Maize meal is one of our country’s favourite food staples. It’s inexpensive and oh-so-easy to cook or bake with – like in these yummy spinach muffins.

SERVES 12

INGREDIENTS 
120g butter, at room temperature, plus extra to serve
2 large eggs
½ tsp salt
1½ cups flour
¾ cup instant maize meal
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
¾ cup cooked and shredded spinach
½ cup crumbled feta

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, eggs and salt until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, maize meal and baking powder.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-egg mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix to form a soft batter and stir in the spinach and feta.
5. Spoon the batter into a greased 12-cup muffin tray and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
6. Serve warm with butter.

Care for as slightly sweeter muffin? Then try pumpkin muffins with caramel filling recipe!

The post Spinach and feta maize meal muffins appeared first on MyKitchen.

Maize stands shoulder-to-shoulder amongst all things truly South African. It’s right up there with biltong, braais and vuvuzelas. It’s a simple yet delicious staple that forms the foundation of our great nation. Everyone has their take on a hearty bowl of maize, which makes it perfect for any occasion. Every dish is an a-maize-ing one with Pride Maize Meal!

As a longstanding South African favourite, maize is always in season and never out of style! This is why Pride offers a wide range of affordable and versatile products fit for an entire nation. Traditional pap, creamy porridge, crispy polenta fries – the possibilities are endless!

With Pride’s wide range of delicious products backing you all the way, every meal is guaranteed to turn out tops every time! Get cooking with Pride Super Maize Meal, Pride Braai Pap, Pride Samp, Pride Maize Rice, Pride Creamy Maize, Pride Polenta and more. Remember to look out for participating 12.5 kg bags in store to get your share of R4.5 Million in airtime. There’s guaranteed airtime in every bag! Terms and conditions apply. Click here to find out how to enter! And once you’ve grabbed your bag of Pride Super Maize Meal and entered the competition, use it in one of these delicious recipes.

1. Loaded breakfast pap

SERVES 4 / PREP TIME 10-15 min / COOK TIME 35 min

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Pride Super Maize Meal
2½ cups cold water
1½ cups milk
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
Sweetener of your choice, to taste
4 tbsp peanut butter
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
2 handfuls blueberries, halved
½ cup granola

METHOD
1. Mix the maize meal and 1 cup of the water together.
2. Bring the remaining water to the boil in a large pot along with the milk and salt.
3. Stir in the maize mixture and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and lump-free.
4. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the butter and mix until smooth and fully incorporated.
6. To serve, dish the pap up into bowls and add your sweetener. Top with peanut butter, bananas, blueberries and a sprinkling of granola.

You can add any combination of your favourite fruits to your breakfast pap. We also love stewed apples, dried fruit, pears and strawberries. Yum!

2. Krummel pap health bowls with zesty lemon dressing

SERVES 4 / PREP TIME 15 min / COOK TIME 40 min

INGREDIENTS
For the dressing
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
For the bowls
2 cups water
½ tsp salt
2 tsp stock powder
2 cups Pride Maize Meal
1 tbsp butter
1 small red cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and ribboned
½ cucumber, ribboned
½ cup baby tomatoes, quartered
½ red onion, thinly sliced
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (optional)
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup coriander, chopped

METHOD
For the dressing
1. Whisk all the ingredients together until well-combined.
For the bowls
1. Bring the water, salt and stock powder to the boil.
2. Add the maize meal, cover and reduce the heat to low-medium. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add 1 tbsp of the butter and fluff the maize meal. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, checking on it regularly to ensure it doesn’t burn.
4. Remove from the heat, fluff again and divide between 4 bowls.
5. Add veggies and chicken (if using) to each bowl. Top with spring onion and coriander and drizzle with the lemon dressing.

You can also use any of your favourite vegetables here. Popular choices include kale, spinach,roasted butternut, beetroot and avocado.

Pap & blueberry cake

SERVES 6 / PREP TIME 20 min / COOK TIME 50 min

INGREDIENTS
For the cake
200 g butter, at room temperature
200 g caster sugar
200 g flour
100 g Pride Maize Meal
1½ tsp baking powder
3 eggs
Zest of ½ lemon
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup blueberries
For the syrup
½ cup lemon juice
⅓ cup caster sugar

METHOD
For the cake
1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line the bottom and sides of a springform cake tin.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together, until pale and smooth.
3. Mix the flour, maize meal and baking powder together. Whisk into the butter mixture.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in the lemon juice and vanilla.
5. Transfer to the prepared tin and scatter over the blueberries. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin on a wire rack.
For the syrup
1. Bring the lemon juice and sugar to the boil in a pot, until slightly reduced and thickened.
2. Prick the top of the cake a few time and pour over the warm syrup. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.

Serve your cake topped with whipped cream.

Words: Robyn Simpson
Recipes: Kate Turner
Photography: Courtesy images; Unsplash

The post Make every day an a-maize-ing one, from brekkie to dessert! appeared first on MyKitchen.

Pap is a local staple that you can truly add to every meal. Make these quick pap pancakes with bacon jam in under 20 minutes!

MAKES 12 // COOKING TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
For the bacon jam
½ cup onion marmalade
200 g bacon, chopped and fried
For the pap pancakes
¼ cup + 2 tbsp maize meal
¼ cup + 2 tbsp flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup grated Cheddar
½ cup milk
½ cup amasi
1½ tbsp butter, melted
1 egg

METHOD
For the bacon jam
1. Mix the marmalade and half of the bacon together. Set aside, reserving the remaining bacon.
For the pap pancakes
1. Mix the maize meal, flour, baking powder and cheese together. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, amasi, butter and egg.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry, until combined and lump-free.
4. Lightly grease a non-stick pan and place over low-medium heat. Dollop in spoonfuls of batter and cook each pancake for 1–2 minutes on each side, until they’re golden brown and cooked through.
5. Serve topped with bacon jam, reserved bacon bits, rocket, avocado and baby tomatoes.

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

Put your maize meal to good use and make these pap-crusted chops with charred cabbage.

The post Pap pancakes with bacon jam, rocket and avo appeared first on MyKitchen.

According to the National Restaurant Association, 68% of chefs have put ethnic-inspired breakfasts on their menus in 2016, landing them among the top five breakfast trends of the year. As usual, we are keeping with the times! Here are our favourite exotic brekkies, flavoured with an eclectic mix of ingredients like chorizo, maize meal, spice blends, and chilli.

Sweet pepper and chilli frittata

Spinach and feta maize meal muffins

Baked eggs in tomato and chorizo chutney

Spicy sweet potato pancakes

Spicy pumpkin porridge

The post We’re loving ethnic-inspired breakfasts, and so is everyone else! appeared first on MyKitchen.