Spicy Beetroot (Make it yourself)

Cooking is one of the loves of my life and I love figuring out recipes...I love going to restaurants and then "steal" ideas on what to cook or how to make something new and exciting.  I have always loved beetroot, the sweet but yet a bit sour taste...love it love it...like everything else i wanted to make it myself, i was so nervous with my first attempt and it came out better than what we were buying in the stores...I would recommend that everyone should start making their own....Back to Basics..that is what the world is coming to...enjoy.

So what do you need:

Printable Version:

11/2 kg Beet
500ml Water
500ml Vinegar
500ml Sugar
2ml Salt
2ml Cloves
2ml Cinnamon

1.  Cut off both sides of the beetroot and then place it in a big pot.  Cover the beetroot with water as much as you need and cook until soft.

2.  Pour out the beetroot and drain the water.  What's nice about beetroot is you can just peel off the skin when it's done.  Take the same pot and now cut the beetroot into slices.  Heat up all of the ingredients into the pot and let it cook with the slices.  Let it simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Spoon the beetroot with sauce into your glass containers and seal.  Keep it refrigerated.

And enjoy, it can be served with almost anything.

Plain old Mince (Ground Beef)

Some people say cooking is an art and yes in some degree they are correct, but you should love cooking first before it becomes your art...Once again I say I love cooking and I love creating and making things my own. 

Mince is one of the things that can be used with everything, especially if you don't know what to cook, just make some mince add some curry and peas and mix with pasta and there is another quick meal.  So here is an easy and favourable way to make mince, use this for Spaghetti Bolonaise, filling for sandwiches, Cottage Pie, "Pap" & mince...there are endless possibilities....Well enjoy

So here we go:

Printable Version

What do you need

Oil
Mince (Ground Beef)
Onions
Spice & or tomato paste

1.  First you chop up your onions and then pour a little oil into your pan, add the chopped onions, braze your onions until they are nice and brown. 

2.  Add your mince to the pan, add a bit of water, just so that the mince doesn't get burned and stuck to the pan.  When it has become more loose and has gotten some brown colour.  Then you can add your spice...I always add beef spice, soya sauce, herbs and salt & pepper...doesn't matter what or how I cook the mince...

3.  In the picture below I made the mince really sauce, but then it was actually a bit to saucy so I had to add some flour to thinking the sauce of the mince for the recipe that i was using it for.  When the mince is nice and brown you are ready to use and serve....Another idea is to make some mash & sweet peas, a nice gravy then you can eat.

Enjoy.



White Sauce (Béchamel Sauce)

I use this recipe a lot in my cooking, in my pasta's, as a start off sauce for mushroom sauce, which my family loves..Now a days I make it out of my head, but in the beginning I used to use the measurements...so I have added the recipe to follow...You can pour the white sauce over veggies, add some cheese or mushrooms and you have a cheese or mushrooms sauce...

So here we go:

Printable Version

 What you need for 250ml sauce



15ml butter
25ml tablespoon flour
250ml milk


Salt and pepper


 

1.  First melt your butter in your pot.  Make sure that it’s all melted.

2.  Now you can add your flour and keep mixing it until the flour & butter makes a “paste” or in cooking terms forms a “ball” as you can see in the pictures below.                                

3.  Now pour your milk into the pan little by little and keep mixing…use a egg mixer as you can see in the picture below, the consistancy should be smooth…the milk mixture should be thicking as the heat increases.

4. As you will notice the sauce will start to thicking, if it

totally thickens as if it isn’t runny at all, add some more milk, just keep stirring and adding milk. The sauce will be smooth and without any clumps…just keep using your egg mixer.

 

Pancake (Pannekoek)

Who doesn’t like pancakes…there is so many ways to use them and in this post I’ll show how to make it the quick and easy way… Making pancakes is not difficult at all, the only thing is that you need some time, it does force you in front of the stove for a little while…but it will all be worth it. So put that apron on and come cook with me.




So here we go

What do you need:

Printable Version

1 x egg
1 x cup water
1 x cup flour
1 x tbsp vinegar
2 x tbsp oil
1 x tsp baking powder
Salt

Makes about 6 pancakes, when I prepared this batch I actually needed a lot of pancakes so I used everything x 4, and i made over 24 pancakes.

1. Using an electric mixer mix the egg & a little bit of the water together. Add vinegar, salt & oil in.

2. In turns fold in the flour and the rest of the water. Lastly add the baking powder and mix well. Then let the mixture rest.  As you can see in the picture below, it will become smooth and creamy with no lumps.

3. Now that the mixture is resting, let's prepare the stove before you start....I always have a plate handy with one of my bigger pots lids so that it can keep the pancakes warm after I make them.  I also use a little bowl to keep the oil in, I take one piece of paper towel, dab the oil and then dab the pan, so that you don't have an oily mess in the pan before you pour in your mixture. 

4.  Now the fun starts, keep the heat of the pan low, until you get the hang of it, rather take longer than not having any pancakes, tilt your pan to the side and pour the mixture into the pan with a nice big spoon...then "roll" your pan around so that the mixture can spread evenly across the pan, you don't have to pour in to much, don't make the pancakes to thick by pouring in more than needed.  Just for those of you who this is a first, please be sure to understand that your first one might be a flop...that's ok....it's "tradition"...

5.  Wait a little bit and then you will see the pancake almost "lifts" itself, then you can turn it around by using a egg lifter.  Keep your heat still on low.  When the colour turns nice and brown you can turn it one more time and time it out as the picture shows below.  In olden days the people used to keep a pot with hot water on the stove and the plate on top of the pot where the pancakes will go into and then cover it with the lid..it's up to you what you prefer to do.

For those that have become a bit more professional here is me flipping a pancake in the picture and video you can see...a non stick pan helps a lot..I had a helping hand from my hubby with the filming of video...yes yes I know..I was only bragging that I could do it...

Most people mix cinnamon & sugar and with every pancake sprinkle some over the pancakes, but for this particular batch I had to have them clean.

And now to enjoy

Rice Made Easy (Microwave)

I have had lots of different people teaching me how to cook, and i have always love watching people cook, you pick up so many tips and ideas from their ways and kitchens.  So out of my kitchen this is how i cook rice...yes it's not the tradisional way, but it works for me...and i can spice it as much as i want and make it different every time.


So here we go:


What do you need:


Rice
Little bit of oil
Water
Spice (what ever you want)

1.  Pour in about a 1 or 2 of rice, depends how much you want to make, in to a big glass bowl.  Drizzle a bit of oil over the uncooked rice, sprinkle your spice.  I did some chicken spice, herbs, salt & pepper.  At the bottom of the blog I will list some other ideas of what to do with rice.

2. Pour in about 1 litre of water, as you can see in the picture, the water really covers the uncooked rice...This is so that the rice can "eat up" the water and they will double in size....hope this make sense.  Into the microwave it goes, with the lid on of course for about 20 to 25 minutes on high.  I always first put it on 25 minutes....it can't burn so don't worry....but you can keep a watchfull eye for your first time.

3.  All the water should be gone, when you take it out of the microwave, if there is any water left you can pour the cooked rice in a strainer and strain the water...Your done, with no mess and no fuss

Enjoy

Plain old *M*A*S*H* (Microwave)

I used to love watching the series *M*A*S*H*, when i was younger, it was funny and serious at the same time...so here's a quick one to show how to make mash...i know some people think it is such a difficult thing to make but really easy peesy and always yummy.  This method is for those people that don't like to fuss and only have a microwave...i only cook my mash in the microwave, gives me time to do other things.


So let start:


You will need:


Printable Version


6/8 potatoes suited for 4 people (depends for how many people you cook)
Butter/ Margarine
Milk
Salt or seasoning (my favourite spice is Aromat)

1.  So first peel your potatoes, cut them in little blocks into a microwavable bowl (i use glass bowls) and then cover it with water, as you can see in the picture below, place it into the microwave for about 20 min on high heat. 
When it's done then test to see if the potatoes are soft (test with a knife point into the potatoes) if it's not then put it in again for about another 5 minutes.

2.  When the potatoes are ready drain all the water out.  Add your seasoning and start mashing away...hehehe good for frustration.

3.  Now you can add your butter and then mash again...

4.  Then add your milk, the reason why milk is added last is we don't want it to runny just nice and firm.  So add little bits at a time until it is soft but yet firm.

5.  I always add some more aromat and sometimes some herbs.

And then your done to enjoy...For the fun I sometimes add a can of whole corn and some cheese...gives it a whole new flavour.  Add the mash to chops or pork loin chops and maybe some peas or squash.

Chopping an onion

My first attempt a  video, so bare with me...hope this helps you all