Ingredients:

6 Lamb Chops
Mint leaves for garnishing

Pesto:

1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/3 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and pepper
½ tablespoon lemon juice

Method:

1. In a pestle and mortar, add the ingredients for the pesto and mix well.
2. Spread a little pesto over the chops and then place in the fridge for 30 minutes
3. Rub salt along the fatty side of the chops so they go crispy.
4. Grill for 20-25 minutes (or longer if you want them crispier)

Ingredients:

120g cooked fish or 1 tin of salmon
2 mashed potatoes
½ tsp lemon juice
½ tsp mixed herbs
1 egg, beaten
1 onion, grated
salt and pepper
2 tbsp flour
oil for frying

Method:

1. Flake fish finely or decant salmon from the tin.
2. Mix potatoes, lemon juice, salt and pepper, herbs, eggs and onion together.
3. Shape the mixture into 5-6 cakes.
4. Place the flour on a piece of paper or clean kitchen surface and roll the fish cakes in the flour.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fish cakes until golden brown.
6. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley, and serve with Tartare sauce.

Ingredients – main:

½ chicken, cut into parts or the equivalent weight of prepared chicken portions
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp cinnamon
fresh basil and coriander for garnish
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2-3 tomatoes, sliced into wedges

Optional: 1 aubergine, chopped into bite-size pieces (leave skin on)

Ingredients – red curry sauce:

1 tin coconut milk
½ cup red onions, sliced
1 thumb-size piece of ginger
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp fish sauce*
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 heaped tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp shrimp paste, substitute anchovy paste if not available

Optional: 1 fresh red chili (minced) OR 1 tsp dried chili flakes OR 1 tsp cayenne pepper

*Ingredient substitution: for one tablespoon fish sauce, use one tablespoon soy sauce mixed with one anchovy fillet (finely minced).

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Place chicken pieces in a large casserole dish.
3. Place all curry sauce ingredients in a food processor blender. Process well.
4. Pour the curry sauce over the chicken.
5. Stir well and make sure that each chicken piece is covered with sauce.
6. Add the lime juice and cinnamon.
7. Cover and bake 45 minutes at 180°C.
8. Remove dish from the oven.
9. Add the vegetables and stir them into the sauce.
10. Return the curry to the oven for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is well cooked.
11. Dish the curry into a large serving bowl.
12. Sprinkle generously with fresh basil and coriander.
13. Serve with Thai jasmine-scented rice.

Ingredients:

700g pork tenderloin
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ – ½ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp Maizena mixed with a tbsp of water
1 tsp salt
¼ cup vinegar
1 cup pineapple juice
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
¾ cup green pepper, chopped
¼ cup onion, thinly sliced
1 cup pineapple chunks

Method:

1. Cut the uncooked pork tenderloin roughly into strips 5cm long by 1.5cm wide.
2. Brown meat slightly in oil.
3. Add the water and vinegar.
4. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cover the pork until cooked and tender.
5. Combine brown sugar, corn starch, salt, pineapple juice and soy sauce into a separate saucepan.
6. Cook until slightly thick, stirring continuously.
7. Pour mixture over the pork and simmer for five minutes.
8. Add green pepper, onion and pineapple chunks and simmer for another 2-3 minutes .
9. Serve over fluffy white rice or noodles to complete the meal.

Ingredients – main:

vegetable oil
1kg chicken pieces
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Ingredients – gravy:

2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup milk
1 cup water

Method:

1. Pour the vegetable oil into a deep frying pan until it is 5cm deep. Alternatively you can use a deep fryer.
2. Combine flour, salt and pepper.
3. Roll each piece of chicken in the flour.
4. Once coated place the pieces into the hot oil.
5. Cook for about 30-35 minutes turning once, as the oil should be deep enough to cover the pieces when it boils.
6. To make the gravy leave about two tablespoons of the oil from the frying pan and add two tablespoons butter and four tablespoons flour.
7. Blend and cook until golden brown.
8. Gradually stir in one cup milk and one cup hot water.
9. Stir until smooth and thickened
10. Add salt and black pepper.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red or orange pepper, seeded and cut into strips
2 carrots, peeled and cut into julienne strips
2 cloves of crushed garlic
2 tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped
1 tsp saffron
350g long-grain rice
1kg mixed seafood (fish, prawns, calamari and mussels)
2-3 tbsp fresh coriander or parsley, chopped
200g sugar snap peas, trimmed
fresh limes or lemons, cut into wedges

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan.
2. Add onion, green and red peppers and carrots, and fry over a low heat for two minutes.
3. Add garlic, tomatoes and saffron and fry for three minutes.
4. Add the rice and stir well to make sure the rice is well coated.
5. Add about 800ml water or seafood stock and bring to the boil.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Add seafood, coriander and sugar snap peas and stir well.
8. Cover and simmer for a further 10 -15 minutes.
9. Add a little water if it gets too dry.
10. The dish is ready once the mussels open and the rice is tender.
11. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, coriander and lemon wedges.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion thinly sliced
1 aubergine, cubed
2 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
4 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3-4 small baby marrow, cut into slices
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add garlic and onions and cook until softened.
3. Add aubergine and stir.
4. Add peppers and stir.
5. Place a lid over the saucepan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add tomatoes, baby marrows and the herbs.
7. Cover the saucepan and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes or until the aubergine is tender.

Ingredients:

Tortilla chips or cheese Doritos
2-3 cups refried beans
3 cups cheddar cheese
4 jalapeño peppers, sliced
salsa
guacamole
sour cream
coriander, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Arrange a layer of tortilla chips along the bottom of a wide, shallow baking pan.
3. Spread the refried beans over the top.
4. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of chips and beans.
5. Sprinkle slices of jalapeño peppers over the cheese.
6. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
7. Spoon salsa, sour cream and guacamole over the top.
8. Sprinkle the chopped coriander to finish.

Optional: Add mince or chicken.

Ingredients:

500g dried fettuccine
6 tbsp unsalted butter
150g sliced cooked ham
250g chopped portabellini mushrooms
1 cup cream
1 cup finely grated parmesan
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
fresh parsley for garnishing

Method:

1. Cook the fettuccine in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until the pasta is al dente (not soft and mushy).
2. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Fry the mushrooms then add the cream and ham and bring to the boil.
3. Cook until sauce has reduced, or for about five minutes, stirring gently.
4. Remove from the heat.
5. Place pasta in a serving dish, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese then pour the sauce over the pasta to melt the cheese.
6. Gently mix the pasta and sauce together.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Garnish with parsley and a little parmesan.

Ingredients:

oil
800g lamb
2 onions, chopped
5 carrots, sliced
1 bunch green beens, cut in half
10 patti pans
250g mushrooms (1 punnet)
10 baby potatoes, peeled
3 mielies, each mielie cut in 3 pieces
salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy black pot and fry the meat and onions until brown. Season to taste while frying.
2. Add enough water to cover the meat (and a touch of red wine if you prefer), lower the heat and let the meat simmer for about 60-90 minutes (until tender).
3. Add the potatoes and mielies (and any other veggies that take a long time to cook).
4. Make a mix of mushroom and brown onion sauce, add a bit of chutney and add this to the pot (just enough to cover the meat). Close the lid and leave to simmer.
5. When the first set of veggies are halfway done, add the green beans, patti pans and mushrooms – arrange these in layers over the other veggies. Add a bit of salt and more sauce if necessary.
6. Serve with rice or samp.

3 Potjie secrets:

1. Don’t stir the pot. Ever. You are allowed to move things around ever so slightly but never stir!
2. Always make sure there is enough liquid at the bottom of the pot – just enough to cover the meat.
3. There is a difference between a potjie and a stew – don’t mix everything together, it shouldn’t look like a stew once you’re done! The meat etc. should be at the bottom with the veggies in layers – steamed to perfection. The veggies should be soft but still firm.