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!

Uncategorized

Balsamic Mushroom and Avocado Bagel

June 5, 2023June 3, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

The quantities given is for one person.

1 bagel
15ml + 15ml butter
15ml olive oil
200g mushrooms, quartered
5ml thyme leaves
30ml + 30ml balsamic vinegar
1 avocado pear, peeled and sliced

Halve the bagel and spread it with a thin layer of butter.
Place a heavy-bottom pan on medium-high heat, place the bagel cut-side down and cook until golden and toasted. Set aside.
Keep the pan on the heat, add the other 15ml butter and olive oil and wait for it to melt and heat up.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 3 – 4 minutes.
Add the thyme and 30ml balsamic vinegar and cook until the pan is dry. Remove from the heat.
Place the bagel on a serving plate and arrange the avocado slices on top.
Spoon the mushroom on the avocado and drizzle with the remaining balsamic vinegar.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Serve immediately.

Uncategorized

Chicken Piccata Meatballs

June 4, 2023May 24, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g chicken, ground
1 egg
10ml oregano, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
a good handful of parsley, chopped
60ml + 250ml breadcrumbs
2,5ml salt

Sauce:
45ml olive oil
45ml butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
125ml white wine
60ml lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
grated rind of 1 lemon
60ml capers

Add the ground chicken, egg, oregano, garlic, parsley and 60ml breadcrumbs to a bowl and mix together.
Sprinkle over the salt, a few grindings of pepper and 15ml olive oil. Mix again.
Add the 250ml breadcrumbs to a shallow dish.
Now scoop up about 20ml ov the chicken mixture, shape it into a ball and coat it in breadcrumbs. Keep going until you have no chicken left.
Set a large pan over medium heat and pour in enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom.
Wait for the oil to heat up and then add the chicken balls. Space them so that they do not touch and crowd each other. Do more than one batch if necessary.
Cook for about 3 minutes, turn them over and cook another 3 minutes.
Remove from the pan and set aside.
For the sauce:
Add the 45ml olive oil and butter to the same pan, set over medium heat.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Pour in the white wine, lemon juice, lemon zest and capers.
Season with salt and bring to a simmer.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and cover the pan with a lid.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Uncategorized

Mozzarella Wool Bread

June 3, 2023June 3, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125ml warm milk
5ml instant yeast
325g flour
45ml sugar
5ml salt
95ml boiling water
30ml butter, room temperature
300g mozzarella cheese
30ml milk

Pour the milk in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast over.
Stir to dissolve and set aside for 10 minutes.
Add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Turn the mixer on to a low speed and drizzle in the boiling water.
Mix for 2-3 minutes.
Turn the mixer on medium speed and add the milk and yeast mixture. Mix for another 3 minutes.
Now add the butter a little at a time, with the mixer running on medium-high. Mix/knead for 10 minutes.
Drizzle a few drops of oil in a large bowl , place the dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
Take the dough from the bowl and place it on a work surface.
Divide it into 12- 15 equal portions, cover lightly with plastic wrap and rest for 10 minutes.
Grease a 22cm x 22cm dish with butter.
Slice the mozzarella into sticks of 6-8cm x 1cm x1cm.
Now roll the dough to a width of about 10cm x 15cm.
Place a mozzarella stick on it, fold over and then cut the bottom of the pastry into thin strips.
Roll the dough into a log and place in the prepared dish.
Keep going until you have no dough and/or mozzarella left.
Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 170℃.
Brush the bread with the milk and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the wool bread, take it from the dish and serve while warm.

Uncategorized

Cheesey Wedges

June 1, 2023May 30, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Potato
100g butter
200g cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Slice each potato in quarters and place in a muffin tin. (watch video)
Dot the potato with butter and sprinkle over some salt.
Cover with aluminium foil and bake in the oven for 50 minutes.
Remove the foil, sprinkle some cheese on each potato and bake for another 10 minutes.
Eat immediately!

Uncategorized

Guava Breakfast Bowl

May 31, 2023May 29, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

about 500g guavas, peeled
500g sugar
granola/muesli
vanilla yoghurt

Add the sugar and 2 litres of water to a large saucepan, set over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the guavas, wait for the water to come to a boil and then turn dow the heat to a low simmer.
Cook for about 30 minutes.
Turn the heat off and leave the guavas in the liquid to steep overnight.
Remove the fruit from the liquid and slice into o,5cm thick slices.
Now layer granola, yoghurt and guava in a glass.
Enjoy and be healthy!

Uncategorized

Chocolate-Dipped Meringue

May 30, 2023May 29, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

3 egg whites
190ml caster sugar
7,5ml vanilla
2 x 80g chocolate bars
150g nuts, chopped

Preheat your oven to 120℃ and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whisk the whites to soft peaks.
Turn the mixer to high and start adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time and waiting for the sugar to be incorporated before adding the next spoonful.
Whisk for 5 minutes or until you have a very stiff, glossy mixture.
Drizzle over the vanilla and fold in with a spatula.
Spoon the meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle.
Pipe dollops of the meringue, spread about 4cm apart, on the two prepared baking trays.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn the oven off but do not open the door for an hour.
Remove the meringues and allow to cool completely.
Break up the chocolate and melt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
Dip a meringue in the chocolate and then roll it in the chopped nuts.
Set aside for the chocolate to cool down and set.

Uncategorized

Garlic Steak and Potato

May 29, 2023May 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

700g steak, sliced in to strips
80ml soy sauce
15ml + 30ml olive oil
30ml + 30ml butter
700g potato, cut into wedges
6 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml chilli flakes
5ml rosemary, finely chopped
10ml thyme, finely chopped

Add the steak strips, soy sauce, 15ml olive oil and a few grindings of black pepper to a bowl and mix through. Set aside to marinade.
Place a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add 30ml olive oil and 30ml butter.
Add the potato wedges and cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring every now and then, until fork-tender.
Remove from the pan and keep aside.
Add the other 30ml butter to the same pan over medium heat and wait for it to melt.
Add the garlic, chilli, rosemary and thyme.
Drain the marinade from the steak and keep aside.
Add the steak strips to the pan and fry until browned.
Pour in the marinade and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
Add the potato and cook until warmed through.
Check the seasoning and adjust to your liking.
Serve with a crispy salad.

Uncategorized

Easy Hash Browns

May 28, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 large onion
1,2kg potato, unpeeled
100g cheddar cheese, grated
100g mozzarella cheese, grated
10ml garlic salt
60ml butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a 25cm x 37cm baking sheet with baking paper.
Grate the onion and potato on the coarse side of a box grater.
Transfer to a clean tea towel. Wrap the grated veg like a candy by twisting both ends. Hold the towel over a sink and wring it as firmly as you can to squeeze out any liquid.
Add the onion, potato, both cheeses and garlic salt to a large bowl and mix through.
Drizzle the butter over the mixture and now mix together with your hands so that all of the mixture is evenly dispersed and covered in butter.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking sheet but do not compact it by pressing down.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Serve immediately.

Uncategorized

Wool Bread with Pesto

May 27, 2023May 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125ml warm milk
5ml instant yeast
625ml flour
45ml sugar
5ml salt
95ml boiling water
30ml butter, room temperature
155ml pesto
30ml milk

Pour the milk into a bowl, sprinkle over the yeast, stir and set aside for 10 minutes.
Add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Turn the mixer on a low speed and drizzle in the boiling water.
Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
Add the yeast mixture and mix on medium speed for another 3 minutes.
Add the butter a little at a time with the machine running.
Mix/knead for 10 minutes.
Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for one hour.
Take the dough from the bowl and place it on a work surface.
Gently fold the dough until deflated.
Divide into 5 even portions and roll each into a ball. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and rest on the work surface for 10 minutes.
Grease a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with butter and line the base with baking paper. Set aside.
Lightly flour a work surface and roll a dough ball into a 20cm long rectangle.
Cut the bottom half into thin strips. (see Photograph beneath)
Spoon 45ml pesto on the half that isn’t cut and spread it out evenly.
Fold a 1cm edge on the sides, over the pesto and roll that section into a log. Roll over the part that are cut into strips.
Repeat this process with the other 4 dough portions.
Place the logs on the outside perimeter of the prepared cake tin.
Cover with plastic wrap and proof in a warm area for 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 170℃.
Brush the bread with milk and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven, stand for 10 minutes and remove from the baking tin.
Cool on a wire rack.
The bread is easily broken into portions and is delicious served slightly warm.

Uncategorized

Soy Chicken with Pickled Cucumber

May 25, 2023May 18, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
60ml apple cider vinegar
5ml salt
5ml sugar

60ml soy sauce
30ml honey
4 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
30ml vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2,5ml ground coriander

For the pickle:
Add the sliced onion and cucumber to a bowl and pour the vinegar over.
Sprinkle over the salt, sugar and a few grindings of black pepper.
Mix through, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

For the chicken:
Add the soy and honey to a shallow bowl and stir to combine.
Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat.
Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil.
Add the garlic and coriander and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Take the breasts from the marinade and cook for 3 minutes per side. It is important to regulate the heat as the chicken can burn easily at this stage.
Add the reserved marinade and 60ml water to the pan.
Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cover with a lid and cook the breasts for 15 minutes, turning half-way through the cooking time.
Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high.
Cook the chicken for another 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced and the chicken is shiny and glazed.
Serve with steamed rice, pickled cucumber and the sauce.