This creamy, hearty mushroom soup is the perfect way to welcome the magnificent cooler days in the Cape. Made with earthy paprika, fresh cream, dry white wine and lots of herbs, it is a versatile dish and pairs beautifully with Stellenbosch Hills’ Chenin Blanc, or if you’re more of a red wine drinker, their Merlot. The soup can be served as a starter in smaller quantities, or as a hearty main course with lots of toasted bread or chunky croutons.
The main reason that I love this recipe is because of the fabulous texture of the soup. To me, a mushroom soup should be lusciously creamy with a generous amount of chunky mushrooms, not a grey “porridgey” puree.
Note: This is a Hungarian-style soup and therefor the best choice of paprika would be “sweet”, not hot or smoked. If you do prefer hot or smoked paprika, feel free to experiment.
Ingredients: (serve 3-4 as a main, or 6 as a small starter)
60 g (4 tablespoons) butter30 ml (2 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
500 g brown or portabellini mushrooms, sliced3-4 garlic cloves, finely grated/chopped
20 ml (4 teaspoons) paprika
30-45 ml (2-3 tablespoons) fresh thyme leaves, stalks discarded
10 ml (2 teaspoons) dried origanum
500 ml (2 cups) chicken/vegetable stock
125 ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine
30 ml (2 tablespoons) soy sauce
250 ml (1 cup) milk
45 ml (3 tablespoons) flour – cake or white bread flour
250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream
salt & pepper
15 ml lemon juice
a handful Italian parsley, finely chopped, to serve
fresh bread/baguette, buttered & toasted, to serve (or chunky croutons)
a few dollops sour cream or thickened cream, to serve (optional)
Method:
In a large wide pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the oil. Add the onions and fry until soft (about 5 min). Add the mushrooms, garlic, paprika, thyme and origanum and continue to fry for about 10 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms have softened and the bottom of the pot starts to become sticky. Add the stock, wine and soy sauce and bring to a simmer – cook for 5 minutes. In a medium jug or mixing bowl, add the milk and flour and whisk to mix thoroughly, then add the mixture to the pot along with the cream. Stir well and bring to a simmer, seasoning with salt & pepper. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the soup has thickened, stirring often. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, then taste and add more salt & pepper if needed. Serve hot in bowls, scatter with chopped parsley, toasted bread/croutons, and if you wish, a dollop of sour cream or cream.
This creamy corn chowder delivers on all fronts – it is very simple to make, incredibly flavourful, packed with all kinds of wonderful crunchy (and soft) textures, and it’s a comforting and satisfying dinner any day of the week. The cool thing is, it can also double up to be a popular crowd-pleasing starter or festive canapé, served in small bowls.
There are two vegetables that I always keep handy in my freezer: shelled peas and cut sweet corn. My daughter has loved both since she was very young, and this way I could conveniently cook small side portions in the microwave whenever I needed to make her a quick lunch after school or to go with our mid-week chicken schnitzels along with a creamy cheese sauce. McCain’s frozen vegetables are frozen at their freshest after a quick blanche, which means that you can conveniently steam or cook just the amount you need for a short time, with all the nutrients in tact and zero wastage.
I’ve teamed up with McCain South Africa to bring you one of my all-time favourite, super easy recipes using their cut sweet corn: a creamy corn chowder with bacon, potatoes, leeks and lots of chopped chives and parsley. It cooks in 30 minutes max from scratch in one pot, it is popular with adults and kids alike and it is packed with flavour, texture and nutrients. It also reheats well so it can be made in advance and topped with fresh herbs upon serving.
Little bowls of comforting creamy corn chowder to please your friends and family this festive season.
Ingredients: (serves 4 – 6 guests as a midweek lunch/dinner, or a larger crowd when served in cups as a warm canapé or snack)
30 ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
300 g leeks, finely sliced (white parts only)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250 g smoked streaky bacon, chopped (plus extra for serving, optional)
500 g or 4 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
750 g McCain Cut Corn, frozen
500 ml (2 cups) warm chicken stock
250 ml (1 cup) milk
30 ml (2 tablespoons) corn flour
250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated (or strong flavoured cheese of your choice)
a handful chives and/or Italian parsley, finely chopped, to serve
Tip: Prepare/chop all the ingredients as set out above and have them on hand before you place the pot on the heat.
In a medium pot over medium heat, add the oil and onion and fry until soft and translucent but not brown. Add the leeks & garlic, fry until lightly golden, then remove from the pot and aside. Add the bacon to the same pot, frying until golden brown, then add the fried onion mixture back into the pot along with the cubed potatoes and frozen corn (no need to thaw). Add the stock and 180 ml (3/4 cup) of the milk – mix the remaining 60 ml (1/4 cup) of milk with the corn flour and add it to the pot as well. Add the cream and stir well to loosen any sticky bits on the bottom. Season with salt & pepper, bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then remove from the heat, add the cheese and stir through to melt. Serve hot in bowls, topped with chopped chives/parsley, extra fried bacon bits and more grated cheese, if you want to.
Today marks the officially turn of the seasons from Winter to Spring and for many of us it also marks a celebration of everything green and fresh after a long and cold Winter filled with heavier stews and other rich comfort foods. “Fresh” doesn’t always have to be “raw” – if you can preserve something of that green freshness in the comfort of a smooth and utterly satisfying soup, I’d say you’re covering best of both worlds.
I wrote this recipe for First Choice Dairy after they asked me to create something for Spring, preferable something light or a side dish, incorporating their cream. Although I don’t associate cream with “light cooking”, this soup is indeed light and bursting with the intense green flavours of peas, broccoli, baby spinach, mint and leeks. I pulsed the vegetables (except the peas) in a food processor to match the size of the peas, then cooked it for a mere 5 minutes in vegetable stock. Immediately transferred to a blender, it is transformed into a smooth, beautifully green soup, adding the cool cream to stop the vegetables from cooking any further or losing their colour. By lack of any other fat or oil in the recipe, the cream provides the necessary luxurious roundness and smooth mouthfeel.
To serve, I love adding as much luxurious goodness and texture as possible: a swirl of cream, a few drops of extra virgin olive oil, some smoked roasted pumpkin seeds, finely sliced sugar snaps, fresh pea shoots and mint leaves, and of course a few thick slices of fresh ciabatta that’s been freshly toasted with olive oil. The smoked pumpkin seeds add fabulous flavour and crunch, but if you’re looking for a meaty kick, you’re welcome to add a handful of crispy fried bacon nuggets.
This soup is wonderful served warm, but just as good served at room temperature. It’s a nutrient-packed, mood-lifting, flavourful celebration of a promising new season – happy Spring Day!
Notes:
First Choice Real Dairy Cream (long life) is available in 250ml and 1 liter tetrapacks. It has no preservatives and can be stored safely on the shelf for months. Once opened it should be refrigerated and used within 7 days. The tetrapacks are 100% recyclable.
If you don’t have a food processor, just chop the vegetables and cook them a little longer, adding the peas half way through the process and cooking until everything is just tender. You’ll still need at least a stick blender to blend the soup to a smooth puree.
Ingredients: (serves 4 as a main meal or 6 as a starter)
750 ml (3 cups) vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
200 g leeks, white parts only, sliced into chunks
250 g broccoli, sliced into florets
250 g frozen/fresh peas
a generous handful baby spinach
a small handful fresh mint leaves, stalks discarded
125 ml (1/2 cup) First Choice Cream
salt & pepper, to taste
for serving: (all optional, but you can add all of these and more!)
a swirl of First Choice Cream
a few drops of extra virgin olive oil
a few tablespoons pumpkin seeds, smoked & roasted
croutons, or ciabatta brushed with olive oil and toasted
a few fresh pea shoots
a few mint leaves
a few sugar snap peas, finely sliced
Method:
Place the stock in a medium size pot over medium heat. While it is heating up, place the leeks and broccoli in a food processor and pulse until it matches the size of peas. Add the pulsed vegetables along with the peas to the stock and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, turn down the heat and simmer for 4 minutes, then add the spinach and simmer for another minute. Remove from the heat and carefully ladle into a powerful blender. Add the mint and cream and blend to a very smooth puree. Season generously with salt & pepper, then mix well. Serve at once, with a swirl of cream and your choice of toppings and bread (can also be served at room temperature).
When life gives you lemons, make this lemony labneh!
Labneh is a luxuriously soft, creamy, yoghurt cheese that originated in the Middle East. If you haven’t tasted it yet, it is absolutely delicious (similar to a soft, tangy, plain cream cheese or a mild soft goats cheese) and very easy to make at home. You can either serve it as a spread in a bowl, or shape small balls that are dropped in extra virgin olive oil – alongside freshly toasted bread it is a simple yet royal feast.
This recipe is the first in a series of four (#WhenLifeGivesYouLemons) that I created for LemonGold, a stunning seedless lemon varietal that is extra juicy and wonderful to cook with. The recipes form a lemon-themed menu that is Mediterranean-inspired, simple to make and absolutely packed with flavour. Do follow the cooking videos along on Instagram and Youtube – I’ve had so much fun in the kitchen creating these recipes and I hope you will have too!
Serve your labneh with warm toasted bread (as a spread or in balls), topped with grated lemon zest, za’atar spice, extra virgin olive oil and a few thyme leaves.
Notes: Adding the lemon juice to the yoghurt after straining, results in a softer spreadable cheese with maximum lemon flavour. If you’re looking for a firmer result, add the lemon juice to the yoghurt before straining, and strain the yoghurt for up to 2 days before serving.
Ingredients: (makes about 2 cups, depending on the consistency of the yoghurt that you choose)
freshly toasted bread (pita/baguette/ciabatta/sourdough), for serving
In a mixing bowl, add the yoghurt and salt and stir well. Line a sieve with a thin cotton cloth (at least 40 x 40 cm big) or cheese cloth and place it over another bowl, then pour the yoghurt mixture into the lined sieve and close it with a rubber band or a piece of string. Refrigerate overnight, or for up to 24-48 hours (depending on how thick you want your labneh – a thicker result will mean a smaller yield). Scrape the labneh into a serving plate, swirl it into a circle using the back of a spoon, then top with a sprinkle of za’atar, a grating of lemon rind, a few thyme leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Store covered in the refrigerater for about a week.
While completing the last batch of photographs for my new cookbook with Tasha Seccombe during February this year (due for launch in September), I collaborated with Le Creuset SA in providing me access to the most beautiful array of cast iron casseroles and ceramic servingware for styling purposes. One of the items that I particulary fell in love with, was this beautiful 31 cm (6,3 liter) oval casserole in Agave – a mesmerizing blend of dark teal and inky navy that seems to change in different lighting. It is probably the most beautiful Le Creuset casserole I’ve ever seen, to be honest. Mysterious, intense, regal.
For my cookbook, I used it to showcase a ridiculously tasty pulled pork dish (more to be revealed later), but in the meantime, I’ve reserved a few dishes to try in this new oval addition to my Le Creuset kitchen family. I baked an enormous oval mosbolletjie pull-apart potbread for Easter, which was so good I didn’t even take photos, we just gobbled it down with lashings of farm butter and a crowd of friends. This is the kind of casserole that you pull closer for special occasions and larger feasts, not only because of the size but also because of its royal look and feel.
On a recent visit to my favourite pork butchery & deli, I laid my eyes on some smoked kassler steaks, a beautiful bunch of seasonal kale and freshly picked butternut. I wanted to make a seasonal meaty smoky Italian-style vegetable soup – the kind of feel-good food that makes me excited about simple ingredients, about local produce and about cooking from scratch. Glugs of extra virgin olive oil to serve, generous gratings of aged parmigiano, fresh ciabatta for dipping. Life cannot get more delicious in these moments.
Here’s my easy recipe for a simple, seasonal, hearty, smoky and meaty minestrone using small haricot beans and rosmarino pasta. The yield is large, so if you don’t have a bunch of friends over you’ll be able to freeze numerous batches for when you’re too lazy too cook – trust me, you’ll thank me later. If you also own a very large cast iron casserole, this is the recipe to make it shine.
Ingredients: (makes about 4,5 liters; serves a crowd)
Note: All veg are peeled before dicing/chopping. You’re looking for a small dice of maximum 1 x 1 cm for best results, but to speed things up you can certainly also pulse in a food processor.
45 ml extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for serving)
about 450 g boneless smoked pork, diced (I used kassler steaks, but you can also use neck steaks or even thick cut bacon)
2 onions, finely chopped
a small bunch kale, stalks chopped separately, leaves shredded separately
2 large carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 small/medium butternut, diced
2 x cans whole tomatoes, pureed in a blender
2 stock cubes, dissolved in 1 liter boiling water (chicken or vegetable flavour)
2 x cans cannelini beans, drained
250 g dried rosmarino or orzo pasta
salt & pepper, to taste
up to 1 liter boiling water extra, according to desired thickness
grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Using a big cast iron casserole (I used a 31 cm oval Le Creuset casserole with a capacity of 6,3 liters) over medium high heat, heat the oil and add the cubed pork. Fry until lightly brown, then add the onions, kale stalks and carrots. Fry for another 2 minutes, then add the garlic and smoked paprika, stirring for a minute. Add the butternut, pureed tomatoes, dissolved stock cubes in water and beans, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the pasta and shredded kale leaves, seasoning generously with salt & pepper and stirring well. Return to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often as the pasta tends to stick to the bottom easily, then remove from the heat and leave to stand for 10 more minutes. Taste and add more salt & pepper if necessary. Add more boiling water if you soup is very chunky (I added a full extra liter of water, as the pasta continues to absorb water on standing). Serve hot in bowls with a generous grating of parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, with or without bread for dipping. Note: The soup freezes and reheats very well – freeze in smaller portions for easy midweek access.
Easter is around the corner and I just had the privilege of creating an Easter-inspired recipe for La Motte with their iconic 2018 Millennium – a Merlot Cabernet Franc red blend.
I immediately thought of the (also iconic) French chicken stew, coq au vin – a delightful dish made with red wine, mushrooms and onions, perfect for the cooler Autumn weather in the Boland. But for an Easter celebration, I really wanted to go the extra mile and turn the stew into a scrumptious (boneless) pie with a royal homemade sour cream pie crust.
Making pie from scratch is not a quick meal, but it is certainly one of the most rewarding. My advice would be to start the day before, making the pastry (it needs quite a bit of folding and rolling) and making the stew. Let the stew cool, debone it, and refrigerate. Then assemble the pie about an hour and a half before you want to serve it – take your time with cutting out extra shapes using a cookie cutter or just a small sharp knife. I cut all my leaves by hand, making the grooves with the edge of the knife. This pie is quite saucy, so I prefer not to line the base of my pie dish, but to rather go over the top with pie shapes on top so that they stay super crisp. Bake any delicate or elaborate shapes on a separate lined baking sheet, brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with salt flakes – the baking time will be shorter than the assembled pie, so just keep an eye on it (about 25-30 minutes, depending on the size and thickness).
I served this festive pie with a luxurious seasonal salad of honey glazed butternut with figs, pomegranates, spinach, blue cheese and pecan nuts. The salad and the pie both pair exceptionally well with La Motte’s 2018 Millennium, and the wine is available at 15% off between 15 March and 15 April 2021, available online or from the farm.
For the sour cream pastry:
Note: if you want to save time, use a good quality store-bought puff pastry instead for the crust.
3 cups (420 g) cake flour
5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
250 g butter, cold, cubed
250 ml thick sour cream
1 egg, whisked, for brushing
In a large wide bowl, mix the flour and salt, then add the butter cubes, rubbing it into flat small discs with your fingers. When the cubes are all transformed into discs, add the sour cream and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together in a rough ball (don’t add any liquid, it will eventually become a soft ball of dough). Cover with plastic and rest the dough for at least 30 minutes (if it is a cool day, it can be rested on the counter top in a cool spot, but if it is hot, rather rest it in the fridge). Roll out into a rectangle on a floured surface, then fold into three layers (when facing horizontally, fold the right side to the middle, and the left side over both layers to the middle, making 3 layers). Immediately roll out again into a rectangle, and fold into three layers. Repeat a third time. Rest the dough for another 30 minutes. Now repeat the 3-part rolling and folding process. Rest again for 30 minutes. The dough is now ready to roll out into a 5 mm thick sheet (on a lightly floured surface) before cutting out and baking.
For the coq au vin:
45 ml olive oil
1 large free range chicken (about 1,5 kg), cut into quarters
salt & pepper
3 medium onions, sliced into 1/8 wedges
200 g streaky bacon, chopped
a generous handful thyme sprigs, leaves only (discard stalks)
30 ml (2 tablespoons) cake flour
15 ml (1 tablespoon) tomato paste
1/2 bottle (375 ml) dry red wine (I used La Motte’s 2018 Millennium)
250 g portabellini mushrooms, halved
In a wide large pot/casserole with lid that can also go into the oven, over medium heat, add the chicken and fry on both sides until golden. Season with salt & pepper, then remove from the pot. Add the onions, bacon and thyme, and fry until the onions start to soften slightly and the bottom of the pot starts to turn sticky. Add the flour and tomato paste, and stir for a minute, then add the red wine and stir to loosen all the sticky bits on the bottom. Bring to a simmer, then replace the chicken quarters and add the mushrooms, pushing them down into the sauce. Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for about 1h15 minutes or until very tender and falling from the bone. Remove from the oven, turn the chicken pieces over, replace lid and leave to cool to a temperature where it is easy to debone. When cool, using tongs and clean hands, debone the chicken and shred the meat into chunks. Check the seasoning of the sauce and add more salt & pepper if necessary. Transfer the filling to a large deep pie dish and press down to create a flat surface. Now top it with the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 180 C. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the rested pastry to a large slab of about 5 mm thick. To cover your round pie dish with pastry, measure a circle slightly bigger than the dish, then cut it out with a pizze cutter or sharp small knife (the dough will always shrink back a little while baking). Carefully place over the pie dish, then use a fork to make indents on the edges (if you want to). Brush with egg wash, then cut more small decorative shapes to adorn the edges and centre, using a cookie cutter or a sharp small knife. Brush all the extra shapes with egg wash. Cut a few slits into the top for steam to escape, then bake for about 50 minutes on the centre rack until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve hot.
For the honey glazed butternut, fig, pomegranate & blue cheese salad:
Note: the glazed butternut can be made ahead before you bake the pie. Serve at room temperature.
1 medium butternut, peeled and sliced into 1 cm thick slices (remove seeds)
30 ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
15-30 ml (1-2 tablespoons) honey
salt & pepper
dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
10 ml Dijon mustard
5 ml honey
about 150 g swiss chard spinach, chopped (stems finely sliced) – or use rocket leaves
6-8 ripe black figs, sliced
100 g blue cheese, crumbled
seeds of 1/2 ripe pomegranate
1/2 cup (50 g) pecan nuts, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 220 C. Arrange the butternut on a large baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper. Drizzle all over with olive oil and honey, then toss with a spatula to cover on all sides. Season with salt & pepper, then roast for 20-25 minutes or until brown on the edges and tender. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the dressing: add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and honey to a small jar, season with salt & pepper and shake vigorously. Add the spinach to a mixing bowl, then add half the dressing and toss to coat all over. Transfer the dressed spinach to a salad serving platter, then add the glazed butternut, figs, blue cheese, pomegranate seeds and pecan nuts. Serve at once (the dressed spinach will continue to wilt on standing).
This post was proudly created in collaboration with La Motte Wines.
Bright, festive strawberry gazpacho, made with bruised strawberries that might have otherwise went to waste. Drizzled with a strawberry leaf and basil oil.
I’ve learned so much over the past year about what I throw away, and how to minimize waste to a point where there’s hopefully none. The team from First Choice have launched a #newnorm campaign in order to raise awareness about #zerowaste, and I’m wholeheartedly on board with spreading the word.
There are so many small things that you can do to make sure you really get the most out of what you buy. We love strawberries, but if they’re not eaten straight away, some of them might look bruised or become overripe after a few days. Here’s a great way to use those “slightly sad” strawberries – make a bright and festive gazpacho!
In case you didn’t know, strawberries are excellent when paired with more salty or sour flavours. They love a drizzle of balsamic vinegar too, so remember that for next time! In this case, I’ve added a few bold ingredients like green chilli, a ripe tomato, red wine vinegar and olive oil to make a smooth and bright gazpacho – an elegant starter for your summery festive celebration. The flavours are complex and bright and the colours are so vibrant. Use the strawberry leaves to make a beautiful green drizzling oil – yes, you can totally eat strawberry leaves!
What are you doing to minimize waste in your home cooking?
Check out my how-to video:
Ingredients: (serves 3-4 starter portions)
about 500 g strawberries (they can be lightly bruised or slightly overripe, no problem)
1 large ripe tomato, quartered
1 green chilli, stalk removed and halved lengthways
1 slice white bread, crusts removed and cut into quarters
salt & pepper to taste
15 ml red wine vinegar
30 ml First Choice extra virgin olive oil
Remove the leaves* from the strawberries and reserve them for later. Place all the ingredients (except the strawberry leaves) in a blender and blend until very smooth. Refrigerate until cold, then serve chilled with a drizzle of green strawberry leaf & basil oil.
*For the strawberry leaf and basil oil:
Place the reserved strawberry leaves and a few basil leaves in a small blender. Add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use, and use within 2-3 days. Can also be used over salads or as a dip for fresh bread.
Note: Proudly created in collaboration with First Choice SA.
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As you might know, I’m currently shooting my second cookbook with a seasonal theme, and I’ve been acutely aware of seasonal produce over the past few months. Our friendly neighbour has planted a small vegetable garden, and he’s offered to share his abundent garden peas for the past few weeks with us – what a pleasure. He recently invited us to harvest the last of his peas, so I wanted to make a garden salad to celebrate this final harvest. In the process, I also came across the most beautiful freshly picked baby carrots and radishes from another farm nearby. Their leaves were so beautifully crisp and fresh that I had to do something with them! I mean, can you even eat carrot tops? I never knew, but yes, you certainly can. And they make the MOST delicious pesto too, as I subsequently discovered.
My zero-waste garden salad with carrot top pesto, croutons, feta and almonds.
First Choice has asked me to join their #newnorm campaign of making greener life choices and choosing a #zerowaste approach to cooking. I’ve learned so much during the past few weeks, becoming acutely aware of what I throw away, what I recycle and how I consume. There are many small choices you can make to minimise waste, such as only buying what you need, and making time to consciously preserve (freezing etc) what you won’t eat now. But I’ve always thrown out carrot tops, and now I’ll never do that again! My freezer is filled with a few small jars of the most delicious carrot top & radish leaf pesto, and I really urge you to try it!
For the garden salad, use whatever fresh and seasonal produce you can get your hands on. I’ve also made croutons from the last few slices of a great sour dough loaf – never toss those stale slices out! It’s a celebration of a few very simple ingredients that might have otherwise ended up in the bin, yet turned into a feast. Watch my video here:
Which choices do you make to work towards #zerowaste cooking?
Ingredients for the pesto:
a bunch of fresh carrot tops, washed & drained – I’ve also added some radish leaves (you can also add a handful of your favourite herbs, if you want to use some)
1/2 cup mature cheese, grated (any hard cheese will do, I’ve used a mixture of mature gouda and pecorino)
1/4 cup nuts (I’ve used flaked almonds, but most nuts will do)
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I’ve used Fresh Choice’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Place all the ingredients in a food processor (if some of your carrot tops are very woody, rather transfer those parts into your compost bin) and process to a bright green pesto. Add more oil if needed and scrape down the sides in the process. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary – pesto should be well seasoned!
For the salad:
a bunch of baby carrots and baby radishes, washed and slided
extra virgin olive oil
a bunch of salad leaves, rinsed and drained
a few fresh peas
a cup of freshly made croutons (toss cubed stale bread in olive oil with salt & pepper, and bake in the oven at 200 C for 7 minutes)
1-2 rounds of First Choice feta, crumbled
a handful toasted nuts (I’ve used flaked almonds)
To a mixing bowl, add a generous dollop of pesto and a swirl of olive oil to loosen the pesto. Mix lightly with a spoon, then add your sliced carrot and radishes and toss to coat. On a salad platter, arrange the salad leaves, then top with the dressed veggies, a few peas, croutons, feta, toasted nuts, and finally a few more dollops of pesto all over. Serve at once.
Enjoy your waste-free feast!
(Created in proud association with First Choice and Woodlands Dairy.)
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While we’re all at home, we’re trying to make the most of lockdown spending quality time with our families. A lot of comforting home cooking is going on. Part of the goal is to stretch food as far as we can and not to waste a single crumb. A few days ago, I made my first trip into town after the lockdown started. Among a few essentials, I bought one “boerhoender” from my local butchery – a 2,4 kg chicken for R170 in total (great deal). I knew I had to make it count, so I planned to get at least 3 different meals out of it.
On day one, I made a chicken pot roast – in my oven at 180 C, 0n a bed of quartered onions and potatoes, sliced carrots and garlic, some herbs, lots of salt & pepper, and good quality olive oil. If you follow my Instagram stories, you might have seen it. We’re a family of 3, so we usually go for the thighs, legs and wings first (and of course, some of the crispy roasted skin).
My chicken pot roast iphone-photo that I posted to Instagram stories (check out my highlight “Lockdown Diary”). This is my 30cm Le Creuset casserole, to give some scale to the chicken.
I then removed the breasts, chopped them up, added mayonnaise and some leftover chopped fresh coriander (optional), seasoned well with salt & pepper, and those will be our chicken mayo mix for sandwiches on another day. To the fridge it goes (it will be good for at least 3 days).
This photo is from an earlier post in 2014 – chicken mayo with fresh herbs on toasted sourdough bread. If you don’t have fresh herbs, just mix the chicken with mayonnaise and season well with salt & pepper. Any bread will do! (photography by Tasha Seccombe)
On day 2, I made a very hearty chicken and vegetable soup using the leftover chicken carcass (with little meat left but all of the goodness of the roasting pot). I skimmed off most of the fat before doing so, but I do love some of those comforting fatty droplets on the surface of the soup – delivering a velvety mouthfeel with every spoonful. You can add whatever you have in your vegetable pantry, mostly finely chopped or shredded – I used more potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, cabbage and a few ripe tomatoes. To that, I added a few stock cubed dissolved in water and a few aromatics from my spice cupboard (again, use what you have on hand). The result is a large pot of hearty, fragrant, comforting soup to count as lunch or dinner, plus a few portions for the freezer. If you want to stretch it even more, serve it over freshly cooked pasta. It’s a super versatile and economical way to use one chicken!
This is my 26 cm Le Creuset casserole, showing you how generous the yield is for this left-over recipe. Chunky and hearty, yet soft and fragrant.
A hearty chicken and vegetable soup, made with yesterday’s chicken pot roast. You’ll see some of the original larger pieces of vegetables poking through here and there. The orange colour is from the carrots and tomatoes, but also from a hint of curry powder.
Ingredients for Yesterday’s-roast-chicken and vegetable soup: (makes about 3,5 liters)
leftovers of a homemade roast chicken, including everything that remained in the pot (sticky bits, vegetables, carcass, gravy – skim off any excess fat)
2 onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped (or roughly grated or shredded in a food processor)
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled & roughly grated
1/4 large cabbage head, finely chopped or shredded
a few rosemary sprigs, woody stems discarded (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary /dried mixed herbs)
If you’re refrigerated the leftovers the day before, return it to a clean large pot (at least 6 liters capacity). Add the onions, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, cabbage, herbs and stock. Add whatever aromatics you want – look at the list above to see what I’ve added, giving the soup a deep, fragrant quality without being spicy. Stir well and bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down the heat and simmer slowly for 1,5-2 hours. Turn off the heat. Remove the leftover carcass with tongs (be careful), and shred any leftover meat into the soup, discarding the bones. Season well with salt & pepper. Serve in bowls with some bread, or over freshly cooked pasta. I love to grate some mature cheese over it, but that’s optional. Bon appetit!
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CommentsComments Off on Yesterday’s-roast-chicken and vegetable soup (plus how to stretch a roast chicken into 3 different meals)
These days I cannot get enough of roasted vegetables – whether it’s in a salad, on a pizza, in a curry or just on its own. I think our bodies go through phases, needing different things, and mine is telling me that I need vegetables. It’s probably also to counteract the countless croissants and almond pastries that I consume every morning, so it’s only a good thing!
If you are not familiar with ratatouille, it is a popular French vegetable stew mostly made with tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, onions, garlic and bell peppers. There are many different ways of making ratatouille, varying from stewing the cubed vegetables to a very soft and marrow-like consistency, to a fresher version that will allow some texture. The purists even say that you need to cook all the vegetables separately before cooking them together, so that every vegetable truly tastes of itself.
The other day we visited my sister for a lazy, chilled-out dinner. They cooked steak on the fire and served it with a beautiful fanned-out baked ratatouille – simple perfection. I decided to make my own version at home after they gifted me an enormous courgette from their garden. After buying tomatoes and aubergines, I found the giant courgette to be a bit tough on the skin-side for this dish, so I left it out completely (it did however turn out to make an incredible courgette coconut curry soup, though!) – you can definitely add some courgette slices if you want to. Starting with a rich tomato sauce at the bottom of the baking dish, I layered thinly sliced vegetables on top – I promise it’s a lot easier than it looks. I added a generous amount of smoked paprika to the sauce and over the top of the vegetables, which certainly isn’t traditionally French, but it lends a great smokey flavour and a deep red colour. Fresh thyme and lots of extra virgin olive oil completed the picture. I baked it for an hour and 20 minutes, but you can up the baking time to 2 hours for an even softer result.
You can serve ratatouille as a main dish, or as a side with grilled meat/chicken/fish, or even with pasta or rice. It’s also great at room temperature served as antipasti, or top it with a grilled egg over toast for breakfast. Leftovers can also be used as a pizza topping – absolutely delicious. It is a relatively inexpensive dish that really goes a long way, and it only improves in flavour the next day (and the next).
Ingredients: (serves 6)
For the sauce:
45 ml extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped/grated
2 x 400 g cans whole tomatoes, pureed in a blender
about 10 ml (2 teaspoons) fresh thyme leaves (woody stalks discarded)
10 ml (2 teaspoons) sugar
10 ml (2 teaspoons) smoked paprika
salt & pepper
In a medium size pot over medium heat, add the oil and fry the garlic for about a minute, stirring. Add the pureed tomatoes, thyme, sugar, paprika and season generously with salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cook uncovered over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a wide casserole or baking dish (I used a 30 cm Le Creuset casserole) for assembling the ratatouille.
To assemble:
1 very large or 2 medium aubergines, sliced thinly into rounds of about 3 mm thick (I use a knife, but you can also use a mandoline cutter)
about 6-8 ripe tomatoes, sliced thinly into rounds of about 3 mm thick
about 30 ml (2 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
about 2,5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) smoked paprika
about 3 sprigs thyme, leaves only
salt & pepper
a handful fresh basil leaves, for serving
grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Preheat your oven to 180 C. Arrange the sliced aubergines and tomatoes in a circular row (or just in rows) on top of the sauce, making sure the tomatoes peep out behind the larger slices of aubergine – use two slices of tomato to match the width of the aubergines slices if necessary. Continue until the full surface of the dish is covered, then drizzle all over with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and thyme. Season generously with salt & pepper, then bake for 1,5 – 2 hours until very soft and roasted on top. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before serving (if you have the patience). Top with basil leaves and parmesan cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.
