dinner – My Whisk and I

Baked rice with walnut, olive and pomegranate salsa

November 8, 2025November 7, 2025by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

400g basmati rice
50g butter, melted
800ml boiling water
40g + 10g mint leaves, chopped
150g feta, crumbled

Salsa:
40g green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
90g pomegranate seeds
50g walnut halves, roasted and roughly chopped
45ml olive oil
15ml honey
1 clove of garlic, minced

Turn your oven to its highest setting.
Add the rice to an oven dish that measures about 20cm x 30cm.
Sprinkle 2ml salt over the rice and add a few grindings of black pepper.
Drizzle the melted butter over the rice and pour the boiling water into the pan.
Sprinkle the 40g mint leaves over.
Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Add all the salsa ingredients to a bowl and mix together. Put aside.

Remove the rice from the oven and sprinkle the feta over.
Stir the remaining 10g mint leaves through the salsa and spoon the salsa evenly over the rice.
Serve warm as a side dish or as a main.

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Lemon Chicken Orzo

September 28, 2025by Karen Claassen1 Comment

5ml salt
2,5ml black pepper
5ml turmeric
5ml smoked paprika

8 skinless chicken breasts
30ml olive oil

1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5ml Dijon mustard
125ml white wine
250ml orzo
500ml chicken stock
grated zest of one lemon
30ml lemon juice
2,5ml salt
15ml oregano, chopped
15ml parsley, chopped
190ml feta cheese, crumbed
lemon slices

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 26cm oven dish with cooking spray.
Add the salt, pepper, turmeric and smoked paprika to a small bowl and mix together.
Season the chicken with the spice mix.
Place a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and then the chicken and cook until browned on both sides.
Remove the chicken and set aside.
Keep the pan on the heat but reduce the heat to medium.
Add the onion and garlic and cook for two minutes.
Add the mustard and wine and scrape up any brown bits from the pan. Reduce by half.
Pour the liquid into the prepared oven dish.
Add the orzo, chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice and crumbed feta and stir to mix.
Now lay the chicken pieces on the orzo and push them in slightly.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
Remove and scatter over the oregano and parsley and garnish with lemon slices.
Serve warm.

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Zingy Shoulder of Lamb

January 14, 2025January 14, 2025by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2kg shoulder of lamb
8 cloves of garlic, chopped
15ml smoked paprika
10ml salt
5ml peppercorns
15ml grated lemon rind
15ml thyme leaves
15ml rosemary
15ml green chilli, chopped
62ml olive oil
62ml lemon juice
2 lemons, quartered

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Add the garlic, paprika, salt, peppercorns, lemon rind, thyme, rosemary, chilli, olive oil and lemon juice to a blender and blitz until you have a relatively smooth paste.
Place the lamb in a roasting tin and brush the paste over it, covering it completely.
Pour about 500ml of boiling water AROUND the meat and cover with aluminium foil.
Roast in the oven for 3 hours.
Remove the meat from the oven and place it on a serving plate with the quartered lemons.

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Potato Profiteroles

December 29, 2024December 29, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g potato, peeled and chopped
5 sprigs of rosemary and thyme
1 clove of garlic
125g + 125g smoked bacon
1 wheel camembert cheese
125ml milk
60ml butter
5ml salt
125ml flour
1 egg
3 egg yolks

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the potato, rosemary, thyme, garlic and enough salted water to cover it. Cook until the potatoes are very soft.
Drain and remove the herbs and garlic.
Pass the potato through a ricer or sieve for a smooth texture and set aside.
Fry 125g of the bacon until crispy and chop into very small pieces. Set aside.
Cut the camembert in half.
Cut one halve into 1cm slices.
Remove the rind from the other halve and chop it into pieces. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the milk, butter and salt to a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the flour and stir vigorously with a spatula until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Remove from the heat.
Add half of the mashed potato, the rindless, chopped camembert, chopped bacon and the whole egg. Stir/beat until very well incorporated.
Add the remaining potato and egg yolks and beat by hand until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle.
Pipe 2cm rounds onto the prepared baking sheets.
Cut the remaining bacon into 1cm pieces. Top the profiteroles with a slice of bacon or camembert.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Serve warm.

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Glazed Sweet Potato

December 22, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

300g butter, cubed
250ml brown sugar
30ml flour
2,5ml ground cinnamon
250ml orange juice
grated zest of one orange
1 orange sliced into wedges
1kg sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1,5-2cm thick slices

Place a large shallow saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the butter and brown sugar and allow to melt.
Scatter the flour over and stir until thickened and smooth.
Add the cinnamon.
Drizzle in the orange juice while whisking and then add the zest and the wedges.
Now add the sweet potato chunks, cover with a lid, turn the heat down to medium and cook without stirring for about 40 minutes.
Remove the lid once the sweet potato is cooked and allow the extra moisture to cook off.
Serve warm.

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Biltong Paptert

November 9, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,250ml beef stock
310ml maize meal
1 onion, sliced
1 bunch leeks, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml thyme leaves
60ml balsamic vinegar
30ml brown sugar
a bunch spinach, destalked and chopped
200g parmesan/pecorino cheese, grated
150g sliced biltong
500ml cream

Line a 29cm x 39cm shallow baking tray (as you would use for a swiss roll) with baking paper and give it a spray with cooking spray.
Place a medium saucepan on high heat, pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
Gradually add the maize meal while whisking, until smooth.
Place a lid on the saucepan and reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Place a large pan over medium heat and add some oil and the onion to it.
Sprinkle over 1ml salt and cook until caramelised – about 15 minutes.
Add the leeks and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the thyme leaves, balsamic vinegar and sugar and cook another 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and stir-fry until just wilted.
Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Add half the cheese to the maize and stir through.
Pour the maize mixture into the prepared baking tin and spread it out evenly.
Spread the caramelised onion mixture, remaining cheese and biltong over the warm pap and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.
With the long side facing you, roll the pap into a log, using the paper to lift and roll.
Cover the log and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Grease a 28cm ovenproof saucepan or baking tin.
Cut the log into six even pieces and place each piece cut side up in the saucepan.
Drizzle the cream over and bake in the oven for one hour.
Serve directly from the oven.

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Mexican Bowls

November 7, 2024November 6, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomato
1kg minced/ground beef
250ml beef stock
1 x 400g tin of red/black beans
1 chilli, finely chopped

avocado pear, sliced
baby corn
tomato, diced
cos lettuce, quartered

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat, add some olive oil and fry the onions until soft.
Add the garlic and sweet pepper and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the chopped tomato, minced beef and stock to the pan and stir through.
Season with salt and pepper and cook over a medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Drain the beans and add it to the saucepan with the chilli. Cook for another 5 minutes or so while stirring.
Remove from the heat.

Put your bowls together by incorporating:
* the fried minced beef mixture
* avocado pear
*baby corn
* chopped tomato
* lettuce

Serve while the beef is still warm.

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Bacon and Asparagus Potato Salad

November 2, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This salad may be served warm or at room temperature.

Dressing:
half a red onion, finely diced
15ml red wine vinegar
15ml dijon mustard
15ml cold water
45ml olive oil

1kg baby potatoes
200g smoked bacon, chopped into pieces
one small bunch of green asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2cm lengths
1 red onion, sliced
a handful of soft herbs (basil, parsley, sage, chives)

For the dressing:
Add the diced onion, vinegar, mustard and water to a small bowl and mix together.
Gradually add the olive oil, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens.
Taste the dressing and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the potatoes until soft. Drain the water and place in a large mixing bowl.
Cook the bacon in a pan until crispy and then add the asparagus pieces.
Stir-fry on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the bacon, asparagus and pan juices over the potato and mix through.
Add the sliced onion and herbs.
Pour the dressing over while the salad is still warm and mix to serve.

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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.