Roses are red, violets are blue and MyKitchen brings you lovely recipes. 

Love is in the air this month, and we’re ravenous for all things red. Explore the taste of this colour palette with these flavour-packed recipes. 

Ruby stone fruit fridge cheesecake 

SERVES 8 

Swap out the ginger biscuits for chocolate biscuits. 

Ingredients 

For the base  

1 packet (200g) ginger biscuits cup 
(80g) butter, softened  

For the filling  

2 tubs (175g each) medium-fat cream cheese 
1 cup (200g) castor sugar 
1 punnet (100g) raspberries 
½ cup (125ml) cream 
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence 

For the topping  

3 plums, thinly sliced 
3 nectarines, thinly sliced 
1 punnet (100g) fresh raspberries 
Handful pomegranate rubies 

Method 

1. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a fine crumb. Add the butter and mix to combine.
2. Press the mixture into a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill until set. 
3. Blitz together the cream cheese, half the sugar and raspberries. Add a splash of milk if needed. 
4. Whisk together the cream, remaining sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks in a separate bowl.
5. Whisk a third of the cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Then gently fold in remaining cream. 
6. Spoon the mixture over the biscuit base and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
7. Before serving, decorate tart with sliced fruit (shaped into spirals or roses), berries and pomegranate rubies. Serve cold.

 

One-pan tomato sauce and pasta 

SERVES 4 

Add dollops of cream cheese to the tomatoes and pan juices before tossing with the pasta for extra decadence.  

Ingredients 

2.5kg ripe salad tomatoes, quartered 
Salt and milled pepper 
¼ cup olive oil 
¼ cup balsamic vinegar 
3 Tbsp brown or white sugar 
5 cloves garlic, sliced 
½ punnet fresh thyme or oregano, leaves picked 
1 packet tagliatelle, cooked 
Fresh Parmesan shavings, for serving 
Fresh basil, for serving 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. 
2. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on two baking trays, making sure not to overcrowd the trays.
3. Season well and drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar. 
4. Sprinkle with sugar, garlic and herbs. Roast for about 50-70 minutes or until the tomatoes have gone so and are slightly caramelized. 
5. Toss the tomatoes and pan juices with the cooked pasta. 
6. Garnish with Parmesan and basil just before serving.

 

Greek-style baked fragrant rice with roasted tomatoes 

SERVES 4-6 

Swap out vegetable stock for a combination of ½ stock and ½ water to cut the cost. 

Ingredients 

For the topping  

6 salad tomatoes, cut in 1.5cm-thick slices 
Glug olive oil 
Salt and milled pepper 
3 cloves garlic, sliced 
Handful olives
Handful fresh herbs, torn (we used mint, dill and parsley)  

1 onion, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, chopped 
3 cups dried brown rice and lentil mix
6 cups vegetable stock 
1 lemon, zested 
1 packet baby spinach or Swiss chard 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. 
2. Place tomatoes on a lined tray, drizzle with oil, season and scatter with garlic. 
3. Roast for about 30 minutes then leave in the oven, switched off . 
4. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan and sauté onion for 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and fry for 1 minute. 
5. Remove from heat and stir in rice-lentil mix, stock and lemon zest. Season well. 
6. Increase oven to 200°C and bake rice and tomatoes for 20 minutes. 
7. Add the olives to tomato tray and stir spinach through the rice. Bake for a further 5-10 minutes. 
8. Serve the rice topped with herbs, tomatoes, olives and drizzle with pan juices.

 

Caprese roasted red peppers 

SERVES 4 (AS A STARTER) 

Cut the cost and swap out bocconcini for regular mozzarella or feta. 

Ingredients 

5 red bell peppers or sweet 
Palermo peppers, halved and deseeded 
Glug olive oil 
Salt and milled pepper 
2 tubs (300g) bocconcini balls, drained 
1 packet vine tomatoes 
½ tub basil pesto 
Handful fresh basil, for serving 

Method 

1. Turn your oven on to the grill setting. 
2. Toss the peppers in oil, season and grill for 10 minutes or until softened. 
3. Fill the peppers with bocconcini and tomatoes and grill for another 5-8 minutes until cheese melts. 
4. Serve hot with dollops of basil pesto and scattered with fresh basil.

Feed a crowd  

• Serve on top of creamy mash or polenta, then top with crispy fried chicken 
• Once the peppers are softened, add a generous glug of cream and blitz together with half the peppers to create a sauce. Toss the sauce through the pasta and top with remaining roasted peppers, bocconcini and basil.

Recipes & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg

Photography; Zhann Solomons