Please Note, We’ve Moved

We have moved our Good Taste ramblings to our website www.goodtaste.co.za.

For more on wine tastings, decor, design ideas, restaurants and places to note, and more go to http://www.goodtaste.co.za/Good-Taste-Buds/

For your Meat-Free Monday recipes go to http://www.goodtaste.co.za/Meat-free-Monday/

If you have any comments or feedback please email online@goodtaste.co.za.

Penne with Artichokes

Here’s a simple meat-free pasta dish that will take you as little as 20 minutes to make. Enjoy it with a traditional Greek salad loaded with olives, creamy feta and onions. This dish is light enough to tuck into on one of these almost-but-not quite summer evenings we’ve been having lately. Enjoy!

To try this recipe, click here.

Polenta and Vegetables with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Here’s a meat-free recipe from www.self.com that’s low in saturated fat and high in protein. Polenta is a great source of fibre too and this particular dish meets almost a quarter of our daily fibre needs.

Polenta is a golden-yellow Italian cornmeal made from dried, ground maize and is a staple dish of northern Italy. Polenta makes a great gluten-free alternative to flour in cakes, biscuits and pastries.

To try this recipe, click here.

The Fabulous Fli Beads

Not too long ago my sister, who lives in New York, was going through a bit of a tough time. Missing her and feeling very far away I wanted to send her something to lift her spirits, and unfortunately flowers weren’t going to cut it.

I came across Fli beads on Facebook and sent Keeylen (one of the owners) an email asking her if she could custom make a few bracelets for me and I would somehow get them to my sister.

However, as luck would have it, Keeylen happened to be in The Big Apple at that time and in a few days she had made up the bracelets and posted them directly to my sister’s home address. (Yes, apparently carrier pigeons are also still reliable in the States.)

The designers at Fli not only make beautiful bespoke jewellery, but they offer the kind of personal online service that makes you want to hug your computer.

Here’s a bit more about the jewellery line:

Fli believes every great dream begins with a dreamer. Their unique handcrafted jewellery, made in South Africa, spreads ideas of Freedom, Love  & Imagination to the world & encourages others to dream without limits & achieve their aspirations.

The designers of Fli are motivated by the network of universal energy that links all aspects together. Danielle Morrison & Keelyn Crowley create jewellery that acts as reminders to others that jewellery is an art and every individual can express it in their own way.

A portion of the proceeds are donated to a South African-based non-profit organization, which cares for impoverished, abused, & AIDS infants.

Follow them on facebook.com/flisouthafrica or www.flibeads.com and have a look at their latest collections.

Feel free to contact the designer duo for special requests or further information on flibeads@gmail.com.

Green Bean & Pistachio Salad

I found this pasta recipe on www.myrecipes.com that’s great for a main meal or served as a side salad at a Sunday lunch or braai. You can make the salad ahead of time and keep it in the fridge; just don’t add the dressing as the beans might get a bit soggy. Enjoy!

To try this recipe, click here.

Five Minute Mousse

This is one of the easiest, quickest and tastiest chocolate mousse recipes I’ve come across.  It’s made with only two ingredients—chocolate and water—and no fancy-pants kitchen equipment is required.

Add sugar, spices or even liquor to this dessert to mix it up as you see fit. You can also use this recipe for other sweet dishes such as a cake filling or chocolate sauce.

This discovery was first made by the French chemist, Hervé This. The recipe, also known as Chocolate Chantilly, starts with melting chocolate in water and ends with whisking it until thickened. Don’t knock it till you try it. Enjoy!

To try this recipe, click here.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

Although making gnocchi can be quite time consuming, these fresh and fluffy dumplings on http://www.epicurious.com are well worth it. Using sweet potato instead of regular potato gives this dish a deliciously different texture to the usual gnocchi.

However, be advised to make extra, as this recipe is guaranteed to have everyone wanting seconds. Enjoy!

To try this recipe, click here.

Enjoy this dish with a rich and fruity Pinot Grigio. Click here to see the Wine-of-the-Month’s suggestions.

Make a Memo Board

We found this quick and easy tutorial from the website www.makeandtakes.com to make your own memo board.

All you need is a photo frame with a glass front, a piece of scrapbook paper to fit the frame and a dry-erase marker.

 

If you’re super organised, you can get yourself some vinyl cut letters (for the days of the week) from an art shop or scrapbook store and make a weekly menu planner for your kitchen.

Just use a cloth or paper towel to wipe the board clean, quick and easy!

Avocado and Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Spring fever is finally in the air as we enter the last few days of August. Hearty winter soups and stews are behind us and light lunches and summer salads are the order of the day. I always find I tend to stick to making the ol’ faithful Greek salad but this summer I want to try different salad recipes to keep things interesting in veggie-ville. I came across this simple salad recipe from authenticsuburbangourmet which is sure to be a firm favourite this summer. Enjoy!

To try this recipe, click here.

Repeating Patterns

Gone are the days when wallpaper was drab and oh-so-70s. We found a whole lot of fun ways to experiment with wallpaper on jpm design’s blog.  These DIY tips give dull décor pieces a sophisticated elegance with very little effort.

We especially love how a bit of wallpaper can transform cardboard clipboards into a designer notice board that’s great for your study or kid’s room.

We love Loads of Living’s latest range of affordable wallpapers that can help get you on your redecorating way.