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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Thai-flavoured Chicken Cakes

December 8, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These lean chicken cakes are filled with all the popular Thai flavours. If you are not fond of heat, simply leave out the chillis and if 16 chicken cakes are too many, cool them down and freeze. I like to serve these cold with plenty of freshly squeezed lemon but they are equally delicious when warm, served with sweet chilli sauce. If you make the cakes larger and flatter, you may serve them on a hamburger roll with all the trimmings.

9 chicken breasts

60ml green curry paste

180 ml coconut milk

90 ml cornflour

3 eggs

90ml fresh coriander leaves

10ml salt

2 green chillies, finely chopped (you may leave out the chillies if you do not like the heat)

750ml fresh breadcrumbs

Preheat your oven to 180℃.

Pour a very thin layer of vegetable oil into two baking trays and set aside.

Cut the chicken breasts into chunks and add them to the bowl of a food processor. Mince.

Add the green curry paste, coconut milk, cornflour, eggs, coriander, salt and green chillies and pulse to mix thoroughly.

Now scoop the mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the breadcrumbs. Mix until evenly incorporated.

Scoop up the mixture with a large tablespoon and shape into a cake. Place on the baking tray and keep going until all of the mixture has been utilised.

Bake the cakes for 12 minutes, flip them and bake for another 12 minutes.

You may serve the chicken cakes warm with sweet chilli sauce or cold with plenty of lemon juice.

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Lemon Dressing

December 7, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is one of the best salad dressing you will ever make AND you can keep it in your refrigerator!! Delicious when drizzled onto seafood!

62ml lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
5ml Dijon mustard
1,2ml salt
a pinch of ground black pepper
7,5ml honey
62ml olive oil
5ml thyme leaves, chopped

Add the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, a pinch of black pepper and honey to a small bowl and whisk together.
Drizzle in the oil while whisking. Keep going until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture has emulsified.
Add the thyme leaves and stir through.

Store left-over dressing in a glass jar, in the refrigerator.

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Chocolate-Biscuit Meringue

December 3, 2021December 3, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

The recipe makes about 18 meringue biscuits.

4 egg whites, room temperature
220g caster sugar
5ml white vinegar
250ml ladies finger biscuits, chopped (or any other plain biscuit)
250ml almond slivers
160g chocolate of your choice; I used De Villiers Nut Butter with no added sugar

Preheat your oven to 150℃ and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form.
Add one tablespoon of sugar at a time, with the mixer running. Wait 30 seconds before adding the next tablespoon of sugar and continue until all the sugar has been added.
Whisk on high speed for 2 more minutes.
Add the vinegar and whisk 2 minutes more.
Take the bowl from the mixer and add the biscuits and almonds. Fold through.
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt completely.
Spoon a tablespoon of the meringue mixture onto the prepared tray and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon.
Spoon a teaspoon of the melted chocolate on the meringue and swirl it into the top.
Now reduce your oven temperature to 120℃ and place the trays in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
Turn off the oven, without opening the door and leave the meringue inside for another 30 minutes.
Remove the trays from the oven and leave the meringue on it until completely cold – another hour or so.

Store the meringue biscuits in an airtight container.

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Quick-Bake Passionfruit Tart

December 2, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This tart is makes for the perfect summer dessert when served with a scoop of ice cream and extra passionfruit pulp drizzled on top. It is so easy to make, you only need to take out a mixing bowl and a whisk!!

4 eggs
250ml milk
5ml vanilla
125g butter, melted
250ml caster sugar
125ml passionfruit pulp and extra for drizzling once you serve
125ml flour
250ml desiccated coconut

Preheat your oven to 170℃ and spray a 24cm tart tin with cooking spray.
Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, butter, sugar, passionfruit pulp, flour and coconut to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes.
Cool the tart for 10 minutes before refrigerating for at least 2 hours.
Dust with icing sugar and drizzle with passionfruit pulp.

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Buttermilk Roasted Chicken

December 1, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is one of the easiest ways of roasting a chicken and will leave you with juicy, fall-off-the-bone meat and a delicious gravy.

1 whole chicken
10ml salt
30ml vegetable oil
30ml butter
60ml sage leaves, roughly chopped
the juice of two lemons
one garlic bulb, halved horizontally
500ml buttermilk
100ml milk

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Wash and dry the chicken and rub the salt over the entire bird.
Add the oil and butter to a saucepan over high heat and brown the chicken, turning it as you go along.
Turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan.
Put a lid on/cover with aluminium foil and cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook uncovered for a further 50 minutes.
Place the chicken on a serving dish.
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh/sieve and serve it on the side with the chicken.

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Vetkoek – Magwinya

November 30, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a traditional South African food that is popular as a quick meal and often eaten as is, filled with minced meat or with cheese and syrup. Vetkoek literally means “fat cakes” as it is basically a deep-fried bread. Magwinya is simply shaped differently, smaller than tennis balls and often found in Townships or sold as a on-the-go breakfast at taxi ranks.

10g dried yeast
900g cake flour
10ml salt
10ml sugar
vegetable oil for frying

Pour 250ml of warm water (tepid) into a mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir to dissolve the yeast and set aside.
Add the flour, salt and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Run the mixer on low speed and add the yeast mixture.
Now add some more lukewarm water (about 400ml) until the mixture comes together in a soft dough.
Knead on medium speed for 6 minutes.
Transfer the dough to an oiled mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and set aside for 90 minutes.
Knock back the dough by kneading it by hand for 1 minute.
Pour about 2 litres of vegetable oil into a saucepan over medium-high heat.
If you are making Magwinya, pinch off some dough and shape it into a ball, about the size of a golf ball.
If you are making vetkoek, pinch off twice the amount of dough, roll into a ball and then press it flat between your hands.
Place the shaped dough on an oiled tray until you have shaped all the dough and the oil is warm.
Test the oil with a small piece of dough: if the dough starts bubbling and rises when dropped into the oil, it is hot enough.
Deep-fry the magwinya/vetkoek in the oil, turning them often for about 3 minutes or until they are a deep golden brown.
Scoop out and drain on kitchen paper.
Serve warm with mince/ragou or grated cheddar cheese and golden syrup.

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Chocolate Mousse with Caramel Pop Corn

November 26, 2021November 25, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Makes 6 portions mousse and about 10 cups of caramel pop corn.

Chocolate Mousse:
200g dark chocolate, chopped (preferably 70% cocoa solids)
100ml + 300ml cream

Add the chocolate and 100ml of the cream to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with barely simmering water.
Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring every now and then until the mixture has amalgamated.
Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool. Stir the mixture every now and then to help the cooling along.
Add the 300ml cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Beat the cream until it forms soft peaks when you lift the whisk.
Continue whisking on medium speed while adding a spoonful of the chocolate mixture at a time.
Keep going until you have added all of the chocolate and the mixture forms stiff peaks.
Spoon the mousse into serving bowls/glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Caramel Pop Corn:
60ml vegetable oil
83ml popping corn

Add the vegetable oil to a heavy-base saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Add the corn, cover the saucepan with a lid and wait for the corn to pop.
Turn the pop corn out into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

For the caramel:
100g butter
220g brown sugar
170g liquid glucose (or corn syrup or honey)
2,5ml salt
5ml vanilla
2,5ml baking powder

Preheat your oven to 110℃.
Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat and allow it to melt.
Now add the sugar, glucose and salt and stir together.
Stop stirring as soon as the mixture starts to bubble and allow it to simmer for 4 minutes – WITHOUT STIRRING!
Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the vanilla and baking powder while whisking.
Pour the caramel over the pop corn and mix through – be careful, it is extremely hot!!!
Spread the mixture on 2 oven trays and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, tossing the pop corn every 10 minutes with a wooden spoon.
Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Gently break the pop corn into pieces.

Place a small handful of the caramel pop corn on the chocolate mousse and serve immediately.

The pop corn can be stored for a week in an airtight container.

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How to Truss a Chicken

November 25, 2021November 25, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Trussing a chicken is simply tying it up snugly with kitchen string in preparation for roasting it or cooking it on the rotisserie.

Why truss?

It helps ensure that the chicken cooks evenly because it is more compact.
It prevents the breast meat from drying out while the thighs and legs are still cooking.
It browns evenly which results in it looking more attractive and tasting delicious.
It ensures you cook a flavourful, juicy chicken with crispy skin.

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Shortbread

November 24, 2021November 23, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

240g flour
230g butter, room temperature
120g caster sugar plus a handful or so for dusting after baking
2,5ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 20cm x 20cm square or 20cm round baking tin with cooking spray.
Add the flour, butter, caster sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse together until combined. Check that the mixture is soft and pliable and comes together in a dough when you press it together between your fingers. If not, pulse the mixture some more.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and use your hands to push it down firmly.
Prick the shortbread with the tines of a fork, creating rows. Run the back of a knife’s blade between each row of fork tines to make cutting the shortbread easier once it’s baked.
Place the baking tin in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
Take the shortbread from the oven and sprinkle with caster sugar while warm. You may also enhance the cutting lines and prick the biscuit with a fork once more.
Allow the shortbread to cool completely in the baking tin before removing and slicing into squares or triangles.

Shortbread is best kept in an airtight container and will last for several weeks.

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Pork Chops with Crushed Olive Dressing

November 23, 2021November 23, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6-8 pork chops
45ml + 30ml olive oil
10ml ground turmeric
10ml salt
125ml apple cider vinegar
375ml olives, pitted and crushed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
250ml soft herbs (sage, basil, parsley, chives) chopped
30ml water

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Place the pork chops on an oven tray and drizzle the front and back with 45ml olive oil.
Sprinkle the turmeric and salt on the chops and give it a rub with your hands to spread evenly.
Put a cast iron pan on high heat and brown the chops on both sides. Place them back on the oven tray.
Mix the 30ml olive oil, vinegar, crushed olives, garlic, chopped herbs and water together and spoon over the meat.
Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
Serve the chops warm or at room temperature.