Red wine jus

Red wine reduction/jus

(Quick and simple)

This sauce is simply delicious with red meat and roast vegetables. Very easy to make too!

Ingredients 

(for two servings)

1 cup Red wine 

2 bay leaves

1 shallot - large

2 cloves of garlic 

1 tsp thyme

50 grams butter 

Instructions

Melt the butter and simmer the finally chopped shallot and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the red wine, bay leaves and thyme and simmer until the shallots have soaked up two thirds of the moisture and wala! 

Butter Beans & Chorizo

I've never known how to go about cooking beans before, but I was inspired by a breakfast I had in Auckland at Andiamo, who make the best Bloody Mary's I have ever had ~ This concoction is my interpretation of this for dinner.

Ingredients

2 cans of butter beans

2 cans of tomatoes 

1 large onion

4 cloves of garlic

thyme

200 grams of chorizo 

olive oil

pepper and salt

100 grams parmesan

pinch of smoked paprika.

Instructions

It is extremely simple really, basically all you need to do is stir fry the onion, garlic, chorizo and thyme, then add the canned beans and stir fry for 3 - 5 minutes.

Add canned tomatoes, smoked paprika, pepper and salt, and simmer. Serve with steamed broccoli and toasted garlic pita bread, with parmesan on top.

Nuts and dried fruit in Morocco

The Marrakesh markets sell the best! Also, their fresh squeezed juices are to die for! 

P.S The guy below tried to buy me for 40 camels!

Wall Street Wanderluster: Why I Travel

Fantastic read and so inspiring!
Wall Street Wanderluster: Why I Travel: “Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a su...

A spanish twist on Tomato soup

Penny's Spanish Tom soup

One might say I have a mild obsession with spanish and italian food - I concur! There is nothing more scrumptious than the simple combination of garlic and tomatoes; and that's just the beginning...

Warm the heart and soul this winter with my delicious tomato soup!

Ingredients 

(I'm not much of a measurer - prefer to wing it)

6 fresh tomatoes (preferably on the vine)

3 cans of tomatoes

2 handfuls of fresh basil

2 onions

6 garlic cloves (to your preference - I'm a fan)

4 sticks of celery

2 carrots

1 tsp smoked paprika

Olive oil

250g of sour cream (or not - depends how naughty you want to be)

200g chorizo

1 litre of vegetable stock

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Pepper & salt of course!

Directions

All you need to do is stir fry, with olive oil, the chorizo with the onion, garlic, carrots and celery, in the bottom of your enormous soup pot. Once browned and softened add vegetable stock and simmer. 

Whilst this is happening you want to coat your ripe tomatoes with olive oil and salt and roast in the oven.

Once vegetables are truly softened (add hot water if you need more moisture) add your canned tomatoes and roast tomatoes when they are ready. Simmer and stir, add more vegetable stock if necessary. When looking ready add your basil, smoked paprika, pepper & salt, sour cream, and stir. Remove from stove and blend in your whizzer.

 I like to make cheese scones or home made garlic bread to go with this, but it is hearty enough on its own. Bon appetit! As Julia Childs would say...

Bubbling away pre whizz