Jingle all the way with a delicious feast prepared once a year! This Christmas feast has something for everyone – whether you’re vegan, a pescatarian, or a proud carnivore. It’s the ultimate holiday spread that for everyone to enjoy! 

Plant-powered feast

Starter

Beetroot foldovers

Main course

Roast cauliflower with yoghurt, toasted almonds and mint

Dessert

Vegan pavlova with cardamom and pineapple

Ocean’s bounty

Starter

Light fish stew with crusty garlic bread

Main course

Pan-fried fish with chilli sauce on a lemon-butter potato stack

Dessert

Chocolate mousse

An omnivore’s feast

Starter

Chicken satay kebabs with spring onions

Main course

Glazed gammon with roasted apples

Dessert

Red velvet trifle with cream cheese, icing, meringue and brandy snaps

Image: Shutterstock

The post A Christmas feast for vegans, fish lovers and meat enthusiasts appeared first on MyKitchen.

We love the snowy Christmas that you see on TV as much as the next person, but we can’t resist adding some SA flair to the festive classics. Give these yummy recipes a try: 

Citrus and chakalaka stuffed chicken 

Serves 4 

A take on the traditional turkey with cranberry stuffing. Swap out the pork mince for chicken mince if you prefer. 

Ingredients 

1 whole chicken, giblets removed 
Salt and milled black pepper 
¼ cup butter, softened 
1 orange, zested and juiced 
Handful fresh coriander, chopped   

FOR THE STUFFING  

1 can chakalaka 
2 cups breadcrumbs 
2 oranges, zested and juiced 
Handful fresh coriander, chopped 
3 cloves garlic, chopped 
1 pack pork bangers, removed from casing  

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. Season the chicken generously and loosen the skin from the meat using your fingers. 
3. Combine the butter, orange zest and juice and coriander. 
4. Place butter mixture under the chicken skin and spread all over, using your hands, being careful not to tear the skin. 
5. Combine the stuffing ingredients and season. 
6. Stuff chicken cavity with half the mixture and place in a deep roasting pan.
7. Roast chicken for about 75 minutes, basting every 20 minutes until golden and cooked through. 
8. Roll remaining stuffing into golf-sized balls. 
9. Cook balls in a hot pan, with some of the pan drippings for about 8-10 minutes or until golden. 
10. Serve the chicken with the stuffing balls and charred citrus.

 Also read: 4 budget-friendly TikTok decorating hacks for a festive feel

Cream cheese and chive Yorkshire pudding 

Serves 4 

This baked pudding is the perfect side used to mop up all the delicious sauces and gravies of roast meats.  

Ingredients 

For the pickles onions

2 red onions, sliced 
½ cup white vinegar 
¼ cup water 
¼ cup sugar  

For the Yorkshire pudding

3 large eggs 
½ cup cake flour 
100ml milk 
1 tub cream cheese 
½ punnet chives, chopped 
Salt and milled pepper 
1 pack pork bangers, cooked 
½ cup leftover roast gravy 

Fun foodie fact 

The name ‘Yorkshire pudding’ was coined in 1747 by Hannah Glasse. Her book named The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy brought this traditional dish into the limelight. 

Method 

1. Place the onions into a small bowl.
2. Heat vinegar, water and sugar and bring to a boil. 
3. Pour the hot liquid over onions, cover and set aside to pickle. 
4. For the pudding, whisk together all ingredients and season well. Set aside for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C.
6. Drizzle a large, ovenproof pan with a touch of oil and place into the oven to heat up. 
7. Pour batter into heated pan and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until puffy and risen. 
8. Serve with bangers, gravy and pickled onions.

Peppermint crisp Yule log 

Serves 6-8 

The Yule log is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a winter tradition in Europe. The shape of this dessert resembles that.  

Ingredients 

4 eggs, separated 
2/3 cup sugar 
1 tsp vanilla essence 
½ cup cake flour 
3 Tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting 
1 tsp baking powder Pinch of salt 
¼ cup butter, melted  

For the filling

1 cup cream, whipped 
1 can caramel treat 
1 slab peppermint crisp chocolate, chopped 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. 
2. Grease and line a large rectangular baking tray. 
3. Whisk together egg whites and sugar to form stiff peaks. 
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, remaining sugar and vanilla. 
5. Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder, then add salt. 
6. Add egg yolk mixture and melted butter to dry mixture and mix until a smooth batter forms.
7. Mix a large spoonful of egg whites into batter, whisk to combine, then gently fold in remaining egg whites. 
8. Spread into prepared baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. 
9. Prepare a damp, clean tea towel. 
10. To unmould cake, remove from oven and immediately turn the tray over onto prepared tea towel. Trim the edges. 
11. Roll cake up into a log and set aside to cool before making the filling. 
12. Fold whipped cream into caramel and stir through chocolate. 
13. Unroll the cake and lather generously with the filling. 
14. Roll up cake into a log and dust with some cocoa powder and extra chopped chocolate if using.

Hertzoggie-style mince pies 

Makes 12 

Mince pies were used as a way of preserving fruit without curing, salting or brining it. Our hertzoggie twist on it makes it perfect for a Sunday afternoon tea snack. 

Ingredients 

1 roll shortcrust pastry, defrosted 
2 Tbsp butter 
4 apples, cubed 
1 tsp cinnamon 
¼ cup brown sugar 
½ cup strawberry jam 
½ cup apricot jam 
3 egg whites 
1 cup castor sugar 
2 cups desiccated coconut 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. 
2. Roll pastry out onto a clean work surface. 
3. Cut out 12 circles slightly bigger than your muffin pan holes. 
4. Fill muffin hole with pastry and dock pastry with a fork. 
5. Heat butter in a pan and fry apples for 6-8 minutes.
6. Add the cinnamon and sugar and fry for another 5-7 minutes or until sticky. Allow to cool. 7. Add 1 Tbsp apple mixture into each pastry cup. 
7. Top with jam and alternate between strawberry and apricot. 
8. Whisk egg whites to soft peak stage, then add sugar and continue to beat until thick and glossy. Fold in the coconut. 
9. Top each pastry cup with the mixture and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool completely and store in an airtight container. 
10. Serve warm or cold.

Words: Chad January

Photography: Zhann Solomons

Also read: 5 festive roasts to feast on

The post Festive classics with a SA flair appeared first on MyKitchen.

No matter where on the globe you are celebrating, everyone always looks forward to that one dish you only eat on Christmas day. From Malva puddings to tamales and even a bucket of KFC, find out which dishes make their annual appearance in these countries. 

South Africa: Malva pudding 

Like creamy milk tart and heavenly hertzoggies, we can’t imagine any feast without a sweet and creamy bite of malva pudding. This decadent dessert consists of a sponge cake containing apricot jam and deliciously drizzled with a butter-cream sauce (yum), is often enjoyed on special occasions like Christmas and birthdays. Indulge with vanilla ice cream to cut through the sweet caramel flavour.  

Put a spin on the classic malva when you try this tasty chocolate and orange malva pudding recipe. 

Japan: Kentucky Fried Chicken 

Did you know that Japan’s KFC’s busiest time of the year is during Christmas? The tradition of feasting on a barrel of fried chicken for Christmas lunch began after KFC created the (very) successful advertising campaign called “Kentucky for Christmas.” It’s so popular that you must order your barrel weeks in advance. 

Why not make your own? Impress your friends with this fried chicken with a unique South African twist.  

Australia and New Zealand: Pavlova 

On Christmas day, you’ll find white meringue cakes sprinkled with fruit and topped with cream at the centre of many Aussie and ‘kiwi’ tables. The classic Pavlova is the perfect balance of sweet, tart and refreshing, making it the perfect sweet dish for summer. And as Christmas happens during the scorching hot days ‘down under’, you’ll find many gleefully devouring this soft and airy dessert. 

@bylaurenmcdermott Yet to meet anyone that can resist a second helping of this! Preheat Oven to 150°c Separate 4 egg whites and whisk them until stiff (use the yolks for mayo, carbonara etc) Add 250g Sugar, one spoon at a time and continue whisking until smooth and glossy. Then add teaspoon each of cornflower, White Wine Vinegar and Vanilla Extract and whisk once more. Dollop onto parchment paper (mark the sizes if you’re making two) Bake for 45 mins in the preheated oven. Don’t open the door, and leave to cool for at least an hour in the oven. Top with whipped cream and fruit. You can sweeten these if you like but I don’t think it’s necessary. #StawberryPavlova #Pavlova #pavlovarecipe #summerpudding #summerrecipe #stawberries #strawberryrecipe #summerdesert #desert #desertrecipe #dinnerpartyideas #eattheseasons #meringue #easyrecipe #easyrecipeideas #easydesert #strawberryrecipe ♬ Belonging – Muted

Mexico: Tamales 

Gifts aren’t the only things Mexicans unwrap on Christmas day. Tamales is a traditional dish in Mexico, dating back several centuries. Tamales are made from masa, which is a dough made from corn. The dough is then filled with meat and vegetables, then wrapped in a banana leaf or a corn husk and steamed. The wrapping is an integral part of the preparation process. The steaming process makes the masa firm, so when you unwrap the leaves, your tamale is ready to eat. Yum!  

@donjuanchilesco Use these simple tips to make better tamales this year ! Tip 1: Spice up your masa by adding Chiles ! We got your back on that ! Tip 2: Try the Masa float test Ensure you have the perfect masa by dropping a small amount in water . If it floats your masa is ready Tip 3: place a coin in the pot so you can tell if the water has evaporated (you’ll know you need to add more water when the jiggling noise from the coin stops). Tip 4: tie the ends of your tamales who doesn’t love unwrapping delicious tamales ! #tamales #tamalesmexicanos #tamalehacks #tamaleseason #tamales #masa #cornhusk #chiles #mexicanspices #mexicanrecipes #foodhacks #tamalehacks #foodporn #coloradosprings ♬ hotel r a s p u t i n service – veggibeats

England: Traditional trifle 

English (and South African) Christmas lunch tables wouldn’t be complete before this quintessential British dessert makes its annual appearance. Originating in the 18th century, trifle was created to make use of stale cake. The cake was soaked in alcohol and stacked with fruit and custard in a round bowl. Today, it’s still enjoyed as a popular dessert and a yummy, sweet dish many look forward to each year! 

 

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Impress your loved ones with sweet, sensational twists of this traditional English dessert.  

Photography: Zhann Solomons

The post 5 Christmas dishes from around the globe appeared first on MyKitchen.

’Tis the season for show-stopping meals. What better way to impress your friends and family than a roaring roast? Here are five decadent and delicious roast recipes to prepare this festive season. 

Cranberry and balsamic roast chicken 

Serves 4 // Cooking time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients 

For the marinade 

¾ cup dried cranberries
¾ cup orange juice
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp thyme, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, grated  

For the roast chicken 

1 whole chicken
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, sliced
½ onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs rosemary
1 cup chicken stock 

To Serve 

2 sweet potatoes, cut into cubes and roasted  

Method 

For the marinade 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large, shallow dish.

For the roast chicken 

1. Place the chicken in the marinade, spooning all over the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve the marinating liquid. Put the chicken in the centre of an oiled roasting tin lined with lemon slices.
3. Stuff the onion, garlic and rosemary inside the cavity of the chicken, pour over the chicken stock and brush some of the marinade on top of the chicken. Roast for about an hour until cooked through.
4. While the chicken roasts, put the remaining marinade in a pot over medium heat. Simmer for 5–6 minutes until slightly thickened and use this to baste the chicken during roasting.
5. Carve the cranberry and balsamic roast chicken to your liking and serve with roasted sweet potatoes.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen  

Looking for ideas to use the leftover chicken? Make these yummy spicy chicken with pea patties the next day! 

Pistachio and rosemary leg of lamb 

Serves 6 // Cooking time 2 hours 

Ingredients 

150g (± ½ loaf) ciabatta, torn into pieces
100g pistachios
75ml olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 bulbs garlic, 1 peeled and crushed, 1 halved
10g rosemary
5g flat-leaf parsley
5g origanum
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt flakes and black pepper
2kg leg of lamb, on the bone
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1L vegetable stock 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. To make the stuffing, place the ciabatta pieces, pistachios, oil, crushed garlic, half of the rosemary (leaves only), parsley, origanum, lemon zest, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper in a food processor. Blitz until all the ingredients are roughly chopped and well combined.
3. Make an incision along the back of the leg of lamb, down the bone, to create a pocket. Put the stuffing inside and secure with string to keep it from falling out.
4. Place the lamb in a roasting tin with the halved garlic, carrots, celery and onions.
5. Pour the stock into the tin, drizzle a little extra oil over the lamb and season. Tuck the remaining rosemary under the string.
6. Roast in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender and cooked through.
7. Carve, drizzle the pan juices over the lamb and serve.

Also read:  Slow cooked lamb pizzas 

Roast beef with lemony-sage roast potatoes and glazed carrots 

Serves 6–8 // Cooking time 2 hr 35 minutes 

Ingredients

For the roast beef 

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chopped rosemary
2 Tbsp chopped thyme
5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2.25kg silverside beef 

For the dressing 

¼ cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
4 Tbsp honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Handful sage, finely chopped
Handful parsley, finely chopped  

For the lemon and sage roast potatoes 

8 potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
4 sage leaves, bruised
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dried origanum
½ tsp garlic powder
½ cup vegetable oil
2 lemons, cut into wedges  

For the glazed carrots
 

500g baby carrots
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup honey
1 Tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
Handful fresh sage, to serve (optional)  

Method 

For the roast beef  

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Combine the mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, herbs and 4 tbsp olive oil together in a bowl. Rub half of the mixture over the meat.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a pan over high heat. Once oil is smoking, sear the meat for 2–3 min on each side, until golden brown. Transfer to a roasting tray and roast for 40 min.
4. Switch the oven to grill. Remove the meat from the oven and spread over the remaining mustard rub. Return to the oven and grill for about 10 minutes, until the top is browned. Remove, lightly cover with foil, and rest for 20–30 min.

For the dressing 

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and season.  

For the lemon and sage roast potatoes  

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and par-cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, until just tender. Drain.
3. Toss the potatoes, sage, lemon zest, dried origanum and garlic powder together in a bowl, then season.
4. Pour oil into a large roasting tray and place in the oven for 10 min.
5. Remove from the oven and carefully add the potatoes and lemon wedges. Roast for 40–45 minutes, tossing every 15 min, or until crispy and golden brown.

For the glazed carrots 

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Toss all the ingredients together. Transfer to a baking tray and roast for about 20–25 minutes, until tender.
3. To serve, carve the roast beef and top with extra sage. Serve alongside crispy lemon and sage roast potatoes and glazed carrots with dressing on the side.

Recipes & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz  

Whole roast butternut with rice, carrot and baby marrow 

Serves 6 // Cooking time 3 hours 

Ingredients

For the whole roast butternut  

1 cup basmati rice
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1½ Tbsp chopped thyme
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tsp flaxseed
2 Tbsp hot water
½ cup dried cranberries
⅓ cup flour
1 large baby marrow, halved lengthways
1 carrot
1 butternut, halved lengthways and deseeded  

For the vegan gravy  

¼ cup vegan margarine
½ onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp soy sauce  

Method  

For the whole roast butternut  

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Bring the rice, water and stock to the boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Strain and stir in the chopped herbs.
3. Add some oil to a pan over medium heat. Fry the onion for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the rice and season to taste.
4. Whisk flaxseed and water.
5. Mix together the flaxseed, rice, cranberries and flour, until everything is fully incorporated.
6. Scoop out the flesh from the baby marrow, leaving a 5 mm border. Trim the carrot to fit inside one half of the baby marrow.
7. Scoop enough flesh from one half of the butternut to fit the baby marrow with the carrot inside. Fill the other baby marrow half with the rice stuffing and sandwich on top of the carrot.
8. Scoop enough flesh from the other half of the butternut to fit the remaining rice stuffing.
9. Prick the butternut flesh all over with the fork and secure the two halves together with kitchen string.
10. Brush with oil, wrap in foil and roast for 1 hour, until tender. Allow to rest inside the foil for 20 minutes before carving.

For the vegan gravy  

1. Melt the margarine in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
2. Add the flour and fry, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the stock and soy sauce and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened.
3. Strain and season to taste.

Recipe & styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Photography: Gareth van Nelson 

Also read: Vegan butternut and cashew nut curry 

Ginger-braised pork roast with baby marrow 

Serves 6 // Cooking time 2 hours 50 minutes 

Ingredients 

For the pork roast  

10 cm ginger, grated
2 lemongrass stalks, grated
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3 Tbsp soy sauce
4 carrots, chopped
1 pork knuckle
2 cups cider
½ cup roughly crushed ginger biscuits  

For the baby marrow veggies  

2 Tbsp butter
2 leeks, thinly sliced
6 baby marrows, sliced  

Method 

For the pork roast 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Mix together the ginger, lemongrass, tomato paste and soy sauce.
3. Arrange the carrots in the bottom of a deep roasting tray. Place the pork knuckle on top and brush with the lemongrass mixture.
4. Pour the cider into the bottom of the tray, under the knuckle, and cover with foil.
5. Place in the oven and decrease the temperature to 160°C. Roast for 2 hours.
6. Remove the pork from the oven and increase to 180°C.
7. Cut away the top layer of skin on the pork (serve it on the side as pork crackling) and sprinkle with the ginger biscuit crumbs. Roast for another 15 minutes.
8. Set the pork knuckle aside to rest. Add all the remaining ingredients and liquid in the roasting tray to a blender and blend until smooth.
9. Transfer the sauce to a pot and simmer until reduced by half. Set aside.

For the baby marrow veggies  

1. Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the leeks over medium heat until translucent.
2. Add the baby marrow and fry for 3 minutes.

To serve 

Shred the pork and serve on top of the veggies with the carrot sauce.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen  

Also read: Pork and Parmesan tagliatelle 

The post 5 festive roasts to feast on appeared first on MyKitchen.

Transform from novice to confident cook effortlessly with these kitchen hacks, Enjoy!

1 Golden nuggets  

For potatoes that are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, try this neat trick.

1. Par-boil peeled potatoes in a pot of salted water, drain and allow to cool slightly. They should still be quite fi rm.
2. Place the potatoes into a pot or bowl with a filled lid. Shake them for a few seconds to rough up the edges slightly (it’s the roughed up edges that will crisp up beautifully).
3. Fry or roast them in either hot oil or duck fat until crispy and golden.
4. Season generously to serve.

2 Roast master  

1. Timing

Remember this one golden rule: when cooking any large roast (chicken, beef, pork or lamb), cook for 20 minutes to start, then add 20 minutes per 500g. For example a 2kg roast should cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

2. Colour

If the roast starts to brown too quickly and there’s still loads of cooking time to go, loosely cover it with foil to slow down the browning process.

3. Moisture

A fabulous roast should be succulent. Make sure to baste regularly (every 15 minutes or so) with either melted butter, a marinade or its own pan juices.

3. The stuffing dreams are made of  

To prevent your stuffing from becoming soggy and heavy, use day-old bread to make your crumbs. Stale bread absorbs flavours and is a great binding agent.

Place roughly torn pieces of bread on a greased baking tray with a few sprigs of rosemary and freshly chopped garlic cloves. Spread out into a thin layer to ensure heat is evenly distributed.

Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 180°C for 3-5 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool. In a small bowl, combine the cooked stuffing with one egg to bind.

If you want a zing of interesting flavours, consider adding chopped nuts like pecans or macadamias, or opt for something sweeter such as sultanas or dried apricots. Meat lovers will enjoy a handful of chopped cooked chorizo or bacon too.

Pistachio and cranberry stuffing

Makes enough for 1 roast

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Olive oil 2 tbsp

Large onion, finely chopped 1

Garlic, crushed 2 cloves

Butter 1/4 cup Stale bread, chopped 4 cups

Dried cranberries, finely chopped 1/2 cup

Unsalted pistachios, unshelled and finely chopped 100g

Sage leaves, finely chopped 3

Fresh parsley, finely chopped 1/3 cup

Eggs, lightly whisked 2

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Add the oil to a deep hot pan with the onions and fry until translucent.
3. Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic. Cook for 20 seconds.
4. Add butter and stale bread to the pain and cook for 8-10 minutes until golden and crispy. 5. Add the cranberries, pistachios, sage and parsley and cook for a further 2 minutes.
5. Remove the mixture from the heat and put it into a bowl. Allow to cool until lukewarm. Add in the eggs and mix well for at least a minute to combine.
6. Use the stuffing with poultry, meat or fish.

Glorious gifts

Cut costs by making cheap and cheerful spoils at home.

Gingerbread men-in-a-jar

Makes 30 biscuits
Total time: 20 minutes + 40 minutes chill time

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 ⅓ cups maple-flavoured syrup or molasses

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

5 cups cake flour

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

A pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground cloves

Method

1. Cream the butter, sugar and maple-flavoured syrup or molasses until pale and fluffy.
2. Slowly whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the cake flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, bicarb, salt and cloves.
4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until it forms a dough.
5. Roll the dough into a ball and cover with cling film. Rest for 10-15 minutes.
6. Unwrap and roll out onto a floured surface to 2cm in thickness.
7.  Preheat the oven to 190°C.
8. Using a cookie cutter, cut out about 30 gingerbread men and place on a greased and lined baking tray. Allow to chill in the fridge for 30-40 minutes.
9. Remove from fridge and bake for 15-20 minutes. All to cool completely.
10. Fill jars with a few cookies, a small bag of premade icing and some sprinkles.

Sticky onion marmalade jar  

1. Heat oil in a large pan and cook
2. 4 thinly sliced onions over a low heat for about 12-15 minutes.
3. Add 2 tbsp butter, ¼ cup each balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and stir through to coat onions.
4. Continue to cook over a low heat for about 8-10 minutes until reduced and syrupy. Stir through 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme and season well.
5. Allow to cool completely before storing in sterilised jars.

 Spiced rum jars  

To create a fun rum infusion that will appeal to everyone’s palate, fill a jar with flavourful ingredients like dried citrus slices, star anise, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon sticks. If you’re feeling generous, gift with a small bottle of rum or whisky and you’ll be the toast of the town.

Top tip

If you want to bin the booze, add a bag of rooibos tea to the jar to complete the ingredients for a flavourful ‘hot toddy’ or iced tea!

Also read: Recipe: Sundried tomato, basil pesto and gooey cheese wreath

The post Take The Stress Out Of Cooking With These Tips appeared first on MyKitchen.

These fun reindeer sloppy joes are sure to bring the festive cheer this year, so why not get the kids involved and make them together?

MAKES 10 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 10 min

INGREDIENTS
For the reindeer sloppy joes
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
800 g beef mince
4 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp origanum
1½ tbsp tomato paste, plus extra to assemble
To assemble
10 rolls
5 baby tomatoes, halved
2 cheese slices
10 raisins, halved
10 pretzels

METHOD
For the reindeer sloppy joes
1. Heat a dash of oil in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 8 minutes, until soft.
2. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, until fragrant.
3. Add the mince and brown for 8 minutes. Then add the tomato sauce, sugar, tinned tomatoes, origanum and 1½ tbsp of the tomato paste. Season well and simmer for 20 minutes.
To assemble
1. Slice open each roll and fill with tbsp of mince.
2. To make noses, use a toothpick to attach half of a tomato to each roll.
3. Use the wide end of a piping nozzle to cut eyes from the cheese. Stick them to the rolls using extra tomato paste. Put raisin halves in the middle of each eye to make pupils.
4. Break each pretzel in half and stick them into the top of each roll to make antlers. Enjoy immediately.

Recipe & styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Sean Dollery // HMimages.co.za

Christmas in South Africa wouldn’t be the same without hot summer nights by the braai, and the little ones will love snacking on these drool-worthy Snickers s’mores after their supper.

The post Cooking with kids: Reindeer sloppy joes appeared first on MyKitchen.