healthy meals – Page 2 – My Whisk and I

Beef and Veg Scone Pie

September 6, 2023August 18, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
50g tomato paste
1kg beef mince (ground beef)
1 aubergine, diced
500ml beef stock
15ml thyme leaves
5ml salt

Scone layer:
60ml vegetable oil
15ml sugar
100ml milk
1 egg
1 x 400g tin of corn kernels
250ml flour
1,2ml salt
8ml baking powder
30ml thyme leaves, chopped

Place a large saucepan on medium-high heat and pour in some vegetable oil.
Add the onion and carrots and cook until the onions are soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the tomato paste, minced beef and aubergine and stir to break up the mince.
Pour in the stock, add the thyme and salt and simmer for 30 minutes or until the mixture is dry.
Spoon the beef mixture in to a 28cm x 21cm ceramic dish and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the vegetable oil, sugar, milk and egg to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the corn kernels, mix through and set aside.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
Scrape the corn mixture into the bowl and add the thyme leaves.
Mix through – you will have quite a stiff dough.
Spoon the scone mixture on to the beef mixture and spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown.
Serve the pie with a garden salad on the side.

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Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

June 29, 2023June 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a nutritious soup and is perfect to make with cooked, left-over chicken.

2 chicken breast fillets
1,5l chicken stock
10ml sesame oil
2,5ml ground ginger
1 x 375g can of sweet corn
30ml cornflour
2 eggs
a handful of chopped chives
one packet baby corn

Place the chicken breasts in a saucepan set over medium-high heat and cover with 1 litres of the stock. Add a pinch of salt and cook until the chicken is done.
Remove the meat, but keep the stock.
Shred the chicken into large strips by pulling it apart with two forks.
Top up the chicken stock so that you have 1 litre again.
Add the sesame oil, ginger powder and sweet corn and bring to a boil.
Add the shredded chicken and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Add the cornflour to a small bowl and pour in about 60ml of the stock from the saucepan.
Stir to make a runny paste.
Drizzle the cornflour into the saucepan in a thin stream while stirring continuously.
Add the eggs to a small bowl and whisk together.
Add a spoonful of the stock in the saucepan to the eggs and whisk again.
Now, slowly drizzle in the egg while stirring.
Remove the soup from the heat, add the corn and chives and serve immediately.

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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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Green Quiche

April 2, 2023April 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Pastry:
360g flour
150g butter, cubed
1 egg
100g cheddar cheese, grated

Filling:
45ml vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of Kale, chopped
125ml chicken stock
6 eggs
125ml cream
5ml salt

For the pastry:
Add the flour and butter to a mixing bowl and rub together with your fingers until the lumps are the size of peas.
Add the egg and cheddar and mix to bring together.
Knead the pastry by hand. It is very flaky and falls apart but push it together as best you can.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a loose-bottom cake tin or pie tin with cooking spray.
Roll the pastry into a rough circle shape even if it breaks apart and transfer (even if it is pieces) to the pie tin. Gently push the pastry out on the base and sides of the baking tin. It is okay to “patch” the pastry as long as there are no gaps for the filling to leak out.
Line the pastry with baking paper and dried beans.
Bake for 7 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake a further 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the filling:
Add the vegetable oil to a saucepan set over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the kale and stir-fry until slightly softened and bright green.
Spoon the mixture into a blender, add the stock and blitz until smooth.
Add the eggs and cream to a mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
Add the kale mixture to the eggs and whisk to combine.
Pour the mixture into the pastry shell and bake for 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to rest for 15 minutes before serving with whipped goats cheese.

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Fish Parcels

February 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 portions of hake
2 sweet peppers, sliced
100g green olives, pitted
30ml capers, roughly chopped
60ml peppadews, chopped
2 lemons, quartered

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Cut 4 pieces of baking paper to more or less 30cm x 30cm.
Place a portion of hake in the centre of each paper square and season with salt and pepper.
Add the sweet peppers, olives, capers and peppadews to a small bowl and mix through. Divide the mixture equally and spoon onto the fish.
Squeeze the juice of a quartered lemon over.
Bring the two opposite sides of the paper together and fold over twice.
Now twist the ends to enclose the filling.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve the fish in its paper parcel.

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Panzanella Salad with Burrata

February 15, 2023February 14, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Traditionally panzanella/Italian bread salad is not served with cheese but the creaminess of the burrata adds a deliciousness beyond words!

4 x 2cm thick slices of sourdough bread
6-8 ripe tomatoes, room temperature
half a cucumber
1 burrata cheese
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
125ml olive oil
60ml balsamic vinegar
juice of one lemon

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Cut the sourdough slices into cubes of 1,5-2cm – they should look like chunky croutons.
Spread the bread on the prepared baking sheet and liberally drizzle with olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the croutons are golden and crisp.
Remove from the baking sheet and set aside.
For the dressing:
Chop 3-4 tomatoes into very small pieces. The chopping is best done in a shallow bowl so that you can preserve all of the tomatoes’ juice.
Add the tomato and its juice to a mixing bowl.
Chop the onion as finely as you can, mince the garlic and add to the tomato.
Now add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.
Mix the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.

Slice the remaining 3-4 tomatoes into chunks and place in a large bowl.
Slice the cucumber into chunks and add to the tomato.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix through.
Scatter the croutons and basil over and mix again.
Spoon the salad onto a serving plate and place the burrata on top.
Serve with a cold Babylonstoren Rosé.

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Tomato and Plum Tart

February 9, 2023February 8, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 roll butter puff pastry
egg wash: 1 egg and 15ml water beaten together
3 large tomatoes
3 ripe plums
15 thyme leaves
15ml honey
250g flavoured cream cheese (I used chive flavour)

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Lay the pastry on the baking paper and cut a 1,5cm strip off each side.
Brush the pastry with some egg wash and lay the strips onto the pastry border.
Prick the inside of the pastry with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut the tomatoes and plums into wedges and place in a mixing bowl.
Drizzle with the honey, season with salt and pepper and scatter the thyme leaves over.
Brush the entire pastry sheet with the rest of the egg wash.
Now spread the cream cheese onto the inside block of the pastry, using the back of a spoon.
Arrange half the tomato and plum mix onto the cream cheese.
Bake the tart in the oven for 30 minutes.
Top the warm tart with the remaining tomato and plums and season once more.
Serve slightly warm.

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Chicken Salad

September 19, 2022September 17, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

There is one sauce that doubles up as marinade and dressing!!

500g chicken breasts

Marinade/Dressing:
30ml olive oil
juice of 2 lemons (60ml)
30ml water
30ml apple cider vinegar
30ml chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
5ml dried origanum
5ml salt
black pepper

Salad:
lettuce
tomato, chopped
cucumber, chopped
red onion, sliced
avocado pear, sliced

Add all the ingredients for the marinade/dressing to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour half of the mixture into a jug and keep aside as the salad dressing.
Place the chicken breasts in the marinade for 30 minutes.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and add the chicken breasts. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-6 minutes before flipping them over and cooking for another 4 minutes. Rest the breasts in the pan, with the lid on for another 5 minutes.
Arrange the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion and avocado on a serving plate.
Slice the chicken and place on the salad.
Drizzle with the salad dressing and serve.

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Minestrone Soup

August 8, 2022July 31, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 carrots, chopped
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g tin of butter beans (or any other white bean, cooked)
4 x 250ml vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
5ml dried thyme
250ml small pasta, e.g. elbows, shells, vermicelli
125ml fresh parsley, chopped
salt and black pepper

Add some olive oil to a saucepan set over medium-high heat and fry the onion until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Now add the carrots, tomato, beans, stock, bay leaves and thyme. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the pasta and cook uncovered until done – about 10 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the soup and serve piping hot.

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Spicy Mexican Soup

June 9, 2022May 25, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

3 litres chicken stock
1,5kg chicken breasts, skin removed
5ml black peppercorns
5ml salt
2,5ml smoked paprika
3 x 400g tins chopped tomato
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 x 400g jars sweet jalapeño, drained
30ml + 30ml vegetable oil
120g spaghetti
fresh coriander
lime wedges

Add the stock to a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Cut the chicken breasts into chunks and add it to the stock.
Add the black peppercorns, salt and smoked paprika and simmer together for 30 minutes. Set aside.
Add the tomato, onion, garlic and jalapeño to the bowl of a blender and process until smooth.
Add 30ml oil to a large saucepan set over medium-high heat and add the tomato mixture to it.
Bring to a low simmer and cook half-covered for 10 minutes.
Remove the cooked chicken pieces from the stock and finely shred the meat.
Pour the stock into the tomato mixture.
Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes.
Now add the shredded chicken and cook for another 10 minutes.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning – salt, black pepper, smoked paprika.
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat, add 30ml vegetable oil and add the spaghetti to the pan.
Stir continuously while frying the spaghetti until it is a golden brown colour – about 3 minutes.
Drain the pasta on paper towel and then add it to the soup.
Simmer the soup for about 8 minutes, until the pasta is cooked.
Serve the soup immediately with fresh coriander and lime wedges.