Garlic Bread

Here's one of the simplest things to make, that many people would rather buy than make themselves, great to serve at your braai rather than the usual Pap or Rolls, Garlic Bread......

Ingredients,

1 French Loaf
3 Tablespoons Butter (depends on the size of your loaf)
1 Tablespoon crushed Garlic
1 Tablespoon freshly chopped Flat leaf Parsley

Method,

Cut slices halfway into the bread, please DO NOT cut all the way, your bread must still be one loaf with slice cut into it, mix the Butter, Garlic and Parsley together, spread the Butter mix into the cut incisions of the loaf evenly, like you would spread Butter on bread, the cover the Bread with Foil and put into an oven, bake at 180degrees for about 15 minutes, I bet you will make this all the time after trying it once, yummy.

Butternut

Many people don't have a clue what to do with Butternut, usually you peal it, boil it, add Sugar and butter.......... boring

Here's my classic way of preparing butternut and it's the simplest of ways.

Ingredients,

1 Medium Butter Nut
1 Tablespoon Dried Chilli Flakes
1 Tablespoon freshly ground Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Butter

Method,

Wash your Butternut thoroughly and cut it into 2 halves (lengthwise), remove the seeds and membranes, Cut those halves into 2 as well (also lengthwise, you should now have 4 long wedges, then cut all of them into halves again, depending on how big your butternut is, you can now leave them as the are or cut them shorter,
Cover you butternut with Butter, sprinkle it with Salt, Pepper and Chilli Flakes and Put it in the oven at 180Degrees Celcius for about an hour until it's soft when you prick it with a fork, Deliciuos..... you can also drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of Honey if you like before putting them into the oven.. Let me know.

Ntate Mphuthi

Sera's Best Scrambled Eggs

I know, some of you will be wondering why I put this up, but believe me, I ate scrambled eggs in a lot of coffee  shops and I was terrified by their texture and taste, try mine, I'm sure you'll like it.

Ingredients

• 3 Large Eggs
• 4 Table Spoons Fresh Cream or Milk
• 2 Table Spoons Oil
• 1 Table Spoon Butter
• Salt and Pepper 

Break the eggs into a bowl, add the fresh cream and beat well, in a hot pan, add the oil and then the eggs and stir continuously for about 30secs, when the eggs are almost ready, add the butter and season well off the stove and continue stirring until the eggs are the consistency you like, I like mine not too runny but not hard. This will make a huge difference believe me, especially for Guyz.

Enjoy,

Sera

Cream and Peanut Butter Moroho/Morogo (Spinach)

This is a masterpiece, I'm sure you'll love it I do.

Ingredients

• 2 Bunches Spinach (Swiss Chard not baby spinach)
• 1 Onion
• 250g Button Mushrooms
• 1ltr Fresh Cream
• 5 Table Spoons Chunky Peanut Butter
• 3 Table Spoons Butter
• Quarter Cup Vegetable Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Fry the chopped onion in the vegetable oil on medium heat add a touch of water every now and then for steaming until soft and golden brown, add your moroho/morogo (Spinach) and add a cup of water and let boil for about 30minutes or until there's no more water, your spinach should be soft and reduced by half at this stage, add your cream and mushrooms and cook for another 20minutes or so, until your cream has reduced and is now thick, add your peanut butter, butter and season with salt and pepper. The spinach must be creamy and saucy, not dry but also not too saucy.

Have a lekker day

Sera

My Lemon Roast Chicken

This chicken is so delicious you need to give it a shot, I was very happy to have tried it about 2years ago for Christmas, my wife and son can't get enough of it, I remember I made it not so long ago with a fresh apple
tomato and Onion salad and made up a tasty balsamic vinaigrette, we finished the chicken on a chopping board immediately the 3 of us.

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken (room temperature)
• 1 Big Lemon
• 1 Big Onion
• 3 Sprigs of Thyme
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 2 Table Spoons Butter
• Salt and freshly ground Pepper

Remove the chicken from the freezer the night before, It must be room temperature and dry on the outside when you prepare it, believe me, it makes a big difference, spread some butter of your butter on the inside of the chicken, put the salt and pepper, cut the Lemon and Onion into 4s, stuff the chicken with the Lemons, Onion, Garlic and Thyme, spread the remaining butter and generously season with salt and pepper on the outside, put the chicken on a roasting tray up-side-down first and put it in a 230degrees oven for 15mins, turn it the right side up in the same temperature for 10mins, lower your oven to 180degrees and leave in there for about 45mins, to check if the chicken is cooked, break the thigh and check the colour of the water and make sure the water is clear not red.

You can also add some potatoes beneath the chicken they will be magnificent.

Enjoy,

Sera

Potato Gratin

Since I made this dish I don't want make potatoes any other way, I believe this is a French dish, it's beautiful and impresses a lot, you must try it, I normally make this with my roast of lemon chicken or leg of lamb with some creamed spinach and roasted butternut, maybe some garlic bread on the side.

Ingredients,

• 1kg Potatoes
• 1ltr Fresh Cream
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Table Spoon Butter
• Salt and Pepper
• Nutmeg

Peel your potatoes and slice them, not too thin but also not too thick (maybe half a centimetre slices), was them     and place one layer in a gratin dish or a casserole, put a little butter, some salt and pepper, some crushed garlic  on them, put on the second layer of potatoes and do the same until you filled your dish with potatoes, when done grate a dust of nutmeg on the top (this is a very strong spice, don't put a lot, maybe an eighth of a teaspoon), cover with cream and put in medium oven (180degrees) for about 60mins to 90mins until your potatoes are soft and your cream is reduced a lot, then serve, this you must try, it's the best

happy eating
Sera

Sera's Mushroom and Cream Sauce

The biggest flop of many failed dinners and lunches is serving people dry food and serving under-seasoned food, a Sauce brings the meal together, however, in some instances it kills the whole meal because it lacks flavour or is not seasoned properly or a bad combination of ingredient and so on. we're going to look at a few sauces that are fool-proof and people will always ask you for more.

Ingredients -

1. Shallots or Onion (1 Cup Diced)
2. Button Mushrooms (2 Cups Sliced not too thin)
3. Garlic (1 Table Spoon crushed)
4. Oil (5 Table Spoons)
5. Butter (2 Table Spoons)
6. Fresh Cream (500ml)
7. Flat Leaf Parsley (2 Table Spoons Chopped)
8. Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper for Seasoning

Steps; On medium heat, Fry the Shallots or Onion in Oil for about 30mins, adding a dash of water every now and then to prevent burning, as soon as the Onions are caramelised (Brownish in Colour and Soft in texture but not burnt) Add the Garlic and fry for about 5mins and then add Mushrooms, stirring to mix and adding a dash of water and then cover with a lid and allow to boil for about 15mins, when your Mushrooms are soft, Add the Fresh Cream and allow to simmer, do not cover completely because the Cream tends to boil and overflow, Your Cream will change colour and will thicken in consistency, add the Parsley and Butter, you will notice that when you add your Butter the sauce liven up a bit and have a shiny finish, that's what we're looking for, this recipe is not cast-in-stone, if yours seem too thick for your liking, add a bit more cream to loosen it before adding the butter, and if it's too light keep it a bit longer on the stove to thicken it a bit. 

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO TASTE YOUR SAUCE BEFORE REMOVING IT FROM THE STOVE TO CHECK YOUR SEASONING, IT IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE !!! 

This sauce is great with Burgers, Stakes, Braai, Seafood, it's great for Pasta, etc. It is my own creation that I  Produced by accident some few years ago and never changed ever since,

Hope you enjoy it like I do,

Sera The Cook.

  

Sera's Kitchen Setup 101

(NB, I'm not a chef, but an ordinary Guy like you, who adores cooking)

Here's what I need in my kitchen as basics, (Most of them are must have's)

1. Wooden Chopping Board
2. A good Carving Knife (Doesn't need to be expensive, try woolies, I love their cutlery and crockery)
3. A pairing knife, serrated (Bread Knife), Clever, Kitchen Scissors
4. A Potato Peeler, Grater, Colander, Oven Gloves, Tongs
5. A Non-Stick Frying Pan, preferable all steel (can go into the oven if need be)
6. 3 Different Size Good Pots, and a Roasting Pan
7. Kitchen Scale, Can Opener, Cooking Brush, Wooden Spoon, Sharpener, Whisk
8. Electric Mixer (especially for baking)
9. 2 Baking sheets, 12 Whole Muffin Pan, Loan Pan, Sandwich Pan (for Sponge)
10. Some Tupperware comes in handy, measures (Teaspoon/Spoon/.5Cup/Cup

                                                  These are the obvious ones.

1. Stove
2. Oven and Microwave (or somaar get yourself a SolarDOM like me, it does both well)
3. Braai Stand
4. Kettle

this is all I can remember for now, I'm definitely going to remember more as tym goes.

That's all from me for today, l8r