quick recipe – My Whisk and I

Tomato Tart

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

1 x 400g roll Today puff pastry
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water beaten together
4 large tomatoes
a handful of basil
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Unroll the puff pastry and place it on the paper. (Trim the pastry to fit the baking sheet)
Lightly score the pastry down the centre in the length. Now score it in half and then halve each square. You should have 8 squares – be careful to score and not cut through!
Whisk together the egg yolk and water and lightly brush the pastry all over.
Refrigerate until needed.
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to the boil.
Make a cross incision (x) in the tomato skin on the bottom.
Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Now lower the tomatoes into the boiling water and simmer for 1 minute.
Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge it into the ice water.
Remove the skins once they start to curl back from the flesh.
Halve the naked tomatoes horizontally.
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator.
Place a basil leave in the centre of each of the marked squares.
Place half a tomato, cut-side down on the basil and drizzle the tomato with a few drops of oil.
Season with salt and pepper and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the tart from the oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar while very warm.
Slice the tart into 8 portions and serve as a side.

Italian Herb Chicken

February 26, 2023February 24, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is one of the most rewarding meals and it is put together in LESS THAN 30 MINUTES!!

6-8 chicken breasts, bone- and skinless
125ml olive oil
half an onion, chopped
60ml lemon juice
30ml apple cider vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
125ml cup packed with basil leaves
60ml cup packed with mint leaves
15ml rosemary, chopped
3 anchovy fillets/15ml anchovy spread

Preheat your oven to 220℃.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet and drizzle over some olive oil. Rub the oil all over the breast and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the chicken for 15-20 minutes, remove from the oven and cover with aluminium foil to rest. Set aside.
For the herb dressing:
Add the oil, onion, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, herbs and anchovy to the cup of a blender and blitz at high speed for one minute.

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and spoon over the herb dressing.

Quick Tropical Cheesecakes

February 11, 2023February 10, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe makes 12 small desserts or 6 substantial portions, served in glasses or ramekins.

1 x 200g packet of coconut biscuits (Tennis biscuits)
80ml desiccated coconut
1 x 385g can of condensed milk
80ml lemon juice
250g smooth cream cheese, room temperature
250ml fresh cream
2 x large mango, cubed

Break the biscuits into large pieces and place in a plastic bag. Crush them lightly with a rolling pin but keep some texture/not too fine.
Add the coconut, mix through and divide amongst 12 serving glasses. Set aside.
Pour the condensed milk and lemon juice into a mixing bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until incorporated.
Add the cream cheese and mix again on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth. Set aside.
Pour the cream into a mixing bowl and beat until it forms medium-stiff peaks.
Add the cream to the condensed milk mixture and fold through until it is thoroughly blended.
Spoon the cheesecake mixture into the glasses and gently tap the glass so that the mixture settles into the crumb.
Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour.
Peel the mango and cut into cubes.
Spoon the fruit on top of each cheesecake, sprinkle some coconut shavings on top and serve.

Coconut-Bran Muffins

December 7, 2022December 7, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Makes 12 muffins but can be doubled.

375ml bran
125ml boiling water
60ml butter, melted
190ml brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
50ml + 200ml buttermilk
6ml bicarbonate of soda
160ml flour
160ml wholewheat flour
2ml salt
250ml desiccated coconut

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Add the bran to a mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over. Stir through.
Pour the 50ml buttermilk into a small bowl and sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda over. Stir through and set aside.
Add the melted butter to the bran and stir again.
Now add the sugar, egg and 200ml buttermilk.
Pour the bicarb and buttermilk into the mixture and mix through.
Add the flour, wholewheat flour, salt and coconut and stir until just mixed.
Divide the batter among the paper cases and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the muffins from the oven and from the muffin tin and cool them on a cooling rack.

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.

Mini Cordon Bleu Fingers

November 20, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

10 sheets rice paper
10 slices ham
200g mozzarella cheese, cut into 1cm logs that are about 6cm long
250ml panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
vegetable oil for frying

Lay the rice sheets in water for one minute to soften.
Place a rice paper sheet on a work surface and top with a slice of ham.
Place the cheese on the ham and fold the rice paper over. Roll up into a cylinder.
Whisk the egg together in a shallow dish and add the bread crumbs to another shallow dish.
Dip the rice paper rolls into the egg and cover with the bread crumbs.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add 1cm oil.
Fry the rolls until golden and crisp.
Serve with a dipping sauce.

Matcha Fudge

November 7, 2022November 6, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

170ml condensed milk
30ml matcha powder
360g white chocolate, chopped
2,5ml salt
2,5ml vanilla

Prepare a 20cm x 20cm baking tin by lining it with baking paper.
Pour the condensed milk into a small saucepan and sift the matcha powder over it.
Place the saucepan on a low heat and stir until the mixture is hot.
Add the white chocolate, salt and vanilla.
Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and stir continuously until the chocolate has melted completely.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and leave to cool completely.
Refrigerate the fudge for 3 hours or longer.
Slice the fudge and sift over some matcha powder.

2-Ingredient Caramel Mousse

November 4, 2022November 3, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

90ml Biscoff spread
300ml cream, cold
(60ml Biscoff spread, if you want a sauce to drizzle over the mousse)

Measure the Biscoff spread into a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.
Give it a good stir and wait for the melted spread to cool down and come to room temperature. (when you can not feel a temperature difference when dipping your finger into it!!!)
Pour the cream into a mixing bowl and whisk until you have stiff but not dry peaks.
Pour the room temperature spread onto the whipped cream and very gently but thoroughly fold it through until no streaks are visible.
Refrigerate the mousse for an hour.
Pipe/scoop into glasses and serve.

Drizzle sauce:
Microwave about 60ml of the spread for 30 seconds, until melted.
Stir the mixture and stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Drizzle over the mousse before serving.

Enoki Quiche

October 24, 2022October 23, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

300g enoki mushrooms
45ml butter
1 packet puff pastry
4 eggs
250ml sour cream
250ml cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and spray a 23cm diameter loose-bottom pie tin with cooking spray.
Put a frying pan on medium-high heat and wait for it to warm up.
Add the butter, wait for it to melt and then add the mushrooms. Fry until golden.
Take the mushrooms from the heat and set aside.
Line the prepared pie tin with the pastry and prick the base all over with the tines of a fork.
Line the pastry case with baking paper and dry beans and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the beans and paper and bake the shell for another 8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 180℃.
Add the eggs and sour cream to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Scatter the enoki mushrooms over the base of the pastry shell and pour the egg mixture over.
Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake the quiche for 40 minutes.
Serve warm (not hot!) with a salad on the side.

Pork Rib-Eye Steaks with Grape Sauce

October 19, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

8 pork rib-eye steaks
a small handful of sage leaves, chopped
8-10 small onions, peeled and halved
50g butter
500g seedless grapes, half kept whole and the other half sliced in two
125ml balsamic vinegar
60ml brown sugar

Season the pork steaks with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the chopped sage and press the herbs onto the meat.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil and brown the meat, about 4 minutes per side.
Take the steaks from the pan and keep on the side.
Add the butter to the pan and wait for it to melt.
Now add the onions, cut side down and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the grapes, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and simmer for 2 minutes.
Place the pork steaks on top of the grapes and onions and place a lid on the saucepan.
Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
Serve warm with mashed potato and a fresh salad.

Tag: quick recipe