The road has come to an end...

Sad as this may be, I have decided to end this blog for a very good reason.  I am going to write my own cookbook and publish the journey at:  http://foodforthepocket.blogspot.com/

I still, and always will love Nigella, and she will be with my on this journey...

So please feel free to follow my new blog and learn through this adventure...:)

Bye...

What to do with left overs...

If you think the way I do, you would also feel that throwing leftovers away is such a sin!  Well, I had some leftovers in the fridge last night (some chopped cabbage, carrots, noodles and smoked chicken), so I decided to put all this into a pot, warm it up, and put this all into a tortilla wrap for supper!  It turned out well, just needed some sweet and sour sauce and there you go!

Not too bad for a fridge raid...:)



This image was found at:  www.healthyfood.co.nz

How To Be a Domestic God

My favorite Nigella book has to be "How To Be a Domestic Goddess".  Not only for all the sweet treats, but for all the valuable advice Nigella passes on to her minions.

I would like to try every recipe in the book, and will be documenting my findings here...:)

Let's get baking!

Spaghetti with tomato and chilli...

Ok, so I am not exactly the spokesperson for spaghetti, or anything Italian for that matter, but I have to say that this new found love of mine, makes me feel utterly Italian!  Spaghetti with tomato and chilli is just spaghetti and sauce really, but add some fire and it becomes something of a marvel.  Nigella would agree totally, and I think if she had to taste this, she would be impressed!

Ingredients:

Half a packet of shop bought spaghetti
Chopped cherry tomatoes (about half a small bag)
One onion
One red chilli, chopped and seeds removed
Tomato sauce (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Boil spaghetti until tender
Mix in chopped cherry tomatoes, onion and chilli
Add some tomato sauce for good measure
Salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!  :)



This image does not belong to me, it was found at:  www.dailymail.co.uk

Cupcakes for a good cause...

This weekend, Michael and I made some cupcakes for a charity called "Cupcakes for kids with cancer".  I cannot think of a better reason to bake something...:)



www.cupcakesofhope.org/‎ 

Crumbed Chicken and Salad

You know, there are few things in this world as joyous as a simple supper of crumbed chicken and salad.  The fact that the salad is a breeze to make whilst the chicken bakes in the oven, is just a joy in itself.  But the pleasure of eating something so good, but knowing that it is also good for you - is the greatest joy of all.  So, make the salad of your choice, get some chicken breasts, dunk them in some corn flour, then egg, then in bread crumbs, and bake or fry them...

Joy, joy, joy!  :)



Please note that this picture does not belong to me, and was found at:  www.taste.com

Something Simple...

One of the greatest lessons that I have learned from Nigella, is the fact that the simpler something is, the better it is!  I made some simple snackwiches last night...just bread with some ground beef and veggies...so delicious and so simple!

Perfect for lunch the next day too!

Pilchards Hot Pot

I am trying something very traditionally South African this weekend called a pilchards hot pot, which is basically canned pilchards cooked with spinach and served with polenta.

Bizarre as it may seem, but the small bones which are always present in pilchards are miraculously cooked away, and you are left with something comforting and so unusual!  :)

Really not sure what Nigella would think of this, but it works for me.

Hello!!

Yes, I am back.  I have been suffering from some bizarre illness that has left me coughing for weeks on end!  But I am back in the kitchen and cooking up a storm again!  Tonight, Michael and I are heading into pork sausage country and doing something that looks good, tastes great, and obviously comes from the mind of Nigella!  :)

Missed you all...

A Nice Idea...

Now that I am finally getting over my flu spell, I have taken the time to create my own cookery book.  I took all my favorite recipes and put them together in a collection.  It makes finding all your favorites really easy, and if you cook from top to bottom, it makes life even easier!

So that is the plan.  I will keep you updated on my experiences as always.  :)

Sorry...

Hello everyone, so sorry that the blog has been so quiet, but I have been ill.  Not ill from food, but ill from flu!  :)

Will be up and running again real soon!

And the result...

Well, the pasta and sausage dish turned out great!  I also listen to the advice that Nigella gives and I added some butter to the tomato sauce since tomatoes can sometimes be just too acidic.  Nigella also advises that we reserve a cup of the pasta water to emulsify the sauce before serving, and so I did as I was told.  A success on all accounts...

:)

Pasta, tomato sauce and sausages

Nigella makes a fabulous feast (for her teenagers and their friends) which consists of pasta, tomato sauce and salami...but I am creating the same thing tonight, with a light twist.  I am going to use different sausages instead of salami.  I will have to cook the sausages beforehand, but I will bung them in before serving.  All this with some fresh ciabatta fingers...great!  :)

Again, Nigella...how easily you inspire me!

Making it up as you go along...

You know, one of the most interesting things that I have learned from Nigella is that when it comes to food, you can always make things up as you go along - as long as the end result tastes good.  So, I have often followed recipes religiously, and sometimes I have combined and played around until I come up with something magical.  I am currently creating my own recipe book with all my favourites and I am even planning to make a copy for all my friends and family as Christmas gifts...

Now if that is not innovation, then I don't know...:)

Thanks Nigella!!

Gary is on the Christmas trail again...

Yes, yes, yes...I cannot get it out of my blood...the Christmas spirit...and as a result, I have decided to upload a video which is very close to my heart.

Here, Nigella shows us how to make a delicious Christmas cake...now why wait until Christmas to try it?

Please note that I do not own this video, I found it on youtube.

Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes

I am a huge fan of the cupcake, not only because it manages to bring joy AND taste, but also because there is something so comforting in the knowing that you can just sit back with a warm cup of coffee and enjoy a cupcake or two after a hard day's work...

So here are my newest little beauties...

Prayer...

I think it would be in bad taste to go on about my feelings regarding the latest news about Nigella and her husband, so I will keep it short and to the point...

I pray for you Nigella, and I hope you find the happiness you deserve.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake...

To be honest, my favorite thing to do in the kitchen is bake.  Not sure where that comes from, but I'm sure I can thank my mother for all those years of baking during my childhood.  I am happy (and almost smug) in the knowing that baking is and always will be something that I love doing.  It is a way to express yourself that not many people find the time to do, but I love it!
So, I made some cakes for a colleague last night.  Michael was there with me (as always), and gave his valuable opinion.
So today we shall see what the rest of the colleagues think of Gary the baker...*nervous twitch*

Pasta and chocolate!

There is a recipe that I have found on Nigellissima, which I find very interesting!  It is pasta with chocolate!

I cannot wait to try this out...it sounds incredible!



This recipe is taken from:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chocolate_pasta_with_64143

Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz cocoa or chocolate pasta
• pinch salt
• 50g/1¾oz pecans, roughly broken up
• 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter, softened
• 50g/1¾oz dark brown sugar
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream, plus extra to serve

Preparation method

1. Put water on to boil for the pasta and, when it’s boiling, add a pinch of salt and cook the pasta, setting a timer for two minutes before the packet instructions say it will be ready.
2. Put a medium-sized, non-stick frying pan on the stove and tumble in the pecans, then toast them over a medium heat. Once you can smell their scent wafting up from the pan, remove them to a cold plate.
3. Now stir the butter and sugar together in the frying pan until you have a hot, treacly syrup. Carefully pour in the cream, stir and let the caramel mixture bubble up, add the toasted pecans and a pinch of salt, then turn off the heat.
4. Just before draining the pasta, lower in a cup to remove a little pasta-cooking water, then toss the drained pasta back into the frying pan with the dark and nutty butterscotch sauce, adding a tablespoon or two of the cooking water if needed to help coat the pasta. Stir to combine before dividing between two bowls. Serve with a little double cream in a small jug to pour over as you eat, if wished.

The best potato chips or fries

One of the best tips I ever got from Nigella, I use more often than any other, and that is related to the perfect potato chips or fries.  Nigella suggests that you actually put the chopped potatoes into the oil BEFORE you start heating the oil, and trust me...it works!  I do that every time I make fries and they have never failed!
I suggest you do the same to get the perfect result!