Ready to up your picnic game? From beautiful BLT sandwiches to avocado, bacon and feta pizza rolls, pack these lovely light meals the next time you decide to dine al fresco.  

Mushroom quiche 

Serves 6 // Preparation time 30 minutes // Cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients 

For the crust 

1 cup rye flour
½ cup wheat flour
1 tsp salt
8 Tbsp butter, chilled
4 Tbsp chilled water  

For the filling  

4 tbsp olive oil
3 leeks, finely chopped
250g white button mushrooms
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp fresh thyme, plus extra sprigs
2 Tbsp flour  

Method  

For the crust 

1. Mix together the flours and salt.
2. Chop the butter into small pieces and use your fingers to rub it into the flour mixture, until it resembles fine crumbs.
3. Gradually add the water and knead gently until the dough comes together.
4. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease and line 6 ramekins.
6. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 5 mm thick.
7. Cut rounds from the dough and press into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes, until crisp.

For the filling 

1. Lower oven temperature to 180°C.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a pan over medium and fry the leeks until soft. Remove from the pan.
3. Heat the remaining oil and brown the mushrooms for 5 minutes.
4. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, thyme and flour until smooth. Season.
5. Divide the leeks between each crust and fill each one with the egg mixture. Top with mushrooms and a few sprigs of extra thyme.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until puffed up and golden.

Recipes & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen  

  

Avocado, biltong and feta pizza cones 

Makes 6 // Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients 

6 medium tortilla wraps
¾ cup tomato puree
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 cups grated mozzarella
1¼ cups sliced biltong
1¼ cups baby tomatoes, halved
1½ wheels feta, crumbled
½ avocado, chopped
¼ cup basil 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Shape six large pieces of foil into cones.
2. Brush both sides of each tortilla wrap with olive oil. Fold 5 cm of the bottom upwards to create a straight side. Then wrap around foil cones with the folded side at the bottom.
3. Close the bottom and secure the overlap with toothpicks to prevent it from unrolling.
4. Turn a muffin tray upside-down and arrange the cones in the spaces between the cups to prevent them from moving.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, turning halfway, until golden brown and holding their shape. Allow to cool.
6. Mix the tomato puree and dried herbs together.
7. Remove the foil from the tortilla cones and spread the tomato puree on the inside of each one. Layer with cheese, biltong, tomatoes, feta and more tomato puree until they are filled, leaving space for the avo.
8. Return the pizza cones to the muffin tray and bake for 5–6 minutes, until hot and the cheese is melted.
9. Top with avocado and fresh basil, and serve.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Jotham van Tonder // HMimages.co.za 

 

Salad jar with smoked chicken and rice noodles 

Makes 1 // Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients 

For the sauce 

1 garlic clove, grated
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp white-wine vinegar
1½ tbsp sugar
½ lime, juiced
½ red chilli, thinly sliced 

To serve 

1 cup rice noodles, cooked
½ cucumber, ribboned
1 carrot, peeled and julienned using a peeler
1 smoked chicken breast, shredded
Handful fresh coriander 

Method 

For the sauce 

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

To serve 

1. Layer the jar, starting with rice noodles, followed by vegetables, chicken, herbs and seasoning, and dress with sauce.

Tip: If you aren’t a fan of rice noodles, simply swap them out for your favourite grain instead. 

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za  

 

Loaded BLT and chip sandwich with aioli 

 Serves 4 // Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients  

For the aioli 

½ cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp cayenne pepper 

For the sandwich 

8 slices bread
8 lettuce leaves
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
16 slices streaky bacon, fried
2 cups salted potato chips
2 gherkins, thinly sliced 

Method 

For the aioli 

1. Combine all ingredients, mix well and set aside.

For the sandwich 

1. Lightly toast bread slices in a pan over medium-high heat.
2. Spread some aioli onto each slice and layer lettuce, tomato, bacon, chips and gherkins on top. Season and sandwich closed.

Recipe: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Sean Dollery // HMimages.co.za