Author: Karen Claassen

Hi and welcome to my blog! My name is Karen and I love cooking simple, uncomplicated, flavourful food. My cooking is inspired by seasonal ingredients, punchy flavours, an awareness of sustainability and of course by the likes and dislikes of my family and friends that sit around my table as well as you, the virtual guests around my table! I am a chef, recipe developer and food stylist and generate my own content. I am also completely addicted to recipe books, of which I have an extremely large collection but the essence of my food is about celebrating life and all the fabulousness that we can add by creating good food. Thank you for reading my blog. Please keep on giving me feedback and may your kitchen, as mine, be filled with joy and the best tasting food!

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Parmesan Chicken

November 24, 2023October 15, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

45ml vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 x 400g tin of diced tomatoes
250ml panko breadcrumbs
2,5ml salt
250ml + 250ml finely grated parmesan cheese
190ml flour
2 eggs
6 chicken breasts
250ml vegetable oil
250ml grated mozzarella cheese

Turn your oven on to grill and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place a small saucepan over medium heat and pour in the 45ml oil.
Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the diced tomato, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir every now and then.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly.
Add the breadcrumbs, salt and 250ml parmesan to a shallow bowl.
Add the flower to another bowl.
Add the eggs and 15ml water to a third bowl and whisk together.
Place one chicken breast between two layers of plastic wrap and gently thin it out by pounding it with a meat mallet or rolling pin. The chicken should be no thicker than 1cm.
Season with salt and dip it into the flour. Shake off the excess and dip it into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture.
Keep the breaded chicken on a baking sheet until all of the chicken is done.
How place a pan on medium-high heat, add the 250ml oil and wait for it to heat up.
Fry the chicken in batches for about 1 minute before flipping it over for another minute or until it is golden brown.
Arrange the fried chicken on the prepared baking sheet and spoon the cooled tomato sauce over.
Mix the mozzarella and remaining 250ml parmesan and sprinkle over the chicken.
Grill the chicken for about 2 minutes – it is important to watch the chicken as it can easily burn but you want the cheese melted and browned.
Serve the parmesan chicken with any of the remaining tomato sauce.

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Garlic Butter Steak

November 22, 2023November 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml vegetable oil
1kg steak, cubed
60g butter, cubed
5 cloves of garlic, minced
a handful of parsley, chopped

Place a cast iron pan over high heat, pour in the oil and wait for it to heat up.
Season the steak cubes with salt and pepper and add it to the hot pan in a single layer. If it doesn’t fit, work in batches.
Cook the steak for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned all over.
Take it from the pan and keep on the side while you repeat the process with the rest of the cubes.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the butter.
Add the garlic to the pan and stir-fry for one minute.
Spoon the meat back into the pan and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring to coat the meat in the garlic butter.
Sprinkle over the parsley and serve as a main alongside a salad/veg or on a platter with tiny wooden skewers as a canapé.

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Quick Beef Sliders

November 19, 2023October 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 tray of small hamburger/hotdog rolls
horseradish
200g mozzarella cheese, sliced
300g roast beef, sliced
1 jar caramelised onions
150g gruyère cheese, grated
30ml butter, melted
2,5ml garlic flakes
30ml poppy seeds

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a roasting tin with aluminium foil.
Slice the rolls in half horizontally and remove the top section.
Place the bottom half of the rolls in the lined roasting tin. Pack the rolls tightly together, touching.
Spread some horseradish over the bottom halves.
Now lay the mozzarella slices on top.
Cover the mozzarella with an even layer (or two or three) of sliced beef.
Spread a layer of caramelised onion on top and sprinkle over the grated cheese.
Place the top half of the rolls on top.
Mix the melted butter and garlic flakes in a small bowl and brush the rolls.
Sprinkle over the poppy seeds and cover the roasting tin with aluminium foil.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes.
Serve the sliders warm.

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Romany Creams

November 17, 2023August 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe yields about 30 sandwiched romany creams.

250g butter
250ml caster sugar
2 eggs
500ml flour
60ml cocoa powder, sifted
5ml baking powder
2ml salt
375ml desiccated coconut

Filling:
60ml sugar
15ml butter
80ml cream
30ml milk
5ml vanilla
625ml icing sugar, sifted
30ml cocoa powder, sifted

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together.
Add the eggs one at a time while beating and wait for it to be incorporated.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
Add the coconut and stir to mix.
Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the flour mixture a spoonful at a time, allowing time for it to be incorporated.
Scrape the bowl down and mix on high speed for 1 minute.
Scoop a teaspoonful of the dough in your hands, roll into a ball and space it evenly on the baking sheet.
Flatten the dough balls slightly by pressing down on them with the tines of a fork.
Bake for 12 minutes and allow to cool on the baking sheet.

For the filling:
Place a small saucepan over MEDIUM heat and add the sugar and butter.
Stir until the sugar has melted.
Add the cream and milk and remove from the heat.
Add the vanilla and stir through.
Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into the saucepan and mix until the filling has a spreadable consistency.
Sandwich the biscuits together. (You may re-heat the filling over a low heat if it becomes un spreadable)
Store the romany creams in a glass container.

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Whole Roasted Cauliflower

November 15, 2023October 8, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe has two flavour profiles – it is an either or, and not a combination!!

1 head cauliflower (or two if you are making both flavour profiles)
80ml olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml turmeric OR 15ml dried mixed herbs
60ml + 60ml grated parmesan cheese
5ml salt

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Remove the green outer leaves of the cauliflower head and place the cauliflower in an oven dish. Set aside.
Add the olive oil, minced garlic and EITHER the turmeric or the mixed herbs to a small bowl.
Add 60ml parmesan cheese and the salt and mix through.
Flip the cauliflower head upside down/with the core facing up.
Brush about a third of the olive oil mixture on the cauliflower, allowing it to drip down the core.
Flip it over and brush the top and sides of the head with the rest of the mixture.
Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer can easily pierce the head.
Remove the foil from the baking dish and scatter over the remaining 60ml parmesan.
Place the cauliflower back in the oven until the cheese has browned.
Serve immediately.

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Chickpea Salad

November 12, 2023October 15, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Dressing:
15ml wholegrain mustard
15ml red wine vinegar
45ml olive oil
30ml honey
a pinch of salt

2 x 400g tins of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, finely chopped
200g feta cheese, cut into small cubes
1 large English cucumber, cut into small cubes
40g parsley, chopped

For the dressing:
Add the mustard and red wine vinegar to a small bowl.
Drizzle in the olive a little at a time while whisking. Keep going until the olive oil is incorporated.
Add the honey and a pinch of salt and whisk again. Set aside.

Add the chickpeas, chopped onion, feta, cucumber and parsley to a salad bowl and mix together.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and give it another good mix before serving.

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Brown Rice Salad

November 11, 2023October 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250ml brown rice, cooked according to packet instructions
1 red onion, finely diced
400g cocktail tomatoes, quartered
120g mozzarella cheese, cubed
30g coriander leaves, chopped
30ml pumpkin seeds
30ml sunflower seeds

Dressing:
60ml olive oil
30ml thick, sweet soya sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced

Add the cooked and cooled rice to a large mixing bowl.
Now add the diced onion, tomato and mozzarella and give it a good mix.
Sprinkle over the coriander, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and stir through. Set aside.

For the dressing:
Pour the olive oil and soya sauce into a cup and add the garlic.
Whisk the dressing with a fork until it is amalgamated.
Drizzle over the brown rice salad and give everything a very good mix.
Serve the salad at room temperature.

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Hertzoggies

November 10, 2023September 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Yields about 18 cookies.

Pastry:
250g flour
25g caster sugar
10ml baking powder
1,2ml salt
125g butter, room temperature, cubed
3 egg yolks
15ml cold water

Filling:
3 egg whites
250g sugar
500ml desiccated coconut
about 100ml smooth apricot jam

For the pastry:
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray 2 x 12-hole muffin tins with cooking spray.
Sift the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingertips.
Whisk the egg yolks and water together and add it to the mixture.
Mix and knead by hand until you have a soft pastry.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

For the filling:
Add the egg whites to a mixing bowl and whisk to medium peaks.
Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, waiting about 15 seconds between each addition so that it is incorporated into the whites.
Add the coconut and fold through. Set aside.

Roll the pastry out to a 3mm thickness and cut out pastry circles of 7cm diameter.
Line the muffin tins with the circles.
Spoon about 7ml apricot jam into each pastry case and then divide the coconut and egg mixture amongst the cakes, topping it.
Bake in the oven for 22 minutes.
Cool the Hertzoggies in the muffin tins for 10 minutes before gently removing them to cool on a cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container.

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How to clean and season/maintain a cast iron pan

November 8, 2023October 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Wash the pan under very hot running water
Dry with a clean kitchen towel
Preheat your oven to 245℃
Fill the pan with course salt (I use dishwashing salt!)
Place the pan on high heat for about ten minutes. The salt will spit and jump our of the pan, but be brave!!
You will be able to see the dirt in the salt which means it is time to turn off the heat. Leave pan and salt to cool, it is extremely hot!!
Tip the dirty salt in a bag and dispose of it. Wipe the the remnants from the pan with kitchen paper.
Put a few drops of Linseed oil on kitchen paper and rub over the inside and outside of the pan.
Place the oiled pan in the oven and bake it for one hour. Turn off the heat and leave in the oven to cool completely.
Your pan is now clean and seasoned and will serve you for many more years.

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Sweet Potato Slices

November 5, 2023October 8, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

3 large sweet potatoes
125ml vegetable oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
250ml sour cream
100g feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Wash the sweet potatoes with their skin on and cut them in 0,5cm slices.
Boil the slices in water until just cooked. Drain and dry the slices with a clean kitchen towel.
Spread the sweet potato on the prepared baking sheet.
Add the vegetable oil and garlic to a small bowl and mix together.
Brush the slices with the garlic mixture, season with salt and flip them over. Brush again and season with salt.
Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Add the sour cream to a small bowl and crumble the feta over. Mix through.
Serve the sweet potato slices warm with a generous dollop of sour cream and feta on top.