Welcome to NATIONAL BRAAI DAY!
What a wonderful concept to enjoy on Heritage Day. "On 24 September all South Africans will sit around the same fire. Join us in National Braai Day - a celebration of our great country and its unique national pastime. National Braai Day will allow us to get together, burn the past and cook up a succulent future. Braaing unites us all in a common purpose and transcends racial, social, cultural and language barriers. There's really no excuse not to gather your family and friends and whip up a feast - it's the start of summer and a public holiday." (Ref: http://www.braaiday.co.za/)
And whilst we all know that our Tagines can be used on the braai, even Cosmo is getting in on the act. In an article on how to keep your kitchen healthy, the following passage appears: "Swap the Roasting dish for a Tagine - roasted vegetable are healthy but you need to add oil for flavour and moisture. 'A tagine is self-basting,' says UK dietitian Nigel Denby. 'The design ensures that the steam keeps circulating, keeping food juicy without any added fat. It's also the ultimate in low-maintenance cooking - pop it in the oven [or on the stove] and let the steam do its work." Cosmopolitan, October 2007 (pg. 46 - Zest).
However, our Tagines are not limited to just vegetable dishes. For a range of Tagine recipes, view our site.
And, Eastern Gifts and Things cc is proud to launch its affiliate program. We are delighted that you can make some money with the Eastern Gifts and Things cc Affiliate Program! It is profitable, easy to sign up and easy to administer. All you have to do is link to us with your unique Affiliate Link. You can add value to your offering by linking your site to “the Best Home Décor, Kitchenware and Gifting Site Ever” – and you can generate more revenue at the same time. Why Our Affiliate Program? Well, we pay 10% commission for each sale on our site that has found our site through your link. Quality services and products to increase revenue opportunities and we offer your customers the best in home décor, kitchenware and gifting items, with direct delivery for up to five registered delivery addresses. Click here to join our Affiliate Program and link to Eastern Gifts and Things cc and start earning money with our Affiliate Program right now!
For more information, e-mail us on info@easterngifts.co.za.
And for all the women out there running their own businesses, here are two networking sites to get the word out there.
The first site is www.pages4women.com. Tania Bartrip - Owner and Editor of Pages 4 Women: Tania is the founder and editor of www.Pages4women.com - a platform where women can connect to share ideas, network and promote their business or service on a global level. She aims to Empower, Motivate, Inform and Unite women worldwide! Based, at the moment, in the South West of England, she is presently focusing her efforts on building a network where busy women can connect and find information and services on a wide range of topics from Business to Holistic Health to Interior Design, Fashion, Self-Help and Relationship issues. If you are a business owner and would like to have your personal profile featured on the site, just click the link to the Home page where you'll find full details - it's Free to join!
The second, a locally based website will add a little spice to your life. Welcome to the SPICE Philosophy: Self worth, Passion, Inspiration, Commitment and Edutainment - the tools through which we are able to embrace our womanhood and fulfil our true potential. SPICE has a very definitive goal: Connecting women with purpose in order for them to reach their full potential and spread their success and example amongst all around them, especially their families, children and community. With 7 years of hard earned experience, development of strong ethical relationships, credibility with our market & endorsement for the roles we play. We host a large interactive database, with an independent e-zine website receiving hundreds of thousands of visits from Women of South Africa. – www.spice4life.co.za.
And finally, our new products are taking off extremely well. Our pots - handmade in Peru - are exclusively available on our site. For more information on any of these news items, please e-mail us on info@easterngifts.co.za.
Competition Time And finally, don't forget our competition: One lucky subscriber will stand the chance to win a R350.00 gift voucher. So, pass the word onto all your friends, family and colleagues. You can sign up for our newsletter, without having to register as a client. However, you will need to sign up as a client in order to make a purchase on our site. To sign up for a newsletter - click here. To sign up as a client - click here. Competition closes 15 November 2007.
Here's to a wonderful spring and summer ahead - and have a fantastic NATIONAL BRAAI DAY today. And here's to seeing you online again soon:-)
Remember, we pack it, wrap it and deliver it - anywhere in South Africa.
For all your home decor, kitchenware and gifting requirements - log onto www.easterngifts.co.za.
Regards,
THE EASTERN GIFTS TEAM
Showing posts with label tagine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tagine. Show all posts
Monday, September 24, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Cooking
I can't say I'm much of a cook. Actually, I'm more of a restaurant and take-aways kind of girl. Not healthy, I know, but then neither is - or was - my cooking.:-)
However, that was before I discovered Tagine cooking. It is simply the easiest and best way to cook. The preparation can take some time (unless you buy everything pre-cut at Woolies) and then you simply leave it. I've tried this recipe and have found it to be quite delicous (I was even brave enough to invite some people around from work to try).
Just some background info on Tagines: Tagines, (Tajines) is the name given to both the cooking vessels and of the recipes themselves. Traditionally used by nomads as portable ovens over charcoal braziers, a tagine is made from glazed earthenware with a conical lid. The base is both a cooking and serving dish. It is very heavy to withstand constant use, and to hold the heat longer. The cone shaped cover acts like an oven and the entire lid is totally sealed to retain heat and moisture, which not only prevents it from drying out during the long cooking process, but also allows the slow infusion of flavors throughout the dish.
The low, indirect heat produces a rich, aromatic flavor as the food slowly simmers for several hours. Most tagines purchased nowadays can be used either in the oven or on top of the stove. The food is cooked in and served from the tagine, but remember to protect your table from heat from the base, when it comes off the stove or out of the oven. Of course, tagines can be cooked in more conventional cookware such as casseroles, however, to add an aura of authenticity you can serve the cooked stew from a decorated tagine which is a beautiful serving dish in itself.
Basically, tagines are a sort of stew, which are usually a mixture of vegetables, poultry or lamb, often with the addition of fruit. They have a thick rich spicy sauce which is thickened due to the long cooking process and are generally served with bread, couscous or rice. Originally, they would be cooked for many hours, however with modern cookers, a good result can be achieved in as little as 1-1/2 hours for poultry and meats and a lot less for vegetables, but bear in mind, the longer you cook them, the more developed the flavours. The fruits are usually added in dried form and contribute a subtle sweetness to the overall flavor. Often tagines contain preserved or salted lemons, which give the dish a unique flavour which cannot be duplicated by using fresh lemons. The idea behind tagine cooking is slow cooking, giving the meat and vegetables time to slow cook in its own juices and thereby savouring all flavours with the meal.
Why not try this delicious recipe below and let me know if you are as impressed as I was.
Lamb Tagine with dried prunes and almonds
However, that was before I discovered Tagine cooking. It is simply the easiest and best way to cook. The preparation can take some time (unless you buy everything pre-cut at Woolies) and then you simply leave it. I've tried this recipe and have found it to be quite delicous (I was even brave enough to invite some people around from work to try).
Just some background info on Tagines: Tagines, (Tajines) is the name given to both the cooking vessels and of the recipes themselves. Traditionally used by nomads as portable ovens over charcoal braziers, a tagine is made from glazed earthenware with a conical lid. The base is both a cooking and serving dish. It is very heavy to withstand constant use, and to hold the heat longer. The cone shaped cover acts like an oven and the entire lid is totally sealed to retain heat and moisture, which not only prevents it from drying out during the long cooking process, but also allows the slow infusion of flavors throughout the dish.
The low, indirect heat produces a rich, aromatic flavor as the food slowly simmers for several hours. Most tagines purchased nowadays can be used either in the oven or on top of the stove. The food is cooked in and served from the tagine, but remember to protect your table from heat from the base, when it comes off the stove or out of the oven. Of course, tagines can be cooked in more conventional cookware such as casseroles, however, to add an aura of authenticity you can serve the cooked stew from a decorated tagine which is a beautiful serving dish in itself.
Basically, tagines are a sort of stew, which are usually a mixture of vegetables, poultry or lamb, often with the addition of fruit. They have a thick rich spicy sauce which is thickened due to the long cooking process and are generally served with bread, couscous or rice. Originally, they would be cooked for many hours, however with modern cookers, a good result can be achieved in as little as 1-1/2 hours for poultry and meats and a lot less for vegetables, but bear in mind, the longer you cook them, the more developed the flavours. The fruits are usually added in dried form and contribute a subtle sweetness to the overall flavor. Often tagines contain preserved or salted lemons, which give the dish a unique flavour which cannot be duplicated by using fresh lemons. The idea behind tagine cooking is slow cooking, giving the meat and vegetables time to slow cook in its own juices and thereby savouring all flavours with the meal.
Why not try this delicious recipe below and let me know if you are as impressed as I was.
Lamb Tagine with dried prunes and almonds
- 1.2 kg lamb shoulder, cut into pieces
- 500 g dried prunes
- 150 g whole almonds
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- 3 chopped onions
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 sticks cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger (fresh or dried)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron
- 1 teaspoon flat parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 4 tablespoons groundnut peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoons caster sugar
- Salt, pepper
In a hot Emile Henry tagine, fry the pieces of lamb in the oil and butter, adding the onions, garlic, half the powdered cinnamon, ginger, saffron, cumin, parsley, coriander, salt and pepper. When the meat is golden, add three glasses of water, cover and cook for 45 minutes. Add a little water during cooking if necessary. Stir regularly. During this time, fry the sesame seeds in a pan without any oil. Cook the almonds in boiling water for 15 minutes, take off the outer skin layer and fry them in a little oil until golden. After 30 minutes, take a little sauce from the tagine, put it in a saucepan and add the dried prunes, the rest of the powdered cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, sugar and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the prunes and remove the sticks of cinnamon.Once the meat is cooked and the sauce has reduced, add the prunes and sprinkle the sesame seeds and almonds over the top. Cut the boiled eggs in half and arrange them around the edge.
Serve directly at the table - serves 6.
For more info: www.easterngifts.co.za
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)