summer food – My Whisk and I

Asparagus Lemon Chicken

October 16, 2024October 15, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 skinless chicken breasts
80ml flour
30ml olive oil
30ml butter

Sauce:
125g butter
50ml flour
125ml chicken stock
250ml white wine
125ml lemon juice
1 bunch green asparagus, trimmed
125ml grated parmesan cheese
30ml chopped parsley
lemon wedges, to serve

Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness.
Season the 80ml flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken in it.
Add the olive oil and butter to a pan set over medium-high heat and wait for it to warm up.
Fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes preside and remove from the pan.

For the sauce:
Turn the heat down to medium.
Melt the 125g butter in the same pan and sprinkle the flour over it.
Cook while stirring for one minute.
Add the chicken stock to the pan and whisk the sauce continuously.
Pour in the white wine and lemon juice and stir until blended.
Return the chicken to the pan, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and add the asparagus.
Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Take the pan from the heat, stir in the parmesan and sprinkle over the chopped parsley.
Serve the chicken with lemon wedges on the side.

Uncategorized

Bacon-Zucchini Fritters

February 15, 2024February 14, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

300 – 350g zucchini
15ml salt
375ml grated cheddar cheese
250ml chopped bacon, uncooked
6 eggs, whisked together
375ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
vegetable oil, for frying

Wash the zucchini under running water and dry them.
Grate into a bowl, sprinkle over the salt and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Place the zucchini in a clean tea towel and twist and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can.
Add the dry zucchini to a mixing bowl.
Fry the bacon bits until cooked and crispy, drain and add it to the zucchini.
Add the cheese and eggs and stir everything together.
Now add the flour and baking powder and stir to combine.
The batter should be thick enough so that it won’t spread in the pan – if it is too runny, add some more flour and if it is too stiff, add a few drops of water.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and add about 15ml of vegetable oil. Wait for the pan and oil to heat up.
Place about 30ml of batter into the pan and press down on it with the back of a spoon so that it is more or less even. You should get 3-4 fritters in an average frying pan – do not overcrowd them!
Fry the fritter for 3 minutes on the one side, flip it over and fry for another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Keep going until there is no batter left.
Serve the bacon-zucchini fritters warm as a snack or a side, or pack them at room temperature for a picnic or lunchbox.

Uncategorized

Chicken Croutons

January 20, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 slices of regular sandwich bread
60ml vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
100g grated parmesan cheese
45ml mayonnaise
salad leaves
350g crumbed chicken strips, cooked

Preheat your oven to 180℃ .
Slice each slice of bread into two triangles and roll each triangle flat with a rolling pin.
Pour the vegetable oil into a small bowl and add the garlic to it.
Brush one side of the bread triangle with the garlic oil.
Bring the two widest corners of the bread triangle together, overlap them slightly and secure with a wooden toothpick.
Place the shaped bread on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes or until slightly golden but not hard.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
Add the parmesan cheese and mayonnaise to the leftover garlic oil and mix together.
Now scoop some of this mixture onto a salad leave (be generous!) and place a chicken strip on top.
Fold the salad leave so that it fits into the shaped bread slices and serve with drinks.

Uncategorized

Beef Tagliata

August 13, 2023July 29, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Tagliata which simply means to cut in Italian, is one of Italy’s most popular steak dishes. I use store bought quartered sun-dried tomatoes for this recipe. The dressing adds a punchy freshness to the meat and is one of the quickest meals you will prepare..

Dressing:
10 quarters of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, finely chopped
60ml olive oil from the packet of tomatoes
60ml soy sauce
juice of 1 lemon
60ml finely chopped basil leaves

beef fillet/tenderloin
parmesan shavings
a handful of peppery herbs

For the dressing:
Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir to mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature to develop its flavours. (about 40 minutes)
Cook your steaks in a pan or on the braai/bbq.
Cover with aluminium foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Slice the cooked meat into strips and arrange it on a serving platter.
Drizzle over the dressing and sprinkle over some parmesan shavings and herbs.
Serve the steak with the rest of the dressing on the side.

Uncategorized

Turkish Delight Ice-Cream Terrine

July 29, 2023June 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

800g fresh ricotta cheese
165g caster sugar
300ml whipping cream
125g pistachio nuts
200g Turkish delight, cut into 1cm cubes
30ml rose water

Line a small 1 litre loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on the sides.
Add the ricotta and caster sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Spoon the cream into a bowl and whisk to soft peaks.
Spoon the cream into the ricotta mixture and fold through.
Scatter the pistachio, Turkish delight and rosewater over and fold through until evenly distributed.
Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin and cover with the overhanging plastic wrap.
Freeze the terrine for 7-8 hours.
Unwrap the top of the terrine and invert it on to a serving plate.
Slice to serve.

Uncategorized

Falafel

July 21, 2023June 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
a big handful of parsley, chopped
a big handful of coriander leaves, chopped
5ml ground coriander
5ml ground cumin
2,5ml salt
45ml flour
vegetable oil for frying

Add all of the ingredients, except the vegetable oil, to a mixing bowl and blitz together with a stick blender.
Lift the blender often and stir the mixture around – you want everything mixed together but not too fine.
Wet your hands and scoop up 15ml of the mixture. Roll into a ball and place on a tray.
Keep going until you have rolled all of the mixture into balls.
Pour enough oil to come 7cm up the side of a saucepan and allow to heat up.
Fry a few of the falafel balls at a time until beautifully golden and crisp on the outside.
Serve with a dipping sauce as a starter or fill a pita bread with falafel, salad and tzatziki sauce.

Uncategorized

Quick Gazpacho

February 13, 2023February 12, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

half an English cucumber, cut into chunks
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
3 cloves of garlic, minced
8 ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 red chilli, chopped
30ml olive oil
80ml apple cider vinegar
a bunch of basil leaves, chopped

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blitz together.
Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning – it is soooo important!
Refrigerate the soup until you want to serve it.
Spoon into soup bowls and serve with ice cubes and a fresh crusty bread.

Uncategorized

Whipped Goat’s Cheese Bruschetta

October 31, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 sourdough loaf, cut into 1cm slices
60ml olive oil
600g cherry tomatoes, halved
half a red onion, finely chopped
200g goat’s cheese/chevin
100g sour cream
juice of 1 lemon (about 30ml)
a handful of basil leaves, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush them with the olive oil.
Toast the bread in the oven for 10 min. Set aside.
Add the halved tomatoes and red onion to a mixing bowl, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add the goat cheese, sour cream, lemon juice and basil leaves to a bowl and whisk together with an electric whisk.
Spread the cheese mixture on the bruschetta, top with the tomato and serve immediately.

Uncategorized

Cream-Cheese-Board

October 3, 2022October 2, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This cheeseboard is a brilliant way of entertaining friends and family with the absolute minimum effort! The cream cheese is used as a base and smeared onto a wooden serving board and then topped with crunchy, punchy bits and bobs. One 250g tub of cream cheese should provide you with enough to feed 4 people as a snack with cocktails or even as a nibble before a meal.

250g tub of cream cheese (I used a chive flavoured cheese)
red onion, finely chopped
chives, chopped (garlic chives are especially good)
fried onion bits (mine was store bought but feel free to make them yourself)
pomegranate seeds
lemon zest
honey for drizzling over
edible flower to make everything look pretty

Smear the cream cheese onto a wooden serving board.
Sprinkle over the onion, chives, fried onion, pomegranate seeds and lemon zest.
Drizzle a small amount of honey over and finish off with a few pretty edible flowers.
Serve with crackers and cocktails.

Uncategorized

Garlic Prawns/ Gambas

July 11, 2022June 17, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a Meze classic, easy to put together and bursting with mediterranean flavours. Best served with crusty bread to mop up all the delicious leftover juices!

500g prawns, shelled and deveined
30ml olive oil
2,5ml crushed chilli flakes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
zest and juice of 1 lemon
a handful of parsley, chopped
20g butter
5ml Worcestershire sauce
5 drops tabasco

Add the olive oil to a frying pan and set it over medium-high heat.
Add the chilli flakes and 2 cloves of garlic and fry for a minute.
Add the prawn and stir-fry until cooked.
Add the lemon zest, juice and parsley and stir through.
Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the prawns into a serving dish.
Melt the butter in the same pan and mix in the Worcestershire sauce, tabasco and one clove of garlic.
Spoon the mixture over the prawns and serve with a crusty loaf of bread and a glass of wine.