Saturday, August 28, 2010

TOMATOES....GREAT IDEAS

TOMATOES SERVED IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

We all love tomatoes and the idea of grilling,cooking them and making easy dishes is fun. I want to give you a great idea for a dish we call TOMATO ASPIC  . My sister Helena use to make this and it is a great starter for a meal and cool to enjoy.

 HELENA’S TOMATO ASPIC.

1 ½ lbs Tomatoes {wash and cut into pieces}
1 ½ Tablespoons sugar
 Salt
Clove , pepper corns and bay leaves.
1 cup of boiling  water.
1 1/2 Tablespoons Gelatin

Boil all  for twenty minutes and put through the sieve. Dissolve 1 ½ Tablespoons gelatin in the hot liquid Add I teaspoon lemon Garnish with hard boiled eggs, parsley and pickled cucumber. Refrigerate and serve cold in slices. This is great with a green salad and good breads and a glass of white wine. Enjoy.


TOMATOES AS A VEGETABLE WITH THE MAIN COURSE.

             Take two cups of cherry tomatoes. Wash and prick them. Place in an oven dish that is oiled with olive oil. Arrange rows of cherry tomatoes and cloves of garlic. Sprinkle herb salt and pepper and some rosemary on them and sprinkle with olive oil Bake  for ten minutes and serve hot

QUICK TOMATO GAZPACHO

Take two bottles of Tomato juice. Add herb salt , pepper and grated onion and three grated cucumbers. Blend all and add mint leaves , parsley and two teaspoon s of olive oil. This is  quick soup to serve in a glass or a soup plate. To serve in a plate, spoon in a teaspoon of yogurt and cut some chives on top  or add buttermilk {rivion} to the tomato juice for a thicker milkier gazpacho.  To make it really spicy add a little diced red pepper and a touch of soya sauce. The gazpacho can be early morning for the evening
.

QUICK TOMATO SALAD.

 Cut three tomatoes and three red onions very thinly and arrange on a bed of large lettuce leaves.  Soak four figs in balsamic vinegar for an hour, and slice very thinly. Arrnage over the tomatoes and onions. Then grate or crush one cup of goats feat cheese over it all. Decorate with cut up parsley and  a few chopped walnuts. Serve with a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice, herb salt and lemon pepper.  Enjoy

BAKED TOMATOES TO SERVE WITH RICE OR AS A SIDE DISH

Take one tomato per person and cut in half. Grate some Feta or yellow cheese on top, add chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Place in the oven and grill for a few minutes in a medium oven. Serve hot .


LOOK AT THE BLOG OF 25TH AUGUST 2009 AND YOU WILL FIND  GREAT IDEAS   FOR MORE TOMATO RECIPES.

HAVE A HAPPY TIME PREPARING FOR ROSH HASHANAH.
LOOK AT BLOG OF AUGUST 5TH 2009. AND LOOK AT BLOG OF HAPPY NEW YEAR OF SEPTEMBER 22ND 2008 FOR MANY IDEAS AND RECIPES. 

LOVE AND  LIGHT AND MAKE A MEMORABLE NEW YEAR…………………………………………..RONA…………………………………..

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

BARBEQUE OR OUTDOOR BRAAI.

BARBEQUE…..OUTDOOR BRAAI…

Every one loves a meal outside in the garden It is so easy. Someone makes the grill ready and you just drop the food on it
and hey presto, it is ready. No fuss, no cleaning, no pots and pans to wash…so easy.
Well, let us be realistic. Some one has to plan, shop, find the grill, and find the barbeque tools, apron, drinks, ice and crockery, cutlery and all that jazz. Remember the cook needs a beer every fifteen minutes and a few towels, a fan, in case he or she sweats... and something to nash.
So prepare the first course and the second one, to serve while the main course is getting ready………………should be five minutes now….let us have a second helping of the first course?

FIRST COURSE IDEAS.

Buy a few French loaves and fun breads. These can be sliced in half and filled with a spread of butter, olives a  little basil , dried tomatoes and some mustard. People like the mix of pickled cucumbers, yellow cheese, mayonnaise or techina. I mix techina with olive oil and spread that over the bread. Just bake on the flame and serve.

Make buns for the kids with a tomato ‘sauce’ and grated cheese and olives. Bake and serve with bowls of potato crisps.

Cook lots of corn and wipe them with olive oil and bake on the flame

Scoop out a large pumpkin and make a filling of the pumpkin, grated zucchini, one cup of cooked rice, one cup of grated cheese and some cut up parsley, herb salt and pepper. Mix well and fill the pumpkin. Bake and serve hot.

PREPARE THE DAY BEFORE.
Make life simpler. Bake ten potatoes, sweet potatoes, red peppers and a few eggplants. Wash and bake for an hour, or until ready. I throw in a few garlic cloves and onions. Small ones are better for the barbeque.  These can be used for potato salad, sliced potatoes, hot sweet potato slices or mashed eggplant salad. For the potatoes, just wipe the thick wedges with olive oil, black pepper and herb salt and rosemary and bake on the grill. Eggplant can be scooped out and mashed with a teaspoon of honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Squeeze a tablespoon of lemon juice and mix….great as a spread. Sweet potatoes can be sliced and baked with a little cinnamon and butter or olive oil.

POTATO BEER BREAD.

Make one or two loaves. This is a recipe for one loaf.
1 cup mashed potato. 3 cups of self raising flour
1 teaspoon salt, one teaspoon baking powder and half a pint of beer.
Sift the dry ingredients, add the potato and beer, half a teaspoon of dried rosemary and dry onion flakes. Take the stiff dough and shape into a loaf. Place on an oiled dish for the oven and bake for fifty minutes on 180 degrees.

FRENCH LOAF, BEANS AND CHEESE.
.
Cut a long French loaf in half. Mix a tin of baked beans, half a cup of grated cheese, half a cup of grated onions, a few cut up mushrooms, salt and pepper. Add two teaspoons of mayonnaise and fill the loaf. Close and bake

EGGPLANT AND BRIE.

Cut thick slices of eggplant and spread olive oil on both sides. Place on an oven tray. Cover the eggplant with sliced tomato. Sprinkle of dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Slice thin red onion rings and top with cut up brie. Bake this covered for fifteen minutes in a medium oven. Serve with a chilled white wine and a green salad with a generous amount of vinaigrette dressing..

CURRIED RICE AND VEGETABLES

  Cook two cups of rice. Mix with the sautéed dish of the following. Two cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of grated ginger, a dash of cinnamon, a teaspoon of curry, two diced onions ,two diced red pepper and two sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Mix with rice and serve hot with the main course.

SWEET POTATO SLICES WITH COOKED APPLES.

Cook or bake five sweet potatoes. Slice into rounds and place on an oiled oven dish. Make a spread of a teaspoon of cinnamon and two teaspoons of grated coconut, half a cup of orange juice and half a cup of grated apples. Add a tablespoon of caramel sauce. Mix, spread on the slices of sweet potatoes.
Bake covered in a medium oven for
fifteen minutes. Serve with some chopped almonds on the top Enjoy.

Look at the  article of AUGUST 18th 2008 for  SCHOOL LUNCHES and the  article of November 12th 2008 for SOLDIERS AND AWAY FROM HOME.

Remember the last days of the summer holidays are difficult for everyone. We are all trying to find the new beginning, the next part of the journey and the best way to do things right. Be patient, and let all the questions be answered, and silly requests be considered. Care to share, plan to be loving and unconditionally there for the ones who need you.

I wish you all a GOOD YEAR. A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL  and a   more gentle world.

LOVE AND LIGHT 
RONA

Sunday, August 1, 2010

DESSERT IN A GLASS

DESSERTS IN A GLASS........................

 These are easy and fun to prepare. They need sparkling clean glasses. Do not take the fancy glasses out of the cupboard without washing them. They often have an old smell if not used....like dust that has settled down. So wash and use them sparkling clean. Have a few extra glasses, as there is always a guest who asks for a second.....and easier to serve if they are ready than  create it all again. If it is left over it is a treat for the next day.
 When I had guests, and the kids were little, they always "stole" the dessert. So I labeled them" NO "and prayed they would leave them. One day I came back and found all the" No" labels replaced and they tucked in good and solid into all the goodies. This was a good lesson. My sister bakes two chocolate cakes at once. One is for delivery to the friend back from holiday, or a get well cake, and the other is for family. So I followed my sister's idea.

 Some easy ideas..
FRUIT SALAD IN A GLASS.

 Firstly, chill the glasses. Buy fruits in season. Have three to four colors and textures. Use the cube cutter or slice into cubes and thin slices. Use peaches, plums, pitted grapes, melons, apples, pineapples and of course pomegranate or granadilla pips. Choose berries if they are in season, litchis or kiwis.  The idea is to alternate the layers and then pour ice cream over the top and  a few drops of liquor or  pomegranate juice and few pine kernels. You can use coconut on top or mint leaves. Serve with a long spoon, on a saucer with a serviette. For a fun finish serve with two chocolate wafers

SUMMER SMOOTHIE.

Blend yogurt, a cup per person, a peach, plum and half a cup of berries per person. Add a cup of soya milk and crushed ice. Blend with the yogurt and add a few drops of honey and serve.

CHOCOLATE AND BANANA SHAKE.

Use a banana per person, two teaspoons Nutella , a dash of cinnamon, and  a glass of yogurt or soya milk. Blend smooth and serve with  a chocolate stick on top or a tiny meringue..

BERRIES AND WATERMELON.

Use mixed berries and watermelon Cube the watermelon and layer into the glass with berries in between. You can marinate a tablespoon of cranberries in apple juice and mix this into the glass.  Let the whole glass be filled with the watermelon and berries and pour a fruit yogurt on top and serve with a long spoon.


GRAPES, WHITE AND RED, CHOPPED WATERMELON, MELON CUBE

Layer the three into a chilled glass and pour over a glass of apple juice and let it stand for an hour and then serve. Place mint leaves and a cherry on the top.



CARAMEL SOYA PUDDING AND CHOPPED PEARS AND PEACHES.....PARAVE PUDDING IN A GLASS.
 Quick and easy parave pudding   I Use the soya pudding and  layer it into a glass with chopped peaches and sliced pears. You can serve with some hot caramel sauce or drizzle hot honey over the pudding

ICE CREAM, HALVA AND CHOCOLATE   BARS

Spoon ice cream into the glass, crushed halva and some chocolate flaky bars. Then add red pomegranate juice on the top and let it drizzle down with a few pomegranate pips. If pomegranate pips are in season, place a few in the glass, then the rest, and top off with pips.

SERVING IDEA.      BRING ALL THE GLASSES, LONG SPOONS SAUCERS AND SERVIETTES ON A TRAY WITH A BOWL OF MERINGUES AND BISCOTTI ON THE SIDE.  This is a great and easy way to end of the meal.

Love and light for a fun week..

REMEMBER TO LOOK AT THE MOON AND TWINKLING STARS. SIT OUTDOORS AND ENJOY THE DRIFTING CLOUDS, SUNSETS AND THE EVENING BREEZE THAT BRINGS IN   THE COOL. COOL OF THE EVENING.........

  LOVE AND LIGHT ...  RONA