A Crustless Quiche

From our friend Sam...

I always thought that making a quiche needed some top secret culinary skills. Turns out it really isn't difficult.  I tried this crustless quiche recipe, and it was so easy I had to share it with all the unassuming cooks out there.

Crustless Quiche

4 eggs
4 tbsp flour, sifted
1 cup basic chicken (see recipe below) 
1 small onion chopped
1/4 cup red and green pepper
1 cup grated cheese
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp soft butter
2 tbsp oil
250 ml fresh cream 
1 tsp ground chillies
pepper
salt

Topping:
1 cup grated cheese
sesame seeds

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180°C

2.  Mix eggs and flour
3.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well (Note - apart from the chicken, nothing else needs to be cooked)
4.  Pour into greased oven dish 
5.  Add topping
6.  Bake for 30 minutes until golden

7.  Slice immediately, and allow to cool and set.

Basic Chicken

2 cups chicken fillet

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp ground chillies

1 tsp crushed cumin

1/2 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp sale

3 tbspn lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Method:

1.  Heat oil

2.  Cook garlic paste

3.  Add chicken

4.  Add remaining ingredients, and water as required, and cook.

Tip:

For a (slightly) healthier option, use reduced fat cream instead of fresh cream.

Tuna fish cakes

If there is one thing that I always have in my cupboards, it's a can of tuna. So really, it's only in best interests to find easy recipes using said can of tuna. Here's one that I tried out this week.



Tuna fish cakes

You will need the following:
- a can of shredded tuna, drained.
- a slice of bread, crumbed
- a quarter of a green pepper, sliced
- chopped spring onions (optional)
- a quarter onion sliced
- lemon juice
- salt
- black pepper
- two eggs

1. add the tuna,onions,bread and green pepper to a mixing bowl.
2. Sprinkle salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
3. Mix the ingredients together.
4. Beat two eggs and add to the mixture
5. Using a spoon or spatula form little cakes of the tuna mixture ( you should get about four)
6. Fry the tuna cakes on a low heat until slightly brown.

And you're done. I served them with vegetables and salad but you could put them in a burger bun.

If you have more cakes then needed, then simply wrap the individual unfried tuna cakes in cling wrap and freeze for another day :)

Easiest way to make stove-top popcorn

I love popcorn, but I never seem to be able to get the microwave variety right – it either tastes burnt, or I have half a packet of unpopped seeds.  So I decided to attempt making popcorn on the stove.  After all, it’s a whole lot cheaper, and it tastes a whole lot better.

Give it a try, it’s easier than making microwave popcorn, with no burnt or left over kernels.  Really, no jokes.

You need:

Popcorn seeds (1 tbsp seeds for each cup of popcorn, approximately)

A tall pot with a lid

Oil

Salt and seasoning to taste

Method:

1.   Put a little oil in the pot.  Just enough to cover the bottom of the pot with a thin layer.  If the popcorn seeds are swimming in oil, you’ve put in too much oil.

2.      Heat the oil on the stove.  I usually put the stove on 60% power.

3.      After a minute, put 2 or 3 popcorn seeds into the pot, and cover with the lid.  When you hear the seeds pop, remove the pot from the heat. (This lets you know when the oil is at the right temperature).

4.      Add the rest of the popcorn seeds into the pot, in an even layer.  Cover, and wait 30 seconds before returning the pot to the heat.  (This allows the popcorn seeds time to heat up evenly).

5.      Once the pot is returned to the heat, the popcorn should start popping.  Give the pot a gentle shake.  Keep the lid slightly skew to allow steam to escape.   Once the popping slows down to several seconds between pops, remove from the stove, remove lid and pour into bowl.

6.      Season and enjoy!

Quick Tip, the Second : A way with mushy avocados

I'm always forgetting to eat the avocados I've bought and then a week later I find them in the fridge and theyre all mushy.
Sound familiar? Well, here is a good way to enjoy them instead of throwing them away.

Avocado dip:
Peel the avocados, (you can cut around and throw away any bits that are brown).
Smash the avocados into a paste with a spoon.
Add black pepper, salt and lemon juice to taste.

Tastes good with potato chips or you could even eat on toast.
I once added humus that I had bought at Woolworths and that tasted pretty good too.

Any other ideas? Please send them our way :)

Financial Year End and Prepared Meals

 It's getting closer to year end at the company where I work.  No, I don't mean Christmas/New year/holidays/parties.  No, not that year end.  I'm talking about the time of year which strikes terror into the heart of all accountants and auditors out there..*gulp*.. Financial Year End.  A time where data needs to be completed, recons need to be reconciled, balance sheets need to be balanced, cash flows need to flow, consolidations need to be consolidated.. and the auditors are at your heels.  Inevitably, this will result in late hours at the office, ticking up schedules and tying up numbers (for those of you who dont know what this means, count yourself fortunate).  Ah, the life of an accountant.
So, I am going to try to list my ideas for 'go-to' prepared/semi prepared meals which I have come across and really enjoyed.  These meals are not exactly 'dinner party' material - but they are certainly a step up from eating scrambled eggs and toast for supper.  Ladies, feel free to email these ideas to your other half -  "Honey, I am working late tonight, please can you prepare dinner.. Its really easy.. No skill required".  Also, I would suggest including where certain items are located or you may be getting some frantic calls (e.g. "Frozen fish? - It's in the freezer - thats the big white box in the kitchen - where you get ice from - no, not the fridge, the other one - yes, the one thats very cold").

1.  Fish with vegetables
What is easier than fish with vegetables?  There is a huge variety of frozen fish available, only requiring 20 mins in a preheated oven.  Some varieties are microwave prepared, which is even quicker.  I enjoy serving fish with creamed spinach and feta, which comes in single serve portions, which go directly from the freezer to the microwave and onto your plate.  Alternatively, oven baked vegetables or chips are also a firm favourite, and these can go into the oven with the fish.

2.  Fish burgers
Fish burger pattis + a roll and some relish = A delicious quick meal.

3.  Prawns burger
I recently discovered frozen prawns - these are prawn tails in batter.  Fry the prawns in oil, add a roll and some relish and you have delicious prawn burgers.  Healthy - not so much - I'm definitely not a promoter of deep fried food, but I think once in a while an exception can be made.

4.  Hot Wings
Another of my recent discoveries at my local butchery: hot wings! These are delicious prepared chicken wings already with all the sauces needed.  They are not covered in batter so there is no need to deep fry - just place in a pot with a little butter and cook on medium heat until done.

5.  Marinated chicken
Along the same lines as the hot wings above, there are chicken pieces available already prepared with all the spices and sauces required. Just cook and serve with rice or roti.

6. Frozen Leftovers
When making meals that can be easily frozen, double up on quantity.  Freeze half the meal so when dinner is required, defrost and ta-da! A meal with no extra work. Our butter chicken recipe works quite well for this.
 
7. Pizza!
Thank you so much to a follower of this blog for the following tip - Keep frozen pizza bases on hand - the type with the cheese and tomato topping. These pizzas usually need 10 to 12 minutes of oven time. Enjoy as is or add any extra toppings (like yesterday's leftover chicken).

Next time you visit your local supermarket or butchery, take a few minutes to have a look at the semi-prepared meals on offer.  With a little inspiration and some planning ahead, working late does not have to mean eating take out.   Keep some easy 'go-to' meals in your freezer and there will always be another option.  What is your 'go-to' meal? E-mail your ideas to us, we will add them to the post!