Peanut butter and dark chocolate dipped fruit
INGREDIENTS
- 1 punnet kiwis, halved
- 1 punnet figs, halved lengthways
- 1 punnet strawberries, whole
- 1 ½ cups natural vegan peanut butter, warmed
- 1 ½ cups vegan chocolate, melted
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup peanuts, chopped
- 1 tbsp edible flower petals
- 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ cup pistachios, chopped
METHOD
LINE a tray with baking paper and assemble the kiwis, figs and strawberries on the tray.
PLACE peanut butter and chocolate in separate bowls. Add 1 tbsp of coconut oil to each bowl and stir.
PLACE peanuts, petals, salt and pistachios in separate bowls.
DIP a piece of fruit in either chocolate or peanut butter, then hold it above the bowl for a few seconds to allow any extra covering to fall back into the bowl. Place fruit on baking paper and decorate with your choice of topping before the covering sets. Use a teaspoon to drizzle chocolate or peanut butter over the fruit for a fun ribbon effect. Repeat with remaining fruit and decorate as desired.
PLACE tray with dipped fruit in the fridge for 15 minutes to set, then serve.
French-roast turkey with sage, pear and bulgur wheat stuffing
INGREDIENTS
- 1 x 2kg turkey, defrosted and excess fat removed
- 50g butter, softened
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 onions, peeled and chopped
- 2 leeks, chopped
- 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock
- 250ml (1 cup) white wine
- Stuffing cups
- 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 36 – 48 slices streaky bacon
- 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh sage, finely chopped
- 75g bulgur wheat, cooked
- 100g dried pears, finely chopped
- 35g dried breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, beaten
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Separate the turkey skin from the meat around the breast area, by using your fingertips and a knife, then press the butter in under the skin. Season the turkey well then tie the legs together with kitchen string.
2
Place the vegetables, stock and wine in the bottom of a large oven tray (preferably one with a tight-fitting lid). Place the turkey on a small wire rack over the vegetables, cover with foil or a lid and roast, 30 minutes for each kg, plus an additional 30 minutes (eg. a 2kg turkey will cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes). Remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking and roast until golden brown. Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
3
For the stuffing, preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the bacon strips until just golden but not crispy. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the onions over low heat until caramelised and golden, 8 – 10 minutes. Increase the heat then add the sage and stir-fry until crispy. Remove from heat and stir in the bulgur wheat, pears, breadcrumbs and egg. Season to taste.
4
Line a 12-hole muffin tin with three to four strips of bacon in a criss-cross style, then fill with the stuffing before roasting in the oven, 30 minutes. Serve the turkey with the delicious stuffing cups.
Naartjie and ginger beer-glazed gammon
INGREDIENTS
- 2kg – 3kg cured and smoked gammon, bone left in
- 2L ginger beer
- rind and juice of 5 naartjies
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 3 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 45ml (3 tbsp) muscovado sugar
- handful cloves
INSTRUCTIONS
1
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Place the gammon, skin-side down, in a large ovenproof roasting dish. Pour over 1,5L of the ginger beer, add the naartjie rind and juice from 3 of the naartjies, the onion, star anise and cinnamon stick. Cover the roasting dish with foil and place in the oven until the ham is tender, about 3 hours and 30 minutes. Pour off the cooking liquid and allow the gammon to cool slightly.
2
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the remaining ginger beet, naartjie rind and juice and the sugar until dissolved. Bring to a boil then simmer until slightly thickened to form a glaze, about 5 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 200 °C.
3
Lift the skin off the gammon, making sure to leave a layer of fat, then score the fat into diamond shapes. Press a clove into the tip of each diamond shape then return to the oven dish. Brush with the glaze and roast in the oven until caramelised, basting every now and then until golden brown and glossy, 20 – 30 minutes.
Garlic and rosemary roast potatoes
INGREDIENTS
- 2,5kg potatoes, peeled and halved
- vegetable oil, to fry
- 2 whole garlic heads, separated and unpeeled
- handful fresh rosemary sprigs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1
Place the potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil until just tender but still a bit firm. Drain the water off, place the lid on the pot and shake the pot once or twice to fluff the potatoes up on the outside. Spread out on a large baking sheet and allow to cool.
2
When you’re almost ready to serve, preheat the oven to 200°C and preheat a large baking tray (or two if necessary) with about 1cm oil in the bottom. When the oil is hot, carefully place the potatoes, garlic, rosemary and seasoning in the trays, leaving enough space in between so the potatoes can roast. Return to the oven and roast until golden and crunchy, about 40 minutes, turning every 15 – 20 minutes.
NOTES
Cooling the potatoes at the end of step 1 will give their outsides a lovely crunch.
Honey-roasted vegetable crumble
INGREDIENTS
- 1kg mixed vegetables (baby beetroot, carrots, Brussels sprouts, baby onions, leeks)
- 45ml (3 tbsp) honey
- 5 – 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- olive/avocado oil, to drizzle
- splash balsamic vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Crumble
- 60g wholewheat flour
- 60g cake flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 125g butter, cubed
- 40g mature Cheddar/Parmesan, finely grated
- 45ml (3 tbsp) fresh mixed herbs, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Arrange the vegetables in a large roasting tray (you can keep the different vegetables separate if you like) with the honey, thyme, garlic, oil and balsamic vinegar and season well. Roast in the oven until tender, golden and caramelised, 20 – 30 minutes. Remove from oven, but leave the oven on.
2
For the crumble, combine the flours and season well. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture forms a texture similar to rough breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheese. Spread out on a large baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden, stirring every now and then, 15 – 20 minutes. Stir through the chopped herbs and serve scattered over the roasted vegetables.
Spiced chocolate cheesecake with Christmas-cake crust
INGREDIENTS
- 100g ginger biscuits, crushed
- 100g Christmas cake, crumbled into pieces
- 50g butter, melted
- 200g full-fat cream cheese
- 400g ricotta cheese
- 75g castor sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 40g cocoa powder
- 30ml (2 tbsp) brandy (optional)
- 5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 100g good-quality dark chocolate, melted
- 200g dark chocolate, melted, to decorate
- cocoa powder, to dust
INSTRUCTIONS
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 22cm spring-form cake tin.
2
In a food processor, pulse the crushed biscuits, Christmas cake and butter together until combined then press into the base of the lined tin.
3
Place the cream cheese, ricotta and sugar in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the eggs, cocoa powder, brandy, if desired, cinnamon and the cooled, melted chocolate and mix to combine. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and bake in the oven until just set, 25 – 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow to cool in the tin. Once completely cool, refrigerate overnight.
4
To serve, unmould the cheesecake onto a cake stand and allow the cake to come back to room temperature before decorating with the melted dark chocolate and dusting with cocoa.