BACON AND ASPARAGUS STARTERS
asparagus spears
bacon strips halved lengthwise
toothpicks
Wash asparagus and cut 2 cm off the ends.
Place each bacon strip on a chopping board at a 45 degree angle.
Place one of the asparagus spears on top of the meat, perpendicular to it.
The tip of the asparagus should be lined up with the bottom of the bacon strip. Wrap the bottom end of bacon over the asparagus and holding the meat tight, start rolling the asparagus up.
The bacon strip will wrap around the whole length of the spear because it’s on an angle.
You can secure ends with toothpicks and don’t worry if parts of the asparagus spears are not covered completely.

Notes: You can pre-wrap the asparagus ahead of time until you cook. It’s best served just off the fire

HUBBY’S SEAFOOD PAELLA
Hubby decided he feels like something different and fishy:
1 cup uncooked rice
Turmeric
Sage
Rosemary
Oregano
Thyme leaves
Basil leaves
Parsley flakes

BANTING BEEF STROGANOFF
85 g mushrooms
570 g Stroganoff meat
½ cup onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
60 g red wine
1 cup beef broth
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt

Heat your oven to warm setting. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.
In a large non-stick pan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a platter and place in the oven.
Melt the butter in the pan; add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom liquid evaporates.
Add the wine; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the beef broth and cook for 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are coated with a thick sauce. Stir in the sour cream and mustard. Add the meat and accumulated juices.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the meat is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Photo and recipe posted by Esme Slabbert

STUFFED ROULADEN
Source: Esme’s kitchen
FOOD LOVERS RECIPES
500 g bag frozen spinach
8 medium potatoes
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
¾ cup crumbled bacon pieces
12 slices inside round for rouladen (minute steak)
½-1 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
salt and pepper

Drain the spinach well and season with salt and ground black pepper
Boil potatoes until tender (add some garlic to the water for extra flavor), about 15 – 20 minutes. Drain well
Cut potatoes into smaller chunks (I did not mash it), then stir in cheese, bacon, and add salt, pepper and dried onion flakes.
Unroll Rouladen and spread some spinach direct onto the meat, then add the potato mix and spread out over the length of the meat. Leave some space at the top and bottom end open to make it easier to roll. Roll up and place some toothpicks in to hold it together.
Place into a baking pan covered with some olive oil to prevent sticking.
Cover with barbecue source – I used a brush to paint it over the top and sides. Place in preheated oven at 400ºF and bake for 30 – 45 minutes ’till done and browned.

VEGGIE CHICKPEA SALAD – VEGAN
2 cans of chickpeas, rinse off the chickpeas and drain them
2 small green onions, chopped into small pieces
½ cucumber, sliced and halved
2 tablespoons chopped basil and cilantro (did not have fresh cilantro, so skipped it)
cherry tomatoes, halved
2 beet, thinly sliced and then steamed
8 asparagus, steamed and sliced into bite size
Add the following, if available:
Place everything on a bed of shredded lettuce
1 small handful sun-dried tomatoes
1 sweet potato, sliced and steamed
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, cut into small pieces

Salad:
Rinse the chickpeas, and let it drip dry.
Chop green onion, or use a scissor to cut it into small pieces.
Slice cucumber and half each slice.
Chop basil and cilantro or use the scissors here as well.
Half the cherry tomatoes.
Peel the beet and slice into thin slices and steam to slightly soft, not overly done – still need some crunch.
Cut off the hard stems of the asparagus and slice into bite size pieces and also steam to crunchy.

Should you prefer to use any of the additional ingredients, cut sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces.
Peel the Sweet potato and slice into thin slices and steam to slightly soft, not overly done – still need some crunch.
Cut the red and green peppers into slivers and then into 1/3’s.

You can pack layers of those ingredients you wish to use, and then toss or just leave in layers.
Place into the fridge to cool down and till ready to use.

Avocado Dressing:
½ avocado
1 spiralized zucchini
1 tablespoon Tahini paste
sea salt and pepper, to taste

I added some VOO and cider vinegar when I blended the dressing, in order to get a softer and smooth mixture. Serve with salad.
Note: Late this afternoon, when I wanted to use the left over for dinner, I added some thinly sliced steamed yam (sweet potato) and extra steamed asparagus.
As for the dressing, I added some milk to make it thinner and its perfect, more like a dressing than a spread, which I prefer.
Served with yummy single serving seed bread.
Esms’s own combination of a number of old favourites
Recipe and photo: Esme Slabs

BLACK BEAN ONION PILAF – VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE

INGREDIENTS
1 medium red onion, chopped (reserve 2 tbsp, finely chopped, for topping)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
4-5 crimini (or button) mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup bell pepper, chopped (optional)
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup brown rice (jasmine, long grain, short grain, basmati)
1 cup greens, chopped (swiss chard, kale, collard greens, or spinach)
½ cup green onions or chives, chopped
1½ cups black beans, cooked (1 can is ok, rinse and drain well)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional, but tasty)
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon medium-high heat oil of choice
In a deep skillet, add tablespoon of oil and saute onion, garlic, mushrooms, pepper, and carrot for 2-3 minutes.
Add rice and stir 30 seconds until glossy.
Add vegetable broth or water, bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 20-30 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked.
Add chives and greens to pan, along with black beans, salt, chili powder, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice.
Stir well and cover for 1 min to let beans and greens heat through.
Plate and top with finely chopped red onion. Enjoy!

Source: Esme’s archive

COUSCOUS SALAD WITH VEGETABLES AND CHICKPEAS

1 onion, finely chopped
Olive oil 45 ml (3 tbsp.)
2.5 ml (½ tsp.) Ground cumin dried
2.5 ml (½ tsp.) Dried ground coriander
1 clove garlic, minced
375 ml (1 ½ cups) chicken or vegetable broth
375 ml (1 ½ cup) couscous
1 can of 398 ml (14 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
2 Lebanese cucumbers unpeeled, diced
125 ml (½ cup) feta cheese, crumbled (you can omit this for vegan version)
125 ml (½ cup) chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

1. Using a large nonstick skillet, cook onion in oil over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add the spices and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Salt and pepper. Add the broth and bring to the boil.
2. Add couscous and mix well. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Using a fork, undo the couscous. Leave to cool.
3. In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and add to this the couscous. Mix everything well.

Photo: Adam Cloete
Nota:  Ek het mielies in plaas van chickpeas gebruik en ek dink dit het dit nog lekkerder gemaak as wat die chickpeas sou.

KALE, BILTONG AND EGG BAKE
6 eggs
1 stalk of kale
4 raw young asparagus spears
5-6 spring onions/scallions
½ – 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ – ¾ cup biltong
Spices (your decide), I used Aromat (to taste, remember as you have salty biltong, do not overdo it) and ½ teaspoon basil pesto.

Wisk eggs, and cut up all the rest of the ingredients and mix well together.
Spice to your taste.
Pour into 2 greased ramekins and bake @ 400F till set and browned.
Add some extra pieces of biltong at the end, just because you have some more and needed extra added to the dish!
Source:  Esme Slabbert​

BLUE AND BLACK BLUEBERRY SAUCE
2 cups Berries (I usually use half black and half blueberries, but you can you either or both)
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon cornstarch
Mix ½ berries (can also use ½ blueberries and ½ blackberries), ½ water, all the sugar and all lemon juice.
Stir and bring to boil.
Turn down heat, simmer 7 to 10 minutes.
Mix cornstarch into rest of water until dissolved and add to the wild berry mix.
Stir until thickens, then add the remaining blueberries.
Cook 3 minutes on low.
Bottle and store.
Note:
When I make this sauce, I usually do up to 10 pounds of berries, and then I have it for a year (or maybe less, as we use it a lot). Nice as gifts and also very very yummy on ice cream!!!

If you want to use it as a topping on i.e a cheesecake, use 1 cup (size of the bottle in the picture), mix 1 packet of gelatin with lukewarm water, then add the berry mixture to it and mix through. Spread over your cheesecake and let it set. Yummy

Source: Unknown, but highly modified by Esme Slabbert

EASY MIX AND BAKE BREAD
4 x 250ml whole-wheat flour
1 x 250 ml cake flour
5 ml salt
500 ml buttermilk
125 ml milk
25 ml sugar
10 ml vinegar
25 ml oil
5 ml baking soda
Set oven at 180C (350F)
Grease bread pan
Start combining all your ingredients as listed above, from the top working your way down the list, and it’s best to use a wooden spoon to do the mixing.
Spoon into your pan and bake for ± 1 hour in a preheated oven.
Let it rest for 5 minutes in the pan before taking it out.
Let it cool down on a wire rack.
Esmé’s Note: Original recipe only called for regular milk, although I substituted it with buttermilk, and then added an additional 125ml regular milk (as it seemed a bit dry). Due to using buttermilk, I only used 10 ml vinegar instead of the 25ml as per the original recipe.
– Regular milk + vinegar usually used together instead of buttermilk.

Tried and tested by Esme’s kitchen