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!
1 x 385g can of condensed milk 60g butter, softened 190ml sugar 10ml vanilla 2 eggs 125ml flour 125ml cocoa powder, sifted 1,2ml salt 80g dark chocolate, finely chopped 80g dark chocolate, chopped a handful of pistachio nuts
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper. Add the condensed milk, butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and cream together with a hand-held mixer, until smooth. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix for another minute. Now add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix again on low speed. Add the chopped chocolate and stir through with a spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the baking tin. Add the 80g chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water and allow to melt. Drizzle the chocolate over the brownies and sprinkle the pistachio nuts on top. Slice and serve.
2,5ml curry powder 2,5ml turmeric 2,5ml ground ginger 2,5ml onion seeds 2,5ml ground coriander 2,5ml ground cinnamon 83ml peanuts 3-4 corn cobs, kernels shaved off or 350g frozen corn kernels, defrosted 500ml (2x tins) coconut milk 500ml chicken/vegetable stock 2,5ml salt 250ml quick-cook polenta a handful of parsley, chopped
Place a frying pan on medium heat and add about 45ml vegetable oil to it. Add the curry powder, turmeric, ginger, onion seeds, coriander and cinnamon and cook while stirring, for about 2 minutes. Now add the peanuts and stir them around in the spices for about a minute. Add the corn kernels and stir-fry for another 3 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and set aside. Pour the coconut milk and chicken stock into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the salt. Gradually whisk in the polenta, making sure there are no lumps. Simmer, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until thick. Stir half of the corn kernel mixture into the polenta. Spoon on to a serving dish, spoon the rest of the corn on top and scatter with parsley.
1 head of cauliflower (about 650-700g), cut into florets 125ml bread flour 190ml water 310ml panko breadcrumbs
Sauce: Slurry: 30ml cornstarch and 30ml water 45ml soy sauce 15ml lemon juice 60ml honey 15ml sesame oil 2,5ml ground ginger 250ml water
3 stalks of green onion, sliced a handful of sesame seeds
Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Cut the cauliflower head in half. Break it into medium sized florets and cut off the stems. Set aside. Add the bread flour and 190ml water to a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add the breadcrumbs to another bowl. Now, dip a floret into the flour and water mixture, roll/coat it with the breadcrumbs and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Continue until all the florets are coated in breadcrumbs. Space the florets on the lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. They should be golden and dry.
For the sauce: Prepare a slurry by whisking the cornstarch and water together. Keep aside. Add the soy, lemon juice, honey, sesame oil, ginger and water to a small saucepan and whisk together. Pour in the slurry while whisking continuously. Place the saucepan on medium-low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Pour the sauce over the baked florets and gently mix through to cover all the cauliflower in the sauce. Serve with a scattering of green onions and sesame seeds.
6 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed 30ml vegetable oil 5ml salt 2,5ml garlic powder 2,5ml onion powder 2,5ml dried thyme 2,5ml onion seeds 2,5ml smoked paprika
Sauce: 125ml honey 60ml butter, melted 60ml wholegrain mustard 20ml hot sauce 5ml apple cider vinegar
Pat the chicken breasts dry and brush them with the vegetable oil. Set aside. Combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, onion seeds and paprika in a small bowl. Season both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoning – rub it all over. Set aside. Add the honey, butter, mustard, hot sauce and vinegar to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside. Place a cast iron pan/skillet onto medium heat and wait for it to heat up. Add the breasts to the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes without moving the meat around. Flip the breasts over and pour the sauce over. Place a lid on the pan and cook for 10 minutes, basting the chicken once or twice as it cooks. Remove the lid and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Serve the chicken on couscous or rice.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper. Add the oats and chopped almonds to a baking sheet, spread it out evenly and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Stir the mixture around and bake for another 5 minutes, until lightly toasted. Spoon into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Add the honey, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir the mixture until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved. Allow it to bubble for 30 seconds and remove from the heat. Pour the honey mixture into the bowl with the oats and almonds and mix well. Add the cranberries and the chocolate chips and stir again. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin and firmly press into the tin. Wet your fingers with water and press some more – this is really important for the mixture to stick together. Cover the tin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove from the tin and cut into 12x bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. I like to wrap the individual bars in baking paper so that they are ready to be taken on-the-go!!
3 slices bread, I prefer ciabatta 1 packet streaky bacon 2 ripe peaches 45ml tahini/sesame paste, thinned down with a few drops of olive oil
Preheat your oven to 190℃. Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet and give it a light drizzle of olive oil. Lay the bacon strips on another baking tray. Place both trays in the oven until (1) the bread is toasted and (2) the bacon is done. Remove the pip from the peaches and cut each half into slices. Set aside. Mix the tahini with a few drops of olive oil so that it is thinned down and can be drizzled. Place a slice of toast on a plate and drizzle with the tahini. Arrange a layer of bacon on each slice and top that with a few slices of the peach. Sit somewhere peaceful and enjoy every single bite!
1kg beef strips 3 leeks, sliced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 3 red sweet peppers, sliced into strips 83ml sugar 83ml apple cider vinegar 45ml pineapple juice, reserved from the tin of pineapple pieces 45ml tomato sauce/ketchup 15ml Worcestershire sauce 15ml soy sauce 20ml cornstarch 125ml water 1 x 400g tin of pineapple pieces a handful of sliced spring onions a handful of black sesame seeds
Place a saucepan onto medium-high heat and brown the beef strips in batches. Set aside. Add a splash of vegetable oil to the saucepan and add the leeks and garlic. Stir-fry until the leeks are soft. Add the red peppers and cook for another 3 minutes. Mix together the sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy, cornstarch and water and give it a good whisk. Add the sauce to the sauce pan and allow to come to a simmer. Now add the beef strips and pineapple pieces and cook for about 15 minutes while stirring every now and then. Sprinkle the spring onion and sesame seeds over and serve on rice.
For the biscuit base: Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups. Spray the paper cups with baking spray and set aside. Process the biscuits to crumbs. Whisk the egg white with a fork until just frothy and add to the crumbs. Add the melted butter and give everything a good mix. The mixture should resemble wet sand. Divide between the cupcake liners and press the mixture down firmly into the bottom of each cup. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
For the filling: Turn you oven temperature down to 160℃. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water. Allow to melt completely, remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Add the cream cheese, sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until combined, scraping down once or twice between mixing. Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer, add the melted chocolate and fold in until no streaks remain. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until just set in the centre. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecakes inside with the door closed, for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the baking tin. Refrigerate the cheesecakes for 1 hour before adding the topping.
Marshmallow-Meringue Topping: Turn your oven to the grill setting and move the oven rack to the top position. If you are going to blow-torch your toppings you may leave your oven off. Add the egg whites and sugar to a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk the mixture for about 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is very frothy. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla and cream of tartar. Beat on high speed for about 6 minutes, until very thick and glossy. Spoon or pipe the topping on the cheesecakes and either place under the grill to toast or blow-torch the topping.
1,5kg potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 300g chorizo sausage, diced 200g cheddar cheese, grated 300ml cream 200ml milk
Preheat your oven to 200℃. Place the potato chunks in a large saucepan, pour in enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook the potato for 10-15 minutes, until a knife can easily be inserted, but not mushy. Drain the chunks and put it back into the same saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and chorizo to a large frying pan set over medium-high heat and stir-fry for about 10 minutes. Spoon the mixture into the saucepan with the potato chunks and mix through. Add the cheddar cheese and give it another mix. Spoon everything into a 28cm x 22cm ovenproof dish. Combine the cream and milk in a jug and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the potato. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes – check the casserole after 20 minutes or so and loosely cover with aluminium foil if it has browned enough. Serve warm with a fresh green salad.
62ml tepid water 10g instant yeast 250ml milk, warm 30ml sugar 7,5ml salt 5ml ground cinnamon 62ml butter, melted 2 eggs 4 x 250ml + 83ml flour 1 x can/portion Dulce de Leche or Caramel Treat 3 bananas, sliced
Pour the tepid water into a small mixing bowl and sprinkle over the yeast. Stir until dissolved and set aside. Add the milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and whisk together by hand. Stir in the butter, eggs and yeast mixture. Turn the mixer to a low speed and gradually add the flour. You are looking for a dough that is soft enough to handle. It is usually ready when it easily pulls away from the sides. Knead/mix for another 5 minutes. Rub a few drops of oil on the inside of a mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and cover with a tea towel. Allow to rise until double in size. (about 90 minutes) Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Roll the dough to a 0,5cm thickness and cut circles of dough with a biscuit cutter, about 8 cm in diameter. You need about 22 circles to make two small breads. Line two 11cm X 25cm loaf tins with baking paper. Spread a teaspoon of caramel on half of each circle and place 3 slices of banana on top. Fold the circle in half and place it in the prepared tin with the open ends facing up.
Continue until all the discs are in the loaf tin. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 40 minutes. Preheat your oven to 180℃. Bake the breads for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the baking tin. Serve the pull-apart bread warm or at room temperature.
My Whisk and I 