Get fresh with fine food at a splash-out summer party…
Choose a Recipe:
- Pink Strawberry Lemonade
- Herbed Flatbread with Roasted Pepper and Cashew Nut Pesto
- Crispy Peppered Prawns
- Mojito Chicken Wraps with Coriander Lime Aïoli
- Summer Fruit Platter with Spiced Caramel Syrup
Pink Strawberry Lemonade
Makes 350ml syrup| EASY| 40 mins
- 300g castor sugar
- 3 lemons, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- 750ml (3 cups) fresh strawberries, stems removed
- 375ml (1 1/2cups) cold water
- still or sparkling water, to serve
- Place the sugar, lemons, orange and strawberries in a large saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to the boil, stirring frequently.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once cool, strain the syrup through a sieve.
- To serve, mix the syrup with either still or sparkling water, to your taste.
Herbed Flatbread with Roasted Pepper and Cashew Nut Pesto
Serves 6 | A LITTLE EFFORT | 50 mins
Pesto
- 3 red peppers, halved and seeded
- 125ml (1/2 cup) cashew nuts, roasted
- 2 garlic cloves, roasted and peeled
- 125ml (1/2cup) olive oil
- 2,5ml (1/2 tsp) fresh thyme, chopped
- 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 10ml (2 tsp) fresh lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Flatbread
- 500g cake flour
- 5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of salt
- 30ml (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for rubbing
- 250ml (1 cup) water
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh thyme,
- chopped Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
- fresh rocket, to serve
- For the pesto, preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the peppers skin-side down on a baking tray and bake until soft, about 20 – 30 minutes.
- Remove and leave to cool. Chop the cashews in a blender, then add the peppers and the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth and season. Add more oil if desired.
- For the bread, preheat the oven to 230°C. Mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Rub the oil into this mixture with your fingertips. Gradually mix in the water until the dough forms a ball. Knead until smooth, for about 5 minutes. Split the dough into 6 pieces.
- On a floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a flat disc about 5mm thick. Place on a greased baking tray. Rub each disc with olive oil and top with the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.
- Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- To serve, drizzle the pesto over the bread and garnish with rocket.
Crispy Peppered Prawns
Serves 6 | EASY | 30 mins | To drink: RK Riesling 2007
- 5 egg whites
- 60ml (1/4 cup) cake flour
- 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh chives
- chopped sunflower oil, for deep-frying
- 1kg whole prawns, deveined
- fresh dill, to serve
- lemon wedges, to serve
- Whisk the egg whites until white and frothy. Add the flour and mix until smooth. Mix in the olive oil, salt, pepper and chives. The mixture must be a thin, pouring consistency.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a deep saucepan. Test with a drop of batter – if it floats to the top and browns then the oil is ready.
- Hold a prawn by the tail and dip it in the batter to coat. Carefully drop it into the oil. Remove when golden brown and place on paper towel to drain. Repeat with all the prawns.
- Serve garnished with the dill and lemon wedges.
Mojito Chicken Wraps with Coriander Lime Aïoli and Marinated Sweet Peppers
Serves 8 | A LITTLE EFFORT | 20 mins plus overnight for marinating | To drink: Ken Forrester Gypsy 2005, a wine with tons of flavour.
Peppers
- 2 large red peppers, seeded
- 10ml (2 tsp) olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 30ml (2 tbsp) coriander seeds, crushed
- 1/2 lemon, sliced
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2,5ml (1/2 tsp) ground cumin
- 2,5ml (1/2 tsp) ground paprika
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Chicken
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 400g skinless chicken fillet, sliced into 1cm strips
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 10ml (2 tsp) fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 10ml (2 tsp) fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 100ml dark rum
- 10ml (2 tsp) fresh lemon juice
Aïoli
- 180ml mayonnaise
- 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 10ml (2 tsp) lime juice
- 8 tortillas
- fresh rocket, to serve
- Slice the peppers into 1cm strips and fry lightly in the oil until soft. Combine with the remaining ingredients and leave to marinate overnight.
- Dry-fry the onion until soft. Add the chicken, garlic and herbs and season. Fry until the chicken is half-cooked, for about 2 minutes, then add the rum and lemon juice and continue to cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- For the aïoli, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
- Arrange the chicken and peppers on the tortillas, drizzle with the aïoli, sprinkle with rocket, roll up, and serve.
Summer Fruit Platter with Spiced Caramel Syrup
Serves 6 – 8 | EASY | 10 mins
- 1kg sugar
- 300ml cold water
- 100ml liquid glucose
- 3 cinnamon sticks, plus extra for garnish
- 3 star anise
- 3 cardamom pods
- 300ml hot water
- summer fruits (melons, pineapples, guavas and berries), chopped
- Place the sugar, cold water, glucose and spices in a small saucepan over medium heat and slowly bring to the boil. Once the sugar has melted, reduce the heat and continue to simmer until the syrup turns golden and begins to caramelise.
- Remove from the heat and add the hot water, stirring in quickly. Set aside to cool.
- To serve, place the fruit in a dish, drizzle with the caramel syrup and garnish with extra cinnamon.
Karen Short is the owner of catering company By Word of Mouth. Services include event planning, tailor-made menus, up market hiring, floral design and an exquisite venue, Hazeldene Hall in Parktown. Call 011-544-1600 or visit www.bywordofmouth.co.za.
Text by Karen Short. Photographs by Vanessa Lewis. Styling by Johnny Hamman. Taken from the November 09 edition of Food and Home.
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