Sunday 30 August 2009

It's time to prepare yourself

On Wednesday September's Paper Chef is off again and I hope you will join in to do some crazy, creative cooking, again or for the first time! Last month's winner unfortunately cannot perform the duties but I am working on a substitute and will get back to you as soon as I know something definite! Until then, please add new ingredients to the existing list, it seems to me that we need more protein in there, like meat and fish but feel free to suggest whatever you feel like!
This is the existing list:
rocket, almonds, lentils, cream, ricotta, prawns, pasta, pine nuts, salami, dried tomatoes, brown sugar, bread, butter milk, golden syrup, balsamic vinegar, goat's cheese, green tea, tuna, lamb, grapes, mushrooms, dark chocolate, yoghurt, beans, spring onions, green tomatoes, carrots, broccolini, blood oranges, olives, mangoes, asparagus, cashew nuts, wasabi, cornmeal, cheese, pineapple, beef, fennel, lemon, honey, ginger, mint, beetroot, flour. Updated with kangaroo/venison meat, boneless chicken, green bell pepper, garlic, orange roughy, eggplant

Monday 17 August 2009

Paper Chef #43 Winner

Yes we have a winner!!
Head on over to 
Javaholic where Silejeng has selected a winner.

Thank you Silejeng for selecting the ingredients & judging this month.

Friday 14 August 2009

Paper Chef #43 Round up

The ingredients for this month's Paper Chef (Number 43 - time flies) were selected by Silejeng from Javaholic where she had selected Couscous, Rosemary, Fresh Chili, and Peaches.
Being vegetarian & dairy free ingredients we were expecting quite a variety of entries, and we weren't disappointed. We also had 2 non-bloggers enter, & their recipes have been posted in the Paper Chef blog.

So here we go, in no particular order:

Janie from Musing Ri with Couscous Cakes with Hot Pepper Peach Reduction


Mike from Spikey Mikeys with Pork Tangine with Peaches



Jenny from I could even eat a baby deer with her Trifle of caramelized couscous and baked peaches
Tricia from Jonski Blogski with a Cross-Cultural Casserole


Lori from Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness with Rosemary Scented Toasted Israeli Couscous Timbales with Chili Peach Sauce


The first of out non-bloggers, Yannic's Summer Salad Composed of Couscous Cakes, Peaches and Gorgonzola. I've posted the recipe here.


And our second non-blogger entry, Pauline's Spicy Couscous Beefburger with Olive and Rosemary Focaccia and Fresh Peaches, the recipe is here.


So here they are, 7 different idea's & recipes using the four core ingredients. Visit the contestants blogs & see how the created their dishes.


It will now be upto Silejeng to choose a winner.

Edited: Apologies to Lori & Janie - I had mixed up your pics.

Thursday 13 August 2009

Paper Chef #43 - Non Blogger Entry 2

Yannic's Summer salad composed of couscous cakes, peaches and Gorgonzola.


Finely chopped rosemary within the cakes perfectly complemented the tangy sweetness of the accompanying chilli-infused peach dressing. We really loved the dish and it will certainly appear often on our table.

Recipe (for 6 cakes, 7 cm diameter):
150g instant couscous
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
3 peaches
80g Gorgonzolajuice of
1,5 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
handful of arugula leaves

Pour 200ml boiling water onto the couscous and let well for 10 min.
In the meantime whisk the egg and milk and season to taste with pepper and salt.
Ease the couscous with a fork and add the egg-milk mixture and the rosemary.
Make the cakes by pressing the mixture into cylinder moulds on a backing tray lined with parchment paper.
Boil the peaches in water for 1 min and immediately immerse in icing water.
Peal the peaches and set the peals aside.
Cut 2 peaches in slices and 1 in cubes.
;">Also cut the Gorgonzola in cubes and add to the peach cubes.
For the dressing let simmer the peach peels in the lemon juice, an equal amount of water, the chopped chilli and the sugar for about 20 min, then transfer to a food processor and blend together with the olive oil for 2 min.
Bake the cakes in a preheated oven (180°C) for 8-10 min, then put the peach and Gorgonzola cubes on top and bake for another 8-10 min.
Serve with arugula, peach slices and dressing.

Paper Chef #43 - Non-Blogger Entry 1

Pauline's Spicy Couscous Beefburger with Olive and Rosemary Focaccia and Fresh Peaches




Couscous-beefburger (per serving)
3 tbs of couscous
1 cube of vegetable stock
50g of ground organic beef
1/2 chilli pepper, finely chopped
12 cilantro leaves
8 flat parsley leaves
Ground black pepper
Salt

Boil water, add vegetable stock. Cook 3 tbs of couscous during one minute.

Drain the couscous in a colander.

Put the couscous, ground beef, cilantro and parlsey, a pinch of salt and ground black pepper in a food processor and blend briefly.

Chop half a chilli pepper in small cubes and add to the pasty.

Shape the pasty into a burger and fry in a grill pan for 8 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Olive and Rosemary Focaccia
150 g of self raising flour
50 ml of water
olive oil
1 stalk of fresh rosemary (optional: one extra for garnishing)
10 black olives, sliced in halves, core discarded.
salt (preferably sea salt)

In a mixing bowl blend 150 g of self raising flour with 50 ml water and 3 tbs of olive oil.
Add olives and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix until the olives are divided evenly over the dough.
Grease a baking tray with 1 tbs of olive oil.
Preheat the oven at 250 degrees Celsius.
Divide the pastry over the baking tray and sprinkle rosemary and a little more salt on top.
Drizzle olive oil over the foccacia and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes.

Serve with fresh peaches (washed and sliced).
Enjoy!!

Wednesday 5 August 2009

Paper Chef #43 Ingredients

Head on over to Javaholic where Silejeng has selected the Ingredients for the next Paper Chef challenge.

Post your entry on your blog and an email sent to paperchefATgmailDOTcom by midnight Tuesday 11th August (your time). If you don't have a blog & wish to enter simply send an email with your entry & a photo of your dish.

Have fun!!

Sunday 2 August 2009

Suggestions Please......!

Its almost time for the next Paper Chef challenge - #43 to be precise.
And as always we are asking you, the participants & readers of Paper Chef, to help with nominating ingredients. From the final list, last month's winner Silejeng from
Javaholic will randomly select 3 ingredients, and a fourth of her own choosing.

So far we have:
Rocket, Almonds, Lentils, Cream, Ricotta, Prawns, Pasta, Pine nuts, Salami, Dried tomatoes, Brown sugar, Bread, Butter milk, Golden syrup, Balsamic vinegar, Goat's cheese, Green tea, Tuna, Lamb, Fresh Chilies, Grapes, Mushrooms, Dark Chocolate, Yogurt, Beans, Spring Onions, Green Tomatoes, Carrots, Broccolini, Blood Oranges, Olives, Mangoes, Asparagus, Cashew nuts, Wasabi, Cornmeal, Cheese, Couscous, Pineapple, Beef, Fennel, Lemon, Honey, Ginger, Mint, Beetroot, Flour.

Please read the
RULES and regulations if you are new and if you have any questions please contact us at: paperchef AT gmail DOT com.

Remember, its a challenge of your creativity!