BREAKFAST

Porridge, with muesli, raisins and honey
OR Oat bran porridge with berries and almonds with honey
Tea

LUNCH

Vegetable, chicken, or butternut soup
Rye toast to dip
Fresh fruit

DINNER

Salmon with couscous and seasonal vegetables

TUESDAY

BREAKFAST
Plain or Bulgarian yoghurt with chopped dried apricots, walnuts and honey
Tea

LUNCH
Spicy chicken and roasted vegetable tortilla wrap
Tortilla wrap with avo, stir fried veg, fresh salads (chopped lettuce, cucumber and tomato), strips of grilled chicken breast and fresh chopped chilli.
Fresh fruit

DINNER
Beef burgers on wholewheat roll with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avo, and pan fried mushroom and onion. Top with a little tomato salsa.
Dessert – fresh fruit salad with custard

WEDNESDAY

BREAKFAST
Rye toast with smoked salmon, low fat cream cheese and sliced tomato
Fresh fruit juice

LUNCH
Couscous mixed with chopped vegetables (raw or cooked vegetables, chopped avocado, walnuts or beans), and fresh herbs with low-fat yogurt.
Fresh fruit

DINNER
Roast chicken with baked potatoes and steamed veg. Top with home made gravy

THURSDAY

BREAKFAST
Breakfast smoothie – blend soft fruit (strawberries, banana, pear, papaya etc), low-fat yoghurt, almond/hazelnuts or granola muesli and ice
Rice cakes to snack

LUNCH
Roast beef sandwich on rye bread with rocket leaves, avo, roasted cherry tomatoes and yoghurt, and spice with Himalayan crystal salt and black pepper.
Fresh fruit

DINNER
Chicken fajitas with roasted vegetables
Dessert – baked apple with creme fraiche or custard

FRIDAY

BREAKFAST
Rice cakes or rye crackers topped with hummus / brie cheese / Tsaziki and thinly sliced tomato
Fresh fruit juice

LUNCH
Salad – lettuce, cherry tomato, cucumber, grilled chicken strips, Danish feta, Kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, onion sprinkles
Fresh fruit

DINNER
Penne Arabiata with fresh rocket, Danish feta and Kalamata olives
Fresh green side salad
Dessert – Greek yogurt with crushed mixed raw nuts and honey

SATURDAY

BREAKFAST
Boiled egg with whole-wheat toast and pan fried sliced tomato
Tea

LUNCH
Salad – Watercress, spinach and rocket salad with red peppers, red onion, smoked mackerel and a balsamic dressing
Fruit juice

DINNER
Beef or chicken, red pepper and mushroom stir fry

SUNDAY

BREAKFAST
Poached egg, grilled lean bacon, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms and a slice of wholemeal toast
Start or finish with half a pink grapefruit.
Tea

LUNCH
Jacket potato with cottage cheese, chopped cucumber and chives and a large green salad
Cereal bar

DINNER
Lean lamb chops with steamed veg and mashed potato

• Oxtail (normally 2 packs for a larger family)
• Packet of brown onion soup
• 1 can of Tab
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups chutney

How To:

• Rub the oxtail in the soup.
• Brown in oil.
• Add other ingredients.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat. Simmer for up to 6 hours.
• Check to make sure that it is not cooking dry. If it is, add a little beef stock at a time.
• Towards the end of the cooking you can add potatoes and carrots.
• Serve on mielie pap or rice.

Source:

Oxtail Stew

http://www.south-african-homeschool-curriculum.com/south-african-recipes.html

Tomato Bredie

Ingredients:

• 1 kilogram beef or mutton shoulder
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 onions — chopped
• 6 ripe red tomatoes
• 1 70 gram can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 3 potatoes — diced
• 1 tablespoon potato flour

How to:

• Cube the meat. Heat the oil / butter mixture in a big, heavy-bottomed saucepan until the butter discolours.

• Add the meat in batches and stir-fry until brown. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Season the browned meat with salt and pepper.

• Brown the onions in the remaining oil. When golden, soft and glazed, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, chilli, paprika, garlic, herbs, water and stock cube. Bring to a slow simmering boil.

• Add the prepared meat. Simmer the bredie very slowly for 2 hours. Add the cubed potatoes and continue simmering for another 1/2 hour.

• Thicken the gravy with a little potato flour mixed with water. The bredie improves with keeping. Prepare a day in advance and leave to mature in the refrigerator.

• Reheat and serve with fluffy steamed rice to which a handful of chopped parsley has been added.

Source: http://www.south-african-homeschool-curriculum.com/south-african-recipes.html

• flour
• salt
• pepper
• beef tenderloin
• 1 cut clove garlic
• butter or margarine
• chopped onions
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 pack chicken soup
• sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup commercial sour cream
• snipped parsley, chives, or dill

How to:

• Combine flour salt, pepper
• Trim fat from meat
• Rub both sides of meat with garlic
• Shake meat in plastic packet with flour, salt and pepper mix
• Cut meat into strips
• Brown meat strips in pan, turning often
• Add onions and sauté till golden
• Add water and stir
• Add soup and mushrooms; cook, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and meat is fork tender – about 20 min.
• Just before serving, stir in sour cream; heat, but do not boil
• Sprinkle with parsley
• Serve with brown and wild rice,  tagliatelle, or mashed potatoes.

Beef Stroganoff

What a place! I met two friends for lunch there on Saturday. People queuing to get in, waiting round like seagulls for that next perfect table to open up. The walls are clad with an airborne tea party. Dainty tea pots wrapped in ribbon hang from the ceiling, and doily like place mats add texture to the wall area above the mantelpiece.

The menu boasts originality and simple decadence. Every dish brought past by the watrons looked like a work of art; but it’s the delicate, balanced flavours for which Manna Epicure is most renowned.

I chose the succulent fillet topped with red wine soaked porcini mushrooms in a creamy sauce which came with a side of roast potato wedges drizzled with a delicious cheese sauce.
Mouthwatering!

This is a fantastic place to go for a great breakfast, brunch or lunch.
I highly recommend it.

Manna Epicure cupcakes

151 Kloof Street City Bowl Cape Town
Tel: 021 426 2413
mannaepicure@mweb.co.za.
Tues – Sat: 08:00 – 20:00. Sun: 08:00 – 19:00.

(Catering for the crowds)
Ingredients:

* Spaghetti pasta
* Lean mince
* 1 x Onion
* Mushrooms
* Mixed herbs (e.g. oregano and thyme)
* 1 x cube beef stock
* Garlic
* Butter (or garlic butter)
* 1 x sachet/tin tomato paste
* 1 x can whole peeled tomatoes
* 1 x can tom & onion mix
* Tomato sauce or 1 table spoon brown sugar
* Cheddar cheese

The how to:

1. Boil spaghetti in a big pot of water with a drop of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

* Strain, rinse and steam to re heat once ready.

2. Chop up onions and sauté in deep frying pan with butter and herbs.

* Add mince with beef stock diluted in a quarter cup boiling water.
* Allow mince to brown throughout, stirring regularly, then add mushrooms to mix and cook for a couple more minutes.
* Add the cans and sachet of tomato mix
* Mix in one table spoon of tomato sauce/brown sugar and allow to simmer.
* Add salt and pepper for flavour.

3. Serve bolognaise over pasta with grated cheddar cheese to top.