Tag: treat

Garlic Steak and Potato

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Garlic Steak and Potato
Garlic Steak and Potato

700g steak, sliced in to strips
80ml soy sauce
15ml + 30ml olive oil
30ml + 30ml butter
700g potato, cut into wedges
6 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml chilli flakes
5ml rosemary, finely chopped
10ml thyme, finely chopped

Add the steak strips, soy sauce, 15ml olive oil and a few grindings of black pepper to a bowl and mix through. Set aside to marinade.
Place a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add 30ml olive oil and 30ml butter.
Add the potato wedges and cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring every now and then, until fork-tender.
Remove from the pan and keep aside.
Add the other 30ml butter to the same pan over medium heat and wait for it to melt.
Add the garlic, chilli, rosemary and thyme.
Drain the marinade from the steak and keep aside.
Add the steak strips to the pan and fry until browned.
Pour in the marinade and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
Add the potato and cook until warmed through.
Check the seasoning and adjust to your liking.
Serve with a crispy salad.

Easy Hash Browns

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Easy Hash Browns
Easy Hash Browns

1 large onion
1,2kg potato, unpeeled
100g cheddar cheese, grated
100g mozzarella cheese, grated
10ml garlic salt
60ml butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a 25cm x 37cm baking sheet with baking paper.
Grate the onion and potato on the coarse side of a box grater.
Transfer to a clean tea towel. Wrap the grated veg like a candy by twisting both ends. Hold the towel over a sink and wring it as firmly as you can to squeeze out any liquid.
Add the onion, potato, both cheeses and garlic salt to a large bowl and mix through.
Drizzle the butter over the mixture and now mix together with your hands so that all of the mixture is evenly dispersed and covered in butter.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking sheet but do not compact it by pressing down.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Serve immediately.

Wool Bread with Pesto

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Wool Bread with Pesto
Wool Bread with Pesto

125ml warm milk
5ml instant yeast
625ml flour
45ml sugar
5ml salt
95ml boiling water
30ml butter, room temperature
155ml pesto
30ml milk

Pour the milk into a bowl, sprinkle over the yeast, stir and set aside for 10 minutes.
Add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Turn the mixer on a low speed and drizzle in the boiling water.
Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
Add the yeast mixture and mix on medium speed for another 3 minutes.
Add the butter a little at a time with the machine running.
Mix/knead for 10 minutes.
Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for one hour.
Take the dough from the bowl and place it on a work surface.
Gently fold the dough until deflated.
Divide into 5 even portions and roll each into a ball. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and rest on the work surface for 10 minutes.
Grease a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with butter and line the base with baking paper. Set aside.
Lightly flour a work surface and roll a dough ball into a 20cm long rectangle.
Cut the bottom half into thin strips. (see Photograph beneath)
Spoon 45ml pesto on the half that isn’t cut and spread it out evenly.
Fold a 1cm edge on the sides, over the pesto and roll that section into a log. Roll over the part that are cut into strips.
Repeat this process with the other 4 dough portions.
Place the logs on the outside perimeter of the prepared cake tin.
Cover with plastic wrap and proof in a warm area for 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 170℃.
Brush the bread with milk and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven, stand for 10 minutes and remove from the baking tin.
Cool on a wire rack.
The bread is easily broken into portions and is delicious served slightly warm.

Soy Chicken with Pickled Cucumber

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Soy Chicken with Pickled Cucumber
Soy Chicken with Pickled Cucumber

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
60ml apple cider vinegar
5ml salt
5ml sugar

60ml soy sauce
30ml honey
4 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
30ml vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2,5ml ground coriander

For the pickle:
Add the sliced onion and cucumber to a bowl and pour the vinegar over.
Sprinkle over the salt, sugar and a few grindings of black pepper.
Mix through, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

For the chicken:
Add the soy and honey to a shallow bowl and stir to combine.
Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat.
Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil.
Add the garlic and coriander and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Take the breasts from the marinade and cook for 3 minutes per side. It is important to regulate the heat as the chicken can burn easily at this stage.
Add the reserved marinade and 60ml water to the pan.
Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cover with a lid and cook the breasts for 15 minutes, turning half-way through the cooking time.
Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high.
Cook the chicken for another 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced and the chicken is shiny and glazed.
Serve with steamed rice, pickled cucumber and the sauce.

Tomato-Eggs

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Tomato-Eggs
Tomato-Eggs

The instructions are for one portion/person.

1 large tomato
2 eggs

Slice the ends off the tomatoes so that you have straight edges.
Place the tomato on one of the straight edges and halve it horizontally.
Cut out the flesh on the inside so that you are left with 2 tomato rings.
Place a frying pan on medium-high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil and place the tomato rings in the pan.
Cook for 2 minutes, until warm and flip around.
Now break an egg in each tomato ring, season with salt and pepper and place a lid on the pan.
Cook until the egg is set to your liking and serve at once.

Milk Tart Hand Pies

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Milk Tart Hand Pies
Milk Tart Hand Pies

420g flour
10ml baking powder
5ml salt
5ml sugar
220g butter, grated
190ml milk
vegetable oil for frying

Filling:
40g corn flour
50ml + 450ml milk
4 egg yolks
50g + 50g caster sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
5ml vanilla

For the pastry:
Add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar to a mixing bowl.
Add the grated butter and rub the mixture between your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Drizzle the milk over the mixture and bring it together with your hands.
Shape the pastry into a ball, slice it in half and flatten each into a flat disc.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.

For the filling:
Add the corn flour to a large mixing bowl and stir in 50ml of the milk.
Add the egg yolks and 50g caster sugar and whisk together. Set aside.
Pour the 450ml milk into a small saucepan and add the other 50g caster sugar and ground cinnamon to it.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Take it from the heat as tiny bubbles start to appear around the edges.
Drizzle the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously.
Now pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place it on medium-low heat.
Stir continuously until thickened.
Allow to cook for 30 seconds before removing from the heat.
Add the vanilla and mix through.
Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl and then place plastic wrap directly on its surface.
Allow to cool completely.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough to a 5mm thickness.
Cut 12 circles with a 12cm diameter from the dough.
Spoon 30ml of the filling on the pastry circle.
Wet the edges of the circle with water and fold the dough over into a half-moon shape.
Seal and crimp the edges with a fork.
Refrigerate the pies for 30 minutes.
Heat 6cm vegetable oil in a saucepan and fry 3 pies at a time for 6 minutes, flipping them over every now and then.
Drain on paper towels.
The hand pies may be served as is or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

Cucumber Avo Salad

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Cucumber Avo Salad
Cucumber Avo Salad

500g cucumber (about half an English cucumber)
2 avocados
30ml lemon juice
2 salad onions, finely sliced
chilli flakes

Peel the cucumber in alternating strips in its length.
Take out the seeds with a teaspoon, cut into bite-sized pieces and put it in a colander set in your sink.
Sprinkle 5ml salt over, toss together and leave to drain for about 20 minutes.
Slice the avocado in half, remove the pip and scoop out the flesh.
Cut in to 1,5cm cubes.
Add the avocado to a mixing bowl, sprinkle over the lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Shake the cucumber pieces in the colander to get rid of any moisture.
Add to the avocado.
Add the sliced salad onions and mix again.
Now stir the salad vigorously until the avocado breaks down a bit.
Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Scatter over some chilli flakes and serve.

Marshmallow Flowers

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Marshmallow Flowers
Marshmallow Flowers

Marshmallows

Follow the video instructions to shape the marshmallows.
Place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 150℃ for 10 minutes.
Remove and place a pistachio nut at the centre of each flower and bake for another hour.
Remove the flowers from the oven and allow to cool completely until dry.
Use as a decoration for cupcakes.

Thai Green Curry

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Thai Green Curry
Thai Green Curry

45ml vegetable oil
60ml Thai green curry paste
500ml chicken stock
1 x 400g tin coconut milk
10ml fish sauce
45ml sugar
1,5ml salt
800g chicken breasts, skin removed and cubed
2 aubergines (about 450g in total), diced
a small bunch of basil leaves
30ml lemon juice

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil.
Add the curry paste and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock and coconut milk and stir to dissolve the paste.
Add the fish sauce, sugar and salt.
Now add the chicken.
Turn the heat to medium-low heat so that the curry simmers lightly. Cook for 20 minutes.
Add the diced aubergine and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Taste the curry. Add more salt if necessary and also more sugar for a background sweetness.
Chop a handful of the basil leaves and add it to the curry.
Pour in the lemon juice and turn the heat to low.
Cook for 5 more minutes.
Serve the curry on a fragrant rice and scatter over some fresh basil leaves.

Mini Poppy Seed Loaves

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Mini Poppy Seed Loaves
Mini Poppy Seed Loaves

These tiny loaves are deliciously moist and lemony and can be baked as cupcakes as well. The recipe yields about 10 mini loaves or 24 cupcakes.

200g flour
1,2ml baking powder
1,2ml bicarbonate of soda
1,2ml salt
15ml poppy seeds
105ml vegetable oil
210g sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs
150g sour cream
7,5ml vanilla
15ml lemon juice

Lemon Buttercream:
200g butter, room temperature
grated zest of half a lemon
10ml vanilla
15ml lemon juice
330g icing sugar, sifted

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line 12 x mini-loaf tins with paper cups (2 x 12-hole muffin tins).
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together.
Add the poppy seeds and set aside.
Add the vegetable oil, sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and mix for 1 minute.
Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and add the eggs, one at a time.
Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
Turn back on to a low speed and add the flour mixture a spoonful at a time.
Now add the sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice and mix until combined.
Divide the batter among the paper cups and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

For the buttercream:
Add the butter and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on high speed for 2 minutes, scrape down the bowl and mix for another 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix until incorporated.
Turn the mixer to medium speed and add the icing sugar a spoonful at a time.
Pipe/spread on to the cupcakes.