dinner – Page 10 – My Whisk and I

Onion Pie

August 28, 2023August 14, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

1 packet frozen puff pastry
30ml olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
5 eggs
125ml milk
125ml cream
5ml salt
15ml onion seeds
250ml grated mature cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and spray a deep pie dish (or a loose-bottom cake tin) with cooking spray.
Line the pie dish with the pastry. The sides should come up 4cm.
Pour the olive oil into a saucepan set over medium-high heat and add the onions.
Cook until soft, remove from the saucepan and set aside to cool.
Add the eggs, milk, cream, salt and onion seeds to a large jug and whisk together.
Add the grated cheddar to the cooled onions and mix through.
Spoon the onion mixture into the pastry lined baking tin.
Pour the egg mixture over and bake for one hour.
Serve the pie warm with a salad on the side.

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Mediterranean Orzo

August 26, 2023August 12, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

200g chorizo sausage
30ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 x 400g tin of whole cherry tomato
10ml sugar
5ml salt
400g orzo pasta
400ml vegetable stock
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
parmesan cheese

Place a large pan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil and onion to it.
Fry the onion until just soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring every now and then.
Add the orzo and stir through.
Pour in the vegetable stock and cook for about 10 minutes. The liquid has to reduce and the orzo should be tender when you taste it.
Scatter over three quarters of the basil and turn off the heat.
Stir through and serve with grated parmesan cheese and the rest of the basil scattered over.

curries, dinner, food, lunch, recipes

Lamb Curry

August 24, 2023August 3, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

45ml sunflower oil
2 onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml salt
15ml ground ginger
5ml chilli flakes
10ml ground coriander
5ml ground cumin
15ml turmeric
2,5ml smoked paprika
30ml sugar
4 cloves
3 cardamon pods
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
1 x 400g can of chopped tomato
2kg stewing lamb
4-5 potatoes, peeled and diced
fresh coriander leaves

Add the sunflower oil and onion to a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until it begins to caramelise.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Now add the salt, ginger, chilli flakes, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika and sugar.
Stir through and then add the whole spices: cloves, cardamon, bay leaf and star anise.
Pour in the chopped tomato and give everything a good stir.
Add the lamb and stir until all the meat is covered in the spices.
Pour in enough water to cover the meat.
Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 90 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the diced potato, stir through and simmer the curry for another 30 minutes.
Serve on white rice with fresh coriander and a good chutney.

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Quick Beetroot Salad

August 23, 2023August 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 beets, cooked, peeled and cubed
30ml olive oil
30ml balsamic vinegar
1 small red onion, cut into thin slices
a pinch of salt
30ml chopped chives
a handful of walnut halves
50g feta cheese

Add the cubed beetroot, olive oil, balsamic, red onion and pinch of salt to a bowl and mix together.
Spoon onto a serving platter and scatter over the chives and walnuts.
Top the salad by crumbing the feta over.

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White Bean Soup

August 21, 2023August 2, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml olive oil
30g butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 x 400g cans of cannellini beans
500ml vegetable stock
5ml finely chopped rosemary
5ml finely chopped thyme leaves
sourdough croutons to serve

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and butter and wait for the pan to heat up.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Drain 2 of the cans of beans and add the beans to the saucepan.
Pour the third can of beans, liquid and all, into a liquidiser and blitz until smooth.
Add to the saucepan.
Pour in the stock and add the rosemary and thyme.
Grind over some black pepper and stir together.
Bring the soup to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve piping hot with freshly made croutons.

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Bocconcini Pasta Salad

August 17, 2023August 2, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g fussily pasta, cooked and cooled
350g cocktail tomatoes, halved
60ml chopped parsley
60ml chopped basil
300g bocconcini cheese balls, halved
1 red onion, finely chopped
Dressing:
125g basil pesto
60ml olive oil
45ml red wine vinegar
15ml granulated mustard

Add the cooled pasta, tomatoes, parsley, basil, bocconcini and red onion to a large bowl and toss through.
For the dressing:
Blitz together the basil pesto, olive oil, red wine vinegar and mustard.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss again.
Season with salt and pepper to serve.

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Shitake Chicken in Mustard Sauce

August 16, 2023August 2, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
20ml chicken spice
30g + 50g butter, cubed
30ml olive oil
5ml chopped rosemary
500g shitake mushrooms, halved
15ml thyme leaves, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
125ml dry, white wine
125ml chicken stock
15ml wholegrain mustard
60ml cream

Place the chicken on a cutting board and halve each breast horizontally.
Pat dry and season with salt, pepper and the chicken spice.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and wait for it to warm up.
Add the 30g butter, 30ml olive oil and the chopped rosemary.
Lay the chicken cutlets in the pan and cook for 4 minutes before flipping them over and cooking for another 4 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pan and cover tightly with aluminium foil. Set aside.
Add the 50g butter to the pan and wait for it to melt.
Now add the mushroom and thy and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Pour in the white wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and stir in the mustard.
Add the chicken cutlets back into the pan and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Pour in the cream and stir through.
Serve the chicken on mashed potato, rice or pasta.

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Beef Tagliata

August 13, 2023July 29, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Tagliata which simply means to cut in Italian, is one of Italy’s most popular steak dishes. I use store bought quartered sun-dried tomatoes for this recipe. The dressing adds a punchy freshness to the meat and is one of the quickest meals you will prepare..

Dressing:
10 quarters of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, finely chopped
60ml olive oil from the packet of tomatoes
60ml soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
60ml finely chopped basil leaves

beef fillet/tenderloin
parmesan shavings
a handful of peppery herbs

For the dressing:
Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir to mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature to develop its flavours. (about 40 minutes)
Cook your steaks in a pan or on the braai/bbq.
Cover with aluminium foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Slice the cooked meat into strips and arrange it on a serving platter.
Drizzle over the dressing and sprinkle over some parmesan shavings and herbs.
Serve the steak with the rest of the dressing on the side.

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Hasselback Chicken

August 10, 2023July 31, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
200g ementhal cheese, sliced into 20 slices
250g smoked bacon, cut into 20 strips
12 bay leaves
125ml cream
1 egg

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Place the chicken on a chopping board and season with salt.
Cut 5 slits at a slight angle into each chicken breast, making sure not to cut all the way through.
Place a slice of cheese into each slit.
Now insert a pice of bacon into each slit.
Randomly insert 3 bay leaves per breast.
Place the stuffed chicken in a casserole dish and grind over some black pepper.
Add the cream and the egg to a jug and whisk together.
Pour the mixture over the chicken and bake for 35 minutes.
Serve warm.

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Cock-a-Leekie Soup

August 8, 2023July 27, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

4 large leeks, sliced into coins
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 litre chicken stock
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
250ml cooked chicken, finely shredded
2 bay leaves
125ml cream

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add some olive oil to it.
Add the leeks and stir-fry until it is really soft.
Take about 2 spoonfuls of the leak out of the saucepan and keep aside as garnish.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for another minute.
Pour in the chicken stock, add the potato, chicken and bay leave and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and mash the potato against the side of the saucepan. I like my soup to have uneven bits of potato to add texture but you may blitz it at this stage if you prefer.
Pour in the cream and season the soup with salt and black pepper.
Cook for a minute or two before serving with a fresh loaf of bread.