Last Updated on 14 July 2025 by Adrienne
Easy Microwave Polenta
This is a very easy recipe to make polenta in a microwave.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of polenta
- 2 cups of water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 25g butter
- 25g Parmesan cheese, grated
Method
To make the polenta, place the polenta, water and salt in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave on high for eight minutes, add the butter and Parmesan and stir until the polenta becomes thick and creamy.
If the polenta is not thick enough, return to microwave for two more minutes.
“Koekies se Mash”
This recipe is for a friend of mine, Willem Burger, who doesn’t particular like mash, but loves this recipe. This serves 4-6 big portions.
Ingredients
- 60g butter
- 800g potatoes
- 800g sweet potatoes
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 250ml cream
- 6g chives, chopped (about 3 Tbsp)
- 1 tsp grated nutmeg (or fine nutmeg)
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 30g Parmesan cheese, grated (or any other hard Italian cheese)
Method
Boil the sweet potatoes and potatoes in salt water until they become very soft. Then, peel them.
In a separate large pot, melt the butter over medium heat and fry the onions and garlic until they turn golden brown.
Combine all the ingredients together and mash them until you achieve the desired consistency.
Serve the dish hot with your favourite meat.
Additional
For an added touch, consider incorporating crispy bacon or guanciale pieces.
You can also try pealing the potatoes and sweet potatoes beforehand and then boil it in chicken stock. Then use some of the chicken stock afterwards to get the mash to the required consistency.
White / Béchamel Sauce
Here are 2 recipes to make a white / béchamel sauce:
Recipe 1
Ingredients
- 50g of butter
- 50g of flour
- 2 bay leaves
- 750ml of whole milk, warmed
- 1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
Method
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir the flour into the melted butter and cook for a couple of minutes.
Gradually whisk in the hot milk to create a smooth mixture.
Add the bay leaves and cook the mixture until it thickens and becomes a sauce.
Stir in the nutmeg, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Add additional salt to taste and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Recipe 2
Ingredients
- 60g butter
- 50g plain flour
- 600ml milk, warmed
- 1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- 75g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vegetable or chicken stock
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste
Method
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir the flour into the melted butter and cook for a couple of minutes.
Gradually whisk in the hot milk to create a smooth mixture.
Cook the mixture until it thickens and becomes a sauce.
Stir in the cheese, nutmeg, stock powder, and pepper. Keep stirring until the cheese melts completely.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Whisk in the eggs.
Add salt to taste.
Boiling Squid (Pota) or Octopus (Polvo)
In a large pot with a lid, bring enough water to cover the octopus to a boil. For every liter of water, add 1 chicken stock cube, 15ml of Kosher salt, and 2 bay leaves. Stir until dissolved.
Add the cleaned octopus to the pot. Wait until the water returns to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Simmer the octopus for 45 minutes, turning it over halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Remove the octopus and place it in a large bowl of cold water for 3 minutes to stop the cooking process. Discard the bay leaves.
Drain the octopus and cut into pieces