Biltong
When I was about 7 or 8, my dad decided it would be a lovely idea to introduce my brothers and I to something he had always had as a kid in South Africa- biltong. Biltong is basically a South African beef jerky which you see constantly in South Africa hanging against walls to dry in the sun. The flavor is considerably better than any american beef jerky as it's slightly vinegary and very nicely spiced. I would recommend trying this recipe but if you ever get the chance to go to South Africa, be sure to get a package of the biltong spices they sell there as well as try some of the real South African biltong. You may also want to check out this great biltong making site for other recipes and other opinions as to how to make it.
Beef (Preferably Silverside/London Broil)
Rock Salt, Coarse
Ground Black Pepper, Coarse
Ground Coriander
Vinegar (preferably Apple-Cider vinegar)
-Get some half-inch thick strips of beef, making sure it is cut with the grain. The pieces should be about 6 inches long. Liberally sprinkle rock-salt on each side of the pieces of meat and let them stand for an hour. The longer you let it stand the saltier it will become.
-After the hour, scrape off all the excess salt with a knife (don't soak it in water!). Then get some vinegar - preferably apple-cider vinegar, but any vinegar will do. Put some vinegar in a bowl and dip the strips of meat in the vinegar for a second or so - just so that the meat is covered in the vinegar. Hold the biltong up so that the excess vinegar drips off.
-Then sprinkle ground pepper and ground coriander over the meat on all sides. Once you have done this, the meat is ready to dry.
-Dry the biltong in a regular fruit drier until the meat is fairly hard but still a little moist inside- I don't recommend using the fan drying method as it's too easy to have your meat spoil. It make take a few batches to get your biltong to the right level of vinegar, spices and dryness you like but it is completely worth it- you'll never want to eat american beef jerky again.
Blueberry-stuffed French Toast
While staying in a bed and breakfast here in Calgary (no room at my house at the time), my grandmother ran into this wonderful breakfast recipe and just had to have it. It's wonderful for any kind of brunch as long as it's served particularly hot, with the warm sauce drizzled over top. This recipe is exceedingly rich and very filling. Especially wonderful during the Canadian blueberry season.
12 slices french loaf, cut into 1" cubes
2, 8-ounce packages cold cream cheese, cut into 1" cubes
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 dozen large eggs
1/3 c maple syrup
2 c milk
Sauce
1 c sugar
2 tbs cornstarch
1 c water
1 c fresh blueberries
1 tbs butter
-Arrange half the bread cubes in 13x9" glass baking dish. Scatter cream cheese over the bread and sprinkle blueberries over the cream cheese. Arrange the remaining bread cubes over the blueberries.
-In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, syrup and milk, and pour evenly over the bread mixture.
-Cover the dish with tinfoil and refridgerate overnight. In the morning, remove from the fridge and bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 30 minutes more or until puffed and golden.
Sauce
-In a small saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until mixture has thickened.
-Stir in the blueberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until berries have burst. Add butter and stir until melted.
-Serve hot over french toast.
Bobotie (South African Beef Pie)
One of my father's favorite recipes always was bobotie. Bobotie is a traditional South African dish which resembles meatloaf with a curry flavor. My father was born in South Africa and always made this dish on special occasions as it reminded him of home and everybody loved it. This recipe is a fairly weak recipe as it only calls for 2 tablespoons of curry but if you like curry and want to make it stronger, feel free to add more. Usually this recipe is best served with curried rice and a good mango chutney.
2 ounces butter
1 cup onions, thinly sliced
1 apple, peeled, diced
2 pounds chopped cooked beef
2 bread slices soaked in milk
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
6 bay leaves
1 egg
1/2 cup whole milk
-Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes, then add the apple dice and cook for another minute. Add the chopped beef and combine.
-Squeeze out the excess milk from the bread slices, then tear up and add to pot. Add the curry powder, raisins, almonds, lemon juice, egg, and turmeric, and stir well.
-Place mixture in a greased 9 x 13" baking dish. Place bay leaves vertically in the casserole. Bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes, then remove from the oven.
-Mix together the egg and milk, then pour it over the Bobotie. Bake for 15 more minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving as the leaf is poisonous.
Cheese Cauliflower
The ingredients to this recipe sound absolutely insane but it's been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. Apparently the recipe came into my family through my aunt who got it from friends of our family that were long ago lost. This cheese cauliflower is a wonderful recipe and absolutely great served with a nice roast, mashed potatoes and carrots (the traditional full family Sunday dinner for my family.)
1 medium head of cauliflower
1 part mustard
3 parts mayonnaise
Grated cheddar cheese
-Remove the leaves and stem of the cauliflower and boil, whole, in a large pot until tender. Place on an open glass dish and cool in fridge.
-Mix mustard with mayonnaise and spread over cooled cauliflower head completely. The mixture will taste funny when first mixed but it will change when cooked. Follow coating of mustard/mayonnaise mix with a thick layer of grated cheese stuck into the coating mixture.
-Bake in the oven at 350 x 730; f until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
Chicken Diable
Apparently this recipe is my grandmother's but I've never actually seen her make it. It just showed up in my recipe binder one day and I've been making it ever since. Very nice recipe- very hot and sweet.
2 1/2 lbs chicken (cut up or breasts)
4 tbsp butter
1/2 c honey
1/4 prepared mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder
-Place chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.
-Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes, then pour over chicken.
-Bake for 60 minutes uncovered, basting occasionally.
Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice Stuffing
Before I was born, my mom and dad used to love to entertain. Traditionally, when my mom really wanted to make a good dinner, she'd make this recipe.
Stuffing
1/3 c chopped onion
1/4 c butter
1 c fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 lb. sausage meat
3 c wild rice
1 tsp salt
-Brown onions in butter, add mushrooms.
-Fry sausage until lightly brown.
-Cook rice partially and add to the above.
-Season with salt and sage or poultry seasoning.
-Stuff hens and tie with string or fasten with skewers.
-Roast 1/2 hour per pound.
Ebilskivers (Danish Popovers)
This recipe has been in my family since before anyone can remember , as my mom's grandmother's side of the family was originally from Norway, and Finland before that. My great-grandmother passed this recipe to my mother, as well as her wonderful cast iron ebilskiver pan (the only one I've ever seen.) Ebilskivers are basically little breakfast pasterie that look sort of like donut holes but aren't sweet. They're almost like a really heavy but small bread roll and are wonderful if you want to add bacon or cheese (or roll in powdered sugar) and are best served with butter and jam for brunch. They are certainly unusual as I've never been able to find another recipe.
6 eggs
1 tsp sugar
1 c milk
5 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c flour
-Separate eggs, beat yolks well, add sugar and milk, then dry ingredients. Add stiffly beaten egg whites.
-Bake at 350 x 730; f in mini muffin tins which have been oiled or in traditional ebilskiver pan until golden brown.
Frog Eye Salad (Fruit and Pasta Salad)
This recipe is a favorite of my boyfriend's, southern boy that he is. As far as I know, it's something from when he was young that he loved and now loves to take to parties when asked as it's easy and it feeds around 25 people (less if there are children around.)
1 c sugar
2 tsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 c pineapple juice
2 egg, beaten
1 tb lemon juice
3 qrts water
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cooking oil
1 package Acini de Pepe (A type of pasta)
3 cans mandarin oranges (11 ounce each), drained
2 cans crushed pineapple (20 ounce each), drained
1 carton Cool Whip (12 ounce)
-Combine sugar, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually stir in pineapple juice and eggs. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until thickened. Add lemon juice. Cool mixture to room temperature.
-Bring water, 2 teaspoons salt, and oil to boil. Add Acini de Pepe. Cook at a rolling boil until Acini de Pepe is done. Drain and rinse with water, drain again and cool to room temperature. Combine egg mixture and Acini de Pepe, mix lightly but thoroughly.
-Refrigerate overnight, in an air tight container. Add remaining ingredients, mix lightly, but thoroughly. Chill. Salad may be refrigerated as long as a week in air tight container.
Ginger Beef
This recipe is another one of my home economics favorites, a recipe for the Canadian-Chinese ginger beef. If you're a chicken like myself and don't like touching raw meat or dipping it in egg (even worse than raw meat is raw meat covered with egg), feel free to use a fork. There's also the alternative of using a handy best friend who doesn't mind raw meat (Erin...) If you intend to throw the rest of your egg down the sink (that is, if you don't use it all), make sure to rinse it as it can sometimes masquerade as a dishrag if you're not watching it...
Beef
Steak
1 small egg, well beaten
1/8 c cornstarch
1/8 c oil
2 tbsp chopped red pepper
Small amount of carrot
Sauce
2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tsp soya sauce
1 tbsp vinegar (red rice or white)
1 tbsp corn starch
1/2 c water
1/8 c sugar
Beef
-Slice partially frozen steak into strips. Dip each piece into egg, followed by cornstarch and set aside.
-Chop red pepper and thinly slice or grate carrot and set aside.
-Heat oil in frying pan and fry steak until crisp. Place on paper towel to drain.
-Rinse pan and return meat to pan, adding carrots, red pepper and sauce.
Sauce
-In small sauce pan, lightly saute garlic and ginger in a small amount of oil.
-In a small bowl, combine remaining sauce ingredients. Add to sauteed garlic and ginger and cook over low to medium head until thickened.
Lemon Curd
This is a lovely recipe which is from my friend Erin's grandmother, Millie Cameron. Erin, to me, is pretty much part of my family and her grandmother was a wonderful woman, so I think it's appropriate to include her recipe for something Erin loves. This recipe is great to make lemon tarts with or to use for a pie (double the recipe), and could even be used on toast.
2 large eggs
1 c sugar
1/3 c lemon juice
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
1/4 c butter
-Combine all ingredients in the top of a double boiler or a heat-proof mixing bowl and put over boiling water.
-Cook slowly, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
-Cool stirring occasionally, before filling tart shells.
Stuffed Pasta Shells
This is a recipe from my 9th grade home economics days. It's a great mexican dish that has been used for many gatherings and I'll probably continue to use for years. Make sure to have some sour cream on hand when you make it, as well as a good green salad.
1 box uncooked pasta shells (approx. 27-28)
1 medium onion
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup taco sauce (or salsa)
Cooking spray
1/4 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Colby-Montrey Jack cheese
1/2 cup crushed corn chips
-Boil pasta shells, cooking until tender. Drain.
-Peel and chop onion, then cook with ground beef in a skillet until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat.
-Stir the chili powder, cream cheese, and 1/4 cup salsa or taco sauce into the beef in the skillet. Head over medium-low, stirring occasionally until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.
-Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray square pan with cooking spray.
-Drain the pasta shells and fill the shells with beef mixture (approx. 2 tablespoons per shell.) Place filled shells in the sprayed pan and pour 1/2 cup of salsa over top.
-Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cover top of pasta shells with cheese and corn chips. Bake uncovered for approximately 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
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