dinner ideas – Page 17 – My Whisk and I

Pad Thai Miso Noodles

September 15, 2022September 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe will serve 2-3 people. Double up on the sauce if you are serving more.

2-3 chicken breasts
15ml sunflower oil
10ml garlic salt
5ml origanum
5ml smoked paprika
30 ml butter

2 x 200g packets of fresh Pad Thai noodles

For the sauce:
15ml peanut butter
25ml miso paste
15ml sesame oil
7,5ml chilli sauce
10ml soy sauce
7,5ml honey
7,5ml lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
60ml chopped chives

Drizzle the sunflower oil over the chicken breast and rub all over.
Mix the garlic salt, origanum and paprika in a small bowl, sprinkle it over the chicken and rub it over the breasts.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and wait for it to heat up.
Add the butter to the pan and wait for it to melt.
Now add the chicken and partially cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 4 minutes.
Flip the chicken and cook for another 3 minutes, once again with the lid partially on the pan.
Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.

Add all the ingredients for the sauce to a small bowl and mix together.
Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet.
Add the noodles to the sauce ingredients and mix through to coat all the noodles.
Spoon into serving bowls, slice the chicken and place on the noodles.
Serve immediately.

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Chinese Flatbread

September 13, 2022September 12, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Also called Scallion Flatbread or Green Onion Flatbread, these tiny breads are flaky with a crispy outside and wonderfully soft inside. Easy and very straightforward to make!

250g flour
160g HOT water
sunflower oil

30ml sunflower oil
30ml flour
2,5ml salt
40g green onion/scallion, chopped

Add the flour to a mixing bowl and pour in the hot water. Stir with a spatula/spoon until no more flour can be seen.
Combine the mixture into a rough-looking dough with your hands.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
Uncover and knead by hand until it becomes smooth.
Rub a thin layer of oil over the dough as well as on the work surface.
Roll the dough into a rectangle of about 43cm x 33cm.
Add the 30 ml sunflower oil, flour and salt tot a small mixing bowl and mix together.
Brush the mixture over the rolled dough and sprinkle the green onion over.
Roll the dough, from the short side, into a log that is not too tight.
Cut into 4 equal pieces.
Stand a piece on its cut side, press it down with your hand to flatten slightly and then roll out into a 13cm diameter circle. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and pour a small amount of oil into it.
Wait for the pan to heat up and place the breads in the pan if you can fit all of them. You may also cook 2 breads at a time if space is a problem.
Place a lid on the pan and cook the flatbread for 3 minutes.
Flip them over and cook for another 2 minutes until done.
Serve while warm.

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Saucy Udon Noodles

September 8, 2022September 7, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

The recipe makes one large portion but may be doubled as needed.

Sauce:
30ml cornstarch
125ml water, room temperature
60ml soy sauce
45ml honey
15ml lemon juice
2,5ml sesame oil

200g udon noodles
100g mushrooms, pan-fried
cucumber cut into thin “sticks”
radish cut into thin “sticks”

Ensure that the mushrooms are cooked and the cucumber and radish have been sliced and prepped.

For the sauce:
Add the cornstarch to a small mixing bowl and add just enough of the 125ml water to dissolve the cornstarch. Stir briefly.
Add the rest of the water, soy, honey, lemon juice and sesame oil and whisk together until fully incorporated.
Place a pan on medium heat, add the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes while stirring continuously.
Remove the sauce from the heat as soon as it thickens – it is going back on so simply pull it away.

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions.
Place the sauce back on the heat and add the noodles.
Stir for about a minute so that the noodles absorb some of the sauce.
Spoon the noodles and any sauce into a serving bowl and arrange the mushroom, cucumber and radish on the noodles.
Serve immediately and slurp away!!

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Sesame Cauliflower

September 5, 2022September 4, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 head of cauliflower (about 650-700g), cut into florets
125ml bread flour
190ml water
310ml panko breadcrumbs

Sauce:
Slurry: 30ml cornstarch and 30ml water
45ml soy sauce
15ml lemon juice
60ml honey
15ml sesame oil
2,5ml ground ginger
250ml water

3 stalks of green onion, sliced
a handful of sesame seeds

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Cut the cauliflower head in half. Break it into medium sized florets and cut off the stems. Set aside.
Add the bread flour and 190ml water to a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Add the breadcrumbs to another bowl.
Now, dip a floret into the flour and water mixture, roll/coat it with the breadcrumbs and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Continue until all the florets are coated in breadcrumbs.
Space the florets on the lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. They should be golden and dry.

For the sauce:
Prepare a slurry by whisking the cornstarch and water together. Keep aside.
Add the soy, lemon juice, honey, sesame oil, ginger and water to a small saucepan and whisk together.
Pour in the slurry while whisking continuously.
Place the saucepan on medium-low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Pour the sauce over the baked florets and gently mix through to cover all the cauliflower in the sauce.
Serve with a scattering of green onions and sesame seeds.

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Honey Mustard Chicken

September 1, 2022August 31, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
30ml vegetable oil
5ml salt
2,5ml garlic powder
2,5ml onion powder
2,5ml dried thyme
2,5ml onion seeds
2,5ml smoked paprika

Sauce:
125ml honey
60ml butter, melted
60ml wholegrain mustard
20ml hot sauce
5ml apple cider vinegar

Pat the chicken breasts dry and brush them with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
Combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, onion seeds and paprika in a small bowl.
Season both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoning – rub it all over. Set aside.
Add the honey, butter, mustard, hot sauce and vinegar to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Place a cast iron pan/skillet onto medium heat and wait for it to heat up.
Add the breasts to the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes without moving the meat around.
Flip the breasts over and pour the sauce over.
Place a lid on the pan and cook for 10 minutes, basting the chicken once or twice as it cooks.
Remove the lid and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
Serve the chicken on couscous or rice.

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Honey Glazed Pork Chops

August 22, 2022August 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 pork chops
22,5ml soy sauce
30ml oyster sauce
5ml ground ginger
30ml honey
25ml five-spice powder
45ml wine (or water or stock)

Add all the ingredients, except the pork chops, to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Place the chops in a shallow baking dish and pour the mixture over.
Leave to marinate for one hour, turning the chops once.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place a cast-iron pan (or any other oven-friendly pan) on high heat, and pour in some vegetable oil.
Scrape most of the marinade off the meat and fry for 2 minutes before turning and frying another 2 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium and pour in the marinade sauce.
Stir and cook for about 3-4 minutes and then place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
Serve the chops with fragrant rice or couscous.

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Lamb Curry (Rogan Josh)

August 17, 2022August 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,5kg lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 2cm cubes
vegetable oil
10 whole cardamom pods
15ml mustard seeds
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
10 black peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon
2 onions, finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml ground coriander
10ml ground cumin
20ml paprika
15ml ground ginger
5ml crushed dried chillies
5ml salt
2 red chillies, chopped
120ml yoghurt
2,5ml garam masala

Place a heavy-bottom saucepan on a medium-high heat and cover the base with vegetable oil.
Brown the meat in batches and set aside in a bowl.
Add the cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon and stir the mixture for about 1 minute.
Add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
Now add the coriander, cumin, paprika, crushed chillies, salt and fresh chillies and stir-fry for another 30 seconds or so.
Add the meat and stir through to cover with the spices.
Add a spoonful of yoghurt and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the remaining yoghurt in the same way, so that the sauce does not split.
Pour in 375ml of water and bring the curry to a boil.
Turn the heat down to a slow simmer and cover the saucepan with a lid. Cook for 1 hour or until the lamb is tender, stirring frequently.
Remove the lid and cook the curry for another 30 minutes, stirring and waiting for the sauce to become beautifully thick.
Sprinkle over the garam masala, mix through and serve with fragrant rice.

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20-Minute Orange Chicken

August 9, 2022July 31, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4-6 chicken breasts
45ml olive oil
45ml balsamic vinegar
150ml fresh orange juice
150ml chicken stock
30ml finely chopped rosemary
30ml sugar
a knob of butter

Place a chicken breast between two pieces of plastic film and flatten it slightly by gently bashing it with the flat bottom of a pan. Flatten all the breasts in this way so that they are slightly thinner and has an even thickness.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the chicken for 3 minutes before flipping it over and frying for another 2 minutes.
Pour half of the balsamic vinegar over the chicken and add the orange juice and stock to the pan.
Sprinkle the rosemary over and season the chicken with salt.
Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken while simmering and turn halfway through cooking.
Now stir in the sugar, butter, the remaining balsamic and cook for a few minutes more – you want a reduced sauce that is beautifully glossy.
Serve the orange chicken on couscous to soak up the wonderfully fragrant sauce.

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Oven Roasted Lamb Ribs

July 27, 2022June 22, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,5kg lamb ribs
15ml dried origanum
10ml ground cumin
grated zest of 1 lemon
2,5ml salt
30ml olive oil

Yoghurt Sauce:
250ml yoghurt
100g feta cheese, finely crumbled
a handful of mint leaves, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2,5ml salt

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Add the origanum, cumin, lemon zest, salt and olive oil to a small bowl and mix together.
Cut the ribs into individual pieces.
Rub the spice mixture over the ribs and space evenly in a baking tray.
Cook in the oven for 90 minutes.

For the yoghurt sauce:
Mix the ingredients together and stand for at least an hour to allow the flavours to develop.

Serve the ribs with the Yoghurt Sauce.

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Papino and Blue Cheese Salad

June 10, 2022June 5, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is such a simple salad but so very satisfying and delicious to eat!! Make extra, you will want seconds!

papino
rocket leaves
50g + 100g blue cheese
60ml cream
pomegranate seeds
50g cashew nuts, roughly chopped

Peel, halve and deseed the papino and place it on a serving dish.
Add some rocket leaves to the papino and break chunks of blue cheese and arrange it between the leaves.
Place the 100g blue cheese and cream in a small saucepan and set it over a low heat. Stir the mixture until melted and the sauce has amalgamated.
Generously spoon the sauce over the papino and rocket.
Sprinkle the cashew nuts and pomegranate seeds over.
Serve the papino with extra blue cheese dressing on the side.