Tag: what's for dinner

Cucumber Avo Salad

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Cucumber Avo Salad
Cucumber Avo Salad

500g cucumber (about half an English cucumber)
2 avocados
30ml lemon juice
2 salad onions, finely sliced
chilli flakes

Peel the cucumber in alternating strips in its length.
Take out the seeds with a teaspoon, cut into bite-sized pieces and put it in a colander set in your sink.
Sprinkle 5ml salt over, toss together and leave to drain for about 20 minutes.
Slice the avocado in half, remove the pip and scoop out the flesh.
Cut in to 1,5cm cubes.
Add the avocado to a mixing bowl, sprinkle over the lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Shake the cucumber pieces in the colander to get rid of any moisture.
Add to the avocado.
Add the sliced salad onions and mix again.
Now stir the salad vigorously until the avocado breaks down a bit.
Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Scatter over some chilli flakes and serve.

Chunky Vegetable Soup

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Chunky Vegetable Soup
Chunky Vegetable Soup

The garnish for this vegetable soup was made by horizontally slicing a hotdog roll, drizzling it with olive oil and toasting it in the oven. The garnish on the crouton is homemade mayonnaise with cherry tomatoes and fresh soft herbs.

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sticks of celery, leaves included, washed and chopped
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
3 carrots, chopped
400g potato, peeled and cubed

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add some vegetable oil.
Add the onion, garlic and celery and cook for about 10 minutes.
Add the tinned tomato and cook for another 10 minutes.
Pour in the stock, add the bay leave, carrot and potato and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 50 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Mash or liquidise half of the soup, cook another 5 minutes and serve with a fresh, crusty bread.

Pull-Apart Tortilla Wraps

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Pull-Apart Tortilla Wraps
Pull-Apart Tortilla Wraps

1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sweet peppers, diced
600g minced beef
30ml tomato purée
30ml Worcestershire sauce
3 large tomatoes, diced
3 spring onions, sliced
60ml coriander, chopped
10 large tortilla wraps
150g + 150g cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray.
Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add a dash of vegetable oil.
Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and sweet pepper and cook while stirring occasionally until the peppers are softened.
Add the minced beef, tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce, season with salt and pepper and turn up the heat.
Break the mince up with the back of a wooden spoon and cook until there is no liquid left.

For the salsa:
Add the diced tomato, spring onions and coriander to a bowl.
Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

To assemble:
Lay the tortilla wraps on a chopping board and trim the left and right edges so that they are square.
Spoon some of the mince mixture on the curved edge closest to you.
Spoon some salsa on the mince and scatter with grated cheese.
Roll the tortilla into a fairly tight cylinder.
Repeat with the other ingredients.

Slice each tortilla roll into 3 equal rolls.
Pack the rolls cut side up, in the cake tin. Start on the outer edges and work towards the centre.
Sprinkle the remaining 150g cheese over the rolls.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the outer ring of the cake tin and serve immediately.

Thick Chicken Soup

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Thick Chicken Soup
Thick Chicken Soup

If you need to speed things up in the kitchen you may make this soup with store-bought stock and rotisserie chicken.

45ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
a small bunch of salad onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1l chicken stock
2 eggs
60ml fresh lemon juice
375ml cooked rice
500ml cooked chicken breast, shredded

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the oil, onion and salad onion.
Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Pour in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to the boil, turn down the heat and leave to simmer.
Add the eggs, lemon juice and 60ml of the rice to a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Keep the blender running and slowly pour in 250ml of the hot stock.
Now pour this mixture into the stock mixture in the saucepan while stirring.
Add the rest of the rice and the shredded chicken.
Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, on a low heat (do not let it boil) until thick.
Spoon into bowls and serve immediately.

Pasta with Peanut Butter Sauce

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Pasta with Peanut Butter Sauce
Pasta with Peanut Butter Sauce

You may serve any pasta with this peanut butter sauce but it does coat spaghetti rather well. This is enough sauce for about 250g dry weight, spaghetti.

125ml peanut butter
30ml soy sauce
30ml brown sugar
15ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
90ml very warm water
100ml peanuts, chopped

Cook the pasta of your choice while making the sauce/keep your pasta warm.
Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and garlic to a LARGE mixing bowl and whisk together to blend. The mixture will be extremely thick but keep stirring and mixing with the whisk until blended.
Add about 15ml of the warm water to the mixture and stir/blend/whisk until the water has been incorporated.
Keep adding a small amount of water and whisking until all the water is incorporated and you are left with a smooth, thick sauce.
Add the hot pasta to the sauce and toss through until the pasta is covered in the sauce.
Spoon into serving bowls and sprinkle the chopped peanuts over to serve.

Goat Cheese Risotto

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Goat Cheese Risotto
Goat Cheese Risotto

This recipe feeds 6 adults as a main or 8-10 as a starter.

2l chicken/vegetable stock

45ml butter
45ml olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
400g arborio rice
150ml white wine
200g goat cheese
250g parmesan cheese, grated plus extra for serving

Pour the chicken stock into a saucepan, bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a low simmer.
Add the butter and olive oil to a large, wide saucepan set over medium-high heat and wait for the pan to heat up.
Add the onion and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter and oil. Fry the rice for at least 2 minutes.
Pour in the wine and keep stirring until the liquid has evaporated.
Add about half a cup/two soup ladles of chicken stock and simmer until the stock is absorbed. Continue cooking the rice, adding half a cup of stock at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the stock to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite.
Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
Crumb half of the goat cheese into the mixture and stir through.
Slice the other half of the goat cheese into wheels and brûlée with a blow torch until charred.
Place the goat cheese on the risotto, add some extra butter and serve immediately.


Cottage Potatoes

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Cottage Potatoes
Cottage Potatoes

6 large potatoes
15ml vegetable oil
500g beef mince (ground beef)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml tomato paste
15ml flour
30ml Worcestershire sauce
250ml beef stock
45ml butter
1,2ml nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Wash the potatoes and bake them in the oven until cooked. Remove and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Add the beef and cook until golden brown and any liquid has evaporated.
Add the onion, garlic and tomato paste and cook for a few minutes while stirring.
Sprinkle with the flour and add the Worcestershire sauce and beef stock.
Bring to the boil while stirring.
Cover, turn the heat down slightly and simmer for 30 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a little water.
Season the beef with salt and pepper and set aside.
Turn your oven up to 220℃.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving about 0,5cm of potato still stuck to the skin.
Place the potato flesh in a bowl and mash until smooth.
Add the butter and nutmeg and mix through. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the mashed potato into a piping bag.
Spoon some of the beef into the hollowed potato and pipe some mashed potato over the beef.
Place the potatoes in a baking dish and bake in the oven until warm and golden on top.
Serve with a fresh salad.


Cauliflower Cake

by Karen Claassen1 Comment on Cauliflower Cake
Cauliflower Cake

1,3kg cauliflower (about 2 heads)
80g parmesan cheese, finely grated
90g cornstarch
2 eggs
200g smoked bacon, cut into 1cm pieces
200g mozzarella cheese, grated
60ml dried breadcrumbs

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and prepare a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin by spraying it with cooking spray and sprinkling the bottom and sides with breadcrumbs.
Set a large saucepan with salted water over high heat and add the cauliflower florets. Cook until very soft.
Drain the cauliflower, making sure that you get rid of as much moisture as possible and add it to a mixing bowl.
Add the parmesan cheese, cornstarch and eggs and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Fry the bacon pieces until slightly crispy on the edges.
Now spoon half the cauliflower mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread it evenly.
Add half the grated mozzarella, the bacon and the other half of the mozzarella.
Spoon in the rest of the cauliflower mixture and even it out.
Sprinkle the top with the dried breadcrumbs and drizzle some olive oil over the cake.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Stand the cauliflower cake for 15 minutes before unmoulding it to serve.

Honey Mustard Chicken

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Honey Mustard Chicken
Honey Mustard Chicken

6 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
30ml vegetable oil
5ml salt
2,5ml garlic powder
2,5ml onion powder
2,5ml dried thyme
2,5ml onion seeds
2,5ml smoked paprika

Sauce:
125ml honey
60ml butter, melted
60ml wholegrain mustard
20ml hot sauce
5ml apple cider vinegar

Pat the chicken breasts dry and brush them with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
Combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, onion seeds and paprika in a small bowl.
Season both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoning – rub it all over. Set aside.
Add the honey, butter, mustard, hot sauce and vinegar to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Place a cast iron pan/skillet onto medium heat and wait for it to heat up.
Add the breasts to the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes without moving the meat around.
Flip the breasts over and pour the sauce over.
Place a lid on the pan and cook for 10 minutes, basting the chicken once or twice as it cooks.
Remove the lid and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
Serve the chicken on couscous or rice.

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.