Fashionable Food for Fabulous Fridays - Recipes for the weekend

Those are some of my favourite F words; fortunately, it was a good week, so I have no desire to stab someone with a cake fork. To celebrate the weekend, there’s nothing better than having fab food lined up, which won't keep you in the kitchen for hours. Try these when serving sundowners or as starters, or just for the hell of it.

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PASTRY-FREE SPINACH AND BRIE QUICHE WITH A SPICY YOGHURT TOPPING

TOPPING: (The topping is a garnish drizzled over the top of the quiches before serving)

250ml Greek yoghurt
15ml Virgin Olive Oil
½ red chilli, seeded and chopped
5ml lemon zest
2.5 ml paprika (I use smoked paprika)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

INDIVIDUAL QUICHES (MAKES 6)

200g Brie (or Feta cheese or a combination)
110g bacon bits, fried until crispy and drained on a kitchen towel
4 large eggs, beaten
125ml fresh cream
125ml spring onion, chopped
60ml fresh mint, chopped (or use basil)
Extra leaves for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD:
1. For the topping: combine all the ingredients in a bowl and leave to stand for at least 30 minutes before using.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
3. Grease 6 individual quiche tins (or tartlet cases) very well using soft butter or Cook 'n Spray (I use the Olive oil variety).
4. In a bowl, cut the Brie into small pieces, add the fresh cream, and heat in the microwave on a medium/low setting until the Brie has melted. Make sure the cream does not boil. Leave to cool to room temperature. (If you’d prefer to use Feta cheese, start from No 5)
5. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
6. Spoon the mixture into the quiche tins and bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden. (The filling might still be slightly wobbly, but that's fine; it will firm up as they cool down.)
7. Remove from the cases immediately.
8. Before serving, top with the yoghurt topping, garnish with a sprig of mint or basil, and serve warm or at room temperature.  If served as a light luncheon dish, add a small French salad and a crispy baguette.

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SMOKED TROUT AND CUCUMBER SKEWERS - Served with Crème Fraiche and a lime drizzle

1 cucumber
150g smoked Trout (or smoked Salmon)
60ml crème fraiche (use a commercial ready-made tub)
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 Soak skewers in cold water to make them pliable
2 Using a potato peeler, peel the cucumber lengthwise into long, thin ribbons.
3 Fold the pieces concertina style onto the skewer
4 Do the same with a ribbon of smoked Trout
5 Repeat once more
6 Mix the crème fraiche and lime juice, season.
7 Arrange the skewers on a pretty platter. Add the drizzle just before serving, garnish with finely chopped chives or fennel
8 Makes 12 skewers.

MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE GINGER AND LEMONGRASS PANNA COTTA

BAKED PEACHES

When the very first peaches arrive in stores or markets, I make this all-time favourite peach dessert. It’s easy, can be kept in the refrigerator, and can be used over the course of the weekend. You haven’t tasted summer until you’ve made this traditional Italian dessert. Lay a long table on the lawn under the huge oak tree (Pecan tree for me), sip the Limoncello, and lazily swish the bees away.  Now you'll smell summer too.

2 punnets firm peaches or Nectarines (about 16), gently cut and twist the peaches into two halves, remove the stone carefully, with the tip of a teaspoon
½ cup Caster sugar
75ml sweet Fortified wine (Hanepoot, white Madeira, or Muscadel)
1 tub Mascarpone (or clotted cream)
½ vanilla pod or essence

NOTE: If you can save some of the peaches for breakfast, serve them with thick Greek Yoghurt and a drizzle of honey.

Soon we'll be picking Hydrangeas for our tables, pink and blue.