dinner – My Whisk and I

Oven Pumpkin Risotto

March 29, 2023March 28, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This oven risotto is one of the very best dinners you will make. It is low effort and easy cooking with delicious taste rewards. NB: do not substitute the pumpkin with butternut!!!

30ml vegetable oil
30ml butter
150g smoked bacon, diced
1 large onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
250ml arborio rice
625ml chicken stock
60g butter, diced
500g pumpkin, peeled and diced (1cm x 1cm)
125ml grated parmesan cheese
15ml parsley, chopped

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Place an ovenproof saucepan on medium-high heat, add the oil and butter and add the bacon.
Fry until cooked and starting to turn crispy.
Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the fat.
Add the onion to the saucepan and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
Add the rice, stock, 60g butter, pumpkin and cooked bacon to the saucepan and stir together.
Cover with a lid/aluminium foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the rice is soft.
Remove from the oven and stir in the parmesan.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.|Sprinkle over the parsley and serve.

Chorizo and Paprika Quiche

March 24, 2023March 23, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g chorizo, casing removed and sliced
45ml butter
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced in discs
2 onions, sliced
1 x 400g frozen puff pastry
4 eggs
125g sour cream
50g parmesan cheese, grated
15ml flour
5ml smoked paprika

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and spray a 22cm diameter loose-bottom pie tin with baking spray.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and add the butter.
Add the chorizo, leeks and onion and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll the pastry into a 25cm diameter disc.
Line the prepared pie tin (base and sides) with the pastry and prick the base all over with the tines of a fork.
Line the pastry case with baking paper and dry beans/rice and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the beans and paper and bake the shell for another 8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 180℃.
Add the eggs, sour cream, parmesan, flour and paprika to a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Spoon the chorizo mixture into the pastry shell and spread it evenly over the base.
Pour the egg mixture over and bake the quiche for 40 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tomato and Basil Risotto

March 21, 2023March 18, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 litre vegetable stock
30ml olive oil
30ml butter
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g cans of chopped tomato
45ml tomato puree
125ml white wine
250ml arborio rice
45ml grated parmesan cheese and more for serving
125ml basil leaves, finely chopped

Pour the stock in a small saucepan and heat it over a medium-low heat until just barely simmering.
Place a wide, heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat and add the olive oil and butter.
Add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the two cans of tomato and the tomato puree and cook for 15 minutes, until the mixture looks concentrated.
Add the white wine and cook for another 10 minutes or so to allow most of the moisture to evaporate.
Pour in the rice and stir to coat in the tomato mixture.
Add two ladles of stock to the saucepan while simmering. Adjust the heat accordingly and stir continuously.
Once the mixture starts to look dry again, add another two ladles of stock.
Keep going, repeating the process, until the rice is el dente.
Turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese and basil. Stir through.
Serve the risotto immediately with extra parmesan to grate over.

Potato-Cheese Pithivier

March 16, 2023March 14, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

600g potatoes, peeled and quartered60g butter
60ml olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
10ml wholegrain mustard
45ml sour cream
1 egg
a handful of thyme leaves
150g feta cheese, crumbled
2 x 400g Today puff pastry
egg-wash: 1 yolk + 15ml water whisked together

Line a baking sheet with baking paper and set aside.
Boil the quartered potatoes, cool completely and crush roughly.
Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add the onions, sprinkle with 2,5ml salt and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
Add the potato, onions, mustard, sour cream, egg, thyme and feta to a large mixing bowl.
Season with pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate.

Unroll the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll slightly wider.
Cut one 25cm circle from one pastry sheet and place on a cutting board.
Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cut a 22cm circle from the second sheet of pastry and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Spoon the potato mixture on the pastry circle and form a nice even mound. Leave a 2 cm border.
Brush the border with egg-wash.
Lay the 25cm pastry circle over the mound and press the edges to seal. Trim off the excess pastry.
Cut a small hole in the centre of the top.
Score curved lines all over the top from the hole down to the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Brush the pie all over with egg-wash and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Bake the pithivier for 40 minutes, until golden.
Slice into wedges and serve warm.

Tomato Tart

March 15, 2023March 14, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 x 400g roll Today puff pastry
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water beaten together
4 large tomatoes
a handful of basil
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Unroll the puff pastry and place it on the paper. (Trim the pastry to fit the baking sheet)
Lightly score the pastry down the centre in the length. Now score it in half and then halve each square. You should have 8 squares – be careful to score and not cut through!
Whisk together the egg yolk and water and lightly brush the pastry all over.
Refrigerate until needed.
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to the boil.
Make a cross incision (x) in the tomato skin on the bottom.
Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Now lower the tomatoes into the boiling water and simmer for 1 minute.
Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge it into the ice water.
Remove the skins once they start to curl back from the flesh.
Halve the naked tomatoes horizontally.
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator.
Place a basil leave in the centre of each of the marked squares.
Place half a tomato, cut-side down on the basil and drizzle the tomato with a few drops of oil.
Season with salt and pepper and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the tart from the oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar while very warm.
Slice the tart into 8 portions and serve as a side.

Onion Tarte Tatin

March 14, 2023March 13, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml + 30ml butter
1 clove garlic, minced
6 onions, halved horizontally
100ml sugar
60ml water
30ml balsamic vinegar
5ml thyme leaves
5ml salt
1 x 400g roll Today puff pastry

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Put a wide-bottomed pan on medium-high heat and add 30ml butter to melt.
Add the garlic and onion halves cut-side down.
Cook the onions until they have caramelised and softened slightly (about 10 minutes).
Gently remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
Add the sugar and water to an ovenproof pan over medium heat.
Cook, swirling constantly, until the sugar dissolves – DO NOT stir!
Turn the heat up to high and cook undisturbed (no stirring!) for 5 minutes or until it turns to a golden caramel – this happens instantly!!
Remove from the heat and add the balsamic, thyme, salt and 30ml butter.
Return to the boil and swirl to combine.
Arrange the onions cut-side down, trying to fit in as many halves as you can.
Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll it slightly wider.
Now cut a circle that is 1cm larger than the diameter of your pan.
Place the pastry circle on top of the onions and tuck in the edges so that it forms a “basket” for the onions.
Cut a very small hole in the centre of the pastry and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cover with aluminium foil to prevent burning.
Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes until the pastry is cooked through.
Remove the tart from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Place a flat plate/wooden board over the pan and carefully invert the tart.
Season with salt and pepper to serve.

Spaghetti Bolognese

March 10, 2023March 9, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

45ml vegetable oil
250g smoked bacon, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml rosemary leaves, chopped
1kg minced beef
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
10ml dried origanum
2 bay leaves
15ml sugar
60ml Worcestershire sauce
50g tomato puree
5ml salt
250ml beef stock
400g spaghetti, cooked
parmesan cheese

Place a large saucepan on medium heat and add the oil.
Add the chopped bacon and cook for 10 minutes.
Turn the heat down and add the onion, carrot, garlic and rosemary. Cook for another 10 minutes while stirring often.
Add the minced beef and stir-fry for 5 minutes, ensuring it is broken up.
Now add the tinned tomato, origanum, bay leaves, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and stock.
Bring the bolognese to the boil, turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook for one hour until you have a rich, thick sauce. Stir the sauce every now and then while it cooks.
Cook the spaghetti, drain and spoon onto plates.
Serve the bolognese sauce on top of the spaghetti with grated parmesan cheese.

Corn and Coriander Salad

March 8, 2023March 7, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

This salad is my new obsession – it is zingy, fresh and everything and more that your tastebuds are craving ..!

8 corn cobs, cleaned
olive oil
80ml mayonnaise
30ml sour cream
80g feta cheese, finely crumbed
45ml lemon juice
finely grated rind of 2 lemons
40g coriander leaves, picked off the stems (it is about an average bunch)
3 spring onions, sliced

Heat a wood-fired grill to medium-high heat.
Coat each corn cob with a thin layer of olive oil and season with salt.
Place the corn on the grill and cook for 20 minutes. Turn them every now and then so that they get a char all over.
Cool slightly and then cut the kernels from the cobs. Set aside.

Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, feta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest to a small bowl.
Season with salt and pepper and mix together.
Spoon half the corn kernels on a serving dish.
Top with half the spring onions and half the coriander leaves.
Drizzle half the dressing over and repeat the corn, spring onion and coriander layers, finishing with a drizzle of the dressing.
Serve the salad at room temperature.

Apple-Pork

March 6, 2023March 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This dish may look dull in all its beige-browny colours but it certainly delivers on flavour, easy of preparation and of course, it is made in one saucepan!

6 pork chops
45ml oil
45ml butter
3 onions, sliced
30ml sugar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
45ml honey
15ml lemon juice
200ml chicken stock
1 x 380g can of pie apples

Set a heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat, add some vegetable oil to it and brown the chops. Remove from the saucepan and keep aside.
Add the oil and butter to the saucepan and turn the heat to medium.
Add the onions and sugar and stir-fry for at least 15 minutes until soft and starting to brown.
Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
Now add the honey, lemon juice and chicken stock. Stir to mix for one minute or so.
Add the apples and spread it out evenly before arranging the pork chops on top.
Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and spoon the apples and sauce over the chops.
Cook for a further 10 minutes.
Serve the pork with a crispy coleslaw salad.

Melon and Feta Salad (with Basil Dressing)

March 1, 2023February 28, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

150ml olive oil
250ml tightly packed basil leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
2,5ml salt
15ml lemon juice
15ml apple cider vinegar

cos lettuce
1 small melon
200g feta cheese
3 tomatoes

For the dressing:
Add all the ingredients to a blender and blitz at high speed for one minute. Set aside.

Arrange some lettuce leaves on a serving platter.
Slice the melon in half and take out the seeds.
Cut the melon into slices and then cut the flesh out of the skin,
Scoop a few melon balls from the flesh if you have a melon scoop.
Arrange the melon on the lettuce.
Slice the feta and tomato into slices and add it to the melon and lettuce.
Drizzle the basil dressing over the salad and serve.