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: Louis Hiemstra

The perfect dish for a cold winter night. Best enjoyed with a good bottle of red wine.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15-20 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour

35 oz (1kg) veal on the bone
½ cup plain flour
Salt and ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp  olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1 red onion, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 cup dry white wine
2 x 14 oz (400 g) tins of diced tomatoes

½ cup kalamata olives (optional)
½ cup good quality beef stock
2 bay leaves

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photography by: Louis Hiemstra

Use fresh seasonal ingredients to create a symphony of festive flavors.

Serves: 4-6
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 30 – 35 minutes

5 oz (150g) butter, softened
Zest of 2 lemons
2 Tbsp thyme leaves
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 x 42 oz (1.2 kg) rolled turkey breast *
2 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt and ground black pepper

2 oranges
2 grapefruits

For the praline:
1 cup sugar
3.5 oz (100g) pistachios, roughly chopped

Prepare the turkey:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Combine the butter, lemon zest, thyme and garlic in a bowl.
Place the turkey breast inside a large roasting pan.
Spread the turkey all over and on both sides with the lemon and thyme butter and secure with kitchen string, if not already done.
Pour the lemon juice and olive oil over the turkey, season with salt and pepper and bake covered with foil for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil and roast, basting with the pan juices every 10 minutes for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the skin is golden and the juices run clear when tested with a skewer.  
Reserve the pan juices and allow the turkey to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving.

Prepare the orange and grapefruit segments:
Segment the oranges and the grapefruit over the same bowl, ensuring that you capture all of the juices.

Make the praline:
Melt the sugar in a saucepan over a low heat, do not stir and stay close by to make sure it does not burn.
Remove from the heat once the sugar starts to turn golden brown.
Layout a sheet of tinfoil on a baking sheet and lightly coat with oil.
Sprinkle the pistachios over the foil and drizzle the warm syrup over.
Allow to cool and harden. Once set, remove the praline from the foil and break into shards.

Serve the carved turkey warm, with orange and grapefruit segments and pistachio praline.
Drizzle with a little of the remaining pan juices and some of the orange and grapefruit juice if desired.

Notes:
Try to make your praline as thin as possible so that it will melt easily when served alongside the warm turkey.
To save time, buy a turkey breast that has already been secured with kitchen string.

 
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

This simple classic is the perfect weeknight meal.

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

2 Tbsp green peppercorns in brine, drained and crushed
3 tsp ground black pepper
4 beef steaks
4 tsp olive oil
80g (3 oz) butter
400g (14 oz) brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ cup verjuice
1 cup good quality beef stock
300 ml (10 fl oz) cream
3 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
 
Creamy mashed potatoes:
500g (17 oz) potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup milk
salt and ground black pepper
 
Sugar snap peas, to serve
 
Prepare the creamy mash by boiling the potatoes until soft. Drain and crush while still hot with the butter and milk. Season to taste and keep warm.  
Combine the peppercorns and ground black pepper and press all over the beef using a fork.
Heat the oil and half of the butter in a large heavy based frying pan over a high heat. Add the steaks, reduce heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side for medium-rare or cook until desired doneness is achieved.
Remove the steaks from the pan and allow to rest.  Add the butter to the pan and melt, add the mushrooms and sauté until tender.
Add the verjuice and bring to a gentle boil, stir in the stock and cream and cook stirring until the sauce thickens slightly.
Stir in the parsley and serve over the steaks with creamy mashed potatoes and steamed sugar snap peas.
 
Variations:
Grill or pan-fry steaks to desired doneness and top with herb or chili butter. Serve with boiled new potatoes or shoestring fries.
Make prego rolls by sandwiching minute steaks in-between buttered bread rolls. Serve with chili relish or homemade tomato sauce. 

 
photography by: Louis Hiemstra

Pistachio, lemon and lamb make a sensational combination in this quick and easy dish.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 10-15 minutes (including sides)
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes (depending on cut of meat)

2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp fine lemon zest
100g (3.5 oz) pistachios, roughly chopped
4 Tbsp mint, roughly chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
Lamb meat of choice (see notes)
4 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).
Combine the crushed garlic, lemon rind, pistachios and mint in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Brush the lamb with half of the olive oil. Press the pistachio mixture onto the lamb to create a crust.
Transfer to a lightly oiled baking dish and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
Roast the lamb for 20-25 minutes or until the lamb is cooked to your liking. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before carving or slicing.
Serve with roast potatoes and steamed green beans.

Notes:
We used a deboned lion fillet, but any roasting meat or even lamb cutlets will work perfectly with this recipe. Cooking times will vary on the cut and thickness of meat, as well as preferred doneness of meat so keep a close eye.

Roast potatoes
Halve 400g (14 oz) baby potatoes. Place in a microwave dish. Add 4 Tbsp water and a pinch of salt and cook until almost soft about 5-10 minutes. Add to a roasting pan, drizzle and coat with 1 Tbsp olive oil and roast at 180°C(355°F) for 15 minutes or until browned lightly.

If possible use the last 10-15 minutes of the cooking time for the lamb and add the potatoes to the same dish.

Steamed green breans
Wash 400g (14 oz) green beans and place in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and strain after 1 minute. Flavor with salt, pepper and a knob of butter if desired. Serve with the lamb.

The smell of a hearty stew bubbling away on the stove, filling the house with it's enticing smells, always fill me with anticipation of a satisfying meal to come. It’s richness and robustness also act as a natural defense against the outside cold in winter. Enjoy.

 
photography by: Louis Hiemstra

Serves: 4-6
Preparation: 20-30 minutes
Cooking: 30-60 minutes

2 Tbsp butter
1 large red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
500g (17 oz) stewing lamb
Salt and ground black pepper
1 Tbsp thyme
Juice of 1 lemon
125g (4.5 oz) bacon, diced
3 large carrots, diced
2 bay leaves
400g (14 oz) baby marrows, sliced
250g (9 oz) button mushrooms, sliced
4 Tbsp flour (all purpose or cake flour)
1 cup red wine or verjuice
2½ cups good quality beef stock
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 x 400g (14 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Gremolata:
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp lemon zest

To serve:
Green beans (optional)
Jasmine or basmati rice, cooked to packet instructions

Heat the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté over a medium heat until soft and caramelized. 
Add the stewing lamb, season with salt, pepper, thyme and lemon juice and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the bacon and sauté until cooked, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the carrots, bay leaves, baby marrows and mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the flour to ¼ cup of the beef stock and stir to combine well.
Add the flour mixture and the rest of the ingredients to the saucepan. Stir to combine well and bring to a gently simmer over medium to low heat for 30 minutes – 1 hour (depending on the amount of time you have).
Combine the ingredients for the gremolata prior to serving.
Serve the stew sprinkled with gremolata, rice and blanched green beans if desired.

Notes:
Any type of meat or poultry will work well in this recipe. The vegetables can also be replaced with any other preferred varieties such as potatoes, peas, celery, brown mushrooms, butternut, pumpkin or sweet potato.