Tag: whatsfordinner

Peanut-Corn Polenta

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Peanut-Corn Polenta
Peanut-Corn Polenta

2,5ml curry powder
2,5ml turmeric
2,5ml ground ginger
2,5ml onion seeds
2,5ml ground coriander
2,5ml ground cinnamon
83ml peanuts
3-4 corn cobs, kernels shaved off or 350g frozen corn kernels, defrosted
500ml (2x tins) coconut milk
500ml chicken/vegetable stock
2,5ml salt
250ml quick-cook polenta
a handful of parsley, chopped

Place a frying pan on medium heat and add about 45ml vegetable oil to it.
Add the curry powder, turmeric, ginger, onion seeds, coriander and cinnamon and cook while stirring, for about 2 minutes.
Now add the peanuts and stir them around in the spices for about a minute.
Add the corn kernels and stir-fry for another 3 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Pour the coconut milk and chicken stock into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add the salt.
Gradually whisk in the polenta, making sure there are no lumps.
Simmer, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until thick.
Stir half of the corn kernel mixture into the polenta.
Spoon on to a serving dish, spoon the rest of the corn on top and scatter with parsley.

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.

Gnocchi Pomodoro

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Gnocchi Pomodoro
Gnocchi Pomodoro

Pomodoro is a simple tomato sauce that is smooth, thick and concentrated. Cook it in a wide sauté pan as it will help the moisture from the tomato to evaporate. Pomodoro can be served with pasta and chicken and may be kept in the refrigerator for one week.

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g cans chopped tomato
30ml sugar
2 x 500g packs of gnocchi
a handful of basil
parmesan cheese

Set a large, wide sauté pan over medium-low heat and add 45ml of vegetable oil to it.
Add the onion and garlic to the saucepan and gently cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the tomato to a liquidiser and blitz until smooth.
Pour the tomato into the saucepan and add the sugar. Stir through.
Simmer the sauce on a medium-low heat for 10 minutes. You want the liquid from the sauce to evaporate so that you are left with a thick, concentrated tomato sauce.
Cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions. Drain and add it to the sauce.
Tear up the basil leaves, stir it through and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Serve the gnocchi with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Greek Meatballs in Tomato Sauce/Soutzoukakia

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Greek Meatballs in Tomato Sauce/Soutzoukakia
Greek Meatballs in Tomato Sauce/Soutzoukakia

500g minced pork
500g minced beef
100g panko breadcrumbs
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
15ml ground cinnamon
5ml ground cumin
10ml salt
1 egg, beaten
150ml olive oil

Tomato Sauce:
45ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 x 400g tin tomato purée
500ml water
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped
1 bay leaf
20ml sugar
1,2ml ground cumin
1,2ml smoked paprika
5ml salt

Add all the ingredients for the meatballs to a mixing bowl and mix it through with your hands.
Now shape the mixture into 30-40 fat sausages and place on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

For the Tomato Sauce:
Add the olive oil to a saucepan set over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and garlic and fry until soft and translucent.
Add the tomato purée and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the water, thyme leaves, bay leaf, sugar, cumin and paprika and simmer until the sauce has thickened.
Remove the bay leaf and blitz the sauce with a hand blender until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 220℃ and cover the bottom of an oven tray with a thin layer of oil.
Transfer the meatballs to this tray and bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.
Now put the tomato sauce back on the heat and add the meatballs to it. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve with basmati rice as a main or in the sauce as a Meze.

Tsatziki

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Tsatziki
Tsatziki

Tsatziki is an entire Greek summer on a plate and goes with anything: bread, roasted vegetables, meat and pita.

1 cucumber (English cucumber is perfectly fine) – 125ml grated and 83ml cut into small cubes
250ml yoghurt
1 clove of garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
2,5ml salt
olive oil

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon.
Grate the cucumber on the coarse side of a box grater – you need about 125ml when measured.
Now finely dice enough cucumber so that you have about 83ml.
Add the cucumber, yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt to a mixing bowl and stir together.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes or stand at room temperature so that the flavours can develop.
Spoon the tsatziki into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil before serving.
Keep any leftover tsatziki covered in the refrigerator.

Traditional Sweet Dumplings/Souskluitjies

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Traditional Sweet Dumplings/Souskluitjies
Traditional Sweet Dumplings/Souskluitjies

250ml flour
5ml baking powder
1,2ml salt
45ml butter, cubed
2 eggs
15ml sugar
2,5ml salt
2,5ml ground cinnamon
125ml butter, melted
ground cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle over

Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips.
Add the eggs and 15ml sugar to another bowl and whisk together.
Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix together.
Fill a large saucepan at least 7-8cm deep with hot, simmering water.
Add 2,5ml salt and 2,5ml cinnamon to the water.
Spoon a teaspoonful of batter into the water. Add another 4 dumplings – do not crowd the saucepan- and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a heatproof dish.
Drizzle with the melted butter and some cinnamon-sugar.
Keep the dumplings warm while you cook the rest.
Serve warm with extra cinnamon-sugar.

Oxtail Stew with Dumplings

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Oxtail Stew with Dumplings
Oxtail Stew with Dumplings

2.5 – 3kg oxtail
vegetable oil
3 onions, chopped
4 clove of garlic, minced
60ml flour
5 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 bay leaves
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomato
250ml red wine
1,5l beef stock
Worcestershire sauce

Dumplings:
250ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
2ml salt
60g butter, cut into small cubes
10ml dried mixed herbs
60-80ml milk

For the stew:
Preheat your oven to 220℃.
Add the oxtail to 2 large roasting tins and drizzle with the vegetable oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Roast the oxtail for 20-25 minutes, until beautifully caramelised and golden. Set aside.
Place a large saucepan on medium-high heat, add some vegetable oil and then add the onions. Cook until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Sprinkle over the flour and stir while cooking for another minute.
Now add the carrots, bay leaves, tomatoes, red wine, beef stock and about 6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
Add the oxtail and whatever pan juices you have and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer and partly cover with a lid.
Simmer the oxtail for 3 hours, stirring every now and then.
Remove the lid and check the consistency of the sauce – if it is too watery, simmer without the lid for 20-30 minutes longer. The sauce should be thick and rich and the meat should be fork tender.

For the dumplings:
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl and stir through.
Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the herbs and enough milk to form a soft dough.
Spoon teaspoonful of the dough onto the oxtail stew and cover with a lid.
Simmer for 15 minutes without opening the lid.

Serve the oxtail on fragrant rice.


Papino and Blue Cheese Salad

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Papino and Blue Cheese Salad
Papino and Blue Cheese Salad

This is such a simple salad but so very satisfying and delicious to eat!! Make extra, you will want seconds!

papino
rocket leaves
50g + 100g blue cheese
60ml cream
pomegranate seeds
50g cashew nuts, roughly chopped

Peel, halve and deseed the papino and place it on a serving dish.
Add some rocket leaves to the papino and break chunks of blue cheese and arrange it between the leaves.
Place the 100g blue cheese and cream in a small saucepan and set it over a low heat. Stir the mixture until melted and the sauce has amalgamated.
Generously spoon the sauce over the papino and rocket.
Sprinkle the cashew nuts and pomegranate seeds over.
Serve the papino with extra blue cheese dressing on the side.

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.

Stroganoff Steaks

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Stroganoff Steaks
Stroganoff Steaks

6 sirloin steaks
45ml butter
400g mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5ml smoked paprika
300ml beef stock
250ml sour cream
a handful of parsley, chopped

Cook the steaks to your liking and set aside. Keep it covered and warm, to rest.
Put a heavy-base pan on high heat and add the butter. If you cooked the steak in a pan, use the same one.
Add the mushrooms and cook until browned and slightly charred on the edges. Remove from the pan.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook the onion until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
Transfer the mushroom back to the pan and sprinkle over the paprika.
Pour the beef stock into the pan and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping loose any charred pieces stuck to the pan. Allow the stock to bubble away until reduced by half.
Take the pan from the heat and stir in the sour cream and parsley.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Place the cooked steaks in the sauce, cover the pan with a lid and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.