Who says saving money means skimping on taste? Beat Janu-worry with clever, budget‑friendly recipes that are easy to cook, delicious to eat and kind to your pocket. 

Pork sausages with spiced chickpeas  

Serves 4 

Ingredients 

2 cans chickpeas, drained 
1 Tbsp cumin 
1 tsp each allspice and smoked paprika (cayenne pepper works, too)
Salt and milled pepper 
Glug olive oil 
500g pork sausages 
¾ cup double cream yoghurt 
3-4 Tbsp harissa paste (or use 2 Tbsp chilli paste) 
1 cucumber, finely chopped 
Juice of ½ lemon 
Parsley and toasted pita, for serving   

Method  

1. Preheat the oven grill on high, or the air fryer at 180°C. 
2. Toss chickpeas, spices, seasoning and oil together and place in a roasting pan.  
3. Arrange sausages on top and grill for 20-25 minutes, tossing occasionally, until cooked through.  
4. Divide yoghurt between serving bowls and swirl through harissa paste.  
5. Scatter over crispy chickpeas and place sausages on top.  
6. Spoon over the cucumber and drizzle with lemon juice.  
7. Garnish with parsley and serve with pita on the side. 

Recipes & photos courtesy of Fresh Living magazine  

Sweet potato rösti with yoghurt and creamy tuna 

Serves 6  

Ingredients 

1 Tbsp oil
4 spring onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
600g sweet potato, grated
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup flour
½ tsp cumin
½ cup plain yoghurt
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 cans tuna, drained
¼ cup micro herbs 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Fry spring onion in oil until soft, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and fry for 1 minute.
3. Place the grated sweet potato in the middle of a clean dish cloth and squeeze out some of the moisture.
4. Combine potato, eggs, flour, cumin, onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. 
5. Dollop spoonfuls of the sweet potato mixture onto the baking tray and shape into circles.
6. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until crispy, flipping halfway through.
7. Combine yoghurt, mayo, lemon juice, dill and cayenne pepper. 
8. Spread some of the yoghurt topping over each rösti and top with creamy tuna and micro herbs. 

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Sean Dollery // HMimages.co.za 

Also read: Budget battles: Pasta dinners for under R200 each

The post Budget-friendly meals appeared first on MyKitchen.

Add a little bit of crips, crunch or dazzle to your meals to transform them from drab to fabulous. 

Here are some inexpensive ways to jazz up your regular weeknight dinner for a stay-in date night. Don’t know where to start when looking to level up your dishes? Follow our texture cheat sheet: 

Crispy  

Scatter these over your dish just before serving  

• Homemade pangrattato (crispy breadcrumbs): Fry left over breadcrumbs in some butter and chopped rosemary until crispy.  
• Thinly sliced fried garlic: Add to hot oil and fry until golden.  
• Fried sage leaves : Add to hot oil and sizzle for a few seconds before draining them on kitchen paper. 

Crunchy  

Add that extra crackle  

• Toasted seeds: Sunflower, sesame, flax or pumpkin seeds contain loads of healthy fats. 
• Crispy pitas: Slice the pitas into eighths, drizzle with oil, season with cumin and bake until crispy.  
• Parmesan chips: Add small clumps of finely grated Parmesan onto a lined tray – keep 5cm apart. Season with milled pepper and bake for 3-5 minutes until golden.

Colour  

You can’t go wrong with some vibrant hues! 

Scatter over microgreens, edible flowers, citrus zest twirls, pickled onion or berries. 

Dazzle  

Go the extra mile with your dessert by using  

• Edible glitter, crumbled biscuits, candy floss tufts.  
• Chocolate shavings, a chocolate drizzle, dusting of cocoa or icing sugar.  
• Fresh citrus zest, candied ginger, fresh fruit pulp.  
• Store-bought dessert topper, sparklers or confetti.  
• Pre-plating – plate up the main or dessert and serve it to your partner to make it feel that much fancier! 

Words by: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg 
Photographs: Fresh Living Magazine, Shutterstock 

The post Inexpensive ways to jazz up date nights meals  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Not only do you get a nutritious fill with these yummy fish parcels with baby marrow, but you can cook the full meal in the microwave and have dinner ready in 15 minutes!

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS
250 g hake
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil, to drizzle
Handful origanum
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ cup flaked almonds, toasted
6 baby marrows, halved
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Handful basil, roughly chopped

METHOD
1. Cut a 20 × 10 cm heart shape from a piece of baking paper. Place the hake in the middle. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil, then sprinkle with origanum and garlic powder. Season.
2. Fold in the edges of the baking paper to make a parcel. Microwave on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
3. Carefully open the parcel. Sprinkle flaked almonds and lemon zest over the hake.
4. Toss the baby marrows in oil and microwave for 5 minutes. Drizzle with the vinegar and garnish with basil.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto

The post Fish parcels with baby marrow appeared first on MyKitchen.

No matter where you are in our beautiful country, you will be met with a rich variety of traditional meals that date back to the very start of South Africa’s formation. Keep reading to see the best local dish from your province. You will know these amazing meals for either their taste, their popularity or both!

By Taryn Wilson

GAUTENG – Mogodu with ting

A delicious tripe stew that is slow-cooked for a long period of time and paired with ting, a porridge made from fermented sorghum.

WESTERN CAPE – Bobotie

Traditionally made with mince, this hearty dish incorporates spices and an egg-and-milk top layer, which is then left to cook in the oven before enjoying. Raisins, apples, and apricot jam can even be added to up the sweetness of this local favourite.

TRY IT: Snoek bobotie

NORTHERN CAPE – Roosterkoek and venison potjie

Bread dough is moulded into thick square-like shapes and cooked over an open fire to make these perfect braai snacks. These are best paired with braai meat or potjies for an amazingly full meal.

TRY IT: Bacon and cider roosterkoek

EASTERN CAPE – Umngqusho (Samp and beans)

Samp (unhusked corn), is paired with beans to make a warm and filling side dish to meaty stews.

TRY IT: Umngqusho 

KWAZULU-NATAL – Bunny chow

An ever-growing favourite, bunny chow comprises a spicy curry, usually with mince, which is placed inside the hollowed out centre of a loaf of bread.

TRY IT: Mutton-curry bunny chow 

Free State – Potjiekos

Potjies are traditionally a social gathering, where three-legged pots are heated over a fire and various meats, vegetables and spices are gradually cooked, and later enjoyed with home-baked potbrood (pot bread) or roosterkoek.

TRY IT: Tomato bredie potjie with parsley pesto and potbrood

Limpopo – Chicken feet and cow heels

These delicacies are slow-cooked until soft and enjoyed with various sides including samp, beans and pap.

Mpumalanga – Mashonza (mopane Worms)

Mopane worms are a favourite dish of the Venda people of South Africa. They are typically cooked and enjoyed with tomatoes, onions and garlic, making for quite the nutritious meal.

The post What is the best local dish from your province? appeared first on MyKitchen.

Swoodles? We just can’t get enough of sweet potato noodles! If you don’t have a spiraliser at home, just use your veggie peeler to slice long strips from your sweet potatoes. And then cook them into our chicken and swoodle stir-fry, of course.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 40 min

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
2 chicken breast fillets, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 mielies, kernels only
1 red onion, peeled and cut into petals
1 cup chopped spinach
4 sweet potatoes, peeled
5 carrots, julienned

METHOD
1. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the chicken until browned and cooked through, 15 minutes. Season and remove from pan.
2. In the same pan, fry the corn and onion for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes, until wilted. Season well. Remove from the pan.
3. Use a spiraliser or vegetable peeler to cut the sweet potatoes into noodles or ribbons.
4. Cook the noodles and carrots in the same pan for 5 minutes, until tender, stirring or tossing them. Add a drizzle of oil.
5. Return the other ingredients to the pan, mix, heat through and serve.

The post Chicken and swoodle stir-fry appeared first on MyKitchen.

Once you have all the necessary equipment, a holiday in the great outdoors can be an amazingly cost-efficient venture. And just because you’re kicking it outdoors, doesn’t mean you have to resort to unhealthy and expensive readily-prepared supermarket meals. A little planning can go a long way, and we’re here to help you make your summer camping trip a fun, cheap and healthy endeavour.

By Mikaela Kagan

Avoid buying deli meats
You can save a lot of money by avoiding expensive deli and lunch meats. We recommend you wait for those yummy braai packs to go on sale and buy in bulk. You can keep it frozen until you’re on your way. As a veggie (and even cheaper) alternative, why not pack in some delicious and healthy protein substitutes like tinned beans, lentils or chickpeas? These will go beautifully with a mixed green salad, or even served hot in a stir-fry.

Pack your cooler wisely
Throwing away food is a quick way to waste money, and you’ll definitely end up wasting time and food if you don’t pack your cooler wisely:

1. Pack your eggs on top in a solid carton and keep them on top. It’s an unnecessary expense to buy a special camping container for eggs.
2. For products like butter and cheese, make sure they are packed in waterproof containers. Once water gets in, they will take on an unpleasant and unpalatable texture (even though it’s still perfectly fine), and some family members will be put off.
3. Try to pack only what you will need. No matter how careful you are, the chances of fresh goods surviving two car trips and time exposed to the hot weather are not high.

Bring reusable cutlery
Not only will reusable cutlery be good for your pocket – it’s environmentally friendly too. Also, it will add less weight and clutter to your gear if you aren’t lugging around piles of knives and forks.

The post Camping eats for the budget-conscious appeared first on MyKitchen.