family dinner – Page 2 – My Whisk and I

Green Bacon Salad

February 16, 2023February 15, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g smoked bacon
125ml yoghurt
125ml mayonnaise
a squeeze of lemon juice
45ml olive oil
80ml milk
100g + 100g feta cheese
3 cos lettuce (or other crunchy lettuce)
125g sugar snaps
250ml frozen peas, thawed
1 avocado pear, sliced

Dice the bacon and cook until done and slightly crispy on the edges. Set aside to cool.
Add the yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, milk and 100g of feta cheese to a blender and blitz on high speed until smooth. Set aside.
Arrange the lettuce on a serving plate.
Scatter over the sugar snaps, peas, avocado pear and bacon.
Spoon/drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Crumb the remaining 100g feta on top, add a few grindings of black pepper and serve.

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Orzotto Alla Norma

December 5, 2022December 5, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 aubergines
olive oil
250g cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
15ml fresh thyme, chopped
300g orzo
100g parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of fresh basil
1 Burrata

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Slice the aubergine into discs, spread them out on the prepared baking sheet and generously drizzle with olive oil.
Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the aubergine and bake for 30 minutes.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add some olive oil.
Fry the onion and garlic until soft.
Add the chopped tomato and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Cook the orzo according to packet instructions.
Drain the orzo and add it to the tomato sauce.
Add the grated parmesan and stir through.
Spoon the orzo into a serving dish and top with the aubergine, roasted tomato and burrata.
Serve with fresh basil leaves scattered on top.

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Cottage Potatoes

November 6, 2022November 5, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 large potatoes
15ml vegetable oil
500g beef mince (ground beef)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml tomato paste
15ml flour
30ml Worcestershire sauce
250ml beef stock
45ml butter
1,2ml nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Wash the potatoes and bake them in the oven until cooked. Remove and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Add the beef and cook until golden brown and any liquid has evaporated.
Add the onion, garlic and tomato paste and cook for a few minutes while stirring.
Sprinkle with the flour and add the Worcestershire sauce and beef stock.
Bring to the boil while stirring.
Cover, turn the heat down slightly and simmer for 30 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a little water.
Season the beef with salt and pepper and set aside.
Turn your oven up to 220℃.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving about 0,5cm of potato still stuck to the skin.
Place the potato flesh in a bowl and mash until smooth.
Add the butter and nutmeg and mix through. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the mashed potato into a piping bag.
Spoon some of the beef into the hollowed potato and pipe some mashed potato over the beef.
Place the potatoes in a baking dish and bake in the oven until warm and golden on top.
Serve with a fresh salad.

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Fondant Potato

October 27, 2022October 27, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Fondant potatoes are delicious but quite cheffy to make… I have taken out the chewiness without compromising on any taste. Less fiddling and a delicious, stress-free side-dish!!

45ml vegetable oil
5 large or 10 medium potatoes
45g butter
a handful of thyme
250ml chicken/vegetable stock

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Peel the potatoes and slice off the rounded ends. Now half the potato so that you have 2 cylinders off at least 4cm in height when they stand on a flat/cut side. (not more than 5cm)
Place a cast iron pan on medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil.
Arrange the potatoes, flat side down in the pan and cook until golden – about 6 minutes.
Flip them around onto the other flat side and brown this side as well – about 6 minutes.
Add the butter to the pan and allow to melt.
Add the thyme (be careful it will spit!) and baste the potato with the butter.
Pore the stock around the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Place a lid on the pan and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
Check that the potatoes are tender by inserting a sharp knife – if not, bake another 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with salt and fresh sprigs of thyme and serve immediately.

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Chorizo and Spinach Carbonara

October 4, 2022October 3, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.

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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.

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Boerenkool Stamppot

May 5, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Boerenkool Stamppot is probably the oldest and most authentic of Dutch dishes and could be considered the Netherland’s national dish. Comfort food for those cold evenings when you do not want to spend too much time in the kitchen but need something to feed your soul.

1,5kg potatoes, peeled and diced
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
500g kale, trimmed and roughly chopped
500g rookworst (or any other smoked sausage)
125ml milk
45ml butter
salt and plenty of black pepper, to taste

Add the potatoes, onion, bay leaf, kale and a teaspoon salt to a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover the ingredients. Cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes.
Slice the sausage into thick slices and fry it off in a hot pan. You want the edges to caramelise and become crispy. Set aside.
Remove the bay leaf from the veggies in the saucepan and drain off the water.
Add the milk and butter to the saucepan and stir through.
Lightly mash the potato-kale mixture but be sure to keep some texture.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir in the fried sausage.
Serve the stamp pot with a traditional Dutch beer or a glass of wine.