Johannesburg - Angela Day reviews two new cookbooks on the shelves.
IN MY KITCHEN
Author: Herman Lensing
Publisher: Human & Rousseau
Price: R295
At the age of 22, in 2009, Herman Lensing was the youngest food editor of Sarie magazine. His enthusiasm and style has turned its food pages into the most-read section and also won him a Galliova award in 2010.
In this, his second, cookbook, Lensing has chosen 10 ingredients that he credits with having influenced his cooking, dedicated a chapter to each and filled them with user-friendly, fuss-free delicious recipes.
Lensing's philosophy is to use the best quality ingredients, cook them with style and stand back to enjoy the compliments.
The chapters in the book cover apples and pears; citrus; potatoes and sweet potatoes, onions and family; mushrooms; seafood; chicken; lamb; flour, milk and eggs; and a whole chapter dedicated to chocolate.
Every recipe is beautifully styled and photographed and there are hints and tips attached to each recipe. Here are my favourites:
BAKED TROUT ON LEMON COUSCOUS
300g trout fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
80ml sticky soy sauce
60ml olive oil
1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
extra coriander for serving
LEMON COUSCOUS
500ml couscous
500ml chicken stock
45ml butter
200g black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
3 wheels of feta cheese, crumbled
1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
juice and grated rind of 1 fresh lemon
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Place the trout fillet, skin-side down, on a non-stick baking tray. Season very well with salt and pepper.
Mix the coriander, soy sauce, olive oil, ginger and garlic together.
Spread the mixture over the fillets, place in the hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
Remove from oven and set aside.
COUSCOUS: Place the couscous in a glass mixing bowl.
Bring the stock and butter to the boil, pour it over the couscous and mix through. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for about 15 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed.
Stir the couscous with a fork to loosen the grains.
Add the olives, feta, preserved lemon and fresh lemon juice and rind. Season well with salt and pepper and spoon onto a serving platter.
Flake the fish into big pieces and arrange on top of the couscous. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.
HOT CALAMARI SALAD
400g baby calamari, tentacles and tubes
45ml olive oil
225g chorizo, sliced into rings
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 chillies, very finely chopped
30ml smoked paprika
2x 410g tins of chickpeas, drained
1 handful fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Using a small knife, slice the calamari tubes into small rings. (I cut each tube into 3 rings.) Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the chorizo and garlic and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
Add the calamari and stir-fry for another 8 minutes.
Add the chillies, paprika and chickpeas and fry for another 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and season well with salt and pepper.
Serve hot with home-baked bread and lemon wedges.
HERBED CIABATTA
1kg cake flour
1 litre water
1x 10g sachet of instant yeast
10g salt
20ml very finely chopped fresh mixed herbs of your choice
Preheat the oven to 220C.
Place all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on the highest speed with the K-attachment for 10-12 minutes until the batter forms a ball.
Leave the batter in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place until doubled in volume. Sift a thick layer of flour onto a baking tray that has been greased with non-stick food spray.
Gently turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Sift extra flour over the dough and carefully slice it in half using a sharp knife. Don't handle the dough too much.
Lift one piece of the dough and transfer it to the baking tray in one smooth movement. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Using your fingertips, shape the dough into 2 oval loaves.
Immediately place in the hot oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
BROOKDALE'S HEAVENLY AND HEALTHY FLAVOURS
This book is printed and published by Brookdale Health Hydro. It is available from them and sells for R280. For more information, see www.brookdale.co.za.
The Brookdale Health Hydro is in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and for more than 25 years has been providing a sanctuary where visitors go to rest and relax in a home-away-from-home environment.
The Hydro has had a reputation for serving delicious meals. Owners Wendy and Tony Somers-Cox pride themselves on the fact that visitors keep asking for their delectable recipes.
This is the second cookbook produced by the Hydro and I am sure it won't be the last.
With resident dietitian Caryn Davies and chef Juliet Stephenson, who have been at the Hydro since 2010, they have devised a bookful of delicious, nutritious and easy-to-prepare recipes, based on the meals served at the Hydro.
The opening pages of the book have tips on following a healthy lifestyle. Subsequent chapters cover breakfasts, snacks, salads, soups, mains and even some tasty treats.
Many of the recipes are suitable for people with dietary restrictions such as gluten, egg or dairy-free.
Although not every recipe has been photographed, the ones that have have been are beautiful and are mouthwatering to look at. The layout is lovely. This book will be ideal if your new year's resolution is to revamp your eating habits and include healthier meals.
If you already follow a healthy eating plan, you will get new ideas to expand your recipe repertoire.
Here are some recipes from the book to try:
OMEGA-RICH BISCUITS
Makes 40
half a cup butter, softened
half a cup organic unrefined
brown sugar or raw honey
2 free range eggs
1 cup stoneground cake flour
half a cup stone ground brown flour
half a cup oats
half a cup oat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon flax seeds
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons pecan nuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 180C and lightly grease a baking tray.
Cream the butter and sugar together and beat in the eggs.
Mix in the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a dough. Add the seeds and mix in.
Roll the mixture into balls. Place on the baking tray and press lightly with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
BROCCOLI, STRAWBERRY AND RED ONION SALAD
Serves 4-6
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets and blanched
80g baby spinach or watercress
250g strawberries, halved
quarter cup of flaked almonds, toasted
sprouts or microgreens
DRESSING
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
third of a cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
raw honey to taste
herb salt and black pepper to taste
Blanch the broccoli by placing in boiling water for 2-3 minutes depending on the size of the florets. Plunge into ice cold water to stop the cooking and retain the colour and crunch.
Assemble the salad by placing the leaves on a platter with the tossed broccoli and strawberries on top.
Just before serving, spoon onions and dressing over the salad and top with almonds and sprouts.
DRESSING: Combine all the ingredients and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
MELANZANE WITH SPINACH AND TOMATO SAUCE
Serves 4
2 brinjals, sliced lengthwise - 12 slices
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
herb salt and ground black pepper
1 bunch of spinach, blanched and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
pinch of nutmeg
Himalayan rock salt and ground black pepper
half a cup plain cream cheese
3 tablespoons grated mozzarella
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
TOMATO SAUCE
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 ripe tomatoes, skin removed and chopped
1 tablespoon basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
herb salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon organic unrefined brown sugar or raw honey
cornflour to thicken if needed
Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly grease a roasting tray and a rectangular casserole dish.
Rub the brinjal slices using 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, season and roast for 5-10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
Blanch the spinach - pour boiling water over the leaves, then plunge them into ice cold water to stop the cooking and retain the colour. Strain, chop and set aside.
Heat a saucepan with the remaining olive oil, saute the onion and garlic. Add nutmeg, spinach and season.
Lastly mix in the cream cheese. Spoon the mixture on to the cooked brinjal slices and roll up.
TOMATO SAUCE: Heat a saucepan with olive oil, saute the onion and garlic, add tomatoes and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
Add herbs and seasoning to taste.Thicken with a little cornflour if necessary. Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce into the casserole dish.
Arrange prepared rolls in a row over the sauce and cover with the remaining sauce. Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake for 30 minutes.
The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.