instafood – Page 2 – My Whisk and I

Tsatziki

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

Tsatziki is an entire Greek summer on a plate and goes with anything: bread, roasted vegetables, meat and pita.

1 cucumber (English cucumber is perfectly fine) – 125ml grated and 83ml cut into small cubes
250ml yoghurt
1 clove of garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
2,5ml salt
olive oil

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon.
Grate the cucumber on the coarse side of a box grater – you need about 125ml when measured.
Now finely dice enough cucumber so that you have about 83ml.
Add the cucumber, yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt to a mixing bowl and stir together.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes or stand at room temperature so that the flavours can develop.
Spoon the tsatziki into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil before serving.
Keep any leftover tsatziki covered in the refrigerator.

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Fresh Bloody Mary

July 7, 2022June 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Tomato Juice:
1,5kg ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 onion, finely chopped
10ml tomato paste
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
15ml lemon juice
salt and white pepper

Add the tomato and onion to a blender and process until smooth.
Pass the mixture through a sieve.
Pour the strained juice into a small saucepan and add the tomato paste and chilli to it.
Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Skim the surface of the juice while simmering.
Take the saucepan from the heat, add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and white pepper.
Cool the tomato juice and refrigerate.

For the Bloody Mary:
vodka
1 egg white, lightly beaten
coarse sea salt
olives
rosemary twigs

Dip the rim of a serving glass into the egg white and immediately dip it into the sea salt. Allow to dry.
Fill the glass with ice.
Mix together 150ml tomato juice and 30ml vodka and stir together.
Pour the juice and vodka over the ice and garnish with an olive studded rosemary twig.

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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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Baklava Cheesecake

June 27, 2022June 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This Greek cheesecake takes the ever popular cheesecake to a whole new level. If you try one new recipe, it should be this one!!! Yields 16 slices.

12 sheets phyllo pastry
83ml butter, melted
250ml + 250ml pistachio nuts, finely chopped
62ml sugar
2,5ml ground cinnamon
1,2ml ground allspice
250g cream cheese, room temperature
250g mascarpone cheese, room temperature
83ml honey
62ml milk
45ml flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and lightly spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray. Place the cake tin on a baking sheet.
Place one sheet of phyllo in the cake tin and very lightly press it onto the bottom and sides of the pan, leaving the extra pastry as an overhang at this stage. Brush the pastry with the melted butter.
Do the same with the 11 other phyllo sheets, brushing each and rotating the sheets slightly so that the corners are staggered. Set aside.
Add 250ml chopped pistachio, sugar, ground cinnamon and allspice to a mixing bowl and stir to mix.
Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the phyllo in the cake tin.
Place in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes or until the edges of the pastry are golden.
Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Turn your oven temperature down to 170℃.
Add the cream cheese and mascarpone to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Turn the mixer on to a low speed and mix until the mixture is smooth.
Add the honey, milk and flour with the machine running.
Finally add the eggs and, still on low speed, beat until just blended.
Pour the batter into the phyllo crust and bake for 1 hour or until the centre of the cheesecake is barely set.
Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least an hour and then cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate the cake overnight.
Take the cake from the baking tin and sprinkle with the 250ml chopped pistachio to serve.

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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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Traditional Sweet Dumplings/Souskluitjies

June 17, 2022June 13, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250ml flour
5ml baking powder
1,2ml salt
45ml butter, cubed
2 eggs
15ml sugar
2,5ml salt
2,5ml ground cinnamon
125ml butter, melted
ground cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle over

Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips.
Add the eggs and 15ml sugar to another bowl and whisk together.
Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix together.
Fill a large saucepan at least 7-8cm deep with hot, simmering water.
Add 2,5ml salt and 2,5ml cinnamon to the water.
Spoon a teaspoonful of batter into the water. Add another 4 dumplings – do not crowd the saucepan- and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a heatproof dish.
Drizzle with the melted butter and some cinnamon-sugar.
Keep the dumplings warm while you cook the rest.
Serve warm with extra cinnamon-sugar.

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Crispy Prawn Canapés

June 16, 2022June 13, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g prawns, shelled and deveined – keep the tail ends on
2 eggs, lightly beaten
83ml flour
250ml popped rice (rice crispies)
vegetable oil for frying

Clean and dry the prawns.
Add the eggs to a shallow dish and beat together.
Add the flour and popped rice to a second and third bowl.
Heat the oil in a saucepan to about 170℃.
Now dredge each prawn in flour, then egg and finally in the popped rice.
Fry the prawn in the oil for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with a dipping sauce, as a canapé.

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Oxtail Stew with Dumplings

June 15, 2022June 13, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2.5 – 3kg oxtail
vegetable oil
3 onions, chopped
4 clove of garlic, minced
60ml flour
5 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 bay leaves
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
250ml red wine
1,5l beef stock
Worcestershire sauce

Dumplings:
250ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
2ml salt
60g butter, cut into small cubes
10ml dried mixed herbs
60-80ml milk

For the stew:
Preheat your oven to 220℃.
Add the oxtail to 2 large roasting tins and drizzle with the vegetable oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Roast the oxtail for 20-25 minutes, until beautifully caramelised and golden. Set aside.
Place a large saucepan on medium-high heat, add some vegetable oil and then add the onions. Cook until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Sprinkle over the flour and stir while cooking for another minute.
Now add the carrots, bay leaves, tomatoes, red wine, beef stock and about 6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
Add the oxtail and whatever pan juices you have and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer and partly cover with a lid.
Simmer the oxtail for 3 hours, stirring every now and then.
Remove the lid and check the consistency of the sauce – if it is too watery, simmer without the lid for 20-30 minutes longer. The sauce should be thick and rich and the meat should be fork tender.

For the dumplings:
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl and stir through.
Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the herbs and enough milk to form a soft dough.
Spoon teaspoonful of the dough onto the oxtail stew and cover with a lid.
Simmer for 15 minutes without opening the lid.

Serve the oxtail on fragrant rice.