MEAT MATTERS
Instead of the usual ‘spag bol’, give mince a Thai twist and serve with Thai rice noodles or egg noodles.
2 Tbsp (30 ml) sunflower oil
500 g lean beef mince
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
125 g green beans, topped, tailed and chopped into small pieces
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
1–2 Tbsp (15–30 ml) Thai red curry paste
1 × 400 g can coconut milk
1 tsp (5 ml) castor sugar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce
a large handful fresh basil leaves
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Thai rice noodles or egg noodles to serve
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Brown the mince over high heat in two batches.
Add the pepper, green beans and onions, then stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and coconut milk and bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes until reduced and thickened, stirring from time to time.
Add the sugar, fish sauce and basil leaves. Check the seasoning. Serve with noodles. Serves 4–6
Whenever I serve this dish, people think I’ve slaved for hours. Not so, it’s both tasty and very simple to prepare. Although it’s good cooked on the stove-top, it’s even better prepared over the coals. The secret is not to overcook the pork.
3-cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 stalk lemon grass, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp (45 ml) golden or ginger syrup
rind and juice of 1 orange
100 ml soy sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil
1 large (800 g–1 kg) plump pork fillet, sinew removed
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sunflower oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
500 g stir-fry vegetables
Mix together all the ingredients except the pork, sunflower oil, water and vegetables in a dish to accommodate the fillet fairly snugly in one layer. Place the fillet in the marinade and leave for 60 minutes, turning a few times. Remove the fillet from the marinade and dry with paper towel.
Preheat a large pan until almost smoking hot. Add the sunflower oil and when hot, brown the fillet on all sides. Reduce the heat and cook through. Remove the fillet from the heat and set aside, covered with foil, to keep it warm.
Add the marinade and the water to the pan, then simmer until reduced by half. In the meanwhile, stir-fry the vegetables. Serve the fillet, sliced, with the vegetables and mashed potatoes or rice. Pour over the marinade. Serves 4
TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE
This is a traditional English dish in which a Yorkshire pudding-style batter is used to stretch the meat – in this case sausages – to feed a larger crowd. A ready-to-use batter mix will cut down significantly on preparation time.
2 Tbsp (30 ml) sunflower oil
250 g streaky bacon
500 g cocktail pork sausages
250 g savoury pancake mix
200 g large cocktail tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the oil into a 2-litre, shallow roasting dish and place it in the oven to heat up. In a non-stick frying pan, fry the streaky bacon. Remove from the pan, then add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the cocktail sausages until golden brown. Remove from the pan and wrap 3 sausages in a rasher of bacon to form a bundle.
In a large mixing bowl, make up the batter according to the package instructions (whisk with a balloon whisk until smooth and lump-free). Arrange the sausage bundles in the roasting dish. Dot the tomatoes around the sausage bundles, pour over the batter and bake for 20–25 minutes until puffed up and the sausages are well browned.
Serve with ready-made gravy and a salad. Serves 4–6
RIB-EYE STEAKS with port and balsamic vinegar and chips
Rib-eye steaks are more reasonably priced than other cuts of steak. I also think they are a far tastier cut. Marbled with fat, rib-eye is deliciously tender and tastes good, either oven-roasted as a whole piece, or portioned into steaks, then grilled or fried. You can even cook them over the coals.
Oven chips are a great invention. I have learnt that a pile of frozen chips starts off looking like a huge amount, but shrinks considerably once baked, so don’t under-estimate the amount required.
1/2 cup (125 ml) port
4 Tbsp (60 ml) balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 × large (180–200 g) rib-eye steaks
1 kg frozen oven chips
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
In a dish large enough to accommodate the meat in one layer, mix together the port, vinegar and garlic. Add the steaks and coat them with the marinade. Set aside for at least 1 hour, turning from time to time.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the chips on a large baking tray and prepare them according to the package instructions.
Just before serving, preheat the oil in a heavy-based pan until smoking hot. Remove the steaks from the marinade, wipe dry with paper towel and cook them over high heat in the pan until done to your liking. Remove and keep warm.
Add the marinade to the pan, bring to the boil and allow to simmer for a few minutes until reduced and thickened. Spoon some sauce onto serving plates. Top with the steak and more sauce. Serve with the chips. Serves 4
Pork mince makes a tasty change to beef mince. It’s less fatty and is very tasty.
6 plump pitted dried prunes
500 g pork mince (or good quality pork sausages)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped fresh sage
a pinch grated nutmeg
a pinch chilli powder
1 egg, beaten
salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
2 Tbsp (30 ml) sunflower oil
sweet and sour sauce to serve
Chop the prunes into small pieces and mix together in a bowl with the pork mince, onion, sage and spices. (Remember if using pork sausages to slit the skin with a sharp knife and remove the filling.) Add the egg, season well, then stir in the lemon juice. With wet hands, shape the mixture into balls the size of a walnut and flatten slightly.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the patties, 6 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown. If you prefer, you could grill them under a preheated grill.
Serve with rice and the sweet and sour dipping sauce. Serves 4
Lou Kelly is a creative soul. She owns a nursery-cum-coffee shop in Durban, Green with Envy, and is well known for her inimitable sense of style. This is one of her favourite dishes for entertaining a crowd.
Her tip is to serve it with lots of French bread to mop up all the sauce – and of course to satisfy a hungry crowd. To make the fillet go much further, slice it very thinly with an electric carving knife.
1 large (± 1 kg) beef fillet
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 × 780 g jar Kraft™ Miracle Whip mayonnaise
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 × 300 g jar onion marmalade (e.g. Woolworths™ or from your favourite deli)
1 large punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
a generous squeeze sweet chilli sauce
1 pillow pack rocket to garnish
1 French baguette to serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Rub the fillet with the oil and season generously.
Preheat a large pan until almost smoking, then brown the fillet on all sides. Roast the meat in the oven for 30–40 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Mix together the mayonnaise, garlic and parsley. Spread the mayonnaise mixture over the base of a large serving platter. Top with the onion marmalade and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle over some sweet chilli sauce. Slice the fillet and arrange the slices over the sauce. Decorate with rocket.
Serve with the baguette. Serves 10
SPEEDY BEEFY POLENTA PIE
Packets of good quality mince are always a useful freezer standby and can be used to whip up an easy meal such as this.
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp (30 ml) sunflower oil
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and cubed
500 g beef mince
1 × 440 g jar tomato pasta sauce (use a chilli variant for ‘bite’)
500 g ready-made polenta
50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
In a large frying pan, fry the onion and garlic in the oil. Add the carrot and red pepper, and fry until just softened. Increase the heat, then add the mince and brown. When cooked through, pour in the pasta sauce and simmer for 10–15 minutes. Transfer the mince mixture to a 1.5-litre oven-proof dish.
Slice the polenta into sufficient slices to cover the top of the mince, then arrange it over the mince in overlapping slices. Sprinkle over the cheese and place under a preheated grill under the polenta is heated through and the cheese is golden brown in colour. Serves 4
GLAZED KASSLER CHOPS with mango salsa
Kassler chops make an excellent quick meal option. The glaze and a simple salsa turn a simple chop into something with a little flair.
4–6 kassler chops
GLAZE
3 Tbsp (45 ml) fine orange marmalade
2 tsp (10 ml) wholegrain mustard
1 Tbsp (15 ml) brown sugar
finely grated rind and juice of 1 small orange
SALSA
1 large mango, peeled and stoned (or pineapple if mango isn’t in season)
2 spring onions, finely sliced
finely grated rind and juice of 1 small lemon
1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh coriander
Arrange the chops on a baking tray.
To make the glaze, warm the marmalade, mustard, sugar, orange rind and juice together until melted. Brush the chops generously with this mixture. Place under a preheated grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side, brushing with more glaze after turning.
For the salsa, cut the mango into small cubes. Combine with the onions, lemon rind and juice, chilli and coriander. Serve the chops with a mound of salsa. Serves 4
The Italian classic, Vitello tonnato, is a dish of sliced veal topped with tuna, capers and anchovy mayonnaise. Using beef fillet and ready-made mayonnaise, this classic gets the ‘fast forward’ treatment.
1 × 800 g beef fillet, sinew and fat removed
olive oil
1–2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
SAUCE
10 anchovy fillets in olive oil, well drained
60 g capers
1 × 170 g can tuna in olive oil, well drained (available from Italian delicatessens)
2 cups (500 ml) good quality mayonnaise (not salad cream)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
a few caperberries to garnish
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the beef fillet in an oven-roasting dish then rub with the olive oil and garlic. Season well. Over high heat, brown the meat on all sides then roast for 30–40 minutes, depending on whether you prefer the fillet rare or medium. Set aside to cool, then cut into 5 mm-thick slices.
To make the sauce, finely chop 8 of the anchovies and the capers. Mash the tuna with a fork, then mix together with the anchovies, capers, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Check for seasoning.
Arrange the fillet slices on a serving platter and spread some sauce over each slice. Garnish with slivers of the remaining 2 anchovies, and caperberries before serving. Serves 6–8
This meal-in-one dish is a clever way to encourage children to savour vegetables. It’s the pretty layers that will make them dig deep to get their share. You will need a tall, oven-proof glass dish to create the right effect with the different layers. Alternatively, you could use individual glass ramekin dishes.
1 × 400 g can baked beans
MINCE
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sunflower oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
500 g beef or lamb mince
1 × 400 g can chopped tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup (125 ml) beef or chicken stock
a pinch mixed dried herbs
2 tsp (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) tomato purée
PEA LAYER
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sunflower oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
300 g frozen peas
200 ml chicken stock
TOPPING
1 packet Smash™ instant mashed potato
1 egg, beaten
Spoon the beans onto the base of a tall, oven-proof glass dish. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
For the mince mixture, heat the oil and fry the onion until soft. Increase the heat then brown the mince. Add the tomatoes and the meat stock. Bring to a simmer then add the herbs, Worcestershire sauce and tomato purée. Leave to simmer for 10–15 minutes, until cooked through and the liquid has reduced. Spoon over the baked beans.
To prepare the peas, preheat the oil and fry the onion until soft. Add the peas and stock, then cook until just tender. Drain well and spoon peas over the mince layer.
Prepare the Smash™ according to the package instructions. Spoon the potato on top of the peas, then create a swirled effect with the back of a spoon dipped in hot water. Brush with the egg and bake for 30 minutes. Serves 4–6
BOBOTIE PEPPERS
Bobotie, a classic South African dish, is one of those that has been turned into an excellent ready-made option with most supermarkets selling their own brand. Using a ready-made bobotie to stuff peppers will give them a home-cooked twist. Serve with yellow rice and lentils (Tastic™ produces a pack of rice and lentils – cook as one would normally prepare rice, but add 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric to the water), and chutney.
3 medium red, orange or yellow peppers, halved lengthways
2 × 350 g packs ready-made bobotie
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Remove the stalks and seeds from the peppers. Place the peppers in an oven-proof dish. Using a 5 cm-cutter, cut 3 rounds from one pack of bobotie. Spoon the excess bobotie into the base of the peppers, then top with a round of bobotie. Repeat with the other pack of bobotie. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with yellow rice and chutney. Serves 4–6
BUTTERFLIED LAMB with spicy buttermilk crust
Buttermilk is an excellent meat tenderiser and imparts a lovely flavour to the meat.
1 leg of lamb, butterflied (ask the butcher to bone and open out flat)
MARINADE
1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp (5 ml) each ground cumin and ground coriander
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
1 onion, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
Combine all the marinade ingredients. Place the lamb in an oven-proof dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Rub the marinade well into the meat, cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, but ideally overnight.
Preheat the oven to 190°C and roast the lamb for 60–90 minutes, turning a few times during roasting. Add water to the dish during roasting if it dries out.
Leave the meat to rest for 10 minutes, covered with tinfoil, before cutting into thin slices. Serve with naan bread and a ready-made tzatziki (cucumber and yoghurt dip). Serves 6–8
LAMB CHOPS with capers and olives
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
100 ml white wine
finely grated rind and juice of 1 small lemon
2 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp (30 ml) pitted black olives
2 Tbsp (30 ml) capers
6–8 lamb chops
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a large baking dish (to accommodate the chops in a single layer), combine the olive oil, wine, lemon rind and juice, rosemary, olives, capers and seasoning. Mix well. Add the chops and coat well with the marinade. Cover, then leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
In the meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C. Roast the chops for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 180°C, turn chops and roast for a further 30 minutes – until brown and cooked through. If you like them crispy, roast for a further 10 minutes.
Serve with new or roast potatoes (McCain’s™ pre-roasted potatoes are a good buy) and the pan juices spooned over. Serves 4
My husband, Peter, calls these ‘sausage suckers’. The aroma of fresh bay leaves (a bay tree is a must for every garden) permeates the atmosphere, imparts a wonderful flavour to the meat and reduces its fattiness. It’s easier to thread fresh bay leaves on sticks but if you’re using dried bay leaves, first make a hole with scissors before threading. These kebabs may be grilled in the oven or cooked over braai coals.
1 kg good quality pork cocktail sausages
wooden kebab sticks, soaked in water for 15 minutes
fresh or dried bay leaves
a splash balsamic vinegar
Thread 3 sausages per kebab onto the sticks, interspersing each sausage with a bay leaf. Arrange them on a baking tray.
Drizzle over a splash of balsamic vinegar and cook under a preheated grill for 5–7 minutes. Turn over, drizzle with more balsamic vinegar and cook for another 5–7 minutes. Serves 6
Food aficionado Janine Walker is a great cook and special friend. She may never stop talking, but with the conversation comes delicious food as Janine and her husband David are marvellous entertainers.
This is the dish she always makes for Easter. Janine says the recipe came from a friend of a friend who found it in a magazine years ago. It may seem like a lengthy preparation time (12 hours in the oven overnight), but requires minimum effort and attention. With just one oven pan, a bowl to mix the dressing and a serving platter to wash up it’s truly simple, but delicious.
1 large (2–3 kg) leg of lamb
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pillow pack baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (125 ml) pitted black olives
a large handful cocktail tomatoes
DRESSING
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
85 ml brown vinegar
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp (15 ml) wholegrain mustard
2 Tbsp (30 ml) honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (125 ml) good quality plain yoghurt
85 ml good quality mayonnaise (e.g. Hellmann’s™)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Preheat the oven to 100°C (not higher).
Rub the lamb with olive oil, then season generously. Spray a roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray and place the lamb in the pan. Cover completely with foil and roast overnight, or for 12 hours.
Remove the lamb (which will be extremely tender) from the pan, then strain the pan juices – removing as much fat as possible. (This is easily done by placing pan juices in a jug in the freezer for 15 minutes. Once the fat has risen to the surface and solidified, spoon off. Reheat the liquid in a microwave oven.)
Before serving, remember to make the dressing: simply mix together all the ingredients.
Arrange the spinach leaves around the edge of a large serving platter. Place the lamb (already sliced for conveninece, if you prefer) in the centre of the platter. Pour over the pan juices, then scatter with the olives and tomatoes. Ladle over some dressing and serve the rest separately.
Serve the lamb at room temperature with boiled new potatoes. Serves 6–8
LAMB STEAKS WITH MINT JELLY GLAZE
This is a real ‘quickie’ that could almost be roast lamb without any of the fuss.
4 × 125 g plump lamb steaks
1 bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 Tbsp (75 ml) mint jelly
1 Tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar
Preheat the oven grill. Spray a baking tray with non-stick cooking spray and place the steaks on it. Rub the mint leaves into the meat, then season.
In a bowl, mix together the jelly and red wine vinegar, then heat in the microwave on medium for 1–2 minutes, until the jelly is soft. Brush the lamb with the jelly mixture and grill for 5–7 minutes, brushing with jelly halfway through. Turn the steaks over and brush with more jelly. Cook for a further 5–7 minutes until cooked to your liking. Serve with peas and potatoes. Serves 4
PORK STEAKS with blue cheese and apple sauce
6–8 (80–100 g each) pork steaks, depending on size
1/2 cup (125 ml) apple juice
2 Tbsp (30 ml) cider vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
5 tsp (25 ml) butter
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
100 g blue cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp (15 ml) brandy (optional)
Marinate the pork steaks in the apple juice and vinegar for 30 minutes.
In a large, non-stick pan, heat the olive oil and butter until sizzling. Remove the steaks from the marinade and dry off with paper towel. Fry the steaks in the pan over high heat until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Add the apple pieces to the pan and fry until golden in colour. Pour in the marinade, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by a third. Stir in the cheese and brandy (if using) until the cheese has melted and all is mixed through. Pour the sauce over the steaks and serve with a salad. Serves 4
Traditional Guy Fawkes Night fare in the UK, this tasty dish is easy Sunday night food – or great for feeding a crowd of teenagers. The sausages could be replaced with boerewors and the tortillas with hot dog rolls.
3 Tbsp (45 ml) sunflower oil
6 good quality pork sausages
2 onions, sliced
1–11/2 tsp (5–7.5 ml) yellow mustard seeds
salt and black pepper to taste
6 tortillas
3 Tbsp (45 ml) tomato chilli sauce
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Pour the oil into a roasting pan and heat in the oven for 10 minutes. Add the sausages and roast for 10 minutes. Push the sausages to one side of the pan and scatter the sliced onion in the centre, adding a little more oil if the pan is dry. Sprinkle over the mustard seeds and season. Return to the oven for 15–20 minutes until the onions are golden brown, stirring a few times.
Warm the tortillas, covered, in a damp dish cloth in the microwave oven on high for 2 minutes. Place a sausage and some onions in the centre of a tortilla. Top with tomato chilli sauce, then roll up and serve wrapped in a serviette. Makes 6
BEEF AND MUSHROOM FRICASSÉE
1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
500 g rump or fillet steak, cubed
250 g baby button mushrooms
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 × 200 ml sachet mushroom sauce
1/2 cup (125 ml) cream or crème fraîche
salt and black pepper
a handful fresh parsley, chopped
In a large pan, preheat the butter and olive oil until sizzling hot. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the mushrooms and fry until tender. Stir in the lemon juice and mushroom sauce. Add the cream and season generously. Stir through the parsley. Serve with rice. Serves 4