Prawn (tagliatelle) #584

Daily painting #584 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel 

My daughter is away on school camp so Ross (my son) asked if we could have prawns for supper...Amy will NOT, under any circumstances, eat prawns (it's the eyes!). I think Ross said it as a joke, so he was really surprised when I whisked him off with me after school to a fish market to buy prawns. The market is not in the nicest area of Durban so I was grateful my daughter wasn't with us (she would have had a fit heading off into such a dodgy area). But the seafood is delicious and fresh...and so worth it! So tonight I treated the boys with a lemon and garlic prawn tagliatelle and other than cleaning the prawns, it is SO easy to make ...and SO yummy! If you love prawns and pasta...this one is for you! I will share it with you...

• prawns (you can buy already peeled and shelled if you don't want to cut, clean and shell)
• tagliatelle pasta (you can use any shape pasta you like)
• small finely chopped onion
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• olive oil and knob of butter for frying
• salt and pepper
• lemon zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• 1 cup of quality white wine
• extra knob of butter for sauce if needed (sorry this is not one for the diet book!)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley or coriander
• optional is a little chopped red chili (if you like it a little hot!)

Prawns cook quickly so start by cooking pasta in boiling salted water until al dente (just cooked).
While pasta cooks soften onions in a little butter and olive oil combined, once onions are soft add garlic (if added too soon, garlic can go bitter or burn). Toss prawns into the hot pan (season with salt and pepper) and as soon as the prawns colour, add wine and lemon zest and juice. If the sauce needs it, add a little extra butter. 
Drain pasta and toss the prawns and sauce through the pasta. Add the fresh parsley/coriander and check your seasoning. Retain a little of the cooking liquid from the pasta and add a little if needed as the pasta will start to absorb the sauce. Enjoy...

A delicious feast and SO easy (super quick too) and you are bound to impress! My amateur photography meant that by the time I got a couple of photos the sauce had probably gathered in the bottom of the bowl...but you get the idea! I was hero for a moment and my boys thought I was THE BEST....until I asked them to help me clean up!

Purchase paintings at Heidi Shedlock Fine Art
(Click on the highlighted writing to view gallery of available daily paintings and for all purchase details)

Cheese and mustard powder #578

Daily painting #578 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

It's been a tough week of trying to get back to 'normal' (Am I normal? Maybe not!) so I was determined to end the week with getting back into my kitchen. My son has been craving French toast for breakfast...so French toast it was. My husband planned to stoke up his regular Sunday fire and braai (barbecue) so I decided to make some homemade cumin and coriander burger patties for a change to charred (burnt - don't tell him I said that) meat.  Granny Jean (my mother-in-law) was also coming around for mid-morning tea, so I made some Cheese scones (Aunty Pat's Cheese scones to be specific). Talk about getting back into my kitchen...I think I did a pretty  fine job! I also did a pretty fine job of leaving a wake of devastation behind me and my kitchen looked like it needed a cleaning fairy to clean my mess. Unfortunately for my husband he was the 'cleaning fairy', with the help of the trusty dishwasher!

Aunty Pat's Cheese Scones (muffins) were a favorite growing up. She seemed to whip them up for afternoon tea in minutes and they really are dead easy. My little painting is of 2 of the ingredients but I think I will share the rest of them with you...maybe you will give them a try! I would love to hear from you if you do...happy (easy-peasy) baking!

• 1 cup flour
• 1cup grated cheese
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I prefer a little paprika or dried mixed herbs)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1 cup milk

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and place into muffin trays (I usually use mini muffin pans and make bite size ones). Bake at 180 C for about 15-20 min. Eat while warm.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing a recipe for a change (I even took a photo for you) and not just the ingredients painted. I often get asked why I don't share the recipes for mushroom sauce, spicy aubergines, apple crumble, marinated olives, Christmas mince pies and cake...and all the other yummy things that find their way into my studio as objects or still life for daily paintings...so today I give you a recipe. I know Aunty Pat won't mind. What do you think? 

Busy day...full tummy...happy heart...exhausted and ready for bed!

Purchase paintings at Heidi Shedlock Fine Art
(Click on the highlighted writing to view gallery of available daily paintings and for all purchase details)