al fresco eating – My Whisk and I

Stuffed Tomatoes/Tomatakia Gemista

July 12, 2022June 17, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

12 large tomatoes
2,5ml sugar
200ml olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 onions, finely chopped
200g rice/orzo pasta
400ml chicken stock
50g pine nuts, toasted
half a batch of Greek Pesto (Search this blog for the recipe)
50g black olives, pitted and chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Cut a 2cm slice off the top of each tomato and scoop out the pulp – keep the pulp.
Sprinkle the inside of the tomato with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.
Pack the tomatoes close together into a shallow ovenproof dish.
Heat 100ml olive oil, add the onion and garlic and stir-fry until the onion is soft – about 10 minutes.
Add the tomato pulp and simmer until reduced and concentrated in flavour.
Add the rice/pasta, stock and 10ml salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
Add the pine nuts, greek pesto, feta and olives and stir through.
Spoon the rice mixture into the tomatoes and pour over the remaining olive oil.
Bake for one hour.
Serve the stuffed tomatoes at room temperature with an extra dollop of the Greek Pesto.

Uncategorized

Savoury Fig Galette

February 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

When it comes to a galette the success thereof is often determined by the pastry! But then again, if you do not have the time to make the pastry it can be equally successful if you replace the homemade pastry with a store bought short crust pastry. I include the recipe for a classic flaky pastry and would highly recommend that you try it when the time is right…..

Classic Flaky Pastry

65g bread flour
150g cake flour
3,5ml salt
105g butter, cubed
35g shortening, cubed (you may replace this with butter)
70ml ice cold water

Add the bread flour, cake flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to mix.
Add the cubed butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture forms tiny clumps, the size of lentils.
Keep the engine running and slowly drizzle in half of the water. Now keep adding very small amounts of water until the pastry JUST comes together.
Wrap the pastry in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the galette:

1 batch Classic Flaky Pastry or short crust pastry
250g cream cheese
1 batch Caramelised Onions (search the recipe on this blog)
12 fresh figs
12 bocconcini balls or other soft cheese
olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
thyme
1 egg yolk

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Roll the pastry to a 30cm circle and mark a 5cm border on the outside edges.
Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet.
Spread the cream cheese evenly on the pastry, keeping the border clear.
Spoon the caramelised onion on the cream cheese and spread it evenly.
Cut 2 slits down the centre of each fig (or half/quarter each) and arrange onto the caramelised onion.
Now arrange the bocconcini on and between the figs, drizzle the galette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and scatter over the thyme.
Fold the clear border of the pastry up/over the figs.
Whisk the egg yolk and 15ml water together and evenly brush a thin layer onto the pastry.
Bake the galette in the oven for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and drizzle with more balsamic vinegar before setting aside to cool down slightly.
Serve the fig galette at room temperature.

Uncategorized

Chicken Salad

January 27, 2022January 25, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

More of an idea than a recipe but absolutely fabulous and delicious!!

Dressing:
45ml olive oil
15ml grape vinegar
2,5ml mustard
15ml honey
a pinch of salt

Per portion/person:
1 fresh mango, peeled and sliced
1 smoked chicken breast, sliced
a handful of rocket leaves

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together and whisk until amalgamated.
Dress the rocket leaves with half the dressing and set aside.

Layer the salad by arranging the mango slices on a plate, the chicken slices on top of that and finally top it with the rocket leaves.
Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing and serve.