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

Papa's Pasta Summer Salads - With curried creamy dressing

You need:-

3 250ml cups uncooked pasta,
pasta rice (risoni) or Conchigliette (small pasta shells)

4 sticks celery (finely chopped)
3 Peach halves , (finely chopped) , (tinned peaches are fine)
1/2 cup sultanas

How to :-

Cook the pasta as per manufacturer instruction. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Place pasta in a bowl and add celery, peaches and sultanas. Add the dressing and mix well. Serve at room temperature. Excellent with cold meats or a braai.


The Dressing

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar
1 Small Onion (finely chopped)
3 Teaspoons Papas Curry Mix (Mild)
1 80ml Purity Baby Food - Pureed Peaches
1/2 cup (125ml) Miracle Whip Mayonnaise
80ml Fresh Cream (Whipped)

Fry the onion in the olive oil until soft. Add Papas curry mix, pureed peaches and brown sugar. Mix well and simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place mayonnaise in a bowl. Add cooled mixture and stir well. Fold in the whipped cream.

Pytt-I-Panna (Swedish Potato Hash)

This dish is perfect for left-over potatoes. A family member who is Swedish, told me that Swedes eat pytt-i-panna with a fried egg on top.We had this at his house recently, minus the egg and it was absolutely delicious! This also brings back memories of snow covered mountains, exquisite scenery and the marvellous hospitality of the Austrian  people. I recall eating a similar meal, whilst on holiday in Kitzbuhel. (Served with a bit of gluwein, (german hot spiced wine), ok, maybe more than a little bit, on the side. Very comforting in cold weather. In fact, I think the photo I have added was taken that particular night. Not sure whether I was extolling the virtues of pytt-i pana, or the Gluwein, (probably the latter by the look on my face).



 Here is my version:-


1 Small Onion (finely chopped)
6 Potatoes (diced)
5 Rashers Bacon (diced)
3 to 4 German sausages (sliced)
A little dried Parsley.


Dice the potatoes and pre-cook. Add chopped bacon to a saucepan and saute until crisp. Drain off bacon fat, leaving a tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan. Add onions and saute until soft. Add the cooked potates and German sausage.Mix in. At this stage, I prefer to transfer the mixture to a flat tray and bake in the oven at 180 degrees until the potatoes turn golden brown.(Turn frequently during cooking). Even better, place on the skottelbraai and crisp. Perfect to serve at a braai! Have it for breakfast with the egg on top! Be sure to walk this off the next day!

Steak and Mushroom Pie

You Need:
3 Tablespoons Oil
800 g to 1 kg stewing steak (cubed)
1 Medium Onion (finely chopped)
25 grams Papas Stew Mix
4 large brown mushrooms (cut into chunks)
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 Ripe Tomato (skinned & chopped)
400g Today Ready Rolled Puff
Pastry ( Or your own pastry}

What to do:-

Brown meat in small batches. Set aside. Saute onion in oil  until soft. Add browned meat, mushrooms tomato and tomato paste. Add papa's stew mix and 2 cups water.Mix well. Cover an simmer until meat is tender. Stir occasionally whilst cooking and add more water if necessary. Place the filling in individual pie dishes or a larger single pie dish.Cut pastry to the shape of the dish and place on top of filling.Shape the edges of pastry and prick with a fork.Brush pastry with egg mixed with a little milk .Bake in the oven at 180 degrees , until pastry is golden brown  Serve with a creamy mash, honey glazed carrots and peas.Serves 4 to 6