Starters Archives | Chef Tjaart

Tomato Gazpacho

TOMATO GAZPACHO

This is so refreshing, add chilli for a little zing!

Ingredients

8 whole tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 cucumber, peeled and de skinned

8 tsp chopped herbs, basil, parsly, oregano

2 garlic cloves

1 shallot of baby onion, peeled and roughly chopped

Method

Place all the ingredients in a liquidiser and blend
Season to taste
Place into a container and refrigerate, preferably over night to develop the flavours and settle the colour as it will be a light pink from the aeration

Peach and Parma Ham Canape

Seasonal and quality ingredients simply fused!

Makes 12

Ingredients

3 peaches

6 slices Parma ham

12 basil leaves

Method

Run a knife around the peach stone and split open the peach
Run the knife around the half that has the stone/pip, twist and remove the stone
Halve the other half of the peach

Carefully tear the Parma ham slices in half and fold in the sides to create uniform edge
Place the Parma ham slice on a board, lengthways away from you
Then place a piece of peach on top and roll the ham around the peach
Cover the end with a basil leaf and secure with a bamboo skewer or tooth pick
Repeat the process until complete
Drizzle with extra virgin oil and season just before serving

Bircher Muesli

Breakfast with a little thought is worth the effort!

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 pink lady apples, unpeeled, cored and grated

180 g rolled oats

2 cups Full cream Greek yoghurt

200 ml apple juice no added sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp chopped walnuts

1/4 cup coconut flakes

4 fresh figs

4 tbsp pistachios, toasted

50 g pomegranate seeds

Method

Place in a large mixing bowl the apple, oats, yoghurt, apple juice, and cinnamon

Cover and refrigerate overnight

Take out the Bircher muesli half an hour before you want serve it
Add the walnuts and mix through
Divide the muesli among 4 bowls
Sprinkle the coconut flakes on top
Top with a fig cut into quarters but not all the way through
Garnish with the pistachios and pomegranate seeds

Beetroot Gazpacho

Fresh, zingy, for healthy living and great visual appeal!

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 medium beetroots, grated

½ cucumber, cubed

50 ml cream

Sea salt and black pepper

¼ cucumber, deseeded and diced

4 radishes, diced

Method

Place the beetroot, cucumber and cream into a liquidizer and blend
Adding water to adjust the thickness of the gazpacho
Season with sea salt and pepper, liquidize and check seasoning

Pour the soup into a jug, cover and refrigerate until needed

Pour the soup into your serving glasses carefully
Garnish with the diced cucumber and radish

Wild Rocket Salad

A simple yet gorgeous salad to rustle up for the weekend!

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 handful’s wild rocket, washed and dried

½ red onion

80 g feta cheese

3 tbsp pomegranate seeds

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

Method

Place the rocket into your serving bowl
Slice the onion and scatter over the top
Crumble the feta over the salad

Whisk the olive oil and dried oregano in a small mixing bowl
Dress the salad with a tablespoon
Garnish with pomegranate seeds

Chicory Salad with Pear and Walnuts

This really is a simple salad that evokes big flavour!

Ingredients for the salad

10 Chicory heart’s, leave peeled away from the core

1 pear, ripe but firm, halved, core removed and finely sliced

100 g walnuts

1 stick celery, finely sliced

1 tbsp chives, finely chopped

100 g Roquefort cheese

Ingredients for the dressing

50 g Roquefort cheese

2 tbsp sour cream

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 pinch black pepper

Method to make the dressing

Pass the Roquefort cheese through a sieve using the back of a spoon

Add the sour cream and combine until smooth

Whisk in the olive oil and white wine vinegar slowly

Season with black pepper and taste, adding more if necessary

Method to assemble the salad

Place the chicory in a large bowl and pour over the dressing

Toss to coat the leaves carefully and then place on a large flat platter

Add the slices of pear and celery on top

Crumble the walnuts, then the Roquefort cheese over the top

Finish with the chives

Stuffed Sweet potatoes

Comfort food, even when they are cold!

Ingredients

4 large, orange fleshed sweet potatoes

3 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped

80 g soft feta

60 g butter

4 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp chives, snipped

Sea salt and black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Wash the sweet potatoes, scrubbing them well to remove any dirt
With a fork, prick the sweet potatoes all over and place on a baking tray
Bake for about 35 – 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted goes into the center easily
Remove and allow to cool

Slice the sweet potatoes lengthways down the center
Scoop out the flesh and place in a mixing bowl
Add the walnuts, feta, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and season generously
Mix gently but thoroughly together
Taste and adjust the seasoning

Stuff the sweet potatoes back with the mixture
Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly
Garnish with fresh chives

Onion Bhaji

A deliciously scrumptious snack that has an incredible balance of spices and fruitiness.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4               onions, sliced
20g           Vegetable Oil
1                Lemon (Juiced)
2 cloves   garlic
1 knob      Ginger

Batter

150g            Gram flour
250g           Water
½ tsp         Tumeric
1 ½ tsp      Chat Masala
1 tsp           Salt
½ tsp        Chilli powder
½ tsp        Cinnamon powder
1 tsp          Cumin powder
1 tsp          Corriander powder
1 tsp          Fenugreek powder

Method

Place the vegetable oil into a non-stick pan.
When the oil is hot, add the onions and toss for 2 minutes.
Then add 1 pinch of all the spices evenly from the batter ingredients.
Now add all the garlic and ginger and stir together.
Add the lemon juice and finally stir.
Now just remove the pan from the stove and allow to cool.
To make the batter, pass the gram flour through a sieve.
Then whisk the water and the rest of the spices together with the flour.
Finally batter the onion in clumps, deep fry for under 2 – 4 minutes at 180c until crisp and golden.
Before serving add lemon juice

Sweet Curry Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp        vegetable oil
1                onion, finely chopped
2                tomatoes, finely chopped
2 cloves     garlic, finely sliced
1 knob       ginger, finely chopped
½ tsp        fennel seeds
1 tsp          coriander powder
1 tsp          cumin powder
½ tsp        turmeric
1 tsp          madras curry powder
½ tsp       chilli powder
1 tsp          salt
½ tp         cinnamon powder
4                cardamom pods
2 tbsp        sour cream
2 tbsp        sultanas finely chopped
½ tsp         paprika
½ handful fresh chopped coriander
100ml         water

Method

Place oil into a thick-based pan.
When hot add onions and stir until light brown.
Now add the ginger and garlic and stir for a further 5 minutes(don’t burn).
Then add the tomatoes and stir for another 3 minutes.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients, and slowly stir in the water. Simmer on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
Finally add the sour cream, and fresh coriander.

Twice Baked Cheese Soufflé

This is a light and fluffy ball of cheesiness.
Amazeballs!

Ingredients

85g           strong cheese
30g           butter
30g           flour
125ml       milk
1 pinch     cayenne pepper
1                egg yolk
6                egg whites Salt to taste

To line the moulds:

1 handful breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp hazelnuts (optional)

Method

Transfer to a bowl, whisk in the egg yolk and set aside.
Remove from the heat, add the cheese and whisk until smooth.
Return to the heat and bring to the boil, whisking constantly.
Whisk the milk into this mixture, making sure that you have no lumps.
Melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux.
Preheat your oven to 190°C.
Lightly butter the inside of the ramekins and line with the hazelnuts and breadcrumbs. Set aside and if not using immediately, refrigerate.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Be sure not to take them any further as they will become grainy and spoil your soufflé.
Season the béchamel well with salt and cayenne pepper.
With a spatula, mix in a third of the beaten egg whites.
Gently fold in the remaining two thirds.
Fill the lined ramekins with the soufflé mixture one third of the way up
Then place a diced piece of cheese or blue cheese in the centre. (optional)
Cover with the remaining mixture and smooth the surface with a pallet knife.
Line a suitable bain-marie with paper. Place the ramekins in the tray and very carefully pour in boiling water to reach two thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
Place this tray onto the heat and bring back to the boil, then place into the oven and bake for 10 – 12 minutes.

Once golden and baked, take the moulds out of the water and leave to cool for 1 minute before turning the souffles out onto a tray lined with the breadcrumb.