My latest obsession is biscotti! I have made three batches since ‘re-discovering’ this ‘rusk’.

I recently had a meeting in Windhoek, and we were given these to snack on. Boy, were they good. I found a box at Woolies, but they were hard, and the almonds were whole, so I wasn’t a fan. So, I decided I was going to make some myself.

Although it is a little pricy, and you only get 25 rusks from one batch, my family absolutely loved it. I hope yours does, too.

So, here’s the recipe I used. I got it from Pinterest.

Ingredients

• 115g butter softened – I used baking margarine the second time I made it
• 170g granulated sugar – I use a lot less sugar, so it depends on your taste preference
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups of Self Raising Flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 100g of almond flakes
• 100g of cranberries

Method

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your own to 165°C.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the almond extract.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl.
Gradually mix them into the butter mixture.
• Fold in the almonds and mix until combined. This should be a very soft dough. Cover the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator for ^ minutes.
• Once chilled, divide the dough into two portions. Roll each portion into a log about 6cm in diameter and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 8cm apart.
• Bake the dough rolls for about 40 minutes or until slightly browned.
• Let the dough cool for just 5 minutes, and while the logs are still warm, cut them diagonally, about 2.5cm thick. Place them back on the baking sheet with a cut side up.
• Bake for 5-10 minutes until they are barely golden, then flip them and bake for another 5-10 minutes, again, until they are slightly barely golden. Once finished, allow them to cool and enjoy.

Enjoy!

This one is for all the pressed-for-time mamas who just want to feed their family something nutritious that doesn’t need all afternoon on the stove. I like shortcuts and I love Asian cooking. One of the local grocery stores sells ready-to-heat udon and ramen noodles. Something about the chewiness of udon just does it for me. What makes this recipe awesome is that you can add what you have in your veggie tray – there is no right or wrong way to do it. Now that the kids know this is possible, I have had to keep this recipe in the regular-loop.

Hope you like it, too!

Ingredients:
750g deboned chicken thigh or breast, sliced into flattened cubes
Cornflour to dip the chicken in after it marinates

For the Marinade
25ml Sweet soy sauce
25ml Dark Soy sauce
10ml Sesame oil
A deseeded chili
A thumb-sized piece of Fresh Ginger

For the stir-fry
Quarter cup of sesame seed oil
2 large carrots, sliced into thin strips
Two cups of Cabbage, sliced
Half a cup of Onion, sliced
Two bulbs of garlic, finely chopped
Thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
2 cups of Spinach or Bok Choy, rinsed and sliced
Fresh chillies to taste

For the sauce
1 cup Housin sauce
Quarter cup normal soy sauce
Half cup sweet soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1tbsp cornflour

Prepared udon noodles (see package instructions)
Bean sprouts to serve (optional)
Chilies to serve (optional)

Method:
Marinade the chicken for around one hour.

Heat the oil. Once you have dipped the chicken in the flour, pop it into the pan in the oil. Make sure the pan is not crowded. Your chicken needs to cook over high heat and quickly – that way it stays moist.

Remove your chicken from the pan, add a bit more oil if necessary and add all your veggies except the spinach and mushrooms. Once the veggies are just about sautéed but still crispy, add the spinach and mushrooms. Prepare the noodles.

Combine all the sauce ingredients to make your stirfry sauce. Add your chicken back to the pan with the veggies. Add the sauce and cook for five minutes. Add in the prepared noodles and stir to combine. Cook for another minute or two, and add a little water if your stirfry is too dry.

Serve your stirfry with some fresh chili and bean sprouts on top.

Enjoy with loved ones!

If you like Chinese food, this is a must try. A lovely easy to make stir fry.

Ingredients 

• Egg Noodles
• Olive and Sesame Oil
• Garlic
• Onion
• Beef Mince
• Water
• Bean Sprouts
• Coleslaw Mix
• Dark Soya Sauce
• Oyster Sauce
• Hoisin Sauce
• Spring Onion
• Sesame Seeds

Directions

1. Add olive and sesame oil to a pan and fry the onions.
2. Cut and add garlic.
3. Add beef mince and sauté until cooked through.
4.  Add coleslaw, bean sprouts and spring onion (leave some for garnish when done)
5. Add the dark soya, oyster and hoisin sauce.
6. Make a well in the middle, add water. Cook until the noodles are soft and you can spread it out.
7. Mix through thoroughly.
8. Add some spring onions and sesame seeds for garnish.
9. Enjoy!

Recipe by Chef Chris from Foodworx.

An inexpensive weekly meal for your family to enjoy!

Ingredients

• Liver
• Flour
• Butter
• Oil
• Sliced Onion
• Beef Stock
• Smoked Bacon
• Tomato Sauce
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Sauté the onions in a little butter and oil.
2. Cut the bacon into strips and add it to the onions.
3. Add the beef stock. Once it boils, you add the flour, stir until its n ice and thick, add the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. In another pan using some butter, salt and pepper the liver and fry off the pieces to your preference.
5. Once done, add to the sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to your taste.
6. Serve with a side salad or steamed veg or mashed potato.
7. Enjoy!

Recipe by Chef Chris from Foodworx

This pasta is perfect for a weeknight in, when you’d rather spend more time relaxing than cooking, and the kids will thank you for that. You can make it with on-hand pantry ingredients and you can jazz it up however you want! 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Butter

Half an Onion, diced

2 tbsp Smoked Paprika

1 tbsp Curry Powder

1 tbsp crushed Garlic

1 cup Tomato Puree

2 cups Cream (I used Whipquick – a plant-based cream)

1 tbsp Seafood or Chicken stock powder

2 cans of Smoked Oysters or Mussels

Salt & Pepper to taste

Pasta of choice, cooked right before it’s ready

To serve:

Fresh Parsley, chopped

Fresh chilies if preferred

Grated parmesan

Method:

Melt butter over low heat. Sautée the Onion until translucent. Add the spices and cook through.

In the meantime, cook your pasta until almost al dente, reserving some of the pasta water.

Add tomato puree, cream and stock to the onion and spice mixture, and cook for 5 minutes.

Drain the cans of seafood and add to the sauce, cooking for a minute or two. Stir in your pasta and add in some of the water, and cook for maximum 5 more minutes.  The sauce will thicken as the pasta stands.

Garnish and serve to loved ones. Enjoy!

With winter coming, our family loves having warm puddings on a Sunday afternoon. I thought I’d share my ultimate favorite recipe with you and hope you will enjoy it too.

Sago Pudding

• 250 ml sago
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 liter milk
• 125 ml sugar
• pinch of salt
• 25 ml butter
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 5 ml vanilla essence 
• 50 ml apricot jam

INSTRUCTIONS: 

• Rinse the sago off.
• Add the cinnamon stick and sago to the milk and heat slowly.
• Cook on low heat until the sago is translucent, +- 15 min
• Add the sugar, salt, and butter, mix well.
• Remove the cinnamon stick, add the beaten egg and vanilla essence.
• Spoon the mixture into a casserole dish and make little holes in mixture to add the apricot jam 
• Bake at 180ºC (350ºF) for 25 minutes, serve hot or cold with custard or evaporated milk. 

Enjoy!