dinner Archives - AdventureThyme

October 11, 2016

Burger Series: Sweet and Spicy Pineapple and Beef Burger

My father loves spicy food. He’ll eat the hottest curries, devour the spiciest of sauces and then ask you where the chilies are. I do not walk in my father’s footsteps in this regard but I can definitely make something spicy enough for his taste buds.
This sweet and spicy pineapple and beef burger is great for the whole family because those who want a bit of heat can indulge and those that like to live the sweet life can simply pop a pineapple ring on top. Everyone’s a winner. Another good thing about this burger is how easy it is to prepare. There isn’t much faffing about and it comes together quickly. Perfect for a sunny BBQ or a late night dinner.

sweet and spicy pineapple burger PlanetBakeLife

July 26, 2016

Garlic Yogurt Lamb Roast with a side of good news

This garlic yogurt lamb roast is actually from a few months ago. I made it for my family when they came around for Sunday dinner. My family is small, just myself and my parents but my dad has always cooked for an army. I remember roasts when I was a kid would be lamb with all the trimmings. Roast potatoes, veggies in cheese sauce, fresh loaves of bread to soak up the homemade gravy. These days people cut corners and it’s rare for there to be homemade gravy, it’s normally out of a packet. No judgement, honestly, it’s just that I have an allergic reaction to most packet gravies and this is why I normally end up refusing a roast dinner.
My parents coming to our house for dinner is rare. Our flat is small, it only holds so many people. So when I offered to make a lamb roast, my dad jumped at the chance and I knew it had to be something tasty.
I’m always a little nervous about making roasts because they take a while in the oven and if they’re not quite right then there’s very little time to prepare something else. Luckily, this lamb roast is super easy to prepare and cook. It’s very difficult to make it dry thanks to the marinade and you can always serve (homemade or otherwise) gravy on the side.

Greek Style Lamb Sosaties (Skewers) with homemade Tzatziki by PlanetBakeLife

April 5, 2016

Greek Style Lamb Sosaties (Skewers) with Tzatziki

It’s not until you introduce someone to the food of your home country or culture that you start to realise how diverse the world’s foods are. It is not a secret that South Africans love food. I don’t mean that we demand big portions and shovel anything into our faces. I mean that we love food. We like to talk about it and create it and experience it. So when I make something from my childhood in South Africa, it always captures Michael’s interest.
While to the rest of the world these are known as skewers, in South Africa we call them sosaties. A traditional sosatie comes from Cape Town where there is a heavy Indian and Malaysian influence. These should technically be marinaded in curry spices but we’ve started to use the term as a general word for a skewer. So I took a bit of creative license and used a bit of a Greek influence to make these super tasty. I even made Tzatziki as a dip to be served with these bad boys.

March 29, 2016

Easy Mexican Beef Burgers

I’m not going to lie, burgers are without a doubt my favourite food group. There isn’t much they can’t do. From straight forward cheese burgers to crispy chicken monsters to these spice infused Mexican Beef Burgers. As long as it’s served in a bun (I don’t do bunnace) I’m a happy, happy woman. I think this love of burgers comes from my dad. He worked at many steakhouses in South Africa where I always ordered the burger. His burger recipe at our takeaway was well known and loved by many of our locals. Basically, I learnt everything I know about burgers from my father.
My love for burgers runs so deep that if Michael and I ever argue, he knows he just has to buy me a burger and he’s back in my good books.
My other favourite food group is Mexican food. Sometimes, food groups are just destined to collide.
The great thing about these burgers is that they are so easy and quick to make that they can be done during the week.
I served these on a Monday night and the longest part of the whole meal was the wedges I served these with. And that included doing some homemade beans. You can also serve these with a bit of guacamole but we didn’t have any so I went for a medium spice salsa and a homemade chipotle mayo. I’ll definitely be making these again and serving them as a DIY burger so people can pop their own selection of toppings on their burgers.