INGREDIENTS

For the chicken patties:
Chicken mince
1 egg
1/3 medium sized onion, chopped
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Cumin powder
Grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Breadcrumbs
Canola oil for frying

For the sauce:
1 box of button mushrooms, sliced
2/3 medium onion, chopped
6 – 7 garlic, minced
Stems of coriander leaves, chopped
Fresh basil leaves
Balsamic vinegar
1 can stewed chopped tomatoes
Chicken cube
Water
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Beat the egg, add all the other ingredients except the chicken mince. Mix well and taste if desired. Add the chicken mince and mix well using your hands. Add a little flour if necessary.

Form into 40 gm rough balls then roll in breadcrumbs to form a round or square patty shape. Fry in shallow oil over medium heat until golden brown.

Prepare the sauce while the patties are cooking.

Heat olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic. When soft, add coriander stems then after a while add the mushrooms and cook till soft. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook through. Add the chopped tomatoes, basil, chicken cube  and the water. Cook until the liquid dries  and taste for salt. Add more water to get the desired amount of sauce, heat through and remove from heat.

To serve, pour sauce into a deep casserole dish, arrange patties on top. Great with a salad or some brown rice.

1 can chopped tomatoes in their sauce
1/4 onion, minced
A bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
Jalapenos or other pickled chilli as much as you like, chopped
Lemon juice as you like
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and taste for salt. Best eaten if made in advance and refridgerated until needed.

500 gms squid rings
1/2 medium sized onion, minced
6 – 7 cloves garlic, mince
3 – 4 guindilla
2/3 pack tomato paste
1 cap Sherry vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Mix the tomato paste with 200 ml water. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small pan and slowly fry the tomato paste until it is reduced and you can see the oil. Cover or the tomato will splatter. This should take 20 – 30 minutes on a slow fire.

In a saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the minced onions and garlic, then cover and let it sweat on a low fire. When the onions are transparent and soft, add the guindilla and mix well. Once the tomato paste is reduced, add it to the saucepan with salt to taste and 1/2 cup water. Let simmer.

Boil some water and blanch the squid rings for exactly 45 seconds. Any more and they will become rubbery. Remove and let drain.

When the sauce is reduced, switch off the fire and add the squid rings, mixing through.

Serve hot with bread or rice.

NOTE: This sauce is pretty universal! Use this to cook clams (fry the clams first to remove all the fluid) or serve as a sauce for grilled fish or chicken.

So I guess from now on, this is how we make Bolognese sauce for spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne or cannelloni.

450 gms 85% fat minced beef

1 stalk celery

1/2 medium-sized onion

3 cloves garlic

1 can stewed tomatoes

2 tsp oregano

salt to taste

Fry the minced beef till all the water is gone. Mince all the vegetables in food processor and add to the meat when all the water is gone.

Puree the stewed tomatoes and add to the pan when the vegetables are cooked. Add salt to taste and simmer till all the liquid is gone from the tomatoes.