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Golden Syrup Dumplings

June 19, 2023June 12, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Golden Syrup Dumplings

This is one of my top 5 favourite all-time eats!! It is so easy and quick to make and utterly, heavenly delicious! The recipe makes 2 dumplings each for 4 people.

Syrup:
125ml golden syrup
190ml brown sugar
40g butter, diced
450ml water

Dumplings:
375ml self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
30g butter
1 egg
100ml milk
30ml golden syrup

For the syrup:
Add the syrup, sugar, butter and water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, give the mixture a stir and leave on a low simmer while you make the dumplings.

For the dumplings:
Add the flour and salt to a mixing bowl and stir to mix.
Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the butter is as evenly distributed as possible.
Add the egg, milk and golden syrup to a bowl and whisk to combine.
Pour the mixture into the flour and stir until just combined – do not overmix!
Drop heaped tablespoons of the batter into the simmering syrup and cover with a lid.
Simmer for 7-8 minutes, turn the dumplings over and cook with the lid on for another 5 minutes.
Serve the dumplings with cream, ice cream or as is.

Prawn Croquettes / Hollandse Kroketten

June 18, 2023June 12, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Prawn Croquettes / Hollandse Kroketten

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
500g prawns, cleaned
375ml mashed potato
125ml grated cheddar cheese
2 eggs
about 500ml panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil to fry

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat, add a splash of cooking oil and the onion and cook until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the prawns and cook until pink – about 3 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
Add the mashed potato and cheddar and pulse until the mixture is evenly incorporated.
Season with salt.
Beat the eggs together in a shallow bowl.
Add the breadcrumbs to another shallow bowl.
Scoop 30ml of the prawn mixture into you hands and shape it into a log.
Dit into the egg and then roll to cover in the breadcrumbs.
Refrigerate the shaped croquettes for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Heat the vegetable oil and fry in batches for 3-4 minutes.
Serve warm with a tartar sauce on the side.

Pap and Wors Canapés

June 17, 2023June 11, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Pap and Wors Canapés

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
100g mature cheddar, grated
15ml salt
120g maize meal
30g butter
200g panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
vegetable oil for frying
cooked boerewors, sliced into 3 cm lengths

Place a frying pan on medium-high heat, add a splash of oil and cook the onion and garlic until soft. Set aside.
Pour 750ml water into a saucepan and add the salt. Wait for the water to come to a boil.
Add the maize meal slowly while whisking. Keep whisking until smooth.
Turn down the heat and cook until you have a stiff consistency.
Add the onion, garlic, grated cheddar and butter to the pap and stir through.
Cover with a lid and set aside to cool.
Add the breadcrumbs to a shallow dish.
Add the egg to another shallow dish and beat.
Scoop 15ml of the pap mixture into your hands and roll it into a ball. Keep going until you have no pap mixture left.
Roll each ball in the breadcrumbs, then dip into the egg and roll in the breadcrumbs again.
Heat the vegetable oil and fry the pap balls until golden.
Skewer a pap ball, then a piece of boerewors and another pap ball onto a wooden cocktail skewer.
Serve the pap and wors skewers with a chakalaka sauce on the side.

Chicken and Guava Curry

June 16, 2023June 11, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Chicken and Guava Curry

6 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 + 3 guavas, quartered and deseeded
500ml yoghurt
45ml vegetable oil
5ml mustard seeds
5ml cumin seeds
4 curry leaves
10ml ground coriander
5ml chilli flakes
5ml ground turmeric
5ml salt
10ml sugar

Add the two quartered guavas and 500ml yoghurt to a blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside.
Add the vegetable oil to a saucepan set over medium heat.
Add the mustard and cumin seeds and wait for it to start crackling.
Now add the curry leaves, coriander, chilli, turmeric, salt and sugar.
Pour in the guava and yoghurt mixture and add the chicken pieces.
Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the three quartered and deseeded guavas and stir through.
Simmer lightly for another 10 minutes.
Serve the curry on fragrant rice.

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

June 14, 2023May 30, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

60ml butter
1 onion, chopped
60ml flour
750ml vegetable stock
1 head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces, stems included
1 large carrot, finely diced
500ml milk
750ml grated mature cheddar cheese

Add the butter to a large saucepan set over medium-high heat and wait for it to melt.
Add the onion and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft.
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, while stirring.
Drizzle in the stock while whisking continuously.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Now add the broccoli and carrot, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a low simmer.
Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Pour the milk into the mixture and stir to blend.
Decant about two thirds of the mixture into a blender and blitz until smooth.
Pour back into the saucepan and wait for the soup to come back to a low simmer.
Add the cheddar and stir through until melted.
Serve the soup piping hot with a crusty bread.

No-Bake Oats Cookies

June 13, 2023June 8, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

No-Bake Oats Cookies

110g butter, diced
350g sugar
80ml cocoa powder
120ml milk
5ml vanilla
160g peanut butter
280g oats

Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper (or line a cupcake tin with paper cups).
Add the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and milk to a saucepan set over medium heat.
Stir the mixture until the sugar has melted and it reaches a boil.
Allow to boil for exactly 60 seconds, without stirring.
Remove from the heat.
Add the vanilla, peanut butter and oats and stir until THOROUGHLY combined!
Spoon about 60ml of the mixture onto the lined baking sheets and set aside to set for an hour.
Store the oats cookies in a glass container.

Orange Oatmeal

June 12, 2023June 7, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Orange Oatmeal

250ml oats, cooked
90ml butter, cubed
250ml caster sugar
finely grated zest of 2 oranges
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1 lemon
segments of 2 oranges

Add the butter, caster sugar, orange and lemon zest and orange and lemon juice to a small saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and becomes syrupy.
Take the sauce off of the heat, add the orange segments and set aside to steep for 15 minutes.
Spoon the oatmeal into servings bowls and top with the orange and sauce.

Pull-Apart Bread

June 11, 2023June 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Pull-Apart Bread

300ml milk
30ml butter
10g instant yeast
455g cake flour
80ml sugar
a pinch of salt
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 egg whites, beaten together
about 18 slices of ham
about 18 slices of cheese

Heat the milk and butter so that the butter melts and you are left with a lukewarm mixture.
Sprinkle the yeast on top of the milk and butter mixture, give it a stir and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.|Add the yeast mixture and egg yolks too the mixing bowl.
Attach the dough hook and mix for 3 minutes on low speed.
Knead for another 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.`
Cover the mixing bowl with cling wrap and allow the dough to proof in a warm place until doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 4 equal parts.
Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Roll one of the dough pieces into a circle of about 25cm. Place this dough circle onto the baking sheet.
Lay 5/6 slices of cheese over the dough, 5/6 slices of ham and another 5/6 slices of cheese.
Roll the next piece of dough into a circle of more or less the same size as the first.
Place it on top of the first circle.
Cut the dough circles into 16, (do 4, then 8 and then 16).
Take 2 pieces next to each other and make three twists in opposite directions. Keep repeating until all pieces have been twisted.
Cover with cling wrap and leave to proof for 15 minutes.
Repeat the process with the other dough.
Brush the bread with the egg white and bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Rosemary Truffles

June 10, 2023June 9, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Rosemary Truffles

160g + 160g chocolate, chopped
5ml butter
30ml milk
80ml desiccated coconut
80g chocolate cake, crumbed
65g icing sugar, sieved
20g pecan nuts, chopped
15ml rosemary, very finely chopped
16 sprigs of rosemary

Add the 160g chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt completely.
Take off the heat and stir in the milk.
Add the coconut, chocolate cake, icing sugar, pecan and rosemary and stir through.
Allow the mixture to cool for about 15 minutes.
Scoop 15ml portions into your hands and roll into balls.
Place on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate until set.
Scewer each truffle with a rosemary sprig.
Add the remaining 160g chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and stir every now and then to melt.
Dip the truffles into the melted chocolate and place them back onto the lined tray.
Stand the truffles at room temperature until the chocolate has set before serving.

Mongolian Beef

June 9, 2023June 3, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

Mongolian Beef

500g beef, sliced in strips
45ml cornstarch
15ml + 15ml vegetable oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml ground ginger
80ml soy sauce
60ml water
60ml brown sugar
15ml sesame seeds, toasted

Add the beef strips to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the cornstarch over and toss together so that the steak is coated in a thin layer.
Place a large pan on medium-high heat and pour in 15ml of vegetable oil.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the soy sauce, water and sugar and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the sauce into a jug and set aside.
Pour the remaining 15ml vegetable oil into the pan and turn the heat to medium-high.
Add the steak in batches and cook until it is browned.
Add all the steak back into the pan and pour in the sauce.
Simmer until the sauce is thick and glossy. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon evenly.
Serve the beef on steamed rice, scatter over the sesame seeds and serve.

Hi and welcome to my blog! My name is Karen and I love cooking simple, uncomplicated, flavourful food. My cooking is inspired by seasonal ingredients, punchy flavours, an awareness of sustainability and of course by the likes and dislikes of my family and friends that sit around my table as well as you, the virtual guests around my table!

I am a chef, recipe developer and food stylist and generate my own content. I am also completely addicted to recipe books, of which I have an extremely large collection but the essence of my food is about celebrating life and all the fabulousness that we can add by creating good food.

Thank you for reading my blog. Please keep on giving me feedback and may your kitchen, as mine, be filled with joy and the best tasting food!