It can be quite daunting cooking at the weekend.
With so much spare time, the options are almost limitless when it comes to whipping up something delicious.
Below are a few suggestions to help ease the burden of deciding what to cook.
1. Breakfast portobellos with soft-boiled eggs, crispy kale and hollandaise sauce
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 large eggs
1 bunch or 200g curly leaf kale
4 large portobello mushrooms
Speedy hollandaise sauce
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp water
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
115g butter
1 pinch of salt
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sesame seeds, for serving
Method
Preheat the oven to 180˚C, fan on.
For the boiled eggs
Bring a small pot of water to a simmer. Add the eggs and cook for 6.5 minutes. Plunge into a bowl of ice water. When cool, peel and set aside.
For the crispy kale
Place kale in a large mixing bowl and drizzle very lightly with olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Massage the seasoning into the kale.
Air-fry for five minutes at 160˚C or bake in the oven at 180˚C, fan on, for 10 minutes.
For the portobellos
Brush the portobellos with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, depending on their size, until juicy and tender.
For the speedy hollandaise sauce
Find a vessel that snugly fits the head of a stick blender, for example a jar or tall mug. Some stick blenders come with their own.
Combine the egg yolks, water, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in the cup.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over high heat, until bubbling. Remove from the heat.
Place the head of the stick blender into the cup.
Turn on the stick blender then slowly drizzle the hot butter into the cup, lifting the stick blender’s head as you pour.
Continue pouring until you have used all the butter and the sauce is thick and emulsified.
Taste to adjust seasoning.
Plate the roasted portobellos on a bed of crispy kale.
Slice the boiled eggs and place them on top of the mushrooms.
Sprinkle with a pinch of sesame seeds.
Dollop spoonfuls of the hollandaise sauce over everything and serve.
Recipe by the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association.
2. Paprika mushroom soup
Serves 3 – 4 as a main and 6 as a starter
Ingredients
60g butter
30ml extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
500g brown or portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 – 4 garlic cloves, finely grated/chopped
20ml sweet paprika
30 – 45ml fresh thyme leaves, stalks discarded
10ml dried oregano
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
125ml dry white wine
30ml soy sauce
250ml milk
45ml flour – cake or white bread flour
250ml fresh cream
Salt and pepper
15ml lemon juice
A handful of Italian parsley, finely chopped, to serve.
Fresh bread or baguette, buttered and toasted, to serve (or chunky croutons)
A few dollops of sour cream or thickened cream, to serve (optional)
Method
In a large, wide pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the oil. Add the onions and fry until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the mushrooms, garlic, paprika, thyme, and origanum and continue to fry for about 10 minutes, stirring until the mushrooms have softened and the bottom of the pot starts to become sticky.
Add the stock, wine, and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. In a medium jug or mixing bowl, add the milk and flour and whisk to mix thoroughly. Then, add the mixture to the pot along with the cream. Stir well and bring to a simmer, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Simmer for 5 – 10 minutes until the soup has thickened, stirring often. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, then taste and season further if needed.
Serve hot in bowls, scatter with chopped parsley, toasted bread or croutons, and if you wish, a dollop of sour cream or cream.
Recipe by Ilse van der Merwe.
3. Guacamole tagliatelle
Serves: 4
Ingredients
300g tagliatelle or pasta of your choice
2 large ripe avocados, peeled and stoned
4 spring onions, chopped
30g coriander, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 chilli, chopped (optional)
Pinch of ground cumin
Pinch of smoked paprika
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 chilli, sliced (optional)
Avocado or olive oil, to drizzle
Extra lemon to squeeze over
Method
Boil the pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the packet.
While the pasta is cooking, place one avocado in a food processor or the jug of a stick blender, with the spring onions, coriander, garlic, chilli, cumin, paprika, lemon juice and zest. Blend until smooth.
Drain the pasta and reserve 125 ml (½ cup) of the cooking water. Toss the hot pasta with the avocado sauce. If the sauce is very thick it can be thinned down with some of the pasta water.
Cut the remaining avocado into cubes.
Serve immediately in warm bowls with cherry tomatoes, chopped avocado, seasoning, sliced chilli (if using) lemon wedges and a drizzle of avocado oil.
Recipe by South African Avocado Growers’ Association.
