This Asian chicken noodle soup is the perfect dish to make if you have some left-over rotisserie chicken, and especially if you’re feeling a bit sick!

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 25 min

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cm ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 small red chillies, seeded and finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
1.5 L chicken stock
500g roast chicken, shredded
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
450g Hokkien or egg noodles
150g bok choy, roughly chopped
4 spring onions, sliced, to garnish

METHOD
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chillies and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the stock and bring to the boil.
2. Reduce the heat, add the shredded chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining stock, soy sauce and sugar and bring back to the boil. Add the noodles and bok choy and cook for 2 minutes, until the leaves have wilted.
4. Allow to stand for 5 minutes for the noodles to soften before dishing up into bowls. Garnish with spring onions and extra chilli to serve.

This wholesome feta-stuffed chicken with rocket salad has everything you need in a meal: lean protein, healthy fats, greens, cheese… Need we say more?

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This twice-baked egg and mushroom potatoes recipe is a great hangover cure! it might take a bit of prep, but trust us it’s worth it!

SERVES 6 // COOK TIME 70 mins

INGREDIENTS
3 large potatoes
Coarse salt, to bake
40g butter
250g mushrooms, sliced
50 ml roughly chopped sage
50 ml roughly chopped thyme
1 cup grated cheddar
100 ml roughly chopped salad onions,
Salt, to taste
6 large eggs
Juice of 1 lime

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Pierce the potatoes with a fork and place on a baking tray on a layer of salt. Bake for 40 minutes, until cooked but still firm.
3. While you are waiting for the potatoes, heat the butter in a heavy-based pan and fry the  mushrooms until golden brown. Add half of the herbs, and cook for another minute.
4. Halve the potatoes, scoop out half the flesh and place in a bowl. Add the mushrooms, half the cheese and all the onions; then season with salt.
5. Place the filling back in the potatoes, leaving a little hollow in the middle of each one. Crack an egg into each potato half and season with salt. Return to the oven and bake until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
6. Add a squeeze of lime juice and the rest of the cheese.

Get fancy with breakfast this morning by making these super cute eggy phyllo tarts with ham, spinach and cheese! What more could you ask for?

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Not in the mood to cook this Sunday? Then make our quick and delicious Mexican beef and rice with green salsa recipe instead. Plus, it’s budget-friendly!

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 40 mins

INGREDIENTS
For the beef and rice
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp chilli flakes
500 g chuck steak, chopped, meaty bones reserved
250 g rice
1 green pepper, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and cracked black pepper
For the salsa
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, finely sliced
½ cup chopped coriander, plus extra to garnish
Juice of ½ lemon, plus wedges to serve
Plain yoghurt, to serve

METHOD
For the beef and rice
1. Mix the tomato paste with 2 cups warm water.
2. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and chilli. Fry for 1 minute
and remove.
3. Increase to high heat. Add the steak in batches, frying for 3–5 minutes, until browned.
4. Return the steak pieces and onion mixture to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients, as well as the tomato paste mixture.
5. Bring to the boil, then reduce to low heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff up with a fork.
For the salsa
1. Mix the avocado, celery, coriander and lemon juice.
2. Season with salt, pepper and chilli.
3. Serve the rice with a dollop of yoghurt and garnish with coriander. Serve the salsa and the rest of the yoghurt on the side.

Want a fresh, easy-to-make dish? Then this this steak and pear salad with home-made mint dressing is for you!

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Unleash your wild side and impress your guests this evening with our fancy duck leg with orange, fennel and watercress recipe.

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 60 mins

INGREDIENTS
4 duck legs
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
5 oranges, 1 zested and juiced, 4 halved
¼ cup sugar
2 star anise
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 bulb fennel, sliced
90 g watercress

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Place the duck in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp oil and season. Toss to coat. Place the duck skin-side down in a pan. Cook over high heat for 5 minutes until browned. Place in a roasting tin, skin-side up.
3. Place the orange zest and juice, sugar, star anise, fennel seeds and ½ tsp salt in the pan the duck was cooked in. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes to form a glaze.
4. Pour the glaze over the duck and add the orange halves. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the duck from the oven and transfer to plates to rest. Add the fennel bulb to the roasting tin, and bake for 8 minutes.
6. Dress the watercress with the rest of the oil, and season.
7. Serve the duck legs with the baked fennel and orange, and the watercress.

Quick tip: To check if your bird is ready, make a small incision near the bone. If it’s done, the juices should run clear. And this works with chicken as well!

There is no better dish to serve up to guests than a traditional French coq au vin. Cooking with wine guarantees you’ll have plenty of fun in the kitchen with this one!

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This angelfish pasta is to die for and so quick and easy to make! Angelfish is also a sustainable fish and is light on the wallet! What more could you ask for?

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt and pepper
½ cup cream
250 g angelfish (or other white fish), cooked and flaked
400 g  fusilli, cooked as per packet instructions

METHOD
1. Mix the oil, parsley and garlic, and season well.
2. In a pot over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat straight away. Add the fish and parsley mixture, and stir to combine.
3. Toss the sauce and pasta together and serve.

Want another fish and pasta combo? Then try this creamy fish and pasta bake recipe!

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Families that eat together are healthier together, or so says LANCEWOOD in their recent Quality Time Report on South African families.

These days our lives are so fast-paced and filled with all sorts of distractions that it’s difficult to take a moment to actually be, well, in the moment. From work and traffic to parental responsibilities and social media, there seems to be an endless routine of ‘busy’ – too busy to even enjoy mealtimes anymore.

For decades now, the amount of time families spend together, especially during mealtimes, has been on the decline. That was until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Last year, many of us were forced to stomp on the brakes and slow it down. We were confined to our homes in an effort to stay safe and limit infections, and this meant numerous families were spending more time together. 

It was also during this time that local dairy producer LANCEWOOD conducted their Quality Time research study, which aimed to understand how families spend their mealtimes. Needless to say, the results were interesting.

The Details 

The study was conducted between 12 June and 6 July 2020 with 2 100 participants. LANCEWOOD collaborated with four local experts to share further insight on the research findings and assist South Africans with enhancing quality time over meal-times. This included psychologist Dr Ilse de Beer, TV personality and cookbook author Zola Nene, media personality and author Vanessa Raphaely, and former magazine editor and stylist Vicki Sleet.

The Findings

According to LANCEWOOD’s report, 89% of respondents believe that quality time with friends and family is important. Yet it found that while quality time during meals is valued, there are many responsibilities and barriers that prevent families from prioritising it. These barriers include work (62%), household chores (36%), school activities (35%) and traffic (21%) being the main culprits.

However, many of these barriers were reduced or fell away during the nationwide lockdown last year. With many not working, sitting in traffic or going to school, the report found that 59% of participants said they are eating together more and 43% said that they are cooking together more. With the majority of people spending time at home, it meant that supper wasn’t the only mealtime that family members were present. Being at home all day meant that breakfast, lunch and dinner were prepared and enjoyed together as a family. On the other hand, 20% of the study participants reported that their eating behaviour hadn’t changed at all
during lockdown. 

The majority did notice a change though, and Zola reiterates this. ‘There was absolutely a change, and I know this because of the type of interaction I received on my platforms. People have to cook more, and they need help. They’re also looking for creative ways to elevate their meals without breaking the bank,’ she explains.

The Takeaway

With life returning to a semi-normal state, it is understood that many of the challenges we faced when prioritising mealtimes will return. Yet the experts believe it is more important than ever for us to continue spending quality time together. ‘We need that sense of belonging, the sense of being accepted, a place of safety, and experiencing love and interest in one another’s life. If we do not spend quality time together, we lose that feeling of cohesion,’ says Dr de Beer.

Besides the distractions, there’s also this notion that mealtimes and food needs to be perfect in order for it to be enjoyed. ‘Sharing images of perfection are becoming the norm. But, remember that the image that is held up through social media is only an edited, highly curated version of what life is,’ says Vanessa. And it certainly doesn’t have to be the perfect family setting that we’re used to seeing in the media. Whether you and your family prefer to dine at the table, sit in front of the TV, eat on the floor, or use your hands, there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy your meals – and the same can be said for the food itself. Oftentimes a quick and easy meal is all that you can manage to muster up after a long day, and that is perfectly okay!

‘Creating a space in your home to eat, and actively clearing your mind to be present, goes a long way in having quality time. Where possible, try and separate your workspace from the area where you eat to help with distinguishing between work time and family time,’ suggests Vicki.

Food should always be a joyous occasion and so much more than simply nourishment. It is a way to celebrate, connect, share, show love and bond with others. So the next time you need to prepare a meal, why not involve the whole family, and turn an everyday moment into a quality mealtime moment. 

By: Taryn Wilson
Photography: Gallo/Getty Images

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