The Roasted Dad’s Recipes

I am an entrepreneur based in Cape Town, South Africa. After the Covid-19 lockdown saw my business in financial distress, cooking was the creative outlet that helped to keep me sane. To keep track of my recipes, and encourage friends and families to join me, I started my instagram account The Roasted Dad.

Fast-forward to late 2021 - on a whim I (encouraged by my wife) enter MasterChef South Africa. It is a crazy time of life: running a 200 people business and struggling to keep it profitable, two small children with a third on the way, and about to move into a new house. But when I get selected to be one of the 20 contestants participating in the fourth season of MasterChef South Africa, I decide to go all in. Leaving my 7-month-pregnant wife to look after our then three and one-year-old children, I battled it out and came back home five weeks later with the trophy and a million rand prize money in my pocket.

It all started with an Instagram account, and then entering -and winning- MasterChef. But The Roasted Dad is so much more now. I now host Private Dinner Parties, Restaurant Take-Overs and Pop-Ups and Cook-with-Me Demos, and am a Key Note Speaker at events. I share recipes on my website and regularly post accommodation and restaurant reviews too. This is a glimpse into the wild and wonderful life I lead with my wife Lianne, and our three children Aiden (8), Olivia (6) and Harvey (4).

After winning MasterChef South Africa, I started sharing recipes on this blog. They are easy to produce at home, using basic cooking techniques with ingredients found at your local grocery store.

Recipe Index

Poultry Recipes

Red Meat Recipes

Seafood Recipes

Vegetarian Recipes

Salad Recipes

Dessert Recipes

Outdoor cooking

A South African Inspired Paella
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A South African Inspired Paella

If you have followed me since I won MasterChef South Africa in 2022, you will know that I like to do things a little different. I love a Spanish paella, but what would it be to cook it South African style? I decided to cook one on a skottel braai, and it was delicious! Try this recipe.

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Baked Camembert Starter
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Baked Camembert Starter

This is a great simple, quick and no fuss starter for a cold winter’s evening! Enjoy this baked camembert as a starter or mid-afternoon snack. You can prepare everything before your guests arrive, and just bake it in the oven in 15 minutes when you are getting peckish.

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The Best Authentic Marie Biscuit Fudge Recipe
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The Best Authentic Marie Biscuit Fudge Recipe

Nostalgic sweet treats and my childhood are linked to the church bizaar favourite, Marie Biscuit fudge. I grew up making these for church sales, school bake sales and later I even had my first enterprise selling them for R1 a packet to all the local neighbours. To bring back my awesome memories of my first entrepreneurial endeavours we got Aiden setup at our local market! This Marie biscuit fudge recipe is based on my childhood one, with a few tweaks I made ahead of the market.

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Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
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Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

While it should be no surprise that I am the cook of the Roasted family, few of you will know that The Roasted Mom is the baker. She’s been making this traditional Dutch apple pie for me since we first got together fourteen years ago, and the Cape Town weather this week sure called for a slice of hot Dutch apple pie!

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Berry Compote Recipe
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Berry Compote Recipe

I first tried out this Berry Compote recipe when I had a Mother’s Day themed cook-with-me demo coming up, at Makerslanding by the V&A Waterfront. I wanted to add a slightly sour element to the dish, to prevent it from being too sweet as I was going to serve the flapjacks with my childhood favourite peanut brittle as well!

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