vegan – Page 2 – My Whisk and I

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.

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Lentil Soup (Mercimec Cobrasi)

July 16, 2023June 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a traditional Turkish soup that is delicious, easy and quick to make and freezes beautifully!

30ml + 30ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 + 1 cloves of garlic, minced
60ml tomato paste
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1,5litres of vegetable stock
5ml + 5ml smoked paprika
250ml lentils, rinsed
5ml ground cumin
2,5ml ground coriander
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in 30ml of the olive oil.
Add the onion and fry until translucent.
Add the 2 cloves of garlic (minced) and tomato paste and stir-fry for one minute.
Now add the carrots and potato and pour in the stock.
Add 5ml smoked paprika, about half a teaspoon of salt and the lentils.
Bring the soup to a boil, turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
Take the soup from the heat and blitz with an immersion blender, until smooth.
Pour the remaining 30ml oil, 1 clove of garlic (minced), 5ml smoked paprika, cumin and coriander to a pan and stir-fry over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Taste the soup and season with salt and black pepper.
Spoon the soup into bowls and drizzle over the flavoured oil.
Serve with a lemon wedge.

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Cauliflower and Grain Salad

July 14, 2023June 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g cooked grains (choose from or combine barley, quinoa, brown rice)
100g raisins
1 cauliflower head, cut into small florets
10ml ground coriander
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2,5ml chilli flakes
55ml + 75ml olive oil
5ml salt
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
30g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
30g pomegranate seeds
15ml finely grated lemon zest
30ml lemon juice
a small handful of mint leaves
a small handful of parsley

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Add the raisins to a small bowl and pour 60ml boiling water over it. Set aside.
Add the cauliflower, coriander, garlic, chilli flakes, 55ml olive oil and salt to a mixing bowl and toss together to coat the cauliflower florets.
Tip the florets into a roasting tray and spread it out in a single layer.
Pour 60ml hot water into the now empty mixing bowl, swirl it around to collect any left-behind spices and then pour it around (NOT ON TOP!) the cauliflower.
Cover the tray with aluminium foil and roast for 10 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and leave to cool.
Place a pan on medium-high heat, add about 30ml oil and fry the red onion for about 15 minutes, until starting to caramelise.
Add the cooled cauliflower, onion, pistachios, pomegranate, lemon zest, lemon juice, raisins and cooked grains to a mixing bowl.
Drizzle 45ml olive oil over and season with salt. Mix through.
Mix the mint and parsley together on a chopping board and chop roughly.
Add the herbs to the rest of the salad, mix through and serve.

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Mushroom Bourguignon

June 25, 2023June 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 onions, roughly chopped
1 carrot, cut into small chunks
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 Portobello mushrooms
120g shitake mushrooms
200g mixed mushrooms
6 sprigs of thyme
150ml red wine
200ml vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
15ml tomato purée
15ml cornflour

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil and the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the carrot and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Now add the mushrooms and thyme and cook for another 7 minutes.
Pour in the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the stock, bay leaves and tomato purée.
Turn the heat down and sift the cornflour over the mixture.
Stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the mushroom bourguignon on mashed potato.

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Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

June 14, 2023May 30, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

60ml butter
1 onion, chopped
60ml flour
750ml vegetable stock
1 head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces, stems included
1 large carrot, finely diced
500ml milk
750ml grated mature cheddar cheese

Add the butter to a large saucepan set over medium-high heat and wait for it to melt.
Add the onion and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft.
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, while stirring.
Drizzle in the stock while whisking continuously.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Now add the broccoli and carrot, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a low simmer.
Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Pour the milk into the mixture and stir to blend.
Decant about two thirds of the mixture into a blender and blitz until smooth.
Pour back into the saucepan and wait for the soup to come back to a low simmer.
Add the cheddar and stir through until melted.
Serve the soup piping hot with a crusty bread.

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Pull-Apart Bread

June 11, 2023June 5, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

300ml milk
30ml butter
10g instant yeast
455g cake flour
80ml sugar
a pinch of salt
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 egg whites, beaten together
about 18 slices of ham
about 18 slices of cheese

Heat the milk and butter so that the butter melts and you are left with a lukewarm mixture.
Sprinkle the yeast on top of the milk and butter mixture, give it a stir and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.|Add the yeast mixture and egg yolks too the mixing bowl.
Attach the dough hook and mix for 3 minutes on low speed.
Knead for another 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.`
Cover the mixing bowl with cling wrap and allow the dough to proof in a warm place until doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 4 equal parts.
Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Roll one of the dough pieces into a circle of about 25cm. Place this dough circle onto the baking sheet.
Lay 5/6 slices of cheese over the dough, 5/6 slices of ham and another 5/6 slices of cheese.
Roll the next piece of dough into a circle of more or less the same size as the first.
Place it on top of the first circle.
Cut the dough circles into 16, (do 4, then 8 and then 16).
Take 2 pieces next to each other and make three twists in opposite directions. Keep repeating until all pieces have been twisted.
Cover with cling wrap and leave to proof for 15 minutes.
Repeat the process with the other dough.
Brush the bread with the egg white and bake for 20 minutes until golden.

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Candied Orange Slices

June 7, 2023June 3, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 oranges, sliced about 4-5mm thick
125ml water
125ml sugar
2 cardamom pods

Pour the water, sugar and cardamom pods into a small saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.
Now add the orange slices, bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
Place the orange in a glass container and pour the syrup over.
Serve with ice cream, citrus desserts, sponge cake and roast chicken or duck.

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Balsamic Mushroom and Avocado Bagel

June 5, 2023June 3, 2023by Karen Claassen1 Comment

The quantities given is for one person.

1 bagel
15ml + 15ml butter
15ml olive oil
200g mushrooms, quartered
5ml thyme leaves
30ml + 30ml balsamic vinegar
1 avocado pear, peeled and sliced

Halve the bagel and spread it with a thin layer of butter.
Place a heavy-bottom pan on medium-high heat, place the bagel cut-side down and cook until golden and toasted. Set aside.
Keep the pan on the heat, add the other 15ml butter and olive oil and wait for it to melt and heat up.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 3 – 4 minutes.
Add the thyme and 30ml balsamic vinegar and cook until the pan is dry. Remove from the heat.
Place the bagel on a serving plate and arrange the avocado slices on top.
Spoon the mushroom on the avocado and drizzle with the remaining balsamic vinegar.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Serve immediately.

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Cheesey Wedges

June 1, 2023May 30, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Potato
100g butter
200g cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Slice each potato in quarters and place in a muffin tin. (watch video)
Dot the potato with butter and sprinkle over some salt.
Cover with aluminium foil and bake in the oven for 50 minutes.
Remove the foil, sprinkle some cheese on each potato and bake for another 10 minutes.
Eat immediately!

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Cucumber Avo Salad

May 22, 2023May 7, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.