Tag: weeknightmeals

Sweet-and-Sour Beef Stir-Fry

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Sweet-and-Sour Beef Stir-Fry
Sweet-and-Sour Beef Stir-Fry

1kg beef strips
3 leeks, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 red sweet peppers, sliced into strips
83ml sugar
83ml apple cider vinegar
45ml pineapple juice, reserved from the tin of pineapple pieces
45ml tomato sauce/ketchup
15ml Worcestershire sauce
15ml soy sauce
20ml cornstarch
125ml water
1 x 400g tin of pineapple pieces
a handful of sliced spring onions
a handful of black sesame seeds

Place a saucepan onto medium-high heat and brown the beef strips in batches. Set aside.
Add a splash of vegetable oil to the saucepan and add the leeks and garlic. Stir-fry until the leeks are soft.
Add the red peppers and cook for another 3 minutes.
Mix together the sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy, cornstarch and water and give it a good whisk.
Add the sauce to the sauce pan and allow to come to a simmer.
Now add the beef strips and pineapple pieces and cook for about 15 minutes while stirring every now and then.
Sprinkle the spring onion and sesame seeds over and serve on rice.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Skewers

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Greek Chicken Souvlaki Skewers
Greek Chicken Souvlaki Skewers

Souvlaki captures all the tastes of Greece and so these chicken skewers will not only transport you back to the azure sea and clear skies, but delight your tastebuds!

10 chicken breasts, skin removed
60ml olive oil
the juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
30ml dried oregano
salt and pepper
10-24 wooden skewers

Cut each chicken breast into 3 equal sized pieces.
Add the chicken and all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and rub everything together with you hands so that the chicken gets coated with it.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (you may leave it overnight).

Cut the wooden skewers to fit inside your griddle pan.
Now thread 4-5 pieces of chicken onto a skewer. Lay it flat on a work surface and push another skewer through all the pieces of chicken so that you have to parallel skewers.
Place a griddle pan on high heat and wait for it to warm up.
Cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes, turning 2/3 times during cooking. You may add a few splashes of olive oil if you think the pan needs it.
Serve warm or at room temperature with plenty of lemon on the side.

Traditional Greek Sofrito from Corfu

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Traditional Greek Sofrito from Corfu
Traditional Greek Sofrito from Corfu

Greek Sofrito is originally from the island of Corfu. It is a hearty and delicious meal of beef cooked in a garlic and vinegar sauce which in turn produces a fork-tender beef stew that literally melts in one’s mouth. This is a very traditional version and a staple food in every household …. I do hope you give it a try!

1kg beef shank, cut into chunks
125ml flour
30ml butter
80ml olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, sliced
80ml white wine vinegar
80ml white wine
450ml beef stock
125ml parsley, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
fresh lemon wedges

Add the beef chunks to a large mixing bowl and season the beef with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the flour over the meat and mix the chunks with your hands so that each piece of meat gets covered in a thin coating of flour.
Add the butter and olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the beef in small batches and sauté until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan, add another batch and keep going until all of the beef is browned.
Turn the heat down to medium, add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Now add the white wine vinegar, white wine, beef stock and beef chunks.
Simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick and glossy – about 40 minutes.
Scatter over the parsley and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve the Sofrito on chunky mashed potato and drizzle over a squeeze of lemon juice.

Breakfast Toast

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Breakfast Toast
Breakfast Toast

I love eating a slice of toasted sourdough bread with fresh toppings for breakfast. It puts me in the “health” mood and sets the tone for the rest of the day. In the case of these breakfast toasts, it is the Greek Pesto that brings it all together and does all the tasty work!! Feel free to add your own combinations and toppings and drizzle generously with the pesto!!!

3 slices sourdough bread, toasted
1 x recipe Greek Pesto from this blog
tomato, chopped
onion, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
sliced cucumber

Toast the bread and spread a generous amount of the pesto onto it while still warm.
Top with your preferred topping and drizzle with more pesto.

Baked Aubergine

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Baked Aubergine
Baked Aubergine

This is a lighter, healthier version of the traditional Greek Papoutsakia with all its tomato and cheese. The recipe is vegan and is a wonderful way of boosting one’s fibre intake.

3-4 large aubergine
45ml olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml thyme leaves
4 medium zucchini/baby marrows, finely chopped
100g baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 pomegranate, deseeded

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Cut the aubergine in half lengthwise.
Insert a small sharp knife 0,5cm from the skin on the cut side and cut around the outside of the aubergine, taking care not to break the skin.
Now score a diamond pattern on the flesh, cutting as deep down as you can without piercing the skin. Gently loosen and scoop out the flesh.
Place the halved aubergine on a baking sheet and set aside.
Set a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil to it.
Add the onion and fry until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for another minute.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the thyme, zucchini, baby spinach and chopped aubergine flesh that you scooped out earlier.
Cook until the spinach is wilted – about 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the mixture into the aubergine halves.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Scatter a handful of pomegranate seeds on the baked aubergine and serve.

Pulled Leg of Lamb

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Pulled Leg of Lamb
Pulled Leg of Lamb

This is an effortless way of cooking up delicious, succulent lamb and may be prepared a day ahead and re-heated prior to serving.

one leg of lamb, bone in
a whole head of garlic
salt
1 x 340ml French Salad Dressing, store bought

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Place two large pieces of aluminium foil, one on top of the other on a work surface.
Place the lamb on the foil and lift the foil and lamb into a roasting dish.
Salt the lamb and slice the head of garlic in half horizontally. Place the garlic on the lamb.
Pour half the salad dressing over the lamb, flip it around and pour the rest of the bottle over the meat.
Cover the lamb with the foil and place it in the oven. Cook for 5 hours.
Take the roasting tin from the oven and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes.
Remove the foil, leaving the lamb, garlic, fat and any cooking liquids in the roasting tin.
Squeeze the garlic out and mash it with a fork. Now pull the meat apart with two forks and remove the bone.
Mix/massage the pulled meat, fat and cooking juices.
Serve the meat warm or at room temperature.

Pan-Fried Tarragon Chicken

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Pan-Fried Tarragon Chicken
Pan-Fried Tarragon Chicken

This is one of those easy mid-week meals that takes no time at all to prepare and leaves one surprised at the amount of punchy flavour and goodness on a plate! The sauce is enough for 6 – 8 chicken breasts but equally for 4.

6 – 8 chicken breasts, skin removed
5ml garlic powder
15ml dried tarragon
60ml + 30ml butter
15ml lemon juice
250ml sour cream

Dry the chicken breasts and place them on a chopping board.
Drizzle with the smallest amount of vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Mix the garlic powder and tarragon and sprinkle evenly over the breasts. Rub the mixture over the chicken with your fingers.
Put a heavy-base pan (skillet) onto medium-high heat and allow it to warm up.
Add 2 chicken breasts to the hot pan and cook for about 6 minutes without moving them around.
Flip the breasts and add 15ml of the butter to the pan. Cook the chicken for another 6 minutes.
Remove the cooked breasts from the pan, set aside and keep covered while you cook the rest.
Turn the heat down to low and add the 30ml butter, lemon juice and sour cream to the pan and simmer for one minute.
Place the cooked chicken back into the pan, cover with a lid and cook for another 6 minutes to warm it through.
Serve with a crisp green salad.

Portuguese Roasted Chicken

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Portuguese Roasted Chicken
Portuguese Roasted Chicken

2kg chicken, portioned
1 fresh chilli
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml chilli flakes
15ml smoked paprika
10ml dried oreganum
2,5ml dried thyme or 5ml fresh thyme leaves
60ml lemon juice
30ml vegetable oil
30ml brown sugar
2 red onions
500g potatoes
a handful of parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Place the chicken pieces in a roasting tray, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Chop the chilli finely and add it to a small bowl with the garlic, chilli flakes, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, lemon juice, vegetable oil and sugar. Stir to combine.
Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken pieces. Turn the pieces and smear the spices over the chicken with your hands.
Peel the onions and cut into wedges.
Cut the potato into quarters.
Add the onion and potato to the roasting dish and mix through with your hands.
Place in the oven and roast for 50minutes.
Take the chicken from the oven, sprinkle with the parsley and serve with a crisp salad.