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Pear, cocoa and almonds are a heavenly combination. This not-too-sweet cake is perfect with a good cup of coffee when you are in need of something light, fresh but still comforting.

150g cake flour

50g cocoa powder

80g almond flour

7,5ml baking powder

5ml ground cinnamon

1,2ml ground ginger

1,2ml salt

170g butter

150g sugar

5ml vanilla

2 eggs

30ml milk

2 pears, cored, peeled and diced

Preheat your oven to 160℃.

Spray and line a 23cm X 13cm X 7cm bread tin with baking paper.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt to a mixing bowl and set aside.

Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream until light and fluffy.\

Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating in between, before adding the vanilla extract.

Now, add about a third of the dry ingredients, a spoonful at a time with the mixer running on a low speed. Then add 15ml milk and wait for it to be incorporated into the mixture. Add another third of the dry ingredients, followed by the last 15ml of milk and finally add the last third of the dry ingredients. Mix until all ingredients are well blended.

Add the diced pear and stir in with a spatula.

Spoon the mixture into the lined bread tin and bake for one hour.

It is important to test the cake to make sure it is done before removing it from the oven.

Remove from the oven once it is cooked and allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes or so.

Dust the pear cake with icing sugar before serving

Chimichurri sauce will delight your senses and transform boring into a taste sensation and that is no exaggeration! This is a bright, herbaceous sauce that is easy to make and can be kept in the fridge for up to five days.

Traditionally an Argentinian sauce for grilled meats, it is a loose, oil-based sauce that is made by hand. It differs from pesto in that it contains no cheese and has a pucker tang to it that refreshes the palate. Adjust the taste so that it suits YOUR palate – add a variety of soft herbs like parsley, mint, basil and oregano or make it less garlicky, spice it up with fresh chilli, replace the vinegar with lemon juice, add a minced red onion, but whatever you do, be sure to make it.

It may be used as a marinade for meat or basted onto barbecued steak, chicken, fish, vegetables and is delicious as a dip for crusty bread. But do yourself a favour and simply spoon a generous amount onto your next steak, hot off the fire!

125ml olive oil

30ml red wine vinegar

125ml finely chopped parsley

4 cloves garlic, minced

10ml oregano, finely chopped

5ml salt

Mix all the ingredients together and let it stand for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight, so that the flavours can develop.

This upside down guava tart is like a tropical flavour burst in your mouth. I made this a while ago because my entire family loves guava in all its variations and what a surprise it was. Tarte Tatin is a French dish that normally utilises fruits like apples and pears, caramelised in sugar with a crisp, flaky pastry base. Soft, juicy fruits like guavas are usually not used because of all its soft flesh that create excess liquid, but believe me, this is heaven on your taste buds. It is a reminder that sometimes we have to go against the traditional to discover the truly sublime!

5 – 6 fresh ripe guavas, peeled and halved

80g butter

150g sugar

300g puff pastry

Preheat your oven to 190℃.

Select the pan you are going to use to bake this tart. I make mine in a steel frying pan but any pan will do as long as it can go into the oven. No plastic handles!!

Now, roll the dough so that you can cut a piece of pastry the size of the pan PLUS another 1.5cm all around. In other words, if you have a pan that is 20cm in diameter you will have a pastry circle that is 23cm in diameter. Prick the pastry with the tines of a fork and place in the fridge until needed.

Spread/rub the butter in a thick layer over the bottom and sides of the pan. Sprinkle the sugar on the base in a thick, even layer.

Put the pan on a medium heat.

Pack the guava halves cut-side down onto the sugar. You have to watch the sugar and fruit closely: you want the sugar to melt and develop a good caramel colour without burning. Shake the pan lightly from time to time.

Once the sugar has reached a deep, golden colour, take the pan from the heat.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and place it on top of the guavas, tucking down the sides of the pastry.

Place the tart in the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes until the pastry is cooked and has developed a honey colour.

Remove the pan from the oven and give it a 5 minute rest. This is important: if you don’t wait for the caramel to settle it will run all over the place when you invert the tart and conversely, if you leave the tart standing for too long it will become sticky and you will have a hard time removing it from the pan.

Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen any caramel and place your serving plate on top of the pan, covering the tart. Invert in one quick flick.

Serve with cream or ice cream.

I want to explain myself: this is a TART because a PIE usually has a “lid” or covering of pastry of a sort. Soooo, this dish might remind one of pumpkin pie, but strictly spoken it is a tart. What makes it even more unique is the fact that it is a South African Tart. It has an earthiness from the pumpkin that is utterly yum and the cinnamon that is sprinkled on the hot tart, gives that wonderful homely warmth that is truly South African and perfect for winter meals.

This is the easiest tart you will ever make and be warned; keep a copy of the recipe because you will be asked for it!

250ml flour

250ml sugar

5ml salt

750ml cooked, well-drained pumpkin

60ml butter, melted

250ml cream

3 eggs, lightly beaten

5ml ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 180℃.

Lightly spray or grease a 25cm ceramic pie dish.

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.

Add the sugar and pumpkin and give the mixture a stir.

Add the melted butter and cream to a wide mouthed jug and whisk together. Add the eggs and give the mixture another thorough whisk.

Pour the wet ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and mix together really well.

Pour the mixture into the pie dish and bake for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle an even layer of cinnamon over the tart while it is hot.

In winter I like serving this pumpkin tart warm as a side dish to a meal but it is equally delicious in summer, when served at room temperature.

If you enjoy having a G&T you will looooove this cheesecake! It is refreshing and filled with all the deliciousness of citrus. Be sure to use a cake tin that is AT LEAST 8cm deep, as the G&T layer should be generous in order to counter the richness of the cheesecake. This is going to be your new favourite all-in-one snack! Cheers!

For the cheesecake:

250g Tennis biscuits, or if you don’t like the coconut you may use digestive biscuits

80g butter, melted

500g cream cheese

500g mascarpone

100g caster sugar

grated zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

grated zest of one grapefruit

juice of one grapefruit. (If you dislike grapefruit you may replace the zest and juice with lemon)

Blitz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor. Alternatively, put them into a plastic bag and smash them with a rolling pin.

Add the biscuits and melted butter to a small bowl and mix thoroughly.

Tip the mixture into a 22cm sprayed, loose bottomed cake tin that is at least 8cm deep.

Use the back of a spoon to press the biscuit mixture onto the base of the cake tin.

Put the base into the fridge to firm up.

Pour 90ml cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top. Put aside for 5 minutes.

Pour the lemon and grapefruit juice into a small saucepan and add the zest and the caster sugar.

Gently heat the mixture, stirring to dissolve all of the sugar.

Melt the gelatine in the microwave oven for 10 second intervals at a time. Take care not to burn it!

Add the melted gelatine to the juice mixture and give it a really good whisk to ensure the gelatine is evenly dispersed throughout the mixture.

Strip the leaves off the thyme sprig and add them to the mixture.

Add the bitter lemon or tonic water and the gin and stir to mix.

Pour the mixture over the cheesecake and chill to set overnight.

En papillote is a delicious French steamed dish or directly translated, fish in a paper parcel. It is cooked or steamed in the paper and served in it as well. This is a super quick, incredibly nutritious and really delicious way of cooking fish and the parcels can even be made up the day before, kept in the fridge and then popped into the oven when you need them.

The flavour combinations that you can add to this dish is limited only by your imagination..

Preheat your oven to 190℃.

Clean and dry the fillets you are going to cook (I often use frozen!)

Cut your baking paper 10cm bigger than the length of the fillet and then cut the sides the size of a square. Lightly spray or oil the paper.

Place the fish fillet onto some dill or fresh basil leaves, season the fillet with salt and pepper and load the rest of your flavourings on top of the fillet. I like using lemon, red onion and olives but tiny rosa tomatoes, slices of orange, mushroom, bay leave also work really well.

Pour one tablespoon of white whine or vegetable stock onto your ingredients.

Now, fold the paper together over the length of the fish. Press down onto the folded part to hold it in place and twist the end. Repeat on the other end. You are aiming to seal your parcel so that the content can steam on the inside.