Chocolate Brains...

Halloween brings out the weird in us!

Slime soup; Chocolate Brains; Witches Fingers; Bat Droppings... our imaginations go wild!

Here's our recipe for Chocolate Brains:

Dunk batches of popcorn into a bowl of melted dark/milk chocolate. Press together to form irregular clumps. Set aside on a foil lined baking tray to set. Drizzle with melted white chocolate with a drop of red food colouring added, for extra effect.

Yummy. Bwahahaha (cackle like a witch).

Something fun!

We're big fans of Aleit Wedding Co-ordinatiors and we follow their Facebook page religiously! Yesterday they posted something we thought was just great! Sticky Boards!

A designer notice board: canvas + polymer = sticky board!

Awesome for Offices, Desks and perfect for our Kitchen-Offices! Paste recipes, pictures, notes, menus etc.

Check out their website www.inkart.co.za

Jamie's America!

We can't wait to get our hands on Jamie Oliver's new cookbook, Jamie's America.

Here's his recipe for Burgers. So good!

FOR THE BURGER MIX

• Olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 6 Jacob's crackers or 4 slices of bread, crusts removed
• 500g (1lb 2oz) good-quality lean minced beef
• 1tsp sea salt
• 1 heaped tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic, beaten
• A handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 
  

FOR THE SPICY MAYO

• 4tsp mayonnaise
• 1tsp tomato ketchup
• A good pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne pepper
• Juice of half a lemon

TO SERVE

• 12 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, the best quality you can afford
• 6 large or 8 small burger buns
• 1 soft round lettuce, leaves washed and spun dry
• 4 tomatoes, sliced
• 6 gherkins, sliced
• A few pickled chillies

METHOD

1. You can make these burgers or sliders in an oven at full whack, on the barbecue or in a hot pan. If you're using the oven or barbecue, preheat it now. Put a splash of olive oil into a large frying pan on a low heat and add your chopped onions. Fry for 10 minutes or until the onions have softened, then put to one side to cool completely.
2. Blitz your crackers or bread in a food processor until you get a fine consistency. Oil a clean baking tray and put aside. Put the cooled onions into a large bowl with the rest of the burger ingredients. Use clean hands to scrunch the mixture together really well, then divide into 6 equal balls for burgers and 18 equal balls for sliders. Wet your hands and roll the balls into burger-shaped patties about 2cm thick.
3. Place your burgers or sliders on the oiled baking tray and pat with a little olive oil. Cover them with clingfilm and put the tray into the fridge for at least an hour, or until the patties firm up. This is a good time to make your spicy mayo, so put all the ingredients into a bowl, mix well and put to one side.
4. If using a frying pan or griddle pan, put it on a high heat now and let it get really hot. However you decide to cook your burgers, they'll want around 3 or 4 minutes per side - you may have to cook them in batches if your pan isn't big enough. When your burgers or sliders are nearly cooked on one side, add the rashers of bacon - whichever way you're cooking them - then flip the burgers and cook the bacon until golden and crisp. When the burgers are cooked to your liking and it's all looking really good, halve your burger buns and warm them through. Put the bacon on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.
5. When everything comes together, pop your burgers or sliders on to their buns, add all your toppings and spicy mayo (you know how to put a burger together!), then tuck in with a lovely fresh salad, baked potato or potato wedges.

source: dailymail.co.uk

Recipe of the Day

Summer is definitely on its way. Gym time, healthy eating and salads are back on the menu!

Here's our Broccoli Salad which is always a hit!:

2 heads of broccoli, chopped into small florets

4 ripe tomatoes, deseeded & chopped

3 spring onions, sliced

1/2 tsp sugar

1 chilli, chopped

Dressing:

1 tsp mustard

juice of 1 lemon

6 Tbs olive oil

good pinch of salt & pepper

Boil the broccoli in boiling salted water for 2 minutes - you want it to still have a little crunch. Drain then let dry on paper towel.

In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, spring onions, sugar and chilli, then add the drained broccoli.

Mix the ingredients for the dressing together then pour over the salad.

Serves 4

Drink and be merry...

We went to Franschhoek's Uncorked on the weekend. Rainy and chilly it was perfect weather for indulgence. We started at Moreson and ended at Le Petite Ferme.

We began with a delicious Boerewors Roll at Bread & Wine at Moreson (sustenance to line our tummies!); yummy Veritas double gold Chardonnay...Boekenhoutskloof's obnoxious Chocolate Block...spectacular views from Haute Cabriere finished with Apple Crumble at Le Petite Ferme.

Of all the wine farms Chamonix sticks out in our minds. These wines should be sold out before they are even made. And for purchase by invitation only. They are that good.

Gottfried Mocke is a very talented man! www.chamonix.co.za

http://www.franschhoek.org.za/festivals