Two of my very favourite drinks in one cup!!
250ml milk
15ml sugar
80g chocolate, chopped
30ml espresso
2,5mll vanilla
Pour the milk into a small saucepan, add the sugar and turn the heat to medium. Warm the milk to just before boiling point.
Turn down the heat to the lowest setting and add the chopped chocolate.
Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes while whisking/stirring continuously.
Take the saucepan from the heat and add the hot espresso and vanilla.
Stir through and serve hot.
about 1,8 litre chicken or vegetable stock
15ml + 30ml butter
10ml vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 x 250ml butternut, cubed
500ml arborio rice
125ml white wine
125ml parmesan cheese, grated
30 sage leaves, chopped
Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low.
Put another saucepan on medium heat and add 15ml butter and the vegetable oil.
Add the onion and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cubed butternut and cook until the butternut begins to colour around the edges – about 7 minutes.
Add the 30ml butter and the rice and stir through to coat the rice for about 2 minutes.
Add the white wine and cook until most of it is absorbed by the rice.
Add about 250ml (a cup) of the hot stock to the rice and stir continuously until most of the stock is absorbed.
Add the remaining stok 250ml at a time but allow the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more.
Stir the risotto often and cook until the butternut is tender – about 25 minutes.
Stir in the parmesan and sage and season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot!
These polenta/maize canapés can be made a day in advance and is such a good example of plain and simple food that delivers on fabulous flavour! Make all the components the day before and assemble before serving.
500ml polenta/maize meal
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
200g mushrooms, chopped
45ml butter
a handful of thyme
100g feta cheese, crumbled
about 100ml milk
For the polenta squares:
Grease a standard roasting tin with butter and put aside.
Cook the polenta according to packet instructions but replace the water with chicken stock.
Fry the chopped onion until it has caramelised, add the garlic and fry for another minute.
Add the onion and garlic to the polenta as soon as it is full cooked and mix through.
Spoon the polenta mixture into the prepared roasting tin and level the surface with the back of an oiled spoon.
Cover with cling wrap and set aside to cool completely.
For the mushroom topping:
Place a frying pan on high heat and add the mushrooms, butter and thyme.
Cook until the mushrooms have caramelised all over, take from the heat and set aside.
For the whipped feta:
Add the feta and about half of the milk to the mixing container of a stick blender and blitz together.
Add some more milk to get the mixture to a thick, creamy consistency that will “sit” on the polenta.
To assemble:
Turn the polenta out onto a chopping board and cut into squares of about 3cm X 3cm.
Spoon about half a teaspoonful of the whipped feta on to each polenta square.
Top the feta with thyme-mushroom.
Arrange the squares on a serving platter.
A warm South African desert with a zesty twist. This recipe serves 6 to 8 people comfortably.
Blood Orange Slices:
200g Brown sugar
125ml Water
125ml Blood orange juice
2 Blood oranges, sliced.
Pudding:
125ml Milk
30ml Butter
15ml Apple cider vinegar
3 Eggs
220g Brown sugar
15ml Smooth apricot jam
180g Flour
2,5ml Bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
Sauce:
120g Butter
60g Caster sugar
125ml Blood orange juice
Finely grated zest of one blood orange
250ml Cream
125ml Brandy
For the blood orange slices:
* Put a small saucepan on medium heat and add the sugar, water and blood orange juice.
* Stir until the sugar is dissolved and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
* Add the blood orange slices and cook for another 20 minutes.
* Set aside.
For the pudding:
* Preheat the oven to 180℃ and spray 6-8 ramekins.
* Add the milk, butter and vinegar to a saucepan and heat until the butter has melted. Set aside.
* Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and turn it on medium speed.
* Add two tablespoons of sugar to the eggs at a time, with the engine running, until all of the sugar has been incorporated and the mixture looks fluffy.
* Add the jam and beat until incorporated.
* Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a mixing bowl. Add about one third of the flour mixture to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk, until the batter is combined.
* Scoop about 125ml of batter into each ramekin and bake for 25 minutes.
For the sauce:
* Add the butter, caster sugar, blood orange juice and zest to a saucepan and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
* Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce is a caramel colour.
* Pour the cream and brandy into the sauce while whisking continuously.
* Simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
* Remove the baked puddings from the oven, poke holes into it with a toothpick and spoon about 60ml of the sauce over each pudding.
* Place one or two slices of blood oranges on top of each pudding and bake for another 10 minutes.
Serve with custard or ice cream.
For the pastry:
80g dark chocolate, 75% cocoa
175g butter, cubed
230g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
10ml vanilla
5ml milk
50g cocoa powder
350g flour
Blueberry custard:
150g blueberries
15ml lemon juice
250ml + 30ml coconut milk
60g honey
15ml cornstarch
10ml agar-agar
Chocolate ganache:
160g dark chocolate, chopped
180ml coconut and cows milk
30ml honey
15ml coconut oil
a pinch of salt
Making the pastry:
Melt the chocolate and set it aside.
Add the butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and milk to the bowl of a food processor and process to mix.
Add the chocolate in a thin stream while the engine is running.
Add the sifted cocoa and flour to the mixture and process until the mixture forms a smooth ball of pastry.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 3mm.
Line a loose bottom tart tin and then line the pastry case with tin foil. Freeze for one hour.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Bake the pastry case with the foil lining for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Set aside to cool completely.
Making the blueberry custard:
Add the berries, lemon juice, 250ml coconut milk and honey to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
Pour the 30ml coconut milk into a small bowl and add the cornstarch and agar-agar. Stir to dissolve.
Pour the blueberry mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil.
Drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the blueberry mixture while whisking continuously until smooth and it starts to thicken.
Pour the blueberry custard into the cooled tart shell and allow to cool.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Making the ganache:
Add the chocolate, milk (pour whatever you have left of the coconut milk into a measuring jug and then fill up with dairy milk to 180ml), honey and coconut oil to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and you are left with a smooth mixture.
Pour over the blueberry custard.
Refrigerate the tart for 4 hours before serving.
Make this sauce part of your repertoire and elevate that steak to the next level!
83ml brandy
190ml beef stock
125ml cream
15ml canned green peppercorns
Pour the brandy into the pan in which you have cook the steak. If you barbecued your steak, pour it into a small saucepan.
Turn the heat up to high and simmer the brandy for about 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
Add the beef stock and cook until reduced by half – about 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cream and peppercorns.
Gently simmer the sauce for 2 minutes, while stirring.
Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon over steak and serve.
Easy, quick and fabulous!!
500g spaghetti
45ml butter
200g mixed mushrooms
200g bacon, cut into pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
65ml dry white wine
250ml cream
125ml chicken stock
50g parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of parsley, chopped
Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet and keep warm while you make the sauce.
Put a cast-iron pan on to a high heat and add the butter to it.
Fry the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and slightly caramelised. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the bacon to the same pan. Fry for about 3 minutes.
Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and the cooked mushroom and cook for another minute.
Pour in the wine and allow the wine to reduce to half.
Now add the cream, stock and grated parmesan and turn the heat down to low.
Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Add the cooked and drained spaghetti to the sauce, mix through and taste for seasoning.
Scatter a handful of chopped parsley over the spaghetti and serve.
This is a fail-proof hollandaise sauce for this classic breakfast. Be adventurous and add some spice and interest with Chorizo sausage!
3 hamburger rolls
1 chorizo sausage
6 eggs
For the Hollandaise sauce:
3 egg yolks
15ml lemon juice
5ml Dijon mustard
1,2ml salt
125ml melted butter
Cut the rolls in half and lightly toast them. Set aside.
Slice the chorizo sausage into 0,5cm thick discs and place the slices flat in a dry frying pan over high heat.
Cook for 2 minutes, flip the slices and cook 2 minutes more. Cook all the chorizo and keep the slices warm in your oven.
For the Hollandaise sauce:
Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard and salt to a blender and blitz to mix the ingredients. (30 seconds)
Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. The butter should be completely melted and very hot!
Run the blender while drizzling in the hot butter in a thin, steady stream.
Assemble the dish by putting half a toasted roll on a dinner plate. Cover the surface of the roll with 4-5 slices of chorizo.
Poach the eggs and place one egg on each chorizo-topped roll.
Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the Hollandaise sauce onto the egg and serve.
These clusters are perfect treats for those tiny-hands-in-the-kitchen…
100g chocolate, chopped
250g fresh blueberries
100g pistachio nuts
Add the chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with barely simmering water to melt.
Stir every now-and-then until completely melted. Take from the heat.
Line a small-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Spoon about half a teaspoon chocolate into each cup and give it a swirl so that the chocolate covers the base of the paper cup.
Add about three blueberries and two pistachio nuts to the cups and then drizzle with another half teaspoonful of melted chocolate.
Place some more blueberries and nuts on each cluster and give each a final drizzle of chocolate.
Allow to set for at least 30 minutes.
Gently remove the clusters from the paper cups and serve.
Do not keep the clusters in the refrigerator.
This is the creamiest ice cream you will ever make without a machine!! Unusual but oh so good!
2 avocado pears
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
250ml condensed milk
250ml cream
Line a small loaf tin with plastic wrap, leaving enough of an overhang to cover the ice cream with later on. Set aside.
Scoop the flesh of the avocados into a mixing bowl and add the lime zest and lime juice.
Mash the avocado with a fork.
Add the condensed milk and stir through. Set aside.
Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric beater until medium-soft peaks form. Set aside.
Now whisk the avocado mixture with the same beaters, on low speed, for 2 minutes.
Add a spoonful of the avocado mixture to the cream and gently fold through with a spatula. Keep adding the avocado mixture until all has been incorporated.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the surface and fold the plastic overhang over.
Freeze the ice cream for at least 4 hours.
To serve: Take from the freezer and stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before scooping into bowls.
Tip: If you are re-freezing the ice cream, press the plastic wrap down onto the surface of the ice cream when covering – this will prevent it from forming ice crystals and retain its smooth texture.
My Whisk and I 