Having a little dinner party? And want to impress your guests? Then have them drooling over our delicious but relatively easy mini quiches!

SERVES 12 // COOK TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
2 cups grated Cheddar
½ cup grated Parmesan
5 eggs
½ cup water
1 cup cream
½ tsp salt
6 vine tomatoes, halved

METHOD
1. Place flour,  Cheddar, Parmesan, water, 1 egg and salt in a food processor. Blend until a dough forms.
2. Knead on a floured work surface. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Whisk together 3 eggs, cream, salt, black pepper, and remaining Cheddar. Set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 180°C.
5. Roll out dough to 2 mm thick. Cut out circles with a 10 cm biscuit cutter. Press into a muffin tray. Brush with remaining egg (whisked). Bake for 5 minutes.
6. Pour filling into the shells, place a tomato in the middle of each and bake for 20 minutes.

Care to try another starter? then these spinach and feta hand pies are just for you!

The post Mini quiches appeared first on MyKitchen.

This delicious bacon and jalapeño cheese ball will add Mexican flair to a decadent platter! Serve it with crackers, a nice selection of preserves and a crisp bottle of wine.

SERVES 12–15 // COOKING TIME 30 minutes plus 2 hours cooling time

INGREDIENTS
8 rashers bacon, diced
¼ cup flaked almonds
¼ cup chopped parsley
500 g cream cheese, at room temperature
1¼ cups grated cheddar
¼ cup finely chopped jalapeños
1 tbsp salad dressing or mayonnaise
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

METHOD
1. Fry the bacon over high heat until it is crispy. Place on paper towel to drain and cool. Once cooled, chop into even smaller pieces.
2. Mix ½ bacon, ½ almonds and ½ parsley with all cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeños, dressing or mayonnaise, and cayenne pepper.
3. Turn out the mixture on to cling film and form into a ball. Wrap up and freeze for 1 hour.
4. Place the remaining bacon, almonds and parsley on a plate and roll the cheese ball in them, ensuring that it is evenly coated. Reshape ball if needed. Place in the fridge for 1 hour
5. Serve the cheese ball with crackers and grapes.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Kendall-Leigh Nash // HMimages.co.za

The post Giant bacon and jalapeño cheese ball appeared first on MyKitchen.

With the all the frenzy around sea greens, we thought this seaweed baked Brie with phyllo crackers and balsamic glaze is the perfect way to try it out!

SERVES 4–6 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 50 min

INGREDIENTS
For the baked Brie
2 seaweed sheets
¼ cup oil
1 wheel Brie
For the crackers
4 phyllo sheets
¼ cup butter, melted
For the balsamic glaze
2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey

METHOD
For the baked Brie
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Lay the seaweed sheets in oil for 1 hour until they are more pliable. Fold them into a triangle by bringing two corners together and pressing down.
3. In an ovenproof ramekin the size of the cheese, press one triangle of seaweed into the ramekin and the other in the opposite direction. Place the Brie inside. Bake for 20–30 minutes.
For the crackers
1. Grease a baking tray.
2. Brush each sheet of phyllo with butter, then place on top of each other. Cut into 15 × 4 cm rectangles.
3. Bake for 10–15 minutes until crispy.
For the balsamic glaze
1. Bring the vinegar and honey to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer.
2. Cook until thickened and syrupy, about 15 minutes. The glaze will thicken as it cools.
3. Serve with baked Brie and crackers.

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

The post Seaweed baked Brie with phyllo crackers and balsamic glaze appeared first on MyKitchen.

Still deciding what to serve your guests this holiday season? Galbani fresh mozzarella with gremolata on a fresh baguette is the ultimate appetizer that is sure to go down a treat!

The post Galbani fresh mozzarella with gremolata appeared first on MyKitchen.

Take your cheeseboard to the next level with this amazing marinated mozzarella! Fresh cheese is the best for absorbing delicious herbs and oils, so get to prepping.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 

INGREDIENTS
2 balls Galbani fresh mozzarella
90 ml olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Handful origanum, chopped
½ tsp salt

METHOD
1. Cut the mozzarella into 1 cm slices and arrange them on a baking tray.
2. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients. Pour over the cheese and toss gently.
3. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour.
4. Arrange mozzarella on a platter, spoon over extra marinade and season with black pepper. Serve with olive biscotti, crusty bread or crackers.

The post Lemon and origanum marinated mozzarella appeared first on MyKitchen.

Let’s face it, pickled fish will always be a favourite in South Africa no matter the time of year. So why not indulge in these yummy curried pickled fish bites?

SERVES 8-10 // COOKING TIME 45 min, plus 48 hour pickling time

INGREDIENTS
1 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1.5 kg firm white fish fillets
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups white wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 cm ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
Zest of 1 lemon
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp cornflour
Baby salad leaves, to serve
Mini socca flatbreads, to serve

METHOD
1. Sprinkle the flour and 1 tsp salt on a plate. Roll each fish fillet in the mixture to coat it.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat and fry the fish in batches until just done.
3. In a pot over medium heat, fill with 1 cup water, vinegar, sugar, curry powder, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, turmeric, cumin and 1 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then add onions, ginger, lemon zest and bay leaves. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp water to make a paste and add it to the pot. Simmer for about 2–3 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Set aside to cool.
5. Layer the fish and the curry mixture in a glass dish. Pour over any leftover sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days to allow to pickle.
6. Serve pickled fish on mini socca flatbreads, topped with baby salad leaves.

The post Curried pickled fish appeared first on MyKitchen.