Pea, Bacon and Yolk Ravioli with B-well oil pesto

A friend of mine joked saying what am I going to say about an oil in a post, well chefs love any new product and this was a gift from B-well, it is a new range of oils endorsed by CANSA and the Heart and stroke foundation. I can by no means guarantee its health benefits but what I do know is that you should not fry pure extra virgin olive oil and I myself cook with a blend daily.

This oil has a very high ratio of olive oil in the blend and uses best quality olives and canola seeds, adding the other oils raises the smoke point of the oil allowing for use while frying and with a high enough olive ratio it can be drizzled on salads and used in marinades too.

They running a competition on their website and Facebook page where you can upload a recipe using the product with great prizes to win. Below is my B-well recipe.

Pea, Bacon and Yolk Ravioli with B-well oil pesto

serves 2

I chose this recipe as it uses the oil raw and cooked and as a flavour agent in the pesto, it did a great job, the bottle is made with an easy pour top and the olive taste was not too overpowering. I have also had a ravioli craving for ages now so today was a good time to try the oil and cure my craving. Enjoy my dish with a nice woody Chardonnay on this wintry day.

Pasta dough

Serves 2

200g 00flour or cake flour

2 eggs

pinch of salt

1 tsp B-well Extra Virgin Olive and Canola oil

Place the flour in a bowl, mix in the salt, make a well in the centre, add the eggs and the oil.

Mix together starting in the centre until combined, knead until smooth only adding flour if necessary.

Cover and allow to rest while the filling is being made.

Once rested , roll out using a pasta machine going from the thickest setting to the second last setting.

lay on a floured surface.

Using the filling below, place teaspoons full along the bottom half of the pasta sheet with 2.5cm intervals in between, brush between with egg and fold the top half down over the fillings. Use your hands to gently work the air bubble out from around each mound of filling, cut square or round, rest.

I made one with an egg yolk resting in the pea puree which was delicious but optional and expensive.

Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer and blanch the ravioli for 4-5 minutes. Strain.

Serve with your choice of sauce or try my pesto below.

Pea and Parmesan filling

Serves 2

1/2 onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

10ml B-well Extra Virgin Olive and Canola oil

1.5 cups of frozen peas

2 tbsp grated Parmesan

salt and pepper

squeeze of lemon juice

1/2 packet streaky bacon

Fry the garlic and onion gently in a pan with the oil until softened.

Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the peas, when soft strain and cool with icy water to keep the green colour, strain.

Blend everything together with a hand blender and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready.

Fry the pieces of bacon until crisp and use when plating.

Herb Pesto with sunflower seeds

Serves 2

1 big handful of mixed herbs, I used mainly parsley and basil with a little dill and mint

15ml sunflower seeds toasted

20ml grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 piece of garlic

35ml B-well Extra Virgin Olive and Canola oil

Salt and pepper

Squeeze of lemon

Blend with a hand blender adding the oil slowly while mixing, adjust seasoning.

To Assemble

Place on a plate, top with pesto, plain blanched peas, Parmesan shavings, crispy bacon and baby fine herbs. Drizzle with B-well Extra Virgin Olive and Canola oil.

This recipe may be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon and I would add danish feta for a salty taste.

Recipe and pictures copyright by Tamsyn Wells

The Royal George Hotel and Pub

I am back from an amazing holiday, I look forward to travel the whole year and work towards it each day. The bug bit me very hard since my first overseas trip to Italy and now I cannot resist an invite from my friends to join them discovering places that win my heart across the world.

I am going to write starting at the end since this little hotel will never be forgotten, having been on boats, in big hotels, overnight bus drives and staying in central London where nobody really paid any attention to us I felt right at home at The Royal George situated in Birdlip, the Cotswold region of London.

They are a Hotel with conference facilities for weddings, they hosted two while we were there, a Pub you just want to hang out in, serving real London Ales which I learnt have no gas and are served at room temperature, a restaurant with food served all day and garden seating for the summer days which I was lucky to have.

Their menu has all the classic pub food on it which I was eager to try having put many a dish on our menu's back home and only guessing what it really should taste like. They have special evenings like Thursday's is curry night, quiz night and Friday night is a live band.

First and possibly my favorite was their Chicken Caesar salad, juicy chicken, crunchy croutons and a perfect dressing, I could have eaten the whole bowl. The other dish a ham hock and black pudding hash with mustard cream, mushy peas and a poached egg, this was a nice light starter but I still need to sample black pudding as I could not taste it with the other components of the dish... I will have to return to London to try black pudding again one day.

On curry night we tried the Chicken Korma with onion bahji's and naan bread and of course I had to have fish and mushy peas, a British classic, both really comforting and tasty.

On my sad last night I tried the house speciality, a beef and ale pie which was so moreish and tasty with all the extra gravy and crispy pastry, normally served with mash but I switched for chips,  I finished the whole pie myself. To end off we shared an apple pie with custard and clotted cream ice cream which was surprisingly light with the tastiest tangy apple filling, our apples don't taste like a British apple that's for sure. I was not an apple pie fan but I am now.

Staying at the Royal George was a great ending to my holiday, their breakfast was a treat with great service and all the spoils of Eggs Benedict and Scottish smoked salmon. I got to know the staff, some of the guests bonded over the Soccer World Cup even though England went out, as well as helpful advice and friendliness from the General Manager, Michael Jeffries, always ensuring my favorite drink a "beer and black" Fosters beer with blackcurrant cordial is perfectly poured and my friends Guinness beer always topped with the classic clover leaf. 

I suggest this hotel if you travelling through the Cotswolds, it is very central and easy to drive through the other towns especially with a happy full stomach from breakfast and a peaceful sleep although not dark for very long.

Pictures and article copyright by Tamsyn Wells

The Louw's Curried Potjie

It's becoming colder and colder by the day in Cape Town and menu's have quickly become richer and heavier along with a hefty stock up on warming red wine. I have mentioned my craving for "Potjie Kos" a stew cooked in a large three footed, cast iron pot over a fire.

I am not entirely sure if there is a classic version of this dish but I think your favorite stew recipe cooked this way becomes a "Potjie" the Afrikaans word for pot.

My craving so overwhelming I basically invited myself, it was really so good I had to post the recipe on behalf of my friends the Louw's however nobody in South Africa ever knows if the potjie was good or was everybody drunk or even if the cast iron pot makes any difference, not to mention the three legs... we will just keep on making them regardless.

This one is a curried chicken pot but may be made vegetarian by replacing the chicken with butternut and eggplant, dairy free and carb free without the rice.

The Louw's Curried Potjie (aka Sannie)
serves 6

1kg chicken thigh and drumstick, skin removed
30ml cooking oil
2 onions, sliced into rings
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
30ml chopped ginger
1 chilli chopped
15ml mild curry powder
2ml turmeric
5ml ground coriander
1 by 410g tin whole peeled tomatoes
6 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 4
5ml salt
1 500g packet potjie vegetables or a mix of peeled baby carrots, rough cut baby marrow and baby onions
1 bunch fresh coriander
20ml lemon juice
40ml cornflour slaked with water

Make the curry paste by placing garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, ginger, chilli, curry powder, turmeric, ground coriander in a pestle and mortar, grind until smooth.

Allow the potjie pot to heat over the fire, add the oil and brown the chicken pieces in the pot, remove and add the onions, allow to soften.

Add the curry paste, cooking for 2 minutes then top with the chicken, tinned tomatoes, arrange the potatoes on top and lastly the vegetables. Adding salt to each layer.

Close the pot and adjust the coals to make it simmer, cook for 1.5 hours.
Check the seasoning with salt and lemon juice, add cornflour if necessary to thicken and lastly add the roughly chopped fresh coriander.

Best eaten with rice and a salsa or yoghurt raita known as sambals and Mrs Balls chutney.

Cucumber sambal
100ml chopped cucumber, seeds and skin removed
50ml desiccated coconut
100ml Bulgarian yogurt
30ml flaked almonds
15ml lemon juice
10ml chopped fresh mint
10ml chopped fresh coriander
2ml salt
grind of pepper

Mix together and serve along side the Potjie

Recipe and picture copyright by Tamsyn Wells and Julie Louw

Thai Mango and Sticky Rice

When life gives you mangoes you just have to make sticky rice to go with it, traveling through Vietnam and Thailand with my foodie friends is always the best part of my year as they introduce me to all these amazing foods, so simple but a taste memory I will never forget.

A year later I decided to recreate my own version craving the salty sweet flavour, unfortunately the Tim Noakes dieters must stay away from this dish, I may try make a quinoa version at a later date when I have finished indulging in mine.

Traditionally Thai sweet rice is used or glutinous rice, I only use Jasmine or Basmati in my house so below is my version, much lighter and a little less sticky than what you would find in Thailand but still hits the savoury sweet spot.

Suitable for vegetarians and lactose intolerant.

Mango and Sticky rice 
Serves 4

1 cup Jasmine rice

1/3 tin coconut milk (400g tin)

1tsp salt

1 tbsp light brown sugar

2 Mangoes, perfectly ripe

Coconut sauce:

2/3 tin coconut milk

3 tsp light brown sugar

about 1 tsp salt, depending on your taste

Soak the rice covered in water for 20 minutes, rinse and strain.

Measure 2 cups of liquid, include the 1/3 tin of coconut milk and water, place in a pot and bring gently to the boil with 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp brown sugar.

Add the soaked and rinsed rice and turn the heat to its lowest simmering with a lid half on.

Stir occasionally, cook for about 8 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the beads of rice are almost cooked. Switch off the heat, place the lid on and leave for about 6 minutes to rest.

Meanwhile make the coconut sauce, heat all ingredients in a pot but do not boil as it will split. Add the salt and sugar to your taste.

Peel the mango and slice.

Remove the rice from the pot and allow it to com down to room temperature.

Once cool serve yourself half a mango with some rice on the side topped with coconut sauce, I added sesame seeds but the traditional topping is a crispy like puffed rice topping.

Recipe and picture copyright by Tamsyn Wells

Tashas V and A Waterfront

This past Saturday was the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, I was not going to do it but after receiving an entry via their lucky draw I figured fate wanted me to. I suffered through most of it but completed in time and received my medal.

We woke up at 4am, I ate a coconut chia seed breakfast and a banana and fueled along the race with copious amounts of sugar in the form of Gu, Powerade and Coke. On completion, after the best shower ever, we went for breakfast to drink Champagne, celebrate and eat something... Salty.

I read about Tashas ages ago before she got her spot in the Waterfront and have always wanted to try it so we decided it was a good place for our celebration it being an anniversary and for the marathon we had completed, being my first, we totally needed to toast the moment.

They don't take bookings so there was a waiting list when we got there but were seated pretty quickly and were at a door so we had a view of the ocean. It is really beautiful inside, clean, airy, minimal and sleek with a cake table catching your eye, planning your after meal treat before you sit.

In my ravenous state I forgot to take pictures of our meals but they were well sized hearty portions, I had chicken schnitzel on ciabatta with an avocado and french dressing salsa and my friend had bacon rosti with a forestiere sauce of mushroom with poached egg. There were lots of delicious meals passing us all looked of a high quality which is why it has become a well known brand. None of us had any dessert but all said we would be back soon.

Our meals were all R80 which is quite high for breakfast but fair for lunch, the menu is large and will cater to all tastes, we had a great time and well done to all my friends who completed the two Oceans until next year.

Tashas

Shop 7117 V and A Waterfront

Cape Town

Tel: 021-4214350

Pictures and article copyright by Tamsyn Wells

Creation Wines

I used to live in Hermanus years ago when I used to work at the Arabella Hotel, I was there for a year and never went to the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, the wine region of Hermanus, I am however sure we had a few bottles of wine at our staff parties.

I really enjoyed visiting this farm, Creation Wines, one for it's beauty but all our wine farms are beautiful, mainly this farm does a few things different. You receive a complimentary wine tasting which takes place in an informal setting in the cellar and there are lots of wines to try from an upper range to a less expensive one called Whale Pod.

The reason I would like to mention Creation Wines is because of their wine and food pairings, my friend and I went for the canape and wine pairing, now after a rather large wine tasting already we were well on our way.

Upstairs we were seated in the restaurant which was fully booked just fyi phone beforehand, the waiter then arrives with delicious freshly baked bread and pours your first wine. A large platter is then placed on the table with assorted canapes, some are cold and later the hot ones come with the red wines, a well trained waiter explains the first wine and why they paired it with the particular canape.

You go on a journey, sampling the food and wines from the farm with an amazing story to go with each, I think there were eight. This is a fun day out but just a note you will still be hungry so go like we did after lunch time or stay and have a light meal after the tasting, the other food looked great. 

Hopefully Karla has found another amazing place to try in my old home town of Hermanus. Thanks to you and your mom for taking me in from my break in the city.

Creation Wines

028 - 2121107

Hemel-en-Aarde road, Hermanus

Pictures and article copyright by Tamsyn Wells

Pizza Vesuvio

This family run restaurant was discovered by my brother who works nearby Pizza Vesuvio. Beautifully decked out with mismatched chairs, blackboard menus and an open kitchen you really do feel like you in a family home.

The pizza's are quite pricey, the same level as Colcacchio's at over R100 there are however other items on the menu and really great lunch specials of pasta and beer combo's.

So at a place called Pizza Vesuvio I had to try the pizza, bear in mind my brother and I don't eat much cheese, these pizza's still look amazing and all were of very high quality, good ingredients and speedy service.

This one is a classic Italian choice, we added fresh avocado with olives and anchovies, one of my favorites it really cures any salt craving which I need after all this triathlon training.

This restaurant has really managed to to make a version of pizza base closest to the pizza I ate in Italy, light thin base, few toppings but still gooey and addictive texture. Above is buffalo mozzarella with parma ham and rocket.

Pictured above is parma ham, avocado and rocket, making my mouth water just writing this post, I must make my next booking at this restaurant soon, go at lunch time and relax to the Italian music playing in the background, smell of pizza in the air and friendly family style service.

Pizza Vesuvio

Waterfront road , Tygerwaterfront

021-9141414

Pictures and article copyright by Tamsyn Wells

Italian Meatballs and Polenta

Meatballs was a peasant dish created using all the offcuts of meat the Italians could find, normally pork and beef, adding bread to make it go further and rolling it into its classic meatball shape, when they immigrated to America, meatballs went with and this is where the Americans added spaghetti, which the Italians then adopted too, eaten like this all over the world now.
I made it with polenta today also a corn meal based peasant dish which is now seen in all restaurants enhanced with tons of butter and Parmesan, I make mine very plain and light, only adding a little olive oil and seasoning.

Italian food always seems to bring back memories and makes me thoughtful of events passed, this particular occasion I used my basil out the garden and remembered Sergio Pavan's beautiful garden of fresh vegetables and herbs, freshly picked for lunch on a daily basis.

These recipes are dairy free and wheat free, paleo friendly without the polenta, it is enhanced with tons of grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Italian Meatballs 
Makes 20

500g pork mince (or use beef)
1/4 onion grated
1/2 carrot grated
1 garlic clove grated
1tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper
5ml lemon juice
5ml Worcestershire
15ml tomato sauce
optional: add 1 egg and 30ml breadcrumbs

Mix together, fry a small piece off and check the seasoning then roll into balls.
I fry the balls off on the outside for colour in the pan I am going to use for the sauce as it gives flavour.
Just fry the outside of the balls then remove and set aside, start the sauce below in this pan.

Napolitana Sauce

1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 celery stalk peeled and chopped
20ml sunflower oil
1 by 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes, chop the tomatoes by hand
1/2 carrot grated (I added 2 grated baby marrow too)
1tbsp tomato paste
10ml Worcestershire sauce
5ml lemon juice
5ml balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
pinch of sugar optional

Fry the onion, garlic and celery until softened in the oil, add the tinned tomatoes, chopped, grated vegetables,  tomato paste and simmer for 40 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients to taste, then add the meatballs and cook for a further 15 minutes.
Thicken with cornflour if necessary and adjust seasoning.

Polenta
You pretty much need to follow the packet instructions as there are different kinds, the one I have is grainy so it needs to cook for at least 30 - 40 minutes and I keep adding water so its hard to say how much, here is a rough guide to follow.

Bring 700ml water to the boil with 5ml salt
turn the temperature down low otherwise you will have a polenta volcano.
add about 200ml of polenta while whisking.
Place the lid on and in 5 minutes stir it and see if you need more water, it need to be a thick paste consistency but able to bubble lightly.
Allow to cook on low, stir every 5 minutes and add water as you see fit.
When it is cooked add salt,  if you like butter and Parmesan but I just left it plain with a dash of olive oil. I greased a Pyrex dish with olive oil, pour the polenta in and allow to set.
Cut into squares, you can now steam it, fry it, bake it and serve it with anything really. Sometimes I cut it into blocks and treat it like gnocchi, topped with sauce.

Recipe and pictures copyright by Tamsyn Wells

Quick Beef and Yorkshire Pudding

Growing up this was one of my favorite dishes, so favorite that for almost all my birthdays I got Beef and Yorkshire Pudding as well as when going away for a while, the return treat was always "yorkies" My mother would also never veer from tradition, I would beg her to make them with chicken or even pork but she refused so I will keep up the tradition, however not having the time to roast a whole cut of beef I just did rump steaks and one vegetable where at mothers there would be about six vegetables.

These are tricky things to make, never working when you need them too but the recipe is easy as pie to follow as long as the temperatures and amounts are correct,  just cross your fingers and hope. Made from a batter they are often eaten before the roast with the gravy forcing the cook to prepare a separate white sauce for the meat. They are best using the drippings of fat from the roast and a hot oven with hot oil / fat. I added a secret ingredient today which you will see in the recipe below.

This recipe is dairy free but contains wheat and meat.

Beef and Yorkshire Pudding
serves 2

Beef:
2 Beef steaks, can be your favorite, fillet, rump, sirloin, hangar
10ml olive oil
5ml mustard
salt and pepper
sprig of thyme

Marinade the beef in the oil, mustard, herbs and seasoning.
Fry in a hot pan until cooked to your liking. Remove the meat and add a little water to the pan to make a gravy, brandy or red wine can also be used, reduce it to remove the alcohol taste and whisk in a knob of butter.

Broccoli:
1 Head broccoli
toasted flaked almonds
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
squeeze of lemon

Blanch the broccoli florets for 3 minutes in boiling water, remove from the water and toss with olive oil, almonds, seasoning and lemon.

Yorkshire pudding
serves 2 (makes 6)
1/2 cup of eggs
1/2 cup of cake flour
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup beer
Olive oil blend, 3ml in each muffin hole

Mix the flour and eggs until smooth, add the liquids and a pinch of salt.
Heat the oven to 200°C  then place the muffin tray in the oven with the oil in each hole to heat up, this must get really hot.
Take a ladle and spoon the batter onto the oil, bake for 20 minutes or until golden, puffed and ideally should have a hole in the centre for the gravy.

Recipe and pictures copyright by Tamsyn Wells

South African style curried chicken wraps

I am so excited to be able to cook with Bulgarian yogurt again, being lactose intolerant its one of the things I missed most , now since the Woolworth's lactose free Bulgarian I can add smoothies, tzatziki, yogurt marinades and dips back into my diet. This is also right on time for all my triathlon training,  as I have learnt, dairy is a great post workout food for used for recovery. Dairy contains carbohydrates which aid the muscle glycogen recovery and repair the muscles with much needed amino acids especially necessary for people like me doing multi sports training and need quick recovery to do the next sport the following day or even the same day. 

My very South African wraps are made using our local Mrs Balls chutney, Malay curry spices and of course the yogurt pictured above. It is a healthier, lighter alternative to the traditional Salome which you get on the streets of Cape Town, a roti with a curry filling loaded with butter and oil.

Quick and easy to make they are low fat and dairy free but contain wheat, either buy wheat free wraps made of corn or just wrap the filling in lettuce leaves for a paleo friendly version / wheat free.

South African style curried chicken wraps

Serves 1

Chicken:

1 chicken breast, flattened

30ml cape flour

2ml local curry powder

1 ml paprika

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of garam masala

salt and pepper

Squeeze of lemon

olive oil blend

Tzatziki:

1/4 cucumber, grated but throw the pip part away

2tbsp Bulgarian yogurt, can be lactose free

1/4 garlic clove, grated

pinch of chopped parsley

salt and pepper

squeeze of lemon

Chutney vegetables:

1 carrot, peeled and julienne

1 baby marrow, julienne

1tbsp Mrs Balls chutney

fresh chopped coriander

pinch of salt

1 wrap, I used Woolworth's multi seed

20g bunch of rocket leaves

Chicken:Heat the oil in a pan, mix the spices into the flour and seasoning.

Coat the chicken in the seasoned flour and fry in a little oil until golden and crisp on both sides.

Tzatziki: just mix all ingredients and season to taste.

Chutney vegetables: just mix.

Heat a dry pan and lightly warm the wrap on both sides, fill with prepared fillings, rocket, sliced chicken, chutney vegetables and tzatziki. Roll up tightly and toast the outside again.

Serve with more sauce and if you feel like some tomato salsa or even avocado.

Recipe and pictures copyright by Tamsyn Wells