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 his recipes, and encourage friends and families to join me, he 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 their 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 (7), Olivia (4) and Harvey (2).

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

Christmas Recipes

How-to Recipes

Salad Recipes

Steak Recipes

Chicken Recipes

Pork Recipes

Lamb Recipes

Duck Recipes

Turkey Recipes

Seafood Recipes

Vegetarian Recipes

South African Recipes

Italian Recipes

French Recipes

Asian Recipes

Mexican Recipes

Sweet Recipes

Savoury Recipes

Breakfast Recipes

Side Dishes

Dinner Recipes

Lunch Recipes

A Simple Starter: Camembert Bake
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

A Simple Starter: Camembert Bake

I love cheese, and cheese is even better when it’s melted. This recipe is a delicious, but simple starter made with Goat’s Cheese camembert. It can be served as a starter or a snack, with some toasted ciabatta or crackers. Let everyone dip in and you will see, soon there will be nothing left!

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5 Steps to ensure you make the Best Risotto
starter, main Shawn Godfrey starter, main Shawn Godfrey

5 Steps to ensure you make the Best Risotto

Ah, risotto – the creamy, comforting Italian dish that holds a special place in the hearts of food lovers worldwide. While its velvety texture and rich flavours make it a standout dish on restaurant menus, making risotto at yourself at home is not easy. Risotto demands patience and following a few steps religiously.

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Easy-to-make Festive Christmas Canapés
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

Easy-to-make Festive Christmas Canapés

Christmas in the southern hemisphere means that it’s likely to be a hot day. If you want to make an Alfresco lunch, these canapés make a nice light starter. With the colours reminiscent of Christmas, you will impress your dinner guests with the fine dining-style plating, yet actually it’s a simple dish that anyone can make.

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Pecan Nut Brittle Recipe
snack, sweet Shawn Godfrey snack, sweet Shawn Godfrey

Pecan Nut Brittle Recipe

Make the crunciest Pecan Nut Brittle with this recipe. I first tried out this recipe when I had a Mother’s Day themed cook-with-me demo coming up and I wanted to add a nutty and crunchy element to the flapjack dish, to elevate it and take it to the next level. This peanut brittle was a hit!

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Fluffiest Flapjack Recipe
breakfast, desert, sweet Shawn Godfrey breakfast, desert, sweet Shawn Godfrey

Fluffiest Flapjack Recipe

Make the Fluffiest Flapjacks with Pecan Nut Brittle, a Berry Compote and Cinnamon Greek Yoghurt.

The secret to making the fluffiest flapjacks is in beating the egg whites into soft peaks before gently folding them into the rest of the mixture, being careful not to overmix.

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