cocktails – My Whisk and I

Chicken Croutons

January 20, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 slices of regular sandwich bread
60ml vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
100g grated parmesan cheese
45ml mayonnaise
salad leaves
350g crumbed chicken strips, cooked

Preheat your oven to 180℃ .
Slice each slice of bread into two triangles and roll each triangle flat with a rolling pin.
Pour the vegetable oil into a small bowl and add the garlic to it.
Brush one side of the bread triangle with the garlic oil.
Bring the two widest corners of the bread triangle together, overlap them slightly and secure with a wooden toothpick.
Place the shaped bread on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes or until slightly golden but not hard.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
Add the parmesan cheese and mayonnaise to the leftover garlic oil and mix together.
Now scoop some of this mixture onto a salad leave (be generous!) and place a chicken strip on top.
Fold the salad leave so that it fits into the shaped bread slices and serve with drinks.

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Biltong and Cheese Rolls

October 28, 2023September 9, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

These rolls are made with tortilla wraps and sliced into three portions once done. The quantities given is for ONE TORTILLA WRAP.

1 tortilla wrap
15ml mayonnaise
25-30g biltong, sliced and then roughly chopped (it makes it easier to eat)
25-30g mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Lay a tortilla wrap on a work surface and brush a thin layer of mayonnaise over the entire surface.
Flip the wrap over and brush the rest of the mayonnaise over the surface in a much thicker layer.
Sprinkle the chopped biltong evenly over the tortilla and then top it with a cheese layer.
Roll the wrap up into a tight roll and place it on the baking tray, open side facing down.
Make as many rolls as you need.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes but start checking after 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, slice in three even portions and arrange on a serving platter.

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Mini Caprese Tomatoes

October 1, 2023September 9, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

12 cocktail tomatoes, about 3,5cm in diameter
150g tub of small bocconcini cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper
12 basil leaves

Trim a sliver off the base of each tomato so that it can sit on a plate.
Slice about 0,3 cm off the top of the tomato and scoop the pulp out with a teaspoon or back of a teaspoon.
Season the inside of the tomato with salt and pepper.
Slice the bocconcini in quarters and stuff a piece in each tomato.
Drizzle with olive oil and season again with salt and pepper.
Place a basil leaf on top of each tomato and serve.

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Jan’s Balsamic Toffee Tomatoes

May 7, 2023April 28, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe is not mine to give out as it belongs to the South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen BUT you should make these for your next drinks party …. delicious just got so much better!

These tomatoes are incredibly tasty and the balsamic toffee perfectly balances with the toasty sesame brittle on which it sits. Easy and quick to make EXCEPT on a rainy day! The moisture in the air prevents the toffee from “sitting” on the tomato…

You can find this recipe in Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen’s book The French Affair (Struik; 2013) (p. 19).

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Mini Cordon Bleu Fingers

November 20, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

10 sheets rice paper
10 slices ham
200g mozzarella cheese, cut into 1cm logs that are about 6cm long
250ml panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
vegetable oil for frying

Lay the rice sheets in water for one minute to soften.
Place a rice paper sheet on a work surface and top with a slice of ham.
Place the cheese on the ham and fold the rice paper over. Roll up into a cylinder.
Whisk the egg together in a shallow dish and add the bread crumbs to another shallow dish.
Dip the rice paper rolls into the egg and cover with the bread crumbs.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add 1cm oil.
Fry the rolls until golden and crisp.
Serve with a dipping sauce.

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Sesame Halloumi with Honey Drizzle

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

500g halloumi
75g sesame seeds
75g flour
30ml honey
10ml lemon juice
vegetable oil

Slice the halloumi into fingers
Add the sesame seeds to a shallow bowl and the flour to another.
Roll each piece of cheese in the sesame seeds, pressing down to make them stick.
Now press them into the flour to coat and place them on a plate.
Add the honey and lemon juice to a small bowl and whisk together.
Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil and wait for it until it is hot.
Fry the halloumi in batches for 1 minute until golden brown, turning to colour evenly.
Drizzle the warm fingers with the honey dressing and serve.

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Fresh Bloody Mary

July 7, 2022June 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Tomato Juice:
1,5kg ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 onion, finely chopped
10ml tomato paste
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
15ml lemon juice
salt and white pepper

Add the tomato and onion to a blender and process until smooth.
Pass the mixture through a sieve.
Pour the strained juice into a small saucepan and add the tomato paste and chilli to it.
Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Skim the surface of the juice while simmering.
Take the saucepan from the heat, add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and white pepper.
Cool the tomato juice and refrigerate.

For the Bloody Mary:
vodka
1 egg white, lightly beaten
coarse sea salt
olives
rosemary twigs

Dip the rim of a serving glass into the egg white and immediately dip it into the sea salt. Allow to dry.
Fill the glass with ice.
Mix together 150ml tomato juice and 30ml vodka and stir together.
Pour the juice and vodka over the ice and garnish with an olive studded rosemary twig.

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Sweet Potato Cakes

November 2, 2021November 2, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

750g cooked and mashed sweet potato (about 4 medium sweet potatoes)
125ml self-raising flour
1 X 375ml can of Corn kernels, drained (you may substitute with cooked corn)
125ml pumpkin seeds
1 egg
2,5ml salt
2,5ml cinnamon
63ml brown sugar
vegetable oil to fry

Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix through.
Place a heavy bottom pan onto medium-high heat and cover the bottom with vegetable oil to heat up.
Scoop a tablespoonful of the mixture into the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes before flipping and frying the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Do not overfill your pan as you want the sweet potato to caramelise and fry to a golden, crisp outside. Keep going until all the mixture is used.
Serve the cakes with a dollop of yoghurt and honey.