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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Roasted Broccoli

March 28, 2022March 25, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a delicious, healthy side dish that feeds six people.

1,5kg broccoli, cut into florets
100g butter, cubed
15ml lemon zest
15ml lemon juice
60ml dry white wine

15ml olive oil
15ml butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
125ml panic bread crumbs (or homemade breadcrumbs)
30ml thyme leaves
60ml cashew nuts, chopped
45ml parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Place the broccoli in a large mixing bowl and pour enough boiling water over to cover it. Allow to stand for 2 minutes before draining.
Spread the broccoli in a roasting tin.
Add the 100g butter, lemon zest, juice and white wine to a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir the mixture until the butter has melted.
Drizzle the sauce over the broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add the oil and 15ml butter to a frying pan set over medium heat and allow the butter to melt.
Fry the garlic for one minute, while stirring it in the pan.
Add the breadcrumbs, thyme and cashews and stir around in the pan until golden.
Cool and mix through the parmesan.
Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the broccoli and bake for 20 minutes.
Serve with fresh lemon.

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Chocolate Honeycomb Cheesecake

March 25, 2022March 24, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe is a quick version of a burnt Basque cheesecake which one sees in almost every market on the French coastal region. The top of the cheesecake is supposed to be completely black, hence the name!

750g cream cheese, at room temperature
250g caster sugar
5 eggs
100g chocolate (honeycomb flavour), chopped
375ml cream
30ml cocoa powder, sifted
5ml vanilla
a pinch of salt
honeycomb or honeycomb chocolate (Crunchie), broken into pieces
60g chocolate (honeycomb flavour), melted

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a 22cm loose bottom cake tin with aluminium foil – this will prevent the cheesecake batter from leaking. Line the “foiled” cake tin with baking paper.
Add the cream cheese and caster sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Beat on high speed until the mixture is smooth and forms soft peaks.
Turn the mixer to a low-medium speed and add the eggs one at a time.
Add the chocolate and cream to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted.
Take the bowl from the heat and add the cocoa powder, vanilla an a pinch of salt. Stir through.
Turn the mixer onto a low speed and pour in the chocolate mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 60 minutes.
DO NOT PANIC WHEN YOU SMELL THE CHEESECAKE BURNING!!
Remove the cake from the oven and cool it completely. The cheesecake will have a wobbly centre when removed from the oven.
Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Place the cheesecake on a serving plate.
Pour over the melted chocolate and scatter the broken honeycomb.

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Rump Steak with Smokey Chimichurri Sauce

March 24, 2022March 24, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125ml olive oil
30ml red wine vinegar
125ml finely chopped parsley
125ml finely chopped roasted peppers (Search the recipe: How to prepare Smokey Sweet Peppers)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
10ml oregano/thyme leaves
5ml salt

Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and stir together.
Set aside for 30 minutes so that the flavours can develop.
Serve with flame grilled rump steak.

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How to prepare Smokey Sweet Peppers

March 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

red or yellow bell peppers – the green peppers are not ideal for roasting, but you can if you must!
olive oil

Preheat your oven to its highest setting and line a roasting tin/tray with aluminium foil.
Place the whole peppers on the tray and drizzle two drops of oil on each.
Rub the oil over the entire pepper.
Place the tray in the oven until the peppers are completely black. It is important to leave them in long enough – they are not burning!!!!
Remove the tray from the oven and immediately place the peppers in a mixing bowl. Cover with cling film.
Set the bowl aside and allow the peppers to cool enough so that you can handle them comfortably. When in doubt, leave them for longer.
Now gently pull the pepper apart and scrape out the seeds.
Pull the loosened skin from the peppers.
If you want to store the peppers for later use, simply put them in a glass jar and fill it with olive oil. Keep refrigerated.

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Stuffed Flatbread (Aloo Paratha)

March 22, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Aloo Paratha is a traditional Indian breakfast flatbread that is stuffed with spiced potato. My take on it includes corn kernels to add some crunch and can be eaten as an appetiser, side dish, breakfast, lunch or dinner, although tradition dictates that it is a breakfast dish.

300g flour
5ml salt
15ml oil
150-200ml water

Filling:
3 potatoes, cooked
2,5ml salt
5ml ground cumin
5ml dried chilli flakes
45ml parsley and chives, chopped
125ml corn kernels

Add the flour, salt and oil to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Turn the mixer on low speed and add 150ml water. Add a little more water until the mixture comes together as a dough.
Knead/mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until you have a smooth, soft dough.
Cover and set aside for 15 minutes.

Filling:
Grate the cooked potato into a mixing bowl.
Add the salt, cumin, chilli, parsley and corn kernels and mix well.

Divide the dough in four equal pieces.
Roll each portion into a circle of about 20 cm in diameter.
Spoon a quarter of the potato filling onto one half of the dough circle and spread it evenly.
Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and press the edges together.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and add a dash of vegetable oil.
Fry the flatbread for 3-4 minutes per side. Regulate the heat so that the bread cooks slower rather than burn.
Cut the flatbread into three portions and serve with yoghurt and fresh lemon to dip into.

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French Onion Tart

March 21, 2022March 21, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

The South African cook and food blogger, Elmarie Berry has recently launched her recipe book Kosbaar. This is my interpretation of her delicious French Onion Tart.

1 batch Caramelised Onions, search the recipe on this blog
250g puff pastry, store bought
250ml sour cream
2 eggs
30ml thyme leaves
parmesan cheese, to grate on top

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and spray a 20cm loose bottom tart tin with cooking spray.
Line the tart tin with the puff pastry.
Spoon the cooled Caramelised Onions into the unbaked tart shell and spread it out evenly.
Whisk the sour cream, eggs and thyme together and pour over the onions.
Grate a good amount of Parmesan cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Cool the tart on a cooling rack before taking it out of the tart tin.
Serve at room temperature.

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Pork Chops with Thai Peanut Sauce

March 18, 2022March 18, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

80ml flour
5ml salt
6 pork chops
62ml chicken stock
125ml coconut milk
30ml peanut butter
15ml honey
5ml ground ginger
2,5ml salt
80ml peanuts

Place a heavy based frying pan on medium-high heat and add some vegetable oil to it.
Mix the flour and salt together in a shallow dish.
Dredge the chops in the flour and fry 4 minutes per side. Keep warm.
Add the stock, coconut milk, peanut butter, honey, ginger and salt to a small saucepan and place on medium heat.
Whisk the ingredients together until the peanut butter has melted and the sauce comes together.
Allow the sauce to simmer on a low heat for 3-4 minutes.
Spoon the sauce on the pork chops and sprinkle some peanuts on top.
Bon Appetit!

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Chocolate Cap Sauce

March 17, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

180g chocolate
45ml coconut oil

Break the chocolate into pieces and add it to a heatproof bowl set over simmering water.
Add the coconut oil and melt the ingredients over a low heat, until smooth.
Remove from the heat and set aside for 5-10 minutes to cool slightly.
Pour the sauce over ice cold ice cream and wait for it to set!!
Voila!!!

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Frittata with Potato Crisps

March 16, 2022March 16, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

8 eggs
62ml sour cream
200g roasted red peppers (store bought or home made)
45ml thyme leaves
140 potato crisps (chacalaka/tomato sauce/cheese and onion)
30ml butter
50-100g goats cheese

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the sour cream, season the mixture with salt and pepper and whisk again.
Chop the roasted peppers into chunks and add to the egg mixture.
Add the thyme leaves and all of the potato chips.
Mix everything together with a spatula.
Place an ovenproof frying pan on medium heat, add the butter and wait for it to melt.
Add the frittata mixture to the pan and stir around for a few minutes, lightly scraping the bottom of the pan.
Spread the ingredients evenly with the spatula and place the pan in the oven.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the frittata is set.
Dot the goats cheese on the frittata’s surface and serve warm with a side salad.

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Kunafa ala Nawal

March 14, 2022March 15, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Kunafa is a Middle Eastern dessert made with spun pastry and drizzled with rosewater and sugar syrup. This is my adapted version of Kunafa, inspired by my favourite tennis “tweeter”! Thanks Nawal!!

250ml sugar
125ml water
5ml rose water
450g vermicelli noodles, cooked and cooled
140g butter, melted
300g mozzarella cheese, grated
a handful of pistachio nuts
icing sugar to dust

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and butter a 25cm loose bottom cake tin. Place the cake tin on a large baking sheet and set aside.
Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan set over medium high heat.
Stir the mixture until all the sugar granules are dissolved and then bring it to a simmer for 1 minute.
Take the saucepan from the heat, add the rosewater and set aside.
Place the cooked noodles in a large mixing bowl, drizzle with the melted butter and mix with your hands to spread the butter over the noodles.
Place half of the noodles in the prepare cake tin, in an even layer.
Spread the mozzarella over the noodles and top the cheese with the remaining noodles.
Press the layers down into the tin and bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden.
Remove the cake tin (still on the baking sheet) from the oven and immediately drizzle the kunafa with the rosewater syrup.
Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Take off the ring of the tin and sprinkle the kunafa with pistachio nuts.
Sieve over some icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.