Recipe BookMY LITTLE BLACK

Siphokazi Mdlankomo

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… Contents

44 46 48 48 50

52 54 56

57

57

68 60

62 64 65

66

Cauliflower gratin Baked polenta chips Caprese salad

Caprese with a twist

Greek salad with a twist

Melon and Parma ham salad

Figs with blue cheese wrapped in Parma ham

Beef stock

Chicken stock

Vegetable stockMinestrone Butternut soup with

coconut and coriander sambal

Roasted red pepper and tomato soup

Vegetable curry

Red curry paste

Fresh corn parcels

67

Stuffed cabbage leaves

70 72

Penne with Brussel Sprouts

Classic spaghetti and meatballs

68

Chorizo, baby tomatoes and feta frittata

74 76

Gnocchi with Italian sausage and

baby spinach

Best chilli con carne

10

1. Preheat the oven to 180 ˚C.2. Place the sweet potato and butternut on a baking tray,

season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

3. Place the yeast and water in a bowl and stir to combine. Leave in a warm place until the mixture starts to foam.

4. Place the onion, oil, milk, eggs, rosemary, sugar and salt in a food processor and process until smooth.

5. Place the onion mixture, flour and the yeast mixture in a bowl and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until double in size.

6. Mash half of the butternut and sweet potato and mix in the dough, then mix the other half and the feta cheese in the dough. Leave to stand again in a warm place, covered, and let it rise for another hour.

7. Spoon the dough into a lightly greased loaf tin and bake for 1 hour or until cooked.

8. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin.

Serve with soup or on its own with loads of butter.

MAKES 1 LOAF

INGREDIENTS

200 g sweet potato, peeled and chopped

200 g butternut, peeled and chopped

3 ml salt

3 ml black pepper

25 ml olive oil

For the dough:

10 g yeast

125 ml warm water (not hot)

1 small onion, chopped

125 ml olive oil

125 ml milk

2 eggs, beaten

5 ml rosemary, chopped

15 ml sugar

10 ml salt

500 g flour

100 g feta cheese, crumbled

Freshly baked bread is a firm family favourite, and nothing beats the smell of a loaf baking in the oven.

Sweet potato, butternut and feta bread

22

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

2. While you’re browning the onions, heat the stock in a pot and let it simmer.

3. Add the rice to the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and stir until all the liquid has been absorbed.

4. Ladle the stock into the saucepan, stirring continuously so that the rice is evenly cooked. Keep adding the stock ladle by ladle. Cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is creamy.

5. Remove from heat and add the Parmesan. Season to taste. Allow the rice to cool before rolling it into balls.

6. To make the balls, roll a small amount of risotto into a golf-sized ball. Press a hole in the middle and place a mozzarella cube in the centre. Roll the ball to enclose it. Repeat the process until you have used all the risotto.

7. Dust the balls with flour, then egg, and finish with breadcrumbs.

8. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or a deep frying pan. Fry the balls for 3-4 minutes and place on a paper towel to drain the oil. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serve with fresh tomato sauce (see page 32).

SERVES 4-6

INGREDIENTS

100 g butter

½ onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

700 ml chicken stock

200 g arborio risotto rice, uncooked

250 ml white wine

50 g Parmesan, finely grated

salt and pepper

50 g mozzarella, cut into cubes

flour for dusting

4 eggs, whisked

breadcrumbs for coating

oil for deep-frying

Stuffed rice balls that are coated with breadcrumbs and then fried. You can also make these with leftover risotto.

Arancini balls

42

1. Preheat the oven to 180 ˚C.2. Place all the vegetables in a baking tray. 3. Place the sugar, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and

mix to combine. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and toss to combine.

4. Roast the vegetables for 30-40 minutes or until tender.5. Arrange on a serving plate and garnish with

beetroot sprouts.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

200 g baby carrots, washed and trimmed

100 g baby beetroot, washed and halved

50 g baby golden beetroot, washed and halved

150 g baby turnips, washed and trimmed

2 heads garlic, halved

45 g brown sugar

60 ml balsamic vinegar

80 ml olive oil

salt and pepper

beetroot sprouts to garnish

You can roast just about any vegetables using this method.

Roasted vegetables and beetroot

54

1. Preheat the oven to 200 ˚C.2. Make a crisscross on each of the figs.3. Wrap each fig with Parma ham.4. Place a block of blue cheese on top of each fig.5. Place the figs in a greased baking tray.6. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and bake until the Parma

ham is crisp and the cheese is melted.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

8 ripe figs

8 pieces Parma ham

200 g blue cheese

balsamic glaze

This sweet and savoury combination is explosive.

Figs with blue cheese wrapped in Parma ham

128

1. Preheat the oven to 180 ˚C. 2. Process the flour, butter and salt in a food processor until

it resembles breadcrumbs. 3. Add the whisked egg to the mixture, followed by the lemon

juice, and combine. 4. Turn out the pastry on a floured work surface and knead

slightly to bring it together. Shape into a disk and wrap in clingwrap. Keep in cool place for at least an hour or until needed.

5. Roll out the pastry in a circular shape, slightly larger than the tart tin. Line a 24 cm tart tin with the pastry. Prick the base with a fork. Blind bake the pastry by lining it with baking paper or tinfoil and filling it with baking beans or rice.

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans or rice and return to the oven to bake for a further 5-8 minutes.

7. Spread the jam over the tart base.8. To make the filling, melt the butter and sugar, pour in a

bowl and beat in the eggs and almonds. Add the berries and pour the mixture into the tart base.

9. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

I made several small tartlets using this recipe. Adjust the baking time if you follow suit.

MAKES 1 TART

INGREDIENTS

Shortcrust pastry:

250 g flour

125 g butter, chilled and cubed

pinch of salt

1 egg, whisked

juice of ½ a lemon

baking beans or rice for blind baking.

80 ml blueberry jam for spreading

Filling:

50 g butter

100 ml sugar

3 eggs

100 g ground almonds

50 g almonds, toasted

125 g fresh blueberries

You’re allowed to cheat and use store-bought pastry!

Blueberry tart

MY LITTLE BLACK RECIPE BOOKSiphokazi Mdlankomo

190 x 245 mm144 ppFlexi-bindingRRP: R235.00ISBN 978-1-928201-63-2Publication date: January 2016Available in Afrikaans: My gunsteling-resepte

ISBN 978-1-928201-64-9

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ALSO AVAILABLE FROM METZ PRESS

In My little black recipe book she shares her favourite recipes, from the simple scones and ginger beer her mom taught her to make many years ago, to mouth-watering braised oxtail, cinnamon cream pears and other sumptuous fair she developed on her way to the Master Chef finale. From delicious dips and sauces, decadent desserts and easy one-dish meals to traditional favourites and sophisticated fusion food, every recipe is characterised by Sihopkazi’s delightful combination of flavours and ingredients. Beautiful photographs of completed dishes will whet your appetite and have you trying out the dishes in no time.

Cooking is my life ... says MasterChef SA 2014 runner up,

Siphokazi Mdlankomo, who captured the public imagination

from the outset. Raised in a small village in the Eastern

Cape, she is admired for her natural culinary talent and her

no-nonsense manner and outgoing personality have endeared

her to foodies and amateur cooks from all walks of life. One of

the Top Ten Home Cooks selected from thousands of entries in

a countrywide competition by Media24’s Leserskring/Leisure

Books in 2012, she clearly has a special quality that makes

her stand out from the rest. She has become a well-known face

on the cooking celebrity scene, doing presentations, judging

competitions and contributing to food shows. She is also a

brand ambassador for PnP. This book is another one of her

dreams come true.