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

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