3 easy dishes to make this National Women’s Day
|Published
National Women’s Day is a celebration of strength, resilience and achievements. It is a time to honour and celebrate the incredible women in our lives.
This day is an opportunity to express gratitude and celebrate the remarkable women in our lives. Adding a culinary touch to the celebration with these easy-to-make dishes not only honours the women but also creates lasting memories.
One beautiful way to express appreciation is through the joy of cooking. Whether it's a special breakfast, a delightful lunch, or a heart-warming dinner, preparing delicious dishes can make the day truly special.
Here are easy and delightful recipes to add a flavourful touch to Women’s Day celebrations.
Toast with sardines, avocado, and atchar
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 avocados, chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
30ml avocado or olive oil + extra
30ml water
Salt and pepper
½ x 400g jar atchar
120g can sardines, drained
2 slices of bread of your choice, toasted
Method
Make the avocado mayo by blitzing half of the avocado, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, oil and water until smooth. Season with salt.
Heat the atchar in a frying pan on medium-high until warmed through.
Carefully open the sardines and remove the bones, if you like. Add to the pan and spoon over the atchar to warm. Take care not to break the sardines.
Drizzle the bread with extra oil. Spread with the avocado mayo and top with the atchar sardines.
Combine the remaining avocado with the rest of the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over the sardines. Scatter with lemon zest.
Recipe by the South African Avocado Growers’ Association.
Beef fillet with red wine and coffee sauce
Ingredients
20g plunger coffee
500ml red wine
100g sugar
1 sprig of fresh thyme
200g cold mashed potato
3 cloves garlic, crushed and puréed
50ml cream
Salt & pepper for seasoning
100g baby carrots, blanched for 30 seconds
100g broccoli florets, blanched for 30 seconds
40g butter for cooking
4 x 200g beef fillet
Method
In a coffee plunger, make the coffee with 400ml of water. Strain the coffee and allow it to cool.
In the meantime, pour the wine into a saucepan and reduce by half on medium heat. Add the sugar, thyme, and coffee to this and continue to reduce until the sauce has thickened.
In a food processor, place the mashed potato, garlic, and cream. Blend for 5 to 8 minutes until it becomes a smooth purée.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut the carrots in half-lengthways, and sauté together with the broccoli in a pan of butter for about 3 minutes.
In a hot frying pan, sear the fillet in some butter turning occasionally so that all the sides are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper before placing it in the oven, until it is cooked to your liking. Remove and allow to rest.
While the steak is resting, warm up the potato purée, vegetables, and sauce (separately).
Use a tablespoon to place a dollop of purée on one end of the plate, and then with the back end of the spoon, smear the purée towards the opposite end.
Arrange the broccoli and carrots along the outer end of the purée. Place the steak down the middle and drizzle the sauce over.
Recipe courtesy of the Granny Mouse Country House & Spa team.
Roasted mushrooms and asparagus with soft-boiled eggs and herb vinaigrette
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Herb vinaigrette
45ml red wine vinegar
30ml fresh lemon juice
45ml olive oil
4 tbsp fresh soft herbs, chopped (basil, coriander and Italian parsley work well)
1 tsp honey
For the vegetables
8 large portobello mushrooms, whole
350g asparagus, ends trimmed
4 XL free-range eggs, room temperature
Watercress, to serve
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
For the vinaigrette
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
For the veg
Preheat the oven to 200˚C, fan on. Place portobellos on a baking tray.
Spoon a little of the vinaigrette onto the mushrooms.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bake for about 10 minutes, depending on size, until tender and juicy.
While the mushrooms are baking, bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
Prepare an ice bath and have it ready next to the stove.
Lower the asparagus into the boiling water.
Cook for about 1 minute, depending on the thickness of the stems.
Using tongs, remove the asparagus and plunge into ice water for a few minutes until cool.
Drain and dry the asparagus on a clean kitchen towel.
Using the same boiling water - add the 4 eggs gently, stir well to keep the yolks in the centre, and set a timer for 6.5 minutes. Refresh the ice bath if necessary.
When the timer goes off, plunge the eggs immediately into the ice bath and leave them until cool enough to handle easily. Peel the eggs and set aside until serving.
To serve: Slice the portobellos into halves or quarters.
Plate along with the asparagus.
Slice the eggs in half and dot around the serving platter. Season.
Tuck the nutrient-dense watercress in and around the plated veg and eggs for a pop of green and a good dose of antioxidants.
Drizzle everything with the herb vinaigrette and serve!
Recipe by the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association.