What Ciro's making for Christmas Eve

I can't believe its nearly the end of the year and Christmas is around the corner. As a thank you to all my fans for another fantastic year, I thought I'd share my Christmas menu with you. Hope it inspires your own delicious feast - Ciro.

Christmas Eve Menu at Ciro's

Aperitif

Glass of chilled Bellini Prosecco with a splash of peach juice

Appetizer 

Toasted brioche topped with smoked river trout, topped with horseradish & crème fraiche

Starter 

Bruschetta topped with a mélange of wild mushrooms, sautéed with parsley, cognac with a dollop of mascarpone. Served with a fresh herb salad

Main 

Free range duck, slow baked with tarragon butter & glazed plums. Served with wilted baby cabbage & roast garlic potatoes

Dessert 

Fresh strawberries, dipped in vanilla sugar and served with crème brulee semifreddo 

Wine

Starter - Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc 

Main - Glen Carlou Pinot Noir

Dessert - Mullineux Straw Dessert Wine 

Mussels with spaghetti

Serves 4

250 g - 300g of spaghetti

1 tin whole tomatoes

1 clove fresh garlic

250g of frozen ½ shell New Zealand mussels (find these at your fishmonger) 

(you can freeze left overs for another day)

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dry chilli (optional)

½ cup of good quality vegetable stock

For the sauce:

With good glug of extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add the crushed garlic, tomatos, vegetable stock, oregano, chili and salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste. Simmer until reduced to about half the liquid. Add the mussels and simmer for 5 or so minutes on a low heat. 

Boil the pasta and toss in with the sauce. 

Serve and enjoy. 

Smoked salmon salad

A celebration of spring! Smoked salmon salad . This is a nice quick, light dinner or lunch and the perfect celebration of the warming weather.

Potato salad:

1 potato per person
1 egg per person
A few leaks
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
Mayonaise
Olive oil
Oregano
Chives/spring onion

Boil your potatoes. I use 1 per person but you can gage this on the apetites of your audience. Let them cool. Hard boil your eggs - again I would use 1 per person, but its completely up to you. Cool, peel and slice. Lightly brown a couple of leaks and finely chopped cloves of garlic. Add all your ingredients into a bowl, together with your chives/spring onions and oregano. Add a good helping of mayonnaise, some olive oil, salt, pepper and freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste.

Serve your potato salad with some smoked salmon or trout and a bed of greens lightly dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Enjoy :)

Desserts at Ciro's

Having some friends around? Too busy to cook? What about dessert? Let us cater for you. Here are some desserts you could serve...

Yum! Call or mail us now to place your order - 011 442 5187, lacucina@iburst.co.za

Risotto with sausage and red wine

This risotto dish is delicious but very rich and so its a good idea to balance with  a salad of fresh herbs & radicchio.  
Serves 4

2 spicy Italian sausages (the operative word here is spicy :) ). Remove the skins and cut into slices
1 small onion finely chopped (we prefer red)
1 garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
1 cup red wine
1.5 litres of vegetable stock (for a richer taste use a good quality meat stock)
parmesan shavings

 
In a frying pan throw together the olive oil, butter & sausage and fry together on a medium heat for about 3 or so minutes and put aside. Fry the onion and garlic for  a few minutes until transparent. Add the rice and stir around the pan making sure to cover all the rice with oil. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and stir constantly until the wine has evaporated. Add the stock one ladleful at a time – stirring continually. Keep adding the stock until you've used everything. The risotto should take about 20 minutes to cook el dente. Stir the sausage into the rice. Garnish with salad greens, parmesan, a squeeze of lemon juice and some olive oil. Serve immediately.
 
(Remember the rice should not be stodgy but have a little broth)
 
Enjoy
 
  

Risotto with clams

The winter month are still upon us – and nothing nicer than staying at home and cooking a hearty meal for the family. 

Lets make risotto – not a difficult dish to make just needs some love and care

risotto with clams

serves 4

1 kg clams or vongole (from your fishmonger)

200ml white wine

in a saucepan heat the wine add the clams – cook approx. 3 mins

until calms open. Drain the wine and set aside

400g Arborio rice

2 Tsp olive oil

1 Tsp of unsalted butter

1 small onion finely chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

A handful of flat leaf parsley – chopped

150ml white wine

1.5 litre vegetable or chicken stock

zest from 2 lemons (keep the lemons to squeeze over the risotto)

In a frying pan add the butter, olive oil, onion and lastly the garlic. Fry slowly over a low heat for about 5 mins. Add the rice and stir making sure each grain is coated with oil. Add the wine and reduce until the wine has almost evaporated - about 2 mins. Add the stock a little at a time, reducing and allowing the rice to absorb the moisture before adding more. The whole process should take about 20 -25 mins and its best to keep stirring throughout. I like the rice el dante. 

Stir in the clams - garnish with the lemon zest, chopped parsley and generously drizzle with olive oil. You can also squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the risotto. Serve immediately.

Tip – the risotto should be thick, but not stodgy. Careful not to overcook the rice or leave in too much liquid. Remember to add small amounts of liquid at a time. 

Bon apetito – with a glass on white wine yum !

Penne with prawns

Its still freezing out there even though we've just past the winter solstice and on the downhill slope to spring! (Yippeeeee!)

250 g of penne
250 g of cooked prawns (freeze the rest for another day)
½ cup of light cream
¼  cup of plain yoghurt
juice and zest from ½ lemon
1 clove crushed fresh garlic
1 bulb fennel – thinly sliced
1 couple of thyme sprigs ( from your potted herb garden ) 

In a frying pan add a good glug of olive oil. (Always be careful not to burn the oil as it heats quickly.) Add the prawns and the fennel just long enough to heat through. Remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice, garlic, zest, cream & yoghurt. 

Cook the penne in a pot of salted boiling water till al dente (about 12 mins). Drain and leave in the pot – drizzle with a little olive oil so it doesn't get sticky. 



Toss in the sauce in the hot pasta. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve immediately.

Baby marrow pasta

Serves 4


100g dry pasta per person (fettuccine or spaghetti)
1 packet of baby marrows
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
150ml cream
1Tbs dijon mustard
1 egg yolk


This recipe is quite quick so the first thing to do is bring a large pan of water to the boil for your pasta. I usually make this recipe with fettuccine or spaghetti. 


Wash and finely slice the baby marrows. I like to cut them in eighths lengthways, but however you prefer is fine. Throw them into a hot pan with a good glug of olive oil. Toss them over every now and again until they're nicely browned. Add your finely chopped garlic and toss for a few minutes. Turn down the heat and add the mustard and cream. Simmar for a few minutes. 


Toss your sauce into a pot of cooked pasta (you may want to add a little more olive oil). While its still hot separate an egg and throw in the yolk. The heat will cook it just enough to leave you with a beautiful rich glaze to your sauce. 


Add plenty of black pepper and parmesan and enjoy. 

Vegetarian Pasta

This is a lightly cooked and pureed sauce. You can make this sauce all year round using vegetables in season.

Fine Green Beans with Potato

1 packet of fine green beans
2 potatoes – peeled and diced
garlic
good salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning 

Bring 500ml of water to the boil in a pot. Throw in diced potatoes and boil until almost soft. Add in the beans until both are soft. Drain and leave to stand for a minute or 2. 


In a frying pan with a good glug of olive oil fry the garlic until lightly browned.

Roughly blend the cooled potato & beans, add the olive oil and garlic and season with salt and pepper.


Tossed over the cooked pasta, topped with good quality parmesan shavings.
 

Winter Basics

Winter is most certainly upon us! I love the change in season.... Joburg's red skyline, cozy fireplaces, hot chocolate and hearty home cooked meals. So much to look forward to :)

Before we can cook, we need to shop! Here are some guidelines of basics that I must have in my cupboard at all times...

• Dry pasta (1 packet feeds between 4 – 6 people). I like to keep a good variety - penne; spagetti; farfalle (bow ties); fettuccine; rigatoni
• Anchovies
• Bottled basil pesto
• Olive tapenade
• Parmesan (I like to buy whole blocks)
• Tinned whole tomatoes
• Good quality olive oil
• Tinned artichokes
• Tinned tuna

Looking forward to getting into winter cooking with you :) Until then... happy shopping.

Baby Spinach and Gorgonzola Frittatas

Serves 1


2 or 3 eggs
1 cup of baby spinach
25g gorgonzola
100g porcinis
salt and pepper
olive oil
parmesan


I make my frittatas a little differently...


Put a glug of olive oil in a pan (use a pan with a metal handle as we finish the frittatas off in the oven) and saute the mushrooms and spinach with a clove of finely chopped garlic. 

Separate 1 egg and whisk the white until doubled in volume. Lightly whisk the remaining eggs and fold the white into them. This makes them extra light. Add salt, pepper and parmesan to taste.

Make sure the oil in your pan is hot. Add your egg mixture. Place under the grill (not too close as it will burn) and let it brown on top. Remove from the oven and crumble the gorgonzola over the top of the eggs to melt.

Slide slowly onto a plate. I recommend serving with sliced parma ham and a side salad of tomato, fresh basil and fennel, with an olive oil and white wine vinegar dressing.

Hot Cross Buns

Image by Clare Bloomfield

Its Easter time again :)


I love Easter. All that chocolate makes my heart sing. 


Hot Cross Buns are eaten normally on Good Friday. Get the family together and spend a wonderful evening preparing the buns. It takes so little time to prepare and the results are really rewarding.
 
For the dough...

150ml milk
50g butter
zest of an lemon and an orange
2 packets of dry yeast (20g)
4 cardamon pods - cracked
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp groung ginger
400g cake flour or 00 flour
1 egg


Warm the milk & butter in a saucepan. Add the zest of the orange & lemon together with the cardamon pods. Allow to infuse with the warm milk. When milk has cooled doen beat in the egg. Add the dry ingredients and spices to the milk mixture. Knead the dough either by hand or use a mixer if you have a dough hook. If your doughs too dry add a little warm milk. Knead until you have a shiny consistency.


In a warm place allow the dough to rise. Punch down the dough and roll out into 12 – 16 balls. Roll into bun shape and place onto your baking tray (don't forget to grease!). Cover with a dishcloth and leave for about 45 mins to rise again – almost double.  Score the top of the bun with the imprint of a cross. 


The Cross


3 tablespoons of cake flour
½ tsp castor sugar
3 tablespoons of water – running consistency (you may add more if necessary) 


With a teaspoon dribble the flour mixture onto the bun in the shape of a cross.


Bake in a 220 C oven for 15 – 20 mins. Remove from the oven and glaze with the sugar coating...

The sugar glaze
1 tblspn castor sugar
1 tblspn hot water


Enjoy and have a wonderful Easter!

   

Easy Pasta Sauce... Asparagus Pesto and Fresh Garden Peas

Serves 6


A handfull of asparagus
1/2 cup of pine nuts (pecan or macadamia also work)
2 handfulls of baby spinach (diced)
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of grated parmesan
Glug of olive oil
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper
Cup of peas


Remember to always wash your asparagus well.. especially the heads as they tend to catch sand. Steam or boil (about 5 mins in a pot of salty water) until tender. Roughly chop. 


In a food processor blend the asparagus, pine nuts, spinach and garlic. Blend for about a minute. Add parmesan, olive oil, fresh lemon juice to taste, salt and pepper. 


Boil a cup of peas until soft. 


Toss the peas, pesto and pasta together with a drizzle of olive oil and parmesan shavings.

Let's talk a bit about pasta

Fresh pasta


I just LOVE fresh pasta and will always chose it over its dry counterpart, when possible. It is more expensive (or if you make it a lot more work), but especially for special occasions... soulfully worth it!! :)

Use a big pot with plenty of water - pasta needs space to swell and move around. Throw in a good pinch or more of salt (only do this when the water is boiling though... otherwise it takes longer to heat).

Toss the pasta into the boiling water and give it a bit of a stir to make sure no lose ends are sticking to the bottom of the pot. Fresh pasta only takes a few minutes (2-4). Drain the pasta in a large colander.

Add a little olive oil to your pot (especially if its hot) so the pasta doesn’t stick. Throw in the pasta and add a little more olive oil. Add the sauce, toss and serve immediately.
Dry pasta

I think its worth spending a little more money and buying a good quality Italian pasta. Again, using a large pot and plenty of water - bring to the boil and add some salt.

Dry pasta takes longer to cook. Depending on the type of pasta between 12 and 15 mins. The time it takes to cook pasta is also dependent on whether you like it el dente (the Italian expression to describe pasta that has been cooked firm, but not hard) or not. Its interesting that pasta is considered lower GI when its el dente than when its what I would call “over done”. But really, the choice is yours.

The best way to check how cooked the pasta is is to taste it. You can also see by the texture and the colour (but this depends on the type of pasta as well as the brand).

Chicken curry in a hurry!

Serves 2


I love chicken curry - its such wholesome food. This recipe is really quick and easy. Most of the ingredients I keep stock of in my pantry. 


Penut oil
Chicken breasts
Green curry paste
Lime leaves
Green beans
Coconut milk
Basmati rice


Its preferable to use a wok, but if you don't have one a flying pan will do. Throw in a tablespoon or so of penut oil and 2 thinly sliced (strips) chicken breasts. Toss around the pan until it begins to brown. Reduce the heat and add 2 - 3 teaspoons of green curry paste (available at most supermarkets), 2 handfulls of fine green beans (diced) and a couple of lime or lemon leaves. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix about half a cup of chicken stock and throw into the wok. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in a cup or so of coconut cream. 


Serve with rice - basmati is best. 

Photo from fabfoodpix.com

How to prepare Risotto

I call risotto a "labour of love". Its one of the most delicious dishes when cooked properly, but it is time consuming. It needs your full attention for the full half hour it takes to cook. The trick is to keep the rice moving. Consider it your half hour of arm toning and stir the rice continually from the time it goes in the pot until its cooked and you'll make a beautiful risotto! Risotto is best eaten immediately. 


Left over risotto makes the best pan fried fritters. Served with thinly sliced parma ham and a fresh green salad -  Yum!


How to prepare risotto

The best most commonally available risotto is Arborio, from Northern Italy.

You'll need...
1 cup of Arborio rice (serves 4)
500ml of chicken stock or vegetable stock (powder or cube)
half onion very finely chopped
3 tbl spoon olive oil
1 cup of white wine

In a heavy based pot add the oil (be careful not to over heat olive oil) add the onion and fry for 1 or 2 minutes .
Throw in the rice, stirring until translucent for a couple of minutes. This gives the rice a lovely crispy texture. Add a cup of wine and stir – when the wine has reduced and been absorbed into the rice, add the stock a cup at a time, making sure that you allow the liquid to reduce. This process should take about 25mins.


Season with good sea salt and cracked black pepper, a good handfull of parmesan cheese and olive oil or a blob of butter. Remember risotto is served al dente.

Some serving suggestions:


One cup of blanched frozen peas and a handful of fresh chopped mint. Grate the zest of one lemon, add fresh basil & rugola.


Sautéed mushrooms & diced crispy bacon.
  

Fettuccine with mushrooms in a light cream & white wine sauce

Serves 2

One packet fresh fettuccine (Fresh pasta is readily available in most supermarkets and makes a big difference to the quality of your cooking - especially with a delicate sauce such as this)


2 handfuls of fresh mushrooms (porcini, button, portobello - your choice)
A glug of olive oil
Knob of butter (best not to use margarine)
Freshly chopped oregano – one small handful
A cup of cream
A cup of white wine (its for the pot so use cheap cooking or leftover wine)

Start with the sauce...

In a pan add the olive oil and butter. Add the chopped mushrooms (keep them nice and chunky so that you can taste the mushroom) and sauté them for a couple of minutes with the oregano. Add the cup of wine and allow to reduce on a low heat to about half its volume - maybe 5-6 mins. Take off the stove and add the cream – set aside.

For the pasta...

Bring a pot of water to the boil and add a good pinch of salt. Add the fettuccine – fresh pasta takes about 5 mins. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Serve immediately

Garnish with parmesan shavings and fresh chopped oregano. Yum!!

Roast vegetables tossed with couscous

Roast vegetables tossed with couscous

A handful of baby potatoes
Butternut
1 aubergine (its best to soak this in salt water first)
3 – 4 baby marrows
1 pepper (not green)
1 onion (we prefer red)
Garlic

1 cup of couscous

Cube the veggies and place in an oven proof dish. Throw in some chopped garlic, salt and black pepper and cover with a good glug of olive oil. Roast in the oven between 180 and 200 degrees for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a mixing pot add enough water to cover the couscous. Cover (a plate works if you don't have a lid) and simmer until water is fully absorbed (this only takes a few minutes).

Loosen the couscous with a fork and toss with roast vegetables. Drizzle with more olive oil and season again if needed.

Serve with a green salad and chunky baguette or other bread.

Quickies - Fast fish with couscous and tzatziki sauce

 We don't always have the time or the energy to spend hours in the kitchen preparing big, elaborate meals. Sometimes we just need to eat.

The idea behind the next few recipes is to show you just how quick and easy it is to make your own convenience meals. You may not realise it but those pre-made meals you buy in the shops are really expensive, unhealthy and not all that great for our environment.

We're going to get you cooking quick, easy, cost effective meals that take about 5 mins to prepare and are a whole lot more rewarding than microwave dinners.

Have fun!!


Fast fish with couscous and tzatziki sauce serves 2

2 pieces of fish – we recommend a white fish like Kingklip or Hake, but you can substitute this with pretty much whatever you like

Some freshly chopped garlic to taste

Olive oil

Oregano (preferably fresh, but dry is also fine)

A handfull of rosa tomatoes

1 cup couscous

1 small tub plain yoghurt

Half a cucumber

In a frying pan toss together your olive oil and garlic. (Careful the oil is not too hot when you add the garlic or it will burn)

Cube the fish and throw it into the pan together with the tomatoes. Using a spatular, keep the ingredients moving in the pan until cooked - about 5 mins (careful not to break the fish).

In a mixing pot add enough water to cover the couscous. Cover (a plate works if you don't have a lid) and simmer until water is fully absorbed (this only takes a few minutes).

Grate the cucumber, squeeze out the water and add to the tub of yoghurt. Mix in salt and pepper to taste.

To serve loosen the couscous with a folk and plate with the fish and tomato and then the tzatziki.

Serve and enjoy :)

Spinach and Corn Triangles

I thought I'd start the year off with one of my favorite recipes of Ciro's. Its different yet quick and simple and a great way to use up leftovers. I often substitute the vegies for left overs in my fridge. It makes a great lunch or light dinner. Serves 6.

500g baby spinach
Half medium onion, finely chopped
5ml ground cumin
5ml ground turmeric
150g frozen corn kernels
100g fresh peas
Handful of raw almonds or sesame seeds
150g polenta
4 large eggs lightly beaten with a folk
200ml milk
100ml sunflower oil
organic sea salt
5ml chopped chili (optional)

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Combine all ingredients (its nice to get your hands in there, but careful not to overwork it!)
- Lightly grease a shallow baking pan and spread the mixture into the pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool and cut into triangles or squares. Serve with a spicy tomato relish.

Welcome to Ciro's blog and recipe book

Hello and welcome to Ciro's blog.

This is a very exciting time for us, given the much anticipated opening of The Pudding Shop in our back yard coming soon in 2011. Make sure you visit our Facebook page and click "like" to make sure you're one of the first to know about this exciting opening.

We have so many requests to share our love for great food that we've decided to create this blog as our online recipe book. Hit the follow link to make sure you're always up to date with the latest meals in our kitchen.

We wish you all much love and prosperity for 2011 and intend that our fellow foodies spend much time and joy in the kitchen this year... Bon Appetit.