Say farewell to dull desk lunches! With these quick pasta lunchbox ideas, you’ll twirl your way through the workday with flavour and flair. Easy to prepare, fun to pack and guaranteed to make your colleagues jealous. 

5-ingredient pasta bake   

Serves 3-4   

Ingredients  

3 wheels feta 
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 
2 punnets (250g each) cherry tomatoes 
Handful fresh basil, chopped plus extra to serve 
Olive oil, for drizzling 
Salt and milled black pepper 
1 packet (500g) macaroni, rigatoni or fusilli 
Chilli flakes, to serve 

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.  
2. Arrange feta, garlic, tomatoes and basil in a deep ovenproof dish. Drizzle with oil and season.  
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven and use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up feta and tomatoes.  
4. Bake for another 10 minutes.  
5. Toss tomato and feta mixture through cooked pasta and season well.  
6. Serve hot and scattered with basil and chilli  

Recipe and styling: Chad January
Photographs: Zhann Solomons

Chilli oil peanut noodles  

Serves 2-3 

Ingredients  

2 cloves garlic, grated 
1 Tbsp fresh ginger 
2 Tbsp chilli flakes 
2 tsp sugar 
¾ cup vegetable oil 
1 Tbsp chilli oil 
1 cup smooth peanut butter 
3 Tbsp soy sauce 
3 Tbsp water 
2 packets (73g each) 2-minute noodles 
¼ purple cabbage, finely chopped 
3 spring onions, sliced 
1 lime, sliced into wedges 

Method  

1. Place garlic, ginger,chilliflakes and sugar into a large heat-safe bowl.  
2. Heat the oils in a pan until sizzling hot, remove and slowly pour over spices – be careful, the mixture will foam up. Cool thechillioil slightly.  
3. Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce and water, addchillioil then whisk to combine. 
4. Cook noodles according to packet instructions (discarding theflavoursachet), drain and toss through peanut chili sauce.  
5. Toss the cabbage and spring onions through the noodles,divideinto bowls and finish with a squeeze of lime. 

Recipes and styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Cheesy bacon noodle cups  

Makes 9-12 

Ingredients  

3 Tbsp butter 
2 cloves garlic, grated 
1 Tbsp mustard powder 
Salt and milled pepper 
2 Tbsp flour 
2 cups milk 
1 cup grated cheddar + extra for topping 
2 packets (73g each) 2-minute noodles, chopped 
100g streaky bacon, cooked and chopped finely 
100g mozzarella, cut into small pieces 
Handful chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)  

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.  
2. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. 
3. Add garlic, mustard powder and seasoning then fry until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute.  
4. Add flour and whisk to combine. Gradually pour in the milk while continuously whisking, then cook until thickened and smooth, about 8 minutes.  
5. Remove from heat, add cheddar and mix through.  
6. Cook 2-minute noodles according to packet instructions (discarding theflavour sachet), drain and toss through cheese sauce along with ¾ of the chopped bacon.  
7. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin thoroughly.  
8. Fill tin with scoops of noodle mixture, nestle pieces of mozzarella in each cup, along with final sprinkling of cheddar, bacon and seasoning.  
9. Cook for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling.  
10. Use a knife to loosen each noodle cup, then allow them to cool in the tin before removing.  
11. Sprinkle with parsley and wrap in wax paper for your lunchbox. 

Recipes and styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons

Green pasta salad 

Serves 2-3  

Ingredients 

For the sauce   

1 cup plain double-cream yoghurt  
1 avocado 
Handful coriander, leaves picked  
100g spinach blanched and squeezed  
¼ cup lemon juice  
Salt and milled pepper  

100g fine green beans  
200g sugar snap peas 
120g shelled edamame beans (or use green peas)
300g pasta or pasta rice (we used orecchiette), cooked and cooled  
1 avocado, diced or quartered  
Handful toasted almonds, chopped 
Handful micro herbs or baby leaf mix   

Method 

1. Combine the sauce ingredients and blitz until smooth using a stick blender. (You can thin the sauce down with a splash of water, if you like).   
2. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil andset a separate bowl of ice water next to it.  
3. Drop the beans and peas into the boiling water and boil for 45 seconds. Then, remove the beans and peas using a slotted spoon and submerge in iced water.  
4. Toss pasta through sauce and divide between plates.  
5. Toss together the greens then dress lightly in olive oil and spoon onto pasta.  
6. To serve, sprinkle with nuts and leaves. 

Recipe & styling: Liezl Vermeulen 
Photographs: Donna Lewis

Also read: 3 Great lunchbox snacks for your little ones

The post Workday wins: Inspiration for 4 quick pasta lunches appeared first on MyKitchen.

Keep little tummies happy with these three lunchbox snack ideas that are tasty, fuss-free and parent-approved. 

Pinwheels  

Makes: 20  

Ingredients  

Flour, for dusting 
½ cup peanut or almond butter 
½ tsp cinnamon 
¼ cup brown or treacle sugar, or honey   

Method  

1. Ona lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry into a rectangle about 3-4mm thick.   
2. Combine nut butter, cinnamon and sugar or honey.  
3. Spread mixture evenly over pastry, leaving a 2cm border on the long side furthest from you.   
4. Roll pastry up into a log, starting from the longest side.  
5. Chill pastry in the fridge until firm. 
6. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.   
7. Slice pastry roll into 20 rounds. Arrange on the baking tray, leaving 2cm between each round.  
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.   
9. Remove from oven and sprinkle with extra cinnamon sugar if you like.   
10. Cool completely before packing into an airtight container.

Recipes & photos courtesy of Fresh Living Magazine 

Oh-so-cheesy muffins 

Makes 12   

Ingredients 

3 Tbsp (45ml) melted butter
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 cups (400g) self-raising flour
½ tsp (2.5ml) salt
Milled pepper
1 large egg
⅞ cup (220ml) milk
⅓ cup (80ml) sour cream
⅓ cup (80ml) canola oil
Handful of parsley, chopped 
1-2 sprigs thyme and/or rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
2 cups (400g) grated mature Cheddar
1 cup (110g) mozzarella, cubed  

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. Mix together butter and half of the garlic.Brush a 12-hole muffin pan with the garlic butter and reserve leftover butter for topping. 
3. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, sour cream, oil, herbs and remaining garlic. 
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then add in Cheddar (reserving about ½ cup for topping.)
6. Use an ice-cream scoop to portion the mixture into the muffin tray. 
7. Stuff the mozzarella cubes into the centre of the batter. 
8. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and sprinkle with reserved Cheddar. 
9. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 
10. Serve warm or cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Words: Lichelle May 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

No-bake power balls 

Makes 22-25 // Total Time 30 min 

Ingredients 

⅓ cup peanut butter 
⅓ cup honey or syrup 
1 cup rolled oats 
½ cup desiccated coconut 
½ cup almond flour 
½ cup dark chocolate, almonds or dried cranberries, chopped  

Top Tip: No almond flour on the shelf? Simply blitz a handful of almonds until it resembles flour. 

Method 

1. Combine the peanut butter and honey or syrup in a bowl. 
2. Stir through the remaining ingredients until combined. 
3. Place the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill. 
4. Use a tablespoon to scoop portions of the mixture. 
5. Rolla portion between the palms of your hands to shape it into a ball. Repeat this process until you have 22-25 power balls. 
6. Store them in an airtight container for up to 15 days. 

Top tip: When you get to Step 2, you can fold in all sorts of dried fruit and nuts depending on what you think is yummy. 

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

The post 3 Great lunchbox snacks for your little ones appeared first on MyKitchen.

The internet is raving about these recipes. The Birria taco might just be our favourite.

Editor Chad January has tried these viral recipes so you can make them at home to get loads of likes. Things are about to get spicy, cheesy, messy and delicious. 

Beef Birria 

Serves 8-10 

Birria is a traditional Mexican dish of beef or lamb slow cooked in a red chilli broth.  

Ingredients 

2kg beef short rib 
1kg beef chuck, bone in Glug canola oil, plus extra for frying 
1 Tbsp salt 
1 tsp milled black pepper 
3 Tbsp smoked paprika 
2 Tbsp ground cumin 
1 Tbsp ground coriander 
2 red or white onions, quartered 
1 garlic bulb, halved 
3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks 
3-4 fresh bay leaves 
6 fresh red chillies, halved 
2 sticks cinnamon 
2 cups beef stock 
2 cups water Handful fresh oregano 
Handful fresh coriander, plus extra for serving 
1 can (410g) tomato purée 
2 Tbsp brown sugar 
1 lemon, juiced  

Method 

1. Rub beef short rib and beef chuck with oil to coat. 
2. Combine salt, pepper, paprika, ground cumin and ground coriander in a bowl. Rub meat with spices, taking care to coat evenly.
3. Heat oil in a large 8L pot (or use two pots to fit all the meat, if needed). 
4. Brown beef in batches for 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside. 
5. Add onions, garlic, carrots, bay leaves, chilli and cinnamon and fry for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. 
6. Add meat back into pot, pour over beef stock and water and scatter with fresh herbs. 
7. Cover with a lid and simmer over a medium-low heat for about 2 ½ – 3 hours or until meat is tender and falls off the bone. 
8. Remove meat from sauce and set aside to cool slightly. 
9. Blitz sauce with tomato purée until smooth. 
10. Add sauce to a clean pot, stir through sugar and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. 
11. Shred meat, discard bones and add meat to sauce. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly. 
12. Remove from heat, stir through lemon juice and coriander and season to taste. 
13. Serve in a taco

Birria taco 

Serves 1 

1. Dipping the tortilla in the meat sauce gives you all the oil you need for frying, plus extra flavour. 
   
2. Dip 1 medium flour tortilla into beef birria meat sauce and fry in a hot pan for 1-2 minutes per side. 
   
3. Fill one half with ¼ cup shredded beef birria meat, ¼ cup grated mozzarella and 1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander. 
   
4. Fold tortilla to enclose filling, add a knob of butter, cover with a lid and allow to steam for 3-5 minutes. 
   
5. Serve hot sprinkled with fresh coriander, sliced jalapeño and pickled red onions. 

Feta fried basil pesto eggs 

Serves 6 

Swap out the feta for cheddar or mozzarella and replace basil pesto with a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce instead.   

Ingredients 

¼ cup melted butter 
3 wheels feta, crumbled
6 large eggs 
¼ cup basil pesto 
Salt and milled black pepper   

To serve 

Fresh or blistered cherry tomatoes
Toasted ciabatta or sourdough slices 
Crème fraiche or cream cheese   

Method 

1. Heat a little butter in a frying pan. 
2. Sprinkle some feta into the pan in the shape of a doughnut. 
3. Crack 1 egg into the centre and fry uncovered for 3 minutes. 
4. Add a drizzle of basil pesto, season and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until feta has crisped and egg is cooked to your liking. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. 
5. Serve on toast with tomatoes and dollops of crème fraiche or cream cheese.

Coriander lime noodles 

Serves 2 

Use sweet chilli sauce instead of oyster sauce to make the sauce vegan.  

Ingredients 

1 punnet (20g) fresh coriander, chopped 
½ red onion, finely chopped 
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
2 limes, zested and juiced 
3 Tbsp brown sugar 
2 tsp medium curry powder 
1 tsp smoked or regular paprika 
1/3 cup canola oil, hot 
3 Tbsp soy sauce 
2 Tbsp oyster sauce 
½ packet (250g) noodles or pasta of choice, cooked   

Method 

1. In a large heatproof bowl, combine fresh coriander, onion, garlic, lime zest and juice, brown sugar, curry powder and paprika. 
2. Whisk in hot oil until well combined. 
3. Stir through soy sauce and oyster sauce and mix well. 
4. Fold noodles into sauce to coat evenly. Serve hot.

Best-ever roasted sweet potatoes 

Serves 4 

This recipe works with any root veg: think Nicola potatoes, turnips, cauliflower…   

Ingredients 

3 Tbsp melted butter 
3 Tbsp olive oil 
3 Tbsp grated parmesan 
2 Tbsp sesame seeds 
1 Tbsp dried mixed herbs 
6 orange or regular sweet potatoes, cut into chunks 
Salt and milled black pepper  

To serve 

¼ cup plain yoghurt 
2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander 
1 lime, zested 
Pinch chilli flakes 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Add butter and oil to a greased deep roasting dish. 
3. Sprinkle with parmesan, sesame seeds and dried mixed herbs. 
4. Score each sweet potato in a criss-cross pattern, taking care not to cut all the way through the flesh. 
5. Place sweet potatoes into a bowl, drizzle with an extra glug of oil, season well and toss to coat. 
6. Arrange sweet potatoes cut side down over cheese and seed mixture. 
7. Roast for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked through and golden. 
8. Combine yoghurt, coriander, lime zest and chilli flakes and season. Serve with sweet potatoes as a dipping sauce.

Words: Chad January

Photography: Zhann Solomons

Also read: 5 viral TikTok kitchen hacks to try at home

The post Tasty trends as seen online appeared first on MyKitchen.

If there is one book that stood out to me this year, it’s Lucy Burton’s Postal Bakes.

With more than 60 simple, yet decadent recipes that can easily be posted, Lucy’s bakes tempt the reader into the kitchen with ease.  

Baking blogger, food stylist and wedding cake maker – she started out by selling her brownies and blondies on Instagram in March 2022.  

During the pandemic, Lucy decided to make her delicious baked goods with one small change – all of them would be ready to be posted! What I appreciate the most about this book is that every recipe can be made in the same tin, ensuring that the home baker has no need to go out and buy gadgets and gizmos of different sizes.  

What’s more, Lucy also shares packaging tips and tricks to ensure that your baked goods look as good as they taste. While our postal service is unreliable in South Africa and we’re a few years away from being able to safely post food items, the recipes and advice in this book are helpful for homemade gifts that would serve well for birthdays, parties or around Christmas.  

My favourites are her brownies and truffles, both of which are serious crowd-pleasers!  

Words by Fatima Saib

Photography: Unsplash, Courtesy Image

The post Learn to make tasty homemade gifts with Postal Bakes appeared first on MyKitchen.

This Portuguese chicken recipe is super tasty, easy to make and has less than 7 ingredients, excluding pantry staples of course!

SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 15 min // COOK TIME 1 hr 5 min

INGREDIENTS
6 skin-on chicken pieces
2 tbsp + 1 tsp Portuguese spice mix
1 tbsp oil
2 bell peppers, cored and diced
1 cup white rice
1 tin (410 g) tomato & onion mix
½ cup frozen peas
Parsley, to garnish
Lemon juice, optional

METHOD
1. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and rub all over with 2 tbsp Portuguese spice, salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan. Cook the chicken pieces skin-side down until crisp. Turn and cook until browned all over. Set aside on a plate.
3. Lower the heat and add the bell peppers. Cook until slightly softened, but still tender. Add in the rice and stir-fry until it smells nutty and is starting to pop. Add in 1 tsp Portuguese spice mix and fry for a few seconds until aromatic.
4. Add in the tinned tomato & onion mix and 2 cups of water, then stir well to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. Place the chicken pieces back in the pan along with any juices. Cover the pan with a lid or piece of tin foil and place in the oven for 40 min or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
6. Place the peas in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes, then drain. Remove the covering from the pan and move the chicken to a plate. Stir the peas through the rice. Place the chicken pieces back on top of rice and grill for 8–10 minutes or until chicken is golden and crisp.
7. Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of lemon juice, if desired. 

Recipes & styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen, Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Chanelle Naudt

Spice up your spaghetti and meatballs, the ultimate childhood comfort food, by making our delicious Mediterranean meatball recipe. 

The post Portuguese chicken with rice appeared first on MyKitchen.

These Hawaiian chicken burgers are the perfect summer dish. Easy-to-make, refreshing and super tasty! Serve with potato wedges and you’re good to go!

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME ± 20 mins

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
4 chicken breast fillets, butterflied
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 pineapple, peeled and sliced
¼ cup mayonnaise
4 hamburger buns, halved and toasted
Lettuce, to serve
1 tomato, sliced, to serve
Potato wedges, to serve

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan set over medium heat. Season each chicken breast and fry until golden-brown and cooked through, about three minutes a side.
2. Melt the butter in another pan, and then cook the onion until caramelised.
3. Fry the pineapple rings in the same pan.
4. Spread mayonnaise on each hamburger bun and layer with lettuce, tomato, chicken breast, caramelised onion and fried pineapple as desired. Serve with potato wedges on the side.

The post Hawaiian chicken burgers appeared first on MyKitchen.