Velo

I was on my way to the Neighbourgoods market [Yes, again] with a new recruit and stumbled across an awesome new gem - a cute little coffee shop called Velo.
It's situated in heart of Braamfontein, not too far from the market and has been opened since August last year. This revamped part of the city was buzzing with interesting arty-types in the latest arty-type outfits doing what arty-type people do. It definitely gave the area added appeal.

Anyway, the decor at Velo is very simple, clean and minimalistic and so is their food. I ordered a tuna mayo sandwich with fries on the side and my food buddy had a spicy prego roll. We noticed that they serve their sandwiches without cutlery - so we played along and ate with our hands. Absolutely loved it.

One of the owners, Stefania was very hospitable and came to chat to us. She asked where we were from [I guess we look exotic :-)] and told us a bit about their business. We even got a Velo-branded box of matches to take home...very cute

All in all, it was an awesome experience. The weather was great and the city has never looked better. This has definitely reinforced my love for this great city and has given me yet another reason to spend more time [and money] down town.

A whole new world

How clever is this idea. Quickest way to prepare eggs when hosting a big group. Genius



German pancakes




Mini tartlets

Very cool...


Source: bricelife

Caramel and cream wonders

Ingredients

• 100g butter
• 250g water
• 120g plain flour
• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt
• 100g caramel
• 200g whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons icing sugar

Method

• Pastry - heat oven to 180C. Melt butter in in a pot filled with the 250g boiling water. Add sifted flour and salt and mix vigorously with a whisk until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and place in a deep mixing bowl and allow to cool
• Once cooled to room temperature, add eggs to the mixture and mix until smooth
• Spoon heaped teaspoonfuls onto a lined and greased baking tray (space them evenly)
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden. Once baked, poke a hole in each profiterole and allow to cool
• Filling - whip cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. Fill a piping bag and fill the profiteroles with the cream.
• Top with teaspoon of caramel and enjoy

As I popped these delectable wonders in my mouth, I realised that being fat is a certain and unavoidable eventuality, unless I do something about it.  At least my acknowledgment means I am getting somewhere... NOT! :-)

Easy like Sunday mornin'

I spent today, like most Sundays, with my food buddy. Our ritual is usually the same - I cook, we eat, he feels lucky to have an awesome cook in his life, I agree with him, we watch TV, we part ways :-)

I made some easy and yummy curry from one of my cook books today. It hit the spot for sure...

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 450g skinned and chopped chicken fillet
• 4 tablespoons butter (I don't have ghee and wasn't about to go out there to find it) :-)
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 150g canned tomatoes
• 2 finely chopped chilies
• 400ml coconut milk
• bunch of chopped coriander
• 1 large potato

Method

• Peel and chop onion, garlic, mix turmeric and curry powder and rub the chicken with approximately half the mixture
• Heat the butter in a large pan and sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Add ginger, the remaining spice mix, mustard seeds and fry briefly. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk and simmer for approximately 10 minutes
• Add the chopped chili, chicken and cook gently for approximately 40 minutes
• Check the seasoning and add salt if needed. Garnish with coriander

Hair food

I'm a nappy head and have been growing my afro for a little while now. According to this article, the stuff in my kitchen cupboards will help me along… hmmm...


Hopefully I can go from this...

To this...

:-) :-) :-) :-)

Kitchen remedies for better hair: 

The best conditioner your hair can need is right there, among your foodstuffs. All you need to do is mix equal portions of honey and olive oil, and massage into your scalp. Remember, this is not an after shampoo conditioner, so no rubbing into strands of hair. Instead, this is the conditioner which is nutritious for the roots of your hair. So rub it into the hair base. Then wrap your head with a warm towel for about thirty minutes. Use your mildest shampoo now and you will notice that your hair doesn’t come away squeaky clean as if someone has taken away life from it, instead it sits heavy and luxuriant on your head. That’s nutrition, not cosmetics!!!


If your hair is dry and flaky, rub in four or five teaspoons of mayonnaise into your scalp and leave it on for half an hour before shampooing. Remember, mayo contains oil, egg and mustard powder, just the right recipe for imparting wholesome moisture to dead looking hair. As an after shampoo, rinse with about half a teaspoon of honey in about a liter (4 mugs) of water. Don’t wash away this last rinse, and it acts as an excellent conditioner for dry, dull hair.



To get a shine to dull hair, one can also use honey and lemon juice in your last rinse after shampooing hair, and do not wash it out. Instead, dry your hair well and brush vigorously. The sheen that is seen is all natural glow of one of the most wonderful natural foods, honey. Lemon is also a natural conditioner and imparts a natural shine to hair, whatever type it may be. It I extensively used as an additive to conditioners and always used as a part of herbal remedies for dull hair. It also acts as an antiseptic and astringent, cleaning up the scalp of dandruff debris and leaving it clean and free of infections. A rinse made with tea and lemon juice also serves to clean up the greasiness of oily hair without interfering in its ph balance or drying it up excessively (which is what most shampoos do).



There are more secrets in your kitchen cabinet to help with oily greasy hair. Soak any lentil in a glass of water for half an hour (you can eat the lentils, excellent source of protein). Meanwhile, boil the rind of an orange and add the water wit the lentil water. (The boiled rind may be used as a flouring for cakes or cookies). The mixture of these two waters forms a priceless rinse for oily hair.



Did you know that there is a natural method for straightening hair too? Of course, it may not be instant, but then it is infinitely healthier than straightening chemicals and irons that do irreparable damage to hair. Get a fresh coconut and blend it well, till about a glassful of milk can be extracted from the pulp. Add the juice of one lime to this milk, stir well into the glass and refrigerate till it acquires a creamy layer on the top. This cream can be rubbed onto the scalp, and left on, covered with a hot towel, for about an hour. Then rinse it off with a mild shampoo and warm water. Repeat this three times a week and you will notice that your unruly locks are gradually straightening up.



In Asian countries, especially in the coastal regions, graying is not the greatest of threats. Perhaps their diet takes care of their hair so well, or maybe they know the secret to dark hair till old age. Whatever it may seem, there is one secret that we can share with natives of South India, a land known for doe eyed and raven haired women since times immemorial. The most basic hair tonic to ensure that your mane doesn’t grey can be made by burning curry leaves and then boiling this powder with coconut oil. Use this oil as your preferred hair tonic once a week and the result is absolute stoppage of graying and hair fall. Alternately, a handful of curry leaves can be pounded into pulp, and then boiled with coconut milk, till it yields oil. This oil is priceless nourishment for the scalp and ensures longevity and luster and color for hair. Of course, in kitchen cabinets of the Western homes, coconut and curry leaves may not be a common storage item, but they can be easily had from any Asian store.


There are a number of other remedies for darkening hair, and also for stopping grey. Gooseberries are one of the most favored fruits for hair maintenance in the East, especially Indian homes. Its extract is great for cleansing and condition hair while roasted, it has the capacity to darken hair. Try mixing ground, dried gooseberries with lemon juice and applying on graying hair. Gradually, graying will stop and the hair will be much healthier than before. Black peppercorns are another remedy for darkening hair and preventing premature graying. Powdered and mixed with curd, black peppers make a great hair color. Wash hair at least once a week with this mixture, and see how the graying stops and the hair become softer and more manageable.

 Though it may not always be possible to have other color for hair by way of your kitchen cabinet, there are ideas available to enrich the tone of your natural hair color and even fix colors. For instance, hot hibiscus tea (a rich shade of deep red), enriches red tints in your hair while black tea rinses are supposed to bring out the golden highlights in hair. Onion or lemon juice works wonders to brighten the shades of natural henna while an apple cider rinse will help fix the color on grey hair.

 Another widespread problem with hair is dandruff. Ayurveda has a very simple remedy for dandruff. Certain easily available oils help eliminate this condition, since it is essentially brought about by drying of the scalp surface. Mix one part of lemon juice with two parts of coconut oil and use it for a regular oil massage. The results will show in a couple of weeks. Alternately try mixing up one teaspoon of camphor with equal portions of mustard and coconut oil. The resultant mix is a bit strong smelling but does its job quite effectively.

 These are some specific conditions of hair. But Ayurveda also has some generic recommendations that will prevent some or all of these problems to begin with. Of course, we can try to follow a good hair care regime to make sure these problems never cross our path, to begin with.


• Grate some fresh ginger. Mix with honey and place it in a jar. Eat 1 teaspoon everyday.


• Use natural shampoo, studiously avoiding so –called medicated shampoos that may just aggravate your problem, or create one where there is none.


• Use amla (embilica officinalis) (dried gooseberry powder), Shikakai (Acacia concinna) (soapnuts powder) for washing the hair.


• Use medicated oils like 'Arnica oil'. Put oil on the scalp and massage gently in the roots of the hair.


• Maintain a regular bowel movement.


• The diet should contain more green leafy vegetables, salads, milk, fruits and sprouts. Take more proteins, milk, buttermilk, yeast, wheat germ, soybean and vitamin A.


• A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is good to drink to induce hair growth. It provides all the vitamins you need for a great skin and a healthy scalp. Another good idea is the juice of alfalfa mixed with that of carrot and lettuce.


• Daily application of coconut oil mixed with lime- juice on the hair is also beneficial. Applying juice of green coriander leaves on the head is also good.


Source: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/11-3-2004-61148.asp

The best beef and cheese lasagna

I have a very simple lasagne recipe but wanted to try something a little different.

This is possibly the most difficult lasagna recipe I've tried to date but well worth the effort.

Ingredients

Tomato sauce

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• pinch of caster sugar
• 1 sprig of thyme, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 vanilla pod, halved (I took this out of my recipe)
• salt and pepper to taste

Meat sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 400g lean minced beef
• 1 sprig of thyme, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 375ml red wine
• 2 teaspoons tomato puree

Camembert sauce

• 20g unsalted butter
• 20g plain flour
• 60ml hot vegetable or beef stock
• 100ml double cream (I used milk)
• 250g mature Camembert cheese
• nutmeg to taste
• 9 sheets of good quality lasagna

Method

• Make the tomato sauce - heat oil in a pan and add tomatoes and garlic. Add sugar, herbs and spices. Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes or until tomatoes are reduced and thick
• Meanwhile, make the meat sauce - heat oil in a separate frying pan. Saute the onion for 3-5 minutes or until soft but not coloured. Add the meat and cook for 5-8 minutes . Add herbs and pour in the wine. Reduce slowly over a gentle heat until thick. Season to taste, add sugar and tomato puree. Remove the bay leaves
• Make the Camembert sauce - melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir for 1-2 minutes, making sure that the flour is cooked but does not brown. Pour in the hot stock slowly, stirring all the time to prevent lumps. Pour in the cream
• Shave off the Camembert skin with a vegetable peeler and discard. Break the cheese into small pieces and add to the sauce. Stir well until melted. Season to taste
• Combine tomato and meat sauce and three quarters of the Camembert sauce
• Bring a pan of salted water and 2 drops of olive oil to the boil. Blanche the lasagna sheets for approximately 3 minutes. Remove and drain
• Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius
• Place one layer of lasagna on the base of an oven proof dish. Top with one third of the meat sauce. Add another layer of lasagna and cover with one third of the meat sauce. Repeat process until all the pasta and meat sauce is used up
• I topped mine with the last bit of cheese sauce and cheddar cheese
• Cook in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through

Recipe from Everyday Novelli by Jean Christophe Novelli

Jamrock

I was feeling a little nostalgic today as I was going through some old pictures of mine. I came across pictures I took over 6 months ago when I was in Jamaica with some of my girlfriends. I had this stupid smile on my face as I relived the holiday. We really had a blast.
One of the many highlights was when we had lunch at the Pelican bar in the ocean. It's quite a popular establishment among tourists and it's not hard to understand why.

It's quite a modest hut that allegedly withstood a number of tropical cyclones (that's according to our tour guide).

The Pelican bar

His menu is really quite simple. Whatever is caught on the day gets prepared and served.

The fish was perfectly seasoned and grilled and served with a simple yet tasty salsa and rice. I think I licked my fingers after that meal.

Our sumptuous meal

We hung around a little while after we ate and took in the magical scenery. There was nothing but blue water, sky and fresh air in sight...really quite something.

Our mode of transport - to and from the bar

It definitely is one of my best food highlights to date - hands down

Bringing sexy back

This is an apron. Yes. An apron

Sigh...I want one

Chick 'n coke

This recipe isn't new but definitely my new favourite thing. It's an easy way to make sweet and sticky chicken.

Ingredients

• 8 chicken portions
• 1 can of Coca cola (330ml)
• 250ml of tomato sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180  ̊C
• Skin the chicken (I prefer mine without the skin) and place in a baking tray
• Mix the Coke and tomato sauce in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper
• Pour over the chicken and bake for approximately 2 hours
• Enjoy :-)

Recipe from cooks.com

I 'heart' that

I made heart shaped pancakes today. They left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 3 tablespoons butter
• pinch of salt

Method

• Sift the flour in a bowl
• Add the sugar and salt
• In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk. Add this to the flour and mix well
• Melt the butter and add to the mix
• Beat the mixture until smooth
• Place a pan on medium heat on the stove (no need to use oil/butter)
• Once pan is hot, pour mixture into shapes and cook until bubbles form on the surface
• Flip over and cook for a few more seconds
• I had mine with chocolate sauce

My dilemma



Source: pinterest

 This pretty much sums me up... :-)

Happy 2012