“People who love to eat are always the best people.” – Julia Child
Summer is here, and the last thing you feel like doing is slaving over a hot stove, especially if hosting friends and attending parties is on the agenda. Here are 6 easy meals you can put together for yourself or your friends – plus they’re good for you!
Mayo-free potato salad
(Serves 1-2)
Ingredients
- 500g baby potatoes, boiled and quartered
- 2/3 cup plain yoghurt
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup spring onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Toss together all ingredients and serve.
Watermelon feta salad
(Serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
- 6 cups cubed watermelon
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
- Balsamic vinegar (optional)
Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine watermelon, red onion, feta, and mint. Stir until ingredients are well combined.
2. Serve chilled.
Southwestern Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
(Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
For the salad:
- 220g pasta
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1/2 cup diced yellow pepper
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup sweet corn (you can also use frozen corn)
- 1 large avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
- salt and pepper
- 1 lime, for juicing over the salad
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
For the creamy avocado dressing:
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
- 3 tablespoons plain Greek yoghurt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped spring onion
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped and seeds removed
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and stir in the pasta. Cook until al dente. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. While the pasta is cooking, make the creamy avocado dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, red onion, corn, and chopped avocado. Pour dressing over pasta salad and stir until salad is well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the salad, so the avocados don’t brown. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve at room temperature or chilled.
Buffalo wings
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup white bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 20 chicken wings
- 1/2 melted butter
- 1/2 cup Tabasco sauce
Directions:
1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place the flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt into a resealable plastic bag, and shake to mix. Add the chicken wings, seal, and toss until well coated with the flour mixture. Alternatively, you can mix all the ingredients in a bowl and dip the wings in the mixture until they’re coated. Place the wings on to the prepared baking sheet and put them in the fridge for around an hour.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
3. Whisk the melted butter and Tabasco sauce together in a small bowl. Dip the wings into the butter mixture, and place back on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked inside and crispy on the outside. Turn the wings over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.
Spicy honey-glazed chicken breasts
(Serves 8)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- salt
- 1 pineapple peeled, cored and cut into 8 thick rings
Directions
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until they’re translucent and begin to brown after 6 to 8 minutes. Add the honey, Tabasco and chilli powder and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and set aside.
2. Preheat a grill or large grill pan to medium-high. Rub the chicken with the remaining olive oil and season with salt. Grill for about 7 minutes. Flip and cook until the bottoms are well marked and the chicken is cooked through, after another 2 minutes. Move them to a plate and brush with the reserved honey glaze. Cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, grill the pineapple for 4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve with the chicken.
Paella
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Famaedli chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
- 250ml risotto rice
- 5ml paprika
- 60ml dry white wine
- 1 pinch saffron or tumeric
- 1l chicken stock
- 8 prawns, deveined
- 200g calamari, sliced
- 300g white fish (e.g. kingklip), cubed
- 100g black olives, pitted
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 15g parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a heavy based saucepan and fry onion, garlic, chorizo for about a minute.
2. Add rice and paprika and sauté for another minute until the rice becomes translucent.
3. Add the wine and stir until absorbed.
4. Add saffron to the stock and bring to a simmer.
5. Slowly add the hot stock and cook gently over medium heat until the rice is almost cooked.
6. Place prawns, calamai and fish over the rice and cover with a lid.
7. Allow to cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Scatter with olives, tomatoes and parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
