italian food – Page 3 – My Whisk and I

Mushroom Spaghetti

August 31, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Easy, quick and fabulous!!

500g spaghetti
45ml butter
200g mixed mushrooms
200g bacon, cut into pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
65ml dry white wine
250ml cream
125ml chicken stock
50g parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of parsley, chopped

Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet and keep warm while you make the sauce.
Put a cast-iron pan on to a high heat and add the butter to it.
Fry the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and slightly caramelised. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the bacon to the same pan. Fry for about 3 minutes.
Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and the cooked mushroom and cook for another minute.
Pour in the wine and allow the wine to reduce to half.
Now add the cream, stock and grated parmesan and turn the heat down to low.
Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Add the cooked and drained spaghetti to the sauce, mix through and taste for seasoning.
Scatter a handful of chopped parsley over the spaghetti and serve.

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Meatballs cooked in Tomato Sauce

June 4, 2021June 4, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

There is no pan frying involved in making these meatballs as they are cooked directly in the tomato sauce and therefore are wonderfully juicy and aromatic. The recipe yields about 16 large meatballs but may be easily halved.

2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tins of chopped tomato
15ml sugar
10ml salt
10ml dried oregano
250ml beef stock

2 slices bread
62ml milk
1kg beef mince
10ml salt
250ml mozzarella cheese, grated
125ml parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 190℃.

Add the onion, garlic and a splash of oil to an ovenproof saucepan and place on medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chopped tomato, sugar, salt, oregano and stock and allow the mixture to simmer slowly while you get on with the meatballs.

Slice the crusts from the bread and place it in a bowl.
Pour the milk onto the bread, turning the bread in the milk so that it becomes soggy and start falling apart.
Add the beef and salt to the bread mixture and mix with your hands. Push your hand down into the minced meat and squeeze it through your fingers – repeat until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Scoop a tablespoon-full of the meat mixture into your hands and roll into a ball. Place the meatball directly into the slowly simmering tomato sauce.
Keep going until you have no meat mixture left.
Sprinkle the grated cheeses onto the meatballs and bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Serve with a crusty bread or fluffy mashed potato.

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Tripe

June 2, 2021May 31, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Tripe is eaten all over the world but in South Africa it is often served as a curry. Also known as Mogodu or Afval, one is often surprised at the popularity of this traditional dish.

1kg tripe, cleaned
coarse salt
5 litres water
15ml curry powder
10ml ginger powder
15ml turmeric powder
10ml sugar
5ml salt
1 bay leaf
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Put the clean tripe into a large bowl and sprinkle liberally with coarse salt.
Add about half the water and leave to soak for an hour.
Rinse the tripe under running water.
Cut into bite-sized pieces and place in a large saucepan.
Add the remaining water and a tablespoon salt.
Bring the tripe to a boil and simmer for about 3 hours, until tender.
Remove the tripe from the water and set aside.
Pour enough oil into a medium saucepan to cover the bottom.
Add the curry powder, ginger, turmeric, sugar, salt and bay leaf and cook on a low heat for a minute or two.
Add the tripe pieces and stir-fry until the tripe is covered in the spices.
Add the potato chunks and pour enough water into the saucepan to cover the tripe and potato.
Cook on a low simmer for about 40 minutes.
Serve the tripe on rice or a starch of your choice.