Tag: vegetarian

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Goat’s Cheese and Hazelnut Risotto

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Goat’s Cheese and Hazelnut Risotto
Goat’s Cheese and Hazelnut Risotto

100g hazelnuts, roasted
45ml grated parmesan
45ml olive oil
10 drops sesame oil
5ml red wine vinegar
a pinch of salt

100g goat’s cheese
45ml cream

50g kale, thick stalks removed
50g baby spinach
50g basil leaves
75ml olive oil

1,5 litres vegetable stock
45ml butter
45ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
200g arborio rice
80ml white wine
50g parmesan cheese, grated

For the hazelnut topping:
Place the hazelnuts in a pestle and mortar and grind it to a coarse texture. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar you may chop the nuts with a knife but make sure that you have a good mix of fine and coarse texture.
Add the parmesan cheese, olive oil, sesame oil, red wine vinegar and salt and stir through. Set aside.

For the goat’s cheese topping:
Break up the cheese into a small bowl, add the cream and mix through to loosen the cheese slightly. Set aside.

For the green sauce:
Blanche the kale and spinach in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes.
Drain and run under cold water until cool.
Add to a bowl with the basil and olive oil and blitz to a paste/sauce with an immersion blender. Set aside.

Pour the stock into a saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer.
Place a large, wide saucepan on medium-high heat and add the butter and oil.
Wait for the butter to melt and add the onion.
Cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Now add the rice and stir to coat for 2 minutes.
Pour in the wine and wait for it to evaporate.
Add about 125ml of stock (two soup ladles) to the risotto, stir it around until most of the liquid has been absorbed and then add some stock again. Keep going – adding stock, stirring until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
Add the kale mixture to the risotto and stir until the risotto is bright green.
Spoon the risotto on to serving plates and top with some hazelnut mixture and a generous dollop of goat’s cheese.

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Cheese Biscuits

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Cheese Biscuits
Cheese Biscuits

The recipe yields about 30 biscuits and they disappear very quickly!! If you want to make an extra batch I would recommend that you prepare the dough twice. If you simply double up on the ingredients, it will probably be to dry to bring together as a rollable dough.

125g butter, cubed (salted butter adds most flavour)
140g flour
120g hard cheese, finely grated (your choice of cheese, I love Gruyere)

Add the butter to a mixing bowl and sift the flour into the bowl.
Rub the butter and flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Reserve 30ml of the grated cheese and add the rest to the flour mixture.
Knead or rather push the dough together into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Place the dough on a sheet of baking paper and roll it out to a 0,5cm thickness.
Cut out rounds of 4cm in diameter with a cookie cutter.
Space the biscuits evenly apart on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the reserved cheese on top.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Cool the cheese biscuits on the baking sheet and store in a glass container.

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Pistachio Overnight Oats

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Pistachio Overnight Oats
Pistachio Overnight Oats

250ml milk (you may replace with any, e.g. almond)
80ml pistachio nuts
1,2ml matcha powder (for colour purposes only)
15ml maple syrup
2,5ml vanilla
a pinch of salt
125ml rolled oats
30ml chia seeds

Add the milk, pistachio nuts, matcha, syrup, vanilla and salt to a blender and blitz together.
Pour into a bowl/jar and add the oats and chia seeds.
Cover and shake/stir to mix and combine.
Refrigerate for 6-8 hours.
Remove the oats from the refrigerator 30 minutes before eating.

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20-Minute Tuna Spaghetti

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on 20-Minute Tuna Spaghetti
20-Minute Tuna Spaghetti

250g spaghetti
45ml olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 spring onion, finely sliced
2 tins of shredded tuna, drained
1 lemon, zest and juice
125ml sour cream
30ml capers, roughly chopped
30ml chopped parsley
15ml chopped chives
parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Drain the pasta and keep it in the pot too stay warm.
Place a large pan over medium heat, add the oil and wait for it to heat up.
Add the garlic and spring onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Now add the tuna, lemon zest and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Pour in the cream and cook for 1 minute.
Add the spaghetti, capers, parsley and chives and stir until the spaghetti is well coated in the sauce.
Grate over a generous amount of parmesan cheese and stir through.
Now grate over some more parmesan, stir again and serve.

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Mini Cinnamon Swirls

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Mini Cinnamon Swirls
Mini Cinnamon Swirls

500ml self-raising flour
30ml flour
30ml caster sugar
150g butter, cubed
125ml milk
1 egg
10ml vanilla
125ml brown sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
25g butter, cubed
20g butter, melted

Glaze:
375ml icing sugar, sifted
15ml boiling water

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 24-hole mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.
Add the self-raising and regular flours, caster sugar and butter to a food processor and process to fine crumbs.
Tip the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Add the milk, egg and vanilla to a jug and whisk together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The dough will be very sticky. Set aside.
Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and stir to mix.
Add the 25g butter and rub it into the sugar with your fingers.
Flour a work surface and divide the dough in half.
Roll out to 35cm x 20cm rectangle.
Sprinkle half the sugar and butter mixture evenly over the surface and roll it into a long, tight log.
Trim the edges neatly and then cut the log in to 1,5cm slices.
Place each slice in a hole in the muffin tin.
Melt the 20g butter and brush it on to the swirls.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove and cool on a cooling rack.

For the glaze:
Add the icing sugar to a small bowl and pour in 15ml of boiling water.
Mix together and drizzle over the swirls.
Stand the cookies for 20 minutes to set, before serving.

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Salad Lyonnaise

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Salad Lyonnaise
Salad Lyonnaise

This is true French bistro style – a delicious warm bacon and egg salad!!
Serves two.

30ml olive oil
200g smoked bacon, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 slices sourdough bread, cubed
four handfuls of frisée salad leaves
half an onion, sliced into rings
15ml vinegar
2/4 eggs

Dressing:
half an onion, very finely diced
15ml red wine vinegar
15ml Dijon mustard
45ml olive oil

Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and bacon to it.
Cook until the bacon is crisp.
Scoop the bacon out but leave as much of the rendered fat in the pan.
Add the garlic and cubed sourdough and toss in the bacon fat.
Turn the heat to low and fry for about 5 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Remove from the pan.

For the dressing:
Add the diced onion, vinegar, mustard and 15ml cold water to a small bowl and whisk together.
Gradually add the olive oil, whisking all the time until you have a thick dressing.
Taste the dressing and season with salt.

Now, add the bacon, croutons, sliced onion and salad leaves to a mixing bowl.
Drizzle half of the dressing over and toss together.
Pile the salad onto 2 plates.

Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle boil and add the 15ml vinegar.
Crack the eggs into small bowls and gently lower into the water.
Poach the eggs for 3 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place on top of the salad.
Drizzle the leftover dressing over the egg and salad and serve immediately.

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Devilled Egg Pasta Salad

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Devilled Egg Pasta Salad
Devilled Egg Pasta Salad

9 eggs, hardboiled
250g small pasta/macaroni
190ml mayonnaise
25ml wholegrain mustard
15ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
5ml salt
2,5ml smoked paprika
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until cool.
Peel the eggs and quarter them.
Separate the whites and yolks in two bowls.
Chop up the whites and set aside.
Set a sieve over a bowl, add the yolks and push them through with the sieve with a wooden spoon.
Add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, salt and paprika to the bowl and mix through.
Add the cooled pasta to the bowl and stir through to coat the pasta with the dressing.
Now add the chopped egg whites, red onion and spring onion and mix through.
Serve the pasta as a main or as the perfect side for a picnic, braai or bbq.

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Ice Cream Loaf

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Ice Cream Loaf
Ice Cream Loaf

300g ice cream
225g self-raising flour
food colouring, 3 colours of your choice
250ml icing sugar, sifted
vermicelli sprinkles

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a 22cm x 12cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Scoop the ice cream into a mixing bowl and allow it to melt. (You may melt it in the microwave as long as you don’t allow it to become hot).
Beat with an electric whisk until it is really fluffy.
Sift the flour over the ice cream and fold it in until well combined.
Spoon the batter into a loaf tin and randomly drip some food colouring on to the batter.
Swirl the colouring through with the tip of a knife.
Bake the loaf for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add 30ml of boiling water.
Mix through and pour over the top of the loaf, allowing it to run down.
Sprinkle the vermicelli over and allow 20 minutes to set.
Slice and serve.

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Dressed-Up Butternut Soup

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Dressed-Up Butternut Soup
Dressed-Up Butternut Soup

This recipe yields enough soup for 6 people.

olive oil
3 medium butternuts
800g butternut, cut into 1,5cm chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
2 x 400g tins of coconut milk
250ml vegetable stock
10ml curry powder
5ml ground ginger
small flowers and herbs to garnish

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with alluminium foil.
Peel and half the butternuts.
Cut a 7cm x 3cm rectangle of butternut from each halved veg.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and add a splash of oil to it.
Brown the butternut on its 6 flat sides and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Arrange the butternut chunks alongside, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.
Roast in the oven until just cooked. (about 15 minutes but check it by inserting a toothpick)
Place a large saucepan on medium heat, add some olive oil and the onion and cook until soft.
Add the cubed butternut, apple, curry powder and ginger and stir-fry for a minute or two.
Pour in one of the tins of coconut milk as well as the stock.
Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Insert an immersion blender into the saucepan and blitz until completely smooth.
Pour in the other tin of coconut milk and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer for another 10 minutes.
Taste the soup and season with salt and white pepper.

Ladle the soup into soup bowls and place a roasted butternut triangle in the centre of each soup bowl.
Decorate the top surface of the butternut with small flowers and herbs to serve.