Magical Meringues Recipe

Made from whipped egg whites and powdered sugar, meringues are light, airy and very sweet. Follow this easy recipe to make perfect meringues - or use it as a basis for other desserts such as pavlovas or lemon meringue pudding, or simply as a treat on its own. So easy to make, and an inexpensive recipe to demonstrate. For an extra special touch, place meringues in an attractive glass jar for your next Sunday afternoon tea and catch the compliments!

Makes approximately 50 small meringues

•  3 large egg whites
• 210g castor sugar (250ml or 1 cup) 
• 5ml vanilla essence (1 teaspoon) or 1 vanilla bean pod, scraped
• 5ml white vinegar
• 30ml boiling water (2 tablepoons) 
• 10ml baking powder (2 teaspoons)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 100 degrees. 
2. Line baking trays with baking powder, do not grease (do not use greaseproof paper).
3. Using a clean, dry bowl of the electric food mixer, whisk egg whites until a soft peak is formed. 
4. Add sugar spoon by spoon, slowly whisking all the time. 
5. With the last teaspoon of sugar, mix in vanilla essence, or the vanilla bean paste and whisk well. 
6. Add boiling water and whisk again for 5 minutes. 
7. Lastly, add baking powder and whisk for a minute. 
8. Place mixture into a piping bag which has been fitted with a nozzle. 
9. Pipe onto prepared baking trays.
10. Bake for 60 minutes. Switch off the oven and leave in the oven, if possible, for a further 30 minutes. 

My tried and tested tip is to make the meringues smaller so that they will cook slightly quicker! Using a disposable piping bag makes for easy cleaning up after so you have less washing up to worry about and more time preparing for guests. 

Try this out and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Love,
Yo Homi

Low-Carb Lemon Cheescake Recipe

We were invited for a braai this weekend and I really was torn about attending or not. I've been on a clean eating, low carb eating plan for the last two weeks and honestly, it has been a breeze. I enjoy cooking and preparing healthy meals, and once you mentally prepare yourself - half the battle is won. I decided that I would "wow" my family with a low carb no bake lemon cheesecake and boy, this went down well! Can you say Masterchef in the making!

I was assisted in the kitchen by my sisters which makes this recipe even more special to me. Getting to spend time with these girls, whether chatting over a mani & pedi or getting busy in the kitchen means building friendships and getting creative. Gather the girls and get your aprons on, this recipe is so easy to pull off, you'll wonder where the time went!

TIPS:

• This recipe calls for low-carb rusks to make the base, which I didn't have on hand. I substituted this with Hope Crunchies (blog post on this delicious product coming soon!). I recommend using digestives or even Tennis biscuits (a household favourite, am I right). 
• You can make this cheesecake in the morning and allow 2 - 3 hours in the fridge, no bake and no fuss. 

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes (lemon syrup)

INGREDIENTS: For the cheesecake

• 12 Hope Crunchies (crushed finely) 
• 50 grams butter
• 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream 
• 1 x large lemon (rind and juice required) 
• 2 tbls xylitol or sugar 
• 1 x tub creamed smooth plain cottage cheese (I used the Lancewood brand) 

INGREDIENTS:  For the lemon syrup 

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup xylitol or sugar 
• Juice of 1/2 lemon 
• A drop of yellow food colouring 
• Lemon rind for decoration 

METHOD:  

• Finely crush the Hope Crunchies in a food processor or place the crunchies in a ziplock bag and pound with a rolling pin. 
• Melt the butter over the stove or in the microwave (approximately 20 seconds) and add this liquid to the Hope Crunchies. Mix and add this mixture to a clear dish, flattening out the biscuit base and making sure there are no spaces. 
• In a separate bowl, whip the fresh cream until thickened, slowly adding the sugar and lemon juice. Lastly, add the cottage cheese and mix through. Once combined, toss in the rind of the lemon and gently mix. 
• Spoon the creamy mixture over your biscuit base and flatten with the back of your spoon. 
• Cover with cling wrap and place your cheesecake in the fridge for 2 - 3 hours. 
• To prepare the lemon syrup, bring the 1/2 cup water to a boil over the stove, slowly adding the sugar and mix continuously. Add the lemon juice and yellow food colouring once combined and thickened and continue to stir through. Let the syrup stand for a hour, and once cooled completely, spoon over the cheesecake. 
• Decorate with the lemon rind, a sprig of mint and a raspeberry for a pop of colour. 
• Serve chilled with a refreshing glass of ice tea!  

Let me know if you would try this recipe out and what you would add to make this an even more indulgent treat for your friends and family!

Love,
Yo Homi

Raeesah's Butternut Soup Recipe

My sister in law, Raeesah, is a whizz in the kitchen and I could definitely learn a thing or two from her. She passed on this deliciously creamy and wholesome butternut soup recipe to me and it was a winner from the word "chop"!

TIPS: 

• Save time in the kitchen (and your fingers) by purchasing diced butternut from the supermarket. It does work out marginally more expensive in comparison to buying a whole butternut but the time saved is actually invaluable. 
• Serve your soup with toppings like sunflower seeds (which pack an extra punch of Vitamin E and are a very good source of copper and Vitamin B), feta and a light dusting of chilli powder for a kick. 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 40 minutes 

INGREDIENTS: Yields 4 - 5 bowls 

• A knob of butter 
• 1 large white onion 
• 1  small butternut chopped or 1 punnet of  chopped butternut 
• l litre (4 cups) Ina Paarman vegetable stock 
• 125 ml fresh cream (optional)

METHOD: 

• Melt the knob of butter in a heavy based pot over medium heat ensuring that the butter doesn't burn. 
• Add the chopped onion to the pot and let sweat until translucent in colour. 
• Throw in the butternut pieces and cover with 500 ml vegetable stock. I used Ina Paarman's Vegetable Stock in this recipe which is full of flavour and great quality too! 
• Simmer on medium heat until cooked through and the butternut is soft to the touch. This should take approximately 30 minutes. 
• Using a hand blender, puree the soup until it reaches a silky smooth texture. If you find the soup to be too thick, add water slowly to rectify.
• Add the fresh cream to the soup and bring to a simmer. 
• Adjust seasoning here by adding a crack of pepper or if you prefer, a tablespoon of sugar. 
• Serve soup in bowls and garnish with feta, sunflower seeds, chilli powder or a sprig of thyme. 

Let me know if you would try this recipe out or what you would add to make this comfort meal even more indulgent. Comment below and let's get chatting!

Love,
Yo Homi

Popeye Spinach & Feta Muffins

Easy as 1, 2, 3 - I've found the easiest recipe for what I've named "Popeye Spinach & Feta Muffins". You could probably convince yourself this is healthy, seeing as it includes spinach and honestly, whatever soothes your soul. All I know, this is a quick and filling comfort food that is perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast or a mid-afternoon savoury snack with a cappuccino.

TIPS: 

• Using fresh spinach is advisable rather than frozen spinach. 
• Make sure your oven is preheated and your muffin pan has been greased well. I used Spray & Cook rather than muffin holders, simply because I usually don't have any on hand! 
• The recipe is adaptable so feel free to add peppadews, pitted black olives, a variety of cheese toppings and cherry tomatoes. 

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes 

INGREDIENTS: Yields 12 muffins

• 2 cups white flour (sifted)
• 2 tsp Royal baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt 
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 1/2 cup oil 
• 2 fresh eggs 
• 2 feta rounds (I prefer Clover feta, plain)
• 2 cups spinach finely chopped 

METHOD: 

•  Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Grease muffin pan with Spray & Cook or line with paper holders.
• In a deep bowl, add sifted white flour, baking powder and salt. 
• In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, oil, eggs until smooth and combined. 
• Add chopped spinach and cubed feta to the liquid in ingredients and lightly mix together. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and lightly combine. Do not over work this mixture. 
• Spoon mixture into the muffin pan, bearing in mind that the muffins will rise during the baking process. Ensure that each spoonful has enough feta and add more to the topping if required. 
• Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and a skewer is inserted to come off non sticky. 
• Remove from oven when done and let cool on a wire rack. 

 I usually slice these in halves, smother in rich butter and nibble in front of the TV watching Masterchef Australia because what else? Super fancy!

Let me know if you've tried this and what you would add to make it even more fabulous and indulgent!

Love, 
Yo Homi.