A go to galette that never disappoints.  I’m a fan of galette’s because of their rustic look & taste.  It’s just a lovely tart that can be made savoury or sweet that works for those summer lunches that celebrate good simple wholesome foods.

My favourite of all time has to be a beetroot & goat cheese.  The combination between the two… beetroot & goat’s chevre is a match made in heaven.  The best part of it all, is that its simple to produce and a real beauty on the table.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 red onions, cut into quarters
• Fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 5-7 medium sized beetroot.  (I use both purple and golden beets)
• 1 store bought puff pastry
• 1 egg (for egg washing)
• Salt & pepper
• 100g goat’s cheese, torn into pieces

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and roast in separate  pans coat your onion quarters with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper.
2. In the second oven tray, roast the beetroots whole, (creating a foil pouch) without peeling with olive oil  and thyme.  Roast for about 1 hr or until tender.  Peel after and then slice into round thin discs
3. Dust your surface and roll out your puff pastry dough and shape into a circle.  Then carefully transfer onto greaseproof paper. Arrange your beetroots all around the pastry allowing them to overlap each other to close off any gaps.  Then sprinkle your torn pieces of goats cheese and drizzle over a mix of whisked balsamic, olive oil and a touch of honey (do not drench)
4. Sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme leaves and fold the edges of the puff pastry inwards to create a pizza-like crust edges.
5. Then egg wash the edges and sprinkle some sesame seeds before popping into the oven and baking for about 20-30 min when the crust is deeply browned. Beginning in centre, arrange beet slices on cheese in overlapping concentric circles. Stir together vinegar and honey in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle vinegar mixture evenly over beets.
6. Let stand 10 minutes. Slice up and enjoy!

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With Christmas around the corner, the pressure of the infamous family lunch menu is an anxiety inducer to some. Whilst others welcome it as they have gathered an arsenal of recipes throughout the year to try out on family. 

But have we ever considered rethinking our approach to Christmas?  Creating a gathering that has less kitchen slaving and more time spent together?  Cooking food that’s nutritious, impressive but less time consuming.

Well sign me up for that.  As a chef, and having gone through 2020 and all its insanity. The last thing I have in mind is spending even more time in the kitchen.  I want to eat good food but I want it less arduous.

Which is what this easy maize bread recipe is.  Its spicy, has lots of texture and flavour to mop up all the good juices on the plate, like every bread should!

Ingredients

• 140gram all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup/95g maize meal
• 2-3 tablespoon sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

What you need:

• 2-3 fresh corn cobs, charred and shaved (about 2 cups of corn)
• 115 g / ¾ cup grams cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup / (120ml) milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1-2 finely chopped jalapenos (optional)
• 4 tablespoon 57grams unsalted butter melted

Equipment needed

• Cast iron pan / baking pan
• Measuring spoons &/ Kitchen scale
• Measuring cups
• Whisk
• Mixing bowls

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter cast iron pan / baking dish and set aside.
2. Remove husk from corn and charr all the sides of the corn on a hot cast iron pan/griddle then shave off the kernels from the cob.
3. In a medium bowl, empty out the jar of pre-mix and whisk together the with baking powder and baking soda
4. Whisk in, sour cream, milk, and lightly beaten eggs until well combined
5. Then, add melted butter and corn mixture, leaving a little to scatter on top, then pour the batter into prepared cast iron pan or baking tin. 
6. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

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If you live in the Southern Hemisphere like I do then you are likely enjoying the sun right now. Which is why this hibiscus, berry and ginger sorbet is the perfect addition to your cooking rotation. Equal parts refreshing and tasty. This yummy easy hibiscus sorbet is perfect for keeping cool in the summer months.

Ingredients:

• 450 gr frozen berries
• 350 ml (about 1.5 cups) sugar syrup – made with equal parts sugar/water = 200 ml of each
• about 90 ml (about 2/5 cup) dried hibiscus (if using fresh, increase 1.5-2 times)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

Mix sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil until sugar is completely dissolved then add your  Hibiscus petals and let the mix infuse off the stove for about 30 min.  Once cooled remove the hibiscus petals syrup from the stove top.

Freeze the fruits completely and store them in freezer bags.

Place frozen fruits in a food processor or ice crushing blender and run the motor to crush the fruit adding in the simple syrup bit by bit.

Spoon it into a bowl and store in the freezer to hold a bit.

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Isn’t it amazing learning the stories of how certain dishes were created?  Especially the one’s that are appreciated around the world.  In my household, this is the case with the French Tart Tartin.  My husband claimed he was not a stewed fruit person until he tasted this buttery, tarty and sweet pastry, and the kids?… well, they absolutely love it and the process of making!

According to Wikipedia, “The tarte Tatin was created accidentally at the Hôtel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, Loir-et-Cher, 169 km (105 mi) south of Paris, in the 1880s.^[1]The hotel was run by two sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin.^[2] There are conflicting stories concerning the tart’s origin, but the most common is that Stéphanie Tatin, who did most of the cooking, was overworked one day. She started to make a traditional apple pie but left the apples cooking in butter and sugar for too long. Smelling the burning, she tried to rescue the dish by putting the pastry base on top of the pan of apples, quickly finishing the cooking by putting the whole pan in the oven. After turning out the upside down tart, she was surprised to find how much the hotel guests appreciated the dessert.”  – Whichever way, we thank these sisters for discovering this family favourite.

 Serves: 6

Time: 40 min total

Prep 20 min

Cooking 20 min

Ingredients:

• 300g all-butter puff pastry
• Flour or dusting
• 6 Granny Smith Apples
• 100g castor sugar
• 85g unsalted butter (chilled and cubed)

Method:

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas  then Lightly flour your surface and roll your thawed pastry to about 3mm thickness round on a lightly floured surface and cut a circle using your cast iron pan to trace. Then prick all over with a fork, place on a baking sheet cover and freeze while preparing your apples.

Peel, all apples and remove the core and cut into quarters and core the apples.

• Heat the butter in your cast iron pan with the sugar and lemon juice.  Once all has melted, arrange the apples in a tight circle in the sauce ensuring that the sauce covers the apples.  Let the apples simmer in the pan until softening then remove off the stove. Then gently press and tuck in the edges of your frozen puff pastry circle  then prick a few holes and bake for about 35-40 min until pastry is crispy and golden

Allow it to cool down after baking then use a knife to loosen the sides before turning it carefully by using a plate or board to catch it.

Enjoy on its own or with crème fraîche or ice cream!

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Chakalaka, South Africa’s most loved relish of relishes.  The one side and share dish you dare not leave out of the braai/barbeque.  And my first real food love and the dish I swear by when gathering with friend’s and family. Make this recipe for gatherings or to enjoy with your family and eat all week. 

Servings: 4-6

Time:  40 min total

Prep: 20 min

Cooking: 20 min

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 small-medium yellow pepper finely diced
• 1 small-medium red pepper finely diced
• 2 chillies finely chopped (optional)
• 4 large carrots grated
• 10 ml canola oil
• 1 X 400g baked beans
• Salt and pepper for taste
• Tomato paste 50g (if not using baked beans)
• Canned Tomatoes (if not using baked beans)

Spices:

• 2  teaspoon Cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 garam masala
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Chilli flakes

Method:

Fry your onions till translucent on medium heat with the canola oil. Add in garlic as the onions are softened and fry for a further 2-3 min.  Then add in your diced peppers and spices to the pot and coat well, frying for an additional 1 min. Add in your carrots and mix until all are coated and let it cook and soften for a few minutes. Once carrots are softened, add in your baked beans and let the relish simmer and thicken for a bit. If using another type of bean that doesn’t have tomato, add in your diced canned tomatoes, and tomato paste shortly after adding in the carrots and let it simmer until tomatoes thicken.

Let it cool down and enjoy with salads and/or meats.

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Flavour… probably the only memorable take out of a good meal. Yes, texture and colours play an important role too, but if it didn’t hit the flavour notes, its just as notable as the last big mac meal you had. So let’s kick things off right. Start with laying the foundation of flavour as we traverse this food journey together.

A lot of aspiring foodies/home cooks sometimes struggle with flavour, ending up with complicated dishes that have the whole pantry load of ingredients in the dish all in the name sake of chasing for that savour. Good thing is, if you enjoy your way around the kitchen, overtime you learn and unlearn new skills that really turn you into a more confident cook who understands when to use what and how, with that said too, there aren’t any rules.

I partially blame it on culinary practitioners – I mean we all buy recipe books, google recipes follow food blogs etc but I feel there isn’t enough emphasis and recipe sharing about creating pantry hacks from the professionals themselves, recipes that can help the everyday cook create winning dishes. Where are the recipes and blogs on creating, 4-5 must have hacks in your pantry and I refer to the foundation again. From flavoured oils to ferments to pestos, all the arsenals that with just a drizzle or spoonful can really lift a once was bland dish into something that’s just bursting with flavour – helping you navigate your way in the kitchen with much ease. Well fear not, I come bearing gifts… over the next few articles I want to share a few recipes of my favourite trusted hacks that have saved many of my meals.

To start, my absolute favourite and go to hack… Preserved lemons. This requires patience, as the magic takes about a month. Its literally a quick process of jam packing cut and salted lemons into a sterilized jar then waiting it out for about a month or so – in this time the salt cures the lemons, creating a flavour like no other. Nothing is will ever be the same again… a month of patience will have you gaining intense, bold lemony flavour that transforms salads, roasts etc into sublime dishes. It is one of North African’s best discoveries yet.

Enough talking, lets make this simple un-intimidating pantry hack… this recipe was extracted from Yottam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook.

Preserved Lemons

What you need:
1L glass jar
boiling water
6 unwaxed lemons
6 tablespoons coarse sea salt
2 sprigs rosemary (optional)
1 large red chilli
juice of 6 lemons
olive oil

What you do:
Fill the jar with hot, boiled water and let it sit for a few minutes to sterilize it. Pour the water out and let it air dry without touching the inside or drying it with a cloth.
Wash the lemons and cut a cross in them from one end to about 2cm from the bottom so the 4 quarters are still attached. Pour a tablespoon of salt into each lemon, then fit them tightly into the jar. Seal the jar and leave it for at least a week. I left mine in a cupboard.
After the first week, remove the lid and push the lemons down to squeeze as much juice out as you can. Add the rosemary, chilli, and as much lemon juice as you need to cover the lemons. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top. Seal the jar and leave in a cool place for at least 4 weeks. And voila!

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