Spice up your lamb cut this holiday season. Shred left overs for sandwiches or wraps.

Ultimate Cape Malay leg of lamb 

Serves 8 

Ingredients

2kg leg of lamb, bone in
10 cloves garlic
2 cups amasi
7 Tbsp Cape Malay spice blend
Salt and milled pepper
3 onions, sliced
500g rainbow carrots, washed
1 whole garlic bulb, halved
Olive oil 
⅓ cup butter 

Method

1. Using a pairing knife, pierce the lamb in the shape of an ‘X’ and press a garlic clove into each opening.
2. Mix together the amasi and spice. Season.
3. Rub the lamb with the amasi marinade, season and allow to marinate for 4-6 hours or ideally overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 200°C.
5. Place the marinated lamb into an ovenproof dish and scatter the onion, carrot and garlic halves around the lamb. Drizzle with olive oil and dot butter around the lamb.
6. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes. Lower heat to 160°C, cover with foil and roast for another 1½ hours or until the meat pulls away from the bone.
7. Serve the lamb with your choice of sides.

Recipe & styling: Lichelle May
Photography by: Zhann Solomons

Also read: Side dishes that might upstage your meaty mains for your festive feast 

The post Ultimate Cape Malay leg of lamb  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Say goodbye to last-minute take-aways and hello to yummy and stress-free meals all week long! These tips will save you time and money (and your sanity) when you learn how to meal prep like a pro.   

Prepare for your weekly meal-prep day 

Planning your meals is just as crucial as cooking your dishes. Over the weekend, take out your calendar to see what is on your (and your family’s) schedule for the week to come. Are there any after-school activities planned? How busy are your days? Will everyone be home for dinner? By looking at everyone’s schedule, you’ll be able to gauge how many dishes you need to avoid wastage. 

Then, raid your fridge, freezer and pantry to see what ingredients you already have on hand. By taking stock of what you already have, you can drastically cut your grocery budget and avoid overspending and waste by buying unnecessary items.  

Build a menu 

Build an easy-to-cook menu that uses minimal ingredients but can still pack a punch when it comes to flavour and nutrition. Start off with the base protein (animal protein or beans), vegetables, leafy greens, and some carbs (like rice). Then you can add all the fun things that make it interesting and yummy to eat. Remember to use easy recipes that you already know and plan different meals with similar ingredients to make your menu more budget friendly.  

“Begin with recipes you know really well. If you have a repertoire of four or five recipes that you know how to execute, you’ll always be able to make a reliable, tasty meal. Each week I would suggest that you try to learn a new one – that way, the longer you do this, the more recipes you have at your fingertips. With more recipes under your belt, you can really start to mix and match them each week,” explains chef Dan Marek, director of plant-based culinary and content development at Rouxbe Online Culinary School.  

Stock up on storage containers 

After all your delicious meal prep, make sure that you have enough containers (and fridge and freezer space) to store your meals for the week. Opt for clear containers so you can easily see what is in each one. “I love my reusable containers because they stack really well and make your fridge easy to manoeuvre,” says Marek. “And if they’re clear, you can see what you have going on inside them. I typically put the prepped ingredients in the front and the completed dishes behind those, so I don’t lose track of what I still need to use during the week.” 

Use all your food scraps 

What do you do with all the food scraps? “Keep all of your veggie scraps (especially onion skins and ends, carrot skins, celery hearts, and garlic skins) to make a simple homemade veggie broth,” advises Hong. “Or when you see berries about to go bad, freeze them for smoothies or make a homemade jam,” says Kristen Hong, author of Fridge Love and creator of the Hello Nutritarian wellness blog.  

@plantyou Veggie scrap broth #scrappycooking #earthday2022 #earthday #zerowaste #sustainableliving ♬ I Don’t Want to Be – Gavin DeGraw

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Don’t let those leftovers go to waste when you can turn them into something even better! Here are three ways that you can give those delicious leftovers new life. Not only will it reduce food wastage, but you can save time and (most importantly) your grocery budget.  

Breathe new life into your meals

Your extra portions are full of potential! Whether you’ve cooked way too much food or if that was your plan from the get-go, you can always breathe new life into any leftover portions. It might even taste better than your OG meal. Here are some suggestions for the following leftover ingredients:

Rice

Fried rice

Asian rice salad with shredded roast chicken

Immune-boosting lemony chicken and brown rice broth

Watermelon poke bowl

Meat

Spicy chicken with pea patties

Chicken mayo sandwich with pickled red onion

Vietnamese chicken pancakes

Pork spring rolls with red-wine reduction

Vegetables

Roast vegetable and ginger snap cups

Crispy Asian dumplings

Freeze for a busy day

Instead of storing your leftovers in the fridge, go straight for the freezer. Whenever you cook and have extra portions left, freeze them in small containers and mark them clearly. Those containers are a lifesaver when life gets too busy one day and you can just defrost a meal or use those small portions to re-create a quick new meal. That way you can cook once and still reap the benefits weeks later.

Clear your fridge once a week

Does your fridge look like a rainbow of containers filled with leftovers by the end of the week? Inspect all the contents, check what’s still good to eat, then serve your family a buffet-style meal with the week’s leftovers. Mix and match your food to create a main dish. Or create fun new dishes like wraps, sandwiches and salads by adding some extra ready-to-eat ingredients. It’s a no-fuss way of feeding your family without the hassle of cooking (again).

The post 3 ways to make the most of your leftovers appeared first on MyKitchen.

From reheating leftovers to cooking those 5-minute meals, the microwave is an integral part of our kitchen. But while it is a convenient appliance, it’s a definite to ditch the microwave for reheating these four foods. 

Leftover pizza 

We know this Cinderella story all too well. The cheesy, delicious slice of pizza from the previous night turns into a soggy mess when reheated in the microwave. It’s either soggy or as tough as shoe leather if left in there for even just a second too long.  

Reheating tip: Simply reheat your slice in a skillet with the lid on at a moderate temperature. It’ll crisp up the crust and make the hard cheese gooey again in just a few minutes.  

Also read: Wholewheat tortilla pizzas with ham and mushroom 

Boiled egg   

If you want to avoid picking out pieces of egg off your kitchen floor (and your hair), it’s best to avoid the microwave for this one. Once reheated in the microwave, the eggs have a tendency to explode. This happens because a boiled egg still has moisture inside, so steam will build up in the yolk. The shell stops the egg from expanding, so when you peel the egg, it will explode. 

Reheating tip: Warm up hard-boiled eggs by placing in a bowl of boiling water. Leave it covered for ten minutes before you remove and peel your eggs. Now you can enjoy warm hard-boiled eggs – mess-free! 

Also read: Southern-style biscuits with gravy and fried eggs 

Seafood 

Before you get in trouble with HR for your NSFW lunch, avoid using the microwave for your leftover seafood feast. Not only will the smell of seafood linger but heating it will dry out your fish and ruin the texture. You’ll also find yourself on the receiving end of some side-eye once you get to your desk.   

Reheating tip: The best way to warm up your seafood is by placing it in the oven at a low temperature for about 15 minutes. 

Pasta

Leftover pasta loses moisture and can dry out when you store it in the fridge. But it becomes even drier when you reheat it in the microwave. Can’t wait to eat some more of your yummy alfredo pasta? Cream-based pasta can be even more tricky because the fats and oils separate when reheating in the microwave.   

Reheating tip: Head to the stove and warm up your pasta in a skillet over low heat. Add dairy or cream if you’re warming up cream-based pasta to replenish the moisture. Are you reheating pasta with a tomato base? Simply add two tablespoons of water per serving. Remember to use tongs to toss your pasta around in the pan to coat all the pasta with cream or water. It may take longer, but this heating trick will make your leftover pasta something to look forward to.     

Spoil yourself with this yummy tomato & bacon pasta! 

The post Never reheat these 4 foods in the microwave appeared first on MyKitchen.

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?

The post Asian chicken noodle soup appeared first on MyKitchen.

This shredded beef couscous recipe is the perfect dish to make when you have leftover roast beef! It’s quick, delicious and can be adapted with any meat.

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup couscous
¼ cup boiling water
Juice and zest of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
¼ tsp ground cumin
200g cherry tomatoes
1 cup roast beef, shredded
2 spring onions, sliced, to serve
Parsley, to serve
Baby basil leaves, to serve

METHOD
1. Place the couscous in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Soak for five minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and zest and one tablespoon of olive oil, then season. Fluff with a fork.
2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan set over medium heat and fry the cumin until fragrant. Pour over the couscous.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan. Add the tomatoes and cook until the skins split. Season and set aside.
4. Heat the brisket in the pan.
5. Serve the brisket with the couscous, tomatoes, spring onions, parsley, basil and lemon wedges. Season well.

How good does this look? If you are looking for a Sunday meal that’s quick to make, but still full of comforting meaty flavour, our steak and chips is sure to do the trick.

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