photography by: Louis Hiemstra

Seal in flavor and nutrients with this simple citrus dish.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15-20 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes

4 x skinless chicken breasts
Salt and ground black pepper

Orange and star anise sauce
Zest of two large oranges
1½  cup freshly squeezed  orange juice
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp corn flour
2 star anise
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced

Orange and spinach salad
1 small red onion, sliced
3.5 oz (100g) red vine or baby spinach leaves
2 oranges of choice, peeled and segmented
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced

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photography by: Nicholette von Reiche

This delicious and versatile breakfast favorite is the perfect gourmet gift.

Makes: 16 ½-cup portions
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes (plus cooling)


3 cups rolled oats

¾ cup pecan nuts, roughly chopped
¾ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
1 cup shredded coconut

½ cup dried cranberries, diced
½ cup dried figs, sliced
Zest of 2 lemons
2 tsp cinnamon spice
1 cup honey, warmed

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photography by: Louis Hiemstra

This light and tasty salad is perfect after a day of over-indulging.

Serves: 4
Preparation:  10-15 minutes

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced or cut into ribbons
1 small cucumber, diced or sliced or cut into ribbons
1 red onion or small red cabbage, finely sliced
2 cups shredded turkey meat
1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/3 cup cashew nuts
Mixed Asian greens

Dressing:
Juice and zest of 2 limes
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp castor sugar
½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 clove of garlic, crushed

Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl.
Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together.
Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine.
Serve immediately.

Variations:
Replace the turkey with shredded chicken or beef. Add halved baby roma tomatoes and glass noodles if a more substantial meal is desired.

 
photography by: Louis Hiemstra

Warm up your body, mind and soul with this feel good and healthy soup.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 10-15 minutes
Cooking: 20-30 minutes

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
4 sticks celery, diced
4 medium carrots, diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 cups leftover shredded turkey meat
67 fluid oz (2L) chicken stock
2 dried bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
9 oz (250g) pasta rice
Spring onions or chives, to garnish

Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat.
Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the turkey, chicken stock, bay leaves and rice pasta and bring to a gentle simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
Season to taste, remove the bay leaves and serve garnished with spring onions or chives.

Serving suggestion:
Serve soup with warm crusty bread or whole-wheat rolls

 
photography by: Louis Hiemstra

Light, breezy and healthy. The perfect summer or post holiday meal. Invite over some friends and enjoy this light meal accompanied with a good bottle of bubbly.

Starter: Jeweled couscous salad
This delightful salad is a great way to get the meal of to a buoyant start.

Main: Lamb and tabbouleh wraps
Prepare ahead and serve DIY style. The perfect ice breaker and less fuss for you.

Dessert: Plum and white chocolate tart
Beautiful and delicious. The perfect ending to a light and effortless meal.

 
photography by: Louis Hiemstra

Preparing healthy food that won’t weigh you down is easier than you might think.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 10-15 minutes

4 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 small red onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp thyme, handpicked
4.5 oz (125g) button mushrooms
9 oz (250g) baby tomatoes
7 oz (200g) butternut or pumpkin, diced
4.5 oz (125g) baby spinach leaves

Brush the chicken breasts lightly with half of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Preheat a grill pan over a medium high heat. Cook the chicken on the grill pan for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan or wok over a medium high heat. Add the sliced red onion, garlic and thyme and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the remaining vegetables except for the spinach and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the butternut or pumpkin is tender.
Stir through the baby spinach leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve vegetables immediately with the grilled chicken.

Variation:
Line a bamboo steamer with baking paper. Place raw chicken breast, sliced on the paper, cover and steam over simmering water for 10 minutes. Add vegetables of choice to the steamer, and steam, covered, for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the chicken breasts are cooked through and the vegetables are just tender. Serve sprinkled with salt, pepper and fresh herbs or a knob of flavored butter if desired.

Notes:
For steaming a two-tiered steamer is ideal for cooking both the chicken and vegetables. You can also use a larger steamer or cook in two batches.
For grilling, a George Formann grill can also be used to grill the chicken and vegetables.

 
photography by: Louis Hiemstra

Light, easy and absolutely delicious.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 10-15 minutes

9 oz (250g) mixed greens
2 granny smith apples, sliced
2 oranges, segmented
3 bananas, sliced horizontally
1-2 ripe avocados, sliced
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup low fat cottage
Bean sprouts, to garnish

Dressing
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
Salt and ground black pepper

Combine the ingredients for the dressing and set aside
Arrange the mixed greens on four plates, top with the fruit and avocado slices.
Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and top each salad with a ¼ cup cottage cheese.
Garnish with the bean sprouts and serve with the dressing on the side.

 
photography by: Louis Hiemstra

It's hard to believed that these soft, spongy pancakes are only moderately sinful.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 10 minutes
Baking: 15 minutes

1 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
Juice and zest of 1 orange
1 cup low fat or fat free milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, whisked
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp of cooking oil

To serve
Pure maple syrup or berry sauce
Extra blueberries

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together into a bowl.
Combine the orange zest and juice, milk, vanilla extract and whisked egg.
Stir the mixture into the flour mixture to form a smooth batter. Stir in the blueberries.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat.
Pour spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and cook until bubbles form on the surface and the base is light golden brown. Turn the hotcakes over and cook for 1-2 minutes longer or until golden.
Serve sprinkled with extra blueberries and drizzle with a little maple syrup or berry sauce.

Notes:
Put the cooked pancakes on a plate, cover with foil and keep warm on a low heat in the oven while you cook the rest of the batter.
Boost your fruit intake even more by serving your hotcakes with mixed berries or banana and peach slices. 

Variations:
Raspberry hotcakes:Replace the blueberries in this recipe with raspberries
Banana hotcakes: Replace the blueberries with 2 small mashed bananas and add 1 tsp cinnamon spice.

photography by: Louis Hiemstra

This jeweled couscous salad is a delight to the senses.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15 minutes

1 cup whole-wheat or regular couscous
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp all spice
1 cup cauliflower florets, cut into smaller bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp mint, finely chopped
2 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil for dressing

Combine the couscous and spices in a large glass bowl. Pour boiling water over the couscous until just covered and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
Blanch the cauliflower florets in boiling water for 3 minutes.
Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the cauliflower, broccoli, pomegranate seeds, herbs and nuts and gently toss through to combine.  Season with salt and pepper and dress with lemon juice, zest and olive oil.
Enjoy as is served with tenderstem broccoli.

Notes:
For a lunch variation add sliced smoked chicken, shredded roast chicken pieces or pan-freid lamb or beef strips.

 
photography by: Louis Hiemstra

Serve these delicious wraps already-assembled or serve ingredients separate and allow everyone to help themselves.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Salt and ground black pepper
1 Tbsp thyme
250g (9oz) lean lamb, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
Hummus, to serve (optional)
4 whole-wheat (whole-grain) or plain wraps
Tabbouleh (see Nectarine and couscous tabbouleh)
Salad leaves of choice

Season the lamb strips with salt, pepper and thyme.  
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick wok or frying pan and saute the lamb pieces over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until cooked.
Spread the hummus if using over the wraps, place some of the  lamb strips and tabbouleh on the wrap and roll up snuggly to enclose the filling.
Enjoy as is or store in a ziploc bag or lunchbox for the next day.

Variation:
Replace the wraps with pita pockets and the hummus with tzatziki if desired.

 
photography by: Louis Hiemstra

A fresh take on a traditional Middle Eastern salad.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

For the tabbouleh:
1 cup whole-wheat or regular couscous
Juice of 2 limes
1 small red onion, diced
Half a cucumber, diced
2 spring onions, sliced
4 Tbsp black olives, halved and seeded
2 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp mint, roughly chopped

For the salad:
2 nectarines, cut into wedges
150g (5 oz) reduced feta cheese, sliced or crumbled
Salad leaves, to serve (optional)

Add the couscous to a large glass bowl. Pour boiling water over the couscous until just covered and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork.
Add the remaining ingredients except for the nectarines and feta cheese to the couscous and gently stir through to combine.
Chill for 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to develop. Add the nectarines and feta prior to serving  (or if chilling over night gently mix through along with the rest of the ingredients).
Season and toss in the salad leaves if using.

This crunchy salad is easy to assemble and leftovers freeze well.

 
photography by: Russel Wasserfall

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

1 cup brown rice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp thyme
1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
125g (4 oz) portabellini mushrooms, sliced
125g (4 oz) button mushrooms, sliced
200g (7 oz) smoked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
¼ cup almonds, roughly chopped
¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
Flat leaf parsley, to serve

Cook the rice according to package instructions.
Add half the oil to a wok or frying pan. Add the thyme, onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is softened.
Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the chicken, rice and nuts and heat through.
Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with parsley.