Caramel apple and blueberry tart

I know that I am not the only Capetonian who did a little dance of joy when the rain started on Sunday night. It was such a relief after the heat wave that has been stifling us. You could almost hear the garden greedily slurping up those much needed raindrops! It is still pretty warm though, and that got me thinking about this dish which my family loves to enjoy when that summer feeling is in the air and also in the colder months.

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Creamy chicken and mushroom pot pies

I am very excited to announce a delicious new series starting on the blog today! If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook then you probably would have seen the teaser I posted last week. In the series I will be sharing a collection of recipes highlighting the versatility and blendability of one of my favourite fresh ingredients, the marvellous mushroom.

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Brie, fennel and tomato tarts

A few weeks ago I started buying a weekly fruit and veggie bag from an organic shop close to home. This is something I have been intending to try out for a very long time. Having small children has made me more aware of what we as a family are eating and this has been my main motivating factor for giving the weekly organic bag a go. I love that we are getting seasonal, locally grown produce and enjoying food without any nasties in it.

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Baby marrow, sundried tomato and chevin tart

Life feels like a bit of a blur at the moment. I am sure many of you can relate – from the moment I open my eyes in the morning to the minute I collapse into bed each evening I am on the go, moving from one pressing task to the next. Sometimes you just really need to stop and smell the pastry.. err, I mean roses. Weekends are a good time for this when things are (sometimes) a little less frantic and rushed, and there is a bit more time for some leisurely cooking. 

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Apple and raisin oaty crumble with vanilla custard

This is a little something I whipped up over the weekend and an absolute classic as I am sure you will agree! There is something very comforting and homely about preparing and eating this particular dessert and I love the heavenly combination of spiced apple, crunchy oat crumble and creamy vanilla custard.

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Granny D’s lemon fridge tart

I recently received an email from a South African ex-pat living in the U.S.A. asking whether I had a fridge tart recipe to share. Two things immediately came to mind: firstly my super easy lemon fridge cheesecake recipe which I promptly sent to her; secondly one of my mom’s recipe books containing a handwritten lemon fridge tart recipe, passed on from my paternal grandmother. I seem to recall we had enjoyed the fridge cake at a Sunday lunch and immediately requested the recipe. I have not paged through that book for years but remember the recipe distinctly – it is written in green pen and was probably pasted into the book at least 20 years ago. I was intrigued to give it a try and see whether it is still a winner.

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Sweet and savoury canapés

My friends and family will tell you that I love receiving foodie gifts, particularly new and interesting products that I have not see before. A few weeks ago my parents returned from a weekend away with two such items – large tortilla baskets and smaller canapé shells from a local company called Kari Foods. Today I am going to show you how to make happiness in a mouthful with two recipes that I created using the canapé shells.

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Rustic coconut tarts with raspberry sauce

On Monday afternoon my daughter came home from school with a piece of cardboard covered in beautiful pink and red hearts that she had carefully painted. I looked at her artwork – hearts… love… wait a second, it’s Valentine’s Day on Friday! Truth be told, I believe in celebrating and appreciating love throughout the year and not just splurging on the 14th of February, but I was reminded of this recipe which I will be sharing today.

 

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