Table of contents for Go! Real Food - 2022 in go!

Author Henry James famously wrote that to him, “summer afternoon” were the two most beautiful words in the English language. To me, “holiday” and “dinner’s ready” come very close! Holidays are synonymous with friends and family, rest, reconnecting and, for food lovers like me, eating! My fondest holiday memories are linked to food. As a child, our family would set off on our annual trip to the coast, but the padkos container – filled with Marmite wheels and hot dogs – wouldn’t even make it to the N1. When we played board games, the stakes became much higher with a biscuit or two in hand. To ensure everyone on holiday gets to relax and enjoy the food, it’s essential to have a division of labour. My favourite lunch in a…

new Melkkos You don’t need to visit a church bazaar to enjoy this nostalgic dish. Whether the dough is shredded or cut into neat strips, as long as there’s a heavy dusting of cinnamon sugar on top, it’s creamy comfort food in a bowl. Serves 6 | Preparation time 20 minutes | Cooking time 15 minutes You need • 1 tablespoon soft butter• 1 cup cake flour, sieved, plus ½ cup extra• pinch of salt• 2 tablespoons cold water• 2½ litres milk• 2 cinnamon sticks• strip of dried orange peel• about 1 cup sugar• cinnamon sugar, to taste• few drops of lemon essence (optional) Here’s how 1 Rub the butter into the flour and salt until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the water little by little and mix until…

Fuss-free and flavourful Pork banger fried rice Serves 4 | Preparation time 20 minutes | Cooking time 15 minutes You need • 500 g fresh pork bangers• 2 tablespoons oil• 250 g mushrooms, sliced• 2 cm ginger, peeled and grated• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped• 2 red chillies (or to taste), chopped• 3 spring onions, chopped• 1 packet (350 g) cabbage and carrot coleslaw• 4 eggs• 3 cups cooked rice, cooled down• handful of fresh coriander• soya sauce, to serve• 4 fried eggs (optional) Here’s how 1 Remove the sausage casing and roll the meat into bite-sized balls. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry the meatballs until golden brown. Add the mushrooms and fry until soft. 2 Add the ginger, garlic, chillies and…

SHELLEY CHRISTIANS Photographer, world traveller and yarn lover Chillies – love them or leave them? Love them! Well, not too much… Spice in moderation is great for flavour. What’s your guilty food pleasure? Plain Lindt chocolate, but any milk chocolate really. When we say potato… There’s nothing quite like a good old roast potato. I use duck fat to get them crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Your favourite holiday meal? Anything that my husband cooks. He’s actually a much better cook than me, but he never has time. We would eat at 9 pm if supper was up to him. So when we are on holiday I can relax and enjoy his food. Best food memory… Everything in Thailand. We ate like kings and loved the…

Finger-licking good chicken Spatchcock chicken Serves 6 | Preparation time 30 minutes | Cooking time 35 – 40 minutes You need • 1 large chicken (1,6 kg)• 100 g butter• 5 big cloves of garlic, sliced• 2 red chillies, chopped• 1 sprig of rosemary, needles stripped and chopped• juice and grated peel of 1 lemon• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper• 2 tablespoons olive oil Here’s how 1 To spatchcock the chicken, use sharp scissors to remove the backbone. Put the chicken on a chopping board with the breast facing up. Press down on the breastbone with your hand until it breaks, flattening the bird. 2 Use a sharp knife and make two cuts into each thigh and one into each…

Hot puddings Caramel and peanut butter squares Makes 16 | Preparation time 10 minutes | Baking time 20 minutes | Oven temperature 170° C You need • 1 cup (250 g) butter• 1 cup caramel sugar• 2 eggs• ¼ cup milk• 1 teaspoon caramel essence• 2 cups self-raising flour• pinch of salt• ½ cup peanut butter Here’s how 1 Preheat the oven. Cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until it’s a light colour. (You can also use an electric mixer.) Add the eggs, milk and caramel essence and mix until smooth. Add the flour and salt and mix to make a smooth batter. 2 Line a baking tray (23 x 23 cm) with baking paper. Pour the batter into the tray and spread it out evenly. Drop…

Have a bake-off Oats and coconut squares Makes about 18 squares | Preparation time 10 minutes | Baking time 25 minutes | Oven temperature 180° C You need • ½ cup (125 g) butter, plus extra to grease the tray• 1 tablespoon honey• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda• 2 cups oats• 1 cup cake flour• 1 cup desiccated coconut• 1 cup brown sugar• pinch of salt• 1 extra-large egg• 1 packet of Smarties (optional) Here’s how 1 Preheat the oven. Melt the butter and honey together. Add the bicarb, followed by all the other ingredients except the Smarties. Knead the dough until it binds. 2 Grease a rectangular baking tray. Press the dough into the tray in an even layer – make sure the corners are also even. Press the…

Easy-peasy potjies and roasts Lamb potjie with green vegetables Serves 6 | Preparation time 20 minutes | Cooking time 2 hours 30 minutes You need • 2 tablespoons olive oil• 1,5 kg lamb shank or neck slices• 1 big onion, in wedges• about 12 baby carrots• ¼ glass white wine• salt and pepper, to taste• meat spice• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped• 2 bay leaves• few sprigs of thyme• 1 tablespoon flour• 2 cups vegetable stock• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)• 200 g green beans, halved• grated zest of 1 lemon Here’s how 1 Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and fry the meat until brown. Remove the meat, retain the fat in the pot, and sauté the onion and carrots until glossy. Add the wine and…