Happy tummy, healthy heart

It is World Heart Day on 29 September and to celebrate, we’ve got some delicious recipes to keep your ticker strong and your appetite satisfied.

Who doesn’t love a delicious, hearty meal? Unfortunately, not all ingredients that make the dish so scrumptious is good for your health. The Heart & Stroke Foundation has partnered with Lucky Star to create heart-healthy recipes for the whole family.

Georgia’s Waterblommetjie Bake

Ingredients:

For the pie:

• Cooking oil 2 Tbsp (30 ml)
• Medium onion, chopped 1
• Garlic clove, finely chopped 1
• Waterblommetjies 1 can (410 g)
• Vegetable stock 1⁄4 cup (60 ml)
• Tomato paste 2 tsp (10 ml)
• Lemon juice 1 tsp (5 ml)

For the filling:

• Lucky Star Sardines in Vegetable Oil, 2 tins (120 g each)
• Potatoes, 500 g
• Milk, 1⁄4 cup (60 ml)
• Butter, 1 Tbsp (15 ml)
• Nutmeg to taste
• Cheddar cheese, grated, 1⁄4 cup (60 ml)
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Method:

Pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a medium saucepan, fry the onion and garlic in the heated oil until soft.
2. Add small quantities of the waterblommetjies at a time and brown.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and season well with salt and pepper.
4. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Cover and set aside.

Filling:

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft and cooked, remove the skins and mash.
2. Add the milk, butter, nutmeg and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spoon the pie filling into a prepared oven dish and place the sardines on top of the waterblommetjie mixture.
4. Spread the potato mixture evenly on top of the sardines mixture and top with grated cheese.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is just brown. Serve with a salad.

 

Chef Kabelo’s Pilchard Broccoli Bake

Ingredients:

• Lucky Star Pilchards in Tomato Sauce, 1 can (400 g)
• Broccoli florets, 2 cups (500 ml)
• Cooked rice, 3 cups (750 ml)
• Butter, 3 Tbsp (45 ml)
• Cheddar cheese, grated, 2 cups (500 ml)
• Medium onion, finely chopped, 1
• Garlic cloves, crushed, 2
• Cake wheat flour, 3 Tbsp (45 ml)
• Milk, 2 cups (500 ml)
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a casserole dish.
2. Remove the Lucky Star Pilchards from the can, reserving the tomato sauce.
3. Debone and flake. *Chef’s Tip: This is an optional step as the bones are safe to eat.
4. Roughly chop the broccoli florets into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
5. Combine the broccoli, cooked rice, about 3⁄4 of the grated cheese, the flaked Lucky Star Pilchards and the reserved sauce from the Lucky Star can in a large bowl.
6. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
7. Fry the onion and garlic until the onions are soft and transparent, about 2 – 3 minutes.
8. Add the flour and stir until a paste forms. Continue to stir and cook the paste for about 2 minutes.
9. Slowly whisk the milk into the butter and flour mixture.
10. Turn the heat up to medium. Continue to whisk the mixture as it heats, allowing it to reach a simmer, at which point it will thicken.
11. Remove the sauce from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Spoon the rice mixture into the casserole dish. Pour the creamy sauce over the rice and smooth it out.
13. Top with the remaining grated cheese. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until the cheese melts and turns golden.
14. Serve with a fresh green salad and enjoy.

 

Chef Tash’s Samp Middlecut Risotto

Ingredients:

• Samp, 500 g
• Water, 1,5 litre
• Vegetable stock, 1,5 litre
• Virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp (30 ml)
• Medium onion, chopped, 1
• Mushrooms, cut in quarters, 250 g
• Lucky Star Middlecut, 2 cans (400 g each)
• Fresh cream, 1 cup (250 ml)
• Garlic cloves, thinly sliced, 2
• Thyme, 1 Tbsp
• Dill or fennel, 1 Tbsp
• Orange zest or juice, 1 Tbsp (optional)
• Butter, 2 Tbsp (30 ml)
• Parmesan cheese or any hard cheese, 100 g
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Method:

1. Soak the samp in 1 litre of water for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
2. Drain the water & rinse with the remaining 500ml water, rubbing the samp between flat palms while removing the kernel coating.
3. In a deep heavy-based pot, pour in samp and cover with 1-litre vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
4. Lower the heat to medium and cook samp till al dente, topping up with stock and stirring occasionally, until all the stock has been fully absorbed.
5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat add oil and fry onion for 5 minutes, add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper, orange zest and cook for a further 3 minutes, then add to the fish together with the cream and simmer for a further 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
6. Add orange juice and stir till well combined (optional).
7. Top with butter and parmesan cheese and serve.

 

Chef Aya’s Smoky Pilchard Parcel

Ingredients:

For the parcel:

• Cooking oil, 1 Tbsp (15 ml)
• Medium onion, finely chopped, 1⁄2 onion
• Garlic clove, minced, 1
• Lucky Star Pilchards in Tomato Sauce, 1 can (400 g)
• Smoked paprika, 1 Tbsp (15 ml)
• Spring onions, sliced, 4
• Fresh coriander, chopped, 1 handful
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Full sheets phyllo pastry, 4
• Butter, melted, 100g (100 ml)
• Baby spinach, rinsed, 1 handful
• Sour cream/plain cream cheese, 1 Tbsp (15 ml)

For the smoky coconut sauce:

• Star anise, 1
• Pilchard sauce
• Tomato paste, 1 Tbsp (15 ml)
• Coconut milk, 1⁄4 cup (60 ml)
• Water, 1⁄4 cup (60 ml)
• Smoked paprika, 1 Tbsp (15 ml)
• Cumin powder, 1⁄2 tsp (2,5 ml)
• Salt, 1⁄2 tsp (2,5 ml)
• Fresh coriander, chopped 1 handful

For the salad

• Olive oil, 1 Tbsp (15 ml)
• Brussel sprouts, 250 g
• Cherry tomatoes, 1 cup
• Baby spinach, 2 handfuls
• Basil leaves, 1 handful

 

Method:

For the parcel:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, add oil and fry onion and garlic together for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
2. Once done, reduce the heat to low and add your drained pilchard fish (keep sauce aside), smoked paprika, spring onion, coriander and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Switch the heat off and set aside.
4. Lay a pastry square on a board or clean work surface and brush with a little butter.
5. Lay another square over the top but with the corners crossing the sides of the first square and brush with a little more butter.
6. Do this with 4 layers to avoid pastry from breaking while cooking.
7. Place your pastry in a round ramekin or baking tray and try to push it down to fit around the bottom base of your baking dish.
8. Take your raw washed and dried baby spinach and place it in your pastry casing.
9. Transfer your pilchard fish mix into the pastry (on top of the baby spinach).
10. Top it with cottage cheese/cream cheese or sour cream and close your casing/parcel, brush with melted butter and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.

For the smoky coconut sauce:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, add all the sauce ingredients together except the coriander.
2. Transfer the mixture into a medium saucepan over medium heat and allow to simmer for 5 – 10 minutes.
3. Add in your finely chopped coriander, switch the heat off and get ready to plate.

For the salad

1. In a medium-size saucepan, add oil and fry the Brussel sprouts and tomatoes for about 8 – 10 minutes.
2. Add the baby spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Plating:

1. Spoon your sauce on a bowl or place nicely to almost cover the plate and then place your parcel on top of it, leaving some of the sauce on the side to drizzle on top of the parcel while eating.
2. Enjoy with your salad.

 

Pilchard Mayo Pies

Ingredients:

For the pilchard mayo:

• Lucky Star Pilchards in Sweet Chilli Sauce, 2 cans (400 g each)
• Mayonnaise (90 ml)
• Cheddar cheese, grated, 1 cup (250 ml)

For the pies:

• Puff pastry (2 rolls)
• Egg, beaten, 1
• Flour to dust work surface

 

Method:

For the pilchard mayo:

1. Remove the pilchards from the tins, remove and discard the bones using a fork (this is an optional step as it is totally safe to eat the bones) and place into a shallow bowl.
2. Add the mayonnaise and cheese to the pilchards and mix well, but gently to keep some nice chunks.

For the pies:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a muffin tin. Flour the work surface.
2. Roll out the puff pastry and cut out discs (large enough to be pressed into a muffin tin with a 1,5cm overhang). Line each of the greased cups of the muffin tin with the puff pastry discs. Brush the overhang of pastry with beaten egg to secure the pastry sticking to the lids during baking.
3. Cut out 12 smaller pastry circles from the remaining pastry, to form the lids.
4. Spoon the pilchard mayo mixture into the muffin tin cups and cover with the pastry lids. Pinch the edges of the pastry cups together to seal. Use a sharp knife to make small incisions in the pastry lids.
5. Brush beaten egg over the top of each pie. Bake 15 – 20 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes and enjoy!