Marinated Fillet Steak Braai

A braai is perfect for relaxing on the weekend, not to much prep and easy to manage while keeping an eye on the rugby.  

Marinated Fillet Steak

For the Marinated Fillet Steak:

I try to marinate my meat for at least two hours before I put it on the braai.  Ingredients I poured over and rubbed into my 2kg fillet steak:
- 20ml Olive Oil
- 30ml Port
- 20ml Worcestershire Sauce
- 10ml Lemon Juice
- Salt and Pepper
- Whole Coriander Seeds

I kept this in a marinating tupperware, turning a few times in the fridge to make sure it was evenly spread by braai time.

I cut into individual steak sizes just before putting onto the braai.  This must go on last, as it only cooks for about 10 minutes (for medium-rare).

For the sides:

- Place baby potatoes into the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 2 hours.  I add 3 whole garlic cloves, salt and pepper, and two sticks of Rosemary to add flavour.  Turn occassionally.

- Wrap mealies in tinfoil and get onto the braai 1 hour before serving, turning every 15 minutes.

- Wrap mushrooms in tinfoil, together with 2 tbsp butter, salt, pepper, and finely chopped rosemary.  Place on the braai for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes.

- Prepare a side salad.

Asparagus and Parmesan Party Snack

This quick and easy snack is perfect for entertaining:

Asparagus and Parmesan Party Snack

Ingredients:

1 pack store bought puff pastry
500g fresh asparagus
3 cloves of garlic
10ml olive oil
180g Parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  
2.  Roll out the pastry until about 5mm thick and place into a rectangular baking dish
3.  Brush olive oil lightly over the pastry
4.  Spread the asparagus evenly over the pastry
5.  Sprinkle with finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper
6.  Place in oven for approximately 20 minutes (or until pastry is cooked through)
7.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and return to the oven for 10 minutes (or until pastry is crisp and golden brown)
8.  Cut into bite size portions and enjoy!

Asparagus and Parmesan Party Snack

Kingclip with Peperonata

Fresh fish is my new favourite weekday dinner - it is so quick to prepare and cook, but full of flavour.  This recipe serves 4.

Kingclip with Peperonata and baby potatoes

Ingredients

For the Fish:
3 to 4 Kingclip tails depending on their size (and the appetite of those you are serving)
A handful of fresh Thyme
25g salted butter
1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
Salt
Pepper

For the Peperonata:
2 medium onions sliced finely
1 large red bell pepper sliced finely
1 large yellow bell pepper sliced finely
500g cherry tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 cup fresh basil (to cut, gather leaves into a ball, and slice through without cutting over the same section twice, so as not to loose the fresh flavour from these fragile leaves)
1 lemon

Method:

1.  Start with the Peperonata.  Fry onions, peppers and garlic until onion is lightly browned.  Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Leave to simmer while you start the Kingclip.

2.  Slice the skin side gently, and rub salt and pepper into the slices before adding to the fry pan with melted butter and chopped garlic (skin side down).  Press the fish lightly to prevent from curling. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish, and sprinkle with Thyme.  Cover the fry pan and leave to cook for 5 minutes.  Should cook through 2/3 of the fish before turning to cook the remainder.

3.  While the fish finishes cooking, add the basil leaves to the Peperonato, and plate the mixture.

4.  Finish off by plating the fish.

I cheated and made the quick microwave potatoes so that the whole meal was ready in only 12 minutes.

Kingclip and Peperonata with baby potatoes

Classic Lasagne Al Forno

When it felt like winter was starting to set in, Lasagne was just what I felt like.  I prefer to make it with venison meat, as it is a lot leaner than even extra lean beef mince and doesn't make the lasagne sloppy.  Unfortunately hunting season hasn't quite started so I didn't have any venison for this lasagne and used lean beef mince instead.  This recipe served 5 very hungry people.

Classic Lasagne Al Forno

Ingredients:


2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1kg minced lean beef
2 tbsp tomato pureé
Handful of fresh Thyme
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
50ml red wine
2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
50ml milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

75g butter
75g flour
900ml milk
Pinch of ground nutmeg
180g cheddar cheese, grated
60g parmesan cheese, grated

6 - 8 sheets of 'non-cook' lasagne sheets

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C. Heat the olive oil in a hot pan. Grate the onion and crush the garlic before frying together. Season with the thyme, Worcestershire sauce and a little salt and pepper. Allow the onion to soften before making a well in the centre of the pan. Place the mince in the middle of the pan and stir to break it up. Add the tomato puree and allow to cook out for 30 seconds. Continue until all the meat has browned nicely. Add the wine and cook off the alcohol before adding the tomatoes. Leave to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Finally add the milk, turn off the heat and set aside.

2.  To make the cheese sauce:  Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour (sift it in gradually) and stir with a wooden spoon to form a paste. Over a gentle heat add a third of the milk, whisking to prevent any lumps forming. Add the rest of the milk a third at a time, whisking as you go. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Allow the sauce to cook out for another minute before adding the Cheddar cheese. Stir and remove from the heat.

3.  Spoon half of the meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and place pasta sheets on top (break the sheets if necessary to avoid any overlapping). I blanch the pasta sheets individually after breaking them to size before putting them into place.  Next, pour in just under half of the cheese sauce, and spread evenly using a spatula before spooning the remaining meat on top. Add the final layer of pasta and pour over the remaining cheese sauce.

4.  Finish with the grated Parmesan and add some salt and pepper before placing in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.  (I also kept some parmesan to add once served)

Sunday Roast - Impala Leg

I love cooking with venison - it is organic, less fatty than other red meats and very high in protein.  Perfect for a healthy diet!  

Ingredients:

1 Impala Leg (approx 5 kilograms with the bone)
1 Pack of Streaky Bacon
Olive Oil
12 Cloves of Garlic
8 Sticks of fresh Rosemary
A handful of fresh Thyme
Salt
Pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Rub the Impala Leg with olive oil, salt and pepper - don't be shy. Jab holes evenly across the top and bottom of the leg and stuff with whole garlic cloves and rosemary pieces.  Cut approx 4 long slits across the top section of the leg, and fill with rosemary sticks and bacon (bacon is used to for its fat, so that the venison isn't too dry, so try get the really fatty pieces into the slits). Cover the top of the leg with the remaining bacon pieces (squeeze them out so that they stick to the leg nicely).  Sprinkle with a generous amount of thyme, and put extra thyme and rosemary sticks around the leg.  Cover with tinfoil and place in the oven.  Roast covered for approximately 1 hour per kilogram of meat.

The Impala Leg ready to go in to the oven

Finished Roast Impala Leg, complete with Crispy Bacon

I served it with mashed potatoes and an onion gravy.  To get extra flavour in the potatoes I boiled the potato skins in the milk I was going to use with the mash - most of the flavour is in the skin. (Drain the skins from the boiled milk before adding to the mash)

Roast served with mashed potatoes and an onion gravy

When I do it again I think it would go really nicely with tzatziki (especially if it is another beautiful, sunny Durban day) and some green veggies.