Introducing the Love Birds from Timamoon Lodge. Featuring stuffed chicken breasts with cheese, strawberries and red pepper, this recipe by chef Kelly Hammond is the ideal date night treat.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 40 min

INGREDIENTS
For the stuffed chicken breasts
3 tbsp finely chopped basil
3 tbsp crumbled feta
2 tbsp finely chopped red pepper
2 tbsp plain cream cheese
¼ cup chopped strawberries
2 skinless chicken breasts
For the basil sauce
½ cup cream
2 tbsp basil pesto
For the salsa
¼ tomato
¼ cup chopped strawberries
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
¼ jalapeño, seeded and chopped
¼ avocado, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp lemon juice

METHOD
For the stuffed chicken breasts
1. Mix together all the ingredients, except the chicken, and season well with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest part of each chicken breast to make a pocket. Use the stuffing mixture to stuff the chicken breasts. Press closed and secure with toothpicks.
3. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and refrigerate.
For the basil sauce
1. Add the cream and pesto to a pot over medium heat. Stir continuously until thickened.
For the salsa
1. Toss the tomato, strawberries, red onion, jalapeño and avo together. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and then season to taste.
To assemble
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Heat some oil in an oven-proof pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes on one side.
3. Flip the chicken breasts and transfer to the oven for about 8 minutes, until cooked. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the toothpicks and slice the chicken breasts. Drizzle with the pan juices and serve with the pesto sauce and strawberry salsa.

Recipe, styling & photography: Kelly Hammond

Serve your Love Birds with these traditional Peruvian grapefruit cocktails.

The post Strawberry stuffed chicken breasts for date night at home appeared first on MyKitchen.

Born and raised in KwaZulu-Natal, Lentswe Bhengu is a celebrity chef and TV personality and his latest venture is co-judging the KFC Taste Kitchen TV show. We were lucky enough to catch up with him to get to know him a little better.

By Ulisha Moodley

MK: How did you get involved with food?
LB: I’ve been eating since before I was born.

MK: What is it like being a judge on a cooking show?
LB: It’s quite a serious responsibility. Between myself and Lucia, we have to choose one winning duo from 11 teams of very talented and aspiring cooks

MK: Do you have a signature dish?
LB: Wild mushroom risotto.

MK. What is your favourite veggie?
LB: Wild mushrooms.

MK: Who is your favourite Instagrammer?
LB: @thejapanesecuisine

MK: Do you have any pet peeves about the food world?
LB: People who don’t taste their food.

MK: What are your top five favourite restaurants?
LB: The Short Market Club, The Pot Luck Club, Bolton Road Collection, The Potato Shed and Rust en Vrede

MK: What did you hate eating as a child?
LB: Avocados – now I love them.

MK: What is your favourite dessert?
LB: Malva pudding.

MK: What’s next for you and your food?
LB: A new cooking show (hopefully) and a travel journal with recipes and intimate Taste Africa dinners.

For more on Lentswe, follow him on Instagram @iam_lentswe.

The post Quick fire Q&A with Taste Kitchen judge Lentswe Bhengu appeared first on MyKitchen.

From MasterChef to opening her own business, Lungi Nhlanhla is taking the foodie world by storm. When the youngest contestant on MasterChef SA made it to the finals, we paid attention. Then we watched as she took on the daunting role of food editor for Drum. Now, she is combining her love of food, writing and events management, in her own bespoke culinary business and blog, Lungi’s Corner.

MK: What do you love most about food?
Lungi: South Africa has so many diverse and distinct cultures, each with a deep history and a different approach to food. I think we should be exploring what we have to offer on home soil before looking for inspiration elsewhere. Some of our best chefs are doing just that: modernising traditional recipes and ingredients; fusing cultures while respecting our culinary heritage. Food is a great way for us to learn about each other. When you learn a recipe, you’re not just learning about a cuisine, but about the people that make and enjoy the dish, as well as their cultural context. Every dish has a story.

MK: What’s hot on the local food scene?
Lungi: Forget curly kale, local greens (like morogo, imfino and imbuya) are all the rage. There is also a renewed emphasis on reinventing simple ingredients. Take pap (which I think should be our national dish): you can turn it into anything, from polenta to pizza. But my favourite way to eat it
is the way my family taught me: with chicken stock, herbs, sweetcorn, onions and butter.

MK: Any trends we should know about?
Lungi: People want fine dining at home. We want the luxury of good food, but in
the comfort of our homes – it’s a fun challenge! I’m a huge fan of salad, but nothing is more off-putting than a bland one. You can turn a bed of leaves into something spectacular just by adding fruit (I love pears and plums).

FOLLOW HER
Website: lungiscorner.co.za
Facebook: Lungi’s Corner
Twitter: @LungisCorner
Instagram: @lungiscorner

The post Quick Q&A with Lungi Nhlanhla appeared first on MyKitchen.