Phyllo-wrapped asparagus
“Mama loves her greens – I take after her in that department. I wanted to jazz up the asparagus in this recipe and think the prosciutto and phyllo are exactly what’s needed to take the veg from good to great without much trouble at all.” – Siba
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and lightly grease a baking tin with cooking spray.
2. Wrap the mid-section of each one of 12 rinsed asparagus spears with a prosciutto slice. Brush 12 sheets of phyllo pastry with melted butter and wrap around the asparagus.
3. Place on a baking tray and brush with 1 whisked egg yolk. Sprinkle with 1 T black sesame seeds. Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crunchy.
4. Place on a platter and serve with dipping sauce. To make this, mix together: 4 T sweet chilli sauce, 1 T soya sauce, ½ t minced ginger, ½ t wasabi paste.
Honey, soya and mustard chicken with warm samp-and-wild quinoa salad
“Chicken is a favourite dish of my mom’s. I think the honey, soya and mustard complement its natural flavour beautifully. Samp pairs very well with quinoa, especially served with the honey soya mustard chicken fillet.” – Siba
1. Place 4 scored free-range chicken fillets into a deep dish. Mix together 4 T soya sauce, 2 T honey, 1 t wholegrain mustard, 3 crushed garlic cloves and 1 t finely grated ginger and pour over the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
2. Cook the chicken in a large, heavy-based, non-stick pan for 6–7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Set aside and cover.
3. To make the samp and quinoa salad, place 140 g samp (thoroughly rinsed) in a medium-sized saucepan and cover with 2 cups salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes or until cooked. Rinse and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, cover 170 g red quinoa with 1 ½ cups salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 12–15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.
5. Switch off the stove and leave the lid on to steam the quinoa until cooked. The quinoa should be fluffy but still have a slight bite – take care not to overcook it.
6. In a large pan, sauté 1 red onion and 2 crushed garlic cloves in 1 T oil for 4 minutes, or until soft. Add 1 diced green pepper, 6 rainbow carrots cut into chunks and 125 g cleaned baby mushrooms. Cook for 4 minutes. Add 125 g edamame beans and 6 chopped spring onions and stir well.
7. Stir in the samp and quinoa. Lightly season with soya sauce and stir. To serve, toss wild rocket and mixed baby tomatoes into the samp and quinoa to make a warm salad. Serve with the chicken on one big platter or individually. Garnish with microherbs.
(Cook’s note: This salad is great served either warm or cold. It’s also delicious topped with red pickled onions.)
Mini pavlovas
“Mama doesn’t have a big sweet tooth but she enjoys these little treats from time to time. They look impressive but are really the easiest things in the world to make.” – Siba
1. Preheat the oven to 120°C. Trace the outline of four cups or glasses onto a sheet of baking paper, about 5 cm in diameter. Place the baking paper onto a tray.
2. Beat 3 free-range egg whites in a mixer until frothy, about 1 minute, then add ¼ t cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form, about 5 more minutes.
3. Add 150 g caster sugar a little at a time, beating after each addition, until the mixture is thick and glossy with firm peaks – this takes about 10 minutes. Gently stir in a few drops of pink or red food colouring (optional) to create a marbled effect.
4. Spoon the meringue onto the baking tray using the traced circles as a guide. Create a well in the centre of each meringue for the topping.
5. Bake for 1 hour, or until crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. Turn off the oven and cool completely in the oven.
6. To make the topping, mix ½ cup whipped cream with 1 cup thick plain yoghurt. Gently fold in juice of 1 lemon. Divide between the meringues and top with fig slices. Drizzle with Woolies’ berry medley coulis and garnish with mint.
How will you spoil your mom this Mother’s Day (besides by cooking her brunch)? Woolies has hundreds of ways to help you out, from foodie gifts to fashion, home and beauty treats – and because she’s blooming brilliant, why not make your mom’s day with a bunch of something gorgeous? There’s something to suit every budget, too.
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