As the saying goes: It never rains, but pours

Here is my recipe for a wonderful summer salad:

Butternut and red onion salad

Ingredients

2 Cups of raw butternut chunks

1 Medium red onion roughly chopped

½ Cup of mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, linseed and pine nuts)

¼ Cup of dried cranberries (optional)

Feta cheese (crumbled)

Baby spinach leaves

Steam the butternut chunks for about 7 minutes until just soft but still firm

Stand to cool off

Cover the chopped red onion in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain

Place the red onion in the following marinade:

Whisk together

½ Cup of red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon of caramel brown sugar

1 Teaspoon of whole grain mustard

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

Pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Marinade the red onion in this marinade for 20 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the butternut, seeds and cranberries and then add the onion and marinade and mix delicately

Place baby spinach leaves in a salad bowl, top with pumkin and seeds and lastly Feta cheese

Botterneut en rooi-ui slaai

Bestandele:

2 Koppies gesnyde Botterneutskorsie blokkies (ongekook)

1 medium rooi ui

½ Koppie gemengde sade (bv pampeonsade, sonneblomsaad en dennepitte)

¼ Koppie gedroogte cranberries (opsioneel)

Gekrummelde Fetakaas

Baba spinasie blare

Stoom nou die botterneutskorsie blokkies vir ongeveer 7 minute tot net sag, nie pap nie

Hou eenkant om af te koel

Sny die rooi uit redelik fyn en bedek met kookwater vir 5 minute. Dreineer

Plaas nou die gesnyde ui in die volgende marinade vir 20 minute

Marinade:

Klits saam:

½ Koppie rooiwynasyn

1 Eetlepel karamel bruinsuiker

1 Teelepel heelkorrelmosterd

1 Eetlepel olyfolie

Knypie sout en varsgemaalde swartpeper na smaak

Meng die pampoen, sade en gedroogte cranberries in ‘n mengbak en voeg die rooi-ui met die marinade by en meng goed. 

Plaas baba-spinasieblare in ‘n opdienbak en skep die slaai bo-op en eindig met gekrummelde Fetakaas.

Well, well well! Hello there!

I've been absent for a while, and have I got wonderful recipes for you!

It's summer in South Africa, and in Cape Town at the Southern point of Africa, the days are gorgeous with a wonderful sea breeze softening the African sun.

We had a wedding recently, hence my absence for a while. I'll share the amazing photographs in due time.

Let's start with a light summer recipe: chicken breast fillet roll with butternut and basil pesto. This dish is easy to make and will impress your guests. The idea of rolling the fillets may seem daunting, but don't worry too much about keeping everything together. Chicken has a way of retaining the shape you bake it in, so here goes . . .

Rolled chicken breast fillet with butternut and basil pesto

Ingredients:

4 Chicken breast fillets, skin removed and filleted

½ Cup of grated raw Butternut

½ Cup of grated Mozzarella cheese

4 Teaspoons of green basil pesto

½ block or wheel of Feta cheese crumbled

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Method:

Spray a sheet of aluminium foil of 30cm x 30cm with cooking spray

Place fillets on the foil and cover with cling wrap. 

Use a rolling pin to flatten the chicken breast fillets

Discard the cling wrap

Arrange the fillets on the aliminium foil to overlap slightly and salt to taste

Paint the fillets with basil pesto

Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese and grated butternut over the fillets and spread evenly

End with crumbled feta cheese

Lift the foil on the one end and carefully start rolling the fillets. Fold in any excess butternut and cheese

End off by tightening the foil in a roll and roll the ends like a christmas cracker

Place the fillet-roll in a breadpan if you wish to retain the shape and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

After the baking time, open the foil and grill for about 4 minutes.

Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Hoenderfiletrol met Botterneutskorsie en basil pesto

Bestandele:

4 Hoenderborsfilette, gevlek

½ Koppie gerasperde rou Botterneutskorsie

½ Koppie gerasperde Mozzarellakaas

4 Teelepels Basil pesto

½ Wiel fetakaas gekrummel

Sout en peper na smaak

Metode:

Verhit die oond tot 180°C 

Spuit ‘n vel foelie van 30cm x 30cm met oliesproei

Plaas die hoenderfilette wat oopgevlek is op die foelie

Rol die filette met ‘n koekroller platter of kap liggies met ‘n vleishamer

Geur met sout en peper na smaak.

Rangskik die filette om effens te oorvleuel

Smeer met die basil pesto

Strooi die gerasperde Mozzarellakaas bo-oor, dan die gerasperde botterneutskorsie en laaste die gekrummelde fetakaas.

Lig die foelie aan die eenkant op en begin rol die filette met behulp van die foelie.

As die kaas of botterneut iewers uitpeul maak dit nie saak nie - druk dit weer in die middel van die filette in. 

Maak nou die rol styf toe met die foelie en draai dit punte sodat die rol soos ‘n klapper lyk

Plaas die rol in ‘n koekpannetjie om die vorm te behou en bak vir 30 minute

Maak die rol oop na 30 minute en rooster vir so 4 minute

Laat afkoel en sny in skywe