foodcoma – Page 56 – My Whisk and I

Creamy Prawn Spaghetti

August 3, 2021August 3, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

The sauce for this prawn dish is absolutely delicious! It is creamy and cheesy and brings all the flavours together. No bread is needed to mop up the sauce as the pasta absorbs it all. Give it a try, you will love it! Feeds 4 hungry adults.

250g spaghetti
30ml butter
400g prawns
3 cloves of garlic, minced
65ml dry white wine
250ml cream
125ml chicken stock
50g parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of parsley, chopped

Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
Place a large saucepan onto medium-high heat and add the butter.
Add the prawns and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Now add the white wine and cook until reduced by half.
Add the cream, chicken stock and parmesan and turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Cook until the sauce has thickened.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the mixture and give everything a thorough mix-through.
Finish with a scattering of parsley before serving.

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Tropical Tapioca Dessert

August 2, 2021July 18, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Easy, comforting and an absolute crowd pleaser!!

2 tins of coconut milk
100ml milk
250ml tapioca
a pinch of salt
83ml sugar
83ml butter
4 eggs
5ml vanilla
6 fresh guavas
83ml coconut shavings

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and grease a 18cm X 28ccm ovenproof dish.
Pour the 2 tins of coconut milk and the 100ml of milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the tapioca and salt to the milk, turn the heat down to low and gently simmer for 25 minutes. Stir the mixture every now and then to prevent the tapioca from clotting and sticking to the saucepan.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the sugar and butter.
Add the eggs and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour the egg mixture into the tapioca while stirring.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Peel the guavas and randomly press them into the tapioca.
Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Sprinkle the warm dessert with coconut shavings and serve with pouring custard.

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Green-Pea Flan with Zucchini Pickle

July 29, 2021July 18, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a delicious and healthy meal based on Jamie Oliver’s avocado pastry recipe. The quick pickle elevates this plant-based dish from good to absolutely fabulous!

2 medium avocado pears
400g self-raising flour
ice water
6 eggs
5ml salt
400g frozen peas, defrosted
140g cheddar cheese, grated
200g sugarsnaps, halved

Quick Pickle:
500ml vinegar
500ml water
83ml sugar
30ml salt
10ml mustard seeds
10ml whole black peppercorns
4 cloves of garlic, cracked
2 bay leaves
12 zucchini

Start by making the pickle:
Slice the zucchini into coins/strips and place it in a glass bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients for the pickle to a saucepan. Place over high heat until tiny bubbles appear at the edges.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the pickle onto the prepared zucchini.
Set aside until cold. (The pickle may be bottled at this stage and stored in the refrigerator).

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 38cm X 25cm oven tray with cooking spray.
Scoop the flesh from the avocados into a food processor and add the flour.
Pulse at high speed until the mixture resembles coarse, wet sand.
Add a very small amount of ice cold water to the mixture while the engine is running. The mixture should come together into a ball.
Line the prepared baking tray with the avocado-pastry by pushing it about 2cm up the sides of the tray as well as covering the bottom as evenly as you can. The pastry is too wet to roll – be patient in pushing/spreading it out as evenly as you can. Set aside.
Add the eggs, salt, defrosted peas and cheddar cheese to the bowl of your food processor and blitz on high speed.
Pour this mixture onto the avocado-pastry and scatter the fresh sugarsnaps on top.
Bake the flan for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately cut into portions.
Serve a portion of the flan with a generous amount of zucchini pickles on top.

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Chocolate Bread-and-Butter Pudding

July 28, 2021July 18, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is the perfect make-ahead dessert when entertaining as it needs to rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking. With its crunchy outside top and soft, squidgy inside it is best served in small portions as it is very rich. Leftovers are equally good when cold!

10 slices white bread, 0,5cm thick
160g dark chocolate, chopped
75g butter
450ml cream
60ml dark rum
110g caster sugar
a pinch of cinnamon
3 eggs
extra pouring cream for serving

Grease a 18cm X 28cm ovenproof ceramic dish.
Remove the crusts from the bread slices and then cut each slice into 4 triangles. Set aside.
Add the chocolate, butter, cream, rum, sugar and cinnamon to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water.
Stir the mixture every now-and-then until the butter and chocolate has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the bowl from the heat and give it a good stir to amalgamate the ingredients. Put aside.
Add the eggs to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour the chocolate mixture over the eggs in a thin stream while whisking continuously. Remember: pour slowly, whisk quickly.
Spoon a 1cm layer of chocolate mixture into the base of the baking dish and arrange half the bread triangles in overlapping rows on this chocolate layer.

Pour half of the remaining chocolate mixture as evenly as you can, over the bread.
Arrange the rest of the triangles on top of this layer, finishing off with a layer of chocolate.

Gently press down the bread with a spoon so that it gets covered evenly with the liquid as it cools.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely. Place the dish in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Cooking the pudding:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake the pudding for 35 minutes.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving with pouring cream, custard or ice cream.

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Soybean Salad

July 27, 2021June 30, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Soybean is a complete protein and really delicious when mixed in a salad with crunchy vegetables. I have used black soybeans in this salad but any soybean can be used.

250ml soybeans, cooked according to packet instructions
baby spinach, finely chopped
purple cabbage, finely shredded
pomegranate seeds
feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
30ml lemon juice
15ml red wine vinegar
5ml mustard
5ml garlic, minced
15ml honey
60ml olive oil

Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until amalgamated.
Add the salad ingredients to a platter or bowl and drizzle the dressing over.

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Oven-baked Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

July 22, 2021June 30, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a hands-off meal that can be served with fragrant steamed rice or noodles. Leftovers are even better the next day!

9 skinless chicken breasts
125ml cornstarch
2 eggs
vegetable oil for frying

Sweet-and-sour sauce:
250ml sugar
250ml apple cider vinegar
125ml tomato sauce (ketchup)
30ml soy sauce
5ml garlic powder

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and spray an oven-proof dish or casserole of about 18cm X 28cm. Set aside.
Add all the sauce ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk together until the sugar has dissolved. Put aside.
Cut the chicken in to 2 – 3 cm chunks, season with salt and pepper and toss together in a mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken and mix to coat all the pieces.
Heat about 3cm of vegetable oil in a saucepan.
Whisk the eggs in a small bowl.
Dip the chicken pieces in the egg and fry the pieces in batches, in the oil, until golden.
Place the fried chicken into the prepared oven-proof dish. Keep going until all the chicken has been fried.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook in the oven for 40 minutes. Give it a stir once or twice during cooking time.
Serve the sweet-and-sour chicken on steamed rice or noodles, with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

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Apple-Cinnamon Loaf

July 21, 2021July 16, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a light fruity loaf that is not too sweet but still ticks all the boxes for a special treat!

500ml flour
125ml sugar
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
2,5ml salt
5ml ground cinnamon
250ml buttermilk
1 egg
62ml vegetable oil
250ml dried apple, diced
125ml pecan nuts, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 23cm X 13cm loaf tin.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and mix together with a whisk.
Add the buttermilk, egg and vegetable oil to a wide-mouth jug and whisk together until blended.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until all the flour has been incorporated and you are left with a shaggy, wet batter.
Add the chopped apple and nuts and stir through.
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf tin and pat it into the corners.
Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 50 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing.
Place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Dust with icing sugar and serve.

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Sweet Potato with Apricot

July 20, 2021July 16, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This simple apricot sauce transforms a baked sweet potato into a well-balanced, tasty meal. Easy, quick and utterly delicious!

6 – 8 medium sweet potatoes
250g dried apricots
125ml honey
30ml apple cider vinegar
2,5ml ground ginger
2,5ml ground coriander
a pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, until soft. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
Turn your oven onto the grill setting.
Add the apricots to a mixing bowl and sprinkle lightly with olive oil. Mix through so that all of the apricots are covered in oil.
Spread out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and grill until very lightly charred. Keep an eye on them, they burn quickly!
Add half the apricots to a liquidiser.
Add the honey, vinegar, ginger, coriander and a pinch of salt and blitz to a purée.
Taste the sauce and adjust to your liking. Adjust the thickness to your liking by adding more apricots for a thicker sauce.
Make a slit in the baked sweet potatoes and spoon the sauce over it.
Serve on rocket leaves and the rest of the whole roasted apricots.

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Spanish Sweet Milk Bread

July 19, 2021June 29, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Also known as Pan de Leche these large, sweet rolls are eaten all over Spain at breakfast. This recipe yields 4 large buns.

100ml milk, lukewarm
10ml instant yeast
50g butter, softened
70g granulated sugar
1 egg
200g bread flour

Warm the milk and pour it into a mixing bowl.
Add the yeast and stir until dissolved.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Set the machine on medium-high speed and cream the ingredients together.
Add the egg and beat to incorporate into the mixture.
Add the yeast and milk mixture and mix again.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and add half a cup of flour at a time, stirring the flour into the mixture with a wooden spoon. Keep going until all of the flour has been incorporated.
Dust the dough with 15ml of flour and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside and allow to proof for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Lightly coat your hands with vegetable oil and knead the dough 5 or 6 times. The dough will be very sticky!
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.
Shape each piece into an oval shape and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
Allow to rise for 15 minutes.
Bake the rolls for 8 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and lightly brush the rolls with vegetable oil. You may sprinkle the rolls with brown sugar at this stage.
Return the rolls to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Chocolate Pots

July 8, 2021June 22, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This traditional dessert, also known as Pots de Crème, is super easy to make. It is a rich and creamy no-bake dessert and most of all, it is deliciously smooth and not airy like a mousse. I serve this dessert in espresso cups as I find a larger serving too rich and overwhelming. This recipe yields 10 espresso-cup servings or 6 individual servings in standard ramekins.

250ml cream
100ml milk
160g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa, chopped
40g brown sugar
3 egg yolks
5ml vanilla

Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan and slowly bring it to a simmer.
Take the saucepan from the heat the moment it starts to simmer.
Add the chopped chocolate and stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted completely.
Add the sugar, egg yolks and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk with electric beaters until pale and fluffy.
Drizzle the chocolate mixture onto the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Remember: pour slowly, whisk quickly! Keep going until you have added all of the chocolate mixture.
Divide the mixture between ramekins/espresso cups and allow to cool completely.
Place the cups on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or until you are ready to serve.
I serve my chocolate pots as they are but this dessert is often served with Chantilly cream.