When planning the perfect meals and treats, you can trust the help of cookbooks.
Almost every cookbook out there has a recipe for every occasion. Keep your favourites, share them with family and friends, and don’t forget to add a little something of your own, nothing beats a secret ingredient.
That said, Slender Wonder has shared two recipes that you can try in the comfort of your own home.
Because these recipes are from the Slender Wonder books, they are great for weight-conscious people.
Coffee Pot Roast. Picture: Supplied
Coffee Pot Roast with Gravy
Serve with vegetables such as gem squash and carrots.
Makes: 2
Ingredients
6ml onion flakes
8ml Rosemary, fresh, chopped
8ml Thyme, fresh, chopped
4g Chillies, raw, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
400g Beef topside, very lean (at room temperature)
136g Onion, diced
900ml Decaffeinated coffee
10ml Cornstarch
Method
Pot Roast
Combine the onion flakes, rosemary, thyme, chillies, garlic, herbal salt, and pepper.
Rub the mixture over the meat, covering all sides.
Place the meat in a glass or porcelain ovenproof dish or large ramekin that fits the meat tightly to help retain a ‘roast’ shape. Leave just enough room for the liquid. The meat will shrink and some of the liquid will evaporate during cooking.
Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes or longer at room temperature.
Meanwhile, spray a non-stick pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium. Dry-fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add some water or stock to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
Prepare the coffee and combine it with the cooked onions.
Preheat the oven to 160ºC.
Pour the coffee mixture over the roast until the meat is covered and cover loosely with foil.
Cook until tender and remove the foil. Grill to brown and caramelise the surface of the meat.
Remove the meat, cover loosely with foil and let the meat rest, ideally on a wooden board, for at least 15 minutes after cooking. Retain the coffee-based cooking liquid and onions for the gravy.
Gravy
Bring the coffee liquid and onions to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half.
Add 5 ml cornstarch or cake flour to thicken the gravy.
Stuffed Green Pepper with Rice. Picture: Supplied
Stuffed Green Pepper with Spanish Sauce
Makes: 2
Ingredients
165g brown rice, raw
60g red onions, finely diced
40g baby tomatoes, finely diced
3 clove(s) of garlic, minced
2g chillies, raw, green, finely diced
750 ml Slender Wonder homemade vegetable or chicken stock
750 ml Slender Wonder homemade vegetable or chicken stock
Pinch of ground coriander
Pinch of ground paprika
Pinch of chilli powder (optional)
40ml Oregano, fresh, chopped
30ml parsley, fresh, flat-leaf, chopped
300g green peppers, whole
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Spray a non-stick pan (with a tight-fitting lid) very well with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium-high.
Dry-fry the rice stirring continuously until much of the rice has browned. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and chillies, and cook until the onions are translucent. Add some water or stock if needed to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
In a separate saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. Add the salt, coriander, paprika and chilli powder. Add the rice to the stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Stir in the herbs.
Meanwhile, cut off the top of the green pepper to form a ‘lid’. Remove the stalk, seeds, and filaments inside the pepper. Weigh the pepper, without the ‘lid’, to yield 300g. Spray a non-stick baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Season the inside of the green pepper’s cavity with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
Spoon the cooked rice into the green pepper.
Spray the green pepper lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes. Place the green pepper ‘lid’ on the Stuffed Green Pepper 5 minutes before cooking ends.
The cookbooks are available on their website.