weekend meals – My Whisk and I

Spinach-Ricotta Cannelloni

July 6, 2024July 5, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
400g baby spinach
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
450g ricotta cheese
150-200g cannelloni pasta (about 16 tubes)
a handful of basil leaves
250g mozzarella cheese, sliced

Preheat your oven to 180℃

Place a large pan on a medium-high heat and add a splash of olive oil to it.
Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Now add the baby spinach and cook until just wilted.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Chop the mixture and add it to a mixing bowl with the ricotta cheese.
Season with salt and pepper and scoop it all into a piping bag.
Add the tomato to a small saucepan and gently cook it down to get rid of the moisture – about 15 minutes on medium heat.
Now fill each cannelloni tube with the spinach mixture. Pipe it in as tight as you can get it and arrange it tightly in a 28cm x 18cm ceramic dish.
Spoon the tomato mixture over and spread it out evenly so that it covers all of the pasta.
Now sprinkle the basil leaves over and lay the mozzarella slices on top.
Bake the cannelloni for 35 minutes until golden.

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Chicken-Potato Bake

June 25, 2024June 24, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,5kg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
100g butter, cubed
125ml milk
15ml olive oil
30g butter
1kg chicken breasts, cut into 3cm pieces
2 onions, chopped
200g bacon, chopped
125ml dry white wine
80ml flour
190ml chicken stock
190 ml cream
250ml frozen peas

Place the potato chunks in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook until the potato is tender.
Drain and return the potato to the saucepan.
Add the 100g butter and milk to the saucepan and mash the potato until smooth.
Season the mash with salt and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and 30g butter to it.
Cook the chicken chunks in batches until caramelised and brown.
Spoon the chicken into a ceramic oven dish and set aside.
Now add the onion and bacon to the same pan and cook on a medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and deglaze the pan by pouring in the white wine while stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over and while stirring for 1-2 minutes.
Add the stock a little at a time and then drizzle in the cream.
Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
Add the peas, stir through and pour the mixture over the chicken.
Top the chicken with the mashed potato and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

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Tandoori Chicken

March 19, 2024March 18, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Marinade:
250ml greek yoghurt
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml ground ginger
15ml smoked paprika
15ml garam masala
5ml ground coriander
5ml ground cumin
5ml salt
15ml lemon juice

6 chicken breasts

Add all the ingredients for the marinade to a large mixing bowl and mix together.
Add the chicken pieces and cover them in the marinade.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat your oven to 240℃ and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
Place a metal wire rack on the tray and arrange the chicken pieces on it.
Cook in the oven for 25 minutes until blistered.
Remove the chicken from the oven and serve with a fresh side or salad.

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Orzo Carbonara with Mushroom

March 14, 2024March 13, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g mushrooms, sliced
200g smoked bacon, cut into pieces
30ml + 30ml butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
500ml orzo
1 litre chicken stock
15ml chopped parsley
30ml thyme leaves
125ml cream
125ml grated parmesan cheese

Place a large pan on medium-high heat, add 30ml butter, a dash of cooking and the mushrooms.
Cook until golden, spoon into a bowl and set aside.
Add the bacon pieces to the same pan and cook until crispy on the edges. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
Add the other 30ml butter and onion to the pan and cook until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Pour the orzo and stock into the pan, turn the heat down to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan. You want a cooked orzo that has absorbed most of the water.
Add the parsley, thyme and cream and stir through.
Now add the mushroom and bacon back into the pan and warm through while stirring.
Sprinkle over the parmesan, add a few grindings of black pepper and serve immediately.

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Brown Rice Salad

November 11, 2023October 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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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Pasta Risottata (Orzo Risotto)

November 4, 2023October 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml olive oil
300g smoked bacon, cut into small pieces
1 clove of garlic, minced
150g frozen petits pois (peas)
250g orzo pasta
20g butter, cubed
40g parmesan cheese, grated

Place a large heavy-based pan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil to it.
Add the bacon pieces and cook until they are browned and crispy.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the peas and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
Now add the orzo and stir-fry it for a minute or so until it is mixed with the bacon and peas.
Pour 625ml of boiling water into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down to a simmer.
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the pan.
Taste the orzo; if it is not yet soft, add a little more water and continue cooking until al dente.
Add the butter and grated parmesan and stir through.
Taste again and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately.

Leftovers make a great salad the next day when you add some good mayonnaise and chopped parsley!

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20-Minute Tuna Spaghetti

September 25, 2023September 7, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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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Slow-Cooked Saucy Curry

September 19, 2023September 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml salt
15ml ground ginger
15ml curry powder
15ml turmeric
15ml sumac
15ml sugar
30ml lemon juice
2kg stewing lamb
2 x 400g tins of coconut milk
750ml + 250ml vegetable stock
5 carrots, peeled and cubed
5 potatoes, peeled and cubed

Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in enough oil to cover the base.
Add the onion and cook until soft.
Add the garlic, salt, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, sumac, sugar and lemon juice and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add the lamb and stir to cover the meat in the spices.
Pour 1 can of coconut milk and 750ml stock into the saucepan and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for an hour.
Add the carrots and potato and pour in the 250ml stock.
Simmer for another hour.
Now add the last can of coconut milk and crusty some of the potato against the sides of the saucepan to thicken the sauce.
Cook for 5 minutes and serve on steamed rice.

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New Retro Apricot Chicken

September 15, 2023August 30, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125ml flour
45ml vegetable oil
8 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml sumac
10ml salt
2 x 400g tins of halved apricots
250ml chicken stock
almond flakes

Add the flour to a shallow bowl and season with salt.
Place a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil.
Dip the chicken in the flour to coat both sides and fry in batches for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. (Add extra oil to the pan if you need to)
Keep the browned chicken on the side.
Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Sprinkle the sumac and salt over and stir.
Pour the syrup and fruit of one of the tins of apricot into a blender and process until smooth.
Pour into the pan, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chicken breasts.
Cook for 20 minutes with a lid on, stirring every now and then.
Drain the second tin of apricots and add the fruit to the pan.
Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Serve on couscous with almond flakes scattered over.

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Tomato and Leek Soup

September 8, 2023August 29, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.