I’m super excited to share that Teresa Ulyate, the South African mom blogger behind Cupcakes and Couscous, is launching a new cookbook of the same name.

Details of launch:

When: Thursday 7 September, 18:30 for 19:00

Where: Exclusive Books, Cavendish, Lower mall, Cavendish Square, Vineyard Road, Claremont.

RSVP: events@exclusivebooks.co.za

Some advice from Teresa, that she wrote back in 2016 to all of us:

Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint but if you keep going and producing quality content the readers will come. Also, practice your craft! Read as much as you can, do a photography course, read articles about blogging – it all helps! And network as much as you can, I have met an amazing bunch of bloggers and influencers and am so grateful to be part of that community.

Congratulations to the lady who did the time, ran the marathon, and is now enjoying success. Cheers to you!

“This book is a reflection of my cooking and eating style–a happy combination of nostalgia-inspired dishes and achievable new recipes. I believe in balancing wholesome nourishment and special treats. From morning munching to fuss-free dinners and everything in between, these comforting recipes were created to be prepared and enjoyed together.”

Teresa Ulyate is a cook, food blogger and content creator. She currently works as a freelance recipe developer and food photographer and her work has featured in numerous brand campaigns as well as in print and digital media. She also appears regularly on the SABC3 Expresso Show as a guest cook. Teresa lives in Cape Town.

Watch our instagram live, where I interviewed Teresa, here.

Here are three recipes from her new book:

Cherry Cheesecake tart

A creamy baked cheesecake is the stuff of dessert dreams, but it’s usually quite large and time consuming
to make, and you shouldn’t have to wait for a special occasion or a large crowd to enjoy one.
This easy tart will satisfy those cheesecake cravings in no time. I’ve used cherries to create the decorative
swirls but you could substitute these with any other frozen berries. Decorate the tart with a few fresh
cherries or berries, when they’re in season.

SERVES: 8–10

Ingredients

CHEESECAKE BASE
200 g Tennis biscuits
100 g butter, melted
CHERRY SAUCE
85 g frozen whole cherries
15 g castor sugar
20 ml water
CHEESECAKE FILLING
250 g full-fat cream cheese
100 g castor sugar
5 ml vanilla extract
2 eggs
100 g white chocolate, melted
fresh cherries or berries, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 ºC. Grease a 25-cm round loosebased tart tin, or use a 35-cm oblong tin.
2. To make the base, crush the Tennis biscuits in a food processor or place them in a zip-seal bag and finely crush them with a rolling pin. Tip the crumbs into a bowl and add the butter. Mix very well, then tip the crumbs into the tart tin. Press the crumbs firmly onto the base and up the sides in an even layer. Carefully transfer the tin to a baking tray and set aside.
3. Next, make the cherry sauce by placing the cherries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a simmer and allow to bubble gently for 8 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced and only a little remains. Mash the cherries with the back of a wooden spoon as they simmer. Set the sauce aside to cool.
4. To make the filling, place the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Use an electric beater to whisk until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and beat to incorporate. Whisk in the chocolate.
5. Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared base. Give the cherry sauce a stir, then drop teaspoonfuls on top of the filling. Use a thin skewer to swirl the cherries into the filling and create patterns.
6. Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes. It should be set but have a slight wobble in the centre. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight until completely chilled. Decorate with fresh cherries or berries, slice and serve.

Gourmet boerie board

The easiest way to serve a crowd around the braai and an all-time favourite! Place the boerewors on the
braai, prepare these delicious toppings and let the troops assemble their own gourmet boerie rolls. The
tomato jam and red onion relish are delicious on all sorts of meat, fish and veggies.

SERVES: 6

Ingredients

MUSTARD MAYO
60 ml creamy mayonnaise
1.25 ml Dijon mustard
1.25 ml wholegrain mustard
1.25 ml Worcestershire sauce
SMOKY TOMATO JAM
5 ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 ml fresh crushed ginger
7.5 ml smoked paprika
500 g tomatoes, roughly
chopped
25 g brown sugar
30 ml apple cider vinegar
2.5 ml fine smoked salt,
or plain salt
freshly ground black pepper
RED ONION RELISH
15 g butter
3 red onions (about 360 g),
thinly sliced
5 ml Dijon mustard
15 ml balsamic vinegar
10 ml finely chopped fresh rosemary
15 ml water
fine salt
freshly ground black pepper
BOEREWORS ROLLS
1 pack of boerewors (about 500 g)
6 brioche hot dog buns
20 g rocket

Method

1. Make the mustard mayo by combining all the
   ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and refrigerate until
   serving time.

2. To make the smoky tomato jam, heat the olive oil in a pot. Add the garlic, ginger and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, smoked salt and a grind of black pepper. Mix well and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the jam has thickened. Set aside to cool.
3. To make the red onion relish, melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the onions and caramelise over a
   medium heat for 25 minutes. Stir in the mustard, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and water. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat. If I’m making the onions ahead of time, I like to reheat them for a few minutes in a pan just before serving.
4. Cook the boerewors over the coals. Cut into lengths and place on a platter with the hot dog buns, rocket, mustard mayo, smoky tomato jam and red onion relish.

Seed and ginger clusters

My daughter, who is a dark chocolate fan, particularly likes these clusters – they’re packed with good ingredients and a burst of flavour from the dried ginger. I love the contrasting textures of the smooth dark chocolate and the crunchy nuts and seeds. Roasting the cashew nuts and seeds isn’t absolutely essential if you’re short on time, but does enhance the flavour. If you like, you can also drizzle the clusters with milk chocolate as an extra decoration.

MAKES: 12

Ingredients

60 g raw cashew nuts
25 g pumpkin seeds
25 g sunflower seeds
100 g dark chocolate
(70% cocoa), chopped
10 g chia seeds
15 g dried ginger slices,
finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Place a sheet of baking paper on a small baking tray.
2. Arrange the cashews on the tray and toast for 8 minutes. Transfer to a chopping board to cool. Add the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds to the same tray. Toast for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool.
3. Roughly chop the cashews. Melt the dark chocolate, then add the cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and chia seeds. Add the ginger and mix well to combine.
4. Scoop heaped teaspoons of the chocolate mixture onto the tray. Set aside to cool for 1 hour and set. If the weather is very hot or time is short, the clusters can also be chilled in the fridge.
5. Store the clusters in a cool place – if there are any leftovers!

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