This dip is delicious with veg, potato chips, breadsticks and even on a slice of sourdough. Yields about 500ml.
1 batch Caramelised Onions (search on this blog)
250ml greek yoghurt
125ml mayonnaise
2,5ml garlic powder
fresh, chopped herbs
salt to taste
Mix all ingredients together.
Store leftover dip covered in the refrigerator.
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 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.
These bars are deliciously crunchy and loaded with energy boosters!! Yield: 16 squares from a 20cm x 20cm pan. Keep refrigerated.
500ml rice crispies/puffed rice
125ml sunflower seeds
125ml pumpkin seeds
125ml peanut butter
30ml coconut oil, melted
62ml honey
5ml honey
160g De Villiers Coco Nut Nut Butter Chocolate or any other chocolate of your choice
Line a 20cm x 20cm square baking tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang
Add the rice crispies, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds to a mixing bowl.
Add the peanut butter, melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla to a jug and stir to mix.
Pour the peanut butter mixture into the rice crispy mixture and mix well. Make sure that you cover all the seeds and puffed rice!!
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin and spread the top evenly. Press down firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup to ensure that all the ingredients “glue together”.
Place in the refrigerator.
Break up the chocolate and add the pieces to a heatproof bowl, set over a saucepan with simmering water.
Allow the chocolate to melt completely before removing it from the heat.
Pour an even layer of chocolate over the seed mixture and place it back in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.
Remove from the baking tin by lifting the paper overhang and slice into squares.
These pancakes are a delicious snack, light lunch or canapé. The recipe yields two pancakes which is enough for one person or a snack for two sharing. Savoury and crispy has never tasted as good!!
Dipping sauce:
30ml soy sauce
15ml vinegar
5ml honey
5ml sesame oil
2,5ml sesame seeds
Mix all the ingredients together and set aside.
For the pancakes:
250ml zucchini, cut into stick not wider than 4mm (or grated if you do not want to do the cutting!)
190ml flour
30ml cornstarch
1 clove garlic, minced
2,5ml salt
1 egg
190ml ice cold water
about 60ml vegetable oil
Cut the zucchini into sticks no thicker than 4mm.
Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic and egg together in a mixing bowl.
Drizzle in the water while whisking continuously, to form a smooth batter.
Heat about 30ml of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Arrange half the zucchini in the pan and spread it out evenly.
Pour half the batter over the zucchini sticks and leave to cook for 4 minutes.
Flip the pancake and cook for another 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy.
Remove the pancake from the pan, slice into chunks and serve with the dipping sauce.
As with most salads this is a combination of ingredients rather than a recipe.
hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
pan-fried halloumi cheese (see recipe for Pan-Fried Halloumi)
butter bean hummus (see recipe for Butter Bean Hummus)
rocket leaves
olive oil
lemon juice
sesame seeds
Arrange the halved eggs, halloumi slices and rocket leaves on a serving platter.
Spoon the hummus into a small mixing bowl and thin it down with equal amounts of olive oil and lemon juice. Taste as you go and adjust the consistency to your liking.
Dress the salad with the hummus dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Makes about 9 flapjacks
For the flapjacks:
62ml sugar
1 egg
125ml milk
15ml butter, melted
250ml flour
10ml baking powder
1ml salt
Add the sugar and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat together until creamy.
Add about half the milk and the melted butter and beat to incorporate.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and add it to the mixture with the engine running on low.
Gradually drizzle in the rest of the milk so that you are left with a smooth batter.
Place a frying pan on medium-high heat and add a dash of vegetable oil.
Drop spoonfuls of the batter in the pan and fry 1-2 minutes per side.
For the Berry Sauce:
350g frozen berries
62ml sugar
30ml lemon juice
Add the berries, sugar and lemon juice to a small saucepan and place it on a low heat.
Stir the mixture every now and then until the berries are defrosted and the sugar dissolved.
Take the saucepan from the heat and blitz the berry mixture with a stick blender until smooth.
Place the saucepan back onto the heat and bring to a simmer.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook the sauce for 4 minutes.
Decant the sauce into a jug and place in the refrigerator until needed.
Serve the warm flapjacks with the cold berry sauce.
My Whisk and I 