treat – Page 30 – My Whisk and I

Apple-Pork

March 6, 2023March 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This dish may look dull in all its beige-browny colours but it certainly delivers on flavour, easy of preparation and of course, it is made in one saucepan!

6 pork chops
45ml oil
45ml butter
3 onions, sliced
30ml sugar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
45ml honey
15ml lemon juice
200ml chicken stock
1 x 380g can of pie apples

Set a heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat, add some vegetable oil to it and brown the chops. Remove from the saucepan and keep aside.
Add the oil and butter to the saucepan and turn the heat to medium.
Add the onions and sugar and stir-fry for at least 15 minutes until soft and starting to brown.
Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
Now add the honey, lemon juice and chicken stock. Stir to mix for one minute or so.
Add the apples and spread it out evenly before arranging the pork chops on top.
Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and spoon the apples and sauce over the chops.
Cook for a further 10 minutes.
Serve the pork with a crispy coleslaw salad.

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Rice Krispie Cups

March 5, 2023March 4, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 bananas
1 x 380g tin of caramel treat
4 x 250ml Rice Krispies

Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups.
Add 3 bananas to a mixing bowl and mash until smooth.
Add 190ml of the caramel and mix through.
Now add the Rice Krispies and mix thoroughly.
Divide the mixture evenly amongst the paper cups, pressing in the cup with the bottom of a shot glass to create a hollow centre.
Now add a teaspoon caramel to each Rice Krispie cup.
Slice the last banana into 12 slices and place a slice on top of each Rice Krispie cup.
Refrigerate the cups for 1 hour.

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Pizza Rolls

March 3, 2023March 2, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 x 400g puff pastry rolls, thawed
400ml tomato sauce for pizza
400g sandwich ham, sliced into squares
200g salami, sliced
200g green olives, halved
a handful of basil leaves
500g mozzarella cheese, grated
egg-wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water, whisked together

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Unroll both the puff pastry rolls and place one horizontally in front of you on a work surface.
Brush a 2cm wide strip at the top of the pastry with water and overlay the other pastry roll so that the two overlap. Press the overlapping sections together.
Spread the tomato sauce over the entire pastry.
Scatter the ham, salami and olives evenly over the tomato sauce.
Arrange the basil leaves across the surface and top the entire pizza with the grated cheese.
Now lift the edge of the pastry closest to you and start rolling it up into a roll. Work lightly as you do not want to tear the pastry.
Slice the roll into 4cm thick slices and then lay the slices flat (cut-side down) on the baking sheet.
Brush the top and sides of the rolls with the egg-wash.
Bake the pizza rolls for 25 minutes until oozy and golden.
Serve immediately.

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Italian Herb Chicken

February 26, 2023February 24, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is one of the most rewarding meals and it is put together in LESS THAN 30 MINUTES!!

6-8 chicken breasts, bone- and skinless
125ml olive oil
half an onion, chopped
60ml lemon juice
30ml apple cider vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
125ml cup packed with basil leaves
60ml cup packed with mint leaves
15ml rosemary, chopped
3 anchovy fillets/15ml anchovy spread

Preheat your oven to 220℃.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet and drizzle over some olive oil. Rub the oil all over the breast and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the chicken for 15-20 minutes, remove from the oven and cover with aluminium foil to rest. Set aside.
For the herb dressing:
Add the oil, onion, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, herbs and anchovy to the cup of a blender and blitz at high speed for one minute.

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and spoon over the herb dressing.

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Honey Roasted Figs

February 24, 2023February 22, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

about 16 ripe, fresh figs
1 large burrata cheese
100g prosciutto
45ml honey
thyme leaves, chopped

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Cut off the stem at the top of each fig, stand it upright and cut a cross in the top of each one, but don’t cut through to the base.
Slice the Burrata into slices with a serrated knife ….. as best you can ..
Put about half a slice of cheese into the cross you have cut – you can piece it together as it will melt.
Now lay the prosciutto flat and half each slice in its length.
Thread the ham through and around the fig and place in an ovenproof dish.
Drizzle the honey over once all the figs are done and scatter over the thyme.
Roast the figs for 8-10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Serve immediately as a canapé or an indulgent treat.

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Turkish eggs

February 23, 2023February 22, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

You may poach or fry the eggs for this traditional recipe.

250ml Greek yoghurt
1 clove of garlic, minced
30ml chopped mint leaves
grated rind of 1 lemon

45ml olive oil
30g butter
5ml smoked paprika
5ml chilli flakes
5ml Szechuan pepper
1ml ground cumin

4 eggs

Add the yoghurt, garlic, mint and lemon rind to a small bowl.
Season with salt and whisk to mix.
Divide the mixture between 2 serving plates and set aside.

Pour the olive oil into a small pan, add the butter and allow to melt over a medium heat.
Add the smoked paprika, chilli flakes, Szechuan pepper and cumin to the pan and stir around for a minute or so.
Take the pan from the heat and set aside.

Place a saucepan on high heat and fill it 10cm deep with water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a very low simmer.
Crack one egg at a time, into a cup and gently slide it into the simmering water.
Wait about 20 seconds before adding the next egg.
Poach the eggs for 3 minutes, remove them with a slotted spoon and set 2 eggs on the yoghurt mixture.
Spoon the spicy butter over the eggs and drizzle the rest on the plate.
Serve with small pita breads to mop up the sauce.

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Sweet Potato Gratin

February 22, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1kg sweet potatoes, peeled
250ml grated Gruyére cheese
250ml grated cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
375ml cream
15ml thyme leaves, chopped
1ml ground nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a ceramic dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Slice the sweet potatoes into very thin slices – not thicker than 2mm.
Arrange the slices in a single layer overlapping slightly, in the oven dish.
Mix the two cheeses together and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese on the sweet potato. Keep going with the layers until you have a quarter of the cheese left. Set aside.
Add some vegetable oil to a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook while stirring, for about 1 minute.
Pour in the cream, thyme and nutmeg and simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes. It should thicken slightly.
Add the last quarter of the cheese to the saucepan and stir through until melted.
Season the cream with salt and pepper and pour it over the sweet potatoes.
Place the dish in the oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly – about 45minutes. Check that it is fully cooked by inserting a sharp knife in the centre.
Remove the gratin from the oven, rest for 15 minutes and serve.

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Tartare Sauce (and homemade mayonnaise)

February 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a delicious tartare sauce made from the easiest ever homemade mayonnaise!!

Mayonnaise:
250ml oil of your choice – I like a specific brand of olive oil but you may use any seed oil you like)
2 egg yolks
15ml English mustard
60ml lemon juice

Add the oil, yolks, mustard and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and blitz at high speed with a stick blender. Keep going until you have a thick and creamy sauce.
Season with salt.
You may keep the mayonnaise in a glass jar in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Tartare sauce:
250ml homemade mayonnaise
a handful of basil leaves
4 gherkins, chopped
15ml capers, chopped

Add the mayonnaise and basil leaves to a mixing bowl and blitz with a stick blender.
Add the chopped gherkins and capers and mix through.
Check the seasoning and serve with fish.

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Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

February 19, 2023February 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 x 200g packet of coconut biscuits (Tennis biscuits)
80g butter, melted
800g cream cheese
250g crème fraîche
180g caster sugar
40g flour
4 eggs
grated rind of 3 lemons
100ml lemon juice
10ml vanilla
Meringue:
4 egg whites
70g sugar
a pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 140℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray.
Break the biscuits into the bowl of a food processor and blitz to crumbs.
Drizzle in the melted butter with the engine running. The mixture should resemble wet sand.
Spoon the biscuit mixture into the prepared cake tin, spread it out evenly and press it down on the bottom with the back of a spoon. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese, crème fraîche, caster sugar, flour, eggs, lemon rind, lemon juice and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on medium speed until you have a very smooth mixture. Set aside.
Wrap the outside of the prepared cake tin with aluminium foil, place the tin in a roasting tin and pour 2-3cm water into the roasting tin.
Place in the oven and bake for 1,5-2 hours, until set like wobbly jelly.
Turn off the oven, open the door and allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate the cheesecake in the baking tin for 3-4 hours.

Meringue:
Add the egg whites, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (without the bottom touching the water).
Whisk the mixture by hand until the sugar has dissolved and it burns your finger when you touch it.
Transfer the bowl to the mixer and whisk at the highest speed until firm, glossy peaks form.
Spoon or pipe the meringue onto the cheesecake and flame with a blowtorch before serving.

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Green Bacon Salad

February 16, 2023February 15, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g smoked bacon
125ml yoghurt
125ml mayonnaise
a squeeze of lemon juice
45ml olive oil
80ml milk
100g + 100g feta cheese
3 cos lettuce (or other crunchy lettuce)
125g sugar snaps
250ml frozen peas, thawed
1 avocado pear, sliced

Dice the bacon and cook until done and slightly crispy on the edges. Set aside to cool.
Add the yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, milk and 100g of feta cheese to a blender and blitz on high speed until smooth. Set aside.
Arrange the lettuce on a serving plate.
Scatter over the sugar snaps, peas, avocado pear and bacon.
Spoon/drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Crumb the remaining 100g feta on top, add a few grindings of black pepper and serve.