Chicken bake with African spices

Ok I know, it doesn't look like it's going to taste amazing - but trust me it does!

Before starting anything I soaked a barley and split pea soup mix over night. The following day I cooked up the legumes in some stock and allowed to simmer for a few hours as instructed on the packaging. Two hours before starting the bake I marinated the chicken cubes (about two handfuls of chicken breasts should be enough) in olive oil and spices. I chose an african rub my Mum gave me from Cape Town to remind me of my hometown - it's a mix of cumin, coriander and ajowan. 

Preheating the oven to 200C/Gas 6, I mixed the two together, allowing the barley and split peas and lentils to cover the chicken. I added some of the stock I had cooked the soup mix in, this will help keep the dish moist when in the oven. I then added an additional layer of spices, with some chilli flakes to complete. 

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and watch it bubble over in the oven. Let it sit before eating - it's the perfect winter evening meal! 

The Perfect Spring Salad

This salad is so simple and quick to make for the perfect lunch or dinner companion.

Mixing rocket leaves and watercress along with other mixed leaves of your choice, I build up the base of the salad. I added lentil salad sprouts, sliced spring onions and finely sliced radishes. Add a generous dash of olive oil and balsamic reduction for the finishing flavour.

Easy, but delicious.

Breakfast Pizza

This is a really fun way to start you day and even better when shared amongst friends. So simple too!

Lightly warm some medium sized round pita breads and smother with smashed avocados, season with salt and pepper. Once this is ready, lightly fry an egg and pile on top of the avo & pita once done.

Slice through like a pizza. Great for sharing! Enjoy!

Lemon and chickpea detox soup

When life gets a little indulgent, I like to detox, cleanse, and start over. This soup is a fantastic way to kick start your health kick and detox your body.

Start off the base of the soup with a diced garlic clove, a sliced onion, and a splash of olive oil.

Add big slices of ginger, two bay leaves and a cup of chopped broccoli. Allow to simmer lightly, adding half cups of water when needed. Add in a cup of lentils and a tin of chickpeas. 

Halving a lemon, add the juice of one half and slice the other half and add to soup. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes, until the lentils have cooked through. 

Serve with all the trimmings, but avoid eating the bay leaves, lemon slices and sliced ginger - these are only meant for fuller flavour! 

xx

Coconut oatmeal with blueberries

Now THIS is how you start your day off with a spring in your step.

In the cold winter mornings of January and in an attempt to begin the year with a healthy diet, I began making oatmeal in the mornings for myself and my boyfriend. 

1 cup oats/1cup Koko milk (a coconut milk alternative to regular milk)/1 cup boiling water.

Allow to simmer lightly on the stove for 3/4 minutes until the oats have swelled and cooked.

Top with blueberries and sizzles of honey to serve.

Good morning!! 

Rice stack with Prawns and Steamed vegetables

The perfect light dinner, and easy to make - start by boiling the rice until fluffy, I usually find one part rice to two parts boiling water does the trick for perfect rice. To create the stack I added a small amount of butter to the cooked rice and pressed it into a cup before turning it out upside down on a plate.

The vegetables I chopped roughly and added to a pan with garlic, ginger and olive oil.

To sauté the prawns flash fry in a pan with some herbed butter until pink and cooked through.

Top the whole lot onto the stacked rice and finish with a splash of soya sauce.

 - it's too easy!! 

Homemade Spiced Potato Wedges

Despite not eating chicken, I do love a trip to Nando's for their Peri Peri wedges. Deciding to attempt them at home, I was delighted with the results! And they are pretty easy to conquer:

Wash and dice a handful of medium potatoes, the amount according to your required quantity/appetite.
Make sure you don't cut the potato wedges too thin, and you want to have the soft fluffy interior and crispy exterior once done.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
Boil the potatoes on the stove, leaving the skins on (this adds both nutrients and flavour) - cook the potatoes until they are soft, and a knife can easily be poked into the centre of the wedges.

Now on an oven dish, display the cooked potatoes and smother them with a generous splash of olive oil. Coat the potatoes with paprika, chill flakes, ground ginger, cumin seeds and if you have some Zimbabwe Peri Peri at hand (my sister lives in Zim and hand delivers mine) throw that on there too.
Mix it all together making sure the wedges are coated evenly. Place under the grill for approximately 30 minutes or until golden.

Serve with Peri Peri mayonnaise. Delicious!