Prep Time:

25 minutes

Cook Time:

30 minutes Get the kids involved in preparing this easy meal with you. It’s a great way to enjoy the holidays together.

Ingredients(4)

• 300g SPAR spaghetti
• 500g SPAR Lean beef mince
• 10ml SPAR Barbecue Spice
• 15 ml freshly chopped parsley
• 1 SPAR Freshline onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg

For the sauce

• 30 ml SPAR sunflower oil
• 1 SPAR Freshline onion, chopped
• 2 SPAR Freshline garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 SPAR Freshline red pepper chopped
• 1 x 410 g tin SPAR diced tomatoes

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 c.
2. Mix beef mince, barbecue spice, parsley, onion and egg together.  Roll into golf ball size balls and arrange in a greased casserole dish.
3. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.
4. In a saucepan heat the oil and fry the onions, garlic and peppers until soft.  Add the tomatoes and seasoning and bring to the boil.
5. Pour the hot sauce over the meatballs.  Cover with a lid or foil and return to the oven for 20 minutes.
6. While the meatballs are cooking.  Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.  Add the spaghetti and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft but still firm.  Drain

Hints and Tips

You could serve the meatballs with SPAR brown basmati rice instead of spaghetti.   [ ... ]

Prep Time:

4 hrs to marinade

Cook Time:

20 minutes Surprise your family with this home version of a popular take-away!

Ingredients(4)

• 8 large skinless breast fillets cut in half diagonally, OR 16 skinless thighs
• Marinade:
• 125 ml water
•  40 ml SPAR Spirit Vinegar
•  50 ml SPAR lemon juice (or equivalent from freshly squeezed lemons)
• 1 small onion, grated
•  25 ml SPAR olive oil
•  3 large garlic cloves, crushed
•  3 ml salt
•  10ml SPAR honey
•   5 ml dried crushed chilli flakes (or fresh finely chopped)
•  2 ml each dried parsley, paprika and thyme

 

Method

1. Cut several deep slits into each chicken piece, and arrange snugly in a bowl.
2. Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cover and chill for 2- 4 hours.  (Pre-heat oven for the potato wedges now if you are serving)
3. Braai or pan-grill for 20 minutes, turning often and brushing on leftover marinade until slightly charred.
4. Pack into boxes, including oven-baked SPAR potato wedges, a SPAR Freshline Portuguese roll, and your favourite raw salad ingredients.

 

Hints and Tips

• Chicken fillet strips are a quicker cooking finger-food option.
• You can still enjoy tasty chicken without including the fatty skin.

[ ... ]

Prep Time:

25 minutes

Cook Time:

20 minutes A way to enjoy tender, breaded chicken strips without traditional frying!

Ingredients(Makes approx 34 strips)

• 3  SPAR Freshline seeded whole wheat bread-rolls
•  100g  SPAR grated cheddar cheese
•  150ml  SPAR Smooth Mayonnaise
•  30ml  SPAR Mustard Sauce
•  15ml  SPAR Sweet and Smokey braai spice
• +-700g SPAR Tender and Tasty chicken breast fillet strips

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 190 °C. Grease a medium baking tin.
2. In a food processor, crumb the bread-rolls finely and mix in the cheese. Set aside in a dish.
3. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard sauce and braai spice in a shallow dish.
4. Dip chicken fillet strips into the sauce and immediately into the breadcrumbs and finally in rows, onto the prepared baking tin.
5. Bake for 20 minutes after a 5 minute resting period.

Hints and Tips

To make the task of crumbing easy and not messy, follow these instructions:  With your left-hand, dip and turn the chicken strips in the sauce, one at a time, to coat well – lift out and drop directly into the breadcrumb mixture alongside. Use your right hand to turn and pat the chicken in the breadcrumbs to ensure they adhere all over. [ ... ]

Prep Time:

5 minutes

Cook Time:

25 minutes An informal, tasty, hands only meal which your kids and your budget will enjoy!

Ingredients(Serves: 4)

• 16 -18 chicken wings or 8 drumsticks, or combination of both
• salt to flavour
• 100ml SPAR sweet chilli sauce
• 15ml SPAR soya sauce
• 20ml SPAR smooth apricot jam
• 5ml Hot English mustard
• 1ml bottled dried Italian herbs
• 100ml SPAR Nectarine fruit juice blend

 

Method

1. Place the chicken wings in a shallow oven dish, season with salt, and then grill them for +-5 minutes until attractively browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 160ºC.
2. Warm the remaining ingredients together in a pot, or in a jug in the microwave oven. Pour onto the wings to coat them completely.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, turning them over regularly in the marinade.

Hints and Tips

Line the oven dish with a sheet of foil, to make washing up easier later on. The sticky sauce can be difficult to clean if it is allowed to over-bake and burn on the dish. [ ... ]

Prep Time:

5 minutes

Cook Time:

as per pack instructions Enjoy SPAR's potato hash-browns with the fun toppings of your choice.

Ingredients(2)

• 1 box frozen SPAR Potato Hash Browns

A few Topping ideas: (you will be sure to dream up many more of your own!)

• Canned tuna mashed with SPAR low fat garlic&herb cottage cheese
• SPAR lean bacon, dry-fried, chopped and added to chopped tomato with a squeeze of SPAR Bacon Mayo
• Savoury baked beans, warmed up and a sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese
• SPAR Salmon flavoured low fat cream cheese

Method

1. Bake the hash browns, using the easy on-pack instructions.
2. While they are baking, prepare the toppings you fancy, and have them handy to spoon generously onto each hash brown.

  [ ... ]

Prep Time:

10 minutes (while baking)

Cook Time:

15 minutes An appealing way to enjoy a vegetable meal; so much so, you may even forego meat next time round.

Ingredients(1)

• 1 box frozen SPAR Crumbed Veggie Fingers
• Your favourite salad ingredients eg SPAR Freshline baby carrots, mange tout, mini-plum tomatoes, mixed lettuces, avocado pear cubes, baby corn

 

Method

1. Bake the veggie fingers in the oven, using the on-pack instructions.
2. While waiting for them to bake, rinse and trim the salad ingredients.
3. Place the cooked veggie fingers on a serving plate in a square basket pattern as shown.
4. Fill with salad vegetables, and serve immediately.

[ ... ]

Prep Time:

5 minutes

Cook Time:

5 minutes Even quicker than ordering take-out or baking from frozen. This quick and easy meal can be assembled by kids using a choice of their favourite fillings - great when you have fussy eaters visiting!

Ingredients(Serves: 6 per pack pitabreads)

• SPAR Freshline white pita breads
• ½ can SPAR tomato and onion mix
• 125g SPAR grated mozzarella cheese
• 125g SPAR grated cheddar cheese
• 125g SPAR diced bacon
• 10 ml Italian herbs
• SPAR Good Living stainless steel sandwich press

Method

1. Microwave the Pita breads for 20 seconds each to puff up for easier cutting open 2. Combine all of the other ingredients and season with 10ml Italian dried herbs. 3. Spoon into each pita bread cavity, and grill until browned and crisp in pre-heated:

Hints and Tips

If you want to include olives, do not use whole black olives as they are bulky and may split the pita bread, and the pips may come as a shock as they are hidden inside! Bacon can be substituted for mince, salami, ham, pepper strips or whatever your favourite pizza filling flavour is! [ ... ]

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

15 minutes Spaghetti and meatballs is a firm favourite with kids. These mini meatballs are easy to eat, contain extra fibre and the kids can have fun helping to make them.

Ingredients(1)

• ½ small onion (30 ml)
• ½ small Granny Smith apple, peeled
•  50 ml  SPAR grated cheddar cheese - optional
• 225 g    chicken or lean beef mince
•  45 ml  SPAR Bran Flakes, crushed
• 1 ml   salt

 

Method

1. Set oven at 200 °C
2. Grate the onion, apple and cheese into a mixing bowl.
3. Mix in the mince, bran flakes and salt using your hands.
4. Roll 10 marble-size balls.
5. Bake packed close together, in an ovenproof dish for 15 minutes.
6. Toss into your favourite flavour of cooked SPAR instant noodles and enjoy!

 

Hints and Tips

• To use this recipe for mini-burgers instead, flatten each rolled meatball into a patty-pan before baking. Cut bread rounds with a cookie cutter if you do not have cocktail bread rolls handy.
• Add leftover meatballs into your lunchbox the next day.
• By adding apple for moisture, and bran flakes for fibre, meatballs take on a new nutritional high.

  [ ... ]

Prep Time:

5 minutes

Cook Time:

15 minutes This is a great idea for little kids who love the novelty of eating their entire meal in a gem squash.

Ingredients(Serves: 4 young children)

2 large gem squash, cooked, halved and pips removed 350g SPAR Quick Cuisine Macaroni Cheese 4 SPAR cheese chicken viennas, thinly sliced 2 SPAR eggs, hard boiled and chopped SPAR TUBES cheese flavoured snacks

Method

1. Boil or steam the gem squash halves until tender. Scoop out and discard the pips.
2. Meanwhile, microwave the frozen macaroni cheese meal as per on-pack instructions.
3. In the gem squash cavity, layer the macaroni cheese and viennas alternately.
4. Top with diced hard boiled egg and a few cheese snacks.
5. Serve immediately.

Hints and Tips

Substitute the macaroni cheese with canned SPAR spaghetti or baked beans in tomato sauce. [ ... ]

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

15 minutes Youngsters not used to spicy foods, can learn to enjoy curry if you start off with a mild and fruity recipe with ingredients they enjoy.

Ingredients(Serves: 4)

• 1 packet SPAR pork sausages (500 g)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped or grated
• 1 small SPAR Freshline red apple, finely chopped with skin on
• 1 small SPAR Freshline pear, finely chopped with skin on
• 1 pouch ready-to-use creamy curry sauce (200 ml)

 

Method

1. Dry-fry the sausages in a pan until cooked, then cut into chunks. 2. Gently fry the onion, apple and pear in the fat rendered from the sausages, cooking over medium heat until just softened. 3. Add in the curry sauce and the sausage chunks, and heat through. 4. Garnish with dhania and serve immediately.

Hints and Tips

Cocktail sausages are enjoyed by young children as a substitute for chunks from whole pork sausages   [ ... ]