Prawn, Chilli, Asparagus and Lime Risotto

I've been immensely inspired by a teacher of mine. The sort of teacher who isn't only concerned about what happens in the classroom but is a believer in the University of Life.

Teachers like these are rare. They have a unique way of expressing knowledge and wisdom so that students find themselves holding onto every word in absolute awe. Great teachers inspire their students, change mindsets and provoke actionable behaviour. I feel I have really learnt, beyond classroom learning as I apply these skills in real life.

This recipe is in honor of David Priilaid: navigator in Entrepreneurship Strategies.

I decided to adapt an old favourite risotto recipe and turn it into something witty and exciting. And with this cold spell hitting Cape Town, its a great one to try...

The recipe serves four, and cooking time is about 30 minutes. Let me know what you think :)



What you'll need:

• 400ml vegetable stock (I love NoMu's stocks) 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red chilli 
• 2 leeks, washed and finally sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 350g arborio rice
• 200ml decent white wine
• About 15 asparagus spears, trimmed
• 12 - 16 prawns, shells and veins removed
• Juice of a lime
• 1/4 cup of good parmesan cheese 
• 100g goats cheese
• Parsley

What to do:

1. Heat the stock and place in a jug. Heat the oil and butter in a medium sized pot over a medium heat, and fry the onions and chilli for 3 - 4 minutes. When almost soft, add the garlic and leeks, and saute for 5 minutes. Set aside. 
2. Add the rice, turn up the heat, and stir until rice is translucent. 
3. Add the wine, allow to just evaporate. Add stock ladle by ladle, stirring continuously and allowing each addition to absorb before adding the next. 
4. Meanwhile, cook the asparagus spears in a pot of boiling water for about 4 minutes until just tender. Set aside. 
5. After about 20 minutes, when the stock has been absorbed, add the sauted onions, asparagus, lemon juice, parmesan and goats cheese. Stir gently and season with salt and pepper. 
6. Quickly heat a large frying pan over high heat and sear prawns in olive oil, on both sides until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. Pour remaining lemon juice over prawns.
7. Spoon risotto in pasta bowls and top with prawns and a drizzle of olive oil. Top with parsley.

Enjoy! 

Happy Food. Happy Photo's. Happy Life. 

I'm going to share with you some of my food indulgences on my recent trip to the South of France, in the area La Belle Plagne, as well as in Paris. This is the adventure of my boyfriend, Michael and myself. After eating and drinking our way through France, I find myself truly inspired and with more energy than ever!

You wont believe the cheese in the South of France when I tell you its the best cheese I have ever eaten! It made me realize how tasteless and synthetic our cheeses are in South Africa ( I'm talking about our every day cheeses, like cheddar). My favorite cheese that I sliced into my fresh croissants (with a strong french accent) in the morning and ate as a snack with torn off pieces of local baguette and cured meats, was the delicious French cousin of the swiss Gruyere cheese - Comte. This is found in the Franche Comte region of eastern France, where all the milk comes from cows grazing at at least 400 meters altitude. Comte is manufactured collectively village by village with the production method having changed little in hundreds of years.

Another great traditional French meal is the Raclette. This is where the Raclette cheese is melted and eaten with roasted potatoes, small gherkins and pickled onions and cooked over a Raclette grill. We slightly adapted ours and added red peppers, onions and more cured meats. What a treat to indulge in so much cheese without a touch a guilt, really, how often are you in France?!

We were in the area La Belle Plagne, staying with my boyfriend's family, and were there for 10 days to hit the slopes in the April season, where the snow was still great! Everyday we spent lunch on the slopes and sat on the deck absorbing the warm sun. You've got to try a Vin Chaud ( hot wine ), it has a very spicy, citrus and aromatic flavour, and does the job of keeping you warm.

How is this for a carbonara? You can just imagine how it tastes. The fresh pasta just makes the world of difference. Great presentation with the raw egg that you pour over yourself. Thats one way to impress your guests at a dinner party. 

Most nights we cooked at home in the apartment which proved great fun when going to the one and only little grocery store in the village for sourcing foreign ingredients. This is me below with a toad in the hole dish we cooked one night. I didn't expect it to rise quite so high, maybe the altitude has an effect?

We skiied over to Italy one day and had lunch at a gorgeous local Italian spot. For starters we had a platter of assorted cured meats, marinated artichokes and brinjal, pickled onions and amazing bread to dip into Italian olive oil. I was in my element. Below is me feasting on a mouthful of tiramisu and its nothing like the tiramusu we're used to at home. Its light, creamy and heavenly decadent. Facial expressions say it all :) 

Have you ever eaten a pizza with an egg cracked on top? Its actually great! Try it next time.

After spending our 10 days skiing in La Plagne, we took the train to Paris early in the morning. Paris is the most spectacular city. I felt my eyes couldn't absorb enough of its beauty. How sophisticated the French are, and I love hearing the beautiful language being spoken. Below is Mike at a cafe called St Regis. He ate a perfectly cooked simple pasta dish, while I ate my first french onion soup of the trip and had a caesar salad. The onion soup had a rich onion flavour which I dipped pieces of baguette into :)

Angelina's is a must see when you're next in Paris. Basically the hot chocolate is melted chocolate in a cup. It is incredibly rich, and instead of giving you milk to add, they give you wipped cream!! This is only for extreme sweet tooth lovers. 

As part of my birthday present from Mike, we did a course at Le Cordon Bleu in paris! It was the most amazing experience to be in the prestigious kitchens and be taught by the top chefs of the world. The chef could not utter a word of English to my delight as I just loved hearing him speak, so we had a translator. The class was filled with people from all over the world that were as foreign to Paris as we were.

Our workshop was called Appetizers in a glass. And this is what we cooked...

• Jumbo shrimp with fresh goats cheese and red pimento gazpacho served in a glass.
• Calamari and whelk kaffir lime and coconut, green asparagus puree served in a glass. 
• Cucumber jelly flavoured with rose, chicken with sate served in a glass.

Immaculate and professional kitchens of the Cordon Bleu.

Jumbo shrimp with fresh goats cheese and red pimento gazpacho served in a glass

Myself and Chef Daniel Codevelle

There are so many more pictures and stories to share and tell, but unfortunately thats for another day. I have work demanding my attention!

Until next time :) 

Happy Food. Happy photo's. Happy Life. 

Future Life vs. Pro Nutro

Pro Nutro cereal is a classic, and has formed the part of many childhoods in South Africa. Its what many South Africans who immigrate elsewhere, miss the most alongside other classics.

Pro Nutro claims it contains all the essential vitamins and minerals needed to give you sustained energy and a healthy balanced diet. It is high in carbohydrates to give you energy, high in fibre for a healthy digestive system, cholesterol free and free from trans fats.

The legend says that Pro Nutro was once developed as a food source for the black people in South Africa during the old Apartheid regime, to prevent malnutrition. Pro Nutro consisted of all the essential dairy requirements and formed a meal in its self. When it was first launched the people did not like the taste and the product didn't sell. However, after modifying the recipe for taste purposes and broadening the target market to the greater public, it began its road to great success.

However, much debate can be seen on online forums about the use of Genetically modified (GM) maize and soya seen in Pro Nutro cereals. The cereal box does not state any use of GM ingredients. Because we have not yet discovered the effects of GM foods on our bodies, much concern is raised over our health and safety. Pro Nutro should be allowing consumers to choose if they want to consume GM foods or not. However, GM foods can be seen in most foods these days and has been hugely successful in feeding the world's poorer that would have lead many to starvation. What do you think?

Also to note, Pro Nutro is not halaal which turns away a now rather big proportion of the South African market. Although I don't know how far this is taken.

My love for Pro Nutro is currently under great threat from a new competitor on the market.... Future Life!

This morning I found myself dashing into the Umhloti spar still in my pajamas because we had run out of Future Life at home! It is quite astonishing how Future Life has acclaimed such strong brand presence and positioning in the market in such a short period. The fact that it is now competing with such a classic like Pro Nutro, proves in its winning formula and unique benefits. 

For those who aren't familiar with the brand, Future Life is an energy and immune boosting cereal that forms part of a healthy balanced diet. Future Life is South Africa's first and only low GI cereal to contain clinically tested MODUCARE, and has 23 vitamins and mineral, 29 amino acids and even Omega 3 and 6!

Taken directly from their home page:

"It is perfect for athletes of all levels and for high performance sports such as triathlon, cycling, marathons, surfing, swimming and rugby. The low GI means sustained energy release over an extended period of time and the vitamins and minerals ensure that your body stays strong while its under stress or challenging conditions. Future Life is also ideal for children, business executives on the go, diabetes and other medical conditions, and for all round healthy living for the whole family."

The fact that Future Life only needs to be added with water proves to be one of its best selling points. This makes the cereal easy to travel with and very convenient. The brand is also aligned with consumer interests of healthy eating, daily exercise and a balanced diet. Its also great as a healthy snack in between meals.

But my question is: Since Future Life cereal was initially used as a all-in-one-meal for AIDS patients, is Future Life Fattening for those of us who don't partake in intense daily exercise? 

From reading a few articles about Future Life, I've come to the realization that Future Life is a great source of low GI energy that helps keep you full for longer hours. Therefore it is good to eat it before exercise or when you feel you need that extra boost in the morning for sustained energy levels. However, I do believe that for someone like my self, a non-athlete, should not consume Future Life in excessive amounts but rather every odd day.

Too much Future Life can lead to weight gain, unless you are Patrick Lambie (rugby player) who has 4 bowls a day apparently :)

To compare between the two cereals, below is a basic table of the nutritional information highlighting the differences.

It is therefore obvious that Future Life is higher in Energy, Protein, Total fat and falling just behind on Total Fibre where Pro Nutro takes the lead. However it is important to note that the Pro Nutro used for this purpose is the Wholewheat Pro Nutro which is higher in fibre. But will this sway even the most loyal Pro Nutro fan?

Im afraid I am one of those Pro Nutro fans who have now turned to Future Life for my daily breakfast. Its not only the delicious flavour that attracts me but the fact that it gives me sustained energy in the morning and keeps me full for longer. I have now hooked a lot of my friends and find myself marketing the product without trying!

Happy Food. Happy Photo's. Happy Life.