lunch – Page 13 – My Whisk and I

Chicken Stew/Tavuk Sote

July 4, 2023May 8, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

45ml olive oil
600g chicken breasts, cut into 2cm cubes
1 onion, chopped
half a green bell pepper, deseeded and cut into 1cm cubes
2 red bell peppers, deseeded and cut into 3cm cubes
75g tomato purée
5ml smoked paprika
5ml sugar
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
200ml water
a large handful of parsley, chopped

Place a large saucepan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and wait for it to heat up.
Brown the chicken in batches and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the onion and peppers. Cook for about 10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir every now and then and add more olive oil if needed.
Add the tomato purée, paprika and sugar and cook for another minute.
Now add the chopped tomato, chicken and water and stir to mix.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Bring the mixture to the boil, lower the temperature and simmer for 25 minutes.
Take off the heat. Sprinkle in the parsley, mix through and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Serve the stew on rice or bulgar wheat.

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Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

June 29, 2023June 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a nutritious soup and is perfect to make with cooked, left-over chicken.

2 chicken breast fillets
1,5l chicken stock
10ml sesame oil
2,5ml ground ginger
1 x 375g can of sweet corn
30ml cornflour
2 eggs
a handful of chopped chives
one packet baby corn

Place the chicken breasts in a saucepan set over medium-high heat and cover with 1 litres of the stock. Add a pinch of salt and cook until the chicken is done.
Remove the meat, but keep the stock.
Shred the chicken into large strips by pulling it apart with two forks.
Top up the chicken stock so that you have 1 litre again.
Add the sesame oil, ginger powder and sweet corn and bring to a boil.
Add the shredded chicken and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Add the cornflour to a small bowl and pour in about 60ml of the stock from the saucepan.
Stir to make a runny paste.
Drizzle the cornflour into the saucepan in a thin stream while stirring continuously.
Add the eggs to a small bowl and whisk together.
Add a spoonful of the stock in the saucepan to the eggs and whisk again.
Now, slowly drizzle in the egg while stirring.
Remove the soup from the heat, add the corn and chives and serve immediately.

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Chicken and Guava Curry

June 16, 2023June 11, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 + 3 guavas, quartered and deseeded
500ml yoghurt
45ml vegetable oil
5ml mustard seeds
5ml cumin seeds
4 curry leaves
10ml ground coriander
5ml chilli flakes
5ml ground turmeric
5ml salt
10ml sugar

Add the two quartered guavas and 500ml yoghurt to a blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside.
Add the vegetable oil to a saucepan set over medium heat.
Add the mustard and cumin seeds and wait for it to start crackling.
Now add the curry leaves, coriander, chilli, turmeric, salt and sugar.
Pour in the guava and yoghurt mixture and add the chicken pieces.
Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the three quartered and deseeded guavas and stir through.
Simmer lightly for another 10 minutes.
Serve the curry on fragrant rice.

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Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

June 14, 2023May 30, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

60ml butter
1 onion, chopped
60ml flour
750ml vegetable stock
1 head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces, stems included
1 large carrot, finely diced
500ml milk
750ml grated mature cheddar cheese

Add the butter to a large saucepan set over medium-high heat and wait for it to melt.
Add the onion and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft.
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, while stirring.
Drizzle in the stock while whisking continuously.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Now add the broccoli and carrot, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a low simmer.
Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Pour the milk into the mixture and stir to blend.
Decant about two thirds of the mixture into a blender and blitz until smooth.
Pour back into the saucepan and wait for the soup to come back to a low simmer.
Add the cheddar and stir through until melted.
Serve the soup piping hot with a crusty bread.

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Mongolian Beef

June 9, 2023June 3, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

500g beef, sliced in strips
45ml cornstarch
15ml + 15ml vegetable oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml ground ginger
80ml soy sauce
60ml water
60ml brown sugar
15ml sesame seeds, toasted

Add the beef strips to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the cornstarch over and toss together so that the steak is coated in a thin layer.
Place a large pan on medium-high heat and pour in 15ml of vegetable oil.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the soy sauce, water and sugar and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the sauce into a jug and set aside.
Pour the remaining 15ml vegetable oil into the pan and turn the heat to medium-high.
Add the steak in batches and cook until it is browned.
Add all the steak back into the pan and pour in the sauce.
Simmer until the sauce is thick and glossy. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon evenly.
Serve the beef on steamed rice, scatter over the sesame seeds and serve.

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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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Chicken Piccata Meatballs

June 4, 2023May 24, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g chicken, ground
1 egg
10ml oregano, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
a good handful of parsley, chopped
60ml + 250ml breadcrumbs
2,5ml salt

Sauce:
45ml olive oil
45ml butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
125ml white wine
60ml lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
grated rind of 1 lemon
60ml capers

Add the ground chicken, egg, oregano, garlic, parsley and 60ml breadcrumbs to a bowl and mix together.
Sprinkle over the salt, a few grindings of pepper and 15ml olive oil. Mix again.
Add the 250ml breadcrumbs to a shallow dish.
Now scoop up about 20ml ov the chicken mixture, shape it into a ball and coat it in breadcrumbs. Keep going until you have no chicken left.
Set a large pan over medium heat and pour in enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom.
Wait for the oil to heat up and then add the chicken balls. Space them so that they do not touch and crowd each other. Do more than one batch if necessary.
Cook for about 3 minutes, turn them over and cook another 3 minutes.
Remove from the pan and set aside.
For the sauce:
Add the 45ml olive oil and butter to the same pan, set over medium heat.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Pour in the white wine, lemon juice, lemon zest and capers.
Season with salt and bring to a simmer.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and cover the pan with a lid.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Serve immediately.

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Easy Hash Browns

May 28, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 large onion
1,2kg potato, unpeeled
100g cheddar cheese, grated
100g mozzarella cheese, grated
10ml garlic salt
60ml butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a 25cm x 37cm baking sheet with baking paper.
Grate the onion and potato on the coarse side of a box grater.
Transfer to a clean tea towel. Wrap the grated veg like a candy by twisting both ends. Hold the towel over a sink and wring it as firmly as you can to squeeze out any liquid.
Add the onion, potato, both cheeses and garlic salt to a large bowl and mix through.
Drizzle the butter over the mixture and now mix together with your hands so that all of the mixture is evenly dispersed and covered in butter.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking sheet but do not compact it by pressing down.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Serve immediately.

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Wool Bread with Pesto

May 27, 2023May 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125ml warm milk
5ml instant yeast
625ml flour
45ml sugar
5ml salt
95ml boiling water
30ml butter, room temperature
155ml pesto
30ml milk

Pour the milk into a bowl, sprinkle over the yeast, stir and set aside for 10 minutes.
Add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Turn the mixer on a low speed and drizzle in the boiling water.
Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
Add the yeast mixture and mix on medium speed for another 3 minutes.
Add the butter a little at a time with the machine running.
Mix/knead for 10 minutes.
Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for one hour.
Take the dough from the bowl and place it on a work surface.
Gently fold the dough until deflated.
Divide into 5 even portions and roll each into a ball. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and rest on the work surface for 10 minutes.
Grease a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with butter and line the base with baking paper. Set aside.
Lightly flour a work surface and roll a dough ball into a 20cm long rectangle.
Cut the bottom half into thin strips. (see Photograph beneath)
Spoon 45ml pesto on the half that isn’t cut and spread it out evenly.
Fold a 1cm edge on the sides, over the pesto and roll that section into a log. Roll over the part that are cut into strips.
Repeat this process with the other 4 dough portions.
Place the logs on the outside perimeter of the prepared cake tin.
Cover with plastic wrap and proof in a warm area for 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 170℃.
Brush the bread with milk and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven, stand for 10 minutes and remove from the baking tin.
Cool on a wire rack.
The bread is easily broken into portions and is delicious served slightly warm.

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Soy Chicken with Pickled Cucumber

May 25, 2023May 18, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
60ml apple cider vinegar
5ml salt
5ml sugar

60ml soy sauce
30ml honey
4 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
30ml vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2,5ml ground coriander

For the pickle:
Add the sliced onion and cucumber to a bowl and pour the vinegar over.
Sprinkle over the salt, sugar and a few grindings of black pepper.
Mix through, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

For the chicken:
Add the soy and honey to a shallow bowl and stir to combine.
Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat.
Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil.
Add the garlic and coriander and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Take the breasts from the marinade and cook for 3 minutes per side. It is important to regulate the heat as the chicken can burn easily at this stage.
Add the reserved marinade and 60ml water to the pan.
Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cover with a lid and cook the breasts for 15 minutes, turning half-way through the cooking time.
Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high.
Cook the chicken for another 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced and the chicken is shiny and glazed.
Serve with steamed rice, pickled cucumber and the sauce.