Worker’s Day Lunch

You might have noticed that I love food! I love both eating it and making it. I also love my friends and so what better combination is there than having them over for a meal? Cooking and socialising – my favourite. My flat isn’t massive so I need to limit the number of guests I can have at any one time. Since the 1st of May is a public holiday in South Africa (Worker’s Day to be exact) I thought this was the perfect opportunity for a dinner party, well in this case it was actually a luncheon. I invited four friends and treated them to a bit of my home cooking.

I began with a salad as a starter. Not being a very big lettuce fan this is my new favourite and although there is lettuce in it the whole dish is simply moreish so I don’t mind the curly green leaves. This Halloumi and Mango Salad with a Minty Dressing is quick and easy to prepare and a real crowd pleaser. If you’ve got leftover ingredients roll it into a wrap and enjoy for lunch! (a quick side note … many of my recipes I find online, this one is compliments of BBC food).

For mains I thought I’d try a roast beef, normally I would try lamb however one of the friends isn’t a fan of lamb and I had never tried making a roast beef so this was a perfect opportunity. This time I turned to one of my favourites in the kitchen Jamie Oliver and tried his Perfect Roast Beef.

The recipe is superbly simple and if you follow the recipe you won’t go wrong, the meat is succulent and the veggies are delish, it’s all done in one roasting pan. I served this with roast potatoes with a difference – I used a secret ingredient, Duck Fat. Seriously don’t knock it before you’ve tried it. The fat makes the potatoes crispy and golden on the outside while leaving the middle fluffy. Woolies now stocks this and it is one of my favourite finds!

For dessert I made one of my favourites! Milk Tart! This is a family recipe and so I’m not planning on sharing the goodness that comes from within. But the recipe makes two tarts so there is always plenty to go round. Needless to say we polished off the first tart with ease.

Everyone was stuffed, but happy! The kitchen wasn’t a big of a mess as it could have been and we all settled down to catch up and play some games. One of the best workers days I’ve had in years.

PS – if you’re worried about trying a new recipe don’t be. My mom always said to me if you can read you can cook and it’s so true. Everyone has a budding chef within …

♥ Tans

Photographs Eat Play Luv © (please request permission before using)