Tag: easy recipes

Grilled Halloumi with Pear

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Grilled Halloumi with Pear
Grilled Halloumi with Pear

This is a heavenly combination of salty halloumi, sweet and spicy fruit and fabulous fresh basil!

2 pears
30ml lemon juice
60ml brown sugar
2,5ml ground cinnamon
30g butter, cubed
2 x 300g blocks Halloumi cheese
1 x 230g Dulce del Cabo sculpted fruit preserve (or 230g fruit preserve of your choice)
a handful of small basil leaves

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a small baking tray with baking paper.
Halve the pears and remove the core.
Place the pears, cut-side up on the prepared baking tray and drizzle with lemon juice.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon on the fruit and place a piece of cubed butter on each.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
Turn your oven on the grill setting.
Score the halloumi, without cutting through, in a diamond pattern – about 2cm deep.
Place both blocks of cheese on a lined baking sheet and drizzle over some vegetable oil.
Place the cheese under the hot grill until browned and slightly scorched. (about 8 minutes, depending on your oven)
Cut the fruit preserve into pieces and add to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat.
Pour in 60ml of water and stir until melted.
Place the halloumi on a serving platter and arrange the pear around it.
Drizzle over the fruit preserve and scatter with basil leaves.
Serve with a crusty bread.

Chorizo and Paprika Quiche

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chorizo and Paprika Quiche
Chorizo and Paprika Quiche

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.

Rice Krispie Cups

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Rice Krispie Cups
Rice Krispie Cups

4 bananas
1 x 380g tin of caramel treat
4 x 250ml Rice Krispies

Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Add 3 bananas to a mixing bowl and mash until smooth.
Add 190ml of the caramel and mix through.
Now add the Rice Krispies and mix thoroughly.
Divide the mixture evenly amongst the paper cups, pressing in the cup with the bottom of a shot glass to create a hollow centre.
Now add a teaspoon caramel to each Rice Krispie cup.
Slice the last banana into 12 slices and place a slice on top of each Rice Krispie cup.
Refrigerate the cups for 1 hour.

Fish Parcels

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Fish Parcels
Fish Parcels

4 portions of hake
2 sweet peppers, sliced
100g green olives, pitted
30ml capers, roughly chopped
60ml peppadews, chopped
2 lemons, quartered

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Cut 4 pieces of baking paper to more or less 30cm x 30cm.
Place a portion of hake in the centre of each paper square and season with salt and pepper.
Add the sweet peppers, olives, capers and peppadews to a small bowl and mix through. Divide the mixture equally and spoon onto the fish.
Squeeze the juice of a quartered lemon over.
Bring the two opposite sides of the paper together and fold over twice.
Now twist the ends to enclose the filling.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve the fish in its paper parcel.

Panzanella Salad with Burrata

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Panzanella Salad with Burrata
Panzanella Salad with Burrata

Traditionally panzanella/Italian bread salad is not served with cheese but the creaminess of the burrata adds a deliciousness beyond words!

4 x 2cm thick slices of sourdough bread
6-8 ripe tomatoes, room temperature
half a cucumber
1 burrata cheese
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
125ml olive oil
60ml balsamic vinegar
juice of one lemon

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Cut the sourdough slices into cubes of 1,5-2cm – they should look like chunky croutons.
Spread the bread on the prepared baking sheet and liberally drizzle with olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the croutons are golden and crisp.
Remove from the baking sheet and set aside.
For the dressing:
Chop 3-4 tomatoes into very small pieces. The chopping is best done in a shallow bowl so that you can preserve all of the tomatoes’ juice.
Add the tomato and its juice to a mixing bowl.
Chop the onion as finely as you can, mince the garlic and add to the tomato.
Now add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.
Mix the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.

Slice the remaining 3-4 tomatoes into chunks and place in a large bowl.
Slice the cucumber into chunks and add to the tomato.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix through.
Scatter the croutons and basil over and mix again.
Spoon the salad onto a serving plate and place the burrata on top.
Serve with a cold Babylonstoren Rosé.

Fig and Honey Tart

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Fig and Honey Tart
Fig and Honey Tart

Pastry:
250g butter, cubed
170g icing sugar, sifted
500g cake flour
2 eggs, beaten together

Crème Pâtissière:
40g corn flour
500ml milk
4 egg yolks
100g sugar
5ml vanilla

100g pistacchio nuts, roughly chopped
about 16 medium figs
50ml honey

For the pastry:
Add the butter and sifted icing sugar to the bowl of a food processor.
Run the machine until the mixture is well combined and pasty.
Add the flour and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Scrape down.
Drizzle a few drops of the egg into the bowl with the engine running. Add a few more drops at a time until the mixture comes together. (You may have egg left and that is okay – the less you need the crispier the pastry!)
Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap it with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 190℃.
You will use a 22cm loose-bottom flan tin but do not spray or butter the tin!
Roll the pastry to a 3mm thickness and line the bottom and sides of the tin.
Dock the pastry with a fork and bake blind for 15 minutes.
Remove the baking paper and weights/beans and set aside to cool.

For the Crème Pâtissière:
Add the corn flour to a mixing bowl. Pour a small amount of the milk into the owl and stir to make a slurry with the corn flour.
Add the egg yolks and half the sugar.
Whisk by hand until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Pour the rest of the milk and the rest of the sugar into a small saucepan.
Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Take the milk from the heat as soon as tiny bubbles start to appear around the edge of the saucepan.
Drizzle the warm mixture onto the egg mixture in a very thin stream while whisking continuously.
Now pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place on a medium-low heat.
Stir until the mixture is thick and smooth. Allow to cook for about 30 seconds.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and allow to cool completely.

Whisk the mixture by hand once it is at room temperature, until it is smooth.
Spoon it into a piping bag and pipe into the prepared pastry shell.
Scatter the chopped pistachio evenly over the surface.
Cut a cross into the top third of each fig and place the figs side-by-side on the pistachio.
Drizzle the honey over the figs before serving.

Chilli Cheese Garlic Bread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chilli Cheese Garlic Bread
Chilli Cheese Garlic Bread

1 x 250 g bottle of cheese spread
150g butter, cubed
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 red chillies, very finely chopped
250ml grated mozzarella cheese
2 sourdough loafs or baguettes

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Add the cheese spread, butter, garlic and chillies to a small saucepan and place over a low heat.
Stir the mixture around while the butter melts. Keep going until amalgamated.
Add the grated mozzarella and stir until the cheese has melted and has incorporated into the sauce. Take from the heat.
Slice the bread on the diagonal into slices 2cm apart, taking care not to go all the way through to the bottom.
Spread the cheese mixture generously between the slices.
Wrap the bread in foil. (You may freeze one loaf at this stage).
Place the loaf on a baking sheet and put into the oven for 30 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Fresh Summer Tart

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Fresh Summer Tart
Fresh Summer Tart

1 x 400g pastry
5 eggs
185ml cream
100g baby spinach, chopped
250ml frozen peas
100g ricotta cheese
100g feta cheese, crumbed
80g rocket leaves
125g sugar snap peas
3 zucchini, shaved into ribbons

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray.
Roll the pastry to a 3mm thickness and line the bottom and side of the cake tin. Set aside.
Add the eggs and cream to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the chopped spinach, peas and cheeses and mix through. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for 30 minutes.
Cool the tart for 30 minutes.
Top the tart with the rocket leaves, sugar snaps and zucchini shavings.
Drizzle over some olive oil to serve.

3-Ingredient Banana Flapjacks

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on 3-Ingredient Banana Flapjacks
3-Ingredient Banana Flapjacks

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.

Chorizo and Spinach Carbonara

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chorizo and Spinach Carbonara
Chorizo and Spinach Carbonara

This is a cheat’s version of carbonara and makes a perfect weekday dinner. Feeds 4 adults.

300g dried pappardelle pasta (or spaghetti)
150g chorizo sausage, sliced
15ml thyme, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml lemon juice
45ml yoghurt
1 egg
100g baby spinach
50g parmesan cheese, grated

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.