Make the most of your favourite kitchen staple to enjoy this budget-friendly perfect pap with sausages and roasted grapes recipe!

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 40 min

INGREDIENTS
For the pap
¾ cup pap
1 cup milk
3 cups chicken stock
Pinch nutmeg
½ tsp thyme
For the sausages
4 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, grated
5 thyme sprigs
6 bangers
250 g red grapes
¼ cup white wine

METHOD
For the pap
1. In a large bowl, stir together the pap and milk. Use a fork to prevent lumps from forming.
2. Bring the chicken stock, nutmeg and thyme to a gentle boil.
3. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Gradually add the pap.
4. Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.
For the sausages
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Heat the butter in an ovenproof pan and gently fry the garlic and thyme until fragrant.
3. Brown the sausages, remove from the pan. Fry the grapes until soft.
4. Pour over the wine and transfer to the oven to roast for 10 minutes.
5. Spoon the hot pap on to plates and top with a sizzling banger and some grapes. Dress each plate with a drizzling of pan juices.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Gareth van Nelson // HMimages.co.za

Loved this dish? Try our pap squares with oxtail!

The post Perfect pap with sausages and roasted grapes appeared first on MyKitchen.

Braai season is here, which means that it’s time to dust off your trusty cooler bag for outdoor adventures! But before you get too excited and throw everything in your cooler, make sure you’ve followed these steps to get all your cooler bag essentials prepped and ready for the summer season!

By Taryn Wilson

THE PREP WORK

1. Get the right cooler for you. If you love to carry around a lot of drinks, food and tools, you ’ll want to invest in a sturdy and solid cooler box as opposed to a soft material bag.
2. Make sure that you clean your cooler box/bag thoroughly and that it is dry and ready to use the day before you intend to pack it. If it doesn’t dry properly, it will start to smell musty.
3. Keep your cooler cold for longer by ‘pre-chilling’ it with ice bags inside.

THE FOOD

1. Head out before the time to buy all the foods you want to take with, and package them yourself to fit in the cooler box.
2. If you’re going to a braai, you know what meat you’ll want to include. Don’t forget to include some drinks, a salad or side dish, and some snacks.
3. Always pack plenty of water.
4. Don’t overstock on food (unless you love braai leftovers the next day)
5. Keep certain tools ready-packed in your cooler. You’ll always want to have a knife, spoon, dishcloth and some braai tongs on hand.

PACK IT UP

1. If you choose to bring ice, this will help to keep your cooler box cold, and you’ll be able to use the ice for your drinks throughout the day. However, reusable frozen blocks and packs are much more convenient and cause less mess than ice blocks. If you don’t have, frozen dish sponges make the most amazing and convenient ice blocks!
2. Once you have everything together, pack some ice/ice packs in the bottom. Then start adding the food, with softer ingredients on top. Pack more ice on top and down the sides.
3. Keep your cooler box tightly closed when you aren’t getting something out or putting something back in.
4. Leave packing the cooler box until right before you leave – this will allow your items to stay colder for longer, especially for long drives.

Image: freshoffthegrid.com

The post Pack the perfect cooler bag for your summer outings appeared first on MyKitchen.

Who doesn’t love spending a Sunday morning whipping up some yummy pancakes and filling them with a variety of ingredients that leave you drooling? The best part is, pancakes can be savoury or sweet and completely depend on your preference, which is why we love them so much! Making pancakes can often be a hit or miss though, with a few flops every now and then. Try this basic pancake recipe and our tips for making perfect pancakes every single time!

By Taryn Wilson

THE RECIPE

MAKES 20 // COOKING TIME 30 min, plus 5 hours cooling time

INGREDIENTS
1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
3 eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
2 cups milk

METHOD
1. Sift flour, sugar and salt into a bowl. Add the eggs, oil and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the milk, whisking until the batter is lump-free.
2. Strain into a jug and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or overnight.
3. Heat a pan and rub with butter, swirling to coat fully. Ladle a little bit of batter into the pan (you want to keep the pancakes as thin as possible).
4. Flip over once the edges are golden, then cook for another 30 seconds.
5. Serve with toppings of your choice.

THE TIPS

1. Make sure you are using a good non-stick/well-greased pan.
2. Wait unitl the pan has fully heated up before you start pouring your mix in.
3. Use a ladle to measure out just enough mix for each pancake so that they are all the same size and thickness.
4. Swirl your batter around the pan as soon as you ladle it in to coat the whole bottom. If you want an even thinner pancake, pour out any extra batter once you have swirled.
5. Use a plastic/silicone spatula to carefully lift the edges of the pancake. Make sure the pancake is not stuck to the pan before flipping over.
6. And remember, no matter who you are, the first one always burns.

Recipe: Amerae Vercueil
Image: Unsplash

The post How to get your perfect pancakes, every time appeared first on MyKitchen.

We aren’t kidding with this roast chicken – it really is the perfect dish! Added with some sweetness and potatoes or veggies on the side, and you have a wonderful homemade meal.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper
1.8 kg chicken
200 g red grapes

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200°C and grease a baking tray.
2. Mix the oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Rub chicken with this mixture, then place on the tray and roast for 30 minutes.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C and add the grapes. Roast for 30 minutes, until the chicken skin is crispy and the grapes are soft and bursting.

The post The perfect roast chicken with roast red grapes appeared first on MyKitchen.