Meat-free Archives

Coconut recipes

Roast vegetable couscous tower

30 minutes

Beetroot recipes

Moskonfyt-roasted beetroot with yoghurt

40 minutes

Boards and

Triple-cheese bites

15 minutes

Savoury cheesecake with garden peas

Serves 10–12 as a starter

Difficulty Easy

Prep Time 15 minutes, plus 1 hour’s chilling time

Cooking Time 1 hour

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:

300 g cake flour
2 t baking powder
½ t fine salt
220 g cold butter
3 large free-range egg yolks
4 t ice-cold water
2 x 250 g creamed cottage cheese tubs
1 x 250 g crème fraîche tub
½ t salt
8 jumbo free-range eggs
2 cups shelled peas
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 t lemon zest

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. To make the pastry, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Coarsely grate the butter into the dry ingredients. Mix the egg yolks and water in a small jug. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix using your hands to form a soft dough. Wrap in clingwrap and chill for 1 hour.

3. Butter a 22 cm, deep, loose bottomed cake tin. Roll out the pastry and line the cake tin with a thin layer of pastry. Combine the cottage cheese and crème fraîche in a mixing bowl and add the salt. Beat the eggs lightly and stir into the cheese mixture until all the ingredients are combined. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 20 minutes.

4. Reduce the oven’s temperature to 160°C and bake for a further 20 minutes. Check the cheesecake and if the top of the cake or the pastry edge is browning too fast, protect it with a double layer of baking paper or tinfoil. Bake for a further 20 minutes.

5. When the top of the cheesecake feels firm to the touch, remove it from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes, then remove the cake ring.

6. Boil the peas in boiling, salted water for 1–2 minutes, or until they turn bright green and are still firm, but cooked. Drain in a colander. Scatter the peas and spring onions over the cheesecake and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Serve slices of the warm cheesecake with extra peas on the side.

Chef's note: “One of the best gifts of spring is a basket of fresh peas and if you get to sit outside with a friend while you shell your peas, it has the makings of a celebration. The texture and simple fl avouring of this savoury cheesecake provide the perfect backdrop to turn the overused and underrated pea into a star again.”

Spinach lasagne

Kung pao chicken

Durban fish curry

Red cabbage slaw

Bitter greens with walnuts and Gorgonzola dressing

Vegan meringue mess cake

Onion cheese tart

The ultimate toasted cheese

Sweetcorn-and-Gruyère soup

Cheesy stuffed tomatoes

Roast vegetable couscous tower

Moskonfyt-roasted beetroot with yoghurt

Triple-cheese bites

Asparagus with tartare sauce and apple

Savoury cheesecake with garden peas

Savoury cheesecake with garden peas

Ingredients

Method