Home Home Quick Food

In 2014, shortly after becoming Home’s editor, the team and I met for a conference at the charming Montagu Country Hotel. One of the things we all agreed on was that Johané Neilson, our food editor, deserves celebrity status – her recipes, quite simply, are the best. Period. I know Johané doesn’t fancy the limelight at all, but one thing is for sure: she is a superstar in our office – and in the homes of thousands of our readers. That’s because every spread that emerges from her test kitchen comes with a guarantee that you’ll enjoy every last morsel. And it all looks super impressive too. That’s Johané’s forte: awesome food that’s much easier to prepare than it looks. This cookbook is Johané’s fourth. First there was Ta-da! followed by Home Quick…

All you need to do is follow a well-written recipe, add a little intuition and taste as you go – even an inexperienced cook can dish up delicious sweet and savoury creations! When I began my career in magazines as a bright-eyed 20-year-old, I was lucky enough to assist former Home food editor Sonja Jordt. In 2013, when I followed in her footsteps and was appointed food editor, I was grateful to have learned so much from her, and I still put that knowledge to good use in the recipes I prepare for each issue. This book features recipes by both of us, sourced from the Home archives – and it’s a flavour extravaganza I’m proud of! Quick Food: Step by Step is genuinely a team effort. You’d be surprised how often…

Flat breads decorated with toppings that replicate a flower garden are such fun to bake! Use this recipe as inspiration for your own work of art. Just remember to keep the flavours cohesive so that it tastes as good as it looks. Makes 1 flat bread • Preparation: 15 minutes, plus rising time Baking time: 30 minutes • Oven temperature: 200°C • 1kg ready-made bread dough• about 45ml olive oil• 1 small red onion, cut into 5mm rings• about 15 black olives, pitted• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced• 1 green chilli, thinly sliced• 12 cherry tomatoes, cut into wedges• 2 spring onions, cut into long, thin slices• a few sprigs flat-leaf parsley• sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper• olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to serve 1 First arrange all the topping…

1 Get the ingredients ready You’ll need four medium-sized Mediterranean potatoes (about 350g), a small onion, an egg, a bunch of dill or your favourite soft herb, about 50ml self-raising flour, salt and pepper and melted butter* for frying. 2 Peel the potatoes and onion; grate coarsely in a mixing bowl lined with cheesecloth or a clean tea towel. Tip Replace one of the potatoes with the same amount of grated sweet potato, baby marrow or even pumpkin as a variation. 3 Using the cloth, squeeze out all the moisture from the vegetables – this improves the texture of the latkes when they are fried. 4 Place the dried vegetables in a clean mixing bowl and add the egg, herbs, flour, salt and pepper to taste. Mix to form a thick batter. 5 Fry spoonfuls…

Makes about 20 bites (depending on size) Preparation: 20 minutes (plus soaking time overnight and 1 hour resting time) Cooking time: about 15–20 minutes • 250g dried chickpeas, covered in cold water and soaked overnight• ½ red onion, chopped• 2 garlic cloves, crushed• 30ml fresh parsley, chopped• 30ml fresh coriander, chopped• 15ml ground cumin• 10ml ground coriander• 1ml cayenne pepper• 2.5ml baking powder• 30ml cake flour• 5ml sesame seeds, optional• about 750ml oil 1 Drain the chickpeas and place them in a food processor with the onion, garlic, parsley, fresh coriander and spices. Grind the mixture to a paste – it should still have a little texture as you will need to work it into little balls. Add the baking powder and flour and season to taste with salt. Also add about 45ml cold…

This is our interpretation of an easy-to-make snack recipe we discovered on thewoksoflife.com. Makes 8 hot cakes Preparation: 45 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes • 30ml sesame seeds• 15ml sesame oil DOUGH • 280g (500ml) cake flour• a generous pinch of sea salt and white pepper• 3 spring onions, white parts chopped very finely• 30ml oil (we used sesame oil)• about 200ml boiled water, cooled slightly FILLING • 1 large carrot, peeled and grated or julienned• 12 mushrooms, finely chopped• 300ml finely chopped cabbage• 15ml oil• 1 red chilli, chopped (optional)• garlic to taste (optional)• 5ml finely grated fresh ginger (optional)• 15–30ml soy sauce (optional)• fresh coriander• about 300ml shredded roast chicken 1 Make the dough Sift the flour and season with the salt, pepper and spring onions. Stir in the oil and boiled water and knead the warm…