Category: Food

5 Wonderful Cheese Platter ideas.

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I have always found cheese platters to be one of the easiest and effective appetisers to use for a party. The ingredients are mostly store bought and doesn’t need much prep time. In addition with a mix of fruits, cheese, meats and crackers, there is something for everyone.

The cheese-ball

When serving crackers with your cheese platter, the cheeseball is one of my favourites. You can add some spices, honey and even fruits to give it zing

Pomegranate Jewelled cheese-ball

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ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 10 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
  • 4 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
  • 6 ounces freshly grated sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup pomegranate arils
  • crackers for serving

Full instructions here

Pumpkin Shaped Cheese-ball

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 (8oz.) block cream cheese, softened to room temp.
  • 1 (8 oz.) tub vegetable cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp. Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Ranch mix
  • 3 green onions, diced
  • 1 red pepper, finely diced (save the stem)
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided use*

Full instructions here

Meaty Bites

Quick Salami and Cheese Bites

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INGREDIETNS

 

  • Deli hard salami slices
  • Cream cheese, softened
  • Olives {optional}

Full instruction here

The veggie Cheese platter

Cheese platters are often very rich and creamy so adding some more veggies will help neutralise the creaminess a bit
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 Recipe for Tomato pesto salad

 INGREDIENTS
  • 2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
  • 6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 3 T. drained small capers
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 3 T. balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 3 T. grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Full instructions here

Italian Marinated Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

Full Instructions here

Balsamic Berry Vegan Grilled Cheese

As a bread lover I think adding some kind of toasted sandwich will go very well with your cheeseplatter.

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup strawberries, sliced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds
  • salt/pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp vegan butter (1 tsp each spread on sides of the bread)
  • bread of choice

Full instructions here

The next time you’re having a dinner party and want a versatile selection of appetisers, remember the cheese-platter can be exactly that.

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Leftover Pepper-steak and beans

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Last week I made Peppersteak pie, I made too much meat and although I made 4 pies I still had ample leftover meat. So the very next day I mixed my leftover steak with some green string beans and this was the result. Its easy to make it from scratch and relatively healthy. The meat was extremely tender even after leaving it in the fridge over-night. You can also add a side dish like mashed potatoes.

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Ingredients (Serves 4)

  • 500g Green string beans (frozen)
  • 5oog steak
  • 1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt & pepper ( you can add more if you have more meat)
  • olive oil for frying
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 5 mushrooms
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1x 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup Worcester sauce
  • 1-2 tablespoons cracked black pepper (to taste)
  • 1/2 cup merlot
  • salt to taste

img_6414Directions. 

  1. Marinade the meat in the Worcester sauce for about 30-60 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
  3. In a large pan, put a generous amount of olive oil
  4. Coat the meat with the seasoned flour mixture and shake off any excess flour. Put it in the frying pan and fry until golden brown.
  5. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. In the same pan fry the onions, garlic and mushrooms.
  6. Add the chopped tomatoes, merlot, rosemary, thyme, pepper and excess Worcester sauce.
  7. Add the meat back into the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes. The meat should already be soft enough so no need to cook it for longer than that.
  8. Boil the beans until tender
  9. Mix everything together and serve.

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5 Fantastic Ideas to spice up a boring bowl of rice

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Personally I’ve never been a fan of rice. It always tasted bland and flavourless. It wasn’t until I met my mother-in-law that I started eating rice. What was the difference. My mother-in-law always made spiced rice. My favourite of course is the Spanish rice, but since then I’ve been trying other variations of spiced rice recipe’s. All these recipe’s can be adjusted to suit vegetarians by removing the fish or meat.

Spanish Rice

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Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 c. uncooked white rice ( I like to use Basmati Rice)
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • ½  onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp. paprika
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 green pepper diced
  • 2 Tomatoes diced
  • 1 (14.5oz) can low sodium chicken broth or 1 cube chicken stock

Saute the garlic, onion and green pepper. When the onion is golden brown, add the tomato, paprika, black pepper and chicken stock. Stir every now and again until the chicken stock has dissolved. Ad the cup of rice and fry together for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and cook the rice as you normally would, until all the water cooked away. Sprinkle with some fresh parsley and serve.

Alternatively you can try this recipe here.

Thai Pineapple Fried rice

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INGREDIENTS
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil or quality vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 eggs, beaten with a dash of salt
  • 1½ cups chopped fresh pineapple
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced
  • ¾ cup chopped green onions (about ½ bunch)
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • ½ cup chopped raw, unsalted cashews
  • 2 cups cooked and chilled brown rice*, preferably long-grain brown jasmine rice
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or sriracha
  • 1 small lime, halved
  • Salt, to taste
  • Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, torn into little pieces, for garnishing

Full Recipe Here 

Sweet Chilli Salmon Rice 

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound salmon filet, cut into chunks
  • a pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1 bunch of green onions, sliced into ½ to 1 inche pieces
  • ¼ sweet chili sauce, plus extra for topping if desired
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro (we love lots of cilantro)
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1-2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 limes, sliced

Full Recipe Here

Tropical Coconut Pineapple Rice

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grained rice rinsed until water runs clear
  • 1 – 20 oz .can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice
  • 1 – 13.5 oz .can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 3 Tbsp sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • FOR THE GARNISH:
  • 3 Tbsp lime juice or to taste
  • 1/2 cup salted roasted cashews
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped

Full Recipe Here

Spicy Thai Basil Fried Rice

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INGREDIENTS

  • Basmati rice- 2 cups Onions-
  • 2 (sliced) Bell peppers (capsicum)
  • 2 (sliced) Carrots- 2 (chopped) Tomato
  • 1 (chopped) Ginger- 1tsp (grated) Garlic
  • 1tsp (crushed) Red chilli paste
  • 2tsp Soy sauce- 1tsp Sugar
  • 1tsp Basil leaves
  • 1 cup (chopped) Salt
  • as per taste Oil
  • 1tbsp Water- 4 cups

Full Recipe Here

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Pepper Steak Pie- A hot meal for cold weekends

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This weekend was the first of many expected cold weekends. Its when its not quite winter yet but its already becoming more comfortable to just stay indoors. In the spirit of upcoming winter I decided to make us Pepper-steak pies. The last time I even had a proper pie was before we left home 2 years ago. Its pretty hard to get hold of puff pastry here in Korea so frankly I didn’t even bother with any kind of pie, but since I’ve been craving Pepper steak Pie for over a month now, I’ve decided its time to make it.

I had to start with the puff pastry. I’ve never made my own but I have to say, I don’t think I will ever buy puff pastry again. It just isn’t the same.Home made pastry just melts in your mouth. Admittedly, it takes much longer to make than store bought pastry but if you make a big batch, you can use it more than once.

I used a Rough-puff Pastry recipe from the BBCgoodfoodblog by Gordan Ramsey

TO make this you will need (makes 4 pies)

  • 250g strong plain flour
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 250g butter , at room temperature, but not soft
  • about 150ml cold water

 

Pepper steak Pie (makes 4 pies)

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For the Pie filling

Ingredients

  • 5oog steak
  • 1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt & pepper ( you can add more if you have more meat)
  • olive oil for frying
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 5 mushrooms
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1x 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup Worcester sauce
  • 1-2 tablespoons cracked black pepper (to taste)
  • 1/2 cup merlot
  • salt to taste
  • 1 egg, beaten ( to brush on top of the pastry)

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Directions. 

  1. Marinade the meat in the Worcester sauce for about 30-60 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
  3. In a large pan, put a generous amount of olive oil
  4. Coat the meat with the seasoned flour mixture and shake off any excess flour. Put it in the frying pan and fry until golden brown.
  5. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. In the same pan fry the onions, garlic and mushrooms.
  6. Add the chopped tomatoes, merlot, rosemary, thyme, pepper and excess Worcester sauce.
  7. Add the meat back into the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes. The meat should already be soft enough so no need to cook it for longer than that.
  8. Roll out the puff pastry and cut 2 circles for each pie. I used a breakfast bowl and pressed down hard on the pastry as I don’t have any fancy equipment.
  9. Lay the circles on a baking pan, scoop in about 1-2 teaspoons of the meat mixture.
  10. Brush the edges of the dish with beaten egg and roll over the puff pastry. Trim the edges then brush with the remaining egg.
  11. Make an incision at the top of the pastry in order for the steam to escape.
  12. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
  13. Remove from the oven and serve.

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Plant inspired cupcakes

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As you know I love flowers and flower arrangements. Since it’s Summer in some countries a lot of ladies will be having garden tea parties.

Therefore I have  collected a few flower/plant inspired  cupcakes to make your tea party more flowery, along with a great chilled garden tea I always use in summer when I have guests over.

Cupcakes

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Chilled Garden Tea

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MAKES 8
  • 7 cups water
  • 6 tea bags
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups peach nectar
  • 1 cup vodka

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil then remove from heat and add tea bags. Let tea steep for about 5 minutes.

2. Remove tea bags and add sugar to the hot water. Stir until dissolved. Add remaining 3 cups water and stir to combine.

3. Pour tea mixture into large pitcher and stir in peach nectar, lemon juice and vodka. Chill thoroughly. Add fresh peach and lemon slices and serve over ice with peach garnish.

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