1 kg small potatoes 90g butter, melted 30ml minced garlic 30ml finely chopped rosemary 125ml grated parmesan cheese salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 190℃. Clean the potatoes and slice each in half. Now cut a diamond pattern into each half without cutting through. Set aside. Pour the melted butter, garlic and rosemary into a roasting pan. Brush the cut side of each halved potato with the mixture and then dip it into the parmesan. Place the potato halves cut-side down in the roasting tin and repeat with the rest. Roast the potato for 45 minutes. Serve immediately.
I want to explain myself: this is a TART because a PIE usually has a “lid” or covering of pastry of a sort. Soooo, this dish might remind one of pumpkin pie, but strictly spoken it is a tart. What makes it even more unique is the fact that it is a South African Tart. It has an earthiness from the pumpkin that is utterly yum and the cinnamon that is sprinkled on the hot tart, gives that wonderful homely warmth that is truly South African and perfect for winter meals.
This is the easiest tart you will ever make and be warned; keep a copy of the recipe because you will be asked for it!
250ml flour
250ml sugar
5ml salt
750ml cooked, well-drained pumpkin
60ml butter, melted
250ml cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten
5ml ground cinnamon
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Lightly spray or grease a 25cm ceramic pie dish.
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
Add the sugar and pumpkin and give the mixture a stir.
Add the melted butter and cream to a wide mouthed jug and whisk together. Add the eggs and give the mixture another thorough whisk.
Pour the wet ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and mix together really well.
Pour the mixture into the pie dish and bake for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle an even layer of cinnamon over the tart while it is hot.
In winter I like serving this pumpkin tart warm as a side dish to a meal but it is equally delicious in summer, when served at room temperature.
8 pork rib-eye steaks a small handful of sage leaves, chopped 8-10 small onions, peeled and halved 50g butter 500g seedless grapes, half kept whole and the other half sliced in two 125ml balsamic vinegar 60ml brown sugar
Season the pork steaks with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the chopped sage and press the herbs onto the meat. Place a saucepan on medium-high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil and brown the meat, about 4 minutes per side. Take the steaks from the pan and keep on the side. Add the butter to the pan and wait for it to melt. Now add the onions, cut side down and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the grapes, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and simmer for 2 minutes. Place the pork steaks on top of the grapes and onions and place a lid on the saucepan. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Serve warm with mashed potato and a fresh salad.
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Stand a metal cooling rack in the baking sheet. Spread the rashers on the metal rack in the baking sheet and salt them on both sides. Set aside. Mix together the brown sugar, paprika and chilli flakes and spread it evenly onto each rasher. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, remove and flip the rashers. Spread this side with the rest of the sugar mixture and immediately place it back in the oven for another 8 minutes. Flip the rashers once more and bake for another 5 minutes per side, until beautifully browned and crisp. Serve warm.
1 store bought puff pastry 125g cream cheese, I use chive flavoured 250g smoked bacon, cubed/chopped 200g mushrooms, sliced a handful of thyme leaves 5 courgettes, cut into 3-4cm long sticks egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 30ml water whisked together
Preheat your oven to 190℃. Roll out the pastry and cut as large a circle from it as the diameter allows. Spread the cream cheese on the pastry, leaving a 3cm border on the outside. Place a pan on medium-high heat and fry the bacon pieces until cooked. Spoon into a bowl. Add the mushrooms and thyme leaves to the pan and fry until golden. Add the courgette sticks to the mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Spoon into the bowl with the bacon and mix through. Now spoon this mixture onto the cream cheese. Fold the 3cm border of pastry over the filling and brush with the egg wash. Bake the galette for 40 minutes. Serve warm.
This recipe is for one portion flapjacks = 3-4 average sized flapjacks.
1 very ripe banana, mashed 30ml self-raising flour 1 egg
Add the mashed banana, flour and egg to a small mixing bowl and whisk together with a fork. Place a frying pan on medium-high heat and add a dash of vegetable oil. Spoon the batter into the pan, about three flapjacks at a time and cook until tiny bubbles appear. Flip over and cook for another minute or two. Serve the flapjacks warm with honey and added fruit.
Fill a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions. Add the chorizo to a saucepan set over medium-high heat and fry for 3 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic and stir-fry for another minutes or so. Add the lemon juice, yoghurt and egg to a small bowl and whisk together with a fork. Take the saucepan from the heat and add the yoghurt mixture while stirring. Add the spinach to the saucepan and place it back onto the heat while stirring until the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the parmesan over. Mix through before serving.
200g mushrooms, sliced 50g butter 750ml chicken (or vegetable) stock 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 2,5ml ground ginger 20ml soy sauce 10ml sugar 20ml dry sherry (or Chinese cooking wine if you can get hold of any) 2,5ml sesame oil 2 x 200g fresh udon noodles a small handful of chives, chopped
Place a frying pan on medium-high heat. Wait for it to heat up and then add the butter and mushrooms. Fry until golden. Remove from the heat and set aside. Add the stock, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, sherry and sesame oil to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat so that the broth can simmer. Place a lid on the saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic and add the noodles to the broth. Agitate the noodles with a fork so that they break up and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the fried mushroom and remove the saucepan from the heat. Ladle the noodles and a good amount of broth into serving bowls and top with a sprinkling of chives.
500g gnocchi 15ml olive oil 30ml butter 3 cloves of garlic, minced 5ml mixed Italian herbs 1 x 400g tin of diced tomato 125ml tomato sauce (ketchup) 125ml vegetable stock 80ml cream 5ml salt a few grindings of black pepper a few sprigs of thyme parmesan cheese, to serve
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Add the gnocchi, cook for 2-3 minutes (they should start floating) and drain. Drizzle with some olive oil and mix through so that the gnocchi doesn’t stick – set aside. Place a saucepan or large pan on medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the gnocchi to the pan and sprinkle the herbs on top. Stir to coat. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring every now and then. Spoon the gnocchi into a bowl and keep warm on the side. Now add the tin of tomatoes, tomato sauce and vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Pour in the cream, add the salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Add the gnocchi back into the pan and heat through. Scatter some fresh thyme over and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
There is one sauce that doubles up as marinade and dressing!!
500g chicken breasts
Marinade/Dressing: 30ml olive oil juice of 2 lemons (60ml) 30ml water 30ml apple cider vinegar 30ml chopped parsley 2 cloves garlic, minced 5ml dried origanum 5ml salt black pepper
Add all the ingredients for the marinade/dressing to a mixing bowl and whisk together. Pour half of the mixture into a jug and keep aside as the salad dressing. Place the chicken breasts in the marinade for 30 minutes. Place a pan on medium-high heat and add the chicken breasts. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-6 minutes before flipping them over and cooking for another 4 minutes. Rest the breasts in the pan, with the lid on for another 5 minutes. Arrange the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion and avocado on a serving plate. Slice the chicken and place on the salad. Drizzle with the salad dressing and serve.
My Whisk and I 