keto – Page 3 – My Whisk and I

Whoopy Peach Salad

December 16, 2021December 16, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is without doubt one of the craziest ideas to READ about, but surprisingly satisfying and pleasing in a very old fashioned way. That statement in its own is somewhat out of the ordinary but please try this idea for a quick delicious side dish to smoked and salty meat dishes … you may just have a new favourite recipe!

1 large tin/can of peach halves
100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
60ml mayonnaise
60ml sour cream
125ml feta cheese, crumbed
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
a handful of pistachio or pine nuts
fresh lettuce to serve

Drain the peaches from the syrup.
Hold the peach in your hand with the rounded side facing upwards and make a shallow horizontal slice so that the peach can sit on it – cut away as little as possible.
Arrange some fresh lettuce on a serving plate and place the peach halves randomly, with the hollow facing upwards.
Fill each peach cavity loosely with grated cheddar cheese.
Add the yoghurt, sour cream, finely crumbed feta and chopped basil to a small bowl and stir together.
Spoon a generous dollop of the dressing onto the cheese in the peach cavity.
Scatter the pistachios/pine nuts over the salad and serve with the extra dressing on the side.

This salad goes surprisingly well with any smoked, cured or salty meat dishes that need that boost of natural sweetness.

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Lemon Dressing

December 7, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is one of the best salad dressing you will ever make AND you can keep it in your refrigerator!! Delicious when drizzled onto seafood!

62ml lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
5ml Dijon mustard
1,2ml salt
a pinch of ground black pepper
7,5ml honey
62ml olive oil
5ml thyme leaves, chopped

Add the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, a pinch of black pepper and honey to a small bowl and whisk together.
Drizzle in the oil while whisking. Keep going until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture has emulsified.
Add the thyme leaves and stir through.

Store left-over dressing in a glass jar, in the refrigerator.

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Fusion Chicken

November 3, 2021November 3, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

I have named this recipe “Fusion Chicken” because it brings together a few different principles in cooking chicken: almost black-chicken; almost butter chicken and almost pan-fried chicken. The combination makes for a very flavourful and juicy chicken that is one of the quickest dishes you will ever put together!

125g + 90g butter
30ml ground cumin
30ml smoked paprika
30ml dried origanum
20ml salt
6 chicken breasts, skin removed
15ml flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
fresh lemon wedges to serve – these are essential!!

Melt the 125g butter and add the cumin, paprika, origanum and salt to it. Stir/whisk together to dissolve as much of the spices as possible.
Lay the chicken flat in a ceramic dish and pour the butter mixture over it. Flip the breasts to coat them evenly.
Cover with a tea towel and set aside at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Place a large cast iron pan on medium-high heat and add the 90g butter to the pan, to melt.
Add the chicken breasts to the warm pan and cook for 7 minutes before turning to cook for another 7 minutes. Do not fiddle around with the chicken! Spoon some of the pan juices onto the chicken as it cooks.
Remove the breasts from the pan and slice them.
Place on a serving dish and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
Squeeze a good amount of lemon over the chicken before serving.

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Roasted Sweet Pepper Salad

November 1, 2021November 1, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

450g sweet peppers/bell peppers
30ml + 15ml olive oil
30ml white wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced
12 basil leaves, chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
5ml sugar
2,5ml salt
45ml pine nuts, toasted
125ml crumbed feta cheese
125ml olives, pitted

Turn your oven on the grill setting and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
Drizzle the 15ml olive oil on the peppers and spread evenly over each pepper with your hands. Place the peppers on the lined baking sheet and grill for about 15 minutes, until their skins are black. DO NOT take the peppers out too soon….they can not be too blackened!
Immediately place the charred peppers in a mixing bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside until the peppers are cool enough to handle.
Break open the peppers, remove the core and seeds and pull the skin from each. It is easiest to use your hands to scrape the seeds out and it is quite all right for the peppers to tear into strips!
Add the peppers, oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, thyme, sugar and salt to a mixing bowl and refrigerate for one hour.
Arrange the marinated peppers on a serving plate and top with pine nuts, feta and olives.

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Steak Butters

October 28, 2021October 27, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Flavoured butters are a simply way of adding flavour and punch to meat, easy to make and can be kept in your freezer for when you need it! The Olive Butter is particularly good with chicken, fish and roast vegetables! The method for the three flavoured butters are the same.

Café de Paris Butter:
125g butter
30ml chives, finely chopped
15ml parsley, finely chopped
5ml Dijon Mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
5ml capers
1 anchovy fillet
the zest of half a lemon, finely grated

Method:
Allow the butter to come to room temperature and soften.
Mix all the ingredients together.
Spread a piece of plastic wrap on a kitchen surface, spoon the mixture on top and roughly shape it into a log shape.
Fold the edge of the plastic wrap closest to you over the log shape and proceed to roll the butter in the plastic so that you have a plastic sausage.
Now take hold of the two ends (the overhanging/extra plastic wrap) and roll the butter away from you on the surface.
Tie the plastic ends and freeze until required.

Olive Butter:
125g butter, softened
190ml olives, chopped
15ml rosemary, chopped
salt to taste

Garlic Butter:
125g butter, softened
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1,2ml salt
1,2ml pepper

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Beetroot Hummus

August 13, 2021August 13, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This hummus takes some effort but keeps well in the fridge and makes a delicious sandwich or dip!

125ml beetroot, cooked and chopped
1 400g tin of chickpeas
60ml tahini
2 cloves of garlic, minced
the juice of one lemon/15ml fresh lemon juice (preserved lemon juice leaves a bitter aftertaste)
5ml salt
15ml olive oil

Add all the ingredients to a liquidiser and blitz until it is smooth and emulsified.
Store in a glass jar in your refrigerator.

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Baked Aubergine with Pesto and Pear

August 10, 2021August 10, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is such a simple dish but it truly delivers on taste!! Delicious as a light meal or as a side to meat.

1 aubergine per person
2 pears
250ml of fresh soft herbs like parsley, basil, thyme, chives and sage
2 cloves of garlic, minced
83ml pine kernels, toasted
1 lemon
60ml olive oil

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Slice the aubergine lengthwise into 1,5cm thick sliced, but DO NOT cut the slices loose.
Place the aubergine flat onto a surface, cover with you hand and gently push down on it so that the “slices” fan out. Place onto the baking sheet.
Drizzle the aubergine with olive oil, sprinkle with some salt and place in the oven for about 40 minutes until beautifully soft and slightly charred.
Make the pesto by adding the herbs, garlic, pine kernels, juice of one lemon and 60ml olive oil to a blender (you may use a hand blender) and blitz until it comes together. Put aside.
Peel the pears and slice it into sticks.
Spoon the pesto onto the baked aubergine as soon as you take it from the oven and pile the pear sticks on top.
Serve with a fresh bread or as a side dish to meat.

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Soybean Salad

July 27, 2021June 30, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Soybean is a complete protein and really delicious when mixed in a salad with crunchy vegetables. I have used black soybeans in this salad but any soybean can be used.

250ml soybeans, cooked according to packet instructions
baby spinach, finely chopped
purple cabbage, finely shredded
pomegranate seeds
feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
30ml lemon juice
15ml red wine vinegar
5ml mustard
5ml garlic, minced
15ml honey
60ml olive oil

Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until amalgamated.
Add the salad ingredients to a platter or bowl and drizzle the dressing over.

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Apple Salad

July 16, 2021June 26, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Build this salad as large or as an individual portion and keep the dressing in the refrigerator for the next day – it is delicious with anything fresh and crunchy!

mixed lettuce
red cabbage, cut into chunks
apple, sliced or cubed
walnuts
black sesame seeds

Dressing:
45ml mayonnaise
45ml Greek yoghurt
5ml lemon juice
2,5ml salt
Whisk the ingredients together until emulsified.
Spoon on to the salad before serving.
The dressing can be kept refrigerated for 5 days.

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Whole Roasted Cauliflower

June 16, 2021June 4, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 cauliflower head
100ml Harissa paste (make your own Harissa with Fresh Chillies – recipe on this blog)

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Line a baking sheet/baking tin with aluminium foil.
Trim the outer leaves from the cauliflower and cut down the stalk so that the head can stand on its own.
Flip the head upside down and brush the bottom (and between the florets) liberally with the harissa paste.
Brush the rest of the paste onto the sides and top of the head so that the entire veg is covered in paste.
Cover the cauliflower with aluminium foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
Remove the foil covering and roast uncovered for another 30 minutes.
Cut the cauliflower into steaks or wedges to serve.