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Having seen okonomiyaki being made on MasterChef Australia I was really excited to find a recipe for this in Upwards. I made these Japanese pancakes for lunch and both Dave and I really enjoyed them. Skip ahead to the recipe for Okonomiyaki What is okonomiyaki? Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake which originated in Japan. A … Continue reading Okonomiyaki
I had this caper mocha butter at the launch of Upwards, and came straight home to make it. Because I did that, I had to use what was in my kitchen, rather than what was in the recipe. I switched out Tabasco for my homemade sriracha, and used a freshly made espresso instead of instant coffee. … Continue reading Caper Mocha Butter
I had a little bit of my togarashi left over so I adjusted the recipe for furikake in Upwards to only use what I had. Since then I have used this blend numerous times when making flatbreads. It really is an amazing addition to that, as well as a great topping for bread. Skip ahead … Continue reading Furikake
Karen recommends using sardine butter on steaks and fish. Or under the skin of a chicken that you are going to roast. She loves this with new-season radishes, which was an entirely new concept to me. I had plenty slathered onto toast when I was on a bread baking spree. Skip ahead to the recipe … Continue reading Sardine Butter
Packed full of fresh coriander, flat leaf parsley, and a little bit of chives and lemon zest, these hake fish cakes will make for a perfectly simple meal any day of the week. Skip ahead to the recipe for Hake Fish Cakes Hake fishing in South Africa Merluccius capensis is one of our greatest exports, and … Continue reading Hake Fish Cakes
The key to making this confit garlic butter is to cook it low and slow. You want the garlic to be soft to the touch, and you do not want the butter to boil. Once cooled it is blended into a homogeneous compound butter, which can be served as is, or remelted to add on … Continue reading Confit Garlic Butter
These chocolate macadamia biscuits are a healthy, gluten free treat. I made a small batch, but you could easily double up the recipe. They will keep well if stored in an airtight container and make a great lunch box addition for children. Skip ahead to the recipe for Chocolate Macadamia Biscuits When biscuits are good … Continue reading Chocolate Macadamia Biscuits
This chocolate ginger slice is made from a base of condensed milk and chocolate, to which I have added nuts and cookies for texture, candied ginger for spice and dried cherries for something different. Use this recipe as a base and create your own flavour profile. Skip ahead to the recipe for Chocolate Ginger Slice … Continue reading Chocolate Ginger Slice
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is a chocolate based dessert heavy on the cherries. It served as inspiration for my black forest rusks which are full of chocolate and cherries. As I used a sugar free 80% dark chocolate, these are not overly sweet. Skip ahead to the recipe for Black Forest Rusks Full disclosure These rusks did … Continue reading Black Forest Rusks
You will need a lot of patience to make these dried cherries. The total time they take to dehydrate will be anything from 9 hours onwards, depending on the texture you want. I preferred to use them when they were still soft. Skip ahead to the recipe for Dried Cherries Making dried cherries In December, … Continue reading Dried Cherries
Given that we had salami curing in our kitchen, I felt I really had to make the easy cheesy salami bread from Jan Braai Junior! This bread does not need kneading, making it perfect for young hands. The high hydration recipe results in a soft bread, with texture from the meat. Skip ahead to the … Continue reading Cheesy Salami Bread
The key to making the perfect Maître d'Hotel Butter is to use the finest butter you can find. Once all the ingredients are blitzed together you can shape it into a log and wrap it tightly to use when you need a little oomph on a dish. Perfect to use on any steak, a beautifully … Continue reading Maître d’Hotel Butter
These candied ginger cookies get texture from the candied ginger slices, and extra heat from ground ginger. I absolutely love the flavour ginger brings to sweet treats, and if you are the same, then these are ideal for you. Skip ahead to the recipe for Candied Ginger Cookies Let's talk about candied ginger A few … Continue reading Candied Ginger Cookies
To have a change from my usual smoothie, I made this berry smoothie from Jan Braai Junior. As Jan suggests, this can be enjoyed in the car which is exactly where I have my smoothie every morning. Skip ahead to the recipe for Berry Smoothie Morning routines Do you have a morning routine? I do, … Continue reading Berry Smoothie
These almond cookies have the most amazing texture, reminiscent of marzipan. The key to the flavour in my opinion is using a very good quality almond extract. Skip ahead to the recipe for Almond Cookies Giving gifts The day I posted about not having to buy gifts for Dave's family, I went gift shopping. One … Continue reading Almond Cookies
These polpette in salsa al limone are baked in the oven for 2 and a half hours. That sounds like an impossibly long time for a meatball, but trust me, they will be perfectly moist. Make a double batch and freeze half for a quick weekday meal. Skip ahead to the recipe for Polpette In … Continue reading Polpette In Salsa Al Limone
Kladdkaka is a dense cake with a soft interior. Think of a molten chocolate cake with a crispy crust.You can serve it with a red fruit coulis, red summer fruits, cream, or ice cream. I served mine with an olive leaf gelato. Skip ahead to the recipe for Kladdkaka Sweet treats The name kladdkaka derives … Continue reading Kladdkaka
To make my microwave cheesecake I went and bought two new bowls from a local wholesaler. Then, to take a pretty photograph I decided to make two of these! I also used the excuse of perfecting the recipe to make them more than once, which meant I had a lot of cheesecake to enjoy. Skip … Continue reading Microwave Cheesecake
Olive leaves add an earthy, slightly bitter taste to this olive leaf gelato, which is tempered with lemon peel. You can eat this for indulgence, or for the polyphenols and flavonoids found in the leaves, offering a treat that is good for your health. Skip ahead to the recipe for Olive Leaf Gelato Using olive … Continue reading Olive Leaf Gelato
I needed 300mls milk stout for a recipe so I bought a 500ml can, knowing I could use the rest to make this milk stout bread. It is a no knead recipe, and as it uses baking powder, there is no proving time either. This quick bread comes together with very little effort, making it … Continue reading Milk Stout Bread