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

T-Bone Steak Sandwich
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

T-Bone Steak Sandwich

I made this steak sandwich the other day and whilst easy to put together, the flavours are out of this world. Adding a mouth watering steak to a sandwich is always a good idea, but in this case I elevated it by using a T-Bone. The combination of Hellmann’s mayonnaise and French mustard is to die for and to use both pickled onions and ‘normal’ onions, your steak sandwich gets an extra punch! Adding some honey for sweetness and truffle oil to really impress your guests and you have a steak sandwich that’s come down straight from heaven. Try make it yourself and tell me if I’m wrong, but I’m definitely making this one again!

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How to make your own pasta
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How to make your own pasta

Discovering home made pasta has given me the energy to never turn back! The flavour, texture and just how easy it is to make home made pasta gives me no excuse not to make it fresh. Making pasta by hand is also great activity to do with kids.

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How to Prepare an Ostrich Steak
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

How to Prepare an Ostrich Steak

Pick n Pay has ostrich steak in their Livewell range and it’s great! My wife Lianne (The Roasted Mom) asked me to help her prepare this and I gave her this easy but delicious ostrich steak that she could repeat as a simple 20 minute recipe.

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Pink Lady Apple Donut Flapjack Recipe
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Pink Lady Apple Donut Flapjack Recipe

We often take some time on the weekend to make a nice breakfast together with the kids. I’ve previously shared my fluffiest flapjacks recipe, but this is something totally different! By dipping apple slices in the batter, you can include some fruit in your child’s diet. You can opt to cut the apple slices thinner, or poach the apple beforehand if you want it to be soft. I cut thick slices and didn’t poach them as we like the crunchy texture of the apple inside the flapjacks, but this is up to you!

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Upside Down Layered Stir Fry Recipe
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Upside Down Layered Stir Fry Recipe

I love a good stir fry, as it’s a great way to add many different vegetables to your dish. For this recipe, I decided to try something I’d never done before and make an ‘upside down stir fry’. This basically means that you assemble your dish in reverse in a bowl, and then place a flat plate upside down on top before gently turning your dish the right way around. Find the recipe below and try make yours at home!

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How to make the Best Braai Broodjie
lunch Shawn Godfrey lunch Shawn Godfrey

How to make the Best Braai Broodjie

South Africans love a good Braai Broodjie. While South Africans love meat, this vegetarian alternative is a crowdpleaser. And if a braai is not a braai without meat, I challenge you to think differently: a braai is not a braai without a braai broodjie!

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Chicken, Cauliflower and Aubergine Noodle Recipe
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

Chicken, Cauliflower and Aubergine Noodle Recipe

If you need to make a quick supper as the kids are driving you up the wall, the clock is ticking and you have no energy to get all fancy, then you should really give this leftover chicken recipe a go!

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How to make your own Basil Oil (step-by-step)
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

How to make your own Basil Oil (step-by-step)

I love making basil oil as it’s so versatile. It takes some time and a bit of effort to make, but you can make it in a larger quantity and keep it in the fridge up to a month.

Basil oil tastes good, and adds a nice bright green colour to the dish as well. It pairs with most Italian pasta dishes (even pizzas!), it goes well with fish and can even be added to Asian dishes.

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Quick-and-Easy Fried Rice Recipe
asian, main Shawn Godfrey asian, main Shawn Godfrey

Quick-and-Easy Fried Rice Recipe

The most important thing about a yummy egg fried rice, is getting the sauce right. Once you’ve mastered that part of the recipe, you can play around with the ingredients to make different versions, adding vegetables like corn, carrots and peas, or meat (bacon is always a winner!).

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Duck Leg Confit Recipe
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Duck Leg Confit Recipe

Many people are not confident cooking duck. If you don’t know how to prepare it properly, duck leg can be tough or even dry. But when cooked well, it is delicious.

I love the recipe as you get an amazing result without the feeling of excessive cooking times. It is a bit of a cheat confit in terms of time.

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Bistecca alla Fiorentina
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

After travelling to Florence I have dreams of the amazing florentine steak! Here are some of the secrets to cooking the perfect Bistecca alla Fiorentina, the renowned Florentine steak. Brace yourself for an explosion of flavour!

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Braised Beef Short Rib Recipe
Shawn Godfrey Shawn Godfrey

Braised Beef Short Rib Recipe

This braised beef short rib recipe is a quick and easy recipe, so perfect as a mid-week meal too! The house will be filled with a happy family when you prepare this dish!

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A South African Inspired Paella 
dinner Shawn Godfrey dinner Shawn Godfrey

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! Check the recipe below, and try it for yourself!

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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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