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Showing posts from December, 2018

SPRING SALAD

This is the sort of salad that can be served as a side dish for anything. It works well with meat, fish or just next to a vegetarian quiche. It is healthy and delicious. What else do you need? INGREDIENTS 350g asparagus, trimmed and sliced withdways, at a sharp angle, into 3-4 thin pieces 200g green beans, trimmed 300g broad beans, fresh or frozen 50g baby spinach leaves or rocket and spinach 1 banana shallot, very thinly sliced or 1 green onion 1 red chilli, seeded and finely diced 1/2 tsp sesame oil 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted 1 tsp nigella seeds salt METHOD: Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the asparagus and blanch for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice-cold water. ( or in the sink ) Add the green beans to the boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes. Use the slotted spoon to transfer them to the bowl with the asparagus, drain both and then set aside to dry. A

PUMPKIN, MEMBRILLO (QUINCE PASTE) AND STILTON CHEESE QUICHE

This quiche is awesome. The sweetness of the pumpkin and the 'membrillo' (quince paste) contrasting with the tang of the Stilton cheese, turns this quiche into a mouthwatering experience. Serve it with a nice green salad and you have the perfect vegetarian meal. INGREDIENTS 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes (700g) 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil 250g best-quality shortcrust pastry ( or you can make your own -  see recipe here ) plain flour, for dusting 200g Stilton cheese, crumbled 75g membrillo (quince paste), cut into 1 cm dice 3 eggs 150ml double cream 150ml crème fraîche salt and black pepper METHOD: 👉 If you are making your own pastry, you should start it now, as it needs refrigeration. Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss the butternut in the oil with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Spread out on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Meanwhile, roll out the pastry on a floured work sur

CAULIFLOWER 'TABBOULEH'

I have never tried raw cauliflower. I have made cauliflower 'rice' several times, but used it as fried rice. I have to admit that I wasn't sure if I'd like this 'tabbouleh', and I had a real pleasant surprise. It was just delicious. It made me feel like I was eating a very tasty and healthy salad. I didn't have any pomegranate, so I used the roasted pistachios instead, but added about 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses to the dressing. INGREDIENTS: 1 large cauliflower 75ml lemon juice, from about 2-3 lemons 7 spring onions, finely chopped 50g parsley, roughly chopped 25g dill, chopped 20g mint, shredded 1 tsp ground allspice 3 Tbsp olive oil 100g pomegranate seeds (about 1/2 pomegranate) OR / AND 100g toasted pistachios, roughly chopped Salt and black pepper METHOD: Put the cauliflower florets in a food processor, a few at a time, and process until the cauliflower resembles cooked bulgar wheat. It should weigh about 700g. Place the grated caul

BEETROOT & GOAT'S CHEESE BREAD

This bread turned up delicious. It is a simple recipe where there is no need to knead the ingredients. It is more like a cake recipe. It is simple to prepare and you can eat it alone without any toppings or you can add anything you like. You are going to make it more than once when you try it. From Ottolenghi's book 'Simple'. INGREDIENTS 50g rolled oats 10g thyme leaves, finely chopped 50g pumpkin seeds 2 tsp caraway seeds 2 tsp nigella seeds 100g plain flour 100g wholemeal flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 raw beetroots, peeled and finely grated (200g) 2 large eggs 80ml sunflower or olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp extra for greasing 80g sour cream or Greek yoghurt 1 Tbsp honey 20g grated Parmesan 120g creamy goat's cheese, broken into small pieces salt METHOD: Preheat oven to 180° C fan. Grease and line the base of a 20 x 10cm loaf tin. Mix together the oats, thyme, pumpkin, caraway and nigella seeds

BASIC SHORTCRUST PASTRY

This is a very good recipe. It's very light and flaky. Make sure you let it cool down before adding the filling and putting it back in the oven. INGREDIENTS: 2 cups (300g) plain (all-purpose) flour 180 g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes 1/4 tsp table salt 1 egg yolk 2-3 tablespoons iced water METHOD Step 1: Place the flour, butter and salt in a food processor and process in short bursts until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Step 2: While the motor is running, add the egg yolk and water until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently bring together to form a ball and flatten into a disc shape. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Step 3: Preheat oven to 180C. Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm thick. Line a lightly greased loose-bottomed tart tin with the pastry. Trim the edges and prick the base with a fork.