Author: Karen Claassen

This is a delicious fresh salad dressing that will add zing to almost any salad. Try it on a salad of baby spinach and a handful of fresh grapes; add some ricotta or goats cheese as a creamy component. Store the leftover in a jar in the refrigerator.

125ml red wine vinegar

30ml sugar

2 star anise

2,5ml fennel seeds, ground

10ml salt

250ml seedless black grapes, halved

30ml olive oil

Add all the ingredients to a jar and screw on the lid. Shake the dressing until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well blended.

Allow to stand and develop flavours for two hours.

Dress a salad and store the leftover dressing in the refrigerator.

This cold tart represents freshness in every way. Serve it with tea or as a dessert with a glass of port.

350g digestive biscuits

75g butter, melted

400g cream cheese, room temperature

240g lemon curd, room temperature

about 18 fresh figs

Add the biscuits to a food processor and process until fine.

Add the melted butter in a thin stream with the engine running. Scrape down the mixture.

Press the biscuit mixture into the sides and bottom of a loose-bottomed cake tin of about 25cm in diameter.

Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Mix the cream cheese and lemon curd and beat it by hand to soften and blend completely.

Spread the mixture into the tart base and even out.

Wash the figs and cut a cross section into each, but not cutting through.

Arrange the figs on the tart and refrigerate until you want to serve it.

This lemon curd is rich, buttery and has an intense tart lemon flavour. This is one of the most versatile dessert toppings and can be used as a topping for scones, cakes, cupcakes, bread, muffins, crumpets, waffles, tarts and biscuits. This recipe makes about 350ml and can be kept in the fridge for two weeks.

3 lemons, about 125ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained

220g caster sugar

110g butter

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Finely grate the zest of one lemon.

Add the zest, sugar and butter to a small heavy based saucepan over very low heat.

Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

Add the strained lemon juice to the saucepan and stir it through to cool the mixture slightly before adding the eggs.

Stir continuously until the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. The heat should be very low and the mixture should not boil as it will split!

Take the lemon curd off the heat and pour it into a clean glass jar.

Allow to cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator.

Easy to cook and delicious to eat, crayfish rates as one our family favourites!

about 5 tails per person

100g butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 lemons

Fill a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a rapid boil. Add the crayfish tails and cook for 6 minutes from the time that the water comes up to the boil again.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice and scoop the tails directly into it (after six minutes cooking) to stop the cooking process.

Cool enough so that you can comfortably handle the crayfish.

Cut the shell open with poultry shears and remove the flesh.

Put a heavy based pan onto high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil and the butter and allow the butter to melt and heat up.

Add the garlic and tails and cook for 2 minutes, tossing every now and then.

Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and cook for another 2 minutes.

Serve the crayfish tails with lemon wedges.

There is good reason for Panna Cotta being one of the most popular desserts in Italy. It is subtle, infused with vanilla and has an unforgettable texture that goes perfectly with fresh summer fruits. Add to this how easy it is to make and how little time it takes and you have an all round winner.

This recipe makes six portions but can easily be doubled.

45ml cold water

17,5ml powdered gelatine

750ml cream

100ml caster sugar

5ml vanilla

Add the cold water to a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top.

Leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Add the cream and caster sugar to a small saucepan on medium to low heat.

Stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved completely.

Remove the saucepan from the heat just before it reaches boiling point. Do not allow it to boil!

Melt the gelatine in the microwave at 5 second bursts until it is completely liquid.

Add the liquid gelatine to the cream mixture in a thin stream, while whisking continuously.

Add the vanilla and whisk again.

Pour the mixture into 6 bowls/glasses/moulds and cover with plastic wrap.

Place the panna cotta in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or until set.

Serve with fresh fruit.

This is a simplified, no-fuss paella that tastes as good as any! It deviates from the original Spanish paella where no stirring is allowed. You will stir to your hearts content, taste as you cook and feel completely relaxed! This recipe feeds 8 – 10 people and should be shared with family, friends and good wine!

a pinch of saffron threads or 2,5ml turmeric powder

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

250ml chorizo sausage, cubed

2 sweet peppers, sliced

500ml paella or risotto rice

10ml salt

10ml smoked paprika

250ml white wine

500ml chicken stock

500g prawns

500g calamari

500g mussels

a handful of parsley, chopped

2 lemons, quartered

Pour some hot tap water into a small cup (about 100ml) and sprinkle the saffron threads onto it. Leave to stand while you get on with cooking. (If you don’t have saffron you may replace it with turmeric powder which you will add with the salt.)

Take out the largest, heavy based pan you have. If you don’t have one use a wok or heavy base casserole dish….the heavens won’t fall down on us!

Cover the base of the pan with oil, turn the heat to medium-high and add the onion. Cook until softened, stirring every now and then.

Add the garlic, Chorizo and peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat the grains in the oil.

Now add the salt (and turmeric if you are using it), smoked paprika, saffron water, wine and chicken stock.

Bring the mixture to a bubble and then turn the heat down to a low simmer, but leave uncovered.

Cook for 15 – 20 minutes while stirring as little as possible, by which time the rice should have absorbed the liquid and be tender.

Taste the rice and adjust your seasoning.

Add the prawns, calamari and mussels and cover the pan with a lid/aluminium foil with the heat on low. Steam the seafood in this way for about ten minutes.

Remove the covering from the paella and take it off the heat.

Sprinkle the parsley on top and garnish with the lemon.

The perfect cool-me-down for a summer’s day!

30ml sugar syrup

30ml lemon juice

60ml gin

1 egg white

soda water

Sugar syrup:

Add 250ml water and 250ml sugar to a small saucepan and put it on low heat.

Stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved.

Bring to a simmer for 2 minutes.

Take off the heat and demand to cool completely.

Refrigerate once cooled.

Add the sugar syrup, lemon juice, gin and egg white to a small mixing bowl.

Whisk vigorously until a thick foam develops.

Fill two glasses with ice and pour the mixture over.

Top up with cold soda water and fresh lemon slices.

Easy, quick, no fuss and delicious!

6 – 8 skinless chicken breasts

Marinade/Basting Sauce:

250ml tomato sauce

62ml balsamic vinegar

62ml brown sugar

30ml Worcestershire sauce

5ml mustard powder

5ml salt

15ml smoked paprika

Add all the ingredients for the sauce to a mixing bowl and whisk together.

Reserve 62 ml of the mixed sauce and put aside, to baste the chicken once it is on the grill.

Place the chicken breasts into a resealable plastic bag and pour the rest of the sauce into the bag with the chicken.

Leave to marinate at room temperature for one hour.

Line your BBQ griddle with a double layer of aluminium foil, with the matt side facing upward.

Poke some wholes into the foil with the tines of a fork so that any juice/sauce may drain away.

Place the chicken breasts onto the lined griddle once the fire has reached a medium-high heat. Cook for 12 minutes before turning.

Baste the breasts liberally with the reserved marinade and cook for another 12 minutes.

Remove the breasts from the fire and once more baste it with the remaining marinade.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

This is a delicious and easy way to add flavour to that BBQ corn on the cob. Make a few extra as they are really more-ish!!

6 ears of corn, with or without the husk

45ml butter, VERY SOFT

5ml mild curry powder

2,5ml salt

Wrap each ear of corn, a mealie in “South African, in a layer of foil. Make sure it is completely covered by the foil.

Add the soft butter, curry powder and salt to a small bowl and mix well. Put aside.

Place the wrapped corn onto a BBQ grill over medium to high heat for 20 minutes, turning often.

Remove from the heat and remove the foil from the corn. If you have left the corn in the husk you should remove that as well.

Place the corn back onto the fire and baste generously with the butter mixture.

Turn and baste for about 5 minutes or until you have a good char on the corn.

Remove from the heat, give the corn another last basting with the butter and serve warm.

This salad is absolutely delicious! It is sophisticated, trendy and easily doubles up as an appetiser before a meal or even as an accompaniment to a cheese course.

80g rocket leaves, washed and dried

10 – 12 ripe figs

50g pecan nuts, roughly chopped

Dressing:

125ml cream

100g blue cheese

Arrange the rocket leaves on a serving platter.

Half or quarter the figs and arrange them on the rocket.

Pour the cream into a small saucepan.

Break 50g of the blue cheese into chunks and add that to the cream.

Place the saucepan onto medium heat and stir the mixture until the cheese has melted.

remove from the heat and drizzle onto the rocket and figs.

Scatter the chopped nuts over the figs.

Break the remaining 50g cheese into chunks and scatter that over the salad as well.

Serve at room temperature.