Aunt Sonja's Dip for Frankfurters and Potato Salad

This is a firm family favourite; we use this sauce more for a potato salad than for sausages. It's a sweet and sour sauce to which you add some mayonnaise at the end to make it more creamy. You can also add pineapple slices to your salad if you like, but this is optional. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup white vinegar

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1 tsp mustard powder

pinch of salt

METHOD

Mix the mustard with a little bit of the vinegar. Keep aside. 

Heat the rest of the vinegar in a small pot, and add sugar. Stir until dissolved. 

Stir the vinegar in with the beaten eggs and add the mustard mixture. 

Heat over low heat (slowly) until the sauce starts thickening. 

Add the salt. 

Let it cool a little bit and stir in some mayonnaise. 

The secret is to not let the mixture boil! Low and slow is the best! 

Enjoy x

Banana Bread

THE easiest banana bread recipe! Quick to make and moist and delicious when done!

Makes 1 small loaf

INGREDIENTS

3 bananas, slightly overripe

200 g brown sugar

150 g butter

2 free range eggs

240 g cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Beat bananas until smooth, using your electric hand blender. Add sugar; butter and eggs. 

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. 

Slowly add the dry ingredients to wet mixture while using the blender on lowest setting.

Pour batter into a 23 cm x 13 cm loaf tin. 

Bake for 45 - 55 minutes.

Enjoy! 

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

This is absolutely divine! In my opinion, much better than shop bought! Give it a bash, I don't think you will be unhappy. 

Makes about 2 cups

https://www.pexels.com/@aiste-sveikataite-701382/

INGREDIENTS

1 Litre full cream milk + 900 ml more

1 cup double cream yoghurt (250 ml)

2 tsp white grape vinegar

1 tsp salt

METHOD

• In a large pot bring the milk, yoghurt, vinegar and salt to a boil. This takes a while if the milk is very cold. Very gently boil until the milk is curdled. This may also take a while, depending on your pot size. Stir occasionally. 
• Meanwhile, line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth and set it over a deep bowl (or use an old clean white t-shirt - I did!).
• Pour the milk mixture into the colander and let it drain for 15 minutes. Gather the cheesecloth around the curds and squeeze gently to extract any excess liquid. 
• Storage: homemade ricotta is best served slightly warm, although it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, if desired, in an air tight container with a well fitted lid. 

Optional:

For serving: olive oil; lemon zest; freshly ground black pepper; flaky sea salt or just enjoy it the way you like it! 

Tuna and Pasta Bake

 A family recipe! Super easy and quick to make! 

Serves 4 - 6 

Photo by Klaus Nielsen (Pexels)

350g  pasta, like screws or shells or small pasta shapes

2 big onions

25 ml cooking oil

1 packet creamed mushroom soup powder (about 53 g)

400 ml water

1 can tuna

125 g (300 ml) grated cheddar cheese

METHOD

• Boil pasta in salt water until soft and drain. Peel onions and slice. Fry in cooking oil until soft and starting to change colour. 
• Mix the soup powder and water, heat until boiling point and boil for 2 minutes whilst stirring constantly.
• Drain the tuna and add fish, pasta, onions and two thirds of the cheese to the soup. Stir until combined. 
• Spoon mixture into shallow, buttered oven dish with a volume of 1,5 liters. 
• Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. 
• Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven of 180 degrees Celsius. 

Smoked Chicken Salad

A quick salad where you can just throw things together! No measurements needed, just add what you like and how much. 

Photo by Roman Odintsov (Pexels)

INGREDIENTS

Smoked chicken breasts, cut into pieces 

Cherry tomatoes, cut into smaller pieces

Raisins 

Cucumber

Hard boiled eggs / Pickled onions 

Nuts / seeds

Peppadews

Feta cheese

Spring onions

DRESSING

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp honey

1 tsp paprika

*Combine ingredients in a jar and shake well, serve over your salad. 

South African Curry Pasta Salad

A true South African salad that can be served with a braai or with a roast chicken or any meats. Or just as is! Delicious! 

Serves 3 - 4

CURRY PASTA SALAD

500g pasta of choice (I prefer screws or small shells)

1 Red/Yellow/Green pepper, finely chopped

Half a can of peach slices, chopped into pieces 

125 ml peas (frozen; just pour some boiled water over and strain after a few minutes)

1 onion (red or white), chopped finely

Sauce:

200 ml tomato sauce

100 ml red grape vinegar

100 ml sunflower / canola oil (or neutral oil of choice)

3 TBS brown sugar (adjust to taste)

25 ml curry spice (Use any strength you prefer; I use medium)

45 ml Mrs. Ball's Hot Chutney (or Chutney of your choice)

Fine black pepper (Pepper Compound) to taste

METHOD:

1. Boil pasta to "el dente" and strain and put aside

2. Chop onion; pepper; peach slices

3. Get the peas ready

4. When the pasta has cooled down a bit, add the onion; pepper; peach slices; peas

5. Combine all the sauce ingredients and mix well, then add to the salad and mix through

6. Cover with clingwrap and put in fridge. The pasta salad will improve the longer it is stored, but of course you can have it straight away! 

ENJOY!