Asparagus Quiche

There are a lot of recipes for this quiche out there, so browse around and find one that suits your style, ingredients and time. Wednesdays are our meat-free days. We do add bacon to a lot of our Meat-Free recipes, but that is because I don't see bacon as meat... More as a taste enhancer or garnish! This is my version of an Asparagus Quiche, and I am throwing it together as I go along... Let's see how it turns out!

Ingredients                                                                      

1 cup Flour
1 tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt
50 g Margarine
1/4 cup Milk
30 g Margarine
2 Onions, chopped
300 g Bacon, cubed
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
430 g Canned asparagus pieces
4 Eggs
1 Tin sweetcorn
2 tsp Homemade mustard*
1 tsp Dried parsley
Pinch Cayenne pepper
To taste Salt & pepper
2 cup Strong cheese, like cheddar

Method

The crust
1. Mix flour, salt, sugar and margarine in blender.
2. Add milk to form loose crumbs.
3. Spread evenly in a baking dish, and press tight.

The filling

1. Melt the butter and fry the onion till lightly browned.
2. Add the bacon, loosen well and add the Worcestershire sauce.
3. Fry till done. Set aside.
4. Mix sweetcorn, eggs, spices, 2/3  of the cheese and asparagus.
5. Add the onion & bacon, mix well.
6. Scoop into baking dish and level.
7. Evenly cover with the rest of the cheese.
8. Bake in oven @ 180°C  for

Serve warm with some spicy preserve - curried beans and copper penny carrots - or a garden salad.

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Chicken Hamburger

Friday nights are usually “take-out” nights. But not necessarily by buying junk food, by making it at home. For some reason, junk food made at home is much tastier, and much more filling than the junk food you buy.

There is no recipe for making a hamburger, though. Personally, I don’t like tomato sauce or hot-dog mustard sauce, so I try my best to avoid it all times. I prefer mayonnaise, chutney and decent mustard like Dijon or Hot English Mustard.

In making a chicken hamburger, tomato sauce and hot-dog mustards are very much off limits. Dead zone. Don’t even take it out of the cupboard. You use a white sauce, made with mayonnaise, smooth cottage cheese and a little Dijon mustard.

You also need to have lettuce, tomatoes, onion, buns (obviously, we like the hard crusted ones for burgers) and chicken patties. I prefer to buy the chicken fillets, not the chicken patties. I find it tastier and more… authentic. O, and cheese. Always, cheese.

Lucky for me, this is my blog with all my opinions, feel free to disagree and make your hamburger your OWN!!

Ingredients:

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Onion

Buns

Chicken Fillets or Patties

Mayonnaise

Smooth Cottage Cheese

Dijon Mustard

Cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

Spread the buns with margarine/butter. 

 Mix 2tbs mayonnaise, 1tbs smooth cottage cheese and ½t Dijon mustard. (Make more depending on how many burgers, and feel free to tweak the proportions to your taste!) Spread one half of the bread generously with the sauce. Add tomato and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. 

Add the onion and the lettuce. Fry the patties in oil or bake in the oven, as per package instructions. Add to the bun. Add cheese to your liking.

Serve with onion rings.

And enjoy!!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Mac'n Cheese

Comfort food. We all love it and at times, we all need it. The drop in serotonin levels are quickest risen by pure pasta or potato – the best carriers of the happy hormone!! And what better comfort food than Mac’n Cheese? You can really play with what you put into it. You can dress it up or play it down, you can bake it or prepare it as is… In the end, you want pasta and cheese – the food of kings!!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time:  1 ½ hours

Difficulty Level: Very Easy

Serves:  6

Ingredients

500g pasta – I used homemade

1tbs + 3tbs butter

2tbs flour

Milk / buttermilk

1t mustard

1t mixed herbs

Ground black pepper

Salt

1 onion, chopped

200g bacon, chopped

250g mushrooms, sliced

200g processed cheese

50g cheddar cheese

Pinch ground nutmeg

Method

Cook the pasta to al dente.  

 Fry the onion, mushrooms and bacon in 1tbs butter until lightly browned. Set aside. 

Melt the 3tbs butter. Add the flour and mix well. Add the milk or buttermilk while whisking continuously to form a smooth sauce. Add the cheddar cheese and blend until it has all melted in. 

Mix the macaroni, mushroom mixture and sauce together. 

Scoop into a prepared baking dish. Cover with cheddar cheese 

and bake in a preheated oven at 160degrees C for about an hour, until the cheese is starting to crisp on top.

Enjoy with a salad and a fabulous decadent glass of red wine…

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Pumpkin Lasagne with Bread

Wednesdays being meat-free, I was again scratching my head as to what to make. I didn't have a lot of time and although I am always up for making something with dough, I couldn't think of anything. And then I thought of bread... and cheese... and the idea of making a lasagne with bread, developed. 

To tell the truth, I was quite surprised at the end result. I did not think it was going to be bad, but I did not think it was going this fabulous, either!! 

Preparation time: 30min
Cooking time: 30min
Serves: 6
Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients

3tbs butter
1 onion
200g bacon
500g pumpkin, cubed
2t sugar
9 slices of bread (brown or white)
3 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1t Hot English Mustard
125ml cream
150g cheddar cheese (we used processed), grated
80g mozzarella cheese, grated

Method

Preheat oven to 180degrees C. Melt 1tbs butter in a pan. Fry the onion until starting to brown. 

  

  Add the bacon and fry until starting to brown. Remove from heat. 

Melt 2tbs butter in a pan and add the pumpkin. I used frozen cubes of pumpkin, but it takes a long time to defrost. 

I would suggest fresh, as first choice of course or, defrosted. Cook until done and soft. Add a little salt and the 2t of sugar. Cook until all juices are gone and if possible, it can fry a little. 

Whisk together the eggs, mayonnaise, mustard and cream. 

Spread the 9 slices of bread on both sides with butter. Layer the bread at the bottom of the breadpan.




Evenly cover with half the cheese. 

Then add the bacon & onion. 

Layer bread, 

then the pumpkin, 

then the other half of the cheese. 

Last layer of bread. Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella over. Pour the cream mixture over, covering all the corners and evenly over the entire thing. Top with some cayenne pepper. 

Bake in the oven for about 30min, until the cheese starts to brown as well as the sides. 

Serve with a fresh salad and ENJOY!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Quick Cheesy Mustard Sauce

This is a quick sauce that requires no cooking, and tastes absolutely fabulous!! We had it over baked potato and it was awesome!! It will go great with hamburgers or pasta, too.

Ingredients

2tbs margarine, melted
50g finely grated cheese
2tbs mayonnaise
1t hot english mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Method

Combine the margarine, mayonnaise and mustard. I used a stick blender. Add the cheese, blend well. Add salt & pepper to taste.

And serve!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Honey-Mustard Gammon

With Christmas around the corner, the question of what to eat has escalated from a daily routine question, to one of a national security crises!! With friends and families visiting, the catering party feels a lot of pressure to perform. Well, this past weekend was my turn. We had family over, and we were 10 adults and 9 kids. Quite a bunch to prepare meals for!! Luckily for me, I had my menu worked out months ago, and I had enough time to practice my meals.

My menu:
Starter:  Spinach Soup
Main Course:  Honey-Mustard Gammon
                        Basil Potatoes
                        Sweet Pumpkin
Dessert:   Christmas Cake with ice cream and Ginger cream sauce

And it was an absolute feast!! The Spinach Soup is already on the blog, and it is truly a winner. Completely different to what people normally expect from spinach. Even the people who don't like spinach, admitted that this was not bad at all!! This recipe is for the Gammon...

Ingredients

1x Gammon
50 - 100g butter
2tbs honey
3tbs hot english mustard
2t whole grain mustard

Method

Melt the butter. Add the honey and mustard and mix well. You can play with these ingredients to suit your taste, of course.

Place the gammon in your pot of choice - mine being a cast iron pot of course!!

Add a little water just covering the bottom of the pot. Brush the butter mixture over the gammon.

Close the lid and place in the oven at 140degrees C for a total of 5 hours.
After 1 hour: Brush with the butter mixture
After 2 hours: Turn the gammon over. Brush with the butter mixture.

After 3 hours: Brush with the butter mixture
After 4 hours: Pour the excess liquid off. Brush with the butter mixture. Remove the lid.
After another 30 minutes: Turn the gammon over. Brush with the butter mixture. Leave the lid off.

After another 30 minutes - Your gammon is ready!! If you want, you can grill it for about 10 minutes, to deepen the rich brown colour. Brush with butter mixture before you grill for extra flavour!

And enjoy!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Simple Thai stirfry

We are busy moving - I am super excited!! But that also means limited time, energy and resources (my pots and glassware are already packed!) Tuesday is meat night, though, so I defrosted some tenderised steak. I thought of a traditional stirfry, but didn't have all the veggies fresh on hand. Or frozen, mind you. This is what I came up with:

Ingredients

750g tenderised steak, cut into strips

2tbs butter

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raisins

1tbs golden syrup

1tbs honey

1tbs balsamic vinegar

1/2t ground ginger

1 apple, grated

1/2t english mustard

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

Melt the butter. fry the apple, raisins and sunflower seeds a little, 

Add the meat. Fry a little. 

  

Whisk the honey, syrup, vinegar, mustard and ginger together. Add to the meat and mix well. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Lower the heat, put on the lid and let it slowly cook a little to develop the flavours. Turn off the heat, keep covered. Re-heat when you are ready to dish up. 

We had it with microwave potato and some Cottage-Mayo sauce. Very interesting combination of flavours, very delicious. and low-carb to boot!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Cheese & Bacon Sauce

I really love my sauces. And I love playing around with different tastes, and ways to make delicious sauces that is also low-carb. 

Ingredients

50g butter
1 onion
200g bacon, finely cut
150g cheddar cheese, cubed
1 cup cream
1/2t hot english mustard

Method

Melt the butter. Fry the onion and bacon until starting to brown. 

Add the cream and mustard. Remove from heat and add the cheese. Stir. 

Switch to low heat, stir regularly until all the cheese have melted. Remove from heat, cover and let it stand for about 10 to 20 minutes, for the flavours to develop. Reheat when needed, and cook on a low heat until it reaches the thickness you want. 

Enjoy over crumbed mushrooms or a Perfect Baked Tenderloin!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Mac 'n 4-Cheese!!

I love Macaroni & Cheese. Mainly because it contains cheese. With pasta. 2 of my most favourite ingredients in the whole wide world!! Except that now I am on a low-carb diet, pasta is a bit of a taboo... (sniff). 
But since the registration of the plot has been finalised, we need to start cleaning the house, repairing the (almost 15) windows, painting, cupboards, etc. So yesterday, that's what we did. All day long. Cleaning. Washing the walls, carpets, floors, kitchen... 
So I claimed the pasta as part of remuneration for a job well done, and the fact that I worked so hard evens out the amount of carbs. Period. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it!!!

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty level: Very easy
Serves: 5

Ingredients

500g macaroni
50g mozzarella cheese, grated
100g cheddar cheese, grated
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
pepper&salt to taste
2tbs butter
3tbs cottage cheese 
1tbs grated parmesan
2tbs mayonnaise
1/2t english Mustard

Method

Cook the macaroni to al dente in salted water. Be careful, not too much salt. Add the butter, let it melt and mix through.

Add the cottage cheese, mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan. Mix through.

Add the mayonaise, mustard and pepper. Mix well.

 I just love the squeedgy sound the cheese makes, when it's melted like this, and forming these wonderful cheesy strands....Absolutely perfect for those Comfort Food Craving days!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Sweetcorn Pie

This is another twist on the standard ingredients: mushrooms, onion, bacon and sweetcorn. It came out very nice, and you can actually make it without the dough for a low carb meal! 

Preparation time: 20min
Baking time: +-30min
Serves: 6
Difficulty Level: Very easy

Ingredients

1 410g tin sweetcorn
1/2 punnet mushrooms, sliced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
250g bacon, diced
1t english mustard
1tbs parsley
4 eggs
250ml cream
olive oil / butter
1 roll puff pastry
2cups grated cheddar cheese

Method

Fry the mushrooms, green pepper, onion and bacon in the olive oil or butter, until nicely browned. 

  
Whisk the eggs, mustard, parsley and cream together. Mix with sweetcorn and cheese. 

Spray an oven proof dish with non-stick spray. Scoop the mushroom mixture into the dish and even out. 
Pour the sweetcorn mix over and even out. 

Unroll the pastry and place over the dish. Cut the dough to perfectly fit into the dish. 

Bake in oven at 160degrees C for about 30 minutes until the pastry is nicely browned.

Dish up and enjoy with a fresh garden salad.

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch