Sun’s out, forks up! These simple summer pastas are light, bright and ready to rescue dinner with minimum fuss and maximum flavour. 

Chicken, basil & pasta rice 

Serves 4 

A comforting and easy meal, with a touch of pesto for freshness. 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
550g skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3 pieces each
Salt and milled pepper
1 punnet (500g) cherry tomatoes
½ cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup pasta rice (also called risoni pasta)
Basil pesto, for serving
Basil leaves, for serving 

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
2. Season chicken and brown all over. Remove and set aside.
3. Add tomatoes, wine, stock, garlic, pasta rice and seasoning and bring to the boil. 
4. Reduce heat and simmer for about 8 minutes.
5. Return chicken to pan and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until pasta and chicken is cooked. 
6. Serve straight from the pan with dollops of basil pesto and basil leaves. 

Stovetop beef lasagne

Serves 4-6 

This Italian classic is made in half the time by cooking the pasta in the sauce. 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive or canola oil
1 onion, chopped
500g beef mince
Salt and milled pepper
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
2 Tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs (or parsley, added at the end)
8-10 lasagne sheets
1 jar (400g) tomato passata
1½ cups beef stock
1 lemon, zested and juiced
½ cup mozzarella, grated
½ cup Cheddar, grated
Basil leaves, for serving
Side salad or crusty bread, for serving 

Method

1. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add oil.
2. Sauté onion until soft and fragrant. Add mince and cook to brown. Season. 
3. Add garlic, tomato paste, chilli, paprika and herbs, allowing to cook for 5 minutes. 
4. Add lasagne sheets, passata and stock, then bring to a boil. 
5. Reduce to a simmer, gently pressing pasta into sauce. 
6. Cover with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes, gently stirring every 5 minutes for even cooking. (Make sure pasta is covered in sauce.) 
7. Stir in lemon juice and zest.
8. Top with cheese and cook for another 10 minutes with the lid on, steaming until melted. 
9. Serve with basil, a side salad or crusty bread, if you like.

Garlicky basil & mussel pasta 

Serves 4 

This pasta is a quick, mid-week summer meal that’s filled with flavour. 

Ingredients

1 box (500g) crumbed garlic half shell West Coast mussels
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 packet (400g) red lentil pasta, linguine or spaghetti
1 tub (120g) basil pesto
1 Tbsp butter
1 packet (125g) mangetout
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4-5 radishes, sliced
Salt and milled pepper
Lemon or lime juice, to finish
Basil leaves, to garnish 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200˚C.
2. Place mussels on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and roast for 15-20 minutes. 
3. Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
4. Drain, rinse and toss pasta with pesto.
5. Heat a pan with butter on a medium-high heat, fry garlic and manget out for about 3-4 minutes. 
6. Divide pasta, mussels and radishes between 4 plates. 
7. Season and drizzle with lemon or lime juice and garnish with fresh basil. 

Also read: Green goddess chicken salad

One-pan tomato sauce & pasta 

Serves 4 

The oven turns tomatoes even sweeter to create a punchy pasta sauce. 

Ingredients

2.5kg ripe salad tomatoes, quartered
Salt and milled pepper
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp brown or white sugar
5 cloves garlic, sliced
½ punnet (10g) thyme or origanum, leaves picked
1 packet (500g) tagliatelle nests
Parmesan shavings
Handful basil leaves 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on two baking trays (take care not to overcrowd the trays). 
3. Season, drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar.
4. Sprinkle with sugar, add garlic and herbs. 
5. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until tomatoes have gone soft and slightly caramelised. 
6. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to packet instructions.
7. Toss tomatoes and pan juices with pasta.
8. Garnish with Parmesan shavings and basil leaves just before serving. 

Recipe & styling: Lichelle May
Photography: Zhann Solomons

Also read: Workday wins: Inspiration for 4 quick pasta lunches

The post 4 Light & bright pastas for summer appeared first on MyKitchen.

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Being a good baker is all about having a trustworthy recipe, but most of all about being precise. 

Always use a scale.  

Weighing out ingredients, rather than using cup measures, is the best way to keep ingredients precise. It also helps deliver a consistent bake.  

Use room temperature ingredients  

(unless otherwise stated in a recipe). Ingredients such as butter, eggs and milk will form a better emulsion so that baked goods rise evenly when they hit the oven.  

Read a recipe twice, thoroughly!  

You don’t want to realise mid-way through that you have an ingredient missing or the mixture might have required some resting before baking. 

Preheat your oven.  

For a fan-based oven, drop the temperature by 20°C.   

Make sure to use the correct size and shape  

of the baking vessel (cake tin or sheet tray).  

Always grease your cake tins  

and baking trays beforehand. You can also line it with baking paper or brush with melted butter and dust with some flour.  

Place goods in the middle of your oven  

unless the recipe states otherwise. Baking times are also just a guideline as each oven differs. Note: bake cakes for at least 20 minutes before opening the oven. Anytime sooner and the centre will fall in.  

Sieve dry ingredients  

(flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder etc.) to get rid of any lumps before mixing into a batter or dough.  

Words by: Gail Damon
Photographs: Fresh Living Magazine, Shutterstock 

The post Tips for better baking  appeared first on MyKitchen.

It is no secret that variety is the spice of life, so make sure that you have all the right mix of ingredients to make all your favourite dishes.

1. Soya sauce

Used extensively in Asian cooking, salty soya sauce is a key ingredient to have in your pantry as it replaces the need for salt and adds a depth of flavour to dishes.

2. Sesame oil

Sesame oil is a flavour enhancer – it packs a nutty punch that none of the usual plant oils can compete with.

3. Sesame seeds

Usually toasted in a dry pan to give them a little colour and release their flavour, white and black sesame seeds are often incorporated in Asian dishes as well as used as a crunchy topping.

4. Fish sauce

Curries, stir-fries and soups almost always call for a splash of fish (or oyster) sauce, so it’s a staple that you can’t be without.

5. Chilli

If heat is not your thing, you can skip this one, but dried and fresh chilies are key components of many dishes.

6. Miso paste

Miso (a fermented soybean paste) is an indispensable staple in Japanese cooking thanks to its versatility and umami flavour, which balances dishes so effortlessly.

7. Lime juice

When added during cooking, lime juice (or fresh limes when available) assists in macerating the other ingredients – helping to balance some out and bring out the vibrance of others.

8. Palm Sugar

If you’ve got a sweet tooth (and even if you don’t) this is another ingredient that is often called for in Asian recipes. It is a natural sweetener, with a caramel-like flavour, made from the nectar of the coconut palm.

9. Hoisin sauce

This multi-purpose sauce is necessary for its versatility. It can be used as a dipping sauce, as a basting, as a stir-fry sauce and as a lifesaver to balance a recipe that may be a little too salty or too acidic.

10. Mirin

Like sake, Mirin is a sweet, fermented rice wine that is used to make marinades, basting sauces and dipping sauces. You can substitute it with a dry sherry or dry white wine, but it will lack that authentic Asian flavour.

By Lynette Botha

Photography by: Shutterstock, Pexels

The post 10 Essential ingredients for the ultimate Asian pantry appeared first on MyKitchen.

Feeling a little cash poor? These four affordable ingredient swaps will help you save money, and are just as tasty!

1. Make buttermilk with lemon juice
We rarely use the whole carton in one go anyway! By mixing 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice with every 1 cup milk, you can make the exact amount of buttermilk you need, on the cheap.

2. Replace mincemeat with lentils
Bobotie, meatballs or good ol’ spaghetti Bolognese – all of these meaty favourites can be made with more affordable plant-based protein. Lentils mimic the texture of mince and will take on whatever flavours you cook them with.

3. Quinoa over barley
Barley is a cheaper option that provides you with more fibre, nearly as much iron, and plenty of manganese, selenium and other phytonutrients. The only downside is that it contains gluten.

4. Use Chia seeds instead of flaxseeds
Ground-up (that way your body can absorb the nutrients), flaxseeds provide plenty of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. And they can be used to replace eggs in vegan cooking and baking, in the same way as chia seeds.

The post Affordable Ingredient Swaps To Save You Money appeared first on MyKitchen.

You only need five ingredients and half an hour to whip together these delicious biltong pizza bowls for the family – the perfect weekend treat!

MAKES 2 // COOKING TIME 35 min

INGREDIENTS
250 g store-bought bread dough
1 block Danish feta
1 cup exotic tomatoes, roasted
Handful sliced biltong
Handful baby spinach

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray.
2. Divide the dough into 4 balls and roll out until ½ cm thick. Brush with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes. Cut into wedges.
3. Assemble your bowl by layering the pizza wedges, feta, tomatoes, biltong and spinach. Season to taste and drizzle with olive oil.

Recipe & styling: Leila-Ann Mokotedi
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

For a super healthy brain-boosting option, try our smoked snoek bowls with veggies and brown rice.

The post You only need 5 ingredients for these biltong pizza bowls appeared first on MyKitchen.