yum – Page 54 – My Whisk and I

Pan-Fried Tarragon Chicken

September 28, 2021September 27, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.

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Beetroot Focaccia

September 27, 2021September 23, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 – 5 beets
340ml water and beetroot-water, lukewarm
10g dry yeast
10ml sugar
10ml salt
20ml olive oil
500g cake flour
100g feta cheese, crumbed
rosemary sprigs
extra olive oil to drizzle

Peel the beetroot and cut it into chunks. Cover with water and cook until a sharp knife easily pierces the beet chunks.
Remove the beetroot from the cooking liquid, but reserve the liquid.
Mash enough of the soft beetroot so that you have 45ml of pulp. (Keep the rest of the cooked beetroot in the refrigerator and add it to a salad).
Measure 340ml of the beetroot water in a jug. If you don’t have enough, fill it to measurement with tap water.
Warm the water so that it is lukewarm.
Add the yeast, sugar and olive oil to the water and stir to dissolve. Set aside.
Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed.
Add the yeast mixture and the 45ml beetroot pulp and turn the mixer to medium speed. Knead for about 4 minutes.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Set aside to rise for 1 -2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 38cm X 25cm baking tray with non-stick spray.
Transfer the dough to the baking tray and gently start spreading it by pushing down on it with the tips of your fingers. Keep pushing and prodding the dough until it fills the entire tray.
Break the feta and spread over the dough.
Add a few sprigs of rosemary and then drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the dough.
Lightly cover the bread with a plastic bag and allow to rise for about 20 minutes.

Bake the risen bread for 30 minutes.

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Crème Brûlée Cones

September 24, 2021September 23, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Sugar cones filled with crème pâtissière and then brûléed to a crunchy sweetness makes for a fabulous casual dessert. The crème pât can be made well in advance and kept in the refrigerator, however, assemble the dessert when you are ready to serve.

4 large sugar cones
granulated sugar for the topping/brûlée
For the crème pâtissière:
40g cornflour
500ml milk
50g + 50g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
5ml vanilla

Making the crème pâtissière:
Add the cornflour to a small bowl. Drizzle a small amount of milk into the bowl while stirring – you want a runny, pourable paste. Set aside.
Add the egg yolks and 50g caster sugar to a large mixing bowl.
Pour the cornflour slurry into the egg mixture and stir to mix with a whisk. Set aside.
Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add the other 50g caster sugar.
Place on medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Take the saucepan from the heat as soon as tiny bubbles start to appear around the edges of the pan.
Drizzle the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking continuously. Remember: pour slowly, whisk quickly.
Now pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place it on a medium-low heat.
Stir with a wooden spoon until thick and creamy.
Allow to simmer lightly for 30 seconds before removing from the heat.
Add the vanilla and stir through.
Pour the crème pâtissière into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Push the step onto the surface with your hand to prevent a skin from forming.
Allow to cool completely.
Refrigerate until you are ready to serve the cones.

Assembly:
Stand the sugar cones in drinking glasses.
Whisk the cold crème pâtissière by hand until you have a silky smooth consistency.
Spoon the mixture into the cones and sprinkle an even layer of granulated sugar on the surface.
Brùlée the sugar with a blowtorch and serve immediately.

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Spaghetti Carbonara with Zucchini

September 23, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g wholewheat spaghetti
4-6 zucchini
250g bacon, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
250ml cream
250ml parmesan cheese, grated
5 egg yolks

Cook the spaghetti and set aside.
Make zucchini strips by placing a zucchini on a chopping board and running a vegetable peeler over the length of it. Pull as many strips as you can, flipping the zucchini from time to time. Keep the zucchini strips aside.
Pour a small amount of vegetable oil in a saucepan, add the bacon and cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Remove the bacon and garlic from the pan and set it aside.
Pour the cream in the same saucepan and bring it to a simmer.
Add the egg yolks one at a time while whisking continuously.
Add the parmesan and zucchini strips and simmer for about 2 minutes.
Now add the bacon and cooked spaghetti and toss through.
Serve the pasta with more grated parmesan and an egg yolk on top.

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3-Ingredient Chocolate Cheesecake

September 22, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

You will keep this recipe as a quick and delicious go-to whenever you are in need of a dessert, something sweet or a treat. The taste is dramatically altered by the chocolate of your choice … choose wisely!!

200g full fat cream cheese
200g chocolate, chopped finely
5 eggs, separated

Preheat your oven to 170℃ and line a 18cm cake tin with baking paper. Cover the bottom and about half way up, of the cake tin with tin foil and place the tin in a roasting dish. Put aside.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water.
Stir until completely melted and remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly.
Add the cream cheese and egg yolks to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric beater.
Drizzle in the cooled chocolate and mix until blended.
Add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks.
Stir about a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it.
Add the rest of the whites and gently fold through until no trace of white is visible.
Gently scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the surface with a spatula.
Now pour very hot water from the TAP into the roasting tray so that the water reaches about 3cm.
Place the cake in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 160℃ and bake for another 15 minutes.
Turn the oven off and leave the cake inside for another 30 minutes before removing it from the baking tin.
Serve the cheesecake slightly warm with a chocolate sauce.

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Fried Coconut Banana

September 21, 2021September 21, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is an easy, quick dessert that will satisfy ALL sweet cravings!! Serve one banana per person.

30ml brown sugar
2 bananas, halved in their length
150ml coconut milk
shredded coconut
vanilla ice cream to serve

Put a dry frying pan on a medium-high heat and add a handful of shredded coconut. Toast until light brown, moving it around in the pan (with a spoon) so that it doesn’t burn. Remove from the heat AND the pan when ready and set aside.
Add the brown sugar to the same pan and allow it to melt.
Place the bananas in the pan and fry for 1 minute. Gently flip the halves and fry for another minute.
Remove the banana from the pan.
Add the coconut milk to the melted/sticky sugar, lower the heat and stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
Reduce the sauce until it has thickened.
Place the banana halves in serving bowls/plates and drizzle with the caramel sauce.
Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

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Cappuccino Puddings

September 17, 2021September 16, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

If you are a chocolate fan but don’t like sweet, these are for you!

90ml cream
10ml espresso coffee granules
30ml Kahlúa (or a coffee cream liqueur)
3 eggs + 1 egg white, separated
25g caster sugar
160g dark chocolate, chopped
cocoa powder for dusting

Preheat your oven to 190℃. Grease 6 ramekins with a minimum capacity of 175ml. Place them on a baking tray and set aside.
Pour the cream into a small saucepan over a low-medium heat until just warm.
Add the espresso and Kahlúa and stir until the coffee granules are dissolved.
Divide the mixture between the prepared ramekins.
Add the 4 egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat until it forms soft peaks.
Now whisk in the sugar, adding a teaspoonful at a time until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over simmering water and stir until completely melted and silky smooth.
Take the chocolate from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Stir it every now and then so that it cools down.
Add the egg yolks to the chocolate and stir through.
Stir in a third of the beaten egg white mixture.
Now fold in the rest of the whites until no trace of whites are left.
Spoon the mixture into the ramekins and bake it for 15 minutes.
Sift the puddings with cocoa powder (or icing sugar if you want a sweeter pudding) and serve immediately.

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French Beignets

September 15, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Beignets are French doughnuts that are really easy and straightforward to make. Once you have tasted a fresh, warm beignet it will become your favourite in-between treat!

190ml warm water
62ml + 62ml sugar
10g instant yeast
1 egg
125ml milk
10ml vanilla
4 X 250ml flour
5ml salt
45ml butter, very soft
vegetable oil for frying
icing sugar to dust

Pour the warm water into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Add 62ml sugar and sprinkle the yeast on the water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Whisk the egg, milk, vanilla and remaining 62ml sugar together in a small mixing bowl and add it to the yeast mixture.
Turn the mixer to a slow speed and gradually add the flour and salt.
Add the butter and incorporate.
Increase the speed to medium and mix/knead for about 4 minutes, until the dough comes together in a ball.
Place the dough, which will be very soft, in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Pour about 5cm of oil into a saucepan and place on the heat. The ideal temperature is 179 – 180℃.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough to a thickness of about 1,5cm.
Cut into 5cm X 5cm squares and fry until golden.
Dust the warm beignets with icing sugar.
Serve with another dusting of icing sugar and a cup of coffee.

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Apple and Marmelade Sausages

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These pork sausages in an apple and marmelade gravy makes the ideal weeknight dinner: quick, easy and delicious!

16 pork sausages
3 red onions
3 apples
1 head of garlic
15ml wholegrain mustard
125ml marmelade
200ml apple juice
20ml cornstarch
200ml chicken stock
a handful of sage leaves

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Pour some vegetable oil into a shallow casserole dish, add the sausages and brown them over a medium heat. Remove the sausages and set aside.
Peel the onions and apples, cut into quarters and remove the cove from the apple. How half each quarter onion and apple.
Keep about 8 apple pieces aside.
Half the head of garlic horizontally and place it cut-side down in the casserole.
Add the onion, apple and mustard and fry for about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside with the sausages.
Add the marmelade and apple juice to the casserole and stir until the marmelade has melted.
Add the cornstarch to a small bowl and add a small amount of the chicken stock to it, while stirring to dissolve.
Pour the cornstarch mixture and the rest of the chicken stock into the casserole and add the rest of the ingredients, except the extra apple pieces, that you have kept aside.
Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid, stir the dish and cook for another 15 minutes.
Take the casserole from the oven and add the rest of the apple pieces and sage leaves. Stir through.
Serve the marmelade and apple sausages on a creamy mashed potato or steamed couscous.

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Rosemary Lemonade

September 10, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a refreshing drink to have on a summer’s day and a real crowd pleaser. Add a shot of vodka or tequila and serve with aperitifs!

500ml water
2 sprigs rosemary about 15cm long
125ml sugar
125ml honey
300ml fresh lemon juice
1,5 litre cold water

Pour the water into a small sauce and bring to a boil.
Add the rosemary, cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce to a simmer, for 10 minutes.
Take from the heat and remove the rosemary.
Stir in the sugar and honey.
Pour the mixture into a jug and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and 1,5 litres cold water.
Chill the lemonade for at least an hour.
Serve over ice and top with fresh lemon slices and a sprig of rosemary.