lunch inspo – Page 9 – My Whisk and I

Sweet Potato Gratin

February 22, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1kg sweet potatoes, peeled
250ml grated Gruyére cheese
250ml grated cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
375ml cream
15ml thyme leaves, chopped
1ml ground nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a ceramic dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Slice the sweet potatoes into very thin slices – not thicker than 2mm.
Arrange the slices in a single layer overlapping slightly, in the oven dish.
Mix the two cheeses together and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese on the sweet potato. Keep going with the layers until you have a quarter of the cheese left. Set aside.
Add some vegetable oil to a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook while stirring, for about 1 minute.
Pour in the cream, thyme and nutmeg and simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes. It should thicken slightly.
Add the last quarter of the cheese to the saucepan and stir through until melted.
Season the cream with salt and pepper and pour it over the sweet potatoes.
Place the dish in the oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly – about 45minutes. Check that it is fully cooked by inserting a sharp knife in the centre.
Remove the gratin from the oven, rest for 15 minutes and serve.

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Tartare Sauce (and homemade mayonnaise)

February 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a delicious tartare sauce made from the easiest ever homemade mayonnaise!!

Mayonnaise:
250ml oil of your choice – I like a specific brand of olive oil but you may use any seed oil you like)
2 egg yolks
15ml English mustard
60ml lemon juice

Add the oil, yolks, mustard and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and blitz at high speed with a stick blender. Keep going until you have a thick and creamy sauce.
Season with salt.
You may keep the mayonnaise in a glass jar in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Tartare sauce:
250ml homemade mayonnaise
a handful of basil leaves
4 gherkins, chopped
15ml capers, chopped

Add the mayonnaise and basil leaves to a mixing bowl and blitz with a stick blender.
Add the chopped gherkins and capers and mix through.
Check the seasoning and serve with fish.

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Panzanella Salad with Burrata

February 15, 2023February 14, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Traditionally panzanella/Italian bread salad is not served with cheese but the creaminess of the burrata adds a deliciousness beyond words!

4 x 2cm thick slices of sourdough bread
6-8 ripe tomatoes, room temperature
half a cucumber
1 burrata cheese
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
125ml olive oil
60ml balsamic vinegar
juice of one lemon

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Cut the sourdough slices into cubes of 1,5-2cm – they should look like chunky croutons.
Spread the bread on the prepared baking sheet and liberally drizzle with olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the croutons are golden and crisp.
Remove from the baking sheet and set aside.
For the dressing:
Chop 3-4 tomatoes into very small pieces. The chopping is best done in a shallow bowl so that you can preserve all of the tomatoes’ juice.
Add the tomato and its juice to a mixing bowl.
Chop the onion as finely as you can, mince the garlic and add to the tomato.
Now add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.
Mix the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.

Slice the remaining 3-4 tomatoes into chunks and place in a large bowl.
Slice the cucumber into chunks and add to the tomato.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix through.
Scatter the croutons and basil over and mix again.
Spoon the salad onto a serving plate and place the burrata on top.
Serve with a cold Babylonstoren Rosé.

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Potato-Cheese Flatbread

December 11, 2022December 11, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Yields two flatbreads

3 potatoes, cooked (about 250 – 350ml cooked potato)
60ml butter
250ml cheese, grated (I use parmesan and cheddar)
5ml salt
5ml garlic salt
15ml chives, chopped
250ml yoghurt
375ml self-raising flour
butter

Mash the cooked potato while it is still warm and mix in the butter, cheese, salt, garlic salt and chives. Set aside to cool.
Add the yoghurt and flour to a bowl and combine.
Knead until you have a smooth ball of dough – add a small amount of flour if the dough is too sticky.
Divide the dough in two balls.
Roll out into a circle of 1cm thickness.
Add half the potato mixture, flatten into a smaller circle and gather the edges of the dough around the filling. Pinch together the dough to seal the potato filling.
Flip the filled dough and gently roll it out to a disk shape that will fit your pan.
Pan-fry on both sides on medium heat, until golden, brushing with melted butter.
Serve the bread warm.

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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.

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Pasta with Peanut Butter Sauce

December 1, 2022November 30, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

You may serve any pasta with this peanut butter sauce but it does coat spaghetti rather well. This is enough sauce for about 250g dry weight, spaghetti.

125ml peanut butter
30ml soy sauce
30ml brown sugar
15ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
90ml very warm water
100ml peanuts, chopped

Cook the pasta of your choice while making the sauce/keep your pasta warm.
Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and garlic to a LARGE mixing bowl and whisk together to blend. The mixture will be extremely thick but keep stirring and mixing with the whisk until blended.
Add about 15ml of the warm water to the mixture and stir/blend/whisk until the water has been incorporated.
Keep adding a small amount of water and whisking until all the water is incorporated and you are left with a smooth, thick sauce.
Add the hot pasta to the sauce and toss through until the pasta is covered in the sauce.
Spoon into serving bowls and sprinkle the chopped peanuts over to serve.

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Fresh Summer Tart

November 30, 2022November 29, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 x 400g pastry
5 eggs
185ml cream
100g baby spinach, chopped
250ml frozen peas
100g ricotta cheese
100g feta cheese, crumbed
80g rocket leaves
125g sugar snap peas
3 zucchini, shaved into ribbons

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray.
Roll the pastry to a 3mm thickness and line the bottom and side of the cake tin. Set aside.
Add the eggs and cream to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the chopped spinach, peas and cheeses and mix through. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for 30 minutes.
Cool the tart for 30 minutes.
Top the tart with the rocket leaves, sugar snaps and zucchini shavings.
Drizzle over some olive oil to serve.

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Beetroot and Ricotta Tart

November 25, 2022November 20, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

400g store-bought pastry
1 egg and 15ml water
500g ricotta cheese
6 large beetroot, cooked and peeled
a handful of pumpkin seeds
balsamic vinegar
a handful of basil leaves

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place the pastry on the baking paper and mark a 1cm border on the edges, with the blunt side of a table knife’s blade.
Whisk the egg and water together and lightly brush it all over the pastry.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Turn your oven temperature down to 180℃.
Break the ricotta up into chunks and evenly spread over the baked pastry.
Slice the beetroot into slices and arrange on the ricotta.
Scatter the pumpkin seeds over and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Bake the tart in the oven for 15 minutes.
Scatter over the basil leaves and slice into portions to serve.

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Banana Flower Curry

November 23, 2022November 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
10ml ginger powder
15ml garam masala
10ml curry powder
10ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
5ml smoked paprika
2,5ml turmeric
5ml salt
15ml sugar
250ml vegetable stock
1 x 400g can coconut milk
2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
3-4 handfuls of baby spinach
2 x cans Banana Blossoms

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and onion.
Stir-fry until the onion is soft, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the ginger, garam masala, curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt and sugar and stir-fry for a minute or so.
Now add the stock and the coconut milk and stir together.
Add the chopped tomato and turn the heat down slightly. Allow the curry sauce to simmer for 5 minutes or so – you want it to become slightly thicker.
Add the banana blossoms and baby spinach and stir.
Simmer lightly for 10 minutes.
Serve on a fragrant rice.

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Tabbouleh Salad

November 18, 2022November 17, 2022by Karen Claassen1 Comment

250g uncooked spelt
4 medium tomatoes, very finely chopped
1 English cucumber, very finely chopped
2 bunches parsley, very finely chopped
12 mint leaves, very finely chopped
4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
45ml lemon juice
45ml olive oil
salt and pepper

Prepare the spelt according to instructions and drain.
Add the spelt and all the chopped vegetables and herbs to a mixing bowl.
Drizzle over the lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Mix through and serve.