New subscribers and everyone else, get your eBook at the Freebie link below.

Anyone for chicken? Scroll down to the recipe section for some yummy chicken recipes! On the subject of chicken, here is a chicken story, thanks, James!

Scientists at Rolls Royce built a gun specifically to launch dead chickens at the windshields of airliners and military jets all travelling at maximum velocity. The idea is to simulate the frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of the windshields.

American engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the windshields of their new high speed trains. Arrangements were made, and a gun was sent to the American engineers.
When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken hurled out of the barrel, crashed into the shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens, blasted through the control console, snapped the engineer's back-rest in two and embedded itself in the back wall of the cabin like an arrow shot from a bow.
The horrified Yanks sent Rolls Royce the disastrous results of the experiment, along with the designs of the windshield and begged the British scientists for suggestions. You're going to love this.....Rolls Royce responded with a one-line memo..............

Defrost the Chicken.

The FunkyMunky Herb eBook is now available, scroll down for details.

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I happened to find this really nice Blog, please click on the link below and go browse around.....

Following with thanks from Brian at Kitsch'n'Zinc

Dumb recipes

I'm a rapacious recipe reader. I've read many thousand more recipes than I'll ever cook in my life. Wherever there are recipes there you'll find me, in bookshops browsing through glossy cookbooks ( all written by glossy cooks ), books which I have absolutely no intention of buying, standing in line at supermarket checkouts reading those little recipe cards that they display in racks and which litter everyones car dashboards along with unsolicited traffic tickets and sadly lurking in newsagents leafing through the gastroporn magazines - if there's a recipe to be read it seems I just can't resist it.
I read recipes that I don't need to and I don't know why. Maybe I think that I'm going to find some great new idea, some previously un-thought of way of preparing racoon, maybe I just feel I want to be au fait with " Delia having fun with souffles ", I really don't have an answer. However this silly little habit has taught me one or two things about recipes, I can recognise the ones which will work, the ones which might work and the ones which have been written by a committee ! And every so often I come across a real gem which screams out at me " Why the hell would anyone want to do this ? "
" Chicken grilled under bricks" is a perfect example of one of those really dumb recipes. Hailed as a so called Grill Master, a Barbeque King, author of several barbeque cookbooks, this bozo who shall remain anonymous, purely in case any of you might be tempted to rush out and buy one of his books, has come up with one of the dumbest recipes I have come across in a long time. He recommends you take some skinless chicken breast and sprinkle with salt,pepper and chilli flakes. Then you douse them with lemon juice and olive oil which sort of defeats the object of sprinkling with the spices because now you wash them all off. Next you place the chicken breasts on a hot grill and position a brick wrapped in tinfoil on top of each breast........why???? to stop them flying away ????, to keep the flies off ???? No, he reckons it keeps the chicken from drying out ( you've lost me there pal ) and it makes just dandy grill marks on the breast, that is if you can pry them off the grill bars with a hammer and chisel !
I'm going to keep this one for when I get around to writing a cook book in the style of " Gourmet Cooking for Dummies ". The title I'm working on a the moment is " Gourmet Dummies for Cooking " .

Compare. Buy. Fly. See who's really the cheapest! Book tickets Click Here or see banner ad to the right.

And here is another freebie. If any subscriber is involved in the hospitality industry, owns a holiday resort, B&B, caravan park, tour operator etc., then let me have your ad, I will place it free of charge on my Travel page.

The FunkyMunky Herb eBook is now available. 48 popular herbs, descriptions and uses with photos. Immediately available, will be emailed to you. Only R50 , send me an email for payment details.

I'm very impressed with what I've read so far. What I really like is that your book is a combination of medicinal and culinary advice, unlike many other herb books I've read.
And the format is great - thanks very much. I have an ambitious project to make a herb garden this year - so your section of herb gardens will come in very handy - Shelagh

Total Eclipse of the Moon coming up: There will be a total eclipse of the Moon late night Saturday March 3rd, visible from all of South Africa. The eclipse starts at 11:30pm (on the 3rd), and ends 3:11am on March 4th. The Moon will be totally eclipsed from 00:44am to 1:58am.

Click here to see an African Valentine's Day message!
And, just in time for Valentine's Day, click here! Click Here

The UK Lottery never pays less than £3 million every Wednesday and Saturday (± R43 million) with frequent rollovers. You can get your ticket securely by clicking here.

But that's nothing!! The Euromillions Jackpot has has been as high as £ 120 million !! That's roughly R1,740,000,000!!! You can't win it if you're not in it, so click here and get a ticket!

My Recipe CD has now been updated and now includes 50 Recipe eBooks as well as 8 Bonus eBooks (4 eBooks on making, marketing and selling crafts for profit) Click here to take a look and also download your free Low Fat recipe eBook (that works out to about R2 per recipe book! sheessshhh!)

Hello Peter,
Just to let you know that I received my recipe CD today in the mail and I'm over the moon about it.
I'm going to spread the word to others to order copies too. It's most certainly worth every cent..........
Thanks again,
LC

Glenacres Superspar sends out a really nice newsletter full of super recipes. To subscribe, click here and send the blank email. 

One of my favourite desserts:

OLD FASHIONED RICE PUDDING

6 Tsp Rice
4 Cups Milk
1/4 - 1/2 Cup Sugar (According to taste)
1/2 tsp Salt
Grated Rind of 1/2 Lemon (Or a few gratings of nutmeg)
Butter

1. Wash the rice well and turn it into a buttered pie dish
2. Add the warm milk, sugar, salt and flavouring and stir
3. Bake at 160°C for 2 hours, stirring 3 or 4 times during the first hour to prevent the rice from settling
4. For a richer flavour, dot the top with small pieces of butter before baking
5. Sweet condensed milk, diluted with water, can be used instead of the milk, but omit the sugar

Go take a look at my Wacky Sarmies page, there are some great sarmie ideas!

From Brendyn (UK)

Butter bread, sliced fresh tomato, peanut butter and ground pepper and salt.

Tips 1 to 60 are in previous newsletters

76 To 100 Of......The 100 Smartest Diet Tips Ever

How can I conquer my downfall: bingeing at night?

76. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. The large majority of people who struggle with night eating are those who skip meals or don't eat balanced meals during the day. This is a major setup for overeating at night.

77. Eat your evening meal in the kitchen or dining room, sitting down at the table.

78. Drink cold unsweetened raspberry tea. It tastes great and keeps your mouth busy.

79. Change your night time schedule. It will take effort, but it will pay off. You need something that will occupy your mind and hands.

80. If you're eating at night due to emotions, you need to focus on getting in touch with what's going on and taking care of yourself in a way that really works. Find a non food method of coping with your stress.

81. Put a sign on the kitchen and refrigerator doors: "Closed after Dinner."

82. Brush your teeth right after dinner to remind you... No more food.

83. Eat without engaging in any other simultaneous activity. No reading, watching TV or sitting at the computer.

84. Eating late at night won't itself cause weight gain. It's how many calories -- not when you eat them -- that counts.

How can I reap added health benefits from my dieting?

85. Fat-free isn't always your best bet. Research has found that none of the lycopene or alpha- or beta-carotene that fight cancer and heart disease is absorbed from salads with fat-free dressing. Only slightly more is absorbed with reduced-fat dressing; the most is absorbed with full-fat dressing. But remember, use your dressing in moderate amounts.

86. Skipping breakfast will leave you tired and craving naughty foods by midmorning. To fill up healthfully and tastefully, try this sweet, fruity breakfast full of antioxidants. In a blender, process 1 c nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt, 1 1/3 c frozen strawberries (no added sugar), 1 peeled kiwi, and 1 peeled banana. Pulse until mixture is milkshake consistency. Makes one 2-cup serving; 348 calories and 1.5 fat grams.

87. If you're famished by 4 PM and have no alternative but an office vending machine, reach for the nuts. The same goes if your only choices are what's available in the hotel minibar.

88. Next time you're feeling wiped out in late afternoon, forego that cup of coffee and reach for a cup of yogurt instead. The combination of protein, carbohydrate and fat in an 8-ounce serving of low-fat yogurt will give you
a sense of fullness and well-being that coffee can't match, as well as some vital nutrients. If you haven't eaten in
3 to 4 hours, your blood glucose levels are probably dropping, so eating a small amount of nutrient-rich food will give your brain and your body a boost.

89. Making just a few changes to your pantry shelves can get you a lot closer to your weight-loss goals. Here's
what to do: If you use corn and peanut oil, replace it with olive oil. Same goes for breads -- go for whole
wheat. Trade in those fatty cold cuts like salami and bologna and replace them canned tuna, sliced turkey breast and lean roast beef. Change from drinking whole milk to fat-free milk or low-fat soy milk. This is hard for a lot of people so try transitioning down to 2 percent and then 1 percent before you go fat-free.

90. Nothing's less appetizing than a crisper drawer full of mushy vegetables. Frozen vegetables store much better, plus they may have greater nutritional value than fresh. Food suppliers typically freeze veggies just a few hours
after harvest, locking in the nutrients. Fresh veggies, on the other hand, often spend days in the back of a truck before they reach your supermarket.

91. Worried about the trans-fat content in your peanut butter? Good news: In a test done on Skippy, JIF, Peter Pan and a supermarket brand, the levels of trans fats per 2-tablespoon serving were far lower than 0.5 gram -- low enough that under proposed laws, the brands can legally claim zero trans fats on the label. They also contained only 1 gram more sugar than natural brands -- not a significant difference.

Eating less isn't enough...... What exercising tips will help me shed pounds?

92. Overeating is not the result of exercise. Vigorous exercise won't stimulate you to overeat. It's just the opposite. Exercise at any level helps curb your appetite immediately following the workout.

93. When you're exercising, you shouldn't wait for thirst to strike before you take a drink. By the time you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Try this: Drink at least 16 ounces of water, sports drinks, or juices two hours before you exercise. Then drink 8 ounces an hour before and another 4 to 8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. Finish with at least 16 ounces after you're done exercising.

94. Tune in to an audio book while you walk. It'll keep you going longer and looking forward to the next walk -- and the next chapter! Check your local library for a great selection. Look for a whodunit; you might walk so far you'll need to take a cab home!

95. Think yoga's too serene to burn calories? Think again. You can burn 250 to 350 calories during an hour-long class (that's as much as you'd burn from an hour of walking)! Plus, you'll improve muscle strength, flexibility and endurance.

96. Drinking too little water can hamper your weight loss efforts. That's because dehydration can slow your metabolism by 3 percent, or about 45 fewer calories burned a day, which in a year could mean weighing 5 pounds more. The key to water isn't how much you drink, it's how frequently you drink it. Small amounts sipped often work better than 8 ounces gulped down at once.

How can I manage my emotional eating and get the support I need?

97. A registered dietician (RD) can help you find healthy ways to manage your weight with food. To find one in your area who consults with private clients call (800) 366-1655. (U.S.A.)

98. The best place to drop pounds may be your own house of worship. Researchers set up healthy eating and exercise programs in 16 Baltimore churches. More than 500 women participated and after a year the most successful lost an average of 20 lb. Weight-loss programs based on faith are so successful because there's a built-in community component that people can feel comfortable with.

99. Here's another reason to keep levelheaded all the time: Pennsylvania State University research has found that women less able to cope with stress -- shown by blood pressure and heart rate elevations -- ate twice as many fatty snacks as stress-resistant women did, even after the stress stopped (in this case, 25 minutes of periodic jackhammer-level noise and an unsolvable maze).

100. Sitting at a computer may help you slim down. When researchers at Brown University School of Medicine put 92 people on online weight-loss programs for a year, those who received weekly e-mail counseling shed 5 1/2 more pounds than those who got none. Counselors provided weekly feedback on diet and exercise logs, answered questions and cheered them on. Most major online diet programs offer many of these features.

Source: Sunday Times

1941: The Japanese attack Pearl Harbour drawing the US into the war, Germany invades Russia, the "unsinkable" German Battleship, the Bismarck, is sunk, Wonder Woman makes her first comic book appearance.

MagsAtHome Click Here Subscribe and save!

This dates from the 1890's and is from a book titled  Cape Cookery, Simple Yet Distinctive.

Boer Koekies

Take 10 lb. flour, 6 lb. sugar, 2 lb. tail fat, ½ lb. butter, 12 eggs beaten, 1 teaspoonful roode bolus (commercial ferric oxide), 2 packets baking powder and as much milk as will make it into a paste.
Rub the fat, butter, sugar, etc., etc., into the flour, moisten with eggs and milk.  Roll out the paste, cut into shapes, and bake in a brisk oven.

Nature is wonderful. I envy the jobs of the game rangers and their wealth of bush knowledge. I have often wondered where one can read up on all the interesting facts. I would like to make this a regular feature of this newsletter, if you are able to contribute or would like to comment on the contribution below, please email me.

Ever wished you had a camera for that magic moment? Click here!

That the elephant has a long memory is a well known fact, this time I have something different, a touching story sent to me by Pat in Aussie:

Elephant's Memory - Touching Story

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from college. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed so Mbembe approached it very carefully.
He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot, and found a large thorn deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the thorn out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.
The elephant turned to face the man and with a rather stern look on its face, stared at him. For several tense moments Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned and walked away.
Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. In early 2006, twenty years later, he was walking through a zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing.
The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe and lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
Suddenly the elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk a round one of the man's legs and swung him wildly back and forth along the railing, killing him.

Probably wasn't the same elephant.

OK, OK, don't blame me, blame Pat!!!

Do you have family and friends all over the world? Does it cost you a fortune to buy and mail gifts to all of them? Why not buy one Recipe eBook and email it to everyone! Just think about the savings on postage! For my selection of eBooks (and CD's) just click here.

Afrikaans Newsletter

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Potjiekos recipe

Another new feature, from now on I will feature a potjie recipe with each newsletter. For those of you who are not familiar with a potjie (cast iron three legged pot) you may use a dutch oven.

MEXICAN CHICKEN POT
Enough for 5 to 6 people and a # 3 pot is recommended.

INGREDIENTS
30ml Cooking oil
10ml Dried parsley
2kg Chicken pieces
5ml Garlic flakes
5 Medium-sized onions, diced
5ml Lemon pepper
1 Green-chilli, seeded and diced
5ml Dried oreganum
250ml Water
2.5ml Ground black-pepper
5 Carrots, peeled and sliced
1.25ml Peri-Peri powder
6 Medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
125ml Dry white wine
125ml Uncooked rice
30ml Sugar
200g Frozen green peas
20ml Salt
15 Whole button mushrooms
15ml Medium curry powder
2 Tomatoes, diced
1 cube Chicken stock, crumbled

METHOD
Heat the oil in the pot and braai the chicken, a few pieces at a time, until golden brown. Remove and brown the onions and chilli until soft. Replace the chicken and add the water. Cover with the lid and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Layer the veggies and rice  and sprinkle the herbs and spices on top. Cover with the lid and allow to simmer for another 15 minutes.
Mix the wine and the rest of the ingredients and pour over the food. Cover with the lid and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is done. Give the pot a good stir before serving.

2010 World Cup Poll

Lets have your views on the above event. I put a similar poll in my Afrikaans newsletter, I would like to compare the results, feedback in the next newsletter.

A man and woman were having dinner in a fine restaurant. Their waitress, taking another order at a table a few steps away, suddenly noticed that the man was slowly sliding down his chair and under the table, but the woman acted unconcerned. The waitress watched as the man slid all the way down his chair and out of sight under the table.
Still, the woman appeared calm and unruffled, apparently unaware that her dining companion haddisappeared.

The waitress went over to the table and said to the woman, "Pardon me, ma'am, but I think your husband just slid under the table."

The woman calmly looked up at her and said, "No, he didn't. He just walked in the door!"

Thanks for the following one, Barb!

Last week, we took some friends out to a new restaurant, and noticed that the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt pocket. It seemed a little strange. When the busboy brought our water and utensils, I noticed he also had a spoon in his shirt pocket. Then I looked around saw that all the staff had spoons in their pockets.

When the waiter came back to serve our soup I asked, "Why the spoon?"
"Well, 'he explained, "The restaurant's owners hired Andersen Consulting to revamp all our processes. After several months of analysis, they concluded that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents a drop frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour. If our personnel are better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and save 15 man-hours per shift."

As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he was able to replace it with his spare. "I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead of making an extra trip to get it right now."

I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of the waiter's fly. Looking round, I noticed that all the waiters had the same string hanging from their flies. So before he walked off, I asked the waiter, "Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string right there?"

"Oh, certainly!" Then he lowered his voice. "Not everyone is so observant. That consulting firm I mentioned also found out that we can save time in the restroom by tying this string to the tip of our 'you know what'. That way, we can pull it out without touching it and eliminate the need to wash our hands, shortening the time spent in the restroom by 76.39 percent."

I asked, "After you get it out, how do you put it back?"

"Well," he whispered, "I don't know about the others, but I use the spoon."

Basil

The plant's leaves are used in cooking, and these leaves can range from green to reddish to purple in color. There are more than sixty different varieties of basil, each with its own distinct and wonderful flavor. These flavors include hints of lemon, thyme, jasmine, clove, cinnamon and anise. For best flavor, the leaves should be picked before the plant flowers. As an added benefit to growing your own, basil is said to repel flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches. Although basil is an annual, you can pinch it back to keep it from flowering, extending its growing period.

Basil supposedly derives its name from the terrifying basilisk, a half-lizard, half-dragon creature with a fatal piercing stare according to Greek mythology. The basil plant was considered to be a magical cure against the look, breath or even the bite of the basilisk when a basil leaf was medicinally applied. Although this story moved into the realm of fable, basil was still considered a medicinal cure for venomous bites. In keeping with its hostile status, later Greeks and Romans believed the most potent basil could only be grown if one sowed the seed while ranting and swearing. This custom is mirrored in French verbage where semer le baslic (sowing basil) means to rant. In Greece today, basil is readily grown as an ornamental and is used in certain religious rituals as a symbol of fertility.

In medieval times, it was thought that scorpions came from basil. Legend says to acquire a scorpion, one should place a few basil leaves under a flowerpot and after awhile, the pot would be lifted to expose a scorpion. This legend no doubt ties into the Greek lore of the basilisk.

Angel Hair with Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:

500g Angel Hair or Capellini, uncooked
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 cups tomatoes; diced
1/2 teaspoon basil
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:
Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.
Cook for 3 minutes. Add hot pasta to skillet; toss well. Add chicken broth and stir. Toss with Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
 

South African Languages

South Africa is a multilingual country. Besides the 11 officially recognised languages, scores of others - African, European, Asian and more - are spoken here, as the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa.
The country's Constitution guarantees equal status to 11 official languages to cater for the country's diverse peoples and their cultures. These are: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga.

In each issue I will feature one of the languages.

Sesotho
Sesotho, or Southern Sotho, is spoken in the country of Lesotho, which is entirely surrounded by South African territory, as well as in the Free State province, southern Gauteng, and in the vicinity of Pretoria and Brits.

With Setswana and isiZulu, Sesotho was one of the first African languages to be rendered in written form, and it has an extensive literature. Sesotho writing was initiated by the missionaries Casalis and Arbousset of the Paris Evangelical Mission, who arrived at Thaba Bosiu in 1833.

The original written form was based on the Tlokwa dialect, but today is mostly based on the Kwena and Fokeng dialects, although there are variations.

Home language to: 7.9% of the population

Source: SouthAfrica.info
The all-in-one official guide
and web portal to South Africa.

Crime

Although the Government "persuaded" FNB to drop their campaign against crime, you can still send a letter to Mbeki, just go to this website and do your thing!  http://www.dearpresident.co.za
 

Holiday woes

World Travel International (WTI)

I just have to relate the  tale of my dealings with WTI. Early in December 2006 I attended one of their presentations. My wife attended with me and both of us understood what was said and promised at the presentation as follows:

- WE were told that by joining them we would have a much better chance of getting accommodation as with the company that we have vacation points with as WTI dealt directly with the resorts concerned. This was not the case as with the first reservations we tried to make, after providing 5 alternatives for February, an off-peak season, the only accommodation they could secure for us was a studio apartment, which was not acceptable. Just to make sure I phoned the company with which we have points and we got our accommodation.

- WTI is not online with the resorts, they have to contact the relative resorts by phone and this can take days. Our points company is online and you get confirmation of your booking while you are on the phone with them

- Our main reason for joining WTI was that they said they could manage our timeshare points, rent them out for us, give us the money with which we could then book accommodation with them at R1500 per week. I remember us asking the question more than once just to make sure. Never did they mention FROM R1500 in the presentation. Even the example they put on the screen (Ngwenya Lodge) showed R1500 for a week and not FROM R1500.  On their website some resorts are quoted at R1500 per week and others FROM R1500 per week, but it would appear that ALL of them are FROM R1500 whether indicated as R1500 or not. We subsequently received a list of resort availabilities from WTI quoting weekly prices from R2200 to R5500 per week. Quite a difference from R1500!
-The WTI switchboard is unprofessional. If you just happen to phone outside of business hours the phone just rings, no message giving the correct hours of business.  When mentioning this to them I was told to read the contract. And what the heck is a "pound" key that I have to press?

- It was at this stage that we realised that this is not what we wanted and tried to get them to cancel the contract (and refund our money, the R8321 joining fee) Notwithstanding the fact that they have a clause in the contract stating that the contract could be cancelled if agreed to by both parties, they refuse to cancell. This is what they say: we have complied with all the terms and conditions of the membership agreement and do not accept that there is cause for cancellation.

So here we are, nearly R9000 down the drain, quite an expensive lesson for a pensioner! The only way to get out is to not pay the annual membership fee and thereby forfeit the joining fee.

Some useful tips:

- Make sure there is a cancellation clause including a refund if applicable. A good period would be two months so you can experience the pro's and con's of the company. If the contract says "no cancellation" then DON'T sign!
- Never be pressurised into "signing now" even if it is getting late and you are the only customers still there.
- If there is a contract to be signed, take it home and study it in your own time

I have merely stated the facts as perceived by my wife and myself  and am making no accusations, you make up your own minds!

Looking for a specific South African recipe? Email me and I will do my best to find it for you!

Add your suggestions to my Elephant Stew and Wacky Sarmies recipes.
 

Featured Website

Every issue I feature an interesting website with South African links.
 

The Recipes

SPICED BAKED CHICKEN
2kg chicken portions
½ cup soya sauce
2 tbs steak and chop seasoning
2 tbs chicken spice
2 tbs barbeque spice
2 tbs ginger and garlic paste
2 tbs Maggi Fondor or any seasoned condiment
2 medium eggs, beaten with ¼ cup milk
± ¾ cup chilli bite mix (commercial variety)
¼ cup melted butter or oil

Trim chicken portions, rinse and pat dry
Mix the soya sauce with all the spices, garlic, ginger and seasoning
Toss the chicken in the mixture and refrigerate for at least four hours. TO COOK
Preheat oven to 180°C
Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and then into the chilli bite mix
Heat the fat in the oven tray
Place chicken in tray
Bake for ± one hour, turning a few times during cooking until tender

SAUCY CHICKEN FILLET FILLING
Chicken fillets can be made very quickly (approximately 20 minutes), so you need to stir-fry cubed fillets with a mixture of vegetables of your choice. The following recipe, however, should help you:
750g chicken fillets (cubed)
30g butter
1 medium onion (sliced)
3/4 cloves/garlic (finely chopped)
2 sprigs thyme
200g button mushrooms (sliced)
1 medium green pepper (sliced)
1 tbs flour
¾ cup milk
2 tbs chopped parsley or coriander

Heat the butter
Fry onion lightly for 1-2 minutes
Stir in chicken and sauté
Add garlic, thyme, mushrooms and peppers
Cook uncovered and stir frequently for 7-10 minutes
Sprinkle in flour and stir well
Stir in milk and cook until sauce is smooth
Season well
Add green herb and allow to cool before filling pies

CHICKEN KORMA
1.5kg chicken pieces
10ml (2 tsp) ginger paste
10ml garlic paste
3 green chillies
125ml (½ cup) cashew nuts
125ml water
30ml ghee
15ml oil
1 large onion, chopped and ground to a paste
4 green cardamom
4 whole cloves
2 pieces cinnamon
10ml coriander powder
5ml jeera powder
10ml chilli powder
10ml cumin seeds
125ml yoghurt
125ml cream
a few strands of saffron, dissolved in ¼ cup hot milk
125ml fresh coriander
salt to taste
10ml lemon juice (optional - sprinkle before serving)
Trim excess fat from chicken
Rinse and drain meat
Combine ginger, garlic, nuts and blend with water until smooth
Heat ghee and oil in a saucepan and fry onions and spices from cardamom to cumin seeds for a few minutes
Stir in the garlic mixture and cook for 5 minutes
Add the meat, mix well to coat with masala
Turn down heat and add salt and cook for +/- 20 minutes
Beat the yoghurt, add in small amounts while cooking
When the meat is tender and fairly dry, stir in cream, saffron and coriander. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve with rice

SPANISH CHICKEN
200g rice
2 tender young chickens (±1kg each)
salt
freshly ground pepper
crushed garlic
½ cup oil (preferably olive oil)
6 stuffed olives (sliced)
2 green peppers (sliced thinly)
1 large onion (finely sliced)
¼ cup tomato juice
¼ tsp turmeric
2½ cups chicken stock
2 canned pimentos (optional)
grated rind of ½ lemon
2 tbs chopped parsley
Cut chicken into serving portions

Season and sauté in oil until golden brown on all sides
Stir in finely chopped onion, crushed garlic and green peppers until soft (not brown)
Add tomato juice, turmeric, sliced pimento and chicken stock
Cover saucepan and simmer for 15 mins
Stir rice into the chicken mixture
Season with salt and black pepper
Cover saucepan and simmer for 30 mins or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken and rice are cooked
Add stuffed olives
Sprinkle with grated lemon rind and chopped parsley

CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS
12 chicken drumsticks, skinned
2 tbs lemon juice
3 beetroot, peeled and finely grated
salt to taste (± 2½ tsp)
½ cup yoghurt
½ cup cream
2 tbs garlic paste
1 tbs ginger paste
2 tsp roasted and ground shah jeera (caraway)
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coarse black pepper
ghee or butter
Make incisions on the drumsticks and rub in lemon juice, beetroot and salt. Refrigerate for a few hours
Mix the rest of the ingredients and marinate drumsticks for two hours
Roast in oven or braai, basting with ghee or butter

BARBECUED SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN WINGS
½ cup oil
cup grated onion
1 tbs garlic paste
1 tbs ginger paste
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup tomato sauce
½ cup vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup caramel brown sugar
1 tbs chilli paste
1 tsp lemon pepper
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 cup water OR ½ cup pineapple juice and ½ cup water
salt to taste
Heat oil in a pot
Sauté onion, garlic and ginger for 4-5 minutes
Stir in remaining ingredients, except chicken wings
Allow to simmer for 20 minutes
Remove from heat and cool completely
Pour over chicken wings and refrigerate overnight
Baste a few times during grilling

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