Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups of dry pasta (around 200 grams)

½ cup of basil pesto

½ cup of peas, cooked (around 75 grams)

1 medium-sized colored pepper, thinly sliced

½ a cup of seeded black kalamata olives (around 90 grams)

3 tablespoons of almonds, roughly chopped (around 30 grams)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

The juice of half a lemon

Basil Pesto:

(Recipe adapted from Elise Bauer)

2 cups of basil leaves, fresh

⅓ cup of pine nuts

½ a cup of Roumy cheese, grated

½ a cup of olive oil

3 large garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper

To make the pesto:

Combine the garlic, basil leaves and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse several times. Drizzle the olive oil into the food processor while continuing to blend. Pour in a thin stream until finished. Pulse until smooth then add the salt, pepper and cheese. Pulse 2 more times before pouring out.

For the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil then add your dried pasta. Cook until tender but firm. When done, drain and set the pasta aside. In a separate bowl, combine the peas, olives, colored pepper and almonds then add the pasta. Toss and store in an airtight container. Put the pesto and lemon juice into a separate covered container. Refrigerate both. Remove from the refrigerator when it is time to pack. Whisk the pesto and lemon juice together before pouring it over the pasta and accompanying vegetables. Toss gently and separate servings for packing.

Basterma Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

4 cups of pasta

100 grams of butter

110 grams of basterma

2 long red Italian onions, sliced

¼ cup of all-purpose flour

2 cups of full cream milk

½ a teaspoon of whole-grain mustard

½ cup of heavy cream

2 egg yolks, beaten

½ cup of Mozzarella cheese

½ cup of Cheddar cheese

½ cup of Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. In a large pot, cook the pasta until it's tender but undercooked. Drain and set aside. In a medium-sized pan, pan-fry the basterma in a drizzle of oil until it changes color and becomes slightly crispy around the edges. Keep the basterma fat that has melted in the pan on the side to use for later. In the same pan, melt 50 grams of butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for approximately 10 minutes. They should have started to slightly color but should remain soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium-sized pot, melt 50 grams of butter. Add the basterma grease you previously reserved and add the flour. Whisk constantly as it cooks for around 1 minute. Add the milk and cream and cook for 3-5 minutes or until it begins to thicken.

Add salt and pepper and turn your heat down.

In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks with 4 tablespoons of your bechamel-like sauce. Stir quickly then pour the egg mixture back into the sauce. Let it combine for a minute. Add the cheese and stir. Once the cheese has melted, add most of the basterma and onions and mix. Keep some on the side. Add the pasta and coat it all with the sauce. Tip your pot over a baking dish and pour your pasta mixture. Sprinkle with the rest of your onion and basterma mix and bake for around 20-25 minutes. Serve steaming hot. 

Orange-Carrot Granita

Ingredients:

450 grams of carrots, peeled

300 ml of fresh orange juice

300 ml of cocktail juice, unsweetened

2 drops of orange blossom water

A small piece of ginger, peeled, around 3 cm

¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of ground cloves

3 tablespoon of honey

Directions:

Finely dice the peeled carrots and the ginger. Throw them into a blender. Add the orange juice and cocktail juice then pulse making sure your blender is sealed well. Add the honey, ground cinnamon and orange blossom water then blend once more until smooth.

Strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer then pour it into a shallow baking dish. After pouring, your mixture should be around 2.5-3 cm thick. If it’s thicker than that, it will take a much longer time to freeze. Place your baking dish in the freezer then freeze, removing it from the freezer after 45 minutes to rake the mixture with a fork. Repeat this step every half an hour after that. Try to avoid scratching the bottom of your baking dish with a fork. Don’t forget the corners because they harden quickly. The final texture should be fine, fluffy and light. Mine froze in around 2½ hours. Each freezer is different and so you will have to look out for when it’s ready.

If you prefer, you can space out the times you rake to end up with bigger crystals.

Remove from the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving, depending on the weather. When you’re ready to serve, rake with a fork to collect the layers of shaved ice. Serve in glasses that have been chilled in the refrigerator.

Crepe Suzette Sauce

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbl grated orange rind

1 tbl grated lemon rind

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

creme or ice-cream to serve

This sauce is used for crepes.

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbl grated orange rind

1 tbl grated lemon rind

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

creme or ice-cream to serve

 Directions:

1. Heat butter in pan, add sugar and stir over medium heat until caramlised.

2. Add rinds, juices and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes

3. Fold crepes into quarters and arrange across base of ovenproof dish forming a pattern. Pour sauce over the crepes and bake 10-15 minutes (210'c). Serve warn with creme or icecream.

Recipe: Chicken with avocado dish

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
7 tablespoons butter, divided
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup light cream
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3 cups (8 oz.) sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup sherry
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 or 2 avocados

Directions:

Preheat over to 350°F. Melt one tablespoon of butter in large heavy skillet. Add olive oil and swirl together with the butter. Add chicken and sauté until chicken pieces are browned and juices run clear. Turn pieces to brown evenly while sautéing. Place chicken breasts in 9 X 13 baking dish and set aside. Melt 4 tablespoons butter until foamy. Stir in flour, and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add cream and chicken broth. Continue stirring and cooking until smooth and thickened. Season sauce with salt, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, hot pepper sauce, and herbs. Set aside.
Sauté mushrooms in remaining two tablespoons of butter. Add sherry and cook until reduced. Place mushrooms over the chicken. Pour the sauce over the chicken and mushrooms. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then sprinkle with almonds, and return to oven for 10 minutes. Peel and slice avocados lengthwise and place over chicken before serving.

Kim Kardashian’s Vampire Facial; Yay or Nay?

Celebrities and their style secrets are endless but a “vampire facial”? That’s too much! Kim Kardashian, The reality TV star tweeted a picture of her and posted it on instagram after getting a “vampire facial”. The new type of treatment that’s taking Hollywood by storm is known to plump up skin and give it a smooth texture. The procedure takes place at a doctor’s office and starts by drawing two teaspoonfuls of blood from the arms. The blood is then spinned or centrifuged to separate the platelets, growth factors, and a few stem cells. The skin is then re-injected with the separated mixture using tiny needles to promote collagen production and skin rejuvenation.  The new facial runs for approximately $1000 but is not proven to be 100% effective with a slight risk of infection involved if carried under no medical supervision. Kim Kardashian has always been known to try out different, questionably beauty treatments so we suggest you wait until side affects start appearing (or not). 

What type are you?

Dry, oily, combination, sensitive skin. ‘This product goes with that type and this with the other’… it can be daunting to even think about and frankly sometimes just sounds like someone’s brilliant marketing scheme doesn’t it? The truth of the matter is we just want to take care of our skin the best way we can without having to put too much thought into it so we can get on with our day. But what does that all really mean and just why is it so important to our daily skin care regimen? Quite simply, determining your particular skin type is essential in maintaining a proper regimen that will allow your skin to be its healthiest. Taking a few minutes of your time will reap rewards and fringe benefits that will last a lifetime.

No more blemish breakouts, dry patches or blotches.Determined by how much or how little oil your skin produces, your skin type will be revealed. Thirty minutes after washing your face (and without applying anything else), take a clean tissue and press it against your face. If the tissue shows no trace of oil then you have dry skin. But if there are traces of oil, read on to find out if you might have oily or combination skin.Dry:  Especially after cleansing, dry skin feels tight and uncomfortable until you apply a moisturizer. In addition, you may also have fine wrinkles, flaking and red patches. In women of colour, skin may appear ashy or dull from dead skin build-up.

Dry skin is caused by under active oil glands that do not produce enough sebum (natural oils) to keep the skin naturally lubricated. It must be hydrated regularly from the inside and outside (drinking lots of water) and moisturised with rich hydrating creams or lotions like Olay’s ‘White Radiance Revitalizing White Moisture’ cream. Oily: While oily skin generally remains younger looking and more supple over time, it also tends to appear shiny or greasy with enlarged pores that can get clogged resulting in blackheads and blemishes. Caused by glands that produce too much sebum, oily skin benefits from periodic herbal steam treatments, followed by something like Olay’s ‘Classic Beauty Fluid’ which is a light, non-greasy formula that works deep down in the skin, locking in naturalmoisture.Combination/Normal: The most common skin type - about 70% of women have combination skin which can be so difficult to contend with since half your face is dry and the rest either normal or oily.

This skin type has medium pores, a smooth even texture, good circulation, healthy colour, may tend toward dryness on the cheeks while being oily in the t-zone. Your t-zone covers your forehead, nose, and chin while areas around the cheeks, mouth and eyes are normal to dry. Fortunately for those of us who have combination skin, there are plenty of skin care products to help us achieve great skin. Try our ‘Daily Cleansers Deep Pore Cream Cleanser.

The gentle exfoliating micro-beads clean down to the pores, without over drying the skin and then follow up with a ‘White Radiance Revitalizing White Moisture’ to revitalize your skin.Sensitive:Sensitive skin tends to be thin and delicate with fine pores. It can frequently break out due to allergic sensitivities, flushes easily and is prone to broken capillaries (those little spider veins around the nose)  Sensitive skin frequently also reacts badly to adverse weather conditions, cosmetics containing alcohol, fragrances, or artificial colours or oils and often requires special treatment in order to remain in good condition. Olay has created a wonderful cleanser for sensitive skin called ‘Gentle Cleansing Milk’ with aloe for a gentle clean, to be followed up by ‘Complete Sensitive Skin Fluid’, a fragrance free, all day moisture with SPF for beautifully-protected sensitive skin.