quick dinner – My Whisk and I

Mongolian Beef

June 9, 2023June 3, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a 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.

Garlic Steak and Potato

May 29, 2023May 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

700g steak, sliced in to strips
80ml soy sauce
15ml + 30ml olive oil
30ml + 30ml butter
700g potato, cut into wedges
6 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml chilli flakes
5ml rosemary, finely chopped
10ml thyme, finely chopped

Add the steak strips, soy sauce, 15ml olive oil and a few grindings of black pepper to a bowl and mix through. Set aside to marinade.
Place a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add 30ml olive oil and 30ml butter.
Add the potato wedges and cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring every now and then, until fork-tender.
Remove from the pan and keep aside.
Add the other 30ml butter to the same pan over medium heat and wait for it to melt.
Add the garlic, chilli, rosemary and thyme.
Drain the marinade from the steak and keep aside.
Add the steak strips to the pan and fry until browned.
Pour in the marinade and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
Add the potato and cook until warmed through.
Check the seasoning and adjust to your liking.
Serve with a crispy salad.

Corn and Coriander Salad

March 8, 2023March 7, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

This salad is my new obsession – it is zingy, fresh and everything and more that your tastebuds are craving ..!

8 corn cobs, cleaned
olive oil
80ml mayonnaise
30ml sour cream
80g feta cheese, finely crumbed
45ml lemon juice
finely grated rind of 2 lemons
40g coriander leaves, picked off the stems (it is about an average bunch)
3 spring onions, sliced

Heat a wood-fired grill to medium-high heat.
Coat each corn cob with a thin layer of olive oil and season with salt.
Place the corn on the grill and cook for 20 minutes. Turn them every now and then so that they get a char all over.
Cool slightly and then cut the kernels from the cobs. Set aside.

Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, feta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest to a small bowl.
Season with salt and pepper and mix together.
Spoon half the corn kernels on a serving dish.
Top with half the spring onions and half the coriander leaves.
Drizzle half the dressing over and repeat the corn, spring onion and coriander layers, finishing with a drizzle of the dressing.
Serve the salad at room temperature.

Candied Pork Rashers

October 14, 2022October 14, 2022by Karen Claassen1 Comment

8 boneless, pork rashers
125ml brown sugar
2,5ml smoked paprika
7,5ml dried chilli flakes

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Stand a metal cooling rack in the baking sheet.
Spread the rashers on the metal rack in the baking sheet and salt them on both sides. Set aside.
Mix together the brown sugar, paprika and chilli flakes and spread it evenly onto each rasher.
Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, remove and flip the rashers.
Spread this side with the rest of the sugar mixture and immediately place it back in the oven for another 8 minutes.
Flip the rashers once more and bake for another 5 minutes per side, until beautifully browned and crisp.
Serve warm.

Mushroom-Courgette Galette

October 12, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 store bought puff pastry
125g cream cheese, I use chive flavoured
250g smoked bacon, cubed/chopped
200g mushrooms, sliced
a handful of thyme leaves
5 courgettes, cut into 3-4cm long sticks
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 30ml water whisked together

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Roll out the pastry and cut as large a circle from it as the diameter allows.
Spread the cream cheese on the pastry, leaving a 3cm border on the outside.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and fry the bacon pieces until cooked. Spoon into a bowl.
Add the mushrooms and thyme leaves to the pan and fry until golden.
Add the courgette sticks to the mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Spoon into the bowl with the bacon and mix through.
Now spoon this mixture onto the cream cheese.
Fold the 3cm border of pastry over the filling and brush with the egg wash.
Bake the galette for 40 minutes.
Serve warm.

Potato and Chorizo Bake

August 25, 2022August 24, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,5kg potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
300g chorizo sausage, diced
200g cheddar cheese, grated
300ml cream
200ml milk

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Place the potato chunks in a large saucepan, pour in enough water to cover and bring to a boil.
Cook the potato for 10-15 minutes, until a knife can easily be inserted, but not mushy.
Drain the chunks and put it back into the same saucepan.
Add the onion, garlic and chorizo to a large frying pan set over medium-high heat and stir-fry for about 10 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the saucepan with the potato chunks and mix through.
Add the cheddar cheese and give it another mix.
Spoon everything into a 28cm x 22cm ovenproof dish.
Combine the cream and milk in a jug and season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture over the potato.
Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes – check the casserole after 20 minutes or so and loosely cover with aluminium foil if it has browned enough.
Serve warm with a fresh green salad.

Honey Glazed Pork Chops

August 22, 2022August 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 pork chops
22,5ml soy sauce
30ml oyster sauce
5ml ground ginger
30ml honey
25ml five-spice powder
45ml wine (or water or stock)

Add all the ingredients, except the pork chops, to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Place the chops in a shallow baking dish and pour the mixture over.
Leave to marinate for one hour, turning the chops once.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place a cast-iron pan (or any other oven-friendly pan) on high heat, and pour in some vegetable oil.
Scrape most of the marinade off the meat and fry for 2 minutes before turning and frying another 2 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium and pour in the marinade sauce.
Stir and cook for about 3-4 minutes and then place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
Serve the chops with fragrant rice or couscous.

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.

Sweet Potato with Apricot

July 20, 2021July 16, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This simple apricot sauce transforms a baked sweet potato into a well-balanced, tasty meal. Easy, quick and utterly delicious!

6 – 8 medium sweet potatoes
250g dried apricots
125ml honey
30ml apple cider vinegar
2,5ml ground ginger
2,5ml ground coriander
a pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, until soft. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
Turn your oven onto the grill setting.
Add the apricots to a mixing bowl and sprinkle lightly with olive oil. Mix through so that all of the apricots are covered in oil.
Spread out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and grill until very lightly charred. Keep an eye on them, they burn quickly!
Add half the apricots to a liquidiser.
Add the honey, vinegar, ginger, coriander and a pinch of salt and blitz to a purée.
Taste the sauce and adjust to your liking. Adjust the thickness to your liking by adding more apricots for a thicker sauce.
Make a slit in the baked sweet potatoes and spoon the sauce over it.
Serve on rocket leaves and the rest of the whole roasted apricots.

Sheet-pan Fish with Ladolemono Dressing

April 14, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe works well with any white fish, fresh or frozen, and is the perfect nutritious weeknight dinner. Ladolemono dressing is traditionally Greek and a basic olive oil and lemon dressing that is drizzled onto fish before and after baking. This version has garlic and origanum added and will have you longing for a Greek vacation!

6 – 8 portions of white fish fillet
Ladolemono Dressing:

90ml olive oil
30ml lemon juice
5ml salt
15ml fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, minced

Preheat your oven to 220℃.
Lay the white fish portions/fillets onto a baking sheet and put aside while making the dressing.
Add all the Ladolemono dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until the mixture turns thick and is completely blended.
Spoon half of the dressing onto the fish and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the fish from the oven and drizzle the rest of the dressing onto the cooked fish.
Serve with a salad or roasted vegetables.

Tag: quick dinner