Enjoy a bowl of crisp and colourful goodness with these five refreshing summer salad recipes. These are perfect for easy lunches, summer picnics and light dinners.  

Traditional caprese salad with Galbani fresh mozzarella 

Serves 6 // Cooking time 15 minutes 

Ingredients

4 tomatoes
4 balls Galbani fresh mozzarella
1½ cups basil
⅓ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
⅓ cup walnuts 

Method 

1. Slice the tomatoes and Galbani fresh mozzarella into 5–8 mm thick slices.
2. Arrange alternating layers of tomato, Galbani fresh mozzarella and basil on a serving platter.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Crumble the walnuts over the top just before serving to prevent them from becoming soggy.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Gareth van Nelson // HMimages.co.za 

Summer bread salad 

Serves 4 // Cooking time 50 minutes 

Ingredients 

500g rosa tomatoes
115ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
Leftover baguette, torn up
80g butter
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
Salad leaves, to serve
1 avocado, sliced 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Toss the tomatoes with 1 tbsp oil and season.
3. Place in a roasting tin and roast for 30 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, add the bread. Dot with butter and sprinkle with lemon zest.
5. Bake until the bread is crispy and the tomatoes are slightly shrivelled.
6. Allow to cool, then mix 100ml oil, mustard, sugar and lemon juice to make a dressing.
7. Add roast tomatoes and salad leaves and toss to coat. Serve with crispy bread and sliced avocado.

Recipe & styling: Jules Mercer
Photography: Gareth van Nelson/HMimages.co.za 

Leftover turkey Caesar salad with parmesan crumb 

Serves 4 // Cooking time 10 minutes 

Ingredients 

For the dressing 

1 tsp anchovy paste
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp Parmesan 

For the turkey Caesar salad 

1 cup crusty bread, torn
6 baby gem lettuces
1½ cups shredded leftover turkey
¼ cup Parmesan
4 eggs, boiled and halved 

Method 

For the dressing 

1. Whisk together the anchovy paste, mustard, lemon juice, garlic and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Add the mayonnaise and Parmesan. Cover and refrigerate.

For the turkey Caesar salad 

1. Heat some olive oil in a pan and toast the chunks of bread until golden brown. Season lightly and set aside to cool.
2. Arrange the lettuce leaves in a serving dish. Top with turkey, croutons and Parmesan.
3. Add the eggs and serve with the dressing on the side.

Tip: Tearing the bread apart with your hands instead of slicing it will give your croutons loads of extra texture and crunch, and the jagged edges will hold your flavourful dressing perfectly. 

Recipe & styling: Dylan Norton
Photography: Gareth van Nelson // HMimages.co.za 

Salad jar with smoked chicken and rice noodles 

Makes 1 // Cooking time 15 minutes 

Ingredients 

For the sauce 

1 garlic clove, grated
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp white-wine vinegar
1½ Tbsp sugar
½ lime, juiced
½ red chilli, thinly sliced 

To serve 

1 cup rice noodles, cooked
½ cucumber, ribboned
1 carrot, peeled and julienned using a peeler
1 smoked chicken breast, shredded
Handful fresh coriander 

Method 

For the sauce 

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

To serve 

1. Layer the jar, starting with rice noodles, followed by vegetables, chicken, herbs and seasoning, and dress with sauce.

Tip: If you aren’t a fan of rice noodles, simply swap them out for your favourite grain instead. 

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za 

Supercharged spanspek and paprika steak salad 

Serves 2 // Cooking time 30 minutes 

Ingredients 

1 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
500g rump steak
½ spanspek, peeled, deseeded and sliced into half moons
½ cucumber, ribboned
½ red onion, thinly sliced into rings
Handful fresh coriander
Handful fresh mint
1 tbsp vinegar
½ tsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil 

Method 

1. Combine paprika and olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Rub over the steak. Set the steak aside to come to room temperature.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a griddle pan or frying pan. Fry the steak for 4 minutes on each side until it is medium rare, or until the desired temperature.
3. Take it out of the pan and let it rest.
4. Arrange the spanspek, cucumber, red onion and coriander on a plate.
5. Make a quick dressing by mixing vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Drizzle half of this over the plate.
6. Slice the steak thinly and arrange it on top of the salad. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the steak salad and garnish with the leftover mint and coriander.

Recipe & styling: Leila-Ann Mokotedi
Photography: Jotham van Tonder // HMimages.co.za 

The post 5 fresh summer salads to beat the heat  appeared first on MyKitchen.

This season we’re loving melon in all forms. Enjoy this delicious melon & chilli margarita.  

Melon & chilli margarita 

Serves 2 

The fresh sweetness of spanspek is boosted by hints of chilli, deepening its flavour.  

Combine 2 Tbsp each sugar, sea salt flakes and 1 chopped red chilli. Dip the rims of two cocktail 1 pitted glasses in lemon juice and coat with sugar mixture. Set aside. Blend 1½  cups spanspek until smooth. Place in a cocktail shaker and add 2 tots (50ml) tequila, 1 juiced lime, 1 tot (25ml) simple syrup, 5 mint leaves and ½ deseeded red chilli (optional). Top up with crushed ice and shake for 30 seconds. Fill glass with ice and strain over cocktail. Serve garnished with melon slices.  

Recipes & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg 

Photographs: Fresh Living Magazine 

Also read: Pineapple margaritas with chilli and lime

The post Melon & chilli margarita  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Don’t let loadshedding stop you from serving mom an eye-catching feast fit for royalty this Mother’s Day, says editor Chad January.  

Snack spread 

Keep the lunch cravings at bay with these moreish snacks to keep you full while the coals heat up. 

Spanspek salad with salami & mozzarella 

Serves 4-6 (as a starter) 

You can swap out salami for shredded chicken and mozzarella for crumbled feta or dollops of cultured crème. 

Peel and deseed half a spanspek (sweet melon). Cut into 4 wedges, then very thinly slice each wedge lengthways. Halve and slice 2 nectarines in the same way. Place 1 packet (80g) rocket, ½ punnet (10g) fresh basil, stems discarded, and ½ sliced red onion into a large salad bowl. Top with fruit slivers and toss together. Dot with 200g fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini) and 1 packet (100g) Italian salami. Season, drizzle with olive oil and add a squeeze of lemon juice. 

Phyllo baked camembert 

Serves 4-6 (as a starter) 

Take it up a notch and wrap camembert in streaky bacon before wrapping in pastry for added flair.  

Place 1 sheet phyllo pastry onto a clean surface and brush with melted butter. Top with another pastry sheet and repeat process another four times. Place 1 (125g) camembert wheel into the centre of the pastry and scrunch up the ends to enclose, creating a parcel. Wrap the “parcel” neatly in two layers of foil making sure it is secure. Create a well with medium-hot coals, placing the phyllo parcel in the centre. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, turning regularly until pastry is cooked and cheese has melted. Unwrap, place on a serving platter, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with chopped mixed nuts. Serve immediately with crackers or bread. 

Cider-fried chorizo with olives 

Serves 6 (as a starter) 

Adding cider to the pan creates a rich, spiced gravy – the perfect dip for crusty bread or pita chunks. 

Heat a glug of canola oil in a cast iron pan over medium-hot coals. Slice 1 coil (300g) chorizo into 2cm-thick slices and fry for 3-4 minutes until crisp. Add 2 fresh or dried bay leaves, a few thyme sprigs and 2 cups (500ml) cider. Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes. Spoon into a serving dish and add 1 packet (200g) drained kalamata olives and toss to cover in sauce. Serve while warm with bowls of hummus and crunchy veg or bread as dippers. 

Words by: Chad January
Recipes & photographs: Fresh Living Magazine 

The post Loadshedding-friendly meals for Mother’s Day  appeared first on MyKitchen.

A supercharged dish with loads of flavour, this sweet and spicy spanspek and paprika steak salad is the perfect way to end off summer.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 30 min

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
500 g rump steak
½ spanspek, peeled, deseeded and sliced into half moons
½ cucumber, ribboned
½ red onion, thinly sliced into rings
Handful fresh coriander
Handful fresh mint
1 tbsp vinegar
½ tsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil

METHOD
1. Combine paprika and olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Rub over the steak. Set the steak aside to come to room temperature.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a griddle pan or frying pan. Fry the steak for 4 minutes on each side until it is medium rare, or until the desired temperature.
3. Take it out of the pan and let it rest.
4. Arrange the spanspek, cucumber, red onion and coriander on a plate.
5. Make a quick dressing by mixing together vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Drizzle half of this over the plate.
6. Slice the steak thinly and arrange it on top of the salad. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the steak salad and garnish with the leftover mint and coriander.

Recipe & styling: Leila-Ann Mokotedi
Photography: Jotham van Tonder // HMimages.co.za

Who knew steak had so many delicious flavour pairings? These coffee steak sarmies are deliciously savoury.

The post Supercharged spanspek and paprika steak salad appeared first on MyKitchen.

We’re making rum the new gin with these divine winter rum, spanspek and rooibos spritzers! Enjoy them throughout the year for something sweet.

MAKES 2 // COOKING TIME 10 min

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup cubed spanspek, plus
2 thinly sliced wedges
2 rooibos teabags
5 tbsp boiling water
5 tbsp honey
¼ cup dark rum
1 cup sparkling white wine
1 cup sparkling water

METHOD
1. Heat a griddle pan over high and char the spanspek cubes and wedges. Allow to cool.
2. Steep rooibos in the boiling water until strong. Let cool.
3. Blend together the spanspek cubes, rooibos tea and honey until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve or piece of muslin cloth to make a melon cordial.
4. Divide the spanspek cordial between 2 glasses. Top with ice, rum, sparkling wine and sparkling water.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

The post Winter-ready rum, spanspek and rooibos spritzers appeared first on MyKitchen.

This quick and easy melon caprese salad adds an extra kick with some delicious Galbani fresh mozzarella pieces! Check out how to make this dish here:

INGREDIENTS
100 g green exotic tomatoes
1 spanspek, peeled and seeded
1 ball Galbani fresh mozzarella
Handful basil
¼ cup olive oil

METHOD
1. Thinly slice the tomatoes, spanspek and mozzarella.
2. Arrange tomatoes, spanspek and mozzarella on a platter.
3. Scatter with basil, drizzle with olive oil and season.

The post Melon caprese salad appeared first on MyKitchen.