weeknight meals – My Whisk and I

Potato-Chorizo Soup

July 23, 2024July 22, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 x 200g chorizo sausage, sliced
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
800g potato, peeled and cubed
500ml chicken stock
500ml milk
5ml salt
a small handful of parsley

Place a large saucepan on medium heat and add a dash of olive oil and the sliced chorizo.
Cook the sausage for about 5 minutes and then add the onion.
Add the garlic once the onion is soft and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Now add the potato, stock, milk, salt and a few good grindings of black pepper.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring a few times.
Remove the sauce pan from the heat and mash the potato by hand.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.
Sprinkle some parsley on top.
Serve the soup piping hot with fresh bread.

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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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Roasted Pumpkin Stew

May 28, 2024May 21, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
10ml salt
1kg beef chuck, cut into 3cm pieces
1 x 385g tin of chopped tomatoes
250ml beef stock
1 small pumpkin, 500g cubed and the rest cut into wedges
15ml cornflour
1 x tin coconut milk

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a roasting tin with baking paper.
Place large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil and onion and cook until the onion is soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the sugar, cinnamon and salt and stir through.
Now add the beef cubes, chopped tomatoes and beef stock and bring to a simmer. Gently cook the meat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the pumpkin wedges to the roasting tin and brush vegetable oil all over. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast the wedges for 15 minutes, flip them over and roast for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
Add the cubed pumpkin to the saucepan and simmer for another 20-30 minutes until beautifully soft.
Mix the cornflour with 45ml of the coconut milk and drizzle the mixture into the saucepan.
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Serve the pumpkin stew on steamed rice with a wedge of roasted pumpkin on top.

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Sweet Potato Pecan Crumble

April 4, 2024April 3, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1kg sweet potatoes
60ml butter, softened
5ml salt
1,2ml cinnamon
grated zest of one orange
30ml orange juice
125ml cream
60ml brown sugar

Pecan crumble:
250ml pecan nuts
30ml brown sugar
2,5ml salt
30ml butter, softened
grated zest of one orange

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
Wash and dry the sweet potato and space them evenly apart on the baking sheet.
Place in the oven for one hour, remove and cool until the sweet potato can be handled comfortably.
Spray an ovenproof dish of 20cm x 20cm with cooking spray.
Scoop the flesh from the sweet potato and add it to a food processor with the butter, salt, cinnamon, orange zest, orange juice, cream and brown sugar.
Process until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and set aside.

Add the pecan nuts, sugar, salt, butter and orange zest to a food processor and blitz together.
Sprinkle the crumble over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, remove and serve warm.

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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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Cauliflower Chicken

February 22, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

30ml vegetable oil
15ml butter
1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
200g bacon, chopped
200g baby spinach
250ml cream
15ml thyme leaves, chopped
6-8 chicken breasts
200ml grated mozzarella cheese
3 salad onions, sliced

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and spray a 28cm x 21cm ovenproof dish with cooking spray.
Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and butter to it. Wait for the butter to melt.
Add the cauliflower florets and bacon bits and stir-fry for 10 minutes.
Add the baby spinach and cook until wilted.
Turn off the heat and add the cream and thyme and mix through.
Spoon this mixture into the prepared oven dish and set aside.
Wipe the pan clean and spray with cooking spray.
Season the chicken and then brown the breasts by cooking them for about 2 minutes a side.
Arrange the chicken on top of the cauliflower mixture and then push it down slightly.
Sprinkle the cheese around the chicken and then the salad onions over everything.
Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, until golden.

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Mushroom Chicken

February 13, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4-6 chicken breasts
60ml flour
45ml + 30ml vegetable oil
30ml butter
300g mixed mushrooms
5ml thyme leaves
2 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml wholegrain mustard
15ml sour cream
125ml dry white wine
125ml chicken stock
30ml lemon juice

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and beat them so that they are an even thickness.
Pat the meat dry, season with salt and pepper and dredge them through the flour.
Add 45ml vegetable oil to a pan set over medium-high heat, add the chicken and cook until golden on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add 30ml vegetable oil and the butter to the same pan and wait for it to heat up.
Add the mushroom and thyme leaves and fry for about 4 minutes – the mushroom should be caramelised and golden on the edges.
Turn the heat down, add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the mustard, sour cream, white wine and chicken stock and stir to mix.
Place the chicken back in the pan, cover with a lid and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid, drizzle the lemon juice over and serve immediately.

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Kale and Quinoa Salad

February 8, 2024February 7, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125ml uncooked quinoa, prepared according to the packet instructions and cooled down
250ml thinly sliced kale
250ml thinly sliced baby spinach
2 red apples, cut into sticks/julienned
100g goat cheese, crumbled
60ml flaked almonds

Dressing:
60ml apple cider vinegar
30ml honey
15ml Dijon mustard
60ml olive oil

Add the quinoa, kale, spinach, apple, goat cheese and almonds to a large salad bowl and set aside.
Add the apple cider vinegar, honey and mustard to a small bowl and drizzle in the oil while whisking continuously.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix through to serve.

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Creamy Parmesan Chicken

January 9, 2024January 8, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

80ml flour
8 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
vegetable oil
62ml butter
25ml flour
125ml white wine
62ml milk
62ml chicken stock
125ml finely grated parmesan cheese
30ml chopped parsley

Place the chicken on a work surface and dust both sides with the flour and some salt.
Place a saucepan over medium-high heat, add some vegetable oil and brown the breasts to golden brown. Work in batches and keep the browned breasts on the side.
Add the butter and wait for it to melt.
Sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir while cooking for 2-3 minutes.
Add the white wine, milk and chicken stock and stir the mixture until smooth and thickened.
Place the chicken breasts in the sauce, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a low simmer.
Cook for 20 minutes, turning once or twice.
Remove the lid and sprinkle the parmesan over.
Stir the sauce for another 4 minutes before taking it from the heat.
Sprinkle over the parsley and serve.

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Parmesan Chicken

November 24, 2023October 15, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

45ml vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 x 400g tin of diced tomatoes
250ml panko breadcrumbs
2,5ml salt
250ml + 250ml finely grated parmesan cheese
190ml flour
2 eggs
6 chicken breasts
250ml vegetable oil
250ml grated mozzarella cheese

Turn your oven on to grill and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place a small saucepan over medium heat and pour in the 45ml oil.
Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the diced tomato, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir every now and then.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly.
Add the breadcrumbs, salt and 250ml parmesan to a shallow bowl.
Add the flower to another bowl.
Add the eggs and 15ml water to a third bowl and whisk together.
Place one chicken breast between two layers of plastic wrap and gently thin it out by pounding it with a meat mallet or rolling pin. The chicken should be no thicker than 1cm.
Season with salt and dip it into the flour. Shake off the excess and dip it into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture.
Keep the breaded chicken on a baking sheet until all of the chicken is done.
How place a pan on medium-high heat, add the 250ml oil and wait for it to heat up.
Fry the chicken in batches for about 1 minute before flipping it over for another minute or until it is golden brown.
Arrange the fried chicken on the prepared baking sheet and spoon the cooled tomato sauce over.
Mix the mozzarella and remaining 250ml parmesan and sprinkle over the chicken.
Grill the chicken for about 2 minutes – it is important to watch the chicken as it can easily burn but you want the cheese melted and browned.
Serve the parmesan chicken with any of the remaining tomato sauce.