There is something about cranberries that just gets us into the Christmas spirit. Try it yourself by making these lamb chops with cranberry balsamic glaze.

SERVES 6 // COOK TIME 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS 
For the minty yoghurt
40 g packet fresh mint, leaves picked
1 cup full cream yoghurt
For the cranberry balsamic glaze
1 cup dried cranberries
¼ cup balsamic vinegar 
1 orange, zested and juiced
¼ cup sugar
For the lamb
2 tbsp oil
6 lamb chops

METHOD
For the minty yoghurt
1. Place mint and yoghurt in a food processor and blend until smooth; season to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
For the cranberry balsamic glaze
1. Cover cranberries with boiling water and soak for 30 min. Drain.
2. Place cranberries in a small pot over medium heat. Add vinegar, zest and juice and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly.
3. Blend half the cranberry mixture with a stick blender or food processor until smooth and mix together with the remaining glaze. Season.
For the lamb
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Drizzle lamb chops with olive oil and season.
3. Heat an oven-safe pan over medium-high heat and sear the lamb chops for 2 minutes on each side.
4. Transfer pan to oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, or to preferred level of doneness. Drizzle half the cranberry glaze over the chops 2 minutes before they finish cooking and return to the oven. Keep an eye on the chops at this point, as they can burn easily.
5. Brush lamb chops with more cranberry glaze and serve with minty yoghurt.

Quick Tip: For added crunch, sprinkle a handful of roughly chopped roasted almonds over the lamb to serve.

This shredded beef couscous recipe is the perfect dish to make when you have leftover roast beef! It’s quick, delicious and can be adapted with any meat.

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No festive meal is complete without a hearty roast! Make our December cover of herbed chicken with cranberry sauce for your family gathering this Christmas.

SERVES 8 // COOKING TIME 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
For the herbed chicken
½ cup basil, finely chopped
½ cup origanum, finely chopped
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
8 thyme sprigs, picked and chopped
4 rosemary sprigs, picked and chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup butter, softened
2 chickens
4 tbsp olive oil
For the cranberry sauce
2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup cranberry juice
⅓ cup sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp cornflour
⅔ cup water

METHOD
For the herbed chicken
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Mix together the herbs, lemon zest and butter.
3. Pat the chickens dry and gently rub the herbed butter onto the skin of each one.
4. Cut the zested lemon in half and add one half to the cavity of each chicken, along with any leftover herbed butter.
5. Place the chickens on roasting trays and truss them. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
6. Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes, until cooked through. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Serve with roast veg and cranberry sauce.
For the cranberry sauce
1. Add all the ingredients, except the cornflour and water to a pot. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
2. Whisk the cornflour and water together, then add it to the sauce stirring continuously until thickened. Cook for 3 minutes and set aside to serve.

Recipe & styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz // HMimages.co.za

For a vegetarian alternative, try our roast cauliflower with yoghurt, toasted almonds and mint.

The post Cook the cover: Herbed chicken with cranberry sauce appeared first on MyKitchen.

Still looking for a juicy feast to take centre stage at the Christmas dinner table? You and your guests won’t be able to resist this pork belly with roasted hazelnut and cranberry stuffing!

SERVES 6–8 (depending on the size of the pork belly) // COOKING TIME 3 hours 20 min

INGREDIENTS
½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
10 g chopped thyme
½ cup breadcrumbs
½ cup hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
1 apple, diced
1 egg
50 g butter, melted
1 deboned piece of scored pork belly, measuring roughly 35 × 25 cm
1 tbsp salt

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Mix all the stuffing ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Spread the mixture along the centre of your pork belly, leaving a 2–3 cm gap on the ends (the stuffing will be pushed out to the edge when you start rolling).
4. Tie up the belly – start in the middle and then work outwards, with each tie being roughly 1.5 cm apart.
5. Before roasting, sprinkle salt all over the top of the belly.
6. Roast for about 2–2½ hours, until a golden crackling forms on the outside.
7. Allow the belly to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Recipe & Styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli

The post Pork belly with roasted hazelnut and cranberry stuffing appeared first on MyKitchen.

These macadamia and cranberry rusks are the perfect treat to pair with your morning tea or coffee! And how can we pass up the opportunity to make a local favourite?

MAKES 16–20 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 10 min

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup sesame seeds
¾ cup flaxseed
⅓ cup macadamias, chopped
¼ cup almond flour
¼ cup fine desiccated coconut
⅓ cup cranberries
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch salt
4 large eggs
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup warm water
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp honey

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line an 18 × 8.5 cm loaf pan with baking paper.
2. Grind the sesame and flaxseed together in a coffee grinder until the mixture starts to resemble wet sand. Add the macadamias, almond flour, coconut, cranberries, spices and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat the eggs until fluffy. Slowly add the coconut oil while mixing. Set aside.
4. Stir the bicarb and vinegar together until bubbling. Stir in the water, baking powder and honey. Gradually add this to the egg and coconut oil mixture and mix well.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and combine well.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 160°C and bake for another 30 minutes.
7. Turn on to a wire cooling rack and set aside.
8. Slice into 5 cm-thick slices, then cut each slice into three pieces. Arrange the rusks on a baking tray and dry out in the oven overnight at 70°C, leaving the door slightly ajar.
9. Set aside to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe & styling: HausHaus
Photography: Gareth van Nelson/HMimages.co.za

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Warm up your nights with these sweet, fruity cranberry cocktails combining delicious flavours of basil and Rosé.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 10 min

INGREDIENTS
15 g fresh micro basil, plus extra to garnish
1 cup ice
1 cup cranberry juice
1 cup rosé

METHOD
1. Divide the basil between two glasses and use a pestle to gently bruise the leaves, allowing the flavours to be released.
2. Divide the ice, cranberry juice and Rosé between the glasses and mix. Garnish with basil.

The post Rosé, basil & cranberry cocktails appeared first on MyKitchen.

With the relaxed atmosphere of Eikendal’s Cucina di Giovanni and the friendly approach of chef Ballot, you’re in for a treat at this Winelands gem. Ballot showcases his approach to cooking through creative new recipes and taste combinations, grounded in traditional Italian fare. He showed us how it’s done by creating this pork loin just for MK!

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
For the pork loin
½ cup freshly ground coffee
3 tbsp cocoa
400 g pork loin, cleaned and trimmed
4 baby marrows
1 large carrot
250 g salted butter
2–3 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
For the chocolate-cranberry sauce
1 cup cream
½ cup grated white chocolate
50 ml sherry
1 tbsp dried cranberries

METHOD
For the pork loin
1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. In a bowl, mix coffee and 1 tbsp cocoa. Cover the pork loin with this rub. Place in the fridge.
3. Remove the tips from both ends of the baby marrows and peel the carrot. Slice as desired.
4. Heat 2 pans over medium heat and add 100 g butter to each.
5. In the first pan, melt the butter then add the remaining cocoa. Fry baby marrows until soft on the outside but still firm on the inside.
6. In the second pan, melt the butter then fry the carrots until soft on the outside but still firm inside. Add honey and cinnamon, and fry for a few minutes further.
7. Heat another pan until very hot, add the remaining butter and cook the pork until medium done, 2–3 minutes per side.
8. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes, then roast for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
For the chocolate-cranberry sauce
1. In a small pot, bring cream to the boil. Add chocolate, sherry and cranberries. Remove from the heat and stir until combined and smooth.
2. Slice the pork loin into 2–3 cm medallions and arrange on a plate with carrots and baby marrows.
3. To serve, pour the sauce over the pork and sprinkle with extra cocoa and grated chocolate.

The post Ballot Kicherer Badenhorst’s Cocoa-coffee pork loin with chocolate-cranberry sauce appeared first on MyKitchen.