healthyfood – Page 3 – My Whisk and I

Baked Aubergine

June 30, 2022May 25, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a lighter, healthier version of the traditional Greek Papoutsakia with all its tomato and cheese. The recipe is vegan and is a wonderful way of boosting one’s fibre intake.

3-4 large aubergine
45ml olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml thyme leaves
4 medium zucchini/baby marrows, finely chopped
100g baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 pomegranate, deseeded

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Cut the aubergine in half lengthwise.
Insert a small sharp knife 0,5cm from the skin on the cut side and cut around the outside of the aubergine, taking care not to break the skin.
Now score a diamond pattern on the flesh, cutting as deep down as you can without piercing the skin. Gently loosen and scoop out the flesh.
Place the halved aubergine on a baking sheet and set aside.
Set a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil to it.
Add the onion and fry until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for another minute.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the thyme, zucchini, baby spinach and chopped aubergine flesh that you scooped out earlier.
Cook until the spinach is wilted – about 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the mixture into the aubergine halves.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Scatter a handful of pomegranate seeds on the baked aubergine and serve.

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Olive Oil Cake

June 29, 2022May 25, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This cake is a good example of how something very plain can be absolutely fabulous!! The texture is fine and dense, there is a faint reminder of last summer’s olive harvest and the most perfect accompaniment to a cup of Greek coffee!! I do hope you try it soon…

3 eggs
190ml sugar
125ml olive oil – choose an oil of which you really like the flavour!
125ml milk
2,5ml vanilla
1,2ml almond extract
375ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 20cm diameter cake tin with cooking spray. Coat the inside of the tin with flour. Set aside.
Add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at high speed for 30 seconds.
Drizzle in the olive oil with the machine running.
Add the milk in a thin stream and beat until combined.
Lower the speed of the mixer and add the vanilla and almond extract.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl and mix together with a whisk.
Add the flour mixture a spoonful at a time, with the mixer running on low speed. Beat until combined before adding more flour and stop the mixer often to scrape down the bowl.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake between 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
Remove it from the cake tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
Brush the cooled cake with fresh olive before serving.

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Greek Pesto

June 28, 2022May 25, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

A much lighter pesto than what normally pops up under the name but truly refreshing with a wide range of foods. I especially like to thin the pesto down with olive oil and lemon juice and utilise it as a salad dressing.

500ml basil leaves, tightly packed when measured
80ml thyme/oregano leaves
3 cloves of garlic, minced
60ml pine nuts
salt
juice of one lemon
about 125ml – 250ml olive oil, depending on the consistency you are after

Add the basil, thyme, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a blender .
Drizzle in 125ml olive oil with the machine running and process the mixture until very finely minced. Scrape down in between blitzing so that you get all of the bits. The additional olive oil may also be added now, depending on the consistency you want – it can always be thinned down at a later stage.
Taste the pesto and adjust the seasoning/salt.
Store the pesto in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

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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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Green Soup

June 20, 2022June 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,5litre vegetable stock
750g frozen peas
250g broccoli
300g baby spinach
60g almond meal
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
a small handful of mint leaves
plain yoghurt, to serve

Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add the peas and broccoli and simmer until the broccoli is tender – about 5 minutes.
Add the spinach leaves, almond meal, lemon zest and juice and mint and simmer for another 2 minutes.
Season the soup with salt and pepper. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Blend the mixture with a stick blender until smooth.
Simmer the soup for another 2 minutes, spoon into serving bowls and serve with a dollop of yoghurt.

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Milk Tart Overnight Oats

June 13, 2022June 13, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

150g sugar
45ml cornstarch
3 egg yolks
50ml + 700ml milk
7,5ml vanilla
5ml ground cinnamon
500ml oats
ground cinnamon and sugar, mixed, for dusting

Add the sugar and cornstarch to a mixing bowl and stir to mix.
Whisk the egg yolks and 50ml milk together and stir into the sugar mixture to make a smooth, runny paste. Set aside.
Add the 700ml milk to a saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Take the saucepan from the heat and drizzle a thin stream of milk on to the egg mixture while whisking vigorously.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, place it over medium-high heat and whisk until thick.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and cinnamon.
Add the oats to a bowl/glass jar.
Pour the warm mixture over the oats and leave to cool.
Refrigerate overnight.
Dust with cinnamon-sugar to serve.

The oats may be kept in the refrigerator for 5 days.

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Chocolate Pistachio Thumbprints

January 6, 2022January 5, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125g butter
160ml sugar
1 egg, separated
30ml milk
5ml vanilla
250ml flour
83ml cocoa powder, sifted
1,2ml salt
250ml pistachio, finely chopped
80g nut butter chocolate, chopped
15ml cocoa butter

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together.
Add the egg yolk, milk and vanilla and mix together.
Stir in the flour, cocoa powder and salt until combined.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Add the egg white to a small bowl and whisk until frothy.
Chop the pistachio finely (I do mine in a food processor) and place it in a shallow bowl.
Scoop up about 15ml of dough and roll it into small balls.
Now roll each ball in the egg white and then in the chopped pistachio.
Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet.
Use the back of a 2,5ml measuring spoon to make an indentation in the centre of each dough ball.
Bake the biscuits for 12 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately re-press the indentations you made. Set aside to cool completely.
Add the chocolate and cocoa butter to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt.
Stir every now and then until smooth and glossy.
Remove from the heat and stand the bowl for about 30 minutes.
Spoon the chocolate into the indent in each biscuit and set aside to allow the chocolate to set – preferably overnight.
Makes about 25 biscuits.

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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.