The lowdown on spices…

Popular South African Spices include:

Garam Masala:

Don’t forget!

Salt makes food sing by suppressing bitterness, enhancing sweet and savoury, and turning up the volume on the aromas.

Ginger:

Fennel:

Fennel can be used in soups and stews. Fennel and seafood also go well together like peas in a pod.

Garam masala has endless culinary uses. It is usually added to curries, vegetable dishes, soups, or stews. It can be used while tempering dals, added to marinades, or sprinkled over papadums.

Turmeric:

Convenient for baked foods, sauces, curries, and chutneys, and for sprinkling on applesauce and other cooked fruit and vegetable dishes.

Cumin:

Cumin is an essential spice for Indian curries and chutneys. The spice also works well in a variety of rice dishes, stews, soups, breads, pickles, barbecue sauces, and chili con carne recipes.

Madras Curry Powder:

Madras curry powder is very versatile, and you can use it wherever a recipe calls for curry powder or whenever you want to spice up a dish. It is great tossed with roasted vegetables, or in mayonnaise to make curried potato salad.

Coriander:

Coriander seeds are used to season dishes and add aroma. It can be used in all types of curries, pickles, chutneys, and sauces.

Turmeric is widely used in cooking and gives any curry its flavour and yellow colour. It is also used in mustard and to colour butter and cheese. A very versatile spice.

Peri Peri:

Peri-peri is most commonly used on chicken and fish, but

Allspice: to give you that delicious braai taste. It works brilliantly on chops, steak, ribs and even just added to marinades or as table salt.

You can use allspice in a variety of recipes that are sweet or savoury such as cookies, pumpkin pie, spice cake, spicing for sausage and glazes for ham.

Chocolate Plum Mini Cheesecakes

COOKING TIME

30 MINS

Chocolate Plum Mini Cheesecakes

By @nourishing.amy

Makes 6 INGREDIENTS

For the base:

• 60g almond or cashew butter

• 60ml (70g) maple syrup

• 75g oat flour

• 50g ground almonds (or more oat flour)

• a pinch of salt

For the cheesecakes:

• 200g vegan cream cheese

• 45g almond or cashew butter

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

• 20g dark chocolate, melted

For the filling and topping:

• 3 South African plums

• 100g dark chocolate

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

• Whipped cream

• Chopped chocolate

• Crushed pistachios

Method

1. Line and grease 6 muffin holes with cupcake cases or overlap parchment paper so you can easily lift out the cups (or use a greased, loosebottomed tray).

2. Make the bases: stir together the nut butter and syrup until smooth and then stir in the oat flour, ground almonds and salt to reach a cookie dough consistency. Divide into 6 pieces, roll into balls and place one ball in each muffin hole. Press down the mix to make even and compact bases.

3. Slice 2 of the plums into thin strips and place one round of plum on top of each base and press in slightly. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

4. For the cheesecakes: beat the cream cheese with a spoon (or mixer) until smooth. Now stir in the almond butter and maple syrup. Divide the mix into two and into one bowl, add the melted chocolate (work quickly as this mix starts to harden over time).

5. Place both cheesecake mixes in separate piping bags and snip off the ends (or use a large round nozzle).

6. Remove the bases from the fridge and pipe over a layer of the chocolate cheesecake mix into each hole. Smooth over with a spoon and top with the plain cheesecake mix and smooth over the top. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the topping.

7. Melt together the chocolate and coconut oil and pour over the cheesecakes, spreading it to the edges. Return to the fridge to set fully for 2-4 hours or overnight.

8. When set, slice the third plum into wedges. Top the cheesecakes with some whipped cream and a slice of plum. Sprinkle over the chocolate and pistachios, if desired and enjoy.

9. Eat straight from the fridge or allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. These Chocolate Plum Mini Cheesecakes will keep for one week in the fridge in a sealed container or in the freezer for 2-4 weeks and can be eaten straight from the freezer or allowed to reach room.

How about a warming cinnamon and South African nectarine muffin, topped with a crunchy crumble.

Peppermint Crisp Tart

By Reezwanah Seedat

Ingredients

• 2 packets tennis biscuits

• 1 tin caramel treat

• 1 tin Nestle cream or fresh cream

Method

• Beat the Nestle cream and caramel treat until smooth.

• Layer in a dessert cups alternating with the crushed biscuits, caramel mixture and mint chocolate. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

• Decorate with caramel, cream and chocolate.

Top Tip

Add pecans and mint chocolate in between layers, as an option.

Peach Upside Down Cake

By Mokgadi

Makes 1 large cake

INGREDIENTS

• 60g coconut oil

• 150ml dark brown sugar

• 15ml lemon juice

• 6 peaches, halved and pitted

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 cups cake flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2½ cups soya milk

• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• Juice of 1 lemon

• ½ cup sunflower oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Peach glaze

• 6 peaches, pitted and halved

• 60ml brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 tablespoon water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a cake pan with baking paper.

2. In a saucepan, mix the sugar and lemon juice together over low heat.

3. Add the coconut oil and stir until mixture dissolves and starts to bubble.

4. Add the peach halves, cinnamon and stir for 5minutes over medium heat.

5. Pour the mixture into the cake pan, making sure that the peach halves are arranged with the flat side facing up at the bottom of the pan.

6. In a mixing bowl, add the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

7. Mix until well combined, then set aside.

8. In a jug, mix the soya milk, apple cider and lemon juice together.

9. Leave to curdle for 10 minutes at room temperature.

10. Whisk the curdled milk together, before adding the oil and vanilla essence.

11. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk the batter until smooth.

12. Pour the batter over the spiced peaches and bake for 45 minutes.

13. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan.

14. While the cake bakes, make the peach glaze by combining the peach halves, brown sugar, cinnamon and water in a saucepan over medium heat.

15. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the peaches are glazed, for about 5minutes.

16. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and top it with the peach glaze.

17. Serve with whipped coconut cream.

Chocolate Cake

By Reezwanah Seedat

INGREDIENTS

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

• 2 tablespoons cocoa

• 1¼ cup flour

• ½ cup oil

• ½ cup boiling water

• 3 teaspoons baking power

METHOD

1. Beat the egg and sugar until light and creamy.

2. Sift the cocoa and flour and add to the fold into the egg and sugar mixture.

3. Add the vanilla essence.

4. Combine the oil and water and oil to cool, then add to the cake mixture and beat lightly.

5. Lastly, add the 3 teaspoons baking powder

6. Bake for 20 minutes.

7. Top with choc ganache.

FOR CHOC GANACHE

• 1 big slab milk or whole nut chocolate.

• Melt in microwave with a few drops of oil. Ensure you check to avoid burning.

• ½ to ¾ cup of tinned Nestle or fresh cream

• Add a little at a time to form a thick creamy ganache.

South African Nectarine Crumble Muffins

By Divya Sharma, Doctor Bowl

Makes 6 INGREDIENTS

• 2 South African nectarines, chopped

• 2 cups oat flour or plain wheat flour

• ¾ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons almond milk or any milk

• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

• ½ cup pure maple syrup or honey

• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar/plain sugar

For the Crumble:

• ½ cup plain flour

• ¼ cup coconut sugar/plain sugar

• ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ cup butter, cold

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

2. Mix all the crumble ingredients together until you get a fine crumble.

3. In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients together: oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients: milk, oil, sugar and maple syrup.

5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Whisk until just incorporated, making sure no flour patches remain. Fold in chopped nectarines.

6. Pour batter evenly into a prepared muffin pan.

7. Sprinkle on the crumble on top.

8. Bake for 22-30 minutes.

Oven baking instructions can be found on the LANCEWOOD® website

Creamy Air Fryer Cheesecake

By LANCEWOOD®

INGREDIENTS for crust

• 200g coconut biscuits, finely crushed

• 90ml butter, melted

INGREDIENTS for filling

• 460g (2 tubs) LANCEWOOD®

Medium Fat Plain Cream

Cheese

• 385g condensed milk

• 4 extra large eggs

• 75ml lemon juice

• 5ml vanilla essence

• 45ml corn flour

Optional toppings:

• Berry or cherry coulis

• Caramel sauce

• Mint & berries

• Lemon curd & meringues

Method

Crust:

1. Line the base of a 20 cm springform pan with baking paper or spray with non-stick spray.

2. Mix the biscuits with the butter and press firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan. Set aside.

Filling:

1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the condensed milk and beat until well combined.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add the lemon juice and vanilla essence and beat in.

3. Sift in the corn flour and beat into the mixture.

4. Pour into the prepared crust.

Air fryer baking:

1. Carefully place into the basket of the air fryer. Set the temperature to 180°C and air fry for 5 minutes.

2. Lower the heat to 150°C and air fry for 15-20 minutes.

3. Note that the cheesecake will not be set in the centre. Leave inside the air fryer for 45 minutes to cool down. Remove and cool to room temperature.

4. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until firm. Decorate or Serve with your preferred toppings.

5. Please note that air fryer cooking times are a guideline as temperatures may vary. Please adapt cooking time accordingly.