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

My favourite chocolate recipes
snack Shawn Godfrey snack Shawn Godfrey

My favourite chocolate recipes

It is World Chocolate Day on July 7th, and no one really knows why. It could be to celebrate the anniversary of the introduction of chocolate to Europe, way back in 1550. Apparently it was first mentioned in a 2009 marketing book which shared a business marketing calendar of ideas. But let’s be honest - we don’t really need a reason to have chocolate, do we?
And so I’m using this as an excuse to share some of my favourite chocolate recipes

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A compilation of my favourite South African recipes
snack Shawn Godfrey snack Shawn Godfrey

A compilation of my favourite South African recipes

I am a proudly South African, but before being on MasterChef my cooking was mostly focussed on Asian and Middle Eastern flavours. Being on MasterChef taught me about the amazing local ingredients we have available in South Africa, and I was challenged quite a bit on the show to steer towards our dishes. Fun fact: I ended up winning season four with a dish that included a malva pudding, the quintessential South African dessert. I have published quite a few of my favourite recipes on this blog, and it’s about time that I share my favourite South African dishes. There are a few international dishes on this list as well, that I have “South African-ised” with a local twist.

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Cheesy Polony Rollups
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Cheesy Polony Rollups

I made these cheesy polony rollups together with the children. By adding some spinach, it had some good nutrients in the dish. They loved being part of the process, and loved eating it too!

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Crispy Polony Toad in The Hole
breakfast Shawn Godfrey breakfast Shawn Godfrey

Crispy Polony Toad in The Hole

As a father of three children, I know that the best way to get children to eat all different types of foods, is to expose them to the kitchen. And so I made this classic toad in the hole dish together with the children. They loved being part of the process, and loved eating it too!

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Hot Cross Bun S’mores
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

Hot Cross Bun S’mores

For South Africans, hot cross buns are synonymous with Easter. But once the packet has been left open, they quickly get stale. But why not make a Hot Cross Bun S’mores? It is truly delicious. If you are looking for a yummy dessert to end your Easter celebrations, this is it.

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Recipes to Cook this Easter
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Recipes to Cook this Easter

After winning MasterChef South Africa, I set out on a mission to create accessible, easy-to-make recipes for every day cooks to elevate their dishes. This round-up includes my favourite Easter recipes to make sure you can make a delicious menu this Easter.

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Hot Cross Bun Bread Pudding
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

Hot Cross Bun Bread Pudding

For South Africans, hot cross buns are synonymous with Easter. But once the packet has been left open, they quickly get stale. But why not make a Hot Cross Bun Bread Pudding? It is truly delicious. If you are looking for a yummy dessert to end your Easter celebrations, this is it.

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Christmas Pulled Lamb Recipe
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

Christmas Pulled Lamb Recipe

This Easter dish is made up of pulled lamb is served on krummel pap with grated parmesan, and topped with Greek yoghurt, onions, mint, pomegranate seeds and chickpeas. The side dishes: roasted aubergine, topped with roasted peppers and fresh dill, and some more Greek yoghurt and pomegranates.

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