Place a saucepan on medium-high heat. Pour in the chicken stock, add the salt and bring to the boil. Slowly pour in the polenta while whisking. Keep whisking until there are no more lumps. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, while still whisking, until the polenta thickens. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook for a further 30 minutes. Whisk every 5 minutes or so. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter and parmesan. Cover the polenta with a lid and stand for a final 5 minutes before serving.
A sweet omelet may be a strange/unusual idea but this traditional omelet with vanilla and fresh berries will surprise and delight your tastebuds!
3 eggs, separated 30ml + 30ml sugar 1ml + 1ml salt 45ml flour 125ml cream 2,5ml vanilla 80ml strawberry/raspberry jam fresh berries icing sugar, for dusting
Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line the base of a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with baking paper. Spray with cooking spray and set aside. Add the egg whites to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Add the egg yolks, 30ml sugar and 1ml salt to a separate mixing bowl. Beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes until you have a very thick, very pale mixture that falls from the whisk in ribbons. Fold a third of the egg whites into the mixture, add the rest and fold in until just combined. Sift the flour over and fold in with a metal spoon until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin and gently smooth the top. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. The omelet should be fluffy and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean. Add the cream, vanilla, 30ml sugar and 1ml salt to a mixing bowl and whisk until medium-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until needed. Remove the omelet from the oven and remove the ring of the cake tin. Invert the omelet onto a plate and gently peel off the baking paper. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread the jam on half the omelet. Spread the cream over the jam and sprinkle over the fresh berries. Gently fold the omelet over. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
If you dont like the slightly bitter aftertaste of tahini paste in hummus, this is the recipe for you. Made from macadamia nut-butter (any nut-butter is good) it produces a buttery, soft hummus with a delicious umami taste.
1 x 400g can chickpeas 60ml nut butter (I use the Babylonstoren Macadamia nut butter but you may use any variation that appeals to you) 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 30ml lemon juice 2,5ml salt
Drain the chickpeas and place in a liquidiser/cup of a stick blender. Add the nut butter, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Blitz together until smooth. Serve as a dip with crispy vegetable sticks or simply slosh it onto a cracker or fresh slice of bread. PS: I sprinkled sunflower and chia seeds on the hummus to add another layer of taste.
1 litre vegetable stock 30ml olive oil 30ml butter 1 onion, finely diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomato 45ml tomato puree 125ml white wine 250ml arborio rice 45ml grated parmesan cheese and more for serving 125ml basil leaves, finely chopped
Pour the stock in a small saucepan and heat it over a medium-low heat until just barely simmering. Place a wide, heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the two cans of tomato and the tomato puree and cook for 15 minutes, until the mixture looks concentrated. Add the white wine and cook for another 10 minutes or so to allow most of the moisture to evaporate. Pour in the rice and stir to coat in the tomato mixture. Add two ladles of stock to the saucepan while simmering. Adjust the heat accordingly and stir continuously. Once the mixture starts to look dry again, add another two ladles of stock. Keep going, repeating the process, until the rice is el dente. Turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese and basil. Stir through. Serve the risotto immediately with extra parmesan to grate over.
This recipe makes 12 muffins but can easily be doubled. You may also keep the batter in the refrigerator for a week. Be sure to take the batter out and leave it at room temperature for 40 minutes BEFORE baking. They store really well in a sealed container.
50ml + 200ml buttermilk 6ml bicarbonate of soda
375ml bran 125ml boiling water 60ml butter, melted 190ml brown sugar 1 egg, beaten 160ml flour 160ml wholewheat flour 2ml salt 125ml grated carrot 125ml pecan nuts, roughly chopped
Preheat your oven to 220℃ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups. Pour the 50ml buttermilk into a small bowl, sprinkle in the bicarbonate of soda and stir to dissolve. Set aside. Add the bran to a large mixing bowl and pour over the boiling water. Stir through. Drizzle over the melted butter and stir together. Now add the brown sugar, egg and 200ml buttermilk. Pour the buttermilk and bicarb into the mixture and stir through.|Add the flour, wholewheat flour, salt, grated carrot and nuts and mix together. Divide the mixture between the paper cups and bake for 20 minutes. Cool the muffins on a wire rack and keep stored in an airtight container.
1 x 400g Today Puff Pastry 2 large apples egg-wash: egg yolk + 15ml water whisked together
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Unroll your pastry and divide and cut it into 8 equal squares. Place 4 squares on the prepared baking tray and set aside. Make 0,5cm incisions in a vertical line on the other pastry squares. Fill the squares with these incisions following a “brick-laying” pattern. Peel, halve and core the apples. Place half an apple on a square on the baking sheet and cover with a square with incisions. Press down to seal and trim off the excess pastry. Brush with egg-wash and repeat with the rest of the squares and apple. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and serve with custard.
For the crème pâtissière: Add the corn flour to a mixing bowl. Pour a small amount of milk into the bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the yolks and half the sugar. Whisk to gather by hand until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside. Pour the rest of the milk and the rest of the sugar into a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Take the milk from the heat as soon as tiny bubbles start to appear around the edge of the saucepan. Drizzle the warm mixture onto the egg mixture while whisking continuously. Now pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place on a medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the mixture is thick and smooth. Allow to cook for 30 seconds before removing from the heat. Add the vanilla and stir through. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and allow to cool completely.
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Unroll the pastry sheet and cut it into 4 equal rectangles (cut through lengthwise and then halve each strip). Place the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Place another sheet of baking paper on top of the pastry and then place another baking sheet on top of that. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Assembly: Whisk your room temperature crème pâtissière by hand until it is smooth. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large (1,5/2cm) nozzle. Lay a pastry sheet on a serving plate and pipe dollops over the entire sheet. Repeat until you have one pastry sheet left. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add a tablespoon of milk. Stir the mixture, adding a few drops more until you have a very thick paste. Spread the icing paste on the pastry sheet and set aside to dry. Place the iced pastry on top of the custard slice. Slice into portions once you have displayed your beautiful creation.
600g potatoes, peeled and quartered60g butter 60ml olive oil 2 large onions, thinly sliced 1 clove of garlic, minced 10ml wholegrain mustard 45ml sour cream 1 egg a handful of thyme leaves 150g feta cheese, crumbled 2 x 400g Today puff pastry egg-wash: 1 yolk + 15ml water whisked together
Line a baking sheet with baking paper and set aside. Boil the quartered potatoes, cool completely and crush roughly. Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with 2,5ml salt and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Add the potato, onions, mustard, sour cream, egg, thyme and feta to a large mixing bowl. Season with pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate.
Unroll the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll slightly wider. Cut one 25cm circle from one pastry sheet and place on a cutting board. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cut a 22cm circle from the second sheet of pastry and place on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the potato mixture on the pastry circle and form a nice even mound. Leave a 2 cm border. Brush the border with egg-wash. Lay the 25cm pastry circle over the mound and press the edges to seal. Trim off the excess pastry. Cut a small hole in the centre of the top. Score curved lines all over the top from the hole down to the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through. Brush the pie all over with egg-wash and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 200℃. Bake the pithivier for 40 minutes, until golden. Slice into wedges and serve warm.
1 x 400g roll Today puff pastry egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water beaten together 4 large tomatoes a handful of basil olive oil balsamic vinegar
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Unroll the puff pastry and place it on the paper. (Trim the pastry to fit the baking sheet) Lightly score the pastry down the centre in the length. Now score it in half and then halve each square. You should have 8 squares – be careful to score and not cut through! Whisk together the egg yolk and water and lightly brush the pastry all over. Refrigerate until needed. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to the boil. Make a cross incision (x) in the tomato skin on the bottom. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Now lower the tomatoes into the boiling water and simmer for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge it into the ice water. Remove the skins once they start to curl back from the flesh. Halve the naked tomatoes horizontally. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Place a basil leave in the centre of each of the marked squares. Place half a tomato, cut-side down on the basil and drizzle the tomato with a few drops of oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar while very warm. Slice the tart into 8 portions and serve as a side.
30ml + 30ml butter 1 clove garlic, minced 6 onions, halved horizontally 100ml sugar 60ml water 30ml balsamic vinegar 5ml thyme leaves 5ml salt 1 x 400g roll Today puff pastry
Preheat your oven to 200℃. Put a wide-bottomed pan on medium-high heat and add 30ml butter to melt. Add the garlic and onion halves cut-side down. Cook the onions until they have caramelised and softened slightly (about 10 minutes). Gently remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Add the sugar and water to an ovenproof pan over medium heat. Cook, swirling constantly, until the sugar dissolves – DO NOT stir! Turn the heat up to high and cook undisturbed (no stirring!) for 5 minutes or until it turns to a golden caramel – this happens instantly!! Remove from the heat and add the balsamic, thyme, salt and 30ml butter. Return to the boil and swirl to combine. Arrange the onions cut-side down, trying to fit in as many halves as you can. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll it slightly wider. Now cut a circle that is 1cm larger than the diameter of your pan. Place the pastry circle on top of the onions and tuck in the edges so that it forms a “basket” for the onions. Cut a very small hole in the centre of the pastry and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminium foil to prevent burning. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes until the pastry is cooked through. Remove the tart from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Place a flat plate/wooden board over the pan and carefully invert the tart. Season with salt and pepper to serve.
My Whisk and I 