traditional food – My Whisk and I

Beef Kebabs / Shish Kabob

July 23, 2023June 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

12 skewers
2kg beef, cut into 2cm cubes
60ml soy sauce
125ml teriyaki sauce
15ml steak seasoning
250ml red wine
1 green bell pepper, cut into 2cm x 2cm squares
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2cm x 2cm squares
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 2cm x 2cm squares
1 red onion, cut into 2cm x 2cm squares`

Sauce:
250ml greek yoghurt
80ml parsley, finely chopped
60ml mint leaves, finely chopped
2,5ml salt
15ml lemon juice

Add the beef cubes to a mixing bowl and pour over the soy sauce, teriyaki, steak seasoning and red wine.
Toss the beef with your hands and ensure that it is covered with the marinating ingredients.
Set aside for 1 hour or longer.
Thread the beef, bell pepper and onion on to a skewer – you should have 12 kebabs.

For the sauce:
Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix through.

Grill the kebabs on an open fire – 3 minutes per side x 4, until beautifully charred.
Serve the kebabs with the yoghurt sauce.

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Breakfast Pide

July 20, 2023May 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Bread:
330ml warm water
5ml salt
5ml sugar
10ml instant yeast
750ml bread flour

Filling:
blanched spinach
red onion, sliced
tomato, chopped
grated mozzarella cheese
poached egg
sesame seeds

For the bread:
Add the water, salt, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Add the bread flour and mix on low speed to form a dough.
Turn the speed up to medium and mix/knead for 5 minutes. You will be left with a soft but slightly sticky dough.
Place the dough in a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 240℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Dust a work surface with flour and divide the dough into 6 equal portions.
Roll the dough into a 10cm diameter circle with a rolling pin.
Place the dough rounds on the baking sheet and brush all over with olive oil.
Top the dough with some of the spinach, mozzarella, tomato and red onion, leaving a 1cm border on the outside edge.
Scatter the border of the dough round with sesame seeds and break an egg in the centre.
Bake in the oven for 13 minutes.
Serve warm.

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Perde Pilavi

July 13, 2023May 25, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Perde Pilavi is a traditional Turkish dish made of chicken and rice flavoured with nuts, fruit and spices and wrapped up in a delicious pastry, specked with flaked almonds.

1 chicken (1-1,5kg)
1 litre chicken stock
40g butter
40g flaked almonds
330g short grain rice (like Arborio)
30g raisins
5ml salt
5ml paprika
10ml mint, chopped
660ml chicken stock

Pastry:
2 eggs
60ml yoghurt
60g butter
50ml vegetable oil
5ml salt
350g flour
5ml baking powder
50g flaked almonds

Place the chicken in a large saucepan and pour in the stock.
Cook on medium heat for an hour, until done.
Remove the chicken from the stock and set aside to cool slightly.
Reserve the stock.
Place a large frying pan on medium-high heat, add the butter and wait for it to melt.
Add the almonds and stir-fry until golden.
Add the rice and cook for a minute or so, stirring all the while to coat in the butter.
Now add the raisins, salt, a few grindings of black pepper, paprika and mint.
Pour in 660ml of the reserved stock (add boiling water if you dont have enough), stir the mixture and cover with a lid.
Turn the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is almost cooked.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Shred the chicken into strips and discard the bones and skin.
Add the chicken to the rice mixture and stir through.

For the pastry:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the eggs, yoghurt, butter and vegetable oil to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Add the salt, flour and baking powder to a bowl and whisk through.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet.
Lightly knead the pastry to bring it together.
Flour a work surface and roll the pastry to a 45cm diameter circle. It should be large enough to line the dish and have enough hanging over the sides to close around the filling.
Spray a 18cm diameter x 8cm deep ceramic dish with cooking spray.
Scatter the almonds on the bottom of the dish.
Line the bottom and sides of the dish with the pastry, leaving the overhang.
Spoon the cooled rice mixture into the pastry.
Fold the overhang-pastry over the filling to enclose it completely – trim off any excess.
Bake for 40 minutes, until golden.
Take the dish from the oven and rest it for 15 minutes.
Place a serving plate over the baking dish and invert it.
Serve the pilavi with a crispy salad.

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Beef Pide

July 11, 2023May 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Dough:
330ml warm/tepid water
5ml salt
5ml sugar
10ml instant yeast
750ml bread flour

Filling:
about 350g cooked, ground beef
250ml grated mozzarella cheese
a handful of basil leaves

For the dough:
Add the water, salt, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Stir the mixture together until the sugar has dissolved and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Add the bread flour and mix on low speed to form a dough.
Turn the speed up to medium and mix/knead for 5 minutes. You will be left with a soft but slightly sticky dough.
Place the dough in a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 240℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Dust a work surface with flour and divide the dough into 6 portions.
Roll out each piece of dough to form an oval.
Place the dough ovals on the baking sheet and brush with olive oil.
Top the dough with mozzarella and a few spoons of beef, but keep a 1cm border on the edges.
Fold the edges of the dough over the filling and pinch the ends together to form a boat shape.
Bake for 13 minutes.
Scatter over the basil leaves.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Meatballs stuffed with feta / Köfte

July 8, 2023May 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g lamb mince
4 slices white bread, crusts removed
60ml milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
10ml chopped parsley
10ml chopped mint
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml salt
5ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
100g feta cheese, cubed (1,5cm x 1,5cm)

Sauce:
1 x 400g tin chopped tomato
5ml salt
10ml sugar
60ml cream

For the meatballs:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place the minced meat in a large mixing bowl and break it up with your hands.
Break up the bread, add it to the bowl and pour over the milk. Mix well.
Now add the onion, parsley, mint, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and a few good grindings of black pepper. Mix again.
Scoop 30ml of the meat into your hands, form a ball and press it flat in your palm.
Place a feta cube on the mince and bring the sides up and around it. Roll the mince ball between your hands to seal.
Place the balls on an oven tray and keep going until you have no meat left.
Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the meatballs and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

For the sauce:
Add the tomato, salt and sugar to a liquidiser and blitz until smooth.
Pour the sauce into a saucepan set over medium-high heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the cream, stir through and add the meatballs.
Simmer for a further 20 minutes.
Serve the meatballs with rice or bulgar wheat.

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Aubergine with Sesame Dressing

July 3, 2023June 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

12 baby aubergine OR 2 large aubergine, cut into 2cm thick slices
30ml olive oil
250ml greek yoghurt
45ml tahini paste
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Slice the aubergine in half and score the flesh.
Brush the olive oil on the scored side and either grill over an open fire or in a very warm pan until cooked and slightly charred.
Arrange the aubergine on a serving plate.
Add the yoghurt, tahini paste and garlic to a small bowl and mix together. Smear the tahini paste against the side of the bowl and scrape it off again so that it mixes through the other ingredients.
Serve the sesame dressing on the aubergine at room temperature.

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Tartiflette

April 28, 2023April 16, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1kg potatoes
200g bacon, diced
30g butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
125ml dry white wine
125ml cream
450g soft rind cheese of your choice, I used Camembert, traditionally Reblochon is used

Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1cm thick rounds.
Add the potato to a large saucepan and pour in enough cold water to cover. Season the water with salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the rounds are just tender – about 25minutes.
Drain the potato rounds and return to the saucepan. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the bacon.
Lower the heat once the fat renders, add the butter and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the wine and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the potato rounds and mix through.
Pour the cream over and mix again.
Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish.
Slice the cheese into halves, horizontally and arrange on top, cut-side down.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes – the cheese should be melted, bubbling and golden brown on top.
Serve immediately.

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Summer Pavlova

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

This is a large pavlova and will feed 10 – 12 people. Make it for the perfect end to a summer’s lunch…

6 egg whites
400g caster sugar
10ml white vinegar
15ml cornflour
5ml vanilla
500ml cream
fresh cherries
fresh strawberries
passionfruit

Preheat your oven to 150℃. Draw a 22cm diameter circle on a piece of baking paper and place on a baking sheet.
Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until soft peak stage.
Add the sugar a spoonful at a time while whisking continuously.
Add the vinegar, cornflour and vanilla and fold through.
Spoon the mixture onto the circle (on the prepared tray) and shape it into a round dome.
Place the pavlova in the oven and turn the temperature down to 120℃.
Bake the pavlova for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Turn off the oven but do not open the oven door. Allow the pavlova to cool in the oven for 2 hours.
Whip the fresh cream and spoon onto the fully cooled pavlova.
Top with the cherries and strawberries and drizzle over some passionfruit.

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South African Pumpkin Tart

October 20, 2022October 20, 2022by Karen Claassen1 Comment

I want to explain myself: this is a TART because a PIE usually has a “lid” or covering of pastry of a sort. Soooo, this dish might remind one of pumpkin pie, but strictly spoken it is a tart. What makes it even more unique is the fact that it is a South African Tart. It has an earthiness from the pumpkin that is utterly yum and the cinnamon that is sprinkled on the hot tart, gives that wonderful homely warmth that is truly South African and perfect for winter meals.

This is the easiest tart you will ever make and be warned; keep a copy of the recipe because you will be asked for it!

250ml flour

250ml sugar

5ml salt

750ml cooked, well-drained pumpkin

60ml butter, melted

250ml cream

3 eggs, lightly beaten

5ml ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 180℃.

Lightly spray or grease a 25cm ceramic pie dish.

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.

Add the sugar and pumpkin and give the mixture a stir.

Add the melted butter and cream to a wide mouthed jug and whisk together. Add the eggs and give the mixture another thorough whisk.

Pour the wet ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and mix together really well.

Pour the mixture into the pie dish and bake for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle an even layer of cinnamon over the tart while it is hot.

In winter I like serving this pumpkin tart warm as a side dish to a meal but it is equally delicious in summer, when served at room temperature.

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Jodetert/Custard Cake

August 12, 2022August 12, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Jodetert is a traditional South African bake of years gone by. It is a wonderful concoction of light and buttery biscuit discs, layered with a soft custard and literally melts in one’s mouth. Without doubt, one of my all-time favourite eats – do try it!

Biscuit:
250g butter, softened
300g flour
240g sugar
10ml baking powder
1ml salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Filling:
80g flour
250g sugar
4 egg yolks
1 litre milk
5ml vanilla

For the biscuit:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Cut 8 pieces of baking paper the size of a large baking tray. Spray each paper sheet with cooking spray.
Add the butter, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse to mix.
Add the beaten egg in a thin stream while the engine is running, until the mixture comes together in a dough ball.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Divide the dough in to 7 equal portions.
Place one piece of dough on a sprayed piece of baking paper and dust with flour. Place another piece of baking paper on top and roll the dough to a thickness of 5 mm and a 20cm diameter circle.
Remove the baking paper on top and place the dough circle on the baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden.
Repeat with the other 6 pieces of dough.

For the filling:
Add the flour, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Drizzle the milk onto the flour mixture in a thin stream while whisking continuously.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over a low heat. Stir with a whisk until it thickens.
Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour the custard into a clean bowl and place some plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Allow to cool completely.

Assembly:
Spoon the custard into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle.
Place the first biscuit disc on a serving plate, pipe a spiral of custard onto it and place the second biscuit circle on top of it. Repeat the process of piping custard and stacking the biscuit discs until you have none left.
Dust the Jodetert with some icing sugar and serve with a good cup of coffee.