Hello everyone!
Hope you are all well and slowly starting to end off all the festivities, enjoying the last of the holidays.
Next week we dive straight into school and back to work prep. That is if you’re lucky enough to still be on leave and chilling! However, if you still have the party vibe lingering and want to eat lekker but on a budget, today I am sharing some quick party or get-together inspiration for us to enjoy.
To end off the last weekend of the holidays, we create magic in the kitchen with puff pastry.
It’s one of the most versatile items you can have in your freezer, it’s budget friendly and if you shop around sometimes you get specials, with one roll selling at a bargain for less than R15 a roll.
It is perfect for entertaining and making lekker starters or fancy canapes, but it also comes to the rescue when you want to make something quick for supper.
If you’re lus for something sweet, it is a great cheat to make lekker cinnamon rolls; you can add anything in this, from chocolate to nuts and even serve it with ice cream, berries or banana.
If you are looking for breakfast or a quick snack, spread your favourite sauce on your pastry and add in some polony or spiced beef and make some lekker breakfast pinwheels or even sausage rolls.
If you have leftover chicken or curry, recreate those and make a lekker pie. It’s gou gou kos in no time.
My all-time favourite hack with puff pastry has to be flat breads, or lazy rotis as I call it. Did you know if you roll out and fry puff pastry in a hot pan, you have the fluffiest, flakiest cheat rotis without the effort of making on the dough? Pretty kwaai nuh!
Make those rotis, salomies or flat breads and take your meals to the next level. Eet lekker and happy cooking all!
For more recipes or baking and cooking inspiration, visit my website www.sprinklesandspice.co.za or my social media platforms on Instagram @sprinklesandspicect or Facebook Sprinkles and Spice by Farzana Kumandan.
Love, your Cooksister!
Recipes
Breakfast Pinwheels
Ingredients
1 roll store bought puff pastry
2-3 tablespoons samoosa dip or sweet chilli sauce
3 slices chopped chicken pastrami or spiced beef
¼ cup cheese (do not use more it will not behave)
2 sprigs chopped spring onion
Method
Roll out the puff pastry on the plastic paper
Brush on the sauce and add the pastrami, cheese and spring onion.
Roll the pastry from the bottom up (so you get more smaller pinwheels)
Gently secure the edges by pressing it together tightly.
Pop the roll into the freezer for 10 minutes (it makes it easier to cut)
After 10 minutes, cut into 3-4cm chunks and place in the air fryer and air fry on 175degrees for 6-8 minutes or bake in the oven on a baking tray lined with baking paper on 180 degrees for 15- 20 minutes or until golden brown.
No need to egg wash. Serve hot and enjoy
Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
1 roll puff pastry
¼ cup chilli sauce
500g sausage
Sesame seeds
Egg for egg wash
Method
Roll out a roll of store bought puff pastry
Cut squares with a square cookie cutter
Brush on the chilli sauce
Add a piece of sausage and close the pastry pinching the edges
Egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds
Freeze and bake or air fry as needed
Air fry on 180 degrees for 15 minutes or oven bake on 200 degrees for 20 minutes.
Chicken, Mushroom and Corn Mini Pot Pies
Ingredients
6-8 large chicken fillets
2 tsp chicken spice
Olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 finely chopped onion
2 finely chopped green chillies
2 punnets white mushrooms, sliced
3 x chicken ala king powder
1 litre milk
1 fresh cream
2 tins cream style corn
1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Method
Season the chicken fillets with chicken spice, add a dash of olive oil and grill until cooked.
Once cooked, shred the chicken, using 2 forks, and set aside
In a large pot braise the onions in butter until golden brown.
Add the sliced mushrooms, chicken, and mix until well combined.
Mix the sauce powder and add to the chicken and mushrooms.
Add the fresh cream, cream style corn and coriander and stir continuously until the sauce thickens and it starts to boil.
Once it boils, turn off the heat and allow to cool.
Fill a 10-12cm ramekin with the chicken and mushroom mixture and top with a square sized puff pastry, big enough to cover the top.
Egg wash and add a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Make 3 small incisions on the top of the pastry, for the steam to release while cooking.
Bake in a preheated oven on 180degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the top of the pastry is golden brown.
Serve with a side salad and enjoy.
Cinnamon Pinwheels
Ingredients
1x 400g puff pastry
50g light brown sugar
50g soft butter
1 tsp fine cinnamon
Method
Allow puff pastry to thaw in the fridge. Open the roll of puff pastry and using your fingers gently flatten and straighten out the sides.
Mix the butter, sugar and cinnamon to make a smooth paste.
Spread the paste on the top side facing you, ensuring you covering all the top of the pastry.
Roll into a Swiss roll, starting from bottom to top.
Using your fingers, gently pinch the roll closed.
With a serrated knife, cut 3cm size Pinwheels.
Slightly flatten each pinwheel in the palm of your hand and transfer to bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes allowing the butter to harden.
Bake for 15 minutes on 200 degrees.
*Note the top of the pastry should be slightly golden. Do not overbake.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Creamed Spinach and Feta Mini Quiche
Ingredients for the filling
3 Tablespoons Butter
1 small onion
1 punnet mushrooms (Sliced)
400g chopped spinach
250ml milk
250ml fresh cream
1 packet white onion soup
Black pepper to taste
Method
Braise the onion in butter until golden brown.
Add in the pepper, mushrooms and spinach and braise until dry.
Add in the milk mixed with the soup powder and the fresh cream.
Simmer until it boils.
For the Mini Quiche
1 roll puff pastry
Feta
Grated cheese
Method
Use one roll puff pastry and cut out the rounds using a scone cutter or a glass.
Transfer to a mini quiche foil cup and press it down firmly.
Add in the mixture and top with crumbed some feta and grated cheese.
Make sure it is completely cool and transfer to a well sealable freezer safe container.
Bake in a preheated oven on 180 degrees for 30-35minutes.
Puff Pastry Chicken Flat Bread
Ingredients
1 roll of puff pastry
Grilled brinjals
Chickpeas
Veg and herbs of your choice for garnish
Ingredients for the Kebabs
500g chicken fillets cubed
1 big finely grated garlic clove
1 heaped teaspoon sumac
1 heaped teaspoon paprika
2 heaped tablespoons yoghurt
Method for the kebabs
Mix all ingredients together and marinade for at least an hour
Add chicken cubes on a sosaties stick
Place kebabs on a baking tray and grill on 180degrees for 20 minutes
Remove from oven and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon sumac
Grill for a further 5 minutes
For the Flatbread
Roll out a roll of pre bought puff pastry and cut into squares. Fry the pastry like roti on a hot dry pan. Add the grilled brinjal, chicken kebabs, chickpeas and veg, herbs and serve as a starter, appetizer or main.
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