If you grew up on a diet of your mom’s crunchies and rusks, you’ll love our ode to local treats with these delicious crunchie rusks!

MAKES 20 // COOKING TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
4 cups oats
3 cups desiccated coconut
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
250 g butter
1½ cups sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
¾ cup buttermilk
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 170°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine oats, coconut, flour, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the centre and set aside.
3. Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pot. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4. Mix buttermilk and bicarb. Add this and the melted sugar mixture to the dry ingredients.
5. Spread out the mixture in the baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
6. Leave to cool slightly, then cut into triangles. Reduce the oven to 100°C. Place the rusks back in for 2 hours to dry out slightly.
7. Switch off the oven and leave the crunchie rusks in for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to dry out completely.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

With winter on its way, now is the perfect time to get into baking! And what better way to start than with homemade buttermilk rusks?

The post These crunchie rusks are the ultimate tea time treat appeared first on MyKitchen.

There’s no excuse to skip out on these ostrich burgers with fried onions when they bring the local flavour and only take 20 minutes!

MAKES 4 // COOKING TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
For the fried onions
½ cup flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1½ tbsp milk
½ egg, beaten
½ onion, thinly sliced
For the pesto sauce
⅓  cup basil pesto
⅓  cup plain yoghurt
3 tbsp mayonnaise
4½ tbsp chopped rocket
½ tsp chilli flakes
1⅓ cup shredded cabbage
For the ostrich burgers
4 paninis, halved
4 ostrich patties, fried
4 slices cheese
8 gherkins, sliced
125 g potato or veggie chips

METHOD
For the fried onions
1. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat, enough to deep-fry.
2. Mix the flour and baking powder together and season.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and egg together.
4. Dip the onions in the egg mixture and then coat in flour.
5. Carefully fry until crispy and golden brown.
For the pesto sauce
1. Mix all the ingredients together.
For the ostrich burgers
1. Spoon some pesto sauce onto one half of each panini and top with a burger patty, cheese, gherkins and crispy onions.
2. Sandwich closed and serve the chips on the side.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

Have a keen taste for this bird? This ostrich lasagne gives us all the reasons why local is lekker!

The post 20-minute ostrich burgers with fried onions appeared first on MyKitchen.

It’s made in SA! We put a local spin on this traditional Italian rigatoni and added some boerewors and South African flair.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 55 min

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp vegetable oil
500 g boerewors
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 roast red peppers, chopped
375 g Napoletana sauce
¼ cup parsley, chopped
500 g rigatoni
50 g Parmesan, grated
200 g mozzarella, grated

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a large oven dish generously with oil.
2. Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the boerewors until browned.
3. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add the red peppers, Napoletana sauce and parsley, and cook for 5 minutes.
4. In the meantime, bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Cook the rigatoni for 5 minutes.
5. Drain the rigatoni and add to the pasta sauce. Mix well to combine.
6. Transfer the pasta to the prepared dish and top with Parmesan and mozzarella. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

The post South African-style rigatoni with boerewors appeared first on MyKitchen.