Tag Archives: butternut

Ready Steady Cook!

readysteadycook

I enjoyed taking part in the first instalment of the Ready Steady Cook! challenge so much that when I found out Tandy was hosting the second instalment I signed up immediately. The premise of the challenge, like the TV show that inspired it, is that each contestant is given a mystery bag (list) of seven ingredients along with a pantry full of staples with which they are to create a three course meal. My list was supplied by Jessica from Tiny Oven Adventures.

    • Sweetcorn
    • Red Onions
    • Bacon
    • Butternut
    • Plums
    • Exotic Mushrooms
    • Any cheese you choose

Here is what I made.

Sweetcorn fritters
Starter: Sweetcorn Fritters

Based on this recipe, I used the sweetcorn from my list, cornflour and coconut oil to make these crispy fritters. I mixed a tin of cream style sweetcorn with four heaped tablespoons of cornflour. Once thoroughly mixed I shallow fried spoonfuls of the mixture for a few minutes on each side until golden and crispy.

Stuffed Butternut

Main Course: Stuffed Butternut

For my main course I chose to make stuffed butternut. I removed the seeds from the bowls of two small butternuts and filled the cavities with roughly chopped red onion, bacon lardons, the cubed flesh from the butternut stems, shimeji mushrooms and some fresh thyme (from the pantry). I then baked them covered in foil for an hour at 180°C. Removing the foil after forty minutes and placing a slice of chevin cheese on top of each butternut to melt into the filling.

Plum Tarts

Dessert: Plum Tarts

For dessert I chose to make plum tarts based on this recipe. I cheated a bit here by using ready made puff pastry instead of using the pantry ingredients flour and butter to make my own. I cut squares out of the pastry, folded the edges in using a little water to help stick them down and then arranged slices of yellow and red plums on top. I brushed the tarts with a diluted honey (from the pantry) mixture before baking at 200°C for twenty minutes. I glazed them with the remainder of the honey mixture while they cooled.



#418 – Butternut and Feta Couscous Salad Lunch

#418 - Butternut and Feta Couscous Salad

You may have noticed the last few lunches I’ve posted have all had couscous in them, it’s quite the staple in my kitchen and often comes to the rescue when I’m too lazy to cook rice or other starch to round out a meal.  Today’s lunch also contains couscous, surprise surprise, in one of my favourite lunch box additions.  This salad (containing couscous, butternut, feta cheese, dukkah and rocket) is really easy to throw together and always pleases.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Butternut and feta couscous salad,
  • hummus topped with some harrief from Oded’s Kitchen,
  • cucumber sticks and
  • some baby tomatoes.
Harrief

#417 – Chicken and Mushroom Lunch

#417 - Chicken and Mushroom

Today’s Lunch:

  • Chicken and mushrooms in a creamy sauce,
  • butternut,
  • pattypan squash,
  • broccoli and
  • couscous

#406 – Grilled Pork Chop Lunch

#406 - Grilled Pork Chop

I received a bottle of lemon olive oil cranberry balsamic reduction pomegranate splash made by Verlaque in my goodie bag from the SA Food Bloggers Conference. For something a little different I used the splash to marinate a few pork chops before adding some freshly ground black pepper and grilling in the oven.  The lemon and other fruit flavours lend a tangy punch to the chops, definitely a meal I’ll repeat in the near future.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Grilled pork chop (deboned and cut into strips),
  • roasted butternut,
  • cucumber and radish salad,
  • broccoli and
  • some pineapple.