Healthier cooking enjoyment

Ostrich mince frikkadels - one pot meal

Ostrich Meat is low in calories; low in saturated fats; lower in cholesterol than even chicken; boasts on average only 0.5% fat; and has 21% protein content. It is considered the healthiest red meat; has a distinct subtle taste, which Martie is unfortunately not too keen about, unless well flavoured.

I took a 500 grams packet of ostrich mince; choped one onion in small cubes; a tin (115 g) of tomato paste; about 10 ml thyme; 5mll salt and about half a cup nutty wheat. I mixed the ingredients well in a glass bowl; rolled balls and placed these on the bottom covered by about 10 mm water, along the side of a thick-based pot.

Then added washed & brushed three medium potatoes cut in quarters; a packet (125 g) sugar snaps; a packet baby butternuts halved; and finally about 150 grams brusselsprouts. Covered the pot and placed it on the stove on medium temperature.

KLEIN KAROO International Meat offers tips on preparing ostrich fillets and steaks, as well as several recipes with photos, such as:

• Ostrich and Avocado Salad
• Ostrich Carpaccio with Wholegrain Mustard Vinaigrette
• Greek Meat balls in Pita Bread served with Yoghurt and Cucumber
• Roast Ostrich with Chilli Sauce
• Honey-Glazed Ostrich Shish-Kebabs
• Ostrich Steak with Peppercorn Wine Sauce
• Ostrich Meat Pies
• Sherried Ostrich and Mushroom Ragout
• Ostrich Stir-Fry
• BBQ Skewered Ostrich Sausage with prickly Pear and Mint Salsa
• Oriental Ostrich Meatballs in Sweet-and-sour Sauce
• Ostrich goulash soup
• Ostrich steak starter
• Ostrich fillet with green peppercorn and brandy sauce
• Ostrich fillet kannaland style
• Ostrich kefta
• Moroccan-style shepherd's pie
• Homemade ostrich burgers
• Ostrich triangles
• Ostrich curry
• Ostrich sushi
• Ostrich kebabs with peanut sauce
• Smoked ostrich fillet salad
• Ostrich biltong salad
• Breakfast pizzas with ostrich bacon

Neglected bananas made appetising

The skin of non-bruised bananas left uneaten unfortunately does go black and appear unappetising, yet the flesh is frequently perfectly okay.  As product of depression-parenting (World War II mentality / the frugal fifties) “waste not want not” had been instilled in my make-up.

 
Wanting to make a spinach-pie, making a banana-bread simultaneously would not entail usage of extra electricity — I regard it a ridiculous to salvage fruit by cooking jam that would stand on the shelves, then rather make compost instead of wasting sugar and electricity.

Ingredients: 5x bananas; 2x eggs; 150 ml of plain fat-free jogurt; a splash of canola oil (about 15 ml);  a mixture of nutty wheat + krakley wholewheat flour + crushed wheat + cake wheat flour - about 500 ml; 5 ml salt; and a generous squeeze of honey (about 20 ml).

Peel the bananas (the flesh was still firm, but over-ripe works); brake the eggs and add all the ingredients. Take the hand blender and mix the ingredients well. If the texture is runny, add more flour. Spray a regtangular pyrex-bread dish and transfer the soft-dough into it.

Meanwhile I cooked a bag of spinach; leftover lettuce; soup mixture and like-it-lean diced bacon. Sprayed a regtangular pyrex-pie dish and lined with ready-made dough. Layer the cooked mixture with feta-cheese in-between. I added a tin of tomato and onion. Cover the pie with ready-made dough. Garnish with grated cheese, paprika and some frozen peas.

Placed both pyrex dishes side-by-side in a prior-heated (190˚C) oven; turn the temperature down to 180˚C; for about one hour (or when the visible dough is light brown).