Make these delicious sticky glazed meatballs for your next book club, and you’ll be the main character in everyone’s eyes.

MAKES 12 • TOTAL TIME 45 MIN

FOR THE MEATBALLS
Ground beef mince 500 g
Breadcrumbs ½ cup
Chopped spring onions ½ cup
Flour 1 tbsp
Egg 1
Garlic clove, minced 2
Ginger, finely grated 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Ground black pepper 1 tsp
Olive oil 1 tbsp

FOR THE STICKY GLAZE
Brown sugar ⅓ cup
Rice vinegar 2 tsp
Hoisin sauce 2 tsp
Soy sauce ½ cup
Cornstarch 1 tbsp

TO SERVE
Toasted sesame seeds 1 tbsp
Handful freshly chopped spring onion

FOR THE MEATBALLS
1. Combine everything besides the oil and form into 12 balls.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over low heat. Fry the meatballs for about 4–5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Set aside.

FOR THE STICKY GLAZE
1. Reduce the heat of the pan to low and add the brown sugar, rice vinegar and hoisin sauce and stir to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch until well combined. Add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is thickened.

TO SERVE
1. Remove the pan from the heat and add the meatballs, stirring gently to coat them in the glaze.
2. Serve the meatballs threaded onto skewers and topped with freshly chopped spring onions and toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy warm or cold.

Recipes & styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Styling assistants: Sjaan van der Ploeg & Kirsty Buchanan
Photography: Callen Jefferson

Are you looking for a tasty starter that will take you less than half an hour to make? Then give this biltong and pear tartlets recipe a try, because biltong makes everything better.

The post Delicious Sticky Glazed Meatballs appeared first on MyKitchen.

Make these tasty appetisers for your next book club and you’ll be the main character in everyone’s eyes

Mozzarella pulls with sweet & sticky sauce
MAKES 12 • TOTAL TIME 1 HR 15 MIN + FREEZING  

FOR THE MOZZARELLA STICKS
Flour ¾ cup
Salt 2 tsp
Pepper 1 tsp
Garlic powder 1 tsp
Egg, beaten 1
Water 1 ½ tsp
Breadcrumbs 145 g
Italian seasoning 1 tbsp
Mozzarella, cut into 2 cm thick sticks 600 g
Oil, for shallow frying

FOR THE SWEET & STICKY SAUCE
Red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped 1
Red chilli, finely chopped 1
Ginger, peeled and grated 1 cm
Garlic cloves, minced 2
Tin chopped tomatoes 1 x 400 g
Castor sugar ½ cup
Red wine vinegar 2 tbsp

FOR THE MOZZARELLA PULLS
1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then set aside.
2. Combine the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together the egg and water. In a third bowl, combine the bread-crumbs and the Italian seasoning.
3. Working with one piece at a time, dip the mozzarella sticks into the egg, followed by the flour mixture, backinto the egg and finally into the crumbs. Place the crumbed cheese sticks on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for 45 minutes.

FOR THE SWEET & STICKY SAUCE
1. Combine all the ingredients together in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, then lower the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes until reduced and slightly sticky. Remove from the heat.

TO SERVE
1. Heat a pot of oil over medium heat. Deep-fry the mozzarella sticks in batches of two until golden brown and crisp, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.
2. Serve the mozzarella sticks immediately with the sweet & sticky sauce.

Cheesy issue? To prevent the mozzarella sticks from breaking during frying, handle them as little as possible. If any cheese starts oozing out, fry the sticks for a little longer until the cheese is set.

Sticky glazed meatballs
MAKES 12 • TOTAL TIME 45 MIN

FOR THE MEATBALLS
Ground beef mince 500 g
Breadcrumbs ½ cup
Chopped spring onions ½ cup
Flour 1 tbsp
Egg 1
Garlic clove, minced 2
Ginger, finely grated 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Ground black pepper 1 tsp
Olive oil 1 tbsp

FOR THE STICKY GLAZE
Brown sugar ⅓ cup
Rice vinegar 2 tsp
Hoisin sauce 2 tsp
Soy sauce ½ cup
Cornstarch 1 tbsp

TO SERVE
Toasted sesame seeds 1 tbsp
Handful freshly chopped spring onion

FOR THE MEATBALLS
1. Combine everything besides the oil and form into 12 balls.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over low heat. Fry the meatballs for about 4–5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Set aside.

FOR THE STICKY GLAZE
1. Reduce the heat of the pan to low and add the brown sugar, rice vinegar and hoisin sauce and stir to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch until well combined. Add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is thickened.

TO SERVE
1. Remove the pan from the heat and add the meatballs, stirring gently to coat them in the glaze.
2. Serve the meatballs threaded onto skewers and topped with freshly chopped spring onions and toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy warm or cold. 

Recipes & styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Styling assistants: Sjaan van der Ploeg & Kirsty Buchanan
Photography: Callen Jefferson

These phyllo veggie parcels are crunchy, flaky and oh-so tasty. They are also perfect dinner pasty starters especially for vegetarians.

The post Must-Try Tasty Appetizers 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.

Get your hands on these mini goat cheese balls for the ultimate quick and easy party platter snacks! Make them with lemon and poppyseed, tomato and chilli and/or pesto and chives for your guests to enjoy a variety.

SERVES 12–15 // COOKING TIME 15 min + 1 hour cooling

INGREDIENTS
For the cheese balls
250 g cream cheese, at room temperature
200 g goat’s cheese, at room temperature
For the lemon and poppyseed
1 tbsp lemon zest
½ cup poppyseeds
For the tomato and chilli
¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup chilli flakes
For the pesto and chives
1 tbsp pesto
½ cup chopped chives

METHOD
1. Mix the cream cheese and goat’s cheese.
2. Add lemon zest OR sun-dried tomatoes OR pesto. Freeze for 30 minutes.
3. Scoop out 2 tbsp cheese at a time and roll into balls.
4. Roll the balls in the poppyseeds OR chilli flakes Or chives, ensuring they are evenly coated. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Serve with crackers.

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

The post Mini goat cheese balls 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.