Fresh Sausage, Spinach and Tomato Bowl

*Serves 3

This is a great recipe because it is quick and easy to make. When you are looking for fresh ground pork, sausages are a great cheat. More often than not, they already have a great combination of herbs and spices mixed in. Visit your local butcher and explore the different free range options.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice
• coconut oil
• 300g salsiccia sausage
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried coriander
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 150g rosa tomatoes halved
• 2 generous handfuls baby spinach
• olive oil to dress 

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Instructions:

Cook the brown rice as per packet instructions. Once it is ready and fluffy, set aside.

In a medium frying pan over a medium heat add the oregano, chili flakes, and coriander with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Fry for a minute to release all of the flavours. Add the onions and saute until soft. 

Slice the sausage open, discarding the skin, and add the meat to a frying pan over a medium heat. The sausage can sometimes have more or less fat, so adding oil to the frying pan is not always necessary. However, if you see that the sausage and pan is a bit dry, you can add a teaspoon of coconut oil. Fry until golden bowl, about five to ten minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl add the tomatoes and spinach. Add the rice and toss. Once the mince is ready its time to build your bowl starting with the salad and ending with the mince and a dash of olive oil. 

Food Tip:

My goal is for all meat eaters to become mindful of their choices. Do you know where your meat comes from? Visit your local butcher and discuss healthy free range meat. Most meat in supermarkets is no longer free range and is mass produced. Be a conscious consumer and make healthier choices by knowing where your food really comes from.

-Melissa 

Braai Broodjies for Heritage day + a prize!

Heritage day is around the corner and I have paired up with Netflorist to give away an awesome prize. It is proudly South African and it is perfect for the man in your life! Netflorist caters for all occasions, not just the one’s we remember such as heritage day! Read to the end to see the giveaway. 
I am a braai loving gal and pride myself on my ability to cook with fire. I have my father to thank for that! 
All the countless braai nights and fire builds were not in vain! 

I decided to share a fun recipe that is not only delicious but also gives you a great vegetarian option for braai day. Whether you choose to snack on it or make it the main event, that’s up to you. 

Braai broodjies (BBQ toasted sandwiches) are one of my favourite things at a braai. I mean, let's be honest, cheese on fresh bread flamed to perfection is heaven. These are no different. I’ve shared a basic cheese and tomato because I feel everyone needs that in his or her arsenal and I have also shared a slightly more fancy one. The secret is in the quality cheese and bread so try and find great sourdough that has been freshly baked and melt in your mouth good cheese. 

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Serves 5

Ingredients: 

1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 large red onion, sliced
1 loaf sourdough
200 grams butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
250 grams Raclette cheese, grated
250 grams Boerekas or mature cheddar, grated
1 plum tomato, sliced
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 handful fresh rocket
100 grams sundried tomatoes in olive oil
Salt and pepper 

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Instructions:

In a medium frying pan over a medium heat add a teaspoon of coconut oil. 
Add 3/4 of the sliced onion and gently sauté until soft. Add the balsamic and reduce until the onions become sticky. Once ready set aside. 

Slice the sourdough into even 1cm think pieces. 
Butter both sides of each slice generously. 

Now it is time to build the sandwiches. 
Start with a smear of Dijon mustard. Then add a generous amount of both kinds of cheese. 
For half the toasties add a layer of the fresh onion that you saved. Then add the fresh tomato. Close the sandwiches.
For the other half add the sundried tomatoes and the balsamic onions. Top it with the rocket and close the toasties. 
Season the toasties and they are ready to cook! 

Add them to the braai when the fire is hot. I like to add mine to the side so that they do not burn and get a chance to melt. Once the toast is golden and the cheese has melted, about 6 minutes, they are ready! 

Feast! 

***Competition closed

Prize time: I am giving away a custom engraved biltong slicer to one lucky reader! 

All you have to do is comment below with your best braai memory and follow both Netflorist and me on Instagram and you could win! T's and C's apply. Competition for South African residents only. Entries close 21st September at 12 noon. Prize not redeemable for cash. 

Instagram handles:
@netflorist
@trufflejournal

-Melissa 

Kale Parmesan Chips

Crunch is the ultimate texture in my world. I find it utterly satisfying. I used to be obsessed with crisps that are unhealthy, oily and didn't offer any nutritional value. Once I figured out that it was the crunch I was after, I started to shift what I saw as a snack. I decided to rather go after tasty, crunchy snacks that are high in nutritional value and don't leave me with guilt after eating empty calories. A nutritional snack will also leave you satiated rather than hungry 20 minutes later. Making mindful decisions on snacking has been one of the best things I have done to support my decision in leading a healthier lifestyle. 

These kale chips are easy to make and are a fun way to use the dark green leaf. You can play around with toppings. If you are vegan why not try mixing them with some toasted pumpkin seeds and hummus for dipping? 

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*Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale, stalks removed 
• 2 - 3 teaspoons coconut oil
• salt
• ¼ cup parmesan, finely grated

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Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Tear the kale leaves into bite sized portions and place them onto a roasting tray. Massage all the leaves with coconut oil until they are evenly coated. Spread them evenly on the roasting tray and crack some salt over the top.

If the roasting tray is full, rather spread the kale between two trays to give the leaves space to roast without steaming, otherwise, they’ll get soggy rather than crispy. Pop them into the oven and roast for ten minutes tossing them at the halfway point. Once ready, sprinkle with some grated parmesan and serve.

Food Tip:

Parmesan is the ultimate umami flavour and a light sprinkling can help to elevate a dish. After all, umami means yummy!

-Melissa 

Fish tacos with grilled nectarine salsa

I'm baaaaaaack!

Hi, guys! I am so sorry I have been so quiet around here. Things have been really crazy my side and I have been shooting up a storm. Unfortunately, that has meant that I haven't been able to hang around here with you guys and share all things delicious with you. I thought now would be a good time to make it up to you by celebrating Taco Tuesday. This is a gorgeous recipe that I am obsessed with. It is a wack of sweet, salty and of course my favourite texture, crunch.

Hopefully, you will celebrate Taco Tuesday in style with some tequila and after two or three (because who has one?), you wouldn't have noticed that I have been M.I.A.

I promise to be better and share more recipes with you guys as soon as my schedule slows down.

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Makes 10 Tacos

Ingredients:

• 3 nectarines
• 500g white Fish
• coconut oil
• 1 box taco shells
• 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• 1 large avocado
• 1 green pepper
• ½ red onion
• ½ cup coriander, roughly chopped
• olive oil
• lemon
• ½ red chili, finely chopped
• salt and pepper 
• 2 fresh lime to serve 

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Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180⁰C

Set a Grill pan on medium to high heat.

Cut nectarines into twelve segments and toss in a teaspoon of coconut oil. Grill them on each side until beautiful and tasty griddle lines appear. Set aside to cool.

Trick: the nectarines are easier and less fussy to turn if grill pan is very hot and the charred lines are well formed. This goes for anything made in a grill pan!

For the salsa:

Chop up avocados, red onion, green pepper and a few slices of the nectarine into the same size cubes and mix together.

Add coriander, a splash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste.

Cut fish into one inch thick fingers, toss in a little coconut oil, season and fry until golden on each side. About two to three minutes on each side.

Pop the taco shells on an oven tray and into the oven for eight to ten minutes. This will make them nice and crunchy!

Building the Taco:

Layer slices of grilled nectarines, the fish, salsa and lastly top with a sprig of coriander and a good squeeze of lime

-Melissa .

Beer steamed mussel pot

Living in a world of social media really has its ups and downs. It is so hard to not compare myself to others (a huge mistake) and it is all too easy to fall into a space of dissatisfaction with my own life after viewing someone else's best day on Instagram. However, I constantly remind myself it is just that. Someone's best day. They are working hard to create top class content (as do I) that although beautiful, is not a true reflection of the reality we live in.

I find it inspiring to see people travelling the world in a (seemingly) real life re-enactment of Gulliver’s travels filled with adventure and wanderlust. 
I find myself going down these rabbit holes and ending up pouring over these beautiful locations for hours on my phone. 

Possibly not an ideal habit for a busy woman. Or her partner.

Recently, my obsession has been centred over island vacations. I mean, who’s imagination isn’t captivated by the thought of unspoiled paradise? 
Picture it; Soft beach sand between your toes, a warm sun kissing your shoulders with a fabulous cocktail in hand.

Sigh. 

In an effort to cure my island blues, I decided to come up with an easy-to-make, simply delicious seafood recipe. 
The mussels are a taste of the ocean and the beer offers a signature hop bitterness to contrast the honey in the recipe. The chilli adds a well placed kick and voila - you have yourself a mini vacation in your mouth! 

So if you find yourself dreaming of a magnificent blue ocean somewhere, sitting on a beach sipping on a coconut - I hope this will help you in adding some texture to those imaginings.

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Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• ½ brown onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ red pepper sliced
• 2 red chilies, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 500g of the best quality mussels you can find
• a handful of coriander
• 330ml beer
• 1 small baguette
• herb butter

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Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Defrost the mussels and put them in the fridge until you are ready to work with them.

Slice the baguette and butter both sides. 

Take a medium frying pan over a medium to high heat, add a tablespoon of coconut oil and the onions. 

Fry the onions until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, red pepper and chili and fry for a further 5 minutes. 

Add 1 teaspoon of honey and fry for a further minute. 

Add your mussels to a cast iron pot, if you don’t have one any oven-proof dish with a lid will do.

Add the onion and red pepper mix on top of your mussels

Once everything has been added to the pot top with 330 ml of beer and seal the pot.

Pop the mussels into the oven for 20 minutes to steam, or until the shells begin to pop open.

For the last five minutes add the baguette to the oven until toasted. 

Serve hot and enjoy with even more beer! 

-Melissa