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.
250ml wholewheat flour 250ml cake flour 250ml blueberries 125ml sugar 7,5ml baking powder 2,5ml bicarbonate of soda 2,5ml salt 250ml buttermilk zest of 1 lemon 1 egg 62ml vegetable oil 5ml vanilla
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 23cm x 13cm loaf tin with baking paper. Add the two flours to a mixing bowl and stir to mix with a spatula. Place the blueberries in a separate bowl and sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the flour over the fruit. Mix through so that the blueberries are coated with flour. Set aside. Add the sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to the flours and stir through. Add the buttermilk, lemon zest, egg, oil and vanilla to a wide-mouthed jug and whisk together. Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and stir together until all the flour has been incorporated and you are left with a shaggy, wet batter. Add the blueberries and stir through. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf tin and pat it into the corners. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the bread, comes out clean. Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the tin and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Slice to serve.
This is without doubt my favourite salad! If you are a fan of tomato, this is a must-try.
4 x 2cm thick slices of sourdough bread 6-8 fresh, ripe tomatoes at room temperature half a cucumber 1 small red onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 125ml olive oil 60ml balsamic vinegar juice of 1 lemon a bunch of fresh basil leaves
Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Cut the sourdough slices into cubes of 1,5 – 2cm. Spread the bread cubes on the prepared baking sheet and liberally drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the bread is golden and crisp. Remove from the baking sheet and set aside to cool.
Dressing: Chop 3-4 tomatoes into very small pieces. The chopping is best done in a shallow bowl so that you preserve all of the tomato’s juice. Add the tomato and the juice to a small mixing bowl. Chop the onion as finely as you can, mince the garlic and add to the tomato. Now add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Mix these ingredients together and seasonal with salt and pepper. Make adjustments according to your liking.
Slice the remaining 3-4 tomatoes into chunks and place in a large mixing bowl. Cut the cucumber into chunks and add that as well. Pour the dressing over the tomato and cucumber and mix through. Scatter the croutons and basil on top of the salad and mix through. Transfer to a serving platter.
When it comes to a galette the success thereof is often determined by the pastry! But then again, if you do not have the time to make the pastry it can be equally successful if you replace the homemade pastry with a store bought short crust pastry. I include the recipe for a classic flaky pastry and would highly recommend that you try it when the time is right…..
Classic Flaky Pastry
65g bread flour 150g cake flour 3,5ml salt 105g butter, cubed 35g shortening, cubed (you may replace this with butter) 70ml ice cold water
Add the bread flour, cake flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the cubed butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture forms tiny clumps, the size of lentils. Keep the engine running and slowly drizzle in half of the water. Now keep adding very small amounts of water until the pastry JUST comes together. Wrap the pastry in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the galette:
1 batch Classic Flaky Pastry or short crust pastry 250g cream cheese 1 batch Caramelised Onions (search the recipe on this blog) 12 fresh figs 12 bocconcini balls or other soft cheese olive oil Balsamic vinegar thyme 1 egg yolk
Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Roll the pastry to a 30cm circle and mark a 5cm border on the outside edges. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cream cheese evenly on the pastry, keeping the border clear. Spoon the caramelised onion on the cream cheese and spread it evenly. Cut 2 slits down the centre of each fig (or half/quarter each) and arrange onto the caramelised onion. Now arrange the bocconcini on and between the figs, drizzle the galette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and scatter over the thyme. Fold the clear border of the pastry up/over the figs. Whisk the egg yolk and 15ml water together and evenly brush a thin layer onto the pastry. Bake the galette in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with more balsamic vinegar before setting aside to cool down slightly. Serve the fig galette at room temperature.
When onion is caramelised to perfection it has a rich flavour and makes a great accompaniment to cold meats, patés, terrines and even a base for savoury tarts. This recipe yields about 500ml of caramelised onions that will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
30ml butter 15ml vegetable oil 5 large onions, sliced a pinch of salt 30ml brown sugar 45ml balsamic vinegar
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the sliced onions and a generous pinch of salt and cook for 20 minutes. Stir the onions once or twice to prevent them from catching but not too often as it will prevent the caramelisation process. Add the sugar and balsamic once the onions are soft and golden in colour. Cook over a low heat for another 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally until the onions are sticky and caramelised.
Base: 160ml peanut butter 60ml golden syrup 160ml desiccated coconut
Filling: 200g chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped 500g tofu, room temperature 160ml brown sugar 30ml cocoa powder, sifted 22,5ml cornstarch
Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper. Add the peanut butter, syrup and coconut to a mixing bowl and stir together. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and press evenly over the base of the tin. Place the cake tin in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add the chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water and allow the chocolate to melt. Remove from the heat once it is smooth and put to the side to cool slightly. Add the tofu, brown sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and melted chocolate to the bowl of a food processor. Blitz together until smooth – scrape the mixture down once or twice. Pour the tofu mixture over the base and bake for 30 minutes, until set. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool for 1 hour. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.
This is such an easy filled bread to make and is guaranteed to transport you straight back to that Greek Taverna on the beach and all its wonderful aromas and tastes!! It is crispy, subtly flavoured and makes a great addition to mezze. Yields four flatbreads.
1 egg 200ml water a pinch of salt 450g flour 400g feta cheese, crumbed 60ml thyme leaves 60ml chives, chopped 50ml olive oil plus extra for brushing the breads
Add the egg, water and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed for a minute or so. Add the flour a few tablespoons at a time with the engine running. Mix/knead the dough until it comes together and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. About 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Flour a work surface and roll a piece of dough out as thin as you can, aiming to end up with a rough square of 25cm x 25cm. Brush the square with some olive oil. Sprinkle a little less than a quarter of the crumbed feta onto the top half of the square. Now sprinkle some thyme and chives over the feta. Fold the bottom half of the dough over the half with the cheese and lightly press it down with the palms of your hands. Brush the folded half of dough with olive oil and sprinkle the rest of the quarter of feta over one half. Repeat with some herbs. Fold the one half over the other and lightly press together. You will now have a 4-layer piece of dough with filling. Repeat the process with the rest of the pieces of dough and filling. Heat 50ml olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium-low heat. Fry the breads for 3 minutes on each side, lowering/regulating the heat if you see them catching. Serve warm with other mezze.
This is the perfect one-portion shakshuka, all wrapped up into one omelette!
4 eggs 125ml baby spinach salt and pepper a 10cm piece of chorizo sausage (per portion), cut into small cubes 250ml cherry tomato, halved 80ml feta cheese, cut into small cubes 15ml butter vegetable oil
Add the eggs and baby spinach to a jug and blitz together with a stick blender. Season with salt and pepper. Melt 15ml butter and a splash of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan, set over medium-low heat. Pour the egg mixture into the frying pan and cook until the edges of the omelette begin to set. Push down onto the edges with a silicone spatula and gently push the edges towards the centre of the pan. Tilt the pan so that the uncooked eggs move to the edges. Repeat around the pan until the eggs are set but still soft. Scatter the chorizo, tomato and feta in a line down the centre of the omelette and cook for one minute longer. Slide the spatula underneath one side of the omelette and gently fold it over the filling. Repeat on the other side. Now tilt the pan and gently nudge the omelette onto a plate. The omelette is for one famished individual or two people, to share.
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.
My Whisk and I 