easy meals – Page 3 – My Whisk and I

Mushroom-Courgette Galette

October 12, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.

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Roasted Tomato Pasta

August 11, 2022August 11, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

400g vine tomatoes/cherry tomatoes
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
20ml capers, roughly chopped
2 leeks, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
30ml sugar
10ml salt
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
200g mixed mushrooms
300g penne pasta
parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Spread the tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of salt.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until the skins burst open.
Remove the tray and sprinkle the capers over the hot tomato. Set aside.
Add the leeks and a splash of oil to a saucepan and cook on medium heat until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Now add the tinned tomato, sugar, salt and basil leaves and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
Blitz the mixture with a hand blender until you are left a with a thick, chunky sauce. Set aside.
Place a frying on high heat and allow to become hot. Add some butter to the pan and then the mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms are caramelised.
Cook the penne according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and pour the pasta into a serving bowl.
Spoon the roasted tomato, capers and all of the juices onto the warm pasta.
Add the blended tomato sauce and the mushroom and stir everything together to coat the pasta.
Grate a generous amount of parmesan cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with extra basil leaves to serve.

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Mushroom Polenta with Gremolata

May 24, 2022May 16, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Gremolata:
62ml pine nuts (you may replace with sunflower seeds)
a big bunch of parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled
the zest of 1 lemon
a pinch of salt
the juice of 1 lemon
45ml olive oil

Polenta:
750ml vegetable/chicken stock
5ml salt
250ml quick cooking polenta
62ml butter

Mushrooms:
45ml butter
30ml sunflower oil
500g mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
15ml thyme leaves
salt and pepper

For the Gremolata:
Place a large frying pan on medium heat and add the pine nuts to it.
Shake the pan over the heat or stir the seeds around with a spoon, until it starts to toast and change colour.
Remove the seeds from the pan and set aside.
Place the garlic, parsley and half the pine nuts on a chopping board and mince together until finely chopped.
Add the lemon zest and a pinch of salt and chop the ingredients together.
Scrape the chopped ingredients into a small bowl and add the rest of the pine nuts to it.
Now add the lemon juice and olive oil and stir together. Set aside.

For the Polenta:
Add the stock and salt to a saucepan set over high heat and bring the stock to a boil.
Add the polenta and whisk the mixture together until it has thickened.
Take the saucepan from the heat, add the butter and whisk well. Set aside.

For the Mushrooms:
Add the butter and oil to a frying pan set over high heat.
Add the mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat.

Spoon the polenta into bowls and top with mushrooms and a spoonful of gremolata.

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Mushroom Chicken

May 20, 2022May 16, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,5 – 2 litre chicken stock
9 chicken breasts, skin removed
700g mixed mushrooms, sliced
30ml sunflower oil
30ml butter
45ml thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
80ml cream
salt and pepper

Pour the chicken stock into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Cut the breasts into 5-6 pieces and add it to the stock.
Cook the chicken until most of the liquid has evaporated and then break up the cooked chicken pieces with a wooden spoon.
Set a frying pan over high heat and add the oil and butter to it.
Fry the mushrooms for about 7 minutes, until it has caramelised and has a beautiful golden colour.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the thyme leaves and garlic. Stir around for a minute or so.
Now add the cream to the mushrooms and stir through.
Spoon the mushroom mixture into the saucepan with the cooked chicken, turn up the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
The meat should now be creamy and fragrant. If you find it has too much liquid, simmer it for a while longer so that the liquid evaporates.
Serve the chicken on couscous, rice or quinoa.

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Mustard Soup/Mosterd Soep

May 10, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Traditional Amsterdammers will insist that this soup be made with Groninger mustard but any good quality granulated mustard is perfect for this delicious soup. Serve it with fresh bread and extra fried bacon. Serves 4.

2 leeks, rinsed and sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 large potatoes, cut into small chunks
1 clove garlic, minced
50g flour
1 litre vegetable/chicken stock
62ml cream
30ml Groninger/granulated mustard
salt and pepper

Pour enough oil into a saucepan to cover the bottom and place on medium-high heat.
Add the leeks, onion and potato and cook until the leeks are soft. Stir often.
Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir-fry for another minute.
Pour in the stock and bring the soup to a boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer until the potatoes are very, very soft.
Blitz the mixture with a stick blender/liquidiser until completely smooth.
Add the cream and mustard and stir through.
Simmer the soup on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the bacon to a non-stick frying pan and cook until slightly crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
Season the soup with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup piping hot with extra bacon scattered on top.

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Green Spaghetti

April 14, 2022April 11, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a recipe from the brand new book “Cook it. Eat it. Live it.” by Jo Kenny. I was lucky enough to write a review on the book and simply cannot have enough of this delicious pasta dish! I have made a vegetarian version of Jo’s original Pea and Smoked Bacon Spaghetti.

120g spaghetti
100g smoked bacon lardons (or leave it out for a meat-free meal)
200g peas
a large bunch of fresh basil
30ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
30ml créme fraîche
20g parmesan cheese
zest of one lemon

Add the spaghetti to a large pot with boiling water and allow to cook until al-dente.
Heat a large frying pan on medium heat and cook the bacon lardons for 5 minutes.
Add the peas, basil, olive oil and garlic to a food processor, season with salt and blend until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
Add the pea and basil paste to the pan on a low heat.
Add the creme fraîche and stir on a low heat to warm through.
Drain the pasta and add it to the pan immediately.
Stir the pasta through the sauce so that is coated evenly.
Serve the pasta with the grated parmesan cheese, lemon zest and another squeeze of lemon juice.

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Frittata with Potato Crisps

March 16, 2022March 16, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

8 eggs
62ml sour cream
200g roasted red peppers (store bought or home made)
45ml thyme leaves
140 potato crisps (chacalaka/tomato sauce/cheese and onion)
30ml butter
50-100g goats cheese

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the sour cream, season the mixture with salt and pepper and whisk again.
Chop the roasted peppers into chunks and add to the egg mixture.
Add the thyme leaves and all of the potato chips.
Mix everything together with a spatula.
Place an ovenproof frying pan on medium heat, add the butter and wait for it to melt.
Add the frittata mixture to the pan and stir around for a few minutes, lightly scraping the bottom of the pan.
Spread the ingredients evenly with the spatula and place the pan in the oven.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the frittata is set.
Dot the goats cheese on the frittata’s surface and serve warm with a side salad.

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Aubergine and Halloumi Vegetable Bake

March 2, 2022March 2, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 aubergines
1 onion, chopped
8 celery sticks, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
600-800g halloumi cheese
250ml olives, pitted
a bunch of thyme
a bunch of basil leaves

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and grease a 18cm x 28cm baking dish.
Cut the aubergine lengthwise into 3mm thick slices.
Pour some vegetable oil into a saucepan set over medium-high heat and fry the aubergine on both side, until golden.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Add the onion, celery and garlic to the same saucepan and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the tomato and cook the sauce for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Cut the halloumi into sticks that are more or less 8cm x 1,5cm. You need the same amount of cheese sticks and aubergine slices.
Place a cheese stick on an aubergine slice, roll it up like a pancake and place in the prepared baking dish.
Pour the tomato sauce over the aubergine rolls and scatter the olives and thyme leaves over.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Scatter the basil leaves over the baked dish and serve warm or at room temperature.

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Pan-Fried Halloumi

February 3, 2022February 3, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Halloumi cheese, cut into 0,5cm slices
vegetable oil

Dressing:
2 red chillies, very finely chopped
20ml parsley, very finely chopped
15ml lemon juice
30ml olive oil
a pinch of salt

Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and stir together. Put aside.

Place a heavy frying pan on medium to high heat and wait for it to become hot.
Add about a teaspoon of oil to the pan and give it a swirl.
Now lay the halloumi slices down in the pan without them touching.
Fry for about one and a half minutes before flipping and frying the other side. Do not move the cheese around when frying as you will lose the caramelisation and beautiful golden crust!
Keep going until all the cheese is fried.
Place the halloumi on a serving dish and spoon over the dressing while still hot.
Serve immediately.

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Pearl Barley Salad

November 9, 2021November 8, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

375ml uncooked pearl barley
45ml sherry vinegar
2,5ml dijon mustard
2,5ml salt
30ml olive oil
50g blue cheese, crumbled
50 – 100g baby spinach
half a red onion, sliced
80ml pecan nuts

Cook the pearl barley according to the packet instructions – usually it is 1:3 (pearl barley : water). Allow to cool completely.
Add the vinegar, mustard, salt and olive oil to a cup and whisk everything together. Set aside.
Add the cooked and cooled pearl barley, baby spinach, blue cheese and red onion to a large bowl and mix together.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and give it another quick mix.
Spoon the salad into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the pecan nuts before serving.