It’s not called ‘fancy’ for nothing! This turkey á la king with roast veggies is sure to be a favourite at the dinner table from now on.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 5 min

INGREDIENTS
5 carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
3 leeks, sliced
1½ onions, sliced
2½ cups chicken stock
1 × 1.5 kg turkey drumstick
¼ cup milk
¼ cup butter
½ cup + 2 tbsp flour
1 cup rice, cooked according to packet instructions

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 165°C.
2. Arrange the carrots, celery, leeks and onions in a deep baking tray or casserole dish. Pour over 1½ cups of the chicken stock. Pop the turkey drumstick on top and cover with foil. Braise in the oven for 45 minutes.
3. Pour out ¾ of the stock from the tray (keeping it for the sauce) and preheat the grill. Return to the oven for 15 minutes. Shred the turkey.
4. Heat 1 cup chicken stock and the milk, separately, in the microwave and keep them hot.
5. In a heavy-based pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk to form a smooth paste. Allow to cook over medium heat until the paste begins to form a crust at the edges.
6. Add the heated chicken stock ½ cup at a time, followed by the hot milk, whisking well after each addition, until thickened and smooth.
7. Add the leftover stock from the turkey. Whisk well and allow to simmer for 8 minutes, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Spoon the rice on to a serving platter and top with the roast veggies and turkey. Dress your turkey á la king with the sauce.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Sean Dollery // HMimages.co.za

Have a new liking towards turkey? Try this healthy Christmas turkey roast with orange and bay leaves.

The post Fancy turkey á la king with roast veggies appeared first on MyKitchen.

When we heard that Fry’s Family Food had released the first ever meatless roast in South Africa, we just had to get our hands on a delicious recipe for all our vegan readers. And while they were at it, they gave us the recipes for an entire vegan Christmas lunch. Enjoy!

Mexican stuffed bell pepper with meat-free mince

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 25 min

INGREDIENTS
4 medium bell peppers
½ medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
½ box Fry’s Meat-Free Mince
1½ cup tinned diced tomatoes
½ cup cooked rice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Italian herbs
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Handful of vegan cheese, shredded (optional, or use vegan mayonnaise)

METHOD
1. Wash the bell peppers, cut the tops off and scoop out the insides carefully, removing the stems and seeds. Cook them in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove peppers from water and drain well.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil (or water) in a pan until golden.
3. Add the Meat-Free Mince, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and seasoning to the onion and garlic. Fry for a few minutes until the Meat-Free Mince is cooked through.
4. In a bowl, add the mince mixture with the cooked rice and half of the shredded vegan cheese. Stir to combine.
5. Stuff the pepper halves with the mixture. Top with remaining vegan cheese.
6. Pop them under the grill until the cheese is melted and the peppers are tender.

Country roast in a sweet tomato glaze with sweet potato mash

SERVES 5

INGREDIENTS
1 Fry’s Soy and Quinoa Country Roast, defrosted
For the sweet tomato glaze
⅓ cup tomato sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
300 g vine tomatoes
For the sweet potato mash
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
½ cup coconut milk
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

METHOD
For the sweet tomato glaze
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Mix the tomato sauce, brown sugar and mustard until well combined. Pour half over roast.
3. Rub a little olive oil in the bottom of a roasting pan. Cut the tomatoes into halves and place in the pan. Toss tomatoes with a splash of olive oil and sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper.
4. Place the country roast in its foil on a baking tray. Cook the roast and the tomatoes in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
For the sweet potato mash
1. Add the potatoes into a medium pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat up the coconut milk in a pot and add potatoes. Mash with a masher, adding in the rosemary, sea salt and black pepper.
3. Take the tomatoes and country roast out the oven, or for extra crispiness, keep the country roast in the oven for a few more minutes.
4. Serve with the remaining tomato sauce on the side as a dipping sauce and the mash.

Broccoli superfood salad

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 25 min

INGREDIENTS
1 box Fry’s Rice Protein and Chia Nuggets
1 head broccoli
60 g mixed seeds, lightly toasted
100 g goji berries, cranberries and raisin mix
1 container mini plum tomatoes, washed and halved (yellow and red)
1 Fuji apple, cored and finely chopped
100 g cooked chickpeas
For the vegan mayonnaise dressing
1 heaped tbsp cooked chickpeas (from a tin works well)
20 ml white balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 heaped tsp mustard
1 tsp xylitol
Salt and black pepper, to taste
½ avocado (if serving all the mayonnaise within an hour or two)
150 ml oil mix (grapeseed oil, avocado oil, olive oil and coconut oil)

METHOD
1. Cook the Nuggets according to packet instructions and halve.
2. Remove the tough stalk at the end of the broccoli and wash broccoli head thoroughly. Cut into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, including the Nuggets, and mix together.
4. To make the vegan mayonnaise, add the chickpeas, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, xylitol and seasoning into the jug of a hand-held blender. Add the avocado, if using. Blitz until thick and creamy.
5. With the head of the blender still in the jug, start pouring the oil in while lifting it up and down until the oil emulsifies with the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Deconstructed vanilla, coconut, apple and blueberry pie with cashew cream

SERVES 1 // COOKING TIME 30 min

INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours
½ cup water
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence
Pinch salt
3 tbsp Fry’s Vanilla and Chia Kasha
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tbsp coconut flakes
2 tsp coconut oil
Pinch vanilla essence
Pinch cinnamon
1 cup apples, diced
1 cup frozen blueberries
Mint

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water.
3. Pour the water into the blender, and add the soaked cashews with the maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Adjust the water, sweetener and vanilla to taste.
4. Transfer to a sealed container in the fridge and chill for a few hours to thicken.
5. Mix the Kasha, maple syrup, desiccated coconut, coconut flakes, coconut oil, vanilla and cinnamon in a bowl. The texture should be fine and slightly crumbly.
6. Place the diced apple and frozen blueberries in a small baking dish and pour the Kasha mixture over the fruit.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve with fresh mint and the cashew cream.

The post A very vegan Christmas with Fry’s Family Food appeared first on MyKitchen.

December can be pretty crazy, and figuring out what to cook for all the guests at your house on Christmas Day is one of the most stressful parts. I love to cook, so while I don’t want to prep something that will have me flustering around all day, I also don’t want to buy everything ready-made. That’s where the UCOOK Christmas meal delivery box comes in.

By Roxy Greeff

The increasingly popular meal delivery service has teamed up with world-renowned chef Franck Dangereux and Yuppiechef to bring you something has never been seen before in South Africa: A Christmas meal delivery box. The box will arrive on your doorstep a few days before 25th December and you’ll find it filled with a pack of recipe cards and all the ingredients needed to whip up a feast that can cater for up to 16 guests.

This means, first of all, that you won’t be standing in those long queues of last-minute December shoppers at your grocery store. I’ve spent multiple years running around from store to store because they are sold out of glace cherries everywhere, and the only gammons and ducks left couldn’t feed a table of four, nevermind my massive family; so skipping queues is the biggest winner in my book. Secondly, you know you’ll have everything you need.

You may know Franck as the previous head chef at La Colombe, and he now owns the well-known FoodBarn in Noordhoek. Drawing inspiration from his French heritage, his Christmas menu includes a smoked salmon rosti starter, up to five sides (including the best ever roast pots) and your choice of duck, fillet, chicken or pork belly. Each recipe is completed with his personal touch and detailed nuances, from the foraged pine needles in the pork belly to the pink peppercorns native to SA.

I chose the duck option so keep reading to see what I got up to while cooking, and to take a sneak peek at what you can expect to find in your very own box. There’s also information on how to get your order in.

STARTERS

Smoked salmon potato cakes with herbed créme and pink peppercorns

This was the first time that I had made potato cakes and I couldn’t believe how easy it was. The local pink peppercorns lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle also add a deliciously unique touch.

MAINS

Ratatouille provençal

This is a hearty, tomatoey dish loaded with goodness and a main option that your vegetarian guests won’t be able to get enough of. I particularly loved cooking all in veggies and caramelising them separately for an intense boldness in flavour, and a sweetness to offset the acidity from the tomatoes. Serve it up with a nice big bowl of herbed rice.

TIP: I ate the leftovers piping hot on buttered toast the next day and it was amazing.

Roasted duck with orange (Canard roti à l’orange)

When you watch cooking competitions on TV, they always make a big fuss about how difficult it is to cook a duck perfectly. It wasn’t. Follow the instructions to the letter, and you’ll have a tasty bird on the table in under two hours.

SIDES

Chickpea and lentil salad with mint and parsley

My family actually reached for seconds of this side. Whip it up in under 10 minutes and top it off with the most amazing cumin dressing (I’m obsessed). This is another great option for lunch the next day.

La grande salade verte (The big green salad)

Three ingredients, a dressing and you’re done. Quite a few people told me this is the best salad they’ve ever tasted. Plus, you’ll get to learn to make home-made croutons!

Asparagus with almond butter and Parmesan (Asperges verte au beurre d’amande)

Another one that comes together in minutes. Make sure you keep a close eye on that asparagus as it can go soggy very quickly (and no one wants that). I ran mine through cold water immediately after blanching to prevent further cooking.

The best roasties ever

It wasn’t in the instructions, but I used the leftover fat from the duck (what I didn’t use in my gravy) and I cooked them in the same pan I used for the duck. Because what’s better than potatoes roasted in duck fat, right?

Are you sold yet?

To order your own box, all you have to do is head over to UCOOK.co.za, select how many you are cooking for and choose your protein/s. Your box will be delivered to your doorstep on 22nd December and you’ll be good to go! And if you buy selected Christmas gifts and feasting necessities from Yuppiechef, you’ll get 30% off your UCOOK Christmas box. Enjoy!

The post The UCOOK Christmas meal delivery box is this year’s festive must-have appeared first on MyKitchen.