Tag: vegetarian

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Chickpea Salad

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chickpea Salad
Chickpea Salad

Dressing:
15ml wholegrain mustard
15ml red wine vinegar
45ml olive oil
30ml honey
a pinch of salt

2 x 400g tins of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, finely chopped
200g feta cheese, cut into small cubes
1 large English cucumber, cut into small cubes
40g parsley, chopped

For the dressing:
Add the mustard and red wine vinegar to a small bowl.
Drizzle in the olive a little at a time while whisking. Keep going until the olive oil is incorporated.
Add the honey and a pinch of salt and whisk again. Set aside.

Add the chickpeas, chopped onion, feta, cucumber and parsley to a salad bowl and mix together.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and give it another good mix before serving.

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Brown Rice Salad

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Brown Rice Salad
Brown Rice Salad

250ml brown rice, cooked according to packet instructions
1 red onion, finely diced
400g cocktail tomatoes, quartered
120g mozzarella cheese, cubed
30g coriander leaves, chopped
30ml pumpkin seeds
30ml sunflower seeds

Dressing:
60ml olive oil
30ml thick, sweet soya sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced

Add the cooked and cooled rice to a large mixing bowl.
Now add the diced onion, tomato and mozzarella and give it a good mix.
Sprinkle over the coriander, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and stir through. Set aside.

For the dressing:
Pour the olive oil and soya sauce into a cup and add the garlic.
Whisk the dressing with a fork until it is amalgamated.
Drizzle over the brown rice salad and give everything a very good mix.
Serve the salad at room temperature.

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Hertzoggies

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Hertzoggies
Hertzoggies

Yields about 18 cookies.

Pastry:
250g flour
25g caster sugar
10ml baking powder
1,2ml salt
125g butter, room temperature, cubed
3 egg yolks
15ml cold water

Filling:
3 egg whites
250g sugar
500ml desiccated coconut
about 100ml smooth apricot jam

For the pastry:
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray 2 x 12-hole muffin tins with cooking spray.
Sift the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingertips.
Whisk the egg yolks and water together and add it to the mixture.
Mix and knead by hand until you have a soft pastry.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

For the filling:
Add the egg whites to a mixing bowl and whisk to medium peaks.
Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, waiting about 15 seconds between each addition so that it is incorporated into the whites.
Add the coconut and fold through. Set aside.

Roll the pastry out to a 3mm thickness and cut out pastry circles of 7cm diameter.
Line the muffin tins with the circles.
Spoon about 7ml apricot jam into each pastry case and then divide the coconut and egg mixture amongst the cakes, topping it.
Bake in the oven for 22 minutes.
Cool the Hertzoggies in the muffin tins for 10 minutes before gently removing them to cool on a cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container.

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How to clean and season/maintain a cast iron pan

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on How to clean and season/maintain a cast iron pan
How to clean and season/maintain a cast iron pan
  • Wash the pan under very hot running water
  • Dry with a clean kitchen towel
  • Preheat your oven to 245℃
  • Fill the pan with course salt (I use dishwashing salt!)
  • Place the pan on high heat for about ten minutes. The salt will spit and jump our of the pan, but be brave!!
  • You will be able to see the dirt in the salt which means it is time to turn off the heat. Leave pan and salt to cool, it is extremely hot!!
  • Tip the dirty salt in a bag and dispose of it. Wipe the the remnants from the pan with kitchen paper.
  • Put a few drops of Linseed oil on kitchen paper and rub over the inside and outside of the pan.
  • Place the oiled pan in the oven and bake it for one hour. Turn off the heat and leave in the oven to cool completely.
  • Your pan is now clean and seasoned and will serve you for many more years.
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Sweet Potato Slices

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Sweet Potato Slices
Sweet Potato Slices

3 large sweet potatoes
125ml vegetable oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
250ml sour cream
100g feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Wash the sweet potatoes with their skin on and cut them in 0,5cm slices.
Boil the slices in water until just cooked. Drain and dry the slices with a clean kitchen towel.
Spread the sweet potato on the prepared baking sheet.
Add the vegetable oil and garlic to a small bowl and mix together.
Brush the slices with the garlic mixture, season with salt and flip them over. Brush again and season with salt.
Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Add the sour cream to a small bowl and crumble the feta over. Mix through.
Serve the sweet potato slices warm with a generous dollop of sour cream and feta on top.

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Nutty Finger Cookies

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Nutty Finger Cookies
Nutty Finger Cookies

Yields about 30 sandwiched cookies.

4 egg whites
375ml caster sugar
125ml flour
50ml mixed nuts, finely chopped
200g white chocolate, chopped
chocolate/mixed vermicelli

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until it forms medium peaks.
Add the sugar gradually, a spoonful at a time, until all has been incorporated.
Mix the flour and chopped nuts, sprinkle it over the whites and fold in with a metal spoon.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle and pipe 6cm long logs onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 13 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before gently removing from the baking sheet.
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt.
Sandwich the cookies together and place them back on the cooled baking sheet to set.
Dip the ends of the cookies in the chocolate and then in the vermicelli.
Allow to set completely.
Store the finger cookies in an airtight container.

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Garlic Potato Puffins

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Garlic Potato Puffins
Garlic Potato Puffins

750ml mashed potato, cold
30g + 150g butter, melted
150g flavoured cream cheese, room temperature
180ml + 180ml grated, mature cheddar cheese
3 eggs
30ml grated parmesan cheese
15ml + 15ml chopped chives
5ml garlic flakes
5ml salt
250ml sour cream

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and brush a 12-hole muffin tin with the 30g melted butter.
Add the mashed potato, 150g melted butter and cream cheese to a mixing bowl and mix together until the ingredients are well distributed.
Add 180ml cheddar, eggs, parmesan, 15ml chives, garlic flakes and salt and mix together.
Divide the mixture between the muffin cups and sprinkle the remaining 180ml cheddar over.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove the baking tin from the oven and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes.
Run a small knife around the edges of each cup and gently lift out the puffins.
Scoop a dollop of sour cream onto each potato puffin and scatter the 15ml chives over to serve.

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Greek Shortbread

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Greek Shortbread
Greek Shortbread

Yields about 35 biscuits.

200g butter, room temperature
250ml + 80ml icing sugar, sifted
1 egg
1 egg yolk
625ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
5ml ground cinnamon
420ml ground almonds/almond meal

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the butter and icing sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and egg yolk and mix again. Scrape down.
Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and almonds to the bowl and mix together until incorporated.
Scoop about 15ml of the mixture into your hands and shape it into crescents. (Roll a ball, roll it in to a 3-4cm log and slope the ends downwards. Drape it over your finger to form a crescent)
Space the cookies evenly on the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to stand on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
Sift the 80ml icing sugar over the biscuits and leave to cool completely.
Hint: Hide some of the biscuits……they fly away on their own!

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Vegetable Bake

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Vegetable Bake
Vegetable Bake

3 eggs
60ml + 60ml greek yoghurt
150ml vegetable oil
500ml flour
5ml baking powder
5ml smoked paprika
2,5ml white pepper
5ml salt
250ml grated mozzarella cheese
250ml crumbed feta cheese
250ml grated zucchini
125ml grated carrot
2 spring onions, sliced
30ml chopped parsley
45ml dried breadcrumbs
15ml sesame seeds

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a ceramic dish of about 28cm x 20cm with cooking spray.
Add the eggs, 60ml yoghurt and vegetable oil to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the flour, baking powder, paprika, pepper and salt.
Add the mozzarella, feta, zucchini, carrot, spring onion and parsley and mix through to a very stiff batter.
Mix the dried breadcrumbs and sesame seeds in a small bowl.
Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish and scatter over the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
Serve the vegetable bake with the remaining yoghurt drizzled over.