2 packets instant noodles, cooked without the spices 300g coleslaw mix 2 hands full of cashew nuts 1 hand full of sesame seeds
Dressing: 125ml olive oil 60ml honey 60ml red wine vinegar 30ml soy sauce 2 packets of instant noodle spice
Add the cooked noodles, coleslaw mix, cashews and sesame seeds to a mixing bowl and set aside. Add the olive oil, honey, red wine vinegar, soy sauce and noodle spice to a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat until it starts too bubble. Pour the hot dressing over the noodle mixture and mix through. Place the salad in the refrigerator to cool completely. Serve cold.
Line a 29cm x 39cm shallow baking tray (as you would use for a swiss roll) with baking paper and give it a spray with cooking spray. Place a medium saucepan on high heat, pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Gradually add the maize meal while whisking, until smooth. Place a lid on the saucepan and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then. Place a large pan over medium heat and add some oil and the onion to it. Sprinkle over 1ml salt and cook until caramelised – about 15 minutes. Add the leeks and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the thyme leaves, balsamic vinegar and sugar and cook another 5 minutes. Add the spinach and stir-fry until just wilted. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Add half the cheese to the maize and stir through. Pour the maize mixture into the prepared baking tin and spread it out evenly. Spread the caramelised onion mixture, remaining cheese and biltong over the warm pap and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes. With the long side facing you, roll the pap into a log, using the paper to lift and roll. Cover the log and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes. Preheat your oven to 200℃. Grease a 28cm ovenproof saucepan or baking tin. Cut the log into six even pieces and place each piece cut side up in the saucepan. Drizzle the cream over and bake in the oven for one hour. Serve directly from the oven.
1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 400g baby spinach 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato 450g ricotta cheese 150-200g cannelloni pasta (about 16 tubes) a handful of basil leaves 250g mozzarella cheese, sliced
Preheat your oven to 180℃
Place a large pan on a medium-high heat and add a splash of olive oil to it. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Now add the baby spinach and cook until just wilted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Chop the mixture and add it to a mixing bowl with the ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper and scoop it all into a piping bag. Add the tomato to a small saucepan and gently cook it down to get rid of the moisture – about 15 minutes on medium heat. Now fill each cannelloni tube with the spinach mixture. Pipe it in as tight as you can get it and arrange it tightly in a 28cm x 18cm ceramic dish. Spoon the tomato mixture over and spread it out evenly so that it covers all of the pasta. Now sprinkle the basil leaves over and lay the mozzarella slices on top. Bake the cannelloni for 35 minutes until golden.
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.
Place a large pan on medium-high heat, add 30ml butter, a dash of cooking and the mushrooms. Cook until golden, spoon into a bowl and set aside. Add the bacon pieces to the same pan and cook until crispy on the edges. Spoon into a bowl and set aside. Add the other 30ml butter and onion to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Pour the orzo and stock into the pan, turn the heat down to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan. You want a cooked orzo that has absorbed most of the water. Add the parsley, thyme and cream and stir through. Now add the mushroom and bacon back into the pan and warm through while stirring. Sprinkle over the parmesan, add a few grindings of black pepper and serve immediately.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the tahini, sesame, miso, soy, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for one minute or so. Add the chicken stock a little at a time, stirring continuously. Keep going until all the stock has been added. Pour in the milk and bring the mixture to a slow simmer. Add the udon noodles, cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the dumplings, place the lid back on and cook on a low heat until warmed through. Scatter over the sesame seeds and chives and drizzle with chilli oil to serve.
30ml olive oil 300g smoked bacon, cut into small pieces 1 clove of garlic, minced 150g frozen petits pois (peas) 250g orzo pasta 20g butter, cubed 40g parmesan cheese, grated
Place a large heavy-based pan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil to it. Add the bacon pieces and cook until they are browned and crispy. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Add the peas and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Now add the orzo and stir-fry it for a minute or so until it is mixed with the bacon and peas. Pour 625ml of boiling water into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the pan. Taste the orzo; if it is not yet soft, add a little more water and continue cooking until al dente. Add the butter and grated parmesan and stir through. Taste again and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Leftovers make a great salad the next day when you add some good mayonnaise and chopped parsley!
For the hazelnut topping: Place the hazelnuts in a pestle and mortar and grind it to a coarse texture. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar you may chop the nuts with a knife but make sure that you have a good mix of fine and coarse texture. Add the parmesan cheese, olive oil, sesame oil, red wine vinegar and salt and stir through. Set aside.
For the goat’s cheese topping: Break up the cheese into a small bowl, add the cream and mix through to loosen the cheese slightly. Set aside.
For the green sauce: Blanche the kale and spinach in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and run under cold water until cool. Add to a bowl with the basil and olive oil and blitz to a paste/sauce with an immersion blender. Set aside.
Pour the stock into a saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer. Place a large, wide saucepan on medium-high heat and add the butter and oil. Wait for the butter to melt and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Now add the rice and stir to coat for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and wait for it to evaporate. Add about 125ml of stock (two soup ladles) to the risotto, stir it around until most of the liquid has been absorbed and then add some stock again. Keep going – adding stock, stirring until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Add the kale mixture to the risotto and stir until the risotto is bright green. Spoon the risotto on to serving plates and top with some hazelnut mixture and a generous dollop of goat’s cheese.
250g spaghetti 45ml olive oil 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 spring onion, finely sliced 2 tins of shredded tuna, drained 1 lemon, zest and juice 125ml sour cream 30ml capers, roughly chopped 30ml chopped parsley 15ml chopped chives parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and keep it in the pot too stay warm. Place a large pan over medium heat, add the oil and wait for it to heat up. Add the garlic and spring onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Now add the tuna, lemon zest and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the cream and cook for 1 minute. Add the spaghetti, capers, parsley and chives and stir until the spaghetti is well coated in the sauce. Grate over a generous amount of parmesan cheese and stir through. Now grate over some more parmesan, stir again and serve.
9 eggs, hardboiled 250g small pasta/macaroni 190ml mayonnaise 25ml wholegrain mustard 15ml lemon juice 1 clove of garlic, minced 5ml salt 2,5ml smoked paprika 1 small red onion, finely chopped 2 spring onions, finely sliced
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Peel the eggs and quarter them. Separate the whites and yolks in two bowls. Chop up the whites and set aside. Set a sieve over a bowl, add the yolks and push them through with the sieve with a wooden spoon. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, salt and paprika to the bowl and mix through. Add the cooled pasta to the bowl and stir through to coat the pasta with the dressing. Now add the chopped egg whites, red onion and spring onion and mix through. Serve the pasta as a main or as the perfect side for a picnic, braai or bbq.
My Whisk and I 