Swiss chard isn’t your average leaf, you can grow it in your garden and use it to prepare healthy snacks like Swiss chard roll-ups with chilli-peanut sauce. You can also use spinach leaves if you can’t find Swiss chard.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
For the chilli-peanut dipping sauce
⅓  cup peanuts
2 chillies
2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the Swiss chard roll-ups
12 Swiss chard leaves, steamed
1 cup hummus
½ cup brown rice, cooked
½ red cabbage, julienned
6 mini cucumbers, julienned
2 carrots, julienned
Handful coriander, chopped
Handful mint, chopped
Handful basil, chopped

METHOD
1. Briefly toast the peanuts and chillies in a dry pan until they are fragrant.
2. To make the sauce, blend together the peanuts, chillies and oil.
3. Lay out the Swiss chard leaves. Spread hummus on each leaf. Top with the rest of the ingredients and roll up tightly.
4. Serve the roll-ups with the dipping sauce.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

Looking for more healthy snacks to make with your greens? Try our chard and celery chips!

The post Swiss chard roll-ups with chilli-peanut sauce appeared first on MyKitchen.

Brinjals are a fantastic and filling veggie that can be incorporated into recipes in many different ways. We chose to make them the star of the dish with this brinjal involtini.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 50 min

INGREDIENTS
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
Handful parsley, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
Salt and pepper
1 large brinjal, thinly sliced lengthways
Olive oil, to fry
250 g ricotta
2 sprigs thyme, chopped
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Parmesan, grated, to sprinkle

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. To make the tomato sauce, place the tomatoes, parsley, cumin, coriander and pinch of salt in a pot. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
3. Sprinkle each slice of brinjal with salt and drizzle with oil on both sides. Fry over medium heat until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Mix ricotta, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest and ½ lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the tomato sauce into an ovenproof dish so it covers the bottom in a thin layer.
6. Place a spoonful of ricotta filling at the end of each brinjal slice. Roll it up around the filling and place seam-side down in the dish on top of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
7. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the involtini are nicely browned on top.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli

The post Brinjal involtini appeared first on MyKitchen.

If you’re looking for quick, affordable and healthy meal options then you should add these yummy brinjal and baby marrow roll-ups to the list!

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 50 min

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
6 baby marrows, thinly sliced lengthways
2 brinjals, thinly sliced lengthways
4 cups chopped spinach
1 wheel feta
Salt and pepper
1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
410 g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped origanum
½ tsp sugar

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Heat a griddle pan. Brush the baby marrow and brinjal slices with oil and grill until charred, about 3 minutes a side.
3. Steam spinach for 5 minutes, until wilted. Mix with the feta and season.
4. Fry the onion for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add tomatoes, origanum, sugar, and season. Cook for 15 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of water.
5. To assemble, place a slice of brinjal on top of a slice of baby marrow. Place 2 tbsp spinach in the middle, and then roll up the slices. Repeat.
6. Spoon the tomato sauce into an ovenproof dish and carefully add the roll-ups.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe & styling: Caro Alberts
Photography: Kendall-leigh Nash

The post Brinjal and baby marrow roll-ups appeared first on MyKitchen.

Change up your normal Caesar salad for these Caesar salad roll-ups. Not a fan of rice-paper? Opt for normal wraps or large spinach leaves instead.

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 30 min

INGREDIENTS
For the roll-ups
4 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
Handful cos lettuce
12 rice-paper wrappers
2 avos, peeled and sliced
For the dressing
½ cup yoghurt
4 tbsp water
½ clove garlic
1 tsp mustard
½ lemon, zested and juiced
2 anchovy fillets
1 tbsp Parmesan

METHOD
1. Season the chicken breasts and fry them in olive oil until golden brown. Slice into strips and set aside.
2. Remove the core from the cos lettuce and slice.
3. For the Caesar dressing, blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
4. To assemble, dip the rice-paper wrappers into warm water, one at a time. Lay them flat on a dish and carefully place the cos lettuce, followed by the avo and chicken, on top. Fold in the ends and roll up tightly.
5. Slice the roll-ups in half and drizzle with Caesar dressing

Recipe & Styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen

The post Caesar salad roll-ups appeared first on MyKitchen.

Planning your next dinner party? Prep these delicious roast beef roll-ups and place them out as a yummy snack as your guests arrive.

SERVES 8 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 30 min

INGREDIENTS
1 kg silverside beef
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
250 g cream cheese
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Zest of ½ lemon
30 g rocket

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Heat a large pan on high. Rub the beef with oil, salt and pepper. Sear the beef in the pan until browned all over.
3. Transfer beef to an ovenproof dish and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 1 hour.
4. Mix cream cheese, mustard, honey, parsley and lemon zest.
5. Cut the beef into thin slices against the grain of the meat.
6. Spread each slice of beef with cream cheese and then top with a rocket leaf. Roll up and secure with a bamboo skewer.

The post Roast beef roll-ups appeared first on MyKitchen.

Whether you need a starter for your Mediterranean feast, or you just need a healthy, energy-boosting snack to get you through that mid-afternoon slump, these brinjal roll-ups will become your go-to.

MAKES 10 // COOKING TIME 40 min

INGREDIENTS
For the tahini dressing
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
½ tsp maple syrup
Sea salt and black pepper
For the brinjal roll-ups
¾ cup white quinoa
Juice of 1 lemon
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
3 big brinjals
Olive oil, to shallow-fry
8 cherry tomatoes
½ tsp ground cumin
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 big celery stalk, thinly sliced
5 radishes, thinly sliced
20g coriander, roughly chopped
10g mint, roughly chopped
2 beetroots, sliced very thinly lengthways
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly lengthways
50 g blanched hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

METHOD
For the tahini dressing
1. Whisk all the ingredients together. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
2. If necessary, add 2 tbsp water until you have the consistency of a dressing (fairly runny).
For the brinjal roll-ups
1. Bring 2 cups water and 1 tbsp salt to the boil, lower to medium heat and add the quinoa. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until cooked and fluffy.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, squeeze the lemon juice over the avocado to stop it from going brown.
3. Cut the tops of the three brinjals off and slice lengthways into thin slices, about 3–5 mm thick.
4. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the brinjal slices in batches, until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towel. If necessary, add a bit of olive oil to the pan before each batch.
5. Finish by sautéing the cherry tomatoes with a generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Add the ground cumin.
6. Place the remaining ingredients (leave out the brinjal) in a bowl. Add the cooked quinoa and mix.
7. To assemble, add a spoonful of quinoa mix on to each brinjal slice and roll it up tightly. Place all of the brinjal rolls on a plate, putting them seam-side down so that they stay together.
8. Pour a bit of tahini dressing on top and serve with more quinoa salad on the side.

The post Quinoa and tahini brinjal roll-ups appeared first on MyKitchen.