healthy lunch – My Whisk and I

Mongolian Beef

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

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.

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Spelt Salad

June 22, 2022June 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250ml spelt
250ml fresh tomato, chopped
250ml cucumber, chopped
250ml marinated sweet peppers, chopped
a handful of sprouts

Lemon Dressing:
62ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
5ml dijon/wholegrain mustard
1,2ml salt
ground black pepper
7,5ml honey
62ml olive oil

Cook the spelt according to the instructions on the packet and set aside to cool.
Add the spelt, tomato, cucumber, peppers and sprouts to a large mixing bowl.
Add the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, a few grindings of black pepper and honey to a small mixing bowl and whisk together.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously. Keep going until all the oil is incorporated and you have an emulsified mixture.
Pour about half of the lemon dressing over the salad and mix through.
The rest of the lemon dressing may be kept in the refrigerator.

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Bacon Cheesecake

November 19, 2021November 17, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Please give this savoury cheesecake a try: it is magnificent!

125g salted biscuits
80g butter, melted
250g bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
500g ricotta cheese
500g cream cheese, room temperature
250ml parmesan/pecorino cheese, grated
4 eggs

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line the sides only, of a 22cm loose-bottom cake pan with baking paper.
Add the biscuits to the bowl of a food processor and drizzle in the melted butter, with the engine running.
Scoop the mixture into the prepared cake pan and press it evenly on the bottom. Place in the refrigerator.
Put a frying pan on medium heat and add about 5ml vegetable oil to it. Add the bacon and onion to the pan and cook until done.
Take the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
Add the ricotta, cream cheese, grated parmesan and eggs to the bowl of a food processor and process until you have a smooth mixture.
Pour this mixture over the cooled bacon and onion and stir to combine.
Spoon into the prepared base and bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes.
Serve at room temperature with balsamic roasted beetroot (recipe on this site) and roasted onions.

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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.