This is the perfect entertaining dish - the well-balanced full flavours will certainly satisfy most palates. It is spicy, has warm aromas and just enough bite to take you straight to Morocco. It can be cooked on the hob, but also works perfectly well in a 'potjie' over the coals - this makes for great outdoor entertaining. All it needs is enough time, good friends, ice cold beer or a seriously good bottle of wine or two.
With the festive season upon us this is a great 'go to' recipe to entertain and treat family and friends.
Recipe: Moroccan Slow-cooked Lamb

For some of us it is a welcome slow-down after 2015 started off at full speed! Summer has come and gone and winter brings us cold and rainy days with long evenings, low temperatures and a longing for more heart warming dishes.
With winter upon us it is time to take out the recipe book and look for those comforting dishes - flavoursome casseroles, rich sauces and heartwarming aromas. Soups, bredies, casseroles and baked dishes are all family favourites that will celebrate the change of season. Here are three soups to really celebrate winter!

Creamy Cauliflower and Blue Cheese Soup
Cauliflower is in season and offer really great value for money - watch the prices and when on special buy a few heads to make the most delicious soup to see you through winter.
Cauliflower soup has a really creamy texture and a subtle flavour. The blue cheese adds a lovely tang and you can make it as strong and pungent as you like - I prefer a mild and subtle flavour to allow the cauliflower flavour to come trough.
The texture is quite different to other soups. It looks really thick and almost stodgy, yet it is light, creamy and almost mousse-like on the palate.
Serve with garlic bruschetta, croutons or fried bacon crisps, fresh baguette or a warm freshly baked seed loaf for a satisfying starter or main course.
Recipe: Creamy Cauliflower and Blue Cheese Soup

Broccoli Soup
Broccoli is in season and available at reasonable prices - ideal to prepare and store in the freezer. Time to stock up for all those cold winter nights!
Slightly more robust in flavour than cauliflower, broccoli is an excellent vegetable to use as a base for a really rich and satisfying soup. It's velvety texture, lovely flavour and attractive colour makes it a good choice for a homely meal or as a starter for the most elegant dinner party.
Recipe: Broccoli Soup

Chicken Soup
There are as many recipes for chicken soup as there are cooks. This recipe is one of those favourites that always pleases the tastebudds.
Although it is quite a watery soup, with little bitts of everything floating around, the full flavour makes up for the almost oriental appearance and texture.
Chicken thighs and drumsticks have more flavour than breast meat and provide for more succulent bite-sized pieces in the soup. Make a large quantity as it freezes very well.
Recipe: Chicken Soup

 A very special time for everyone.          For some of us it is a welcome slow-down after 2015 started off at full speed! Summer has come and gone and Autumn is beginning to show her magical colours. With it she brings us beautiful days with longer evenings, milder temperatures and a longing for more heart warming dishes.

With winter approaching it is time to take out the recipe book and look for those comforting dishes - flavoursome casseroles, rich sauces and heartwarming aromas. Soups, bredies, casseroles and baked dishes are all family favourites that will celebrate the change of season.

Mutton can now replace lamb - it should be a lot cheaper and has a lot more flavour than lamb - ideal for a slower cooking method - bredies and curries are waiting to be cooked.

Spinach, leeks, onions, sweet potatoes,  broccoli, cauliflower, beetroot, pumpkin, carrots, potatoes and butternut are all excellent to use in the most delicious soups - ideal to prepare and store in the freezer - time to stock up for all those cold winter nights!

Be really Smart when you Shop - So often we buy ingredients for a very specific recipe that we have in mind - nothing wrong with that - but this causes us to overlook what is on special or relatively cheap at the moment. You will be amazed at how much you can save by doing it the other way roud. Buy what is available or on special and then search for a good recipe to make use of it. This way you will expand your repertoire and cooking skills at the same time - discover new flavours, combinations and cooking methods. Being creative and open-minded can take you on an exciting new culinary adventure whilst saving money at the same time.

Waste not, want not - there is a lot of truth in this old saying. Leftovers can sometimes be a bit of a nuisance - too much to throw away and too little too keep. Using your deep freeze wisely can save you a lot of money and time. Keep two or three plastic zip-lock bags (or empty used ice-cream containers) in your freezer for all your leftovers. With winter upon us this is the ideal way to stock up for the most delicious and heartwarming soups.
Place all your leftover vegetables in one bag, meat in another (seperate bags for red meat, chicken etc.)  and one for potatoes. Potatoes don't freeze well, but if you reheat them in stock and blend them they are ideal for thickening soups and stews. Once you have a fair amount of leftovers you can get the stock pot simmering with delicious ingredients to make really good soup. With most ingredients already cooked you save a lot of time as well. Serve with croutons or a freshly baked seed loaf for a delicious winter meal.

2 recipes to take any chocolate lover to
                            Chocolate Heaven in an instant!!!

I was fortunate to stumble accross these two most amazing must have recipes. 'As good as it gets' hardly describes how good they are. With the kind permission of both Errieda du Toit (huiskok.com) and Dianne Bibby (Bibby's Kitchen @ 36) here they are; for everyone to share in the ultimate chocolate indulgence - to the extreme!!!

Many thanks to Errieda du Toit for sharing Pete Goffe-Wood's recipe. Also to Dianne Bibby for sharing her spectacular tart recipe with us. Do visit their websites for more amazing recipes.

It's the Festive Season again and this is the time of year where we all do things a little differently. The year is coming to an end - with all it's challenges and triumphs left behind.
It is time to relax, reflect and share the joy of life with one another.

We all have different ways of spending this special time of year - for some it is staying at home and relaxing, having friends and family over, for others it might be a relaxing time at their holiday home, or just a few days at the beach. Whatever we chose to do, we want it as relaxing and pleasant as possible.
To really make the most of this holiday season we do have to plan ahead to make it is relaxing and enjoyable as possible.
Planning and preparation are ever important to meet our individual circumstances. We want to make the most of our time and ceratinly don't want to over-extend our budgets.
Planning menus ahead will take a lot of pressure of our time and money. Last minute decisions have the nasty habit of being costly, both time-wise and financially. Plan menus that can be prepared in advance as far as possible. Also plan for the unforseen - family or friends might just drop inn and stay for lunch or dinner. Being prepared makes it all the more enjoyable.
By planning and preparing beforehand also gives you more control over the budget. There are many economical dishes that can be prepared in advance, leaving time and money for the all important Christmas meal - be it an elaborate sit-down dinner or a festive family braai.
We all have our own traditions around Christmas. Keep to what you and your family enjoy the most. By planning and preparing ahead you can keep it as simple as possible.

Menu planning: This is probably the most important part of having a stress-free and enjoyable festive season.
Plan for at least one main course for each day plus a few livesavers for unexpected guests. Make sure you go shopping beforehand and have most of the ingredients in your pantry - not having to rush to the supermarket every second day really helps a lot to be more relaxed.
Also prepare a few dishes that freeze well and get them into the freezer. Lasagnas, pasta sauces, chicken pies, curries and bredies (without potatoes) all freeze well.

Shopping List: Take time to prepare your shopping list - it will save you a lot of time, frustration and money if you do it thoroughly. It will give you time to incorporate your menu planning, shopping list and budget all in one. Knowing what you will need gives you control over the budget, shopping for it in advance will give you peace of mind.
When shopping stick to the shopping list - if it's not on the list don't buy it - retailers are masters of temptation and can ruin your budget in the blinck of an eye.
Buy in bulk and look out for specials. If they are not on your list try and replace some items with the special offers. Also buy frozen products - they are sometimes even better than the fresh ones. Canned ingredients are also useful to have in store for the unexpected little emergencies. They can often be transformed or incorporated into delicious meals.
With careful planning you should be able to beat the budget, and maybe have a little extra for a special treat. Try to enjoy the planning as much as preparing the meals - and have a relaxed and enjoyable Festive Season!

For South Africans meat is usually the star dish on the menu - be it beef, lamb, pork or chicken.
Bulk packs sometimes offer very good value for money. The R/kg price is often very reasonable and the variety of cuts allows you to come up with a variety of different dishes at a reasonable price. What you save at the till has to be paid for only by your creativity - and that costs nothing at all.
BEEF: Shop around for the cheaper cuts when visiting the supermarket. Prices vary during the month and is generally cheaper towards the middle of the month. Avoid payday rushes when prices are slightly loaded.
Bulk mince is usually considerably cheaper than 500gr packs, and stewing beef if sometimes a very good buy. This is ideal for those hearty winter stews, all sorts of bredies and even for the famous Boeuf Bourguignon and Osso Buco Milanese style dishes. By cuts with a fair amount of fat - a good bredie needs some fat, that's where all the flavour is.
LAMB and MUTTON: Lamb is undoubtedly South Africa's favourite meat when  it comes to a good braai, but for other dishes mutton is sometimes a better choice and a whole lot cheaper. Any recipe that asks for a long cooking time will benefit from the better flavour of mutton. By lamb or mutton in bulk packs - you will be surprised how much you can save.
PORK: Pork prices tend to remain fairly constant and you just have to know your stuff to know when it is a good buy or not. Again, buying in bulk is a far better option, and there are recipes to make the most of every bit. From a braai, a roast, grilled, crumbed or Asian style dish, pork is very versatile.
CHICKEN: This is a minefield and currently my pet hate. Don't misunderstand me, I love chicken, but South African chicken is not what it should be. Unless you buy free range and organic, the quality of these wonderful birds is far below par. Commercial broilers are slaughtered at approximately 32 days of age, are hormone treated to accelerate growth, brine injected to boost weight and flavour and really tastes of very little. I understand the whole debate about imported leg quarters, but those produced by the Dutch are fantastic, and a lot cheaper than locally produced. Free range and organic is unfortunately just too expensive for the average household.
FROZEN VEGETABLES: Once again, it really helps if you know your prices. When some brands aremoving slowly they often reduce the price to capture more market share. Although they are not always advertised as being specials, you will often find a certain brand being a lot cheaper. Price is not always an indication of quality - buy the cheapest brand in the frozen section - unless you have had a bad experience with a certain brand, chances are the quality is as good as the next.

A good rule is to go to the supermarket at mid month and buy whatever is the cheapest - prices are generally a lot higher between payday and the end of the month. Buy the specials and work your menu around them. When shopping for a special occasion you have to buy what you want for your menu, but for everyday cooking it is better to plan your menu around what is cheapest and usually in season.

LCHF - BANTING : This is apparantly the new healthy option. Professional views differ and there is a lively debate going on out there. The merits of this radical change in nutrition will certainly be discussed for a long time to come.
As far as the cookbook 'THE REAL MEAL REVOLUTION' goes it is certainly right up there with all the other ever so glossy cookbooks. The recipes are very enticing, photography excellent and those that I have made are utterly delicious.
This post is however not to discuss the medical merits of the book, nor the recipes as such.
As serious foodies my wife and I have tried to adapt to this way of eating - with some serious challenges from a cooks perspective. Limited ingredients is a challenge we are quite used to living on the farm as we are consciously trying to make do or improvise with what we have. This has led to many new and exciting recipes and dishes in our culinary repertoire.
We have come accross three serious obstacles with the LCHF list of ingredients: there is just no decent substitute for sugar, no substitute for potatoes to thicken soups and there is no alternative for flour. I'm not talking large quantities, but stevia and xylitol leaves an aftertaste that ruins any sweet dessert, and as for flour, there is just nothing to thicken a sauce or bredie that can replace it.

If 'THE REAL FOOD REVOLUTION' is going to be our new way of eating then it has to be sustainable from a cook's perspective. Sure their recipes are as good as it gets, but there is more to cooking than just their recipes. And that is the problem we face. What about those traditional family favourites that either need some sugar or some flour. It becomes disheartening if each and every meal becomes a cullinary challenge. It would be good if there was a carb count on the grams of flour or sugar that one could perhaps use once in a while. I'm not talking regularly - just once a week or so. But their warning about sitting on the fence and dipping into old ways seems to rule that one out. For the rest - we absolutely love this new way of eating and living!