Recipes

Kofta – savoury mince meat balls – are one of the best things you can do with lamb. They’re easy to make and even easier to eat, and when they’re anointed with yoghurt tahini sauce, all those good stories about Middle Eastern cooking suddenly come true.

Chicken is a national bird in Africa. Where there are people, you will find chickens. Here is an outstanding combination of flavours, all centred upon a slightly boozy version of Sunday lunch.

Madumbi, or the more accurate plural, amadumbe, is the rhizome that made KwaZulu-Natal famous. These flavoursome nuggets grow in our vegetable garden and can be found in fresh produce outlets across the province.

Cold weather demands easy-eating, easy-cooking hot food in large quantities. Try this variation on a Western cowboy theme. Take along a wide-mouthed thermos of this meal next time you’re home on the range…

It was a Thursday, and this means spaghetti bolognaise in my house. So you can imagine the shock when my schoolteacher daughter visited and cooked a dinner that shattered the inflexible routine of her parents. What we got was rigatoni with beef sauce, and this is how you make it.

Hot, nutritious soup is ideal as a snack, a starter or a full meal. Here’s a delicious soup recipe for the beginner cook that will satisfy the most sophisticated diners wherever, and whenever, it is served.

When it comes to strange names for traditional English dishes, this one takes the, er, Yorkshire pudding. Never mind, it’s a great old favourite: delicious, satisfying and easy to prepare.

No, we’re not talking pickles or jams, but an entire meal – temptingly displayed and conveniently stored. The classic Consol glass jar is the natural development of the plastic lunch box. And you get a visual feast too before you tuck in.

Here is a satisfying dish that brings together the creamy richness of arborio rice and the glorious flavour of prawns. The first involves a slow, gentle cooking process of simmering, stirring and frying. The second sees all hell break loose for three minutes.

A good friend and former colleague has been converted to veganism. Vegans eat no animal- based foods, including milk and eggs. This is what I prepared when he and his fellow vegans came for lunch.

There are two really big deals here, the arboria rice and the brandy. Arboria rice is essential for this dish because of its flavour, aroma, and most importantly, its stickiness.

In cooking, it’s tradition to add excellence to an already desirable ingredient. Sticking to this tradition, this recipe offers excellence with a side serving of pasta alfredo to accentuate the tasty chicken dish.