The new Le Creuset Halo Kettle

Aren't these just too gorgeous? The black one is my personal favourite ;)

We have the Cherry Zen Kettle, and just love it - especially with all the power failures SA has been experiencing, it's really handy to be able to boil water on the gas stove! And it's so pretty it always has pride of place in the kitchen. 

Click here for more info on the new Halo Kettle range. 

Spicy Crushed Peas, Steak & Egg

A quick and healthy mid-week meal.

Spicy Crushed Peas, Steak & Egg
Serves 2

Ingredients
400g steak of your choice (we used beef fillet)
2 cups frozen baby peas
2 large free range eggs
Olive oil
2 fresh green chillies, sliced (remove the seeds for a less spicy version)
2 t fresh garlic, chopped
Salt & black pepper
Optional: Crispy fried onion and bacon bits

Method
Grill the meat to your liking, cover with foil and allow to rest.
Meanwhile, bring the peas to the boil. Once they are soft but still bright green and firm (boil them for about 3 minutes), remove from the heat and drain.
Fry two eggs to your liking (soft works best for this recipe).
While the eggs are cooking, heat a splash of olive oil in a pan, add the chillies and garlic and fry for a minute or two. Add the cooked peas and toss through. Roughly crush the peas with a potato masher and season well with salt and pepper.
Plate the dish by piling the hot peas on a plate, topping it with the rested steak and then with an egg. Season well with salt and black pepper.

TIP: Add some crispy fried onion and crispy bacon bits for extra indulgence.

Spring Day Gifts from LekkerBek

Visit www.lekkerbek.co.za for 

Spring Day gift ideas,

or email andante@lekkerbek.co.za

for personalised options.

Mexican Style filled Avocado

If you’re not quite ready for full blown leafy salads, 

kick spring off with this fresh and spicy filled avo.

Mexican Style filled Avocado
Serves 2 as a side, one as a main

Ingredients
1 large ripe avocado
½ cup mature cheddar, finely diced
½ cup mini rosa tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped (remove seeds for a less spicy version)
Juice of one fresh lime
1 T olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Method
Combine all the ingredients (except the avo) and season well with salt & pepper.
Cut the avocado in half, remove the pip and spoon in the mixture.

Serve half as a side to good steak or the whole avo as a main.

Grapefruit, Papaya, Strawberry & Lime Smoothie

Spring is bursting to come into bloom on Joburg, you can just feel it in the air! A sunny weekend is being predicted so we think this smoothie is the perfect way to celebrate warmer weather - while getting a vitamin boost to boot ;)

Grapefruit, Papaya, Strawberry & Lime Smoothie
Serves 1

Ingredients
½ papaya
150g strawberries
Juice of 1 pink grapefruit
Juice of ½ lime

Method
Blend together… chill (or serve on ice) and enjoy.

Europe in the summer = Love

We are back from the most fantastic summer holiday in Europe! After a few visa issues (grrrr), we finally arrived in Amsterdam - albeit 3 days late... Anyhoo, we hit the ground running and did whirlwind museum visits, beer stops, Genever tastings and even a picnic on the lawn at the Rijksmuseum. 

We spent most of our vacation in Spain, and we absolutely loved it! When can we go again?? We stayed in Barcelona for 5 nights where we walked (and jogged!) the streets until after midnight, drank too much sangria, learnt how to cook a traditional seafood paella, became obsessed with Jamón ibérico (and green olives, and white anchovies, and gazpacho...), gazed at Gaudi and fell in love again as the sun set over the magical (musical) fountains. 

We then traveled down south and road-tripped in the Andalusian province. Here we had the best tapas, discovered Tinto verano, drank too much beer, cooked fabulous meals in our little kitchen with local produce, spent hours in the pool and on the beach (it was 42°C!!), wandered through the Alhambra and got a bit of Mediterranean colour on our skins ;)

We ended off our trip with a few days in Versailles and Paris... magical as always! 

Here are a few of our Instagram foodie highlights. 

Herring in Amsterdam (slippery, yet satisfying)

'Kleine biertjies' in Amsterdam

One of the best meals we had in Spain! At the Mercado de Santa Caterina, on high chairs, sipping ice cold white wine. Fantastic ingredients directly from the market; simply and perfectly prepared. 

Sangria on the beach

Jamón!!

Our Spanish picnics mostly consisted of Jamón (and some other cold cuts like Chorizo), manchego cheese, green olives, white anchovies and a fresh bread. 

Green olives stuffed with pimentos wrapped in white anchovies - yum!

Ice cold cervezas.

Tinto Verano (red wine with a dash of lightly sparkling orange soda and a lemon wedge)

- the perfect poolside drink! 

Beer and Tinto Verano stops are a necessity in 42°C heat! 

Moules frites in Paris.

We went all gourmet for our last French picnic; Foie gras, caviar, salmon pate, jamón, baguette, cheese, fresh peaches, radishes, tomatoes and rocket. 

Now to start planning our next adventure.... :)