Feast

SEASONAL FEASTS AND CELEBRATIONS

Brunch

VODKA SMOOTHIE WITH PINEAPPLE, COCONUT AND LIME

For best results, chill all the ingredients before blending.

  1. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed until smooth and frothy. Serve in tall, chilled glasses.

Serves 4

MOJITO GRANITA

Allow a couple of hours for freezing.

  1. Crush the mint leaves with the castor sugar using a pestle and mortar or in a liquidiser.
  2. Add the liquids and process until smooth.
  3. Freeze in a shallow plastic tray. Once frozen, bash it up a little with the back of a spoon into a slushy granita and serve in chilled glasses, garnished with a slice of lime.

Serve 4–6

WHITE SANGRIA

Everyone knows red wine sangria, but I prefer this zesty sparkling version for summer. – Sonia

  1. Pour the alcohol over the prepared fruit in a large bowl and refrigerate until very cold.
  2. Add the Appletiser, mint and ice cubes and serve in chilled glasses.

Serve 6–8

RUBY GRAPEFRUIT CAMPARI

  1. Combine all the ingredients and serve in tall, frosted glasses garnished with fresh mint.

Serves 4

BERRY YOGHURT BRÛLÉE

Wickedly decadent toffee marries the virtuous allure of berries and yoghurt. We dare you not to succumb.

  1. Spoon the yoghurt into an attractive serving dish and arrange the berries and nectarine slices on top, covering the entire surface.
  2. Stir the sugar and water together in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stop stirring once the sugar has melted, and watch carefully as it begins to turn first golden, then amber and then caramel brown. When you smell the distinctive aroma of caramel, quickly remove from the heat and carefully pour all over the berries and nectarines. Serve straightaway. Sinfully good!

Serves 6–8

TRUFFLED MUSHROOMS ON TOAST

Omit the egg for a vegan version. This is best made with a variety of exotic mushrooms, although portabellini and buttons work very well.

  1. Cook the mushrooms in half the olive oil with the rosemary, sage and seasoning until all the moisture has evaporated. Remove with a slotted spoon and divide between the slices of buttered toast.
  2. Fry the eggs in the remaining olive oil until done to taste.
  3. Slide onto the mushrooms and garnish with rocket leaves, shavings of Parmesan and a drop or two of truffle oil. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

JADE’S MINI BREAKFAST FRITTATAS

These mini-mouthfuls are magnificent show-stoppers at the breakfast table and are easier to serve than big frittatas.

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease 4 holes in a muffin tin.
  2. Beat the eggs, milk and seasoning in a bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the muffin tin, filling the holes three-quarters full.
  3. Top with fillings of your choice.
  4. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until just set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES WITH AVOCADO, LIME, CORIANDER AND SAUTÉED PEPPERS

Sweet potato cooks down into a pulp very fast, but it needs to cool to make this batter. Try to find sweet potatoes with pink or yellow flesh for a rosy effect.

  1. Cook the chunks of sweet potato in a pot of boiling water until soft. Drain and mash with the oil until smooth.
  2. Whisk in the milk and ginger and leave to cool.
  3. Sieve the dry ingredients together and stir into the sweet potato along with the beaten egg until smooth. Season to taste.
  4. Cook the pepper and chilli in the olive oil until soft. Season to taste and set aside.
  5. Fry spoonfuls of the sweet potato batter in a little hot oil in a non-stick frying pan until golden brown on both sides. Serve topped with slices of avocado, some sautéed peppers, a squeeze of lime juice and coriander garnish.

Serves 4

BLING-BLING BABA GHANOUSH

Place a plate of this sexy aubergine (eggplant) dip in front of me as tapas for drinks and I’ll eat from the palm of your hand. – Jade

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
  2. Place the aubergine rounds on a baking tray, drizzle over the olive oil and roast for 30 minutes until soft.
  3. Toss the potato slices in the second amount of olive oil on a baking tray, season well and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
  4. Blend all the ingredients for the baba ghanoush in a food processor, adding more olive oil if needed. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle over the crushed pomegranate rubies, letting the juices soak in.
  5. Stick the potato crisps into the ghanoush and serve.

COOK’S TIP:

Traditionally the aubergines are grilled on top of a gas stove, but I find this way works just as well.

Serves 4–6

SUNBURST FRUIT PLATTER WITH HONEY-NUT RICOTTA

  1. Arrange the fruits in a pretty sunburst pattern on a large serving plate.
  2. Mix the ricotta and mascarpone with the honey, ginger (if using) and nuts. Spoon into a ramekin and upturn at the base of the sunburst.
  3. Scatter over the grated zest, cinnamon, mint leaves and pomegranate rubies. Serve chilled with lime wedges.

Serves 8

BREAKFAST ANTIPASTI PLATTER

Great for entertaining, big on visual appeal and child’s play to assemble. Raid the deli shelves for this one, to make the most of jars of pickled relishes. Bocconcini are little fresh mozzarella balls available from most good supermarkets and delis. If you can’t find them, use 3 cm cubes top-quality mozzarella instead. Holiday food par excellence! Choose from any of the following ingredients:
  1. To make the crumbed bocconcini, roll the mozzarella balls or cubes first in the flour, then the beaten egg and finally coat in breadcrumbs. Repeat two more times for a thorough crumb ‘jacket’. Set in a single layer on a plate and refrigerate until needed.
  2. Fry 4 or 5 mozzarella balls at a time in hot shallow oil until just golden brown on all sides – not more than 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on absorbent paper towel.
  3. To assemble the platter, arrange all the ingredients attractively on a large serving platter and dish up.

Serves 8

BAKED SPICED APPLES WITH SULTANAS, HONEY AND GREEK YOGHURT

This recipe is easy to double up for larger numbers. Baking apples like Bramleys are hard to find these days, so I use Golden Delicious or Red Gala. An apple corer will help you core the apples neatly for the filling. – Sonia

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  2. Pack the apples closely together in a baking dish just big enough to hold them all snugly.
  3. Mix all the filling ingredients together and stuff into the cavities of the apples.
  4. To make the syrup, bring the honey and water to the boil and boil for 2 minutes before removing from the heat. Stir in the ginger and brandy and pour around the apples.
  5. Bake for 45–60 minutes until the apples are completely soft when a toothpick is inserted. Serve hot or cold with Greek yoghurt and a dusting of cinnamon.

Serves 4

CHOCOLATE AND CINNAMON PANCAKES WITH ORANGE BUTTER

Pancakes freeze very well if stored between sheets of wax paper and the whole stack wrapped in clingfilm. Use a good chocolate spread to make this glam pudding in next to no time. Make the orange butter ahead of time too and refrigerate, rolled up in clingfilm. This has been adapted from a Donna Hay recipe.
  1. First make the pancakes.
  2. To make the orange butter, mash the marmalade and orange zest into the butter until very well blended. Form into a log, roll up in clingfilm and refrigerate until needed.
  3. Mix the castor sugar and cinnamon and spread evenly on a plate.
  4. Mix the mascarpone and chocolate spread or grated chocolate together.
  5. Spread one side of each pancake with the chocolate filling and fold over in half, and over again to form triangles.
  6. Brush each side of the pancake triangles with melted butter and press into the cinnamon sugar. Set aside on a plate.
  7. Heat the remaining melted butter in a small non-stick frying pan and fry each pancake on both sides until the cinnamon sugar caramelises. Arrange the pancakes in a dish and dot with orange butter. Let the butter melt and serve with cold pouring cream.

Serves 4–6

Deluxe Dinner

PESTO PUFF PASTRY PALMIERS

Palmiers are little puff pastry rolls usually served sweet, but are equally delicious as a savoury titbit when made with pesto, tapenade, plain grated Parmesan or even some chermoula spread on the pastry before baking. Serve warm from the oven with drinks before dinner.

  1. Roll out the pastry and spread with the pesto.
  2. Roll up one side of the pastry until you reach the middle, then repeat with the other side. Place the roll on a baking tray and freeze for 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Lightly spray two baking trays with non-stick cooking spray and line with wax paper.
  4. When ready to bake, slice the roll into 1 cm-thick slices and lay them next to each other on the baking trays, leaving 3 cm in between each.
  5. Bake for 15–20 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 20

THAI PUMPKIN SOUP

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C and roast the pumpkin or butternut chunks on a baking tray for 20 minutes until aromatic and tender.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the onion, lemongrass and ginger in the oils in a large pot until the onion is soft and translucent.
  3. Add the pumpkin/butternut, curry paste, coconut milk, vegetable stock and lime juice and cook over medium heat until very tender. Use a stick blender to liquidise the soup until very smooth.
  4. Garnish with the lime zest, herbs, chilli and reserved coconut milk and serve piping hot.

Serves 6

POTATO SOUFFLÉS WITH LEMON ASPARAGUS

Soufflés aren’t difficult to make at all, just serve them immediately while still gorgeously puffed up. Steam fresh asparagus spears first, dress with lemon olive oil and set aside for serving. Make the white sauce base for the soufflés up to 4 hours ahead, leaving the egg whites to be beaten at the last minute. If making ahead, brush the surface of the white sauce with a little melted butter and lay a sheet of clingfilm over it to prevent a ‘skin’ from forming.

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
  2. Spray four 11⁄4 cup-capacity soufflé ramekins with non-stick cooking spray and stand on a baking tray, a few centimetres apart, until needed. Dust the inside of each ramekin with the breadcrumbs or grated Parmesan.
  3. Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until soft. Drain and mash thoroughly, then mash in the first amount of butter and seasonings up to and including the mustard powder.
  4. To make soufflé base, melt the second amount of butter in the warm milk in a saucepan over low heat. Sift in the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Cook the white sauce over gentle heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the bottom scorching.
  5. When the sauce is thick, remove from the heat and mix well in a bowl with the mashed potato, egg yolks and Gruyère or Parmesan. Stir until smooth.
  6. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until very stiff and, using a large metal spoon, gently fold through the soufflé until no white streaks can be seen. Work gently so as not to lose the air trapped in the egg whites, as this will cause the soufflés to fall flat.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and place the baking tray in the middle of the oven. Bake for 25–30 minutes until puffy and golden brown, and the centres have set. Serve immediately with lemon asparagus (see recipe intro).

Serves 4–6

CARBONADA CRIOLLA

Whole, stuffed, baked pumpkin with sweet potato, sweetcorn, tomatoes and peaches. I served this at my South American–themed 30th birthday party in London – it’s as delicious as it is spectacular to look at. Serve with the beautiful jewelled burghul on page 108. Just make sure the pumpkin you buy fits inside your oven! For a really large feast you could bake a variety of different kinds and sizes of squashes. – Sonia

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  2. Scrub the pumpkin very well under running water. Using a very sharp knife, carefully slice off a lid from the top of the pumpkin, leaving the stem on to use as a handle. Set aside. Use a metal spoon to scoop out the fibrous pulp and pips inside, leaving a sturdy rim that won’t collapse once the pumpkin is baked.
  3. Use absorbent paper towel to blot the inside of the pumpkin dry, then brush the outside with the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the sugar. Put on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour. The pumpkin should be firm but tender when pierced with a toothpick.
  4. To make the filling, cook the onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, herbs and seasoning in oil in a large saucepan over medium heat for 15 minutes.
  5. Add the sweet and Mediterranean potato chunks, tomato purée and stock. Cook for 30 minutes until tender.
  6. Add the dried fruit, courgettes and sweetcorn, check for seasoning and cook for a further 10 minutes.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the pumpkin shell and bake for 20 minutes until warmed through. Garnish with coriander, chilli and sour cream if desired.

Serves 6–8

WILD MUSHROOM LASAGNE

Use any mushrooms you can find, including rehydrated dried ones. Just remember to strain the soaking water to go into to the sauce, and rinse rehydrated mushrooms well under running water to remove any grit. A comforting yet luxurious main course.

  1. First make the sauce by heating the milk and butter together in a saucepan until the butter has melted, then sift over the flour and nutmeg, and whisk furiously until completely smooth.
  2. Turn down the heat and let the sauce simmer with barely a bubble for about 10 minutes until nicely thickened. Stir constantly to prevent scorching.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  4. Cook the bay leaves, onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil in a pot for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
  5. Add the mushrooms, including any drained soaked ones, and herbs, turn up the heat and cook while stirring until all the moisture has evaporated.
  6. Add the stock and tomato concentrate and turn down the heat to simmer. Cook until the sauce is thickened and season well. Remove the bay leaves.
  7. Lightly oil the base of an ovenproof dish and line with instant lasagne sheets. Spread over a quarter of the white sauce, then follow with a third of the mushroom mixture and then a third of the grated Fontina, Gruyère or mozzarella (not the Parmesan). Repeat with lasagne, sauce, mushrooms and cheese until you finally end with a layer of lasagne.
  8. Cover with the remaining white sauce, sprinkle over the Parmesan and bake in the middle of the oven for 45–55 minutes, until golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. It might be wise to place a baking tray underneath the lasagne dish to catch any drips.
  9. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serves 8

JEWELLED BURGHUL

This makes a glorious multi-coloured centrepiece for a festive table. Without the fresh herbs, the burghul will last three days in the refrigerator, so it’s perfect for holiday entertaining.

  1. Mix the boiling water with the vegetable stock powder, cardamom, cinnamon and lemon or lime juice, and pour over the rinsed burghul in a large bowl. Leave to stand for 30–45 minutes and then squeeze out all the excess liquid between your hands to drain.
  2. Place the drained burghul in a large bowl and fork through the remaining ingredients. Season well, and chill or serve at room temperature. Burghul will retain a slightly chewy texture, unlike couscous which can become very mushy.

Serves 8

IMAM BAYILDI

This slow-baked aubergine (eggplant) with tomato and olive oil is a legendary Turkish dish meaning ‘the Imam fainted’.

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Pour 2 T (30 ml) of the olive oil into a baking dish large enough to hold the aubergines and filling.
  2. Fry the onions in the remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat for 6–7 minutes until soft and translucent.
  3. Add the tomatoes, garlic, parsley, sugar, spices and seasoning and cook for a further 5 minutes, until reasonably thick (not watery).
  4. Starting 2 cm from the stem ends, cut three slits into each aubergine and fan out slightly.
  5. Put the aubergines in the baking dish. Hold the slits apart and spoon some of the tomato-onion mixture between each.
  6. Drizzle over the lemon juice and a little olive oil, season well, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until tender. Remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes to give it some colour. Serve hot or cold with yoghurt.

Serves 4

BUFFALO MOZZARELLA WITH ORANGE CRÈME FRAÎCHE AND THYME

I love surprising people with this instead of a humdrum cheese platter. – Jade

  1. Mix the orange juice and half of the zest with the crème fraîche, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Break the mozzarella balls in half, arrange on a serving platter and spoon over the orange crème fraîche.
  3. Sprinkle over the remaining orange zest, as well as the pomegranate rubies and lemon thyme. Grind over more black pepper and finish by drizzling over a little olive oil. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled with some crusty sourdough bread.

Serves 4

SAFFRON RICE PILAFF WITH ALMONDS AND MINTED YOGHURT

Making a true Persian rice pilaff is considered an art; somewhat laborious, but well worth the extra effort. Usually served only at very special occasions, it may include dried fruit, nuts, herbs and exotic spices. Saffron provides the luscious golden hues.

  1. Rinse the rice in a sieve under running water until the water runs completely clear. Place the rice in a bowl, cover completely with cold water and leave to stand for 2 hours.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  3. Pour 2 T (30 ml) boiling water over the saffron threads in a small bowl and soak for 10 minutes, before crushing with the back of a spoon to release colour and flavour.
  4. Mix the yoghurt with the mint and set aside.
  5. Roast the oil-coated butternut cubes on a baking tray for about 25 minutes until just tender. Season lightly and set aside.
  6. Meanwhile, fill a large heavy-based pot three-quarters full with salted water, put on the lid and bring to the boil. Drain the rice from its soaking water and pour into the pot of rapidly boiling water. Add the cardamom pods. Cook for 2 minutes exactly, and then strain through a sieve. Rinse the rice very well under running warm water to remove starch.
  7. Wipe the inside of the pot dry, heat the butter or ghee to almost smoking point and add half of the pre-cooked, rinsed rice.
  8. Cover the rice with the butternut, herbs and sultanas if using, top with the remaining rice and pour over the saffron water. Cover the pot with a double-thick layer of foil as well as the lid.
  9. Turn the heat to minimum, and cook gently for 35 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, keeping it covered.
  10. Set the pot-base in a sink filled with a little cold water and leave it for 2 minutes. This loosens the crust that has formed on the bottom of the pot. The crust is highly prized as the best part of the pilaff.
  11. Now remove the lid and foil and use a fork to fluff up the rice, and fork through the almonds. Serve with the minted yoghurt on the side.

Serves 4

GRILLED LEEK, ASPARAGUS AND GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH BLACK OLIVE AND LEMON DRESSING

If you have a barbecue going, grill the baby leeks over the coals, otherwise use a stove-top griddle pan. Roasting under an oven grill won’t do any harm either. Buy jars of black olive paste or tapenade from any good deli or supermarket if you’re not up to making tapenade yourself.

  1. Brush the leeks and asparagus lightly with olive oil, season with salt and grill on all sides until lightly charred.
  2. Cook the beans for 3 minutes in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water. Drain and cool.
  3. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing, crush finely with a pestle and mortar or in a food processor and toss through the cooled vegetables to serve.

Serves 6

4-TOMATO SALAD WITH BUFFALO MOZZARELLA AND BASIL OIL

Vegans, omit the mozzarella.
  1. When ready to assemble the salad, peel the large tomatoes, slice vertically into eighths to form petals and cut away the seeds. Chill until needed.
  2. Drain the oil off the sundried tomatoes and reserve. Snip the sundried tomatoes in half and add to the chilled tomato petals.
  3. Add the Rosa and yellow plum or vine tomatoes.
  4. Add the reserved sundried tomato oil to 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of the basil oil. Mix well and drizzle over the salad, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and season well.
  5. Tear chunks off the mozzarella ball and scatter over the salad. Serve within 3 hours of making.

Serves 6

SAVOURY PANCAKE STACK WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS, TOMATO AND PARMESAN

If you’ve been clever enough to make and freeze pancakes from the recipe in Basics, as well as some basic tomato sauce, this recipe is a breeze and will stand for hours before being baked to serve. Rehydrate dried porcini or use fresh. Garnish with a peppery rocket leaves drizzled with fruity olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a few drops of truffle oil.
  1. Preheat oven to 180 °C.
  2. Make the white sauce by bringing the milk and butter to the boil, then whisking in the flour until smooth. Turn heat down very low and cook gently while stirring for about 12 minutes, until thick.
  3. Stir in the tomato sauce, mushrooms and herbs and season to taste.
  4. Toss the Gruyère and Parmesan cheese together, keeping the mozzarella separate.
  5. Layer the pancakes with the sauce and cheeses in a greased baking dish, starting with a layer of tomato sauce. Finish with tomato/mushroom sauce, the Gruyère and Parmesan mix, mozzarella, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and let brown for another 12 minutes. Serve hot in thin wedges as it’s very filling.

Serves 6–8

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH CHILLI GRILLED PINEAPPLE

I savoured a chunk of pineapple seasoned with chilli salt at a Johannesburg market one day and promptly devised this dish around it. Chilli pineapple pairs with the sexy, creamy mousse to round off a dinner or braai in grand style. – Jade

  1. Melt the white chocolate in a double-boiler over low heat. Leave to cool slightly.
  2. Bring the cream to the boil in a saucepan and turn off the heat.
  3. Whisk the egg whites to form stiff peaks, whisking in the castor sugar towards the end.
  4. Pour about a third of the cream into the chocolate, whisking in well to blend, before following with the remaining cream.
  5. Use a metal spoon to fold one large spoonful of beaten egg white into the chocolate and cream mixture, and then gently fold in the remaining egg white. Make sure no white streaks show. Work gently so as not to lose any volume.
  6. Spoon into pots or coffee cups, put on a tray and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
  7. When ready to serve, preheat the oven’s grill or use the stove-top grill pan. About 15 minutes before serving, sprinkle the extra castor sugar over the pineapple, and pop under the grill or on the pan for 30 seconds on each side to caramelise. Remove from the heat and sprinkle over some chilli salt.
  8. Serve the pineapple to dip into the cold white chocolate mousse.

Serves 4

CHILLI SALT

  1. Grind all the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle to blend the mixture and release the flavours. Use immediately or store in an airtight container.

Makes about 6 T (90 ml)

MINI PAVLOVAS WITH GRANADILLA CREAM AND RASPBERRY CURD

Meringues are very impressive desserts, easily made in advance and stored in airtight containers. Just don’t try to bake them on humid days. As a child an ice cream and caramel pavlova was my favourite birthday treat. The curd niftily uses some of the egg yolks left after whipping the egg whites for the meringues. Start the day before you wish to serve the pavlovas. – Sonia

  1. Preheat the oven to 150 °C. Grease two baking trays and line them with baking paper.
  2. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. While whisking, gradually add the salt, castor sugar and cornflour and carry on whisking until the egg whites are very stiff and glossy.
  3. Fold in the vinegar and vanilla essence with a large metal spoon, being careful not to lose any of the volume.
  4. Drop 4–6 large mounds of meringue onto the prepared baking trays or make two circular or rectangular shapes. Make the edges of the meringues slightly higher than the centres.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes in the middle of the oven. Then, without ever opening the oven door, switch off the oven and leave the meringues inside for a further 30 minutes.
  6. Remove and cool on a wire rack before storing in airtight containers.
  7. To make the raspberry curd, whisk all the ingredients together in a metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Keep on whisking gently for 15–20 minutes until the mixture thickens and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Set aside and leave to cool before storing in an airtight container.
  8. To make the granadilla cream, beat the cream until very thick and stiff peaks form. Whisk in the icing sugar and granadilla pulp and refrigerate until needed.
  9. To serve, spread the raspberry curd over each pavlova or in the middle of a large one. Cover with thin diagonal slices of banana and fresh raspberries, and spoon over dollops of granadilla cream. Sprinkle over toasted flaked almonds, dust with icing sugar, and serve. This is best assembled no more than 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 4–6