Treat yourself over the weekend to these sweet and fragrant fig, peach and honey sparkling cocktails with simple, fresh ingredients. If you don’t like figs, just replace them with more peaches.

MAKES 3 // COOKING TIME 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 peach, cored and chopped
1 fig, chopped
1 tbsp honey
120 ml apple cider, chilled
360 ml dry sparkling wine, chilled
To serve
1 fig, sliced

METHOD
1. Add the peach, fig and honey to a blender and pulse until smooth. Strain through a sieve and divide the liquid between three glasses.
2. Divide the cider and sparkling wine between the glasses and gently stir until combined.
3. Top with slices of fig and serve chilled.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

Pair your sparkling cocktails with a complimentary ricotta, fig and prosciutto crostini.

The post Fig, peach and honey sparkling cocktails appeared first on MyKitchen.

As the most important vegetable crop in South Africa and one of the world’s most recognised staple foods, the potato continues to play an important role in our diets, health and well-being. Plus, they’re always fresh, and always in season.

POTATOES ARE YOUR HEALTHY HELPER

We know they’re delicious and one of the most versatile ingredients to cook with and are best air-fried, boiled or baked with the skin on. They are super good for you as well. Potatoes with their skin on:
– are high in carbohydrates
– are naturally free of fat
– are naturally very low in sodium
– are high in the mineral chromium
– have the highest level of potassium in comparison to other veggies and starchy foods

POTATOES ARE THE NEW BREAD-WINNER

Different calorie sources can have vastly different effects on hunger levels and the hormones that control food intake. Calories play an important role in weight management and being conscious of the calories consumed in the diet is a key factor in optimising one’s weight.

However, the quality of the calories and the effect that the food eaten have on hunger and hormones must also be considered when making healthy food choices. We love the idea of swapping a slice of white bread for a boiled, steamed or baked potato for lunch. Dress it up with good-quality herbs and spices for added flavour.

DON’T BE A CHICKEN, EAT POTATOES! 

Did you know that you can swap a 40 g skinless chicken breast for a boiled, steamed or baked medium potato with its skin on?

We know that satiety plays an important role in controlling the portions of food eaten, which assists with optimal weight management. It is much easier to overeat foods that are high in simple sugars and fats due to their palatability and the energy density of foods high in these macro-nutrients.

Similarly, foods that are high in fibre and water are much harder to consume in excess due to the effect that these factors have on satiety levels. Therefore, if foods eaten contain a low satiety index, one will feel hungry quickly after eating them and this will result in an over-consumption of calories.

The opposite is true for foods high on a satiety index. Potatoes rank as one of the foods highest on a satiety index and, as a result, leave one feeling full and satisfied and do not lead to excess calorie consumption.

To join the conversation follow Potatoes South Africa on Instagram at potatoes_za or click here to visit their website.

The post The ultimate potato fact file appeared first on MyKitchen.

Having a cup of tea each day is a staple for many, especially here at MK headquarters. We’re delving into some of the various types of teas you have at home, as well as new ones to try the next time you feel like a change.

By Ulisha Moodley

All tea originates from the plant called camellia sinensis. The difference comes from how it’s grown, harvested and treated before packaged into our teabags.

1. WHITE TEA

This tea contains a high amount of antioxidants and is also the lightest tea. Its taste is slightly sweet with no bitterness, making it the perfect drink to have on its own.

2. GREEN TEA

There are a wide variety of flavours on offer, with the cheapest tasting bitter and somewhat like seaweed and a good quality cup tasting buttery and fruity.

3. OOLONG

Falling between green and black, a portion of oolong tea is fermented. The flavours range from sweet and fruity to nutty and roasted.

4. BLACK TEA

Black tea is strong in flavour as it is the most oxidized of the various types of teas available. A good quality leaf has notes of chocolate and caramel, whereas a cheaper version has a more bitter taste to it.

5. PU’ERH TEA

Being a purely fermented tea, pu’erh has a combination of flavours because the taste changes as the tea ages. It’s probably best that you try a variety to find a flavour that matches your taste.

6. FLAVOURED TEAS

There is an abundance of options when it comes to aromatic or scented tea. Strawberry and vanilla is a good mix and has a beautiful, lush colour.

7. HERBAL TEA

Extremely refreshing and relaxing, herbal tea contains no caffeine. A cup of this brew can help change your mood around if you’re feeling down or stressed out.

Image: Unsplash

The post Know your pantry: It’s tea time! appeared first on MyKitchen.

In the town of Louisiana in 1868, the first tabasco pepper crop was harvested and used to create the delicious sauce we know today. Presently, TABASCO® is a world-renowned sauce and kitchen condiment with a permanent place in many restaurants and kitchens.

By Taryn Wilson

An essential ingredient for cooking, TABASCO® is sold in over 185 countries world-wide and 2018 marks the 150 year anniversary of its history and influence. Tabasco peppers, vinegar and salt form the 3 main ingredients, and each bottle is made by Edmund McIlhenny’s family on Avery Island, the founder of the very first TABASCO® sauce.

Celebrate with TABASCO® by trying the classic recipes and drinks that helped make the brand a successful name. Visit TABASCO.com for more or search the hashtag #TABASCO150 on social media.

In the meantime, check out these 5 cool facts we bet you didn’t know about TABASCO®:

1. Avery Island, the home of Mcllhenny’s family, is where all TABASCO®  products are processed. The island includes a 170-acre nature reserve with rare birds, tropical plants and alligators.

2. Along with the family, about half of the employees are residents on Avery Island as well, where many of their ancestors have lived.

3. TABASCO® take 5 years to get from seed to sauce, with an extra 3 years of maturing in repurposed bourbon whiskey barrels.

4. Ripeness of the peppers is measured using a red stick or ‘le petit baton rouge’, which is the same method that has been used since the first production of TABASCO® by Mcllhenny.

5. TABASCO® has been used to better the taste of space food on the International Space Station as the lack of gravity affects astronauts’ sense of taste.

The post Celebrating 150 years with TABASCO® with 5 fun facts we bet you didn’t know appeared first on MyKitchen.

The use of bitters dates back to hundreds of years ago, where it was first used by monks for medicinal purposes. The popularity of bitters soon grew in Europe in the 1600s where they were used as appetite stimulators before a meal. It was only later in 1824 that Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert created the world famous recipe of aromatic bitters for Angostura.

By Taryn Wilson

Bitters receives its flavour from herbs, roots, flowers, seeds, fruit and leaves, which are then dissolved in a clear flavourless alcohol. This is what gives it its great medicinal properties. Angostura aromatic bitters has select ingredients that are imported from across the globe to make the finest range. The recipe is kept secret, and is known by only five people.

The production of bitters is a lengthy process. After blending and sieving the ingredients, extracting the flavour, and being placed into a sugar, caramel-colouring and spring water mixture, it sits for three months for the flavours to completely blend, before being packaged and sold.

While favoured in cocktails, bitters also works to add depth to meals by emphasizing certain tastes. Not at all bitter, they only increase the appeal and flavour of drinks and foods.

Aside from having a lovely taste, bitters also has many health benefits. It works well to assist digestive health and act as a palate cleanser. It soothes bloating and nausea, and helps to prevent sugar cravings. Honestly, what’s not to love?

With such a long history, Angosture has continued to provide quality products renowned for their popularity and flavour. They offer a range of bitters available for purchase, as well as interesting information on the history of bitters and fun recipes to try at home.

For more information check out their website angosturabitters.com, or find them on social media:

Facebook: @AngosturaZA
Instagram: @angosturaza

You can also download the House of Angostura Cocktail app for 80 incredible recipes. Available on Android and iOS.

The post The amazing health benefits of bitters appeared first on MyKitchen.

It’s Friday, so we thought we’d have some fun and share some pretty cool facts about one of our favourites, jelly beans! How many did you already know?

By Taryn Wilson

1. Jelly beans are made by a process called ‘panning’ which keeps the outer coating hard and the gooey goodness inside.

2. ‘Jellybean’ was the slang word for men who dressed stylishly in the early 20th century.

3. They became a popular sweet after an American sweet company marketed them as the perfect treat for Union soldiers during the Civil War

4. Jelly beans became a popular treat around Easter after 1930, and each year 16 billion jelly beans are made just for this holiday!

5. Jelly beans can take anywhere between 7 to 21 days to be manufactured.

6. Each jelly bean flavour used to be sold separately (how convenient)! There are usually 8 different flavours made.

7. They were the first confectionary good to be sold by weight rather than price.

8. If you were too eat 35 jelly beans, you would be consuming 130 calories and 37 grams of sugar.

9. President Ronald Reagan was obsessed with jelly beans and ordered 7 000 pounds to be distributed for his inauguration. This was when Jelly Belly also established a new flavour, Blueberry, for the event.

10. In 1983, Jelly Belly jelly beans were the first of their kind in space when they travelled on the Challenger Space Shuttle.

Image credit: @50_shades_of_tinglita (Instagram)

The post 10 things we bet you didn’t know about jelly beans! appeared first on MyKitchen.