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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Thick Chicken Soup

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Thick Chicken Soup
Thick Chicken Soup

If you need to speed things up in the kitchen you may make this soup with store-bought stock and rotisserie chicken.

45ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
a small bunch of salad onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1l chicken stock
2 eggs
60ml fresh lemon juice
375ml cooked rice
500ml cooked chicken breast, shredded

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the oil, onion and salad onion.
Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Pour in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to the boil, turn down the heat and leave to simmer.
Add the eggs, lemon juice and 60ml of the rice to a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Keep the blender running and slowly pour in 250ml of the hot stock.
Now pour this mixture into the stock mixture in the saucepan while stirring.
Add the rest of the rice and the shredded chicken.
Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, on a low heat (do not let it boil) until thick.
Spoon into bowls and serve immediately.

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Steri Stumpie Pancake

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Steri Stumpie Pancake

Steri Stumpie is a popular South African flavoured milk drink that comes in 350ml bottles. The South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen caused a stir when he cooked a pancake from this drink. Now is your chance to give it a try…

1 x 350ml Steri Stumpie of your choice, for one pancake

Pour the flavoured milk in to a frying pan set over a medium heat.
Bring to a simmer and wait……
Regulate the heat so that the milk cooks/evaporates but does not burn.
As long as the “pancake” sits/sticks to the pan, it is not cooked.
Remove from the heat once done and puff/fold into an interesting abstract shape.
Enjoy with another Steri Stumpie to wash it down????

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Tartiflette

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Tartiflette

1kg potatoes
200g bacon, diced
30g butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
125ml dry white wine
125ml cream
450g soft rind cheese of your choice, I used Camembert, traditionally Reblochon is used

Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1cm thick rounds.
Add the potato to a large saucepan and pour in enough cold water to cover. Season the water with salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the rounds are just tender – about 25minutes.
Drain the potato rounds and return to the saucepan. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the bacon.
Lower the heat once the fat renders, add the butter and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the wine and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the potato rounds and mix through.
Pour the cream over and mix again.
Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish.
Slice the cheese into halves, horizontally and arrange on top, cut-side down.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes – the cheese should be melted, bubbling and golden brown on top.
Serve immediately.

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Lemon Donuts

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Lemon Donuts

The recipe yields a small batch of around 16 small donuts. Feel free to double-up!!

80ml greek yoghurt
45ml lemon curd
10ml lemon zest
190ml self-raising flour
vegetable oil for deep frying
icing sugar

Add the yoghurt, lemon curd and zest to a mixing bowl and mix together.
Add about two thirds of the flour and mix through.
You should have a very thick, sticky dough.
To test the consistency, break off a piece and roll between your palms. If you can’t form a ball and the dough is too sticky, add sour flour, mix again and give it another try. You want as little flour as possible so that you produce a light, airy donut.
Scoop up 15ml of the dough with a measuring spoon and roll between your palms to make a ball.
Place the balls on a tray lined with baking paper.
Pour some vegetable oil about 5cm deep, into a small saucepan. Heat to 170℃.
Add the donuts to the preheated oil and fry in batches until golden brown.
Drain on kitchen paper.
Arrange on a serving plate and dust with icing sugar.

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Beef Stroganoff Pie

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Beef Stroganoff Pie

1kg beef, cut into 2cm cubes
30ml flour
45ml vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
10ml smoked paprika
30ml tomato paste
15ml wholegrain mustard
250ml beef stock
300g brown mushrooms, sliced
80ml + 80ml sour cream
1,2kg potatoes, peeled and quartered
50g butter, cubed

Add the cubed beef to a bowl and sprinkle over the flour.
Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in the oil.
Cook the beef in 3 batches, for 5-6 minutes or until browned all over.
Spoon the beef into a bowl and keep on the side.
Add the onion to the saucepan and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and paprika and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the tomato paste, mustard and stock and bring to the boil.
Return the beef to the saucepan, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid.
Simmer the beef for one hour, stirring every now and then.
Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Remove the lid, add the mushrooms and simmer without a lid for 30 minutes more.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 80ml sour cream.
Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof casserole dish.
Cook the potato until very soft, drain and return to its saucepan.
Add the remaining 80ml sour cream and half of the cubed butter and mash together.
Season the mashed potato with salt and pepper.
Spoon the potato on the beef and spread it evenly to cover the beef.
Dot with the remaining butter and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Stand the pie for 10 minutes before serving.

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Lemon Curd Pancakes

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Lemon Curd Pancakes

This entire dish can be put together with store-bought/ready made components. For those of you that like to slave away in the kitchen, here are the recipes.

Butter
8 pancakes/crêpes
lemon curd
125ml cream
icing sugar

Pancakes/Crêpes:
250ml flour
1,2ml baking powder
2,5ml salt
250ml milk
125ml water
62ml vegetable oil
2 eggs

Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment.
Add the milk, water, oil and eggs to a jug and whisk together by hand until the eggs are fully incorporated.
Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly drizzle in the milk mixture.
Set the mixer on its highest speed and whisk for 2 minutes.
Take the bowl from the mixer and check whether there are any lumps in the batter. If there are, set a sieve over a large bowl and pour through.
Cover with a tea towel and set aside to rest for an hour.
Place a crêpe pan on medium-high heat, wait for it to warm up and pour a few drops of oil into the pan.
Spoon a soup ladle full of batter into the pan and swirl around to cover the surface.
Cook for a minute or two, flip the crêpe over and cook for another minute or so.
Keep going until you have no batter left.
Cover the crêpes and allow to cool completely.

Lemon curd:
grated zest of one lemon
220g caster sugar
110g butter, cubed
125ml lemon juice, strained (about three lemons)
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Add the zest, sugar and butter to a small saucepan and set over the lowest heat.
Stir the mixture until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Add the lemon juice to the saucepan and stir through.
Now add the egg and keep stirring until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Take the curd from the heat and pour into a glass jar.
Allow to cool completely.

Putting the dish together:
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and butter a ceramic tart dish.
Spoon 2-3 teaspoons of lemon curd on a crêpe and spread it with the back of a spoon.
Roll the crêpe up and place it in the ceramic dish.
Keep going until all the crêpes are filled.
Pour the cream over the pancakes and sift the icing sugar over.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Serve warm.

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Milk Sweets

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Milk Sweets

These milk sweets are absolutely delicious! The recipe is for less sweet treats but can be made sweeter by adding 15ml extra sugar.

250ml + 250ml milk
50g cornstarch
50g granulated sugar
250ml desiccated coconut

Line a container that is about 20cm x 14cm with baking paper.

Pour 250ml milk into a small bowl and add the cornstarch.
Whisk together until the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside.
Pour the other 250ml milk into a small saucepan and add the sugar.
Place over medium-low heat and cook for 3-4 minutes while stirring.
The milk should be warm but it should not come to the boil.
Now, whisk the cornstarch mixture while slowly pouring it into the saucepan.
Stir continuously for about 4 minutes until the mixture is very thick.
Pour the mixture into the prepared container and allow to cool completely – about 2 hours.
Add the desiccated coconut to a shallow bowl.
Lift the milk pudding out of the container with the paper and cut into small squares.
Roll each square in the coconut to coat.
Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

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Edamame Hummus

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Edamame Hummus

This spread or dip is packed with protein as edamame beans are green soy beans. Enjoy it on toast, crackers, as a dip or stirred into roasted veg.

250ml edamame beans, thawed
30ml tahini paste
30ml lemon juice
30ml olive oil
1,2ml salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
30-60ml water

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend for one minute.
Add the water a little at a time and keep blending until the hummus is smooth and creamy.
Taste the hummus and adjust the seasoning – often it needs a pinch of salt and some lemon juice.
Serve on crostini or crackers as a canapé or simply spread on toast.

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Banana and Carrot Bread

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Banana and Carrot Bread

Serve this Banana and Carrot Bread as is or with a subtle cinnamon frosting to elevate it tot a cake!

500ml flour
250ml sugar
5ml baking powder
2,5ml salt
2,5ml ground cinnamon
2 eggs
250ml mashed banana (about three bananas)
83ml vegetable oil
250ml grated carrot
125ml pecan nuts, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 25cm x 11cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon to a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Add the eggs, mashed banana and oil to a jug and whisk together until amalgamated.
Pour the mixture into the flour and mix just until you can no longer see dry ingredients.
Add the grated carrot and pecan nuts and fold through until evenly distributed.
Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Test the bread by inserting a skewer to see if it comes out clean.
Cool in the loaf tin for 10 minutes before removing and cooling on a wire rack.
The bread should be completely cooled before slicing.

Cinnamon Frosting:
110g cream cheese, room temperature
80ml icing sugar, sifted
1,2ml ground cinnamon
5ml vanilla

Beat/whisk together for 1 min.
Smear on the top of the bread and top with pecan nuts.

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Dressed up Corn on the Cob

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Dressed up Corn on the Cob

Cook the corn to your liking and then simply dress it up in one of two ways. Both the recipes are enough for 6 – 8 corn on the cob.

Spicy Mexican Corn:
125ml mayonnaise
10ml + 10ml smoked paprika
5ml chilli flakes
5ml salt
125ml grated parmesan cheese
2 lemons

Add the mayonnaise and 10ml smoked paprika to a small bowl and mix through. Set aside.
Add the other 10ml smoked paprika, chilli flakes and salt to another bowl and mix together.
Brush the cooked corn with the mayonnaise mixture, sprinkle over the spice rub and roll the corn in the grated parmesan.
Cut the lemons into quarters and serve with the corn.

Herbed Corn:
60ml parsley, tightly packed
60ml coriander, tightly packed
60ml garlic chives
30ml grated lemon rind
80g grated parmesan cheese
60ml butter, cubed

Chop the parsley, coriander, chives and grated lemon rind together until very fine and spoon into a shallow dish.
Add the grated parmesan to another shallow dish.
Melt the butter and brush it all over the cooked corn.
Roll the corn in the herbs and then in the parmesan.
Serve immediately.