SCRUMPTIOUS BREAKFAST

SALMON AND EGGS WITH TOAST

Breakfast is undoubtedly the most important meal of the day. Most people rush off to work in the morn without eating a morsel only to suffer from headaches and hunger pangs later in the day. Often opting to eat  a huge or heavy meal at lunch only to become sleepy due to over indulgence. But even if you eat as little as one slice of toast for breakfast, you have done justice to breakfast, because "breakfast" means to "break the fast" you've endured throughout the night. Anyway now that you're awake, how does a few ribbons of Norwegian oak Smoked Salmon; two scrabbled eggs flanked by a dollop of Cream Cheese; a slice of advocado, and a few cherry tomatoes on the side, with 2 slices of lightly buttered toast, sound to you. Followed by a frothy mug of  Jacobs Krönung  coffee made with a third mug of milk. Scrumptious, No? Now that's the way to start your day. There is a trueism that says "the day a woman doesn't eat an egg, is the day that she aged".  

Normally my wife  fries my tomatoes along with the scrambled eggs, together but separate. But today I wanted them over easy (sunny side up) with the tomatoes fresh. Normally I have a freshly baked buttered croissants in place of the toasted digesta, but I've got to watch the calories these days. However, this meal has all the nutrients and protein, fibre, carbohydrates, fructose and caffeine you need to be mentally alert and functioning at your best for the better part of the day. Brought to you by Foods of the Cape.

Norwegian oak Smoked Salmon or Trout with scrabbles eggs
and cream cheese with a croissant is a meal fit for a king.

Rosa tomatoes has such a unique taste

Free range eggs is the epitome of health.

Cream cheese with herbs

Digesta high fibre bread makes breakfast what it is

Eggs sunny-side up, sliver of salmon, cream cheese, salad and orange juice

Eggs sunny side up, avocado, cream cheese, rosa tomatoes and toast

Scrambled egg, salad, salmon with a croissant (cream cheese optional)

Scrambled eggs, salad, salmon with a croissant (cream cheese optional)

Half milk and half water makes a fine cup of coffee

Jacobs coffee is the ultimate to conclude a scrumptious breakfast

SAMP AND BEANS

SAMP AND BEANS STEW

Samp and Beans a traditional South African meal and known as umgqusho / mngqusho / umngqusho amongst the Xhosa community and as isistambu among the Zulu community. However, Samp and Beans is also one of the  delectable foods in Cape Malay Cooking and is a dish savoured and enjoyed by virtually everyone at foods of the Cape. It is an alternative to soup and is an amazing dish that we often eat when its cold and especially when its raining.  Since Samp resembles rice as in carbohydrates, it is enjoyed without rice. Eating Beans and Samp  gives the feeling of homeliness when the whole family sits around the fire with a bowl filled to the brim. It is very tasty, quite filling and an ideal meal for marathon runners who need to carbo load.  Besides, it is simple to make and is a low cost meal that serves at least 6 people or more. The best way to prepare Samp and Beans is to pour some boiling water over a packet of Beans and Samp and  leave it to soak overnight in a covered boil. Drain the water in the morning, add sufficient fresh water to cover the samp, add salt, then boil it in a pressure cooker (AMC Classic) on medium heat for about 2 hours or until the Beans are soft.  Samp is  dried corn on the cob, not the traditional yellow corn but rather the white corn taken off the cob.

RECIPE

Ingrdients:
1 kg of meat - Ox neck / knuckles / beef pieces
6 tblsp of Salad Oil
2 medium size Onion (grated not chopped)
2 tsps of Crushed Garlic
2 tsps of Salt
2 tsps Ground Pepper (Crushed Peppercorns)
2 tsps Fine Black Pepper
8 All spice balls
8 Cloves
1 pkt of Tomato paste

Method:
Boil Samp and Beans in a pressure cooker until soft. When done, drain excess water and use at stock to add back into the pot as needed.
Place meat in a separate AMC classic saucepan with the salad oil on medium heat and add fine grated onion and garlic, salt, ground pepper, all spice and clove and allow to braise in the oil.. Add water (stock) as needed and simmer until meat is tender. Then add the cooked Samp and Beans into the same pot with the meat and allow to simmer. Add the fine pepper and stock so that the mixture is saucy and not watery and cook for additional 20 mins to half hour. Check is it has sufficient salt, add if necessary. Stir-in the tomato past into the mixture and allow to simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve hot and enjoy.

Optional: 
A teaspoon of origanum and thyme may also be stirred in to the mixture before the tomato paste is added. It adds a marvelous aroma and a fantastic flavour. Chicken can be used in place of meat.

A packet of Samp and Beans with 2 onions

Braised Ox neck, salt, garlic, onions, cloves and all spice mixture.

The braised meat is the base for Samp and Beans stew.

Tomato past squeezed from packet into mug

The tomato paste mixed with boiling water to form a sauce.

The Samp and Beans in the boiling in its Stock

The Samp is tender but the beans still needs to boil a bit longer.

The crushed Garlic bits are still visible while the meat simmers.

Table for two

A delicious serving of Samp and Beans

The pepper is quite visible and makes the Samp and beans really delicious.