Affordable Spring Menu
Spring Flavours, Good Food, Good Mood!
Ingredients:
Fritters:
- 2 × 410g tins sweetcorn, drained thoroughly
- 3 large eggs
- 120g cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ red pepper, finely diced
- 3 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Cooking spray or 1 tbsp oil
Sweet Chilli Whipped Cottage Cheese:
- 300g smooth low-fat cottage cheese
- 3 tbsp (45ml) sweet chilli sauce
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1–2 tbsp cold water, only if needed
To Serve:
- Spring onion or coriander, for garnish
How To Make Mini Sweetcorn Fritters with Sweet Chilli Whipped Cottage Cheese
- Drain the sweetcorn thoroughly and pat dry if necessary. A wet mixture will spread in the pan.
- Place half the corn in a mixing bowl and lightly mash with a fork. Leave the remaining corn whole for texture.
- Add the remaining corn, eggs, flour, baking powder, red pepper, spring onion, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
- The batter should hold its shape on a spoon. Add an extra tablespoon of flour only if the mixture is too loose.
- Heat a large lightly sprayed pan over medium heat. Drop heaped tablespoons of batter into the pan and flatten slightly.
- Cook for 2–3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
- Blend or whisk the cottage cheese until smooth. Mix in 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce, lemon juice and black pepper.
- Add 1–2 tablespoons cold water only if needed to create a thick, spoonable consistency. Swirl the remaining sweet chilli sauce through the top.
- Arrange the fritters on a sharing platter with the dip and garnish.
Air-fryer option: Place spoonfuls on a lined tray, spray lightly and air-fry at 180°C for 8–10 minutes, turning carefully halfway.
Ingredients:
Bobotie Peppers:
- 6 medium peppers, halved lengthways and deseeded
- 600g lean beef mince
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp mild curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp fruit chutney
- 2 slices wholewheat bread
- 150ml low-fat milk
- 2 large eggs
- Cooking spray
- Salt and pepper
Broccoli Baby-Potato Salad:
- 900g baby potatoes
- 300g broccoli, cut into small florets
- 200g plain Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp mild mustard
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 3 spring onions, finely sliced
- Small handful parsley or coriander, chopped
- Salt and pepper
Cucumber-Apple Sambal:
- 1 cucumber, finely diced
- 1 green apple, finely diced
- 200g cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ red onion, finely diced
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Small handful fresh herbs
- Salt and pepper
How To Make Mini Bobotie Peppers with Broccoli Baby-Potato Salad & Cucumber-Apple Sambal
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in a sprayed baking dish.
- Tear the bread into a bowl, pour over 100ml milk and leave to soften.
- Spray a large pan and cook the onion and carrot for 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic, curry powder, turmeric and coriander and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the mince and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon.
- Squeeze excess milk from the bread. Stir the softened bread and chutney into the mince. Season and cook until moist but not watery.
- Divide the filling between the pepper halves.
- Whisk the eggs with the remaining 50ml milk. Spoon a little over each filled pepper.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes until the peppers are tender and the egg topping is set and lightly golden.
- Boil the baby potatoes for 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain, cool slightly and halve larger potatoes.
- Blanch or steam the broccoli for 2–3 minutes until tender-crisp and bright green.
- Mix the yoghurt, mustard, lemon juice, spring onions, herbs, salt and pepper.
- Fold the warm potatoes and broccoli gently through the dressing.
- For the sambal, combine the cucumber, apple, tomatoes, red onion and herbs.
- Add lemon juice, salt and pepper immediately before serving.
- Serve two bobotie pepper halves per guest with the potato salad and sambal.
- Finish with fresh herbs and, if desired, extra chutney on the side.
Air-fryer option: Cook the filled peppers at 170°C for approximately 12–16 minutes in batches. Make sure the mince is completely cooked before filling the peppers.
Make-ahead note: The mince filling, potatoes and broccoli can be prepared a day ahead. Keep the potato dressing and sambal seasoning separate until close to serving.
Ingredients:
Berry Layer:
- 250g fresh or frozen mixed berries, plus extra for garnish if desired
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp cold water
- 1 tsp honey or sugar, optional
Lemon Filling:
- 500g thick plain Greek yoghurt
- 80g condensed milk
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Biscuit Layer:
- 10 Tennis biscuits, roughly crushed
To Serve:
- Fresh mint, optional
- Extra berries
- Lemon zest
How To Make Lemon & Berry Fridge-Tart Cups
- Place the berries in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Mix the cornflour with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth, then stir into the berries.
- Cook for 3–5 minutes until the berries release their juices and form a lightly thickened compote.
- Taste and add honey or sugar only if needed. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely.
- Mix the Greek yoghurt, condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth and thick.
- Roughly crush the Tennis biscuits, keeping some larger pieces for texture.
- Divide half the biscuit crumbs between six small glasses.
- Add a layer of lemon yoghurt followed by a spoonful of cooled berry compote.
- Repeat the layers.
- Finish with reserved berries, biscuit crumbs, lemon zest and optional mint.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Make-ahead note: The cups can be made the evening before and refrigerated overnight. Serve within 24 hours for the best biscuit texture.
Important: Make sure the berry compote is completely cool before layering, otherwise it will loosen the yoghurt filling.