Tag: vegetarian

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Chocolate Crunch Bars

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chocolate Crunch Bars
Chocolate Crunch Bars

750ml Rice Krispies (puffed rice cereal)
250ml peanut butter, I like the crunchy
125ml maple syrup
250g chocolate, chopped
60ml butter, cubed

Line a 200cm x 200cm baking tin with baking paper.
Add the Rice Krispies to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Add the peanut butter, syrup, chocolate and butter to a saucepan and place over a very low heat until melted.
Remove from the heat and stir through.
Pour this mixture over the Rice Krispies and mix until well combined.
Spoon into the prepared baking tin, level it out and refrigerate for one hour.
Cut into bars.

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Open Vegetable Pie

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Open Vegetable Pie
Open Vegetable Pie

350g sweet potato, cut into 1-1,5cm cubes
350g potato, cut into 1-1,5cm cubes
1 small cauliflower head, 350-400g, cut into florets
45ml olive oil
3 eggs
250ml cultured buttermilk
5ml salt
100g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 170℃ and spray a 20cm x 20cm baking dish with cooking spray.
Spread the cubed sweet potato, potato and cauliflower florets on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast in the oven until cooked but not mushy.
Set aside to cool.
Add the olive oil and eggs to a large jug and whisk together.
Pour in the buttermilk and salt and whisk until the mixture is amalgamated.
Add the grated cheese and stir through.
Place the pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a square.
Line the prepared baking dish on the bottom and sides and trim the edges.
Spoon the cooled vegetables in the pastry shell and pour the buttermilk mixture over.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
Serve as a side dish or as a vegetarian main with a salad.

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Whipped Feta Salad

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Whipped Feta Salad
Whipped Feta Salad

200g + 50g feta, crumbled
100ml milk
350g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small cucumber, diced
a handful of basil, chopped
half an onion, finely chopped
30ml balsamic vinegar
30ml olive oil
20g pine nuts, toasted

Crumble the feta into a blender’s cup and add half the milk.
Blitz with an immersion blender until it becomes emulsified – add the rest of the milk a little at a time, aiming for a creamy consistency that will sit on a plate.
Crumb the 50g feta into the whipped feta and spread on a serving plate.
Add the halved tomatoes, cucumber, basil and onion to a mixing bowl and pour over the balsamic, olive oil and salt and pepper.
Mix together and spoon on to the whipped feta.
Scatter over the toasted pine nuts and a few extra basil leaves.

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Tomato and Leek Soup

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Tomato and Leek Soup
Tomato and Leek Soup


45ml butter
30ml olive oil
4 leeks, washed and sliced in coins
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
15ml sugar
5ml salt
500ml vegetable stock
60ml cream
a handful of basil leaves

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil.
Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until just before the leaks start to caramelise.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the tomato, sugar, salt and vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Blitz the soup with an immersion blender until smooth and place it back on a medium-high heat.
Pour in the cream and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Scatter over the basil leaves and serve with toasted cheese sandwiches.

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Green Bean Fritters

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Green Bean Fritters
Green Bean Fritters

350g green beans, sliced into 1cm lengths
200g flour
10ml baking powder
5ml curry powder
2,5ml ground turmeric
5ml salt
2,5ml white pepper
2 eggs
half an onion, very finely chopped
90ml water
vegetable oil for frying

Place the prepared green beans in a saucepan oven medium-high heat, add about 500ml water and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool.
Add the flour, baking powder, curry powder, turmeric, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and stir together.
Add the cooled beans and mix again.
Add the eggs, onion and water to a bowl and whisk together.
Pour into the bean mixture and stir to form a batter.
Place a pan on medium-high heat, add enough oil to generously cover the bottom and wait for it to heat up.
Fry spoonfuls of the mixture for 3-4 minutes per side.
Serve the fritters warm.

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Lemon-Poppyseed Rusks

by Karen Claassen3 Comments on Lemon-Poppyseed Rusks
Lemon-Poppyseed Rusks

Yields about 60 rusks.

250g butter, room temperature, cubed
300g sugar
6 eggs
4-5 lemons, 80ml of finely grated zest
4 x 250ml self-raising flour
5ml salt
80ml poppyseeds
500ml cultured buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line two 23cm loaf tins with baking paper.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well to incorporate. Scrape the mixture down once or twice.
Add the lemon zest and mix through.
Now add the flour, salt and poppyseeds to another mixing bowl and stir through.
Alternatively add a few spoonfuls of flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
Mix on high speed for one minute.
Spoon the mixture into the loaf tins and bake for one hour.
Remove from the baking tins and cool on a cooling rack.
Cut the loaf into slices about 2 cm thick and then cut each slice into three pieces.
Space the rusks evenly on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 100℃ for 3-4 hours.
Cool completely and store in a glass container.

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Confit Garlic Mayonnaise

by Karen Claassen3 Comments on Confit Garlic Mayonnaise
Confit Garlic Mayonnaise

250m vegetable oil
15 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs of rosemary
a few sprigs of thyme
2 egg yolks
5ml English mustard
juice of half a lemon
5ml salt

Pour the vegetable oil into a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
Add the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme and wait for the oil to start simmering.
Turn the heat down so that you have the lowest simmer possible.
Simmer for 40 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside for 20 minutes.
Remove the garlic cloves and strain the oil. Set the oil aside to cool completely.
Place the garlic on a chopping board and cream it by pushing the flat side of the blade of a utility knife onto it. Lift the blade, push down and drag. Repeat until you have no lumps and the garlic is smooth.
Add the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, salt and garlic to a small bowl.
Blitz together with a stick blender.
Drizzle the cold oil into the bowl with the stick blender running.
Keep drizzling and blitzing until all the oil has been added and you have a thick mayonnaise.
Spoon the mayo into a pretty bowl and serve with potato chips or wedges.

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Onion Pie

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Onion Pie
Onion Pie

1 packet frozen puff pastry
30ml olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
5 eggs
125ml milk
125ml cream
5ml salt
15ml onion seeds
250ml grated mature cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and spray a deep pie dish (or a loose-bottom cake tin) with cooking spray.
Line the pie dish with the pastry. The sides should come up 4cm.
Pour the olive oil into a saucepan set over medium-high heat and add the onions.
Cook until soft, remove from the saucepan and set aside to cool.
Add the eggs, milk, cream, salt and onion seeds to a large jug and whisk together.
Add the grated cheddar to the cooled onions and mix through.
Spoon the onion mixture into the pastry lined baking tin.
Pour the egg mixture over and bake for one hour.
Serve the pie warm with a salad on the side.

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Fluffy Passionfruit Cheesecake

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Fluffy Passionfruit Cheesecake
Fluffy Passionfruit Cheesecake

250g cream cheese, room temperature
90g butter, room temperature
120g flour
5 eggs, separated
125ml milk, room temperature
60ml passionfruit pulp
110g caster sugar
icing sugar, to dust

Preheat your oven to 140℃ and line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper. If you are using a loose-bottom tin you have to wrap the bottom and sides with tin foil to waterproof it.
Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Cream together on a high speed and scrape down in between mixing.
Add the flour and mix on low speed until combined.
Add the egg yolks and mix again.
Drizzle in the milk with the mixer running.
Now do the same with the passionfruit pulp.
Set the mixture aside.
Add the egg whites to a large bowl and whisk to soft peaks.
Add the caster sugar a spoonful at a time until all is incorporated.
Now for the whites into the batter in three batches, with a spatula.
Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and place it in a roasting tin.
Pour very hot water into the roasting tin so that it comes 2-3 cm up the sides.
Place in the oven and bake for 90 minutes.
Turn off the oven , open the oven door and stand the cake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the cake from the roasting tin and cool on a cooling rack until warm.
Remove the cheesecake from the tin by inverting it on to a plate.
Remove the baking paper and invert back onto a serving plate.
Leave the cake to cool completely.
Dust the cake with icing sugar and slice to serve.