If you have a braai why not put on some halloumi and croutons and make this delicious salad? If you don’t have one, no worries, the oven works too!

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 30 mins

INGREDIENTS
For the salad
¼ cup olive oil
200g cherry tomatoes
Salt and black pepper
250g asparagus spears
200g halloumi, sliced
250g rocket
Handful fresh basil
Handful kalamata olives
For the croutons
2 slices rustic bread, torn into chunks
100 ml oil
Salt and pepper
For the dressing
6 cherry tomatoes, crushed
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and black pepper

METHOD
For the salad
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Place a griddle pan on high heat. Once hot, brush lightly with oil.
3. Toss the cherry tomatoes in a tablespoon of olive oil and season well. Place the tomatoes in a roasting dish in the oven and grill for 15 minutes until tender and charred.
4. Grill the asparagus in the griddle pan for 1–2 minutes on each side until charred.
5. Add the halloumi to the griddle pan and grill for 1 minute on each side until charred.
6. Place the rocket and basil into a mixing bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season well.
7. Toss the halloumi, asparagus, tomatoes and the olives with the rocket mix, and season well.
For the croutons
1. Shallow fry the chunks of bread in the oil until golden brown.
2. Strain the croutons on paper towel, season and add to the salad.
For the dressing
1. Whisk the tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper together until well combined.
2. Serve with the salad.

Make the most of seasonal herbs and vegetables by creating this beautiful pesto, avocado and ricotta stuffed tomatoes dish.

The post Halloumi, asparagus and tomato salad with croutons appeared first on MyKitchen.

Nothing beats the taste of a homely cream of mushroom and chicken soup. We decided to freshen it up with seasonal mielies and a squeeze of lemon.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 30 mins

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil
2 chicken breasts
Salt and black pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 mielies, kernels removed
100g portobellini mushrooms, chopped
40g butter
40g flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup fresh cream
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish
Baguette, sliced 1 cm thick

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200˚C.
2. Heat oil in a large pot. Season the chicken and fry until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
3. Sweat the onions until soft. Set aside. Add the corn and mushrooms and fry until soft. Remove and set aside.
4. Turn heat down, add the butter and flour and whisk. Pour in the stock little by little.
5. Cube the chicken and add to the pot. Pour in the cream and lemon juice, and simmer for 5 minutes. Season. Garnish with coriander.
6. Place the bread on a roasting tray, drizzle with oil and bake until golden brown. Serve with the soup.

You’ve never seen fried chicken like ours before. Try it for yourself!

The post Creamy chicken soup with croutons appeared first on MyKitchen.

These potato-bread alphabet croutons will get the kids super excited for their meals. Grab the cookie cutter and get going!

MAKES 1 loaf potato-bread  // COOKING TIME 1 hour 30 min

INGREDIENTS
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1 cup water
1 tbsp yeast
5 tsp sugar
¼ cup melted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs, 1 whisked
1 tsp salt
1¾ cups flour

METHOD
1. Boil the potato in the water until soft. Drain, reserving ½ cup water. Let the water cool until lukewarm.
2. Add the yeast and ½ tsp sugar to the water. Leave for 5 minutes, until foamy.
3. Mash the potato with the remaining sugar, butter, oil, unwhisked egg and salt until well combined.
4. Add the yeast mixture. Then add the flour bit by bit, kneading lightly, until a dough forms.
5. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
6. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray.
8. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and roll out to 1 cm thick.
9. Using alphabet biscuit cutters, cut out letters from the dough. Arrange on the baking tray and brush with the whisked egg.
10. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack before scattering over your soup.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Sean Dollery // HMimages.co.za

Enjoy your alphabet croutons with this traditional chicken soup for a healthy treat!

The post Cooking with kids: Potato-bread alphabet croutons appeared first on MyKitchen.

Celebrate all things local with this curried mince soup! Served with mini vetkoek croutons and basil crisps, it’s the ultimate winter warmer.

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 50 min

INGREDIENTS
For the curried mince soup
6 tbsp olive oil
2 medium brinjals, cubed
500 g beef mince
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
10 g coriander, chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp turmeric
2 L beef stock
Salt and black pepper
Full-cream yoghurt, to serve
For the croutons
½ cup lukewarm water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast
850 g cake flour
2 tsp salt
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
For the crisps
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
15 g basil

METHOD
For the curried mince soup
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot and fry the brinjals until browned. Remove from the pot.
2. In the same pot, heat 2 tbsp oil and fry the mince until browned. Remove from the pot.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil and fry the onions and garlic for 5 minutes.
4. Return the mince to the pot, along with coriander, curry powder, cayenne pepper and turmeric. Fry for 5 minutes.
5. Add the stock and brinjals. Simmer for 20 minutes. Season.
6. Top with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkle of coriander. Serve with mini vetkoek croutons and basil crisps.
For the croutons
1. Mix the water, sugar and yeast. Leave until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Sift together the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding a little water if required.
3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a cloth. Leave to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Divide the dough into 24 balls.
5. Heat the oil in a pot and fry the balls until golden brown all over.
For the crisps
1. Heat the oil in a pot.
2. Fry the basil for 20 seconds, then remove and drain on paper towel to crisp up.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

The post Curried mince soup with mini vetkoek croutons and basil crisps appeared first on MyKitchen.

Spring may be here but the cold weather certainly hasn’t left, and this tomato bredie soup with cauliflower croutons will really hit the spot on a cool evening.

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
For the soup
2 tbsp olive oil
5 lamb chops
4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
3 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chilli flakes
Salt and black pepper
1 L beef stock
50 g green beans
1 lemon, zest and juice
For the croutons
1 cauliflower, broken into florets
½ cup cake flour
¼ cup olive oil
6 sprigs thyme

METHOD
For the soup
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and fry the lamb chops for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. Remove from the pot and allow to rest.
2. Place the carrots, garlic and onions in the pot. Fry for about 5 minutes, until softened.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, thyme, tomato paste, paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Return the meat to the pot, along with the stock. Simmer for 1 hour, until meat is falling off the bone and veggies are soft.
5. Add the beans and lemon zest and juice. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Serve the soup topped with cauliflower croutons.
For the croutons
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Dust the cauliflower with flour and sprinkle with oil and thyme. Toss to coat, then spread out on a baking tray.
3. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until crispy.

Recipe & Styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen

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