Pink Prawns, (peeled and deveined)
400 grams Fresh Fish (Cut into bite sized chunks)

Here's How:

Boil the crayfish in lightly salted water until cooked. Set aside.
Saute the onion and spring onion in the Olive Oil and butter until golden brown. Remove from heat. Add 45 grams seafood curry mix, 1 cup water and the chopped tomatoes. Mix well. Return to heat. Add crayfish tails, prawns and fish. Stir in. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water sparingly, only if necessary. Salt to taste. Serves 4.
Serve with savoury rice, a green salad and french loaf on the side.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup - Slightly Curried

This sweet potato and coconut soup was a great hit with the staff today, especially with the cold weather.  We ate this delicious soup with chunks of buttered french loaf.

You need

2 Tablespoons Oil

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Teaspoon Crushed Ginger

3 Tablespoons Papa's All in One Curry Mix

2 Onions (finely chopped)

2 Red Peppers ( seeded and chopped)

1 kg orange-fleshed Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed

250ml Coconut Cream

1.5 litres Chicken Stock

1/4 Cup Water

Here's How

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions, ginger, and red pepper and cook until slighly golden. Add Papa's Curry mix and 1/4 cup water. Mix well and cook for a minute, stirring frequently. Add the potato and chicken stock. Simmer for half an hour. Add coconut milk and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow to cool and then blend the soup in small batches. Serve with a swirl of coconut cream,  a little chopped coriander and croutons. A french loaf goes well with this soup,

Bean and Lentil Curry - Vegetarain

 

Bean and Lentil Curry

You need

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil  (Or vegetable oil)
25 grams butter
50grams Papa's All in One Curry Mix
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
1 Green Pepper, chopped
1/2 Cup Water
1 410 gram tin Baked Beans in tomato sauce
1 410 gram tin Red Kidney beans (drained)
1 410 gram Butter Beans (liquid retained)
1 400 gram tin Lentils (drained)
2 Medium tomatoes, ( finely chopped)
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Here's How:

Fry the onion and green pepper in oil and butter, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Add Papa's All in One Curry mix, sugar and 1/2 Cup water. Mix well. Add baked beans, butter beans, kidney beans, lentils and tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Very tasty!! Serve with chunky fresh bread. 

Papa's Spicy Chicken Livers

Spicy Chicken Livers

My grandaughter's comment when she saw me cooking chicken livers was "eeeuuuwww". I guess chicken livers are not everyone's favourite, but if you do like this dish, this makes a superb starter. Serve with toast cut into quarters.

You need

250grams chicken livers (fresh is better) cut into small pieces

1 Onion (Chopped)

1/2 Teaspoon crushed garlic

2 Green Chillies (deseeded and chopped)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Butter

2 Tablespoon Papa's Curry Mix (Hot)

1/4 Cup White Wine

1 Large tomato (finely chopped)

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 Cup Fresh Cream (Optional)

Here's how:

Saute the onion, chilli and garlic  in Olive Oil and butter until golden brown. Add the Papa's Curry mix and tomato and mix well. Add the livers and cook over high heat, for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in tomato paste, and add the wine. Cook for 7 minutes. For a creamier taste, stir in 1/4 cup of fresh cream.  Serve with buttered toast cut into quarters.

Curried Shrimp Penne Pasta - Fabulous

I love pasta dishes and finally got round to testing this recipe with our seafood curry mix. It has a wonderful creamy taste and is fabulous served with a green salad.

You need:

1 Onion (finely chopped)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Water
1/2 Cube Chicken Stock
3 Tablespoons Papa's Seafood Curry Mix
300 grams Penne Rigate pasta 
1/2 410gram tin chopped tomatoes
500 grams shrimp (thawed and deveined)
3/4 Cup Fresh Cream
Beurre Manie (equal amount of plain flour and butter mixed together to form a paste)

Here's How:

Cook the pasta until al dente. (Add 1/2 cube chicken stock to the pasta whilst cooking).  Rinse the pasta under running cold water and drain. Set aside. Saute the onion  in oil until soft. Add 3 Tablespoons Papa's Seafood Curry Mix, 1/4 cup water and the chopped tomatoes. Mix well and simmer for about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir. Cover the pot and cook for about 5 minutes, until shrimp is cooked. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup fresh cream. Now thicken the sauce. Make a beurre manie, using 4 Teaspoons plain flour and 4 teaspoons butter, blending together with a spoon to form a smooth paste. Return the shrimp sauce to heat and add the beurre manie, stirring continuously until mixture thickens. (Add a little cream if too thick). Place the pasta in a large serving bowl, add the sauce and mix well. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Serve with Parmesan cheese and a green salad. Serves 4

Chicken Salad - In a creamy curried dressing - With apologies to Constance Fry

This salad is loosely based on Constance Fry's Coronation Chicken Salad which she invented for Queen Elizabeth's Coronation luncheon in 1953.  The creamy curry dressing has a delightful flavour, and of course my version is made with our Papa's Curry Mix. This recipe serves 4 to 6. (Six small starter salads or a more substantial salad for 4)

You need:

500grams chicken fillet cut into bite size pieces

1/2 cube chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1 small carrot cut into chunks

Sprig of thyme and parsley

Here's How

Place chicken in a saucepan with bay leaves, carrot, thyme and parsley. Add just enough water to cover the chicken and half a cube of chicken stock. Poach until chicken is cooked. Drain and set aside. (Remove the flavouring ingredients, thyme,carrot, parsley, etc.)

The Dressing

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar

3 Teaspoons Papa's Curry Mix (Mild)

1 Small Onion (finely chopped)

1/2 Tin Yellow Cling Peaches (Pureed)

(If you don't have a blender, then use 80ml Purity Baby Food - Pureed Peaches)

1/2 (125ml) Cup Miracle Whip Mayonnaise

80ml Fresh Cream (Whipped)

Here's How

Saute the onion in Olive oil until soft. Add curry mix, pureed peaches and brown sugar and mix well. Simmer gently for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place mayonnaise in a seperate bowl, add the cooled mixture to mayonnaise and mix well. Fold in the whipped cream. Add the dressing to cooked chicken and mix. The chicken mixture  can be served on a bed of mixed salad leaves, and/or savoury rice. Ideal for starters. (Get creative and add finely sliced red pepper, cherry tomatoes etc. to your salad leaves). 

Savoury Rice - Goes well with Seafood

Instead of serving plain white rice, why not try a savoury rice. This goes extremely well with seafood.

You need :

1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Teaspoon Butter
1 to 2 Tablespoons Tumeric, (Use 2 if  you want the rice to be a deeper yellow)
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 Cube Chicken Stock
1/4 Cup finely chopped Onion
3 Spring Onions finely chopped
1/4 Cup Green Pepper ( finely chopped)
1/4 Cup Grated Carrot

Here's How:

Cook the rice, (add a cube of chicken stock to the water and 1 or 2 Tablespoons tumeric). Drain rice and set aside. ( I usually steam my rice for about 5 minutes, after cooking, to make it fluffy. Leave the rice in the colander, place  a little water in  the pot used for cooking the rice, and place on the stove. Put the colander on top of the pot and cover. Steam.)  Heat the Oil and butter, add garlic, onion, spring onion, green pepper and grated carrot. Saute until onion is soft. Add this mixture to the rice and mix well. Add salt to taste. (ps. My grandkids love this rice, try it on the kiddies in your family).

Pavlova - Quick, Easy and looks great!

Thanks to the Aussies, (or was it the Kiwis?, the debate rages on), for inventing this scrumptious desert. Apparently named after Anna Pavlova, the brilliant russian ballerina, pavlova is easy to prepare, ( at least, the way I do it), and a mouth watering finish to any meal. I was never very good at doing the meringue thing, so I buy the readymade pavlova meringue casing from a cake shop or Spar. You will note a piece of my pavlova is missing in the second photo, and that's because my husband thought I had finished the photo shoot, and ate a piece of the prop, so I had to improvise with a spoon. It turned out pretty good anyway. This dessert is best prepared just before serving, ( or at least a half hour before serving).

You need:

1 Pavlova Casing (Or the one you have made, you clever person)

1 large punnet fresh strawberries

1/4 cup Castor Sugar

1 410gram tin mixed fruit or 1 cup of diced fresh fruit of choice

1 small tin Cling peaches

300ml fresh cream

Bit of mint for decoration

Here's how:

Rinse strawberries and cut in half lenthways. Place in a bowl and sprinkle 1/4 cup castor sugar over strawberries. Cover and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Drain the mixed fruit and dice the peaches, (reserve a few peaches for decoration). Place the mixed fruit, peaches and strawberries, (reserve about 6 halves for decoration), in the meringue casing. Whip the cream until stiff. Spoon the cream on top of the fruit and decorate with reserved strawberries and peaches. Add a sprig of mint and voila' , a delicious desert.

"A rose by any other name"..........Making a tomato Rose

I am not sure who should be credited for making a "tomato rose" but whoever it was, thanks for being so creative. A tomato rose set on top of a cold salad or on lettuce leaves in the middle of a starter platter, adds a pretty decorative touch.

Here's How

Use a sharp knife, and carefully peel the skin from the tomato. Twist the tomato skin around a finger and shape into a rose. There you have it.

Papa's Curried Chicken Puffs

It's Saturday morning and "Nanny" is doing a spot of babysitting. My grandsons loved the idea of making chicken puffs and after a delightful mess and half of the filling missing, we managed to make these tasty titbits. The puffs are ideal for a quick snack or perhaps a starter platter. They should be eaten soon after they come out of the oven.

You Need :

1/2 Onion (finely chopped)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Water
1 Small tomato (chopped)
2 Potatoes (Diced)
2 Tablespoons Papa's Mild Curry Mix
200 grams chicken fillet (diced)
1 400gram Today Ready Rolled Puff Pastry
Grated Cheese

Here's How

Saute the onion in oil until soft. Add Papa's Curry Mix and 1/2 cup water. Mix well. Add the chicken, tomato and potato and cook until potato is soft. Salt to taste. Cut out small rounds of pastry. Fill half of the round with a little of the chicken filling and a sprinkling of cheese. Fold over and press the edges together. Use a fork to pattern the edges. Place on a lightly greased baking tray and brush with a little egg mixed with milk. Bake at 200 degrees until golden brown. Puff pastry is always best eaten straight from the oven. Try these melt in the mouth puffs, they are good.

"AYOBA" - My Photo for the Day

"The final Kick-Off Tonight" Well done South Africa on a fabulously hosted Word Cup!!!!!

Papa's Prawn Curry - With our new Seafood Mix

Papa's Prawn Curry

                             

                                                               
 You need:

1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon butter
25grams Papa's All In One Seafood Curry Mix
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 410gram tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 (125ml) Water
1 Kilo Peeled deveined medium pink prawns
4 Medium Pink Prawn in Shell

 Here's How:

Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan. Add the 4 Pink Prawns and saute until golden. Remove from heat and set aside. Add the onion, and saute until soft. Add 25 grams Papa's Seafood Curry Mix and 1 cup water. Add tomatoes and mix well. Add the prawns. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Serves 4.  Serve on a bed of fluffy white rice and top with a Pink Prawn on each portion. French loaf goes well with this.

Papa's Pasta Salad - Made with Risoni