Avocado Pear with Cheese and Pangrattato

Avocado Pear with Cheese and Pangrattato

Pangrattato:
15ml olive oil
15ml butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
125ml panko breadcrumbs
30ml thyme leaves
60ml cashew nuts, chopped

2 avocado pears
60ml cream cheese, room temperature
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, seeds scooped out and cut into small cubes
250ml grated cheddar cheese
balsamic vinegar reduction

foil nests to rest the halved avocado pears in while baking

For the pangrattato:
Add the oil and butter to a frying pan set over medium heat and allow the butter to melt.
Fry the garlic for 1 minute while stirring.
Add the breadcrumbs, thyme and nuts and stir around in the pan until toasted and golden.
Take the mixture off the heat, spoon it into a bowl and allow to cool.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Prepare foil baking nests for the avocado pear by scrunching strips of aluminium foil into circular shapes where the avocado can rest without tilting. Be careful not to cut your hands!!!
Place the nests on a baking tray.
Cut the avocado pears in half and remove the stone.
Place each half on an aluminium nest and spoon 15ml cream cheese into the hollow.
Mix the chopped onion, tomato and cheddar cheese and divide the mixture in four equal portions. Pile the mixture onto the avocado halves.
Place the baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes or until the avocado is warmed throughout and the cheese has melted.
Spoon a generous amount of pangrattato onto each avocado portion.
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction and serve slightly warm.

Frittata with Potato Crisps

Frittata with Potato Crisps

8 eggs
62ml sour cream
200g roasted red peppers (store bought or home made)
45ml thyme leaves
140 potato crisps (chacalaka/tomato sauce/cheese and onion)
30ml butter
50-100g goats cheese

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the sour cream, season the mixture with salt and pepper and whisk again.
Chop the roasted peppers into chunks and add to the egg mixture.
Add the thyme leaves and all of the potato chips.
Mix everything together with a spatula.
Place an ovenproof frying pan on medium heat, add the butter and wait for it to melt.
Add the frittata mixture to the pan and stir around for a few minutes, lightly scraping the bottom of the pan.
Spread the ingredients evenly with the spatula and place the pan in the oven.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the frittata is set.
Dot the goats cheese on the frittata’s surface and serve warm with a side salad.

Tripe

Tripe

Tripe is eaten all over the world but in South Africa it is often served as a curry. Also known as Mogodu or Afval, one is often surprised at the popularity of this traditional dish.

1kg tripe, cleaned
coarse salt
5 litres water
15ml curry powder
10ml ginger powder
15ml turmeric powder
10ml sugar
5ml salt
1 bay leaf
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Put the clean tripe into a large bowl and sprinkle liberally with coarse salt.
Add about half the water and leave to soak for an hour.
Rinse the tripe under running water.
Cut into bite-sized pieces and place in a large saucepan.
Add the remaining water and a tablespoon salt.
Bring the tripe to a boil and simmer for about 3 hours, until tender.
Remove the tripe from the water and set aside.
Pour enough oil into a medium saucepan to cover the bottom.
Add the curry powder, ginger, turmeric, sugar, salt and bay leaf and cook on a low heat for a minute or two.
Add the tripe pieces and stir-fry until the tripe is covered in the spices.
Add the potato chunks and pour enough water into the saucepan to cover the tripe and potato.
Cook on a low simmer for about 40 minutes.
Serve the tripe on rice or a starch of your choice.