The way to a man's heart ...

The Menu

Fresh green asparagus wrapped in Parma Ham

 

Fillet steak with a peppercorn and honey liqueur sauce served with Perla Potatoes coated in rocket, cashew nuts and parmesan and a green salad

Round off with a good red wine and Magnum ice creams ...

This menu requires a mix of homemade and store-bought products and takes less than an hour to put together. It is perfect combination whether you are entertaining or having a romantic night in (and the pepper sauce is especially good).

For the starter, wrap fresh asparagus spears in parma ham and bake for 6 minutes in an oven at 180 degrees.

For the pepper sauce: chop onion and garlic very finely and fry in a little oil. Add two - three heaped teaspoons of green peppercorns in brine, a heaped teaspoon of ground black pepper (or two) and a little salt. Add in a tablespoon of honey liqueur (sherry or port will also be good). Finally add 300ml of fresh cream and simmer for a good 7 - 10 minutes on a very low heat. Keep stirring.

Boil potatoes and add in the ready-made rocket, cashew nut and parmesan (or pesto). Serve with a green salad.

Fry good fillet steak using Ina Paarman's Braai and Grill Seasoning.

Tara-Lynn's Wraps

My fellow foodie, Tara-Lynn (pictured left) prepared one of her favourites for us on Saturday evening: Chicken, Mushroom and Sweet Chilli wraps. I got to drink a glass of red wine while she took over and whipped up a great supper.

Recipe: Bake crumbed chicken breasts at 180 degrees for 12 - 14 minutes. Fry chopped mushrooms, onion, green pepper and garlic in a little oil. Set aside. Mix together 250ml sour cream and 80 - 100ml sweet chilli sauce (taste test to check ratios). Chop up cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce. Heat the wraps in the microwave for 30 seconds, spread with sweet chilli/sour cream mix, spread with some pesto and add the onion/mushroom and chicken. Add the salds mix and then another dollop of the sour cream/sweet chilli mix. Wrap and serve!

Potato, Leek and Kohlrabi Soup

This exquisite soup has become a new favourite made with the freshest ingredients and served with a splash of tabasco sauce to add some zing. Our dear friends Jenny and Erika provided most of the ingredients for this soup straight from their garden including onions, leeks and kohlrabi (german turnip - see photo below).
Method: lightly fry a chopped small onion and three leeks in a large pot until soft in a tablespoon of butter  (remember to wash the leeks throughly as they may be gritty). Add 4 - 5 medium potatoes and 1 large kohlrabi, season with salt and pepper. Add 4 cups of good (real) chicken stock. Cook for 45 minutes before adding half a cup of cream and blending. Once served, add a splash of tobasco sauce and serve with warm ciabatta bread. So unbelievably good!