A fun and zesty mocktail for cooling down on those sweltering days.

Lemon & lime rooibos fizz 

Serves 6 

Ingredients

For the popsicles 

1 peach or plum, thinly sliced
250-300ml rooibos iced tea

For the fizz 

Ice
¾ cup lime juice
1L Sprite
Small handful mint leaves 

Method

1. For the popsicles, add slices of stone fruit to each mould, then fill with iced tea.
2. Seal with lids and freeze for at least 3 hours. If you don’t have lids, freeze for 1 hour or until half-frozen, then add wooden popsicle sticks to each and freeze until solid. (You can keep skewers upright by sticking tape on either side of sticks.)
3. Unmould popsicles once frozen.
4. Add a handful of ice to six glasses and pour 2 Tbsp lime juice into each.
5. Top up with soda, then finish each with a few mint leaves and a popsicle.

Recipe & styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photography by: Zhann Solomons

Also read: Frozen mangorita

The post Lemon lime & rooibos fizz  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Creating an airtight chamber allows the rooibos to burn into little embers that release a lot of smoke. The smoke has nowhere to escape to so it’s forced to settle on the nearest surface, which is the cream, thus infusing easily. 

Smoky rooibos no-churn ice cream

Makes about 2L

Ingredients

10 rooibos tea bags 
3 cups whipping cream 
2 cans (385g each) condensed milk
¼  cup full-cream milk 
Seeds of ½ vanilla pod (or 1 tsp vanilla essence)  

For the rooibos syrup 

1 cup caster sugar 
½  cup hot water 
4 rooibos tea bags  

Method

1. Fold a piece of foil in half and mould it into a small bowl shape. Tear open 6 rooibos teabags and empty the contents into the foil bowl. Place this foil bowl into a medium-small stainless-steel bowl. 
2. Pour the cream into a separate bowl with the last 4 teabags (intact) and heat for about 1½ minutes until warm. Stir well to encourage the rooibos to infuse. 
3. Place the two bowls (cream and rooibos) next to each other on a baking tray. 
4. Cover the entire baking tray with two layers of foil, leaving one end open.
5. Light the rooibos on fire with a blowtorch, hovering the flame over the loose-leaf rooibos long enough to ensure it burns properly, creating little embers that produce smoke. Quickly fold the foil closed very tightly, capturing the smoke inside.
6. Set aside for 30 minutes to infuse. Do not open. 
7. Add rooibos syrup ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil for another 10 minutes until reduced and thick. Set aside to cool. 
8. Open the foil chamber and place the smoked cream in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
9. Discard the burnt rooibos and teabags submerged in the cream.
10. Add cream to the bowl of a stand mixer.
11. Whisk cream until it reaches stiff peaks, about 45-60 seconds. Take care to not over whip.
12. Add the condensed milk, milk and vanilla, whisk for another 15 seconds until completely combined. 
13. Pour mixture into a 2L freezer-safe container. 
14. Drizzle cooled rooibos syrup over the ice cream and swirl through using a spatula. Place clingfilm straight onto the surface of the ice cream and freeze overnight or until solid. 
15. Scoop balls of ice cream onto cones and serve alongside dessert or enjoy on its own, savouring the beauty of the smoke-infused cream.

Recipe & styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photography: Zhann Solomons

Also read: The science of smoking food  

The post Smoky rooibos no-churn ice cream appeared first on MyKitchen.

Autumn just got a whole lot sweeter with these easy pear recipes! From a creamy cardamom and pear breakfast to a fresh salad, and even a delicious tart, the crunchy pear is the star of these yummy dishes.   

Creamy cardamom & pear overnight oats 

Serves 4  

Ingredients 

1 cup oats
2 cups pear juice
2 cardamom pods, crushed
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp salt
2 cups plain yoghurt
3 pears, 2 chopped + 1 sliced
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp cinnamon 

Method 

1. Mix the oats, pear juice, cardamom pods, ground cardamom and salt together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Fold through the yoghurt and chopped pear.
3. Top with sliced pear, peanut butter and cinnamon.

Recipe: Jezza Rae Larsen
Styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Jotham van Tonder // HMimages.co.za 

Steak & pear salad with homemade mint dressing 

Serves 4  

Ingredients 

For the steak 

500g steak
2 Tbsp olive oil  

For the dressing  

2 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
2 Tbsp chopped mint
⅓ cup olive oil
Salt and milled pepper 

For the pear salad 

1 cup watercress
2 cups rocket
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 pear, cored and thinly sliced
1 disc feta, crumbled
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted 

Method 

For the steak 

1. Heat a griddle pan over high heat. Drizzle the steaks with olive oil and season generously.
2. Grill for 2–3 minutes a side, then remove from the heat and rest before slicing into thin strips.

For the dressing 

1. Whisk all ingredients in a bowl. Season.

For the pear salad 

1. Toss the watercress, rocket, radishes and pear slices together in a bowl.
2. Top the salad with feta, pumpkin seeds and slices of steak.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad or serve on the side.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za 

Rooibos & pear frangipane tart 

Serves 6  

Ingredients 

For the rosé-poached pears 

2 cups rosé wine
2 cups water
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup rooibos tea leaves
5cm lemon rind
1 cinnamon stick
3 pears, peeled  

For the pastry  

125g butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp baking powder
1½ cups cake flour
3-4 Tbsp cold water 

For the frangipane crème 

100g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
1 cup almond flour
1 Tbsp cake flour 

To decorate 

Flaked almonds, toasted  

Method 

For the rosé-poached pears 

1. Place all ingredients, except the pears, in a pot and bring to a simmer.
2. Add the pears and simmer for 20 minutes, until soft but not falling apart.
3. Strain out the pears, slice and remove the cores. Set aside.

For the pastry 

1. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add egg yolk, vanilla and baking powder. Whisk until well combined.
3. Using your beater on a low speed, add the flour and water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until the dough comes together. Roll into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 170°C and grease a springform cake tin.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1cm thick. Press into the base of the tin and prick all over with a fork.

For the frangipane crème 

1. Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla until pale.
2. Add the egg and mix well.
3. Fold in the almond flour and cake flour.

To assemble 

1. Spread the frangipane crème over the pastry. Arrange the poached pears on top. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
2. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown and set.

Recipes & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto 

Also read: Biltong and pear tartlets

The post 3 Pear recipes perfect for autumn  appeared first on MyKitchen.

These custard slices are just as scrumptious without the crumble or white chocolate, so leave them out if you prefer! 

Rooibos and vanilla custard slices

Makes 6 (8x6cm rectangles) 

Ingredients

400g puff pastry, defrosted

For the rooibos custard 

3 cups (750ml) milk, warmed
2 Rooibos tea bags
¾ cup (170g) caster sugar
5 Tbsp (50g) cornflour
6 egg yolks, room temperature
⅓ cup (80g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

For the cinnamon crumble

½ cup (75g) flour
⅓ cup (67g) brown sugar
7 Tbsp (105g) butter, room temperature
1 heaped tsp (6ml) ground cinnamon

To assemble 

80g white chocolate, melted

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC. 
2. Roll puff pastry to 3mm thick. Cut pastry into two 20x20cm squares. Prick all over with a fork.  
3. Line a tray with baking paper. Place one pastry square on top, then cover with a second sheet of baking paper. (If you have another baking tray, do the same with the second pastry square, otherwise bake one at a time).  
4. Cover both evenly with dried rice or beans to weigh it down.  
5. Bake pastries for 20 minutes, then remove beans and paper and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden-brown.  
6. For the rooibos custard, warm milk and tea bags in a pot over high heat until steaming hot. Remove from the heat, stir well to release tea and set aside for 15 minutes to infuse. 
7. Return to stove and heat until steaming hot and set aside again for 10 minutes to infuse some more. Remove and discard the tea bags. 
8. Whisk together sugar, cornflour and egg yolks in a bowl until smooth.  
9. Slowly add ¼ cup of the warm milk infusion to the egg mixture in a steady stream while continuously whisking. (This tempers the eggs, preventing them from overheating and scrambling.)  
10. Add remaining milk infusion in a steady steam while whisking. 
11. Pour mixture back into the pot over medium heat and add the butter.  
12. Cook mixture over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, for about 5-8 minutes or until thickened and smooth. Lower heat as needed to avoid vigorous bubbling.   
13. Set a glass bowl and fine mesh sieve on a work surface. Strain custard to remove any lumps.  
14. Line a cake tin bottom and sides with foil.  
15. Place one pastry sheet into the tin, pour over custard and smooth with a spatula to level.  
16. Gently press the second pastry square onto the custard.  
17. Cover entire tin with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to set.  
18. To make the crumble, preheat oven to 200°C.  
19. Using your fingertips, rub crumble ingredients into a rough crumb. 
20. Sprinkle onto a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool. 
21. Remove custard slice from tray and gently slice 6 squares using a bread knife.  
22. Lather melted chocolate on top of squares and sprinkle with crumble topping.  
23. Serve immediately with a cup of Rooibos tea. 

Pastry not playing ball? 

What happens if your pastry squares shrink, becoming smaller than the tin size? Before adding the custard, pull the tin foil lining away from the sides of the tin and up in line with where the base pastry square stops. Insert a small container or object to neatly take up the empty space left on the sides of the tin. This way, the tinfoil will lean against the containers as you pour in the custard, keeping the custard compact and in line with the pastry. Top with the second pastry square and cover as above.   

Recipes: Sjaan van der Ploeg and Fresh Living Magazine
Photographs: Zhann Solomons and Fresh Living Magazine

Also read: Rooibos-pear frangipane tart

The post Rooibos and vanilla custard slices appeared first on MyKitchen.

What’s tastier than freshly-brewed iced tea? We share our favourite iced tea recipes that will keep you hydrated and refreshed this summer.

Strawberry and basil iced tea 

Makes 1L • Total Time 15 Min [Plus Refrigeration] 

Ingredients

1L boiling water 
2 Tbsp honey 
½ punnet basil, plus to garnish 
125g strawberries, halved, plus to garnish 
2 teabags Hibiscus tea  

Method

1. Add water, honey, strawberries and basil to a pot over medium heat.
2. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Pour mixture into a heat-safe jug and add teabags.
4. Set aside to infuse for 5 minutes, then remove teabags and refrigerate until cold.
5. Strain liquid to remove any bits of fruit.
6. Top with water.
7. Serve poured over ice, and garnish with berries and basil. 

Lemon and mint green iced tea 

Makes 1L • Total Time 15 Min [Plus Refrigeration] 

Ingredients

1L boiling water 
2 teabags Green tea 
6 mint leaves, plus to garnish 
2 lemons, sliced 
2 tbsp honey  

Method

1. Combine the boiling water, teabags, mint and lemons in a heat-safe bowl or jug.
2. Add the honey and stir to dissolve.
3. Set aside to infuse for 5 minutes, then remove the teabags and refrigerate until cold.
4. Top up with water to taste.
5. Serve poured over ice, and garnish with lemon and mint. 

Make The Best Brew 

It’s true: there is a correct way to make a pot of tea — even iced tea. Here are some tried-and-tested tricks: 

1. Don’t brew it for ages.
Once the teabag has been in hot water for more than 10 minutes, it starts to release the bitter tannins of the tea leaves. Aim for the sweet spot between 5 and 7 minutes.   

2. Be patient.
When it comes to letting the iced tea cool – don’t rush. It will be worth it. Remember to add a generous amount of the all-important ice when serving!  

3. Do a taste test.
Check the sweetness and add more honey if you like. Be sure to let it dissolve before you take it off the heat. If not, the honey will settle at the bottom.  

Like A Teacup and Saucer 

Some flavour combinations are just simply meant to be. Bring out the best in these four teas:   

Peppermint Tea
Adding lime to this tea will add a zing of freshness.  

Chamomile Tea
Grate a 2cm piece of fresh ginger into this tea for a punchy immunity boost.  

Earl Grey Tea 
Bring out the citrus notes with a few slices of the real deal. Orange and lemon will work well.   

Rooibos Tea 
The classic combo of rooibos tea and fresh peaches is a heavenly match.  

Words by Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photography: Fresh Living Magazine

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Besides being the perfect sidekick to a good book; a break after a long day’s work and accompanying many a sweet delight, tea is just as good for the body as it is for the soul. We look at different types of herbal teas and their health benefits. 

Rooibos
Tasty, healthy and native to South Africa. Like green tea, you can enjoy a delicious cup with or without milk and sugar. Brewed using leaves from the Rooibos plant, it’s packed with antioxidants and is low on tannin. This sweet-tasting herbal tea is also caffeine free – which means children and breastfeeding mothers can drink it.   

“Rooibos and honeybush teas provide a natural, rich source of compounds beneficial to your health and people should see these herbal teas as part of a healthy, sensible lifestyle that could alleviate the risk of cancer, and reduce its possible extent,” says Dr Jeanine Marnewick, Cape Peninsula University of Technology.  

Ginger tea
Made from aromatic spice, ginger tea is delicious and a trusted go-to when you want a remedy for motion sickness and nausea. According to registered dietician, Brigitte Zeitlin, ginger root has medicinal properties and drinking ginger tea can bring forth alleviating properties as well.   

Ginger tea also helps with inflammation. “Drinking ginger tea can be wonderfully soothing, as it may not only help alleviate nausea, but it can also help control inflammation in the body because it contains the substances gingerol and shogaol,” says plant-based registered dietitian, Amy Gorin. 

Peppermint tea
Who needs coffee when you can sip a refreshing cup of peppermint tea? This delicious beverage, which can be enjoyed hot or cold, is made from the dried leaves of peppermint plants. One of its many benefits is the relief of headaches. “The type of headaches that peppermint tea usually helps with are those caused by poor eating habits or daily stress. In these cases, these headaches typically restrict the number of blood vessels that go to the brain, and peppermint tea has the ability to open them up, which can relieve the tension causing the headache,” explains certified holistic health coach Bianca Kamhi.   

Does a cup of mint tea keep the dentist away? Apparently so! According to Kamhi, peppermint tea can also curb bad breath. “Peppermint holds a number of antibacterial properties which can kill germs in your mouth. This – along with its pleasant and fresh smell – may help freshen your breath,” she says. 

Chamomile tea
Ready for a good night’s rest? Chamomile tea is known to help you relax and fall asleep easier. “Chamomile is a very gentle, supportive herb for all ages that you can consume daily,” says nutritionist and herbal educator, Lindsay Kluge. “The caffeine-free herb is an ideal sleep support because it doesn’t force your body into anything; it doesn’t knock you out, sedate you, or make you drowsy,” she further explains. So, snuggle up with a cosy blanket in bed and enjoy your warm cup of chamomile tea to kickstart your restful night. 

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