italian food – My Whisk and I

Cheesy Orzo

May 2, 2024April 24, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

300g orzo pasta
45ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml thyme leaves, chopped
250ml cream
1 lemon, grated zest and juice
250ml grated parmesan cheese
40g pine kernels, toasted

Place a large saucepan over high heat, pour in a good quantity of water and add a teaspoon of salt.
Bring to a boil, add the orzo pasta and cook until al dente.
Place a large pan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil and onion to it.
Cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the garlic and thyme and stir-fry for one minute.
Pour in the cream, turn down the heat to medium and simmer until slightly reduced – 3 minutes or so.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and parmesan and stir through.
Now add the drained orzo to the sauce and simmer for another 2 minutes while stirring to coat the pasta with the sauce.
Spoon the orzo on to a serving dish and scatter the pine kernels over to serve.

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Tiramisu

January 1, 2024January 1, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Yields 12 individual or one 18cm x 28cm dessert.

175g lady fingers
400ml strong coffee, cooled
83ml marsala or dessert wine
4 eggs, separated
100g caster sugar
750g mascarpone

Add the egg whites to a bowl, add a pinch of salt and whisk until stiff peaks. Set aside.
Add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat with an electric whisk until dissolved.
Add the mascarpone and incorporate with the whisk until mixed through.
Add the whites to the mixture and fold through.

Assembly:
Pour the coffee and marsala into a flat bowl.
Dip the lady fingers in the coffee mixture and lay them in an even layer in a glass/individual ramekin.
Now scoop some of the mascarpone mixture onto the biscuits and level it out.
Repeat with a layer of soaked lady fingers and mascarpone mixture.
Refrigerate the desserts for 2 hours.
Dust with cocoa powder to serve.

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PaneScone

December 20, 2023December 11, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

450g flour
2,5ml salt
10ml baking powder
150g butter, cubed
120g sugar
120g candied citrus peel
120g raisins
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
250ml milk

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the flour, salt and baking powder to a mixing bowl and stir to mix.
Add the cubed butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar, citrus peel and raisins and lightly mix through.
Add the grated zest of the orange and lemon and stir again.
Add small quantities of milk, stir and repeat until the mixture comes together as a dough.
Flour a work surface and place the dough on it. Flatten with your hands so that it is 5cm thick.
Cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter or a glass and place the scone on the prepared baking sheet, spaced apart evenly.
Bring the dough together to a 5cm thickness again and cut out some more rounds.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the scones and cool on a cooling rack.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.

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White Bean Soup

August 21, 2023August 2, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml olive oil
30g butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 x 400g cans of cannellini beans
500ml vegetable stock
5ml finely chopped rosemary
5ml finely chopped thyme leaves
sourdough croutons to serve

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and butter and wait for the pan to heat up.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Drain 2 of the cans of beans and add the beans to the saucepan.
Pour the third can of beans, liquid and all, into a liquidiser and blitz until smooth.
Add to the saucepan.
Pour in the stock and add the rosemary and thyme.
Grind over some black pepper and stir together.
Bring the soup to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve piping hot with freshly made croutons.

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Double-Tomato Pasta

June 6, 2023May 31, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g rigatoni pasta
250g cocktail tomatoes
60g butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 385g tins of chopped tomato, blitzed to a smooth sauce
10ml sugar
10ml salt
125ml cream

Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions. Keep warm on the side.
Slice the cocktail tomatoes in half.
Place a heavy-bottom saucepan on medium-high heat, add the butter and wait for the pan to heat up.
Add the tomato and cook cut-side down for about 4 minutes.
Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add a splash of olive oil if the pan is dry and then add the onion.
Cook on medium heat until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute
Pour in the tomato, sugar and salt and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Pour in the cream and stir through.
Add the pasta to the sauce and cook until the pasta is completely covered with the sauce.
Spoon the pasta into bowls and top with a spoonful of the cocktail tomato and grated parmesan cheese.

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Pizza Toast

May 9, 2023May 3, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 – 8 slices of sourdough bread
250ml marinara/pizza sauce
500ml grated mozzarella cheese
salami
dried oregano
fresh basil leaves

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Arrange the sourdough slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toast in the oven.
Turn on the grill of your oven.
Spoon some marinara sauce on each slice of toast, followed by 60ml of grated mozzarella and a few slices of salami.
Sprinkle some dried oregano over and place under the grill until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove from the oven, top with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.

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French Onion Pasta

April 4, 2023April 2, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is enough pasta for two hungry adults.

220g dry pasta of your choice – I used wholewheat
60g butter
2 large onions, sliced
2,5ml salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
60ml white wine
45ml thyme leaves
125ml beef stock
15ml Worcestershire sauce
125ml grated Gruyere cheese
60ml cream

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Add the sliced onion and sprinkle over the salt.
Cook the onion for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you stir too often the onions will take a longer time to caramelise. It is also important to regulate the heat – if it browns too quick, it will be burnt and not caramelised.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
Now add the wine and scrape any onion bits from the bottom of the saucepan.
Add the cooked pasta, thyme leaves, stock, Worcestershire sauce and stir to incorporate.
Finally add the Gruyere and cream and stir through.
Serve the pasta with extra grated cheese on top.

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Italian Herb Chicken

February 26, 2023February 24, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is one of the most rewarding meals and it is put together in LESS THAN 30 MINUTES!!

6-8 chicken breasts, bone- and skinless
125ml olive oil
half an onion, chopped
60ml lemon juice
30ml apple cider vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
125ml cup packed with basil leaves
60ml cup packed with mint leaves
15ml rosemary, chopped
3 anchovy fillets/15ml anchovy spread

Preheat your oven to 220℃.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet and drizzle over some olive oil. Rub the oil all over the breast and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the chicken for 15-20 minutes, remove from the oven and cover with aluminium foil to rest. Set aside.
For the herb dressing:
Add the oil, onion, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, herbs and anchovy to the cup of a blender and blitz at high speed for one minute.

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and spoon over the herb dressing.

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Honey Roasted Figs

February 24, 2023February 22, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

about 16 ripe, fresh figs
1 large burrata cheese
100g prosciutto
45ml honey
thyme leaves, chopped

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Cut off the stem at the top of each fig, stand it upright and cut a cross in the top of each one, but don’t cut through to the base.
Slice the Burrata into slices with a serrated knife ….. as best you can ..
Put about half a slice of cheese into the cross you have cut – you can piece it together as it will melt.
Now lay the prosciutto flat and half each slice in its length.
Thread the ham through and around the fig and place in an ovenproof dish.
Drizzle the honey over once all the figs are done and scatter over the thyme.
Roast the figs for 8-10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Serve immediately as a canapé or an indulgent treat.

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Orzotto Alla Norma

December 5, 2022December 5, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 aubergines
olive oil
250g cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
15ml fresh thyme, chopped
300g orzo
100g parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of fresh basil
1 Burrata

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Slice the aubergine into discs, spread them out on the prepared baking sheet and generously drizzle with olive oil.
Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the aubergine and bake for 30 minutes.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add some olive oil.
Fry the onion and garlic until soft.
Add the chopped tomato and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Cook the orzo according to packet instructions.
Drain the orzo and add it to the tomato sauce.
Add the grated parmesan and stir through.
Spoon the orzo into a serving dish and top with the aubergine, roasted tomato and burrata.
Serve with fresh basil leaves scattered on top.