The Chapli

Chapli kabab is typically made with beef mince, but mutton/lamb works too.

Mix mince with one egg, a handful of besan and/or breadcrumbs, red chilli, chopped onions and tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, salt, turmeric, garlic and ginger paste, cumin and coriander powder and a little garam masala. Form flat pancakes and shallow-fry! Serve with naan/paratha :)

The Palak Paneer

How creative is this title.

Blanch and purée a big bunch of spinach. Also blend together a big onion and a tomato. Meanwhile shallow-fry some paneer cubes till very lightly browned, and set aside. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and a bay leaf or two. Then add ginger and garlic paste, and the ground onion-tomato. Fry till the oil starts go separate, and add the spinach purée. Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder, plus a tap of hing (asafoetida). Fry for a bit before adding some garam masala and the paneer. If you want to make it richer, add a little butter or cream, but honestly that's not required. Serve with hot rotis!

The Cajun Grill

Steak isn't really my cup of, well, meat. But lamb, yes please.

Cajun lamb steak with veggies

Rub steaks with a little olive oil and then with garlic salt, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and oregano. Put in the fridge for a couple hours. Cook veggies of your choice (carrots, beans and potato in my case) in a little olive oil and seasonings while you heat a griller. Lamb tastes good medium done with a nice pink center, so 5-7 minutes each side should do it. Serve with mushroom sauce and garlic bread!

The Fridge-Emptier

When life gives you a seemingly empty fridge with nothing but a few veggies or leftover meat, you make an egg frittata.

Toss veggies/meat in a little oil in a skillet. I used beans, onions, tomatoes, some garlic, leftover pieces of chicken, bell peppers and parsley. Season the mix with some paprika, salt and pepper, and oregano, and spread evenly. Sprinkle some cheese and let it melt. Whisk two eggs with a spoon or two of milk and pour on top. Once it sets enough to be flipped, flip onto a lid and slide back in. Take it out, slice like a pizza, and serve!

The Jam

Blueberry jam for a sweet February.

Half a kg of fresh or frozen blueberries with about two cups sugar and, oh, let's say about half a cup of lime. If you have orange liqour add a half cup of that too, but that's optional. Throw all into a saucepan, add a little water and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and let simmer with lots of stirring. If there's any froth on the top, keep removing it with a spoon. Test if the jam set by letting a spoonful cool on a metal spoon and see if it's thick enough to form a layer. Take off the heat immediately once it's set, and spoon into a clean, dry jar. Seal!

The Meatloaf

Easiest meal ever.

With 750g chicken mince, throw in a softened chopped onion, about a half cup of milk, a cup of bread crumbs, some garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, an egg, some garlic chilli sauce, a fistful of parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

Mix and form a loaf (or pack into a loaf tin). Top with more crumbs, mustard and garlic chilli sauce, and bake for 45 minutes. Slice and serve!

The Ceviche

Lazy week, lazy dish. Then again, anything drowning in lime is delicious. So...

Shrimp ceviche on/in tostadas

Ceviche is done with fish cured in citrus juices, but since I used shrimp, I blanched them first, after peeling and deveining. Throw into a bowl chopped shrimp, cucumber, avocado, bell peppers (capsicum), onion, tomato, a whole lot of coriander, salt, pepper, and a tiny pinch of paprika, and a lot of lime and lemon juices, maybe even a little orange. Additionally I added just a spoon of this tangy sauce (combination of mayonnaise, a drop of ketchup and tabasco, and garlic salt) to add a tiny kick. But that's optional, and very unauthentic :) 

Tostada is basically a crunchy tortilla, so if you brush a regular soft tortilla with a little olive oil and place in the oven for 10 minutes you will get the crunch you need. I used the Stand and Stuff soft tortillas that Old El Paco sells, and made them crunchy in the oven. Stuff / top them with ceviche and serve!