Say goodbye to pests and stale flavours when you store these four ingredients properly in your pantry.  

Rice 

Rice is the preferred side dish for many, thus it’s a versatile and budget friendly pantry staple. From curry to stew to yummy chicken à la king, it goes with each dish perfectly. Store your uncooked white rice in an airtight container in a cool environment to keep mites away and to keep it from spoiling. Discard it right away if you notice any changes in texture, taste, see signs of mould or if you notice any small bugs among the grains. 

Flour 

Flour should always be on hand for delicious bakes and to be used as a cooking ingredient (think battered fish or chicken). To keep your flour fresher for longer, it should be stored in an airtight ceramic or stoneware container in a dark place (like a cupboard). Keeping it in a dark place will prevent light exposure to the flour, which could cause oxidation and increased heat. You can also place bay leaves in the flour to deter bugs, as it is a natural insect repellent. How do you know if your flour has gone off? Be on the lookout for it turning yellow or grey. It will also have a stale and funky smell. 

Olive oil 

Since we use it so much, it could be tempting to leave your bottle of olive oil open by the stove for convenience, but it’s likely to go bad sooner. Unlike wine, olive oil does not get better with age and should be used within two months after opening. Keep your olive oil in an airtight container in a dark place in the back of your cupboard or pantry. The taste of olive oil should be fresh and fruity: if it tastes like stale nuts or wax crayons, it has gone bad. 

Sugar 

Leaving sugar in the original paper bag you bought it in can be a recipe for disaster. The paper can easily allow moisture and pests (looking at you, ants) to get in. It’s best to store sugar at room temperature in an airtight container. When stored, brown sugar is especially prone to hardening. If you want to soften it up before use, simply add a wedge of apple or a small piece of bread to your container overnight. The moisture from the apple and bread will transfer to the sugar to soften it.  

Image: Pexels

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Making pastry from scratch changes your end product entirely, and this recipe doesn’t have to include hours of folding, rolling and shaping to give you that classic, crispy-layered buttery flakes that it’s known for. 

Cheat’s rough-puff pastry 

Makes about 400g 

Rough puff pastry is super easy to make because the idea is to not blend everything together into a smooth pastry, hence the name “rough”. 

Sift together 3 ½ – 4 cups (525–600g) flour and 1 tsp (5ml) salt in a large bowl. Slice 450g cold butter into 1 cm cubes. (Keep butter ice-cold until using.) Add butter and 2 Tbsp (30ml) lemon juice to the flour. Use a knife to “cut” the ingredients together until a chunky mixture forms. This creates pockets of butter in between the flour. Add ½ cup (125ml) ice water and use your hands to work the mixture together, adding up to ½ cup more ice water until a dough forms, taking care to not overwork – you still want the pockets of butter to stay intact. Once formed, roll dough into a long rectangle. Bring the one short-end up to the middle of the rectangle, and the other short-end over the first to create a parcel. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling out to use for savoury tarts, cheese straws or pies.  

Why it works

The tiny butter pockets are encapsulated by flour. Once it hits the oven, it melts and creates steam that causes your pastry to rise – giving it a crispy texture.

Styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photographs: Zhann Solomons  

The post Making rough pastry from scratch  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Buckwheat is not as common as other grains, but it’s loaded with nutrients! Go for a healthy morning meal with these buckwheat breakfast muffins.

MAKES 12 // COOKING TIME 45 min

INGREDIENTS
½ cup oats
1½ cups buckwheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
⅔  cup yoghurt
⅓  cup vegetable oil
2 bananas, mashed
4 tbsp honey
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup blueberries
¼ cup almond flakes

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 12-hole muffin tray.
2. Pulse the oats in a food processor until they resemble a coarse flour.
3. Mix with the remaining dry ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the yoghurt, oil, bananas, honey and eggs. Fold into the dry ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.
5. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared tray and top each with a sprinkling of almond flakes.
6. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until cooked through.

Recipe: Nicola Naudé
Styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

Buckwheat your new favourite grain? Try these spiced speculaas buckwheat cookies.

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Is there anything you can’t do with coconuts? These coconut flour wraps with chicken and peanut sauce make a healthy low-carb option for lunches.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 15 min

INGREDIENTS
For the coconut flour wraps
½ cup coconut flour, sifted
2 tbsp psyllium husk
Pinch salt
¾ cup water
¼ cup milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the peanut sauce
¼ cup peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
To assemble
3 chicken breasts, grilled and shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 avocado, sliced
¼ cup peanuts, chopped

METHOD
For the coconut flour wraps
1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 baking sheets.
2. Mix the coconut flour, psyllium husk and salt together. Add the water, milk, oil, bicarb and mix.
3. Begin kneading until a soft dough forms. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
4. Divide into four. Roll each piece into a thin circle.
5. Arrange on the prepared trays and bake for 15–20 minutes, flipping halfway.
For the peanut sauce
1. Whisk all the ingredients together.
To assemble
1. Spread a thin layer of peanut sauce on to each wrap and fill with chicken, veggies and nuts.

Recipe: Nicola Naudé
Styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

Make these maca wraps with coriander chicken and chilli pineapple from scratch for another delicious option with an island twist.

The post Coconut flour wraps with chicken, peanuts and rainbow filling appeared first on MyKitchen.

Healthy alternatives for flour have been popping up all over Instagram and Pinterest, so we thought we’d check them out, and let you know what the best options are.

By Ulisha Moodley

1. ALMOND FLOUR

Containing a solid amount of protein and calcium, almond flour is made from ground almonds and will add a light, fluffy texture to your baked goods. Use almond flour the next time you make a batch of brownies or as a healthy alternative to breadcrumbs.

2. COCONUT FLOUR

High in fibre and containing carbs that are easier to digest compared to white flour, coconut flour is quite heavy and has a powdery texture. It’s best to use it as a coating for seafood or in some yoghurt with vanilla extract and cinnamon as a fulfilling snack.

3. QUINOA FLOUR

Adding quinoa flour to pancakes, muffins or bread will instantly up its whole-grain nutritional value. Quinoa is also the only plant-based food that has complete protein in it.

4. BROWN RICE FLOUR

Brown rice flour is similar to white flour in that they both have the same texture but brown rice flour just has more fibre. It can be used to make a variety of dishes, plus it’s simple to work with. Brown rice flour is high in vitamin B6 and magnesium.

Image: Unsplash

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