Comfort Food Recipes

Making comfort foods to enjoy during one of the coldest winters seen in South-Africa in a long while will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.  We have come across a couple of recipes to just do that while we spend a lot of time at home.

Creamy Biltong Soup

Biltong is one of South-Africa’s favorite snacks, now we can use it in a winter warmer soup to give us the meaty taste and the creamy comfort we crave on the cold days.

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 1 vegetable stock pot
• 250 ml flour
• 5ml ground cumin
• 5ml nutmeg
• 500 ml boiling water
• 500ml milk
• 1 can ideal unsweetened evaporated mild
• 1 large onion – finely chopped
• 100g biltong powder
• 200g grated mature cheddar cheese
• 50ml sherry
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Biltong slices to serve

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large pot and add the finely chopped onion. Fry until soft and translucent, then add cumin and biltong powder.
2. Dissolve Vegetable Stock Pot in 250ml of the boiling water and keep ready.
3. Add flour to the onion mixture and lower heat.
4. Slowly add water in measured quantities, stirring continuously and adding more water as the mixture thickens. Add the remaining 250ml boiling water and keep stirring.
5. Add milk in small quantities until it is well incorporated and creamy. Grate nutmeg into the soup and add the Ideal Unsweetened Evaporated Milk.
6. Turn down the stove and add the cheese, stirring to melt. Once you have added the cheese, do not boil the soup again, as it will split.
7. Add sherry and mix well, for a more vibrant taste you can add crumbled blue cheese, leaving some for serving.
8. Season to taste.
9. Purée soup using a stick (or jug) blender for a smoother consistency, if preferred.
10. Serve with sliced biltong and crumbled blue cheese.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with sliced biltong and crumbled blue cheese for extra taste.

Use fresh or toasted bread of your liking and enjoy.

Traditional Melkkos

This is a great traditional dish with milk as the main ingredient, this will warm you up on chilly winter days.

Ingredients:

• 300ml cake flour
• 15ml butter
• 5ml salt
• 2l mild
• Cinnamon sugar

Directions:

1. Sift the flour and salt together.
2. Rub the butter in with the flour, using your fingers
3. Bring the milk to the boil and add the butter and flour mixture a little bit at a time
4. Turn the heat down and let it boil for about 5 minutes
5. Stir the mixture often

Serving Suggestions

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve with a knob of butter.

Hot Toddy

It is known that a hot toddy can reduce cold symptoms, but it will not be wise to overdo it on the whiskey.  As your body needs to heal if you have a cold, a simple combination of warm water, honey and lemon combined can also work wonders.

Ingredients:

• 4 shots whiskey
• 1 cinnamon
• 1 lemon
• 1L boiled water

Directions:

1. Boil the water and cut the lemon into slices
2. Place one tot of whiskey and 2 slices of lemon per glass
3. Break the cinnamon stick up and divide between the glasses
4. Pour over the hot water and let it infuse for a few minutes

Serving Suggestions:

Pour it into a heat resistant cup and enjoy sip for sip.