cheesy – My Whisk and I

Breakfast Tortilla Bake

November 26, 2023October 29, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 large tortilla
1 onion, sliced
1 sweet pepper, sliced
100g + 100g cheddar cheese, grated
100g baby spinach
4 eggs

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Lay the tortilla flat in a cast iron (or any other oven-friendly)pan and press it down slightly so that it covers the bottom and comes about halfway up the sides.
Sprinkle 100g of the cheddar cheese over the bottom of the tortilla.`
Spread the sliced onion over the cheese and then scatter over the sliced sweet pepper.
Place the spinach onto and spread it out evenly to cover the rest of the ingredients.
Break the eggs on the spinach leaves and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the remaining 100g cheddar over and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Serve the tortilla with a good, crusty bread.

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Meatballs cooked in Tomato Sauce

June 4, 2021June 4, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

There is no pan frying involved in making these meatballs as they are cooked directly in the tomato sauce and therefore are wonderfully juicy and aromatic. The recipe yields about 16 large meatballs but may be easily halved.

2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tins of chopped tomato
15ml sugar
10ml salt
10ml dried oregano
250ml beef stock

2 slices bread
62ml milk
1kg beef mince
10ml salt
250ml mozzarella cheese, grated
125ml parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 190℃.

Add the onion, garlic and a splash of oil to an ovenproof saucepan and place on medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chopped tomato, sugar, salt, oregano and stock and allow the mixture to simmer slowly while you get on with the meatballs.

Slice the crusts from the bread and place it in a bowl.
Pour the milk onto the bread, turning the bread in the milk so that it becomes soggy and start falling apart.
Add the beef and salt to the bread mixture and mix with your hands. Push your hand down into the minced meat and squeeze it through your fingers – repeat until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Scoop a tablespoon-full of the meat mixture into your hands and roll into a ball. Place the meatball directly into the slowly simmering tomato sauce.
Keep going until you have no meat mixture left.
Sprinkle the grated cheeses onto the meatballs and bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Serve with a crusty bread or fluffy mashed potato.

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Three-Cheese Potato Gratin

April 19, 2021April 14, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a triple-cheese take on the classic Potato Gratin!

6 – 8 large potatoes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml rosemary, finely chopped
250ml ricotta cheese
250ml mozzarella cheese, grated
250ml feta cheese, crumbed
250ml heavy cream
salt

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Peel the potato and cut each into slices not thicker than 5mm. Keep aside.
Mince the garlic and keep in a small bowl.
Chop the rosemary and keep in another small bowl.
Add the ricotta, mozzarella and feta cheese to a bowl and mix it through with your hands.
Now, select a medium sized, ovenproof dish and start layering.
Lay a third of the potato slices onto the bottom of the dish, slightly overlapping.
Season with salt and then sprinkle with a third of the chopped rosemary and a third of the garlic.
Now spread a third of the cheese on top.
Repeat the layers until all the potato and cheese have been layered, ending with the last of the cheese.
Gently pour the cream onto the cheese layer and tightly cover the baking dish with aluminium foil.
Place the gratin into the oven and bake for 60 minutes.
Check whether the potato is cooked by inserting a sharp knife. If not, or if the cream isn’t absorbed, cover the dish once more and let it bake until fully cooked.
Remove the foil once the gratin is cooked and place it back into the oven for another 30 – 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve as a side dish or as a vegetarian dish with salad.