Smoked Chicken, Pancetta and Leek Pie

We love chicken pie (who doesn’t?). Whether it’s Kotopita (Greek pie in filo pastry) . B’stilla (Moroccan pie with cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and saffron) or a good old South African chicken pie with hard boiled eggs and sago.

We decided to put a twist on the traditional South African version by making it with smoked chicken, pancetta and leeks.

My Favourite Low Carb Bread

For most people following a low carb diet bread is usually the most difficult food to give up. After all it is delicious and super convenient.

Since we started eating a bit more low carb a couple of years ago I’ve tried countless low carb bread recipes.  Almond flour is too expensive and I don’t like the taste of coconut flour in a savoury bread.  Grinding up linseeds and sunflower seeds became my preferred low carb “flour”.

Chinese Red Cooked Beef

A visit to the  Asian grocery store in Milnerton’s China Town inspired me to try and cook an authentic Chinese Red Cooked Beef  dish for date night.  We do not eat Chinese food that often – the American Chinese versions of chow mein and chop suey that you get in most Chinese restaurants here does not appeal to us.  As is often the case, if you want to get close to any authentic ethnic cuisine you have to cook it yourself.

Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives

I decided to cook Moroccan food for date night last week as my preserved lemons were a month old and  finally ready to use.  I love Paul Wolfert’s recipes so decided to make her Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives for our Moroccan date night.

This is a classic traditional Moroccan tagine recipe.  I won’t call my effort a tagine though as I did not cook it in a tagine pot.  Every time I pass Le Creuset I want to buy one but then I hear the “but how often will you use it” voice in my head.

Steak with a Braciole style filling and Gremolata

We recently had the in-laws over for an 8 course Italian style dinner to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.  I originally wanted to cook Braciole (a type of roulade) as a main course.  I made Braciole 3 Ways (with 3 different fillings) last year and it was delicious.   Adrienne really wanted to braai.  We compromised and went for a South African/Italian style fusion dish by cooking a rump steak with a braciole style filling  over the coals.