POTATOES WITH CHORIZO AND JALAPENO
Serves 6
30ml olive oil
5ml crushed garlic
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 each of red, yellow and orange pepper, seeded and cubed
2x400g tins of chopped tomatoes
225g chorizo sausage
15ml paprika
a pinch of dried chilli flakes
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
125ml pickled jalapenos, cut into strips
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and add the garlic, onion and peppers.
Fry until golden, about 10 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, chorizo, paprika, chilli, potatoes, jalapenos and the thyme. Season and bring to the boil.
Simmer the stew for about 25 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.
PORK CHOPS WITH RASPBERRY AND PICKLED ONION SAUCE
Serves 4
750ml cold water
125ml pickled onions, sliced
60ml honey
60ml salt
1 bay leaf
1 clove of garlic, crushed
4 bone-in pork loin chops
30g butter
15ml oil
Raspberry sauce
125g fresh raspberries
5ml red wine vinegar
60ml pickled onion, sliced
125ml white wine
125ml honey
salt and pepper
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
30ml crème fraiche
extra sliced pickled onions to garnish
Combine water, onions, honey, salt, bay leaf and garlic in a bowl or large sealable plastic bag. Add pork chops, turn to combine. Marinate in the refrigerator, turning the meat once or twice, for 2-4 hours.
Once marinated, remove from the brine and pat dry. Discard the brine solution.
Heat the butter and oil in a pan. Fry the chops until browned, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and keep warm.
SAUCE: Combine raspberries, vinegar, onions, wine and honey in a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Pour into the pan used to cook the chops and, over a medium heat, simmer until thickened. Check for seasoning. Add the thyme and crème fraiche.
Return the chops to the pan with the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes until the pork chops are cooked through.
Garnish with the sliced pickled onions, extra raspberries and serve.
SPICED CHEESE TRIANGLES
Makes about 24
250g thick cream cheese
200g feta cheese, crumbled
60ml chopped piquante peppers
60ml chopped parsley
60ml chopped coriander
5ml chopped garlic
salt and pepper
250g phyllo pastry
100g butter, melted
Beat the cream cheese with a wooden spoon until softened. Stir in the feta cheese, piquante peppers, herbs, garlic and seasoning.
Place a sheet of pastry on the work surface and brush with melted butter. Top with another sheet. Cut the pastry into 6cm strips.
Place a spoonful of filling at the base of the strip. Fold the pastry over to enclose the filling in a triangular shape. Keep folding the pastry over in the triangular shape until you reach the edge of the pastry. Brush with melted butter and place on a baking tray.
Repeat until all the filling has been used. Place the triangles on a baking tray and bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
Remove and serve warm.
JALAPENO CHEESE BREAD
Serves 4-6
1 round cob loaf
125g butter, softened
125ml chopped pickled jalapenos
125ml chopped spring onions
10ml chopped garlic
250ml grated cheddar cheese
Cut the bread almost all the way through in a cross-hatch pattern with about 2.5cm thickness. Place the bread on a large piece of foil.
Mix together the butter, jalapenos, spring onions, garlic and cheese. Generously stuff this mixture into the cuts of bread.
Wrap the bread in the foil. Place on a baking tray and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes.
Open the foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
Serve immediately.
PIQUANTE CORN AND CHEESE MUFFINS
Makes 12
500ml flour
15ml baking powder
5ml salt
375ml grated cheddar cheese
400g tin of sweet corn kernels, drained
60ml chopped piquante peppers
60ml chopped pickled onions
60ml chopped coriander
250ml buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
80ml oil
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cheese and corn in a bowl. Mix through the chopped peppers, pickled onions and coriander.
Combine the buttermilk, egg and oil and mix well. Add to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Spoon the mixture into a well-greased muffin tin and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Remove and cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Delicious served warm with butter. - The Star