Top three food favourites for winter

With the winter chills here to stay, there is nothing more satisfying than tucking in to a warm, hearty meal. Check out these three simple recipes perfect for a Zululand winter’s night.

Juicy steak and cheese stacked sandwiches

Ingredients

400g porterhouse steak

10ml sunflower oil

12 slices crusty white bread

10ml wholegrain mustard

50ml mayonnaise

4 slices of Cheddar cheese

Slices of tomato and salad leaves to serve

Method

Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Brush the steaks with a thin layer of oil and place onto the hot pan for 3 minutes per side for medium, or longer if preferred. Remove the meat and cover. Rest for 10 minutes then slice.

While the meat is resting, toast the slices of bread on the same griddle pan.

Mix the mustard and mayonnaise together.

Assemble the sandwich by placing a slice of Cheddar and some steak on one slice of bread. Top with another slice of bread. Spread with the mustard-mayonnaise mixture. Add sliced tomato and salad leaves and top with a third slice of bread. Serve immediately.

Baked lamb chops with a herb crust

Ingredients

30ml olive oil

4-6 lamb chops

3 slices of white bread, crusts removed

30 ml roughly chopped parsley

2 sprigs of thyme

2 sprigs of rosemary

Salad and garlic baby potatoes, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Heat the oil in a pan and brown the chops on both sides. Set aside.

Place the bread and herbs into a food processor and process until fine. Alternatively, finely chop the herbs, grate the bread to breadcrumbs and mix the two together.

Press some of the breadcrumbs on to the top of each chop and place on a baking sheet. Place in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden and the meat is done to your preference. Serve with salad and garlic baby potatoes.

Cheesy chicken ‘pizza’

Ingredients

4 chicken breast fillets

50ml

Tomato pasta sauce

6 piquant peppers, halved

2 rounds of feta, cubed

200ml grated mozzarella cheese

1 avocado, sliced salad to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Butterfly the chicken fillets by slicing the chicken horizontally, but don’t cut through completely. Fold open and place onto a lined baking sheet.

Spread some pasta sauce onto each fillet and arrange the piquant peppers and feta on the chicken.

Sprinkle mozzarella over each fillet and place into a preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Top with sliced avocado. Serve hot with salad.