Balsamic Beets & Rocket

8 medium-size beets

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup good olive oil

2 teaspoons mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces rocket 

1/3 cup roasted, salted almonds, toasted

4 ounces feta crumbled

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until a small sharp knife inserted in the middle indicates that they are tender. Unwrap each beet and set aside for 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the beets with a small, sharp knife over a piece of parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board.

Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and set aside. While the beets are still warm, cut each one in half and then each half into 4 to 6 wedges and place them in a large mixing bowl. As you're cutting the beets, toss them with half of the vinaigrette (warm beets absorb more vinaigrette), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings.

Place the arugula in a separate bowl and toss it with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Put the Rocket on a serving platter and then arrange the beets, almonds, and feta on top. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette, if desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Cheesecake Factory Luau Salad

Luau Salad - Cheesecake Factory

500g Mesculin Mix
500g Grilled Chicken Breasts sliced into thin strips
8 oz. - Red Bell Peppers sliced into thin strips
8 oz. - Yellow Bell Peppers sliced into thin strips
8 oz. - Fresh Green Beans (blanched) cut into 3” pieces
8 oz. - Cucumber Slices
4 oz. - Red Onion cut into small pieces
8 oz. - Fresh Mango cut into small pieces
1 tsp. - Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp.- Ground Black Pepper

8 ea. - Egg Roll Wrappers* (size1 springroll pastry) fried crisp
4 oz. - Sweet & Sour Sauce*
4 oz. - Macadamia Nuts toasted and chopped
1 Tbl. - Sesame Seeds toasted
4 oz. - Carrots, peeled sliced into 1” thin strips
1 oz. - Green Onions sliced into 1” thin

1 cup - Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup - Seasoned Rice Vinegar*
1/4 cup - Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. - Sesame Oil*


- Place the lettuce mix, chicken, bell peppers, green beans, cucumber slices, red onion, and mango, into a large mixing bowl.  Season the ingredients with salt and pepper.

- Whisk together the balsamic vinaigrette (your favorite choice), seasoned rice vinegar, granulated sugar, and sesame oil.  Drizzle the dressing into the bowl with the salad ingredients, and gently toss together.

- Brush a little sweet & sour sauce onto each crispy egg roll wrapper.  Build the salad in each serving bowl with alternating layers of salad mixture, a crispy glazed egg roll wrapper, more salad mixture, another crispy glazed egg roll wrapper, and then the remaining salad mixture.

- Sprinkle the macadamia nuts and sesame seeds all over each salad.

- Garnish each a salad with some thin sliced carrots and green onions.

Have you made anything with Rose Water? It’s is dreamy. Rose water typically used in Persian, Indian and Iranian cooking. Rose Water Rice Pudding. Rose Water Lassi. Super yum. I think that rose water creates more of a distinct fragrance than a distinct taste. It’s a delicate addition to sweets

Cardamom Rose Water Milkshake (makes one drink)


1 1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup 2 percent milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1  or 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar, depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have
1/2 teaspoons rose water
1 Tabelspoon Sujees Rose Syrup

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender.  Blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a glass.
Grab a straw.  Drink.  Feel pretty.

* To Make this a strawberry Lassi simply liquidise a few strawberries with some sugar and blend with other ingredients..

Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Chillie and Lime

1 cucumber ( ribboned )
2 carrots ( ribboned or julienned)
1 Jalepeno pepper ( chopped finely)

Dressing
 1 lime juiced
Olive oil
1 tsp crushed red chillie
1 tsp green masala
1tsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove minced finely

Toss cucumber, carrots and jalepeno in bowl and pour dressing over

Garnish with toasted peanuts and almonds that have been chard on a skillet.

Captains Special - Sole Meuniere Served with Butternut Squash and Healthy Avo Salad

Sole Meuniere

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 fresh sole fillets, 3 to 4 ounces each
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley


Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Have 2 heat-proof dinner plates ready

Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large shallow plate. Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle one side with salt.

Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat until it starts to brown. Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides and place them in the hot butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a metal spatula and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. While the second side cooks, add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the pan. Carefully put the fish filets on the ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets. When they're done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.


Butternut Mash

1 Butternut peeled and Cubed
2-4 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
Pepper to taste
1 Cup Fresh Cream

Steam Butternut in a medium sized pot with sugar and pepper until cooked.
Mash butternut with a food processor or fork - add fresh cream and serve.

The new baby on the popular Jozi markets scene is fresh, trendy and is all about organic food and other delicious delicacies

These days, on Saturday mornings, Joburg turns into someone resembling a girl we know called Cape Town. What's the similarity you ask? Simply the fact that on every second corner, a market has appeared and the curious, trendy friends of the city are out there exploring this new form of enjoying the daylight hours. 

Housed in a modernist building that has a spectacular Story, the market is a source of fresh foods and specialty goods as it is a meeting point to enjoy social, swop ideas and stories, and be inspired by the energy that makes Joburg. 

We entered into a buzzing environment with stands, aromas and people intermingling and filling the underground first floor to the brim. There we encountered flowers, pesto, crepes, waffles, curries, stir-fries and designer cupcakes fit for royal occasions. All organic or home-made. 

We grabbed Mango/Orange smoothies from a passing stall before climbing the stairs to the rooftop second floor for a peek - views of Braamfontein met us as well as a tide of people, sitting in the sun, eating and enjoying the vibe. More stalls were undercover there too with waves on offer such as organic chocolate, Belgiun Waffels, The frying dutchman, jewellery, bread, clothes and more. And the people were taking it all in with glee. 

The Neighbourgoods Market runs every Saturday, in Rain or Shine, from 9am-3pm.

73 Juta Street,

Corner de Beer and Juta Street, Braamfontein

Let It Be FRIDAY!!

We’ve made it to Friday which means that hopefully there’s some sort of kicking off of our shoes in the very near future.  I’ve taken a quick trip back to Johannesburg this week where everyone is complaining about the cold.  Really?  You ain’t got nothin’ on Standerton, Jozi… nothin’.  Truth is, this week has been all sorts of enough and I’m feeling a little frayed at the edges.  There’s been so much madness happening in the world, I can feel some of the chaos trembling in my guts.  Does that happen to you, to?

MY FAVOURITE COOKBOOKS

I collect two things, nail polish and cookbooks.  Ironically, I don’t always have my nails done and I certainly don’t cook every recipe from this massive collection.  I have more cookbooks that any reasonable home cook should have.  They’re wonderful inspiration.  I love experiencing food through different perspectives. These are the most lovely of the summer books that I’ve collected so far.  Judging by this list, I have a lot of recipes to get in the kitchen and bake!  I’m starting with doughnuts and french toast. 

  I love the California stylings of The Lemonade Cookbook.  It’s perfect for summertime.  Filled with lovely salads like this Watermelon and Snap Pea number, and a mega amount of lemonade inspiration.  Well, wouldn’t you expect that from The Lemonade Cookbook?  I made this Blueberry Mint Lemonade and swooned for days.

•  I like to think that I have a fool-proof and super-supreme doughnut dough base, but I’d really love to experiment with different doughnut recipes.  I mean… someone’s got to try all of the doughnuts, might as well be me.  Bread, Cake, Doughnut, Pudding is a gorgeous book and the doughnut recipe is on deck in my kitchen.

•  I love the way Diana Henry writes about food.  Elegant and inviting.  This piece make me want to sit down at a table and share a plate of radishes.  Radishes!  A Change of Appetite is her latest and most vegetable-centered book.  It’s thoughtful and rooted in the seasons.  

•  I’m learning how to grill.  Coals, starters, temperatures, smoke, and char!  I’m learning.  There is so much nuance.  The Grilling Book is my grill bible this summer.  So far I’ve grilled a ton of chicken, I’m working on my steak, and hoping to nail a pizza sometime soon.  

•  This book of food and travel feeds my wanderlust like no other.  A Mouthful of Stars.  I now want to go to Seoul with Kim Sunee and eat everything ever.

•  Let’s Do Brunch!  No seriously, let’s!  This book is loaded with all sorts of breakfast-y / lunch-y inspirations.  It’s a sweet and simple book with a recipe for Almond-Crusted French Toast that I suddenly can’t live without.

•  I think I need to ask Libbie Summers to be my best friend.  The cover for her book Sweet and Vicious is a sign.  Any woman with a frosting-laden knife and cute dress is a soul sister.  The book is beautifully photographed and full of deliciously irreverent recipes.  Coconut Fluff Cake please