Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween weekend!

I'm hosting my Halloween themed birthday party tomorrow, and the theme is 'Pitch Black'. I've been experimenting with black ingredients all week and am super excited to serve an (almost) all black menu to my guests.

Hopefully I'll have some pics to share next week ;)

Pineapple, Strawberry & Coconut Water Smoothie

I love how easy - and healthy! this recipes is. With all the spring and summer fruit coming into season, I can't wait to experiment with different flavour combinations.

Pineapple, Strawberry & Coconut Water Smoothie
Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 Huletts EquiSweet sachet of your choice
250 ml (1 cup) fresh pineapple, chopped
125 ml (½ cup) fresh strawberries, roughly chopped
125 ml (½ cup) coconut water (obtainable from selected health shops)

Method:
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until well combined.
Serve immediately.

Chakalaka (Braai Relish)

We are going to one of my favourite places on the planet for a few days - Madikwe Game Reserve. The African Bush does something to the soul that only people that have spent time there will understand - I can't wait for the recharge!

When in the bush we always braai, and chakalaka is one of those traditional South African staples that we serve along with grilled meat and pap (grits or polenta), its spicy and juicy and the perfect accompaniment to a dinner under the stars. 

Chakalaka (Braai Relish)

Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients:
15 ml (1 T) vegetable oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
30 ml (2 T) fresh garlic, chopped
30 ml (2 T) fresh ginger, grated
3 red chilies, chopped (remove seeds for a less spicy version)
15 m (1 T) fresh thyme leaves
10 ml (2 t) curry powder
5 ml (1 t) turmeric powder
10 ml (2 t) paprika
45 ml (3 T) Huletts SunSweet Brown Sugar
1 red pepper, diced
5 medium carrots, grated
400 g (4 cups) cabbage, shredded
410 g (1 tin) chopped tomatoes
30 ml (2 T) white wine vinegar
80 ml (⅓ cup) water
salt and black pepper

Method:
Place the oil in a medium size saucepan over medium to low heat.
Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent.
Increase the heat slightly and add the garlic, ginger, chillies and thyme and cook for a further two minutes while stirring.
Reduce the heat to low and add the curry powder, turmeric powder, paprika and Huletts SunSweet Brown Sugar while stirring, cook for a minute or two until the onion mixture is mixed in.
Add the red pepper, carrots and cabbage while stirring and cook for a further minute or two.
Lastly add the tomatoes, vinegar and water. Mix well and cover the saucepan with a lid and leave to simmer for 20 - 30 minutes while stirring occasionally, until soft.
Season well with salt and black pepper.
Serve warm with braai meats and pap.

Heritage Day Recipe: Egg & Biltong Sweet Chilli Toasties

So much of our heritage can be celebrated through food, and although Heritage Day has adopted 'Braai Day' as its pet name, I think these little toasties can be a beautiful starter or finger food at a family gathering to celebrate our heritage.

Egg & Biltong Sweet Chilli Toasties
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 large eggs
4 T biltong, finely chopped (or biltong powder)
2 T sweet chilli sauce
2 T fat free smooth cottage cheese
Salt & black pepper to taste
4 slices home style brown bread
Spring onion, finely sliced (for garnish)
More sweet chilli sauce for garnish (optional)

Method
Hard-boil the eggs (5 – 6 minutes on a rolling boil). Allow to cool.
Once the eggs are cool, roughly chop them.
Mix together the eggs, biltong, sweet chilli sauce and cottage cheese.
Season well with salt and black pepper.
Toast the bread slices. Using a round cookie cutter, press 4 rounds out of every slice.
Spoon teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the toast rounds.
Garnish with spring onion & a dollop of sweet chilli sauce and serve.

Mexican Beef Lettuce Cups

We've skipped spring and gone straight to summer! So I've been making loads of salad inspired dishes like this one.

Mexican Beef Lettuce Cups
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

For the beef:
500 g beef sirloin
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 ml (2 t) ground cumin
10 ml (2 t) ground coriander
15 ml (1 T) olive oil

Dressing:
250 ml (1 cup) sour cream
3 ml (½ t) garlic, crushed
2 red chillies, thinly sliced (seeds removed for a milder version)
30 ml (2 T) lime or lemon juice
15 ml (1 T) Huletts Castor Sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:
8-10 baby gem lettuce leaves, washed and trimmed
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 red onion, finely sliced
coriander leaves, to garnish

Method:

Beef:
Allow the beef to rest at room temperature for ± 20 minutes.
Mix together the salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and oil; rub into the beef.
Heat a griddle pan and fry the beef for 2-3 minutes (for medium rare) on each side without turning, set aside to rest for 5 minutes and slice thinly.

Dressing: 

Whisk all the ingredients together, until smooth and season to taste.

To serve: 

Place a dollop of dressing into each lettuce cup, top with the beef slices, avocado and red onion. Garnish with coriander.

Tomato Tarte Tatin

One of my absolute favourites! Eat it straight out of the oven ;)

Tomato Tarte Tatin

Ingredients:
60 g butter
60 ml (¼ cup) Huletts Caramel Sugar
5 ml (1 t) dried chilli flakes
350 g baby tomatoes
salt and black pepper, to taste
400 g ready-made puff pastry, defrosted
1 extra large egg, beaten
fresh basil leaves, to garnish

Method:
Melt the butter in an ovenproof pan (about 28cm diameter) over low heat.
Add the Huletts Caramel Sugar and chilli flakes, mix well.
Add baby tomatoes and sauté until tomatoes are just soft, ± 5 minutes.
Remove tomatoes from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Reduce the syrup in the pan until slightly caramelized.
Return the tomatoes to the pan and spread to cover the base. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface large enough to cover the top of the pan (28 cm diameter).
Drape the pastry over the tomatoes and tuck in the edges.
Brush the pastry with the beaten egg.
Bake the tarte tatin for 20 – 30 minutes until golden brown and puffed.
To serve, invert the pan onto a serving dish and garnish with fresh basil.

Hint: The tarte tatin is best served freshly baked as a starter or a side dish to your main course.

Rooibos Masala Chai Tea

The husband and I spent a few weeks in India, and Masala Chai (litteraly meaning 'spiced tea') was a daily staple. Deliciously creamy and spicy, but sickly sweet, I've adapted the recipe to cut some sugar by using EquiSweet and also given it a South African twist by using Rooibos tea. 

Rooibos Masala Chai Tea

Ingredients:
500 ml (2 cups) low fat milk
4 rooibos tea bags
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cm fresh ginger, finely grated
6 cardamom pods, bruised
3 ml (½ t) black pepper, freshly ground
4 whole cloves
2 - 3 Huletts EquiSweet sachets of your choice

Method:
Combine the milk, tea bags and spices in a saucepan.
Bring to the boil and remove from the heat.
Infuse for 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how strong you prefer your tea.
Strain and return the spiced milk to the saucepan.
Heat through and sweeten with EquiSweet to taste. (Hint: Lightly whisk for foam topping.)
Serve hot.