quick – My Whisk and I

Puff-Baked Apples

March 18, 2023March 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 x 400g Today Puff Pastry
2 large apples
egg-wash: egg yolk + 15ml water whisked together

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Unroll your pastry and divide and cut it into 8 equal squares.
Place 4 squares on the prepared baking tray and set aside.
Make 0,5cm incisions in a vertical line on the other pastry squares.
Fill the squares with these incisions following a “brick-laying” pattern.
Peel, halve and core the apples.
Place half an apple on a square on the baking sheet and cover with a square with incisions.
Press down to seal and trim off the excess pastry.
Brush with egg-wash and repeat with the rest of the squares and apple.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and serve with custard.

Vegetable Korma

May 18, 2022May 15, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml sunflower oil
30ml butter (or extra oil for vegan)
1 onion, chopped
10ml ground ginger
1 stick cinnamon
5ml ground turmeric
5ml ground coriander
5ml ground cumin
5ml medium-hot curry powder
5ml dried chilli flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
15ml sugar
2 x 400ml cans coconut cream
250ml cashew nuts, finely chopped
400g butternut, cut into 2cm cubes
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
200g baby spinach, roughly chopped
250ml frozen peas
fresh coriander to serve

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil and butter.
Add the onion and stir-fry it until translucent.
Add the ginger, cinnamon stick, turmeric, coriander, cumin, curry powder and chilli flakes and gently cook the spices for 2 minutes while stirring.
Now add the sugar, coconut cream and cashews. Bring the sauce to a simmer and then take it from the heat.
Remove the cinnamon stick and blitz the sauce with a hand blender, until smooth.
Place the saucepan back on medium heat and add the butternut and chickpeas. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the butternut is tender but do take care that the sauce doesn’t burn.
Stir in the chopped spinach and peas and stir through.
Adjust the seasoning according to taste.
Garnish the curry with fresh coriander and serve it with jasmine rice.

Boerenkool Stamppot

May 5, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Boerenkool Stamppot is probably the oldest and most authentic of Dutch dishes and could be considered the Netherland’s national dish. Comfort food for those cold evenings when you do not want to spend too much time in the kitchen but need something to feed your soul.

1,5kg potatoes, peeled and diced
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
500g kale, trimmed and roughly chopped
500g rookworst (or any other smoked sausage)
125ml milk
45ml butter
salt and plenty of black pepper, to taste

Add the potatoes, onion, bay leaf, kale and a teaspoon salt to a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover the ingredients. Cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes.
Slice the sausage into thick slices and fry it off in a hot pan. You want the edges to caramelise and become crispy. Set aside.
Remove the bay leaf from the veggies in the saucepan and drain off the water.
Add the milk and butter to the saucepan and stir through.
Lightly mash the potato-kale mixture but be sure to keep some texture.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir in the fried sausage.
Serve the stamp pot with a traditional Dutch beer or a glass of wine.

Asparagus Pea Salad

March 11, 2022March 10, 2022by Karen Claassen1 Comment

1bunch asparagus, blanched and cooled
250ml frozen peas, blanched and cooled
1 punnet sugar snap peas, blanched and cooled

For the dressing:
1 egg yolk
5ml dijon mustard
250ml olive oil
50 grated parmesan cheese
15ml lemon juice

Add the yolk and mustard to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add a few drops of the olive oil and whisk to incorporate – repeat, adding only a few drops of oil at a time, until you have about half of the oil left.
Slowly drizzle the oil into the mixture while whisking continuously. Keep going until all the oil is incorporated.
Add the parmesan and lemon juice and whisk to combine. Season will salt.
Arrange the asparagus, peas and sugar snaps on a serving plate and add a few dollops of the dressing to serve.

Fried Rice

March 1, 2022March 1, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

One of the secrets to perfect fried rice is the temperature: cold rice fries brilliantly and thus this is the perfect dish for those leftovers in the refrigerator! The other secret? Butter!

45ml butter
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 carrots, cut into small cubes
about 750ml of cooked, cold rice
250ml frozen peas
1 x 400g tin of corn kernels
15ml sesame oil
15ml soy sauce
15ml fish sauce (optional)

Add the butter to a large non-stick pan set over medium heat and allow to melt.
Add the onion, garlic and carrot and stir-fry until the onion starts to catch a little.
Add the rice, peas, corn, sesame oil, soy and fish sauce and turn the heat up to high.
Fry the mixture and stir it around every now and then for 3-4 minutes. The high heat will crisp up and caramelise the rice.
Take the pan from the heat and taste the fried rice. Drizzle with some more soy sauce if it needs it.
Serve warm.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

February 10, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is my adaptation of the delicious Donna Hay salad with roasted cauliflower. Serves 4 as a main.

For the avocado dressing:
half an avocado (taken from the 2 avocados you need for the salad)
125ml greek yoghurt
15ml lemon juice
60ml water

Add all the ingredients to a mixing jug and blitz together with a stick blender.
Season to taste and set aside.

For the salad:
1kg cauliflower florets
2 x 400g chickpeas, drained and rinsed under cold water
60ml olive oil
5ml salt
2 avocado pears, halved and sliced
12 radishes
a handful of mint leaves

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Arrange the cauliflower and chickpeas on the lined baking tray and drizzle with the oil.
Sprinkle the harissa and salt over.
Roast for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Spoon the cauliflower and chickpeas onto a serving platter and top with the avocado slices, radishes and mint leaves.
Drizzle the salad with the avocado dressing and serve.

Butter Bean Hummus

February 1, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is the creamiest hummus you will ever taste and I love it for its versatility!! Keep it in the refrigerator and use as a spread on crackers on sandwiches, as a dip with veg or thin it down and use it as a salad dressing.

1 x 400g can butter beans
30ml tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
the juice of one lemon (30ml)
30ml olive oil
5ml salt

Add all the ingredients to a liquidiser and blitz together until completely smooth.

Store in the refrigerator.

Tropical Chocolate Bread

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a great variation on banana bread and perfect for brunch when served with roasted peaches. Keeps for 2-3 days in an airtight container but it is very good when toasted thereafter.

150g butter
190ml caster sugar
2 eggs
30ml milk
2 ripe bananas, sliced
250ml self-raising flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda
62ml dodo powder, sifted
125ml desiccated coconut
160g De Villiers Cocoa Nut Butter Chocolate, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 11cm X 25cm X 7cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on medium-high speed until creamy.
Add the eggs, milk and sliced bananas and mix for another minute.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder together and stir into the mixture.
Take the bowl from the mixer, add the coconut and chocolate and stir through by hand.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Turn the bread out onto a wire rack to cool.
Slice to serve.

Honey-Roasted Peaches:
6 fresh peaches
15ml butter, cubed
62ml honey

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Cut the peaches in half and remove the stones.
Place the peach halves on an oven tray and dot the cubed butter over it.
Drizzle over the honey.
Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until caramelised and golden brown.
Serve on a toasted slice of Tropical Chocolate Bread.

Chocolate-Biscuit Meringue

December 3, 2021December 3, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

The recipe makes about 18 meringue biscuits.

4 egg whites, room temperature
220g caster sugar
5ml white vinegar
250ml ladies finger biscuits, chopped (or any other plain biscuit)
250ml almond slivers
160g chocolate of your choice; I used De Villiers Nut Butter with no added sugar

Preheat your oven to 150℃ and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form.
Add one tablespoon of sugar at a time, with the mixer running. Wait 30 seconds before adding the next tablespoon of sugar and continue until all the sugar has been added.
Whisk on high speed for 2 more minutes.
Add the vinegar and whisk 2 minutes more.
Take the bowl from the mixer and add the biscuits and almonds. Fold through.
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt completely.
Spoon a tablespoon of the meringue mixture onto the prepared tray and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon.
Spoon a teaspoon of the melted chocolate on the meringue and swirl it into the top.
Now reduce your oven temperature to 120℃ and place the trays in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
Turn off the oven, without opening the door and leave the meringue inside for another 30 minutes.
Remove the trays from the oven and leave the meringue on it until completely cold – another hour or so.

Store the meringue biscuits in an airtight container.

Stroganoff Steaks

October 1, 2021September 29, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 sirloin steaks
45ml butter
400g mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5ml smoked paprika
300ml beef stock
250ml sour cream
a handful of parsley, chopped

Cook the steaks to your liking and set aside. Keep it covered and warm, to rest.
Put a heavy-base pan on high heat and add the butter. If you cooked the steak in a pan, use the same one.
Add the mushrooms and cook until browned and slightly charred on the edges. Remove from the pan.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook the onion until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
Transfer the mushroom back to the pan and sprinkle over the paprika.
Pour the beef stock into the pan and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping loose any charred pieces stuck to the pan. Allow the stock to bubble away until reduced by half.
Take the pan from the heat and stir in the sour cream and parsley.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Place the cooked steaks in the sauce, cover the pan with a lid and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Tag: quick