Rabbit in the Moon - Bohemian Cafe in the heart of Sandton

Food: Eclectic Bistro (a bit of everything)

Wine: Very limited, but some good choices. Prices rather on the high end.

Service: Very Good, attentive and enthusiastic.

Ambiance: Smart Casual, relaxed but eclectically elegant.

In a nutshell: Flavorful Food in a Heartwarming setting where the client is king. Prices on the Menu for the starters and Lunch Menu Items are on the affordable side, with the dinner price range significantly higher, yet reasonable. An excellent choice for a romantic dinner or simply the place to chill out with a nice selection of cocktails. Don't Miss: Filet Mignon and Three Milks Dessert.

City: Johannesburg, South Africa

Address: 198 Oxford Road, Illovo. (Same complex as Yamato, next to Thrupps)

Tel: 011 447 6720

Guacamole

Sauces by iSa

Type: Sauce

Prep Time: 10 - 15 mins 

Cooking Time: 0 mins

Servings: 6 - 8 Portions (depending on portion size)

Ingredients:

• 4 Ripe Avocados
• 1/3 Bunch Coriander finely chopped
• 1 Lemon 
• 1 Chili finely chopped or 2 sliced Jalapeños
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cayenne Pepper
• Ingredients for variations: Sour cream or cream, Powdered Lemon Tajin (my dear friend Lucia brings it for us from Mexico), Tomato Brunoise.

How to make Guacamole: Peel the avocados and put in the flesh in a bowl (keep 1 or 2 of the pits on the side). Mash the Avos until arriving at an almost homogeneous puree. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon, the coriander, chili and salt and pepper to taste. Try it and see if needs more seasoning. Serve in a bowl and sprinkle some cayenne pepper on top for a more colorful presentation.

Variations: If you like...

...a more creamy Guacamole, stir in a bit of cream or sour cream.

...to use it for dipping nachos, then stir in some small tomato cubes (brunoise).

...to make use of mexican goodies, sprinkle with some Powdered lemon Tajin instead of the Cayenne pepper.


Enjoy as a dip for nachos or pair with any mexican meal, or Latin American for that matter, we all love it!


Love, iSa

Ecuadorian Ceviche - iSa's Style

Type: Starter

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 30 - 40 mins

Servings: 7-8 Portions (depending on portion size)

Ingredients:

• 800 gr Dorado or Yellowtail Fish Fillet (no skin) 
• 1 big red onion or 2 small ones 
• 1 bunch coriander 
• 6 lemons / 4 lime (depending what is available, buy extra as the amount depends on how juicy they are) 
• 3 oranges 
• Pepper trio (1/4 Red Pepper, 1/4 Yellow Pepper, 1/4 Green Pepper) 
• 2 tbsp plain yellow mustard 
• 2 tbsp Tomato Sauce 
• Sea salt 
• Ground Black Pepper 
• Cayenne Pepper Canola Oil
• 1 cucumber 
• 2 Tomatoes 
• 2 packs Golden Oven-Baked Crackers 
• 1 pack Plain Nachos
• Hot sauce of your choice (Tabasco or Lea-Perrins will go well) 

How to cook the fish: Cut the fish into bit size cubes, of the cubes are about 2x2cm then it'll take around 30-40 min to cook, if they are smaller, it will take less time. I personally prefer to cut it in bigger pieces as it keeps the moisture and sea flavor from the inside of the flesh. Then place the cubes in a bowl and cover with enough lemon or lime juice, so that the fish is wet, but not fully soaked. Allow the fish to cook in the juice at room temperature (yes, no pot required, the lemon juice will do the job). 

Put together your Ceviche: In the meantime, chop the onion and the peppers brunoise style (small cubes), get the juice from the oranges, and have the rest of the ingredients at hand. Poke the fish to see if it has tenderized and if the flesh has turned white (like when it's cooked) on the outside. To see if it's ready I also pick one of the thicker pieces and cut it in 2 and if it's still too raw in the inside, wait a little longer. Then, when it's ready, season it with the cayenne and black pepper, the mustard, tomato sauce, coriander, oil and salt. Stir in the onion and pepper trio and soak it all with the remainder of the orange juice. Stir well and taste for salt and acidity, if too acid you can level it down with orange juice (if sweet) or with a bit more tomato sauce. 

Serve: Place two serving spoonfuls in a bowl and decorate with 2 slices of cucumber and 2 of tomato, you can also keep a bit of fresh finely chopped coriander to sprinkle on top. Serve with the Crackers and/or Nachos for choice and pour in a bit of hot sauce if you enjoy the heat. Ceviche makes a wonderful summer day Starter! (although we recently made it for a sunny winter day).

I dedicate this recipe to the friends (You guys know who you are...) who we recently had the fortune of sharing this Ceviche with, all new friends but friends for long we trust!

Love, iSa