Student Budget Begins

I'm back at University, back to budgets and back to trying to make meals that I enjoy cooking, that are quick, cost effective and healthy. Its quite a lot to get out of a few Rands but I've tried and I thought I'd share them with everyone.

Grilled Basil and Lemon Chicken Breast
 with Basil, Cherry Tomato,
Green Bean and Lentil Salad

Steps to Make Salad:

1. Place 1/2 cup of lentils in a pot with water and cook for 20-30min
2. Chop cherry Tomatoes in half and place in bowl
3. Take a handful of basil leaves and place in bowl with tomatoes
4. Take a handful (approx 15green beans), cut off ends and chop not 1cm pieces, place in bowl with water and cook in microwave for 1.5min, cool off in cold water and place in bowl with rest of the salad
5. After the lentils are cooked (just soft- i.e. not breaking apart), strain and place in bowl
6. Drizzle Olive Oil and some balsamic reduction over 

Steps to Make Chicken:

1. Slice chicken breast in half in order to open the breast to create a thinner, schnitzel-like shape
2. Cover in 2tbsp of olive oil, 1tsp of salt, pepper, 1/4 of lemon squeezed
3. Take a handful of Basil, thinly slice into little pieces and sprinkle on chicken
4. Using a pan (griddle pan is preferable ) cook for 10-15min, altering sides when necessary

Kitima (Best Asian Restaurant acc to Eat Out 2013)

Kitima

Placed quite out of the way for city dwellers the drive to Kitima is a long dark and windy rode to take all for a meal. Rated the best Asian Restaurant in SA 2013 by Eat Out Magazine some people see it as worth it. My experience was a mixture of below average and sensational. I therefore find it quite hard to completely disregard this restaurant and what it has on offer.

The restaurant's decor is classy and sophisticated and for an asian restaurant it is unusually placed in a traditional dutch building in Hout Bay. Besides the decor the waiters and service was just as up to scratch where recommendations from the menu were clear and chosen in accordance with your preferences. 

Before starting on our meal we were stuck into their renowned cocktails. These cocktails may be the reason I cannot let Kitima slip out my book of good restaurants. If you aren't very into cocktails or lets say alcohol - do yourself a favour and don't not order one! The Strawberry Rose Martini was lovely but The Chai Affair by Chai was the best drink I have ever had. A berry mixed cocktail with  a lemongrass foam! I was convinced I had arrived in heaven. Serve me one of these everyday and I will be living the high life!

We started our meal with some starters which included some chilli-pepper salt squid, veggie gau,  prawn and mozzarella balls and golden secrets (deep fried prawn dumplings). I am a dim sum addict and found the dim sum good but not the best I've had. The squid was also good but the prawn balls were definitely my favourite followed by the Golden Secrets. For our main meals I had the Pla Neng Ma Nao - steamed kingkilp. I managed to also taste the Aromatic crispy duck which came with homemade pancakes. I was so disappointed with the Kingklip. Instead of  a nice thick piece of kingklip I received little chunks. I am also pretty certain the fish was either frozen before or very overcooked. The duck on the other hand was rather good. 

All in all the meal was good but for a place I had been hyped up and absolutely ecstatic to get a table at last minute I was slightly disheartened. If it hadn't been for those two Chai Affair cocktails that we ordered successively I would say my meal at Kitima would have been a last time for a while.