Get the recipe for Dorah Sithole’s mopane stew (mashonza)

I remember my mom using brown onion soup powder in stews and casseroles as a thickener, which is pretty straightforward. But my favourite was when she made “apricot chicken”, which entailed sprinkling the soup powder over chicken pieces and pouring over a litre of apricot juice (usually LiquiFruit) or lemonade (it was the eighties…) to make a tray bake with potatoes nestled around the chicken. She served it with boiled frozen peas. The juice went deliciously sticky and the soup created pockets of salty flavour… I may have to recreate it soon! She also sometimes used minestrone soup powder for this dish to make something even more exotic!

Get the recipe for Faathima Manjoo’s saffron roast lamb.

But it turns out that this is not a purely South African thing; the Americans use this pantry staple in many interesting ways, including mixing it with sour cream or cream cheese to make a dip to serve with crudités or chips; adding it to the mince for lasagne (don’t tell the Italians) and when making meatballs; using it in beef or savoury mince pie fillings; in savoury rice, and as a marinade for steak. Australians love it in a potato bake – they mix it with sour cream and layer it between the potatoes instead of using ordinary cream; add it to the egg mixture when making a quiche; add it to soups for a boost of oniony flavour; and they also use it to make apricot chicken but call it “miracle” chicken! An apt description!

Psst: Woolworths stocks brown onion flavoured thickener, along with some other inspired dry sauces – from dry chicken a la king sauce powder to mushroom sauce powder.

What’s your favourite way to use this iconic ingredient? Let us know in the comments.

Brenda Harvey’s apricot chicken

Serves 4
EASY
GREAT VALUE

Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour

8 free-range chicken pieces
1 x 50 g packet brown onion soup powder
1 litre apricot juice (or lemonade)
4–6 potatoes, peeled and halved
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
frozen peas, blanched, for serving

1. Place the chicken in a casserole or roasting pan and sprinkle over the soup powder. Pour in the apricot juice or lemonade and place the potatoes around the chicken pieces.

2. Season to taste and bake for 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid has reduced. Serve with the blanched peas.

The post Brown onion soup powder: A South African national treasure appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.

This vegetarian, Moroccan-inspired sweet potato dhal with easy-to-make flatbread will fill you up, and there’s enough for leftovers.
Get the recipe for sweet potato dhal with yoghurt flatbread here.

Braised butternut with sweet potato bake

This creamy bake uses two budget-friendly veg – sweet potato and butternut. The creamy bake is just the thing to warm you from the inside.
Get the recipe for braised butternut and sweet potato bake here.

Chargrilled parsnips with handmade pasta

Parsnips aren’t just for making soup, they’re delicious roasted, too. And making your own pasta doesn’t require lots of ingredients either.

Get the recipe for chargrilled parsnips with handmade pasta here.

Spiced parsnip soup

This deliciously creamy soup is ready in under an hour and creates hardly any washing up.

Get the recipe for spiced parsnip soup here.

Tear-and-share fig and beetroot tartlets

Beetroot is delicious roasted, especially with sweet figs and creamy blue cheese.
Get the recipe for tear-and-share fig and beetroot tartlets here.

Baked barley pilau with roast beetroot and feta

Hearty barley gets the gourmet treatment when roasted with beetroot and served with creamy feta.
Get the recipe for baked barley pilau with roast beetroot and feta.

Chicken livers with carrot mash and crispy kale

Budget-friendly chicken livers served with a surprisingly creamy, sweet mash make a satisfying supper.
Get the recipe for chicken livers with carrot mash and crispy kale here.

Sticky roast carrots with barley broth

Sticky roasted carrots are the perfect pairing for a warming barley broth.
Get the recipe for sticky roast carrots with barley broth here.

The post Eight ways with root vegetables to stretch your rands appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.

1. For a great coffee at 44 Stanley: Bean There

This local success story prides itself on being South Africa’s first roaster of certified Fairtrade coffee beans. With two cafés in Joburg and one in Cape Town, all the single-origin beans used and sold are sourced directly from farmers in Africa, making a real difference to growers’ lives. It’s a popular “coffice” (coffee shop/ office) for freelancers and has an area for private meetings. Most importantly, the coffee is great. Order your favourite brew, take a seat and watch the friendly baristas in action.

beanthere.co.za

2. For home-style fare: The Leopard Kitchen and Deli

Nick Gordon and Andrea Burgener (above) closed their popular Melville restaurant of the same name and opened it in this new incarnation at 44 Stanley just over a year ago. The same care and commitment to ethical provenance remains at the core of their philosophy, translated into delicious ready meals and deli items that are a lifesaver for local office workers and other time-starved types who still want a decent meal when they get home. Choose from the likes of fish cakes, meatballs, chicken curry, mac and cheese and gnocchi. You can also have anything delivered, in small or party-sized quantities, including the deli items and booze available in store, plus a huge range of dishes, from comfort to posh, that are listed online. It’s everything you need to eat well, responsibly.
leopardfoodcompany.com

3. For indulgent sweet treats: Chocoloza

Chocolatier Vicki Bain lived in Belgium for 14 years and honed her craft at some of the best in the country. All the chocolates here are made using the best quality Belgian chocolate and some incorporate South African ingredients such as Amarula and Khoisan salt. Purists will love the Intense made using 85% Valrhona chocolate and fresh cream, while those with a sweeter tooth will devour the hazelnut praline. Bean There (see opposite) supplies the coffee beans for the Creamy Coffee truffle, while raspberries are sourced from The Field Berry Farm near Alberton, and pecan and macadamia nuts from Mac Eden Estates near Port Edward in KZN. The shop has a small seating area where customers can enjoy a coffee or hot chocolate while savouring their stash.
chocoloza.co.za

4. For a life-saving breakfast or lunch: Salvation Café

A favourite breakfast and lunch spot at 44 Stanley among business people, families and hipsters, expect everything from fruit salad and eggs any way you like them, to pancakes, French toast (sweet or savoury), various Benedicts and breakfast burritos. Lunch offers the likes of burgers, substantial salads, sandwiches and wraps, fish cakes and the delicious-sounding BBQ pork belly roll. There’s also a deli that offers a smaller menu for sit down or takeaway, as well as a salad bar where you’re invited to “choose your salvation” and add a protein or dressing if you’re in need of extra help. It also sells quirky homeware and foodie products that are difficult to refuse.
salvationcafe.co.za

5. For food with soul: Calexico Vinyl Lounge and Restaurant

Great music, craft booze and good food is a trio that’s hard to beat. Business partners Larry (below right) and Annie Hodes and Ginny Vacy-Lyle (below left), who with her husband, Mike, were regulars at the space’s previous incarnation as the hugely popular Stanley Beer Yard, are crazy about all three. The two couples joined forces last year to transform the Beer Yard into an Americana-themed restaurant and bar. Named after Larry and Mike’s favourite indie band and a small town in California near the Mexican border, both of which inspired the vibe and the menu, the spot’s new Mexicali-style menu offers the likes of smoky pork ribs and rotisserie chickens with sides such as charred corn, tortilla chips and hot artichoke-and-jalapeño dip, all designed for sharing. Mike is the serious muso in the group – he’s been known to spin discs on viyl nights on Thursdays and Fridays – and loves seeing patrons settling in on the couches listening to live music or sampling the extensive vinyl collection. As their motto says, “real music never gets old”.
facebook.com/CaleXico Vinyl Lounge and Restaurant

6. For the best breads and pastries: Vovo Telo

The 44 Stanley store was the first in the Joburg Vovo Telo stable, and still delivers all the baked goodness it’s become known for. Owner Sandra Turanjanin is genuinely passionate about her work and it shows in the food and service. Regulars and new customers alike flock to the rustically decorated space for freshly baked loaves, pastries and hearty breakfasts (served with house-made sourdough, ciabatta, rye or a bagel). It’s also a popular spot for lunch with sandwiches (both classic and gourmet) taking top spot. Choose from the likes of pastrami on rye or chicken mayo, or go all out with chicken schnitzel with Boerenkaas, shredded cabbage and coriander aïoli. There are also pissaladières (a French “pizza” made with a ciabatta or low-carb cauliflower base) with toppings such as caramelised pear, Gypsy ham and Camembert, and salads if you’re that way inclined. If you’re after something sweet, try a waffle or a slice or cake from the harvest table.
vovotelo.co.za

7. For fresh fare (and functions): Il Giardino and The Room

You’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in Tuscany or France when you sit down in this shady 44 Stanley courtyard, which is a popular spot year round, with wrought iron tables and fresh flowers setting the scene. There is also an indoor space, The Room, which is a favourite for private functions often hosted here. All the food is made using the freshest ingredients, and the wine list features some exclusive bottles. The menu includes breakfast options such as oats with poached pears (below left), while lunch offerings range from pizzas with interesting toppings (try the leg of lamb with dates and apricot), to pastas, burgers, curry, fish and chicken. There’s also Prosecco and gin and tonic on tap.
ilgiardino.co.za

Image credit: Dan Ingham

The post 7 great restaurants at Milpark’s 44 Stanley appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.

Boil an egg at home until medium (it’ll keep cooking in your lunch bag while you’re stuck in traffic). (Learn the secret to perfectly boiled eggs here.) Pack 1 slice Woolworths Berliner Landbrot or 100% rye bread, a small avocado and a few ribbons of smoked salmon into your lunch bag. At work, toast the bread and peel and chop the egg. Spread the avo on the toasted bread, top with the salmon ribbons and the egg. Season with salt and pepper.

Bircher muesli

Soak 1 cup oats (the proper kind, not instant) overnight with a couple of tablespoons of Woolworths full-cream yoghurt, a little milk, chopped almonds and a handful of sultanas. Spoon a portion into a Tupperware and take to work with a small apple. Chop the apple, stir into the oats and drizzle with honey.

Alternatively, try this overnight breakfast jar with apple, cardamom and pistachios.

Warm “apple pie” oat bowl

At home, measure ½ cup oats into a Tupperware, add a sprinkling of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Pack a handful of almonds and a small apple into your lunch bag. At work, transfer the oats into a microwave-proof bowl, add approximately 2 cups water, the almonds and the chopped apple. Microwave for approximately 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until thick and bubbling. Warning: Keep an eye on it as it overflows easily!

Easy microwave omelette

Pack 2 eggs, a couple of mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and spinach into your lunch bag. At work, beat the eggs in a bowl with a little milk, then add the sliced mushrooms and tomatoes and tear in the spinach. Microwave for approximately 2 minutes, or until the egg is set. Season with salt and pepper.

Try TASTE reader Jessica Stein’s microwave omelette too. (Upload your own recipes here.)

Chia seeds soaked in coconut milk

Soak ½ cup chia seeds in 1 can light coconut milk overnight. The chia seeds contain a natural gelatinous substance that will slightly set the mixture. Spoon a portion into a Tupperware and enjoy with fresh berries and almonds. This is quite rich, so you only need a small portion.

Discover more great office breakfast ideas here.

The post Breakfast al desko appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.