delicious – Page 3 – My Whisk and I

Blood Orange Cake

September 2, 2024September 2, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

I made this cake with blood oranges but it can be made with regular oranges as well. You will need 6 oranges in total.

3 blood oranges, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
15ml + 60g honey
75g butter, softened
1 blood orange, zested and juiced
3 eggs, separated
100g almond meal
90g polenta
200g ricotta cheese, drained
a pinch of salt
110g caster sugar
raw shelled pistachio nuts, to decorate
crème fraîche, for serving

Syrup:
150g caster sugar
2 blood oranges, juiced

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Layer the blood orange slices on the bottom of the tin, in two layers.
Drizzle the 15ml honey over and set aside.
Add the butter, 60g honey and orange zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on high speed, until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Take the bowl from the mixer and fold in the almond flour, polenta, ricotta and orange juice. Set aside.
Add the egg white and salt to a clean bowl and beat until soft peaks form.
Gradually beat in the caster sugar until shiny.
Fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture.
Spoon the batter onto the orange slices in the prepared cake tin.
Smooth the top and bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

For the syrup:
Add the sugar and juice to a small saucepan set over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil and cook until you have a light syrup – about 10 minutes.

Once the cake comes out of the oven, pour the syrup over and allow to cool.
Invert the cake onto a serving plate and remove the baking paper.
Decorate with a scattering of pistachio nuts and serve with crème fraîche.

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Zucchini Cheese Pie

August 24, 2024August 23, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g zucchini, grated
200g feta cheese, crumbed
100g mozzarella, grated
25ml dill, chopped
15ml sliced spring onions
2 eggs
5-6 sheets filo pastry
50g butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Grate the zucchini into a bowl, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 20 min.
Scoop the zucchini into a clean dish towel and twist it as though you are wringing it out, to get rid of the water/moisture.
Add the zucchini, feta and mozzarella to a bowl and mix together.
Add the dill, spring onion and egg and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Melt the butter and brush a 23cm diameter pie dish on the bottom and sides.
Lay a sheet of filo in the pie dish, allowing it to hang over the sides and brush that with butter as well.
Lay another 4-5 sheets of filo over the first one, overlapping them at different angles and brushing each with the butter.
Spoon the zucchini and cheese mixture into the filo.
Fold the pastry in and around the filling and once brush with the butter.
Bake the pie in the oven for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Serve the pie warm or at room temperature.

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Beef Short Ribs

August 18, 2024August 13, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1kg beef short ribs
7,5ml salt
5ml pepper
30ml olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
50ml tomato paste
500ml red wine
500ml beef stock
4 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Dry the ribs and season it with the salt and pepper.
Pour the oil into a large saucepan set over high heat.
Brown the ribs in batches and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic and onion. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add the carrot and cook for another 7 minutes or so.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes while stirring every now and then.
Now pour in the wine and beef stock and add the thyme and bay leaf.
Place the beef back into the liquid, cover with a lid and place in the oven for 3 hours.
Remove the beef from the cooking liquid.
Strain the liquid through a sieve and return it to the saucepan.
Simmer the sauce until it has reduced and thickened. Season to your liking.
Arrange the short ribs on a serving platter and spoon over the sauce.

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Citrus Braised Fennel

August 17, 2024August 17, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

I used blood oranges in this recipe but regular oranges are just as good!

2 medium fennel bulbs
60ml butter
2,5ml salt
2,5ml sugar
60ml orange juice
180ml chicken/vegetable stock
finely grated zest of one orange
30ml chopped fennel fronds

Rinse and dry the fennel bulbs and cut off the fronds.
Slice each bulb in half, lengthwise through the core.
Halve each again so that you have quarters, keeping the core so that the wedge doesn’t fall apart.
Add the butter to a pan set over medium-high heat and wait for it to melt.
Place the wedges in the pan, sprinkle some sugar and salt over and fry until golden.
Flip the wedges and sprinkle the other side with sugar and salt (it helps the caramelisation).
Pour in the orange juice and stock.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid. Braise the fennel for 12 minutes.
Remove the lid and turn up the heat so that the liquid cooks down to a glaze.
Sprinkle over the orange zest and chopped fronds.
Serve the fennel with some fresh orange segments.

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French Style Hot Chocolate

August 14, 2024August 13, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250ml + 60ml milk
125ml cream
15ml vanilla
30ml cocoa powder
7,5ml cornflour
a pinch of salt
150g chocolate, finely chopped

Add the milk and cream to a small saucepan and place it over medium heat until it is steaming hot.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside.
Add the cocoa powder, cornflour and salt to a small bowl.
Now add a few spoonfuls of the warm milk to it and stir to form a runny paste.
Pour the paste back into the saucepan and stir to combine.
Add the chopped chocolate and place the saucepan back over a very low heat.
Stir until the chocolate has completely melted.
Pour the hot chocolate into serving cups and add a dollop of whipped cream to serve.

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Bea’s Guava Crumble

August 10, 2024August 6, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

3 x 410g tins of guava halves
100ml brown sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
125ml cream

Crumble:
250ml flour
125ml brown sugar
120g butter, cut into small cubes
125ml chopped nuts
80ml oats

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and lightly spray a 28cm x 24cm oven dish with cooking spray.
Drain the guava halves and arrange them in a single layer in the oven dish.
Drizzle the cream over.
Add the brown sugar and ground cinnamon to a small bowl and mix together.
Sprinkle over the guavas and set aside.
Add the flour, brown sugar, butter, chopped nuts and oats to a mixing bowl.
Rub the ingredients together with your fingertips until you have a lumpy mixture with the consistency of wet sand.
Scatter the crumble over the guavas and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and crunchy.
Serve the guava crumble with custard.

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Spanish French-Toast / Torrijas de Leche

July 30, 2024July 29, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 litre milk
1 lemon, zest cut into strips
1 orange, zest cut into strips
60ml sugar
1 cinnamon quille/stick
1 baguette, cut into 2cm thick slices
5 eggs
125ml caster sugar
2,5ml ground cinnamon
sunflower oil

Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the lemon and orange peel, sugar and cinnamon quill.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to steep until cooled to room temperature.
Strain the milk over a large bowl and discard the zest and cinnamon.
Add the eggs to a second bowl and whisk together.
Mix the caster sugar and cinnamon together in a third bowl and set aside.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and pour in some vegetable oil.
Soak the bread in the milk, dunk it into the egg mixture and immediately into the not pan.
Cook the bread for about 3 minutes per side until golden.
Coat each slice with the cinnamon sugar and serve straight away.

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Rocket/Aragula Salad

June 12, 2024June 11, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Dressing:
30ml olive oil
30ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
2,5ml salt
1,2ml black pepper

120g rocket/aragula leaves
Parmesan cheese shavings
balsamic vinegar reduction

Add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk together. Put aside.
Place the rocket leaves in a salad bowl and add parmesan shavings by pulling a vegetable peeler over the surface of parmesan cheese.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad, mix together and arrange on a serving platter.
Drizzle some balsamic vinegar reduction over and serve.

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Croissant Bake

June 2, 2024June 1, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 eggs
5ml vanilla
80ml sugar
500ml milk
125ml cream
5ml ground cinnamon
30ml butter
6 large croissants, halved
icing sugar
fresh berries

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place a 24cm cast iron pan in the oven for 10 minutes.
Add the eggs, vanilla and sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour in the milk and cream and add the cinnamon. Whisk to incorporate.
Remove the pan from the oven, add the butter to it and swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
Pack the croissant halves, cut-side down into the pan and pour the egg mixture over it.
Cover the pan with aluminium foil, place it back into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to stand for 10 minutes.
Sieve some icing sugar over the croissant bake and scatter over fresh berries.
Serve while warm.

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Roasted Pumpkin Stew

May 28, 2024May 21, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
10ml salt
1kg beef chuck, cut into 3cm pieces
1 x 385g tin of chopped tomatoes
250ml beef stock
1 small pumpkin, 500g cubed and the rest cut into wedges
15ml cornflour
1 x tin coconut milk

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a roasting tin with baking paper.
Place large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil and onion and cook until the onion is soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the sugar, cinnamon and salt and stir through.
Now add the beef cubes, chopped tomatoes and beef stock and bring to a simmer. Gently cook the meat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the pumpkin wedges to the roasting tin and brush vegetable oil all over. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast the wedges for 15 minutes, flip them over and roast for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
Add the cubed pumpkin to the saucepan and simmer for another 20-30 minutes until beautifully soft.
Mix the cornflour with 45ml of the coconut milk and drizzle the mixture into the saucepan.
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Serve the pumpkin stew on steamed rice with a wedge of roasted pumpkin on top.