Tag: vegetarian

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Orzotto Alla Norma

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Orzotto Alla Norma
Orzotto Alla Norma

This is my take on this classic Italian dish….!

2 aubergine
olive oil
250g cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
15ml thyme, chopped
300g orzo pasta
100g parmesan cheese, grated
1 burrata cheese or a few small mozzarella balls

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Slice the aubergine into discs about 5mm thick, spread them out on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil.
Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the aubergine slices and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add some olive oil.
Fry the onion and garlic until soft.
Add the chopped tomato and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Cook the orzo according to packet instructions.
Drain and add it to the tomato sauce.
Add the grated parmesan and stir through.
Spoon the orzo into a serving dish and top with the aubergine, roasted tomato and burrata.

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Wine Jellies

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Wine Jellies
Wine Jellies

Edible flowers (or fruits like berries)
45ml water
10ml powdered gelatine
45ml sugar
150ml hot water
75ml sparkling wine

Prepare your moulds/cups by lining them with plastic wrap.
Place the flowers inside the moulds and set aside.
Pour 45ml cold water into a small mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatine over. Set aside to bloom for 5 minutes.
Add the sugar to the gelatine and pour in the hot water. Stir to dissolve.
Add the sparkling wine and mix well.
Allow the liquid to cool to the point where it is cold but still completely runny.
Pour into the moulds and refrigerate until set.

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Warm Oatmeal with Spiced Pears

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Warm Oatmeal with Spiced Pears
Warm Oatmeal with Spiced Pears

2 pears
30ml lemon juice
60ml brown sugar
2,5ml ground cinnamon
30g butter, cubed

For the oatmeal:
250ml rolled oats
250ml water
250ml milk
a pinch of salt
1,2ml ground cinnamon
honey
a handful (or two) of almonds

For the pears:
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a small baking tray with baking paper or aluminium foil.
Halve the pears and remove the core. (I use a melon scoop for this)
Place the pears, cut-side up, on the prepared baking tray and drizzle with the lemon juice.
Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on the fruit and place a piece of cubed butter on each.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes.

For the oatmeal:
Pour the oats, water, milk, salt and cinnamon into a saucepan and place on medium-high heat.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes, while stirring often.

Spoon the porridge into 2 bowls and place 2 pear half on top of each bowl.
Drizzle the oatmeal with honey and a generous scattering of almonds and serve warm.

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Gnocchi Pomodoro

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Gnocchi Pomodoro
Gnocchi Pomodoro

Pomodoro is a simple tomato sauce that is smooth, thick and concentrated. Cook it in a wide sauté pan as it will help the moisture from the tomato to evaporate. Pomodoro can be served with pasta and chicken and may be kept in the refrigerator for one week.

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
30ml sugar
2 x 500g packs of gnocchi
a handful of basil
parmesan cheese

Set a large, wide sauté pan over medium-low heat and add 45ml of vegetable oil to it.
Add the onion and garlic to the saucepan and gently cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the tomato to a liquidiser and blitz until smooth.
Pour the tomato into the saucepan and add the sugar. Stir through.
Simmer the sauce on a medium-low heat for 10 minutes. You want the liquid from the sauce to evaporate so that you are left with a thick, concentrated tomato sauce.
Cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions. Drain and add it to the sauce.
Tear up the basil leaves, stir it through and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Serve the gnocchi with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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Roasted Tomato Pasta

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Roasted Tomato Pasta
Roasted Tomato Pasta

400g vine tomatoes/cherry tomatoes
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
20ml capers, roughly chopped
2 leeks, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
30ml sugar
10ml salt
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
200g mixed mushrooms
300g penne pasta
parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Spread the tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of salt.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until the skins burst open.
Remove the tray and sprinkle the capers over the hot tomato. Set aside.
Add the leeks and a splash of oil to a saucepan and cook on medium heat until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Now add the tinned tomato, sugar, salt and basil leaves and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
Blitz the mixture with a hand blender until you are left a with a thick, chunky sauce. Set aside.
Place a frying on high heat and allow to become hot. Add some butter to the pan and then the mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms are caramelised.
Cook the penne according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and pour the pasta into a serving bowl.
Spoon the roasted tomato, capers and all of the juices onto the warm pasta.
Add the blended tomato sauce and the mushroom and stir everything together to coat the pasta.
Grate a generous amount of parmesan cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with extra basil leaves to serve.

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Fruity Weet-Bix Slice

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Fruity Weet-Bix Slice

180g butter, melted
170g sugar
3 weet-bix bars, crushed or about 150g of crumbs/broken pieces
150g self-raising flour
85g desiccated coconut
2 x 395g cans condensed milk
310ml lemon juice (strained if using fresh)
about 150g raspberries and blueberries

Preheat your oven to 170℃ and line a 20cm x 30cm oven tray with baking paper, allowing an overhang so that you can easily remove the fruit slices when set.
Add the butter, sugar, weet-bix, flour and coconut to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tray and smooth it out.
Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Add the condensed milk and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisk until combined.
Scatter the raspberries and blueberries over the cooled base.
Gently pour the condensed milk mixture over the fruit and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate overnight before slicing into squares to serve.
Keep refrigerated.

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Minestrone Soup

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Minestrone Soup
Minestrone Soup

2 onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 carrots, chopped
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g tin of butter beans (or any other white bean, cooked)
4 x 250ml vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
5ml dried thyme
250ml small pasta, e.g. elbows, shells, vermicelli
125ml fresh parsley, chopped
salt and black pepper

Add some olive oil to a saucepan set over medium-high heat and fry the onion until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Now add the carrots, tomato, beans, stock, bay leaves and thyme. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the pasta and cook uncovered until done – about 10 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the soup and serve piping hot.

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Fruit Salad

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Fruit Salad
Fruit Salad

papino
raspberries
blueberries
cape gooseberries
1 x container ready-made vanilla custard

Peel the papino and cut it in half. Slice a small section away on the rounded side so that it forms a base on which the fruit can “stand”.
Place the half on a serving dish and fill the cavity with the berries and a generous dollop of custard!!

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Sweet Bougatsa/Custard Pie

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Sweet Bougatsa/Custard Pie

There are shops in Greece devoted entirely to serving Bougatsa, called Bougatsazidika. They open from 4 a.m. until lunchtime and you will often see people queueing outside in the very early hours, to get their slice of happiness…

150g + 150g sugar
8 egg yolks
60g semolina
60g cornflour
10ml vanilla
grated zest of 1 lemon
grated zest of 1 orange
1l milk
500g phyllo pastry
200g butter, melted
icing sugar to serve

Preheat your oven to 240℃.
Add the egg yolks and 150g sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the semolina and cornflour and whisk until smooth.
Add the vanilla, lemon and orange zest and whisk again. Set aside.
Pour the milk and 150g sugar into a saucepan and place it over medium-high heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Drizzle the milk onto the egg mixture in a very thin stream while whisking continuously.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat.
Whisk the mixture until it is thick and starts to bubble.
Take the saucepan from the heat and set aside.
Brush a 27cm x 37cm x 5cm roasting tray with the melted butter.
Lay a sheet of phyllo pastry in the tray and brush the top of the pastry with butter.
Lay down two more sheets, brushing each with butter.
Pour in the custard mixture and spread it out evenly.
Cover the filling with another three phyllo sheets, again brushing each with melted butter.
Fold in the overhanging pastry around the edges of the roasting tin and make it look like a sealed parcel.
Brush the top with melted butter and bake for 12 minutes, until golden.
Remove the bougatsa from the oven and cut into portions.
Dust with plenty of icing sugar and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.