Tag: family meals

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Slow-Cooked Saucy Curry

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Slow-Cooked Saucy Curry
Slow-Cooked Saucy Curry

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml salt
15ml ground ginger
15ml curry powder
15ml turmeric
15ml sumac
15ml sugar
30ml lemon juice
2kg stewing lamb
2 x 400g tins of coconut milk
750ml + 250ml vegetable stock
5 carrots, peeled and cubed
5 potatoes, peeled and cubed

Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in enough oil to cover the base.
Add the onion and cook until soft.
Add the garlic, salt, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, sumac, sugar and lemon juice and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add the lamb and stir to cover the meat in the spices.
Pour 1 can of coconut milk and 750ml stock into the saucepan and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for an hour.
Add the carrots and potato and pour in the 250ml stock.
Simmer for another hour.
Now add the last can of coconut milk and crusty some of the potato against the sides of the saucepan to thicken the sauce.
Cook for 5 minutes and serve on steamed rice.

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New Retro Apricot Chicken

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on New Retro Apricot Chicken
New Retro Apricot Chicken

125ml flour
45ml vegetable oil
8 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml sumac
10ml salt
2 x 400g tins of halved apricots
250ml chicken stock
almond flakes

Add the flour to a shallow bowl and season with salt.
Place a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil.
Dip the chicken in the flour to coat both sides and fry in batches for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. (Add extra oil to the pan if you need to)
Keep the browned chicken on the side.
Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Sprinkle the sumac and salt over and stir.
Pour the syrup and fruit of one of the tins of apricot into a blender and process until smooth.
Pour into the pan, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chicken breasts.
Cook for 20 minutes with a lid on, stirring every now and then.
Drain the second tin of apricots and add the fruit to the pan.
Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Serve on couscous with almond flakes scattered over.


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Banana-Meatball Bake

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Banana-Meatball Bake
Banana-Meatball Bake

This recipe makes about 30 medium sized meatballs.

Meatballs:
4 slices white bread, crusts cut off
500ml water
1kg minced/ground beef
2 eggs
15ml salt
2,5ml ground coriander
2,5ml ground cumin
5ml white pepper
10ml ground ginger
125ml flour
vegetable oil

Banana and Onion Sauce:
3 onions, sliced
10ml ground turmeric
20ml curry powder
20ml sugar
25ml flour
30ml apricot jam
50ml vinegar
500ml water
4 bananas, sliced
125ml desiccated coconut

For the meatballs:
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a large ceramic dish with cooking spray.
Place the bread in a bowl and pour over the water.
Stand for 1 minute. Drain the water and squeeze out any excess.
Add the bread to a large mixing bowl and break it up.
Add the minced meat, eggs, salt coriander, cumin, ginger and white pepper.
Mix together with your hands, squeezing it through your fingers.
Roll medium sized meatballs (about 15ml scoop) and place them on a baking sheet.
Add the flour to a shallow bowl and lightly roll each meatball in it.
Place a large pan on medium-high heat, add enough oil to cover the surface and fry the meatballs in batches until brown.
Place the meatballs in the prepared baking dish and set aside.

For the banana and onion sauce:
Place the same pan in which you browned the meatballs over medium-high heat, add the onions and cook until soft.
Add the turmeric, curry powder, sugar and flour and stir-fry for one minute.
Now add the jam, vinegar and water and stir while cooking, until you have a thickened sauce.
Season with salt.
Add the banana and stir through.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs, sprinkle over the coconut and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Serve the meatballs and sauce on fluffy steamed rice.

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Open Vegetable Pie

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Open Vegetable Pie
Open Vegetable Pie

350g sweet potato, cut into 1-1,5cm cubes
350g potato, cut into 1-1,5cm cubes
1 small cauliflower head, 350-400g, cut into florets
45ml olive oil
3 eggs
250ml cultured buttermilk
5ml salt
100g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 170℃ and spray a 20cm x 20cm baking dish with cooking spray.
Spread the cubed sweet potato, potato and cauliflower florets on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast in the oven until cooked but not mushy.
Set aside to cool.
Add the olive oil and eggs to a large jug and whisk together.
Pour in the buttermilk and salt and whisk until the mixture is amalgamated.
Add the grated cheese and stir through.
Place the pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a square.
Line the prepared baking dish on the bottom and sides and trim the edges.
Spoon the cooled vegetables in the pastry shell and pour the buttermilk mixture over.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
Serve as a side dish or as a vegetarian main with a salad.

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Tomato and Leek Soup

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Tomato and Leek Soup
Tomato and Leek Soup


45ml butter
30ml olive oil
4 leeks, washed and sliced in coins
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
15ml sugar
5ml salt
500ml vegetable stock
60ml cream
a handful of basil leaves

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil.
Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until just before the leaks start to caramelise.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the tomato, sugar, salt and vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Blitz the soup with an immersion blender until smooth and place it back on a medium-high heat.
Pour in the cream and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Scatter over the basil leaves and serve with toasted cheese sandwiches.

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Mediterranean Orzo

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Mediterranean Orzo
Mediterranean Orzo

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.

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Shitake Chicken in Mustard Sauce

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Shitake Chicken in Mustard Sauce
Shitake Chicken in Mustard Sauce

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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Shoulder of Lamb

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Shoulder of Lamb
Shoulder of Lamb

2kg lamb shoulder
6 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml ground cumin
15ml ground coriander
5ml chilli flakes
10ml smoked paprika
10ml salt
5ml black peppercorns, crushed
62ml olive oil
62ml lemon juice

125ml pomegranate seeds
60ml pine kernels, roasted

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Place the lamb shoulder in a roasting dish with the fat side up.
Add the cumin, coriander, chilli, paprika, salt, peppercorns, olive oil and lemon juice to a small bowl and mix together.
Smear the paste all over the meat.
Pour 500ml of water around the lamb and tightly cover the roasting dish with aluminium foil.
Roast the lamb for an hour, open up the foil and spoon the liquid in the pan over the meat.
Cover again and roast further. Open the lamb once more after another hour.
The total roasting time should be 3 hours, with the foil covering.
Remove the foil after 3 hours of roasting and place the meat back in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the meat from the roasting tin but reserve the juices.
Slice or shred the lamb in a serving dish and drizzle with the pan juices.
Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and pine kernels over the shredded meat and serve.

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Beef Pide

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Beef Pide
Beef Pide

Dough:
330ml warm/tepid water
5ml salt
5ml sugar
10ml instant yeast
750ml bread flour

Filling:
about 350g cooked, ground beef
250ml grated mozzarella cheese
a handful of basil leaves

For the dough:
Add the water, salt, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Stir the mixture together until the sugar has dissolved and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Add the bread flour and mix on low speed to form a dough.
Turn the speed up to medium and mix/knead for 5 minutes. You will be left with a soft but slightly sticky dough.
Place the dough in a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 240℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Dust a work surface with flour and divide the dough into 6 portions.
Roll out each piece of dough to form an oval.
Place the dough ovals on the baking sheet and brush with olive oil.
Top the dough with mozzarella and a few spoons of beef, but keep a 1cm border on the edges.
Fold the edges of the dough over the filling and pinch the ends together to form a boat shape.
Bake for 13 minutes.
Scatter over the basil leaves.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Aubergine with Sesame Dressing

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Aubergine with Sesame Dressing
Aubergine with Sesame Dressing

12 baby aubergine OR 2 large aubergine, cut into 2cm thick slices
30ml olive oil
250ml greek yoghurt
45ml tahini paste
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Slice the aubergine in half and score the flesh.
Brush the olive oil on the scored side and either grill over an open fire or in a very warm pan until cooked and slightly charred.
Arrange the aubergine on a serving plate.
Add the yoghurt, tahini paste and garlic to a small bowl and mix together. Smear the tahini paste against the side of the bowl and scrape it off again so that it mixes through the other ingredients.
Serve the sesame dressing on the aubergine at room temperature.