Tag Archives: dinner

Potato, Sweet Potato and Beet Gratin

7 Aug

potato, sweet potato and beet gratinTonight, I was lazy. I wanted to spend the entire evening in bed, watching videos, but of course, I needed to cook! I have made a promise to myself to post one recipe or musing every day, and so I wandered into the kitchen to be inspired. I had beets, potatoes and sweet potatoes sitting on the counter waiting for a rosti which I want to make for Ezril. I had loads of little baking paper packages of cheese bits, all wrapped up, and needing to be used. And I had some cream and milk and garlic. Okay then, instead of a rosti, which would take lots of work over the stove, I decided on a gratin. And a gratin with beets! I needed to think this through before jumping in.

I think sometimes that cooking is about inspiration, but equally, it is about preparation. Even if you dont have a clear recipe, and want to be inspired by your ingredients, always, always take five minutes to think about how you are going to put everything together.  If you dont, even in your head, have a clear work progress plan, you will definitely forget something or an important step. Trust me! Ive done it before, with disastrous results!

Beets are gorgeous creatures, but they have one flaw (or wonderful attribute depending on your way of looking at things) – they make everything they touch turn pink! I wanted to incorporate beets into this gratin because I thought they would add an earthy unique flavour, highlighting the creaminess of the potatoes and the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. A good counterbalance. But I really needed to sit and think for a while about how I was going to keep them separate but together. So I decided to prep them all the same way, but in different bowls, and layer them instead of mix them all up. The milk/cream would bind them all together, and the cheese would act as a barrier between the beets and potatoes so they wouldnt completely bleed into each other.

I think this gratin turned out gorgeously. The garlic scented the milk, but you can still taste each individual ingredient. I love love love crusty burnt bits of cheese on anything, and this gratin gave me acres of it. And silky, creamy, rich potatoes. This is a wonderful side dish for a big group, or you can cut down on the amounts, and bake a small pan for just two. Its fantastic the next day, served for breakfast, cold, or sliced and slightly fried, with an egg. Its also great, served with a very tart (arugula) salad for lunch. Its comfort food, from the heart, without a huge amount of effort. Love it!

For a large gratin dish or casserole, you will need:

  • About 3 – 4 cups potatoes
  • 1 – 2 cup sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup beets
  • Boiling water
  • 3 + 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 – 3 tbsp butter (optional – I only use butter if I am not using cream)
  • 2 – 3 cups milk and/or cream (I used a mixture)

The preparation is all important in this recipe. You will need to keep your beets and potato mixture separate until you are ready to bake.

Peel and thinly slice your potatoes and sweet potatoes, and immerse them in cold water in a bowl. Peel and thinly slice your beets, and immerse them in cold water in a bowl. Allow the potatoes and beets to sit for at least 10 minutes. This will encourage some of the starch to come out.

Boil some water, drain the cold water from your potatoes, put them back in the bowl, and slice 3 cloves of garlic over. Cover the potatoes completely with boiling water.  Do the same for your beets, slicing 2 cloves of garlic over. Leave in the boiling water for 15 minutes or so. They will not cook, but they will get a little bit softer. This is what you want.

Meanwhile, grate about 2 – 3 cups of cheese. I used a mix of cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella and pecorino. This was what I had in left over bits in the fridge, and what was available. Swiss cheese, like Gruyere, is more traditional, but I like the process of using up left over bits and pieces.

Drain the potatoes and beets and place back in their individual bowls.

Preheat your oven to 180C

Lightly butter a large baking dish. I use my high casserole dish, because I like layers in my gratin!

Layer a thin layer of beets, salt and pepper them, dot with a bit of butter if you are using, and cover with some cheese. Layer some potatoes, salt and pepper them, and cover with cheese. Continue like this until you have used up all your ingredients. I usually end up with 4 – 6 layers, always trying to end with potatoes. Add a final layering of cheese over the top.

Pour in about 2 cups milk/cream mixture until 2/3rd of the way up to the top layer of cheese. It will vary depending on your dish. Push everything down a bit into the cream. Bake in the oven for at least an 1 hour, possibly up to 2, checking every now and then that you dont need extra milk/cream (you really shouldnt, but add more if you think it needs it). Check to see if the gratin is done by forking a bit of potato – it should be tender, and break under very little pressure.

Take out of the oven and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

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Creamy Eggs

2 Aug

Creamy EggsEggs are humble things, but they taste spectacular, and they add their special golden glow and richness to lots of different dishes. They therefore should be treated with great honour and respect. I love making things with eggs – custards, quiches, cakes, ice creams. But sometimes, what I really want is the perfect egg in all its glorious eggy-ness. When that happens, I turn to this recipe for creamy eggs. Well, in all honesty, these eggs are scrambled, but the methodology and the finished product are just so different from the regular garden variety scrambled eggs that we started to call them differently. They deserve it.

These eggs are creamy to the point of custard, but still most definitely not. They are scrambled, and yet silky, unctuous, rich and light in a way that eggs whipped in a pan could never be. The secret is in the preparation, and because of that, these creamy eggs are really a gift of love. They take a while to make – may be 15 minutes – may be half an hour. It all depends on your heat source, on how well you cushion your eggs from the heat, and how many people (and thus how many eggs) you are feeding. As a result, I would not make this for more than 4 people – but I prefer making it for just 2. Or even, as a gift to myself, for just one. For breakfast or a light supper, these eggs are perfect.

These eggs are also really good for someone who isnt feeling very well. They are so easy to eat. They slip down the throat, and fill the belly. Their golden colour, and tantalising scent perk up even the most jaded or weary of appetites…

Remember though, as a cook, this is a meditative dish. The constant stirring, the thoughtfulness about thickness and balance, the tasting… you have to be in the present when you make these eggs, and what you put into them is what you get out of them. Make sure that you are happy and loving when you make this dish, because if you arent, you will surely taste it in the eggs.

You can serve these eggs with lots of things. For non-vegetarians, snippets of silky smoked salmon layered atop the eggs seems like silk on velvet. For the rest of us – the sharpness of basil or another herb, snipped fine, might be a perfect contrast to the sublime richness of the eggs. To be honest though, I serve them with nothing but a crack of black pepper and a silver spoon, nestled in a pretty bowl like golden curds. Sometimes toast might get a look in – just for that crunchy contrast, but honestly, you need nothing but these eggs to bring sunshine and smiles to those you love… incluing yourself!

For each person, you will need:

  • 2 fresh organic eggs (preferably at room temperature)
  • 1/2 tsp sour cream or creme fraiche
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp cold butter cut into tiny slivers
  • Bain marie – double boiler set up

A bain marie or double boiler can easily be made by putting a metal bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Just make sure the bowl doesnt touch the water, and have a kettle of boiled water standing by in case you need to replenish the water at a critical moment. Start off by filling the saucepan about 1/4 full with water, and setting over low heat to come to the boil.

Meanwhile, break the two eggs into a bowl, and very gently, mix in the sour cream or creme fraiche with a fork. Try not to beat the eggs or whip them or form too many bubbles in the mixture. Water and air are the enemy of creamy eggs – they form steam which help puff up the eggs as they cook. You want something much deeper and darker and sensual. Fluffy eggs have their place – but not here!

Crack some black pepper and a pinch of salt over. You can adjust later. You just want a tad right now.

Once the water is boiling, put the metal bowl on top of the saucepan, and slide your eggs in. No butter, no oil. Just eggs and a little sour cream. With a spatula, start stirring the eggs…. Find a pace and rhythm that works for you. Figure eights usually do it for me. Watch the eggs carefully, and just keep stirring and stirring. Slow and even, no sudden movements, just a gentle silky pattern. You will see the cream slowly dissolve into the eggs, and the mixture go from slightly glossy and transparent to thick and yellow and opaque.

Keep stirring. (Thats the basic recipe. Eggs and stir!) Your eggs will go through quite a few stages. They will start gaining thickness, and will look like golden oatmeal porridge. Basically, what you are doing is cooking the water out of the eggs, and encouraging the proteins to thicken and cream. This takes time and gentleness – in heat and in touch. Go fast, and your eggs will respond and go rubbery.

When they look like thick oatmeal porridge, you can add a little bit of cold butter for silkiness and smoothness and creamy taste. But you dont have to if you dont want to. What you should do at this point is taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.

Keep stirring. 🙂 When the eggs look like a firm cottage cheese or ricotta, take them off the heat immediately.

Serve atop crisp toast, or in a bowl with a silver spoon.

Taste the love.

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Sour Cream Almond Coffee Cake

31 Jul

Sour Cream Coffee CakeThis weekend is rainy and damp – the perfect time for baking. Cakes and cookies, the scent of warm cinnamon and chocolate – all these are, to me, the ultimate comfort. A slice of cake, be it carrot, coffee or chocolate, is a welcoming gift to present a visitor, and they pack wonderfully for on-the-go presents. I love cake – the beautiful crumb, the creamy icings, the melding of flavor and texture. Baking a cake is immensely satisfying – the finished product is an act of magic, bringing together simple ingredients and creating a stunning finished product. I dont trust people who dont like cake 😉

And oh, this cake. A humble coffee cake, something you could whip together in half an hour or so, even though it has a filling, topping and batter. Its a simple cake, and it bakes up beautifully – fluffy, cinnamon specked, cream-cheesy interior, with little specs of baked apple, streusel topping. Its surprisingly balanced, and not over-the-top sweet. A wonderful snack, and a delightful breakfast with a cup of hot coffee. My idea of the perfect thing to have in the fridge at all times 🙂

This cake is adapted from Tamasin Day-Lewis from her Kitchen Classics book. She got the recipe from her assistant, who got it from her Auntie Fei. So this recipe has been handed down and redrafted at least four times – which is one of the things I love about cooking. You can tell someone how you made a dish, you can even write out a recipe for them. As soon as they get it home, look in the fridge and realise they have raisins rather than an apple, or creme fraiche rather than sour cream, they substitute and change around and add. Its human nature, but its also what makes cooking so personal. As soon as you have any confidence in the kitchen, you know what you like, and you adapt things to that sense of taste and artistry. Its why I love eating other people’s cooking so much. They expose their sense of taste, colour, texture, flavour and fun through what they cook, and how they cook it.

And I must admit something here. This cake actually has nuts in it! I usually dont go for cake with nuts. Ever. I took the nuts out of the sublime carrot cake from yesterday. I would never make anything chocolate with nuts. I love nuts, but not with sweet, except in this cake (well, may be I would use almond meal in a cake in place of flour in a pinch, but thats another story). Here, the nuts act as the texture component, and elevate the coffee cake with their smoky crunchy bite. They also cut the creaminess of the cake well – its made with sour cream, and layered with cream cheese, so its very rich. The nuts help that richness stay balanced. I use almonds because I find them the least offensive of nuts in sweet things, but you could use hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, or even macadamias if you like.

Making this cake is not hard, but I would certainly make the filling and topping first, before making the batter. That way, the final assembly is quick and easy. Also, you can make it in a bundt pan, but I didnt want to, so I made it in a cake tin. Cooking time is about 10 – 15 minutes less in a bundt pan so watch for that.

Eat this at breakfast or during a coffee break, for a tea time snack or as dessert. Its delicious any which way, but I particularly like it warm from the oven.

Filling

  • 3/4 cup cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Please make sure you get a good cream cheese. That Philadelphia stuff is full of stabilisers, gums and other chemicals. If you can find a natural, organic or locally made cream cheese, get that. The difference is huge.

Beat all ingredients together till light and creamy, and set aside.

Topping

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup toasted sliced almonds, divided (note: you can use any nut you like)
  • 4 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium to large frying pan, toast the almonds (or other nuts) until they become light golden. Divide into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup. Set the smaller amount aside to use with the filling, and place the 3/4 cup of almonds in a bowl along with the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Melt the butter, add the vanilla extract to the melted butter, and mix into the almond-flour mixture. It will be crumbly. Set aside.

Cake

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 200 ml (about 1 cup) sour cream (you can substitute creme fraiche if you like)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the sour cream and vanilla.

Beat the dry ingredients and sour cream into the butter-sugar-egg mixture bit by bit – I usually mix in a couple tablespoons flour, then a couple tablespoons sour cream, etc, until you have a smooth batter.

Assembly

  • Cake batter
  • 1 large apple (I used a Fuji apple) peeled, cored, and diced (you could use dried cranberries, raisins, or any other fruit you like)
  • 1/4 cup reserved almonds
  • Filling
  • Topping

Preheat oven to 180C.

Butter a cake pan, or  a bundt pan with removable sides, well. I usually put some baking paper on the bottom of my cake tin, and butter that as well, just to make removal a bit easier.

Pour about half of the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin, and smooth. Sprinkle on the diced apple, and then the reserved almonds. Spoon over the cream cheese filling, making sure you get it smeared up against the sides, and dropped throughout the interior of the pan. Top with the remaining cake batter. Smooth the top, and sprinkle over the filling. Using a fork or spoon, fold over a little batter so that you have spots of batter peaking through the filling.

Bake for 55 – 65 minutes depending on your pan, or until a cake tester comes out with crumbs.

Allow to cool on a rack for at least 20 – 30 minutes before unmolding, cutting and devouring.

Enjoy with friends.

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Braised Broccoli with Red Wine Pasta

28 Jul

Braised broccoli with red wine pastaWhen I started cooking and writing regularly for this blog, I decided to let my whim take me where it would .. and of course, it lead me down the paths of cream, butter, and lots and lots of chocolate. But woman cannot live on that alone (well, she can try, but will end up as big as a house)… suddenly my cravings have changed. Gotten simpler, greener, more robust and earthy. I crave broccoli and butternut, spinach and beetroot. I am enjoying this change of focus (notwithstanding macaron class and the occasional batch of cookies) and I adore the food that I am cooking for its simple satisfaction, its beautiful taste, and its health(ier) context.

I am also enjoying the fact that finally my body is starting to listen to itself, and enjoy food for its sensual pleasures, and health giving properties, rather than rely on it for comfort. Its a nice change of pace 😉

Given all of that, this pasta is something that I have been wanting to try for ages. I found myself with a bottle of wine left over from the World Cup, and so … Braised broccoli, succulent and green, chili, garlic, and toasted almonds top plain pasta that has been finished in a bottle (yes, a whole bottle) of red wine. The pasta gets cooked in regular water first, and after five minutes, gets drained, and then finished off in wine. Because the pasta is already part of the way there, its pores are open, so to speak. It soaks up the wine, gaining a wonderful slightly bitter winey intensity, and glorious colour. Zinfadel is best for colour, but I only had a cabernet – didnt turn out half bad if I say so myself.

This meal is a quick meal that feels like a celebration. Its so dramatic, the colours are so beautiful, and its soul satisfying.

Serves six (greedy) to eight people

Braised broccoli

  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup almond flakes or chunks (about 60 – 90 g)
  • 500 – 750 g (1 – 1 1/2 lbs) broccoli and cauliflower of your choice (I like a mix of regular broccoli, romanesco broccoli and purple cauliflower)
  • 2 – 3 tbsp olive oil (add some butter if you are not vegan just for depth of taste)
  • 7 – 9 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
  • 1 – 2 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1- 2 cups vegetable stock (made from a stock cube if you like) or white wine or water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

In a large, dry, non stick frying pan, over medium to low heat, toast the almonds until they are golden brown. Pour off into a bowl, and set aside for later.

Peel the leaves off the broccoli, trim the stems, separate the head into small flowers, and chop the large stalks into medium sized chunks. Keep the stalk chunks and the separated flowers of broccoli separate. Rinse the broccoli under cold water.

In the same large frying pan, heat olive oil (and butter if you are using), over medium high heat, until the oil starts to shimmer.

Add the garlic and allow it to soften for a few minutes. Add the chili flakes and oregano, and the chopped stalks of broccoli, and allow to cook for 5 – 10 minutes until just tender crisp. Add the flower heads of broccoli to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and allow the heads to just sear in the hot oil. You will have a pretty full pan at this point.

Add about half a cup of vegetable stock and let the broccoli braise in this liquid for at least 5 – 10 minutes. Test for doneness – add more braising liquid if needed.

Once the broccoli is cooked to your liking (I like it still with a bit of bite in it rather than boiled to within an inch of its life), sprinkle over the lemon juice and set aside on the stove top.

Red wine pasta

  • About 1 tsp of olive oil or canola oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 500 g (1 lb) spaghetti or fettucini (nothing too fragile like angel hair)
  • 1 bottle (3 cups) red wine – preferably Zinfadel for the colour, but you can use anything
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup cooking water from first pasta boil

First of all, lightly oil the inside of a large pot with olive or canola oil. This will encourage the pasta not to stick to the inside of the pot as it cooks.

Boil about 3 litres of water in the pan, and add salt. Add the pasta and cook for exactly 5 minutes. The pasta will have softened, but will not be al dente yet.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.

Return the pot back to the heat, and pour in the bottle of wine and add sugar. Allow the wine to come to the boil, and reduce slightly, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add the pasta to the wine, and with tongs, turn the pasta in the boiling wine, allowing all of it to be covered by the wine. Check often, but after about 6 – 10 minutes the pasta should be a beautiful wine colour, and al dente. You might need to add the additional cup of cooking water in case the pasta is taking a little longer.

To serve

  • Red wine pasta
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino (with additional to serve) – optional
  • Toasted almonds
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Braised broccoli

Using your tongs, transfer the red wine pasta onto a serving platter. If there is any boiling liquid left in the pot, make sure to let it drip off the pasta as you transfer it.

Add the parmesan (if you are using), half the toasted almonds and the olive oil, and toss the pasta. Add the broccoli, reserving a few pretty florets for presentation) and all its cooking liquid to the pasta, and toss, making sure that there is an even distribution of garlic and broccoli throughout. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Arrange a few florets on top, sprinkle with the remaining almonds, and serve immediately.

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Butternut and Spinach Tart with a Parmesan or Pecorino Crust

24 Jul

goldorange perfectionI am really in a tarty mood these days. Not sure why. Must be something to do with the moon 😉 I must admit that tarts and pies have always fascinated me. I love the idea of a pastry enveloping delightful fillings – and I have always believed that the pastry should be as good as the interior, if not better. I made a raspberry curd tart the other day, and now I am trying my hand at a savoury one. I love butternut and spinach together – their colours, green and orangegold are so complementary, and, more importantly, they taste so good together. Roasted butternut and lightly sauteed spinach are a knockout taste combination. But what would happen, I wondered, if you made them both very smooth and creamy, a touch of herbs and garlic, and combined them together, side by side. May be some shards of very salty, briney, goats cheese. That would stand up to the spinach and butternut. And a crust that had a hint of pecorino in it, so it too was a taste explosion.

So I set out to make this tart of my dreams … and I must admit it is a process. I made it over one evening, and an afternoon. This is a tart for a family gathering or celebration, a picnic or a birthday. I have to say that the actual cooking processes are easy, and really not focus consuming at all – you just need to be around as things get roasted and sauteed, and you need to let the crust rest, and then prebake it. Its a doddle if you break it down into smaller components (much like life) and then tackle each individual piece slowly and with great enjoyment. I roasted my butternut and prepared my tart dough the night before while watching tv. The actual work time was about 15 – 20 minutes, and the rest was allowing the ingredients to do their magic.

What I adore about this particular tart is that it is layer up on layer of perfection. When you serve it, it looks like a spinach tart, which in and of itself, is pretty damn delicious. Underneath the bronzed deep green spinach, is the goldenorange perfection of butternut, and nuggets of melted goats cheese. What an astounding mixture, what a brilliant taste sensation, what delightful surprises hidden within that beautiful crust.

Tarts are wonderful things because they can feed many people, in great style. They accommodate fillings pretty much at your whim and desire, and can be savoury or sweet at your discretion. A slice of tart will almost never go unaccepted – and when youre in the mood for just a bite, a sliver of tart can hit the spot perfectly. Plus they are so beautifully dramatic to present. Such a wide expanse of pretty colours and melting goodness. And you can serve them warm from the oven (but never hot), or cold from the fridge the next day (if there’s any left!).

If you decide to make this tart, do think about timing. If you make it all in one afternoon, roast the butternut first, make the dough and put it in the freezer while the butternut is in the oven, then cool the butternut, then make the spinach, etc. You will need to give each element time to rest, cool and intensify their flavours and textures, so be aware of what you make and when.

And just a note, I used pecorino in this recipe, but you could just as easily use parmesan. I love pecorino because its a more tangy version of parmesan, and its made with ewe’s milk so it goes easily with the goat’s cheese.

Pecorino Pastry

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup pecorino, grated
  • 1/2 cup / 110 g / 8 tbsp butter, frozen and grated
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp oregano or sage or rosemary

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and parmesan. Grate the frozen butter over, sifting it into the flour with the tips of your fingers. I pause and do this twice as I grate.

Beat the egg, dijon, oregano (or other herb) and salt together, and pour over the flour-parmesan-butter mixture. Bring the dough together with the tips of your fingers and let it rest in the fridge for about half an hour or up to two days.

When you are ready to use the pastry, roll out on a floured board. Drape over your rolling pin, and centre it in your tart pan. Prick with your fork, line with aluminum foil, fill with beans, and bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Take out the foil and beans, prick again with the fork, and bake for about 5 – 10 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool a bit before filling with butternut and spinach.

Roasted butternut (and a garlic head!)

  • 3 – 4 cups butternut (about 700 g), roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp or less olive oil
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 3 tbsp light sour cream
  • 2 eggs + 3 yolks, beaten well together

Preheat your oven to about 220C. Prepare a baking tin with greaseproof paper.

Skin and chop the butternut, and arrange it in one layer on the baking tin. Using your hands, lightly coat the butternut with some olive oil. When I say lightly coat, I really mean lightly – you dont want the butternut swimming in oil because it will most definitely steam in the oil rather than roast and slightly char. You want that caramelised burnt butternut flavour, and a tiny bit of olive oil will really help with that. Too much will be a hindrance.

Using a sharp knife, cut about 1/4th inch off the top of a head of garlic, skins intact.

Place the garlic on the baking tin, and pour olive oil into the cloves.

Salt and pepper everything liberally.

Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the butternut is soft, and slightly burnt around the edges.

At this point, you can refrigerate the butternut, covered, for up to two days. Take the cloves of garlic out of their skins, cut away any very burnt bits (they can be bitter), and store in the fridge too, covered with olive oil. If you are serving the tart that day, go on to the next step.

Using an immersion blender, combine the butternut and 3 tbsp of sour cream.

Beat 3 eggs and 2 egg yolks together until light and frothy. Use 2/3rd of this in the butternut mixture, and reserve the rest for the spinach. Fold the eggs lightly into the butternut.

Set aside.

Spinach

  • 120 g of baby spinach, washed
  • 3 cloves of roasted garlic
  • 3 tbsp roasted garlic olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Wash a packet of baby spinach well in salted water. Let it sit for a minute in the water while you heat 3 tbsp of olive oil that has been sitting with the roasted garlic cloves, along with three of the cloves, in a large frying pan over high heat. You can mash the cloves into the olive oil.

With your hands, lift the baby spinach out of the water, allowing some water to cling to the leaves. Fry in the very hot oil until it is bright green and soft, about 3 – 5 minutes only. You dont want to over cook the spinach, but you do want it to be wilted completely. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Transfer the hot spinach to a mixing bowl. Add 3 tbsp sour cream, and using your immersion blender, make sure the spinach has been completely pureed.

Fold in 1/3rd of the egg mixture from the butternut into the spinach and set aside.

Assembly

  • Baked tart crust
  • Butternut mixture
  • Goats cheese – about 3 – 5 tbsp, roughly chopped
  • Spinach mixture

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Pour the butternut mixture into the tart crust. Sprinkle the goats cheese all over the butternut, and then pour the spinach mixture over all, using a spatula to smooth the top completely.

Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes.

tart heavenLet rest for 10 minutes or so before cutting into wedges and serving.

Perfection can be hard work, but it is so bloody satisfying when it comes off!

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Welsh Rarebit (Rabbit!)

18 Jul

Rarebit Rabbit All Tastes YUMI recently read a post on things on toast. I adore just about anything on toast – from gorgeous glowing tomato bruschetta to a poached egg and mushrooms to simple toast, butter and sugar (a firm favourite of my late Ayah’s). Oooh Nutella and banana!

But when I thought of things on toast at that moment, I thought of Welsh rarebit – that divine burnt cheese creation that comes from poverty (instead of rabbit, you used cheese in an alchemical mix with ale and spices). Goddess, this is good food. Simple, warming, easy to make.

And wonderfully enough, any extra is quite long lasting! You can put it in the fridge where it will firm up. From there, you can slice this cheese-beer mixture and use it to top more toast… or whatever else catches your fancy! Its phenomenal stuffed into portobello mushroom caps and grilled. Its ambrosial as the centrepiece of a grilled cheese and tomato. Im sure you can think of many other uses.

The one issue I had with rarebit is that it is mostly made with Worcestershire sauce as its primary spice ingredient. Worcestershire has many good things – vinegar, molasses, tamarind, onion, garlic and other spices (including clove and cinnamon). Unfortunately, one of its major ingredients is anchovies – a big no no for vegetarians. So I had to find an alternative, and I found it in A1 steak sauce, amazingly enough! It had most of the same ingredients as Worcestershire sauce, but without the anchovies, which would have un-vegetarian-ed this delectable meal.

Because this is basically burnt cheese on toast, you need to really layer flavours. I added some old balsamic vinegar and a touch of soy to the recipe to make up for the “lack” of anchovies. I also rubbed a cut garlic clove over the toast before putting on the cheese – subtle, but it imbues the final dish with a whisper of flavour. Its delicious, easy to make, and a perfect supper or dinner for friends and family.

For the cheese sauce you will need:

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 – 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 – 2 tsp A1 sauce
  • 1 tsp old Balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup ale – I used Leffe
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups grated cheese (I used a mix of 2 parts Cheddar to 1 part red Leicester with a tad of pecorino grated in)
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 2 – 9 drops hot sauce
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp or so soy sauce (optional to taste)

In a medium saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter. Once the butter has completely melted, add the flour, and mix well. Cook this mixture (a nominal roux), stirring all the while, until lightly toasted in colour – a light tan is good. This should take you about 3 – 5 minutes. Add the Dijon mustard, A1 sauce, balsamic and ground pepper, and mix well.

Add the ale, and stir to combine. I usually start using a whisk at this point. The roux will start to deepen the sauce, but you will be adding a few more elements to get a very rich thick final result. Add the heavy cream, and cheese, and whisk well after each addition. Continue whisking as the cheese melts well into the sauce. Make sure it does not come to a boil.

Once the cheese has completely melted, drip the beaten eggs very slowly into the mixture, whisking all the while. Once the egg is completely incorporated, continue to whisk until it is thick to your liking. It should coat the back of a spoon, and when you draw a line through the sauce, the line should stay clean. Taste. Take off heat, and add hot sauce. I usually add 9 drops because I like it a little spicy, but do what tastes good to you. A few drops will be barely traceable but it will add to the final sublime flavour.

Add salt and soy to taste. The cheese should have added quite a bit of salt already, so be gentle.

Leave to cool for a while, as you prep the toast and oven.

To serve (for 2 people – you can adjust for the number of people in your house – the cheese mixture will serve up to 8 people):

  • 4 slices good toasted bread (I used multigrain and sourdough from my favourite bakery)
  • 1 cut clove of garlic
  • a handful of micro-greens (I used pea shoots), washed and cleaned
  • a lick of olive oil and vinegar for the greens
  • 1 vinegar onion each
  • a few baby tomatoes
  • A little minced Italian parsley

First, preheat your oven broiler, and arrange your oven rack to the highest level.

Toast your bread very well. You want it well browned on both sides (this is caramelisation, and flavour!). Rub one side of each piece of toast with a cut garlic clove.

Arrange the toast, garlic rubbed side up, on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. The paper will capture any cheesy bits that come off the toasts – usually the most tasty bits!

Spoon about 2 – 4 tablespoons (depending on the size of your bread and your greed, obviously) of cooled cheese mixture over the toasts.

Broil for about 5 – 10 minutes until the cheese is burnt on top and bubbling.

While the toasts are broiling, toss the micro-greens with a tiny lick of olive oil and vinegar, and slice a few baby tomatoes.

Serve 2 toasts per person, with some micro-green salad, a few tomatoes, and a vinegared onion. Sprinkle a little minced parsley over all.

I specifically chose sharp and vinegary side dishes to cut the serious richness of the cheese toasts, but if you hate micro-greens or vinegar onions, obviously, choose what you love as sides!

Pure heaven.

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Veggie Burger

15 Jul

Veggie Burger HeavenI was having tea today with Goddessmoments and her Spouse. As we were chatting about food, he said something that made me think about what I miss most about being a carnivore. I think its a great juicy burger, with melted cheddar on top, in a beautiful bun and may be some slices of avo or tomato. Pure heaven. All those different tastes and textures, the satisfaction of a handheld meal, juices dripping everywhere. But I dont eat meat, and so I wont ever have that kind of burger again. But, this veggie burger more than makes up for any sense of loss I might have!

This is scrummy yummy. It can be vegan if you leave out the cheese (or use soy cheese) and its so full of wonderful, healthy vegetables and grains. I use quinoa in this recipe – the wonder grain! It has the most complete proteins of any grain, and it is full of vitamins and minerals – from iron to vitamin e to amino acids. And it tastes wonderful too! Nutty and creamy at the same time.Its a really useful tool for a vegan diet because it adds protein from a surprising source, and its extremely well tolerated, even by those who cannot eat wheat. I love it. I even use it in place of couscous and rice on occasion.

While your quinoa is cooking, you roast a few aubergines, garlic and some nuts. Fry up some mushrooms. I usually throw everything in one large bowl, and mince with my immersion blender (oh how I love thee, let me count the ways!). It comes out tasting really “meaty” in a good way, and its incredibly satisfying. Because everything is cooked or prepped before being formed into patties, the final fry up is really to create a lovely burnt sticky caramelised crust. You could probably do this in the oven as well, though I have never tried. These freeze really well, by the way. Layer in greaseproof paper, and pack away in a plastic container, and use within 6 months.

For about 8 – 10 burger patties, you will need:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cup water plus extra to soak
  • salt
  • 5 baby aubergines (or 1 medium – 1/2 large), sliced in half
  • 1 head garlic
  • Olive oil
  • 1/2 cup raw cashew nuts
  • 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup grated carrot
  • Small packet shiitake mushrooms, de-stemmed, and sliced
  • 6 – 7 medium portobello mushrooms (250 g packet), peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp Italian mixed herbs (or herbes de Provence or any other herb that you like – basil, rosemary, thyme)
  • truffle oil (optional)
  • balsamic vinegar
  • 1 – 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated
  • Handful of fresh herbs, minced fine (optional – use what you like – basil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, parsley, mint even)
  • Soy (optional to taste)
  • pepper

To serve, you will need hamburger buns, cheese (optional), lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion (your choice of any or all or none!), some mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickle… you get the drift!

Preheat your oven to about 220C.

First start off by soaking the quinoa. In a medium saucepan, cover the quinoa with water, and let stand for 15 minutes or so. This softens the grain, and also encourages the hard outer casing to split. A good thing!

Meanwhile, split your baby aubergines (or slice your medium/large one), and arrange, skin side down, on a baking tin that has been lined with baking paper. Slice the top of a head of garlic, and place on tin. Lightly oil and salt the aubergines and garlic and pop in the oven for 15 minutes. About 3 – 4 minutes before they are done, flip them over, and sprinkle the cashew nuts onto the baking tin. You want the cashew nuts to toast lightly, but not really to burn.

When your quinoa has stood for 15 minutes, drain, put back into saucepan, and add 1 1/2 cups of water, and a bit of salt. Cover the pan, and bring to the boil over high heat, and then lower heat and simmer the quinoa, covered, for about 15 minutes. You will know when its done when most of the water has boiled off, and the quinoa has fluffed up and doubled in size. Take off heat, and leave covered for at least five minutes.

Once your aubergines, garlic and cashews have been taken out of the oven, leave to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, add sunflower and sesame seeds to a large mixing bowl, and grate in the carrot. Add the cooled aubergines, the garlic cloves (pop them out of their papery casing), and the cashew nuts.

Go back to your quinoa, fluff it up a bit, and measure out 1 1/2 – 2 cups. If there is any left over, it freezes well and is a wonderful addition to any soup. Add the measured quinoa to the large mixing bowl.

Prepare your mushrooms. Pour a little olive oil into a medium – large frying pan, and add the shiitake mushrooms. I was taught that shiitake mushrooms need quite a while to cook. You need to slice them thinly (I also de-stem them) and leave them over low heat to brown around the edges. They will melt, and get soft, and reduce in size. Dont mix them in the pan too much, just let the heat and the oil and the mushrooms do what they know how to do. It should take about 10 minutes or so.

Once the shiitakes have been well browned, add the portobello mushrooms (still on low heat), and stir to combine. If you want, sprinkle a little truffle oil over, and let cook for about 5 minutes or so, stirring every now and then. Add some balsamic vinegar, the tomato paste and Dijon mustard, and stir to combine. The portobellos should have browned a little and reduced in size. Add the mushrooms to the mixing bowl.

Grate the cheese into the bowl if you are using.

With your immersion blender, process everything in the mixing bowl. Do it in short sharp bursts because you want to make sure you combine and chop most everything very fine without pureeing it into complete oblivion. You can use a food processor if you like. Again, short sharp bursts.

Once everything has been combined to your liking, taste. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Add the minced herbs, if you like. I often add some soy sauce for deeper darker flavour.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

About fifteen to twenty minutes before you are ready to eat, heat a little olive oil in a shallow non stick frying pan over low heat. Take the burger mix out of the fridge, and form thin (about half an inch to an inch maximum) patties with your hands. Fry up to three patties at a time, flipping only once or twice. It should take you about 10 – 15 minutes to get a glistening dark brown exterior. You wont need much oil. A few minutes before you are serving, flip a final time and slice some old mature cheddar (or not) over the burger, and let it melt a bit.

Toast your hamburger buns, add the fixins – mayo, ketchup, mustard, fresh veg. Eat with your hands, and mop up any fallen bits and juices with your bread. Its that good.

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Cold Avocado Sesame Noodles

13 Jul

Avocado Sesame NoodlesSomething simple, cool, very tasty and delicious. Its dinner time and I really dont want to go to too much effort. I want something that is toothsome, filling and tasty. I still have a few avocados left from the taco night, so I thought hmmmm. Avocados and sesame go together really well. I could do a Japanese style sesame dressing, some cold noodles, and slices of rich very good for you avo. Purrrrfection. And then I looked into my bounty bag from the organic delivery, and decided to roast some mustard greens (otherwise known as sawi hijau) to top it all off.

I feel like I need simple, non complex meal, because today was a massive cooking day – but not for me! My cats, who are obligate carnivores, have been seeing a TCVM (traditional Chinese veterinary medicine) doctor for the last couple of weeks – she is wonderful! She suggested that I make a chicken stew for them to supplement their over processed kibbles and canned diet. Thank goodness I had help, because as a vegetarian there was no way I would have been able to do this myself. So chicken stew it was, and if youre looking for a great traditional Chinese medicine vet who does acupuncture, please visit Dr Susanna’s website!

Anyway, on to the meal! This is a bit of a puttering around the kitchen dinner. Good for a hot humid night (every night in KL!) and fantabulous as a make ahead for a picnic. You need to give the noodles and sauce a little time to get acquainted in the fridge (hence the roasted greens) and for the flavours to really shine through.

Please use your own sense of taste for the dressing. I like mine sweet sour salty – but you may prefer a sweeter or saltier version. Dont get too tied down by the recipe, just go with what you like, dip your finger in and taste, and adjust accordingly.

This will make a meal for four.

  • 1 package Japanese noodles (or instant Chinese egg noodles)
  • 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (or Vegannaise if youre vegan)
  • 1 + 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp roasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sushi vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Ginger, grated (about the size of your pinkie)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated
  • Juice of 2 small limes
  • Handful of fresh basil
  • 2 avocados

First, follow the directions on the packet, and cook the noodles. Mine were about 5 minutes on the boil. As soon as they are al dente (still firm to the bite, but cooked through), drain and run under cold water to cool. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, 1 tbsp of sesame seeds, peanut butter, roasted sesame oil, soy sauce, sushi vinegar, honey and olive oil. Grate the garlic and ginger over, and squeeze a few limes into the mix. Beat well with a fork, and taste. Adjust to your liking – your honey may be much sweeter than mine – if so use less, or add a touch more soy to add more salt. You want a shiny bowl of sesame scented sweetsoursalty sauce.

Pour all the sauce into a serving bowl, or even the cooking saucepan that you made the noodles in. Handful by handful, add the noodles into the sauce, tossing with each handful. You could use tongs for this, but to be honest, I prefer using my hands! You want the noodles coated with the sauce, without being overwhelmed by it. You also dont want so many noodles that the sauce fades into insignificance. This is an equal partnership! Taste as you go, you will know when you have a good balance.

Cut a handful of fresh basil into the bowl (or parsley if you dont have basil, or even some gorgeous mint, or coriander if you like it). Mix well, and put in the fridge for at least half an hour.

When it comes time to serve, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. If you have roasted the mustard greens, arrange them prettily around the side of your bowl. Slice a couple of avocados over, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with extra lime and soy to sprinkle over, and chopsticks!

You could gild the lily and add a few chopped tomatoes to this, but I personally love the cool green nature of this dish.

Perfect for a hot summers night.

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Roasted Greens (Kale, Mustard Greens, Chard, Broccoli Rabe, Collards)

13 Jul

Roasted GreensI first made this for my sister’s youngest son. He asked for roasted kale, which I had never heard of before. He said it was the only way he ate greens, and after a bit of research, a little fiddling, and a quick roasting, I understood why. This recipe (I dont even want to call it that – its just the alchemy of heat applied to greens) makes tough greens palatable to just about anyone – especially children or adults who just dont like vegetables! You need a tough green – kale is what I started with, but when my organic delivery guy said he had some mustard greens (we call it sawi hijau here in Malaysia), I wondered if you could do the same to any tough green leafy veg. Turns out you can, with stunning results!

To see which kind of greens you can use in this recipe, go to the Cook’s Thesaurus greens list.

You need a tough fibrous green leaf for the high heat of the oven. A little olive oil and some salt and pepper for seasoning creates something akin to a green chip – crispy, slightly burnt, very “green” tasting – totally delectable. And really, the whole process is completed in a matter of minutes. Its embarrassing to even give a recipe for this because its so easy, but believe me, once youve tried roasting one leafy green, you will be on the lookout for others to try!

You will need:

  • 1 kg or so of a dense green – I used kale at first, and for this go round, used mustard greens or sawi hijau
  • 1 tbsp of good olive oil
  • A sprinkling of salt

Preheat your oven to 220C. You want it very hot. The greens wont stay in there that long, so dont worry. Pop a cookie tin in the oven while you prep the greens. You want it hot as the greens hit it.

Wash your greens very well, cutting out the tough stem. You can keep the stem and use for a soup or stir fry if you like. I usually like to salt my greens as I wash them to encourage any animal life to crawl off.

Rinse the greens, but dont worry if they still have a bit of water clinging to them. This will only enhance the cooking process.

Put the greens in a bowl, and sprinkle over the olive oil and the salt and pepper. Use your hands and make sure the greens are completely coated with oil. This is quite important.

Take the cookie tin out of the oven (please remember to use an oven mitt!) and spread the greens across the tin, covering completely. You can use tongs to do this if you like. You should hear them sizzle as they hit the hot tin.

Pop in the oven for about 10 minutes. After about five minutes, take them out, and using the tongs, just give them a little stir, flip them over, etc. Watch carefully after this because depending on your oven, you might want to take them out earlier. You want them crispy, green in spots, slightly burnt and brown in spots.

Take out of the oven and serve immediately.

Delicious!

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Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

10 Jul

Mushroom PizzaOh my goodness, this is superb. It elevates pizza (which I think is pretty high on the totem pole anyway) to sublime heights. Its got a golden, nutty crust, oozing cheese, and superb toppings. I make two lots of the crust, and set out two different pizzas – a divine mushroom and onion, and a blue cheese, spinach and onion. Aiyoh. Heaven. Just about my favourite dinner, and I dont know why I make it so rarely. Its pretty easy with a bit of forward planning. You need to have certain ingredients at the ready: the tomato sauce (I use my own tomato sauce recipe but you could just reduce some onions, garlic and tomatoes with oregano); a couple of toppings – I used sauteed spinach (with just salt and pepper), caramelised onions, and sauteed mushrooms; cheese – a mix of mozzarella and parmesan is good; and your dough. Once you have everything set, making and baking the pizzas is a matter of half an hour.

The dough is adapted from the Frog Commissary Cookbook… my favourite cookbook ever. Its very difficult to get durum wheat here in Malaysia, so I used very high protein bread flour. Also, its difficult to get semolina here (which is the rough version of durum wheat) so I decided I wanted a corn textured dough – I used polenta and fine ground cornmeal. Adjusting is the key – but you have to know what to replace and where. This gives you a nutty chewy delicious crust that holds its own against whatever you throw at it. Make sure to prep the dough at least 2 hours before you want to begin cooking.

Dough

For each pizza you will need:

  • 1 1/4 oz packet instant yeast (here in Malaysia, they sell 11g packets – you will need about 2/3rds of this)
  • 1 1/3 cups warm water
  • 3/4 cup polenta
  • 1/2 cup farina
  • 2 1/2 cups high protein bread flour
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup olive oil

Dissolve the instant yeast in the warm water, and set aside for five minutes or so.

Mix all flours with sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre, and pour the warm yeast and water, and the olive oil into the flours and mix well with your hands. You will have a soft dough. Knead a few times in your bowl. Make a ball, cover with a clean cloth and leave for at least half an hour to an hour to rise. Punch down, and use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours, and punch down and knead before use.

Assembly

For each pie you will need:

  • 14 inch long rectangle baking pan
  • A little oil
  • A little polenta
  • Dough
  • Cheese – a mix of mozzarella and parmesan – about 1 – 1 1/2 cups per pie
  • Tomato sauce – about 1/2 – 3/4 cup per pie
  • Fillings

Preheat oven to 200 C. Oil pan with a little olive oil and sprinkle polenta over.

Roll put the dough – thinner in the centre, and thicker on the sides, and transfer to the baking pan. Use your fingers to push and pull and prod the dough so that it covers the entire pan, going up the sides. Make sure that it is thicker at the edges, and thinner at the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle about 2/3rds of the cheese along the bottom of the pie. Cover completely with tomato sauce. Spread the toppings over the pie.

I made two pies. The first was with caramelised onions (about 1/2 cup) and sauteed mushrooms (about 2 cups). You need to saute or cook all the vegetables before adding to the pie because you do not want the vegetables to lose their water during baking. You will need to saute the mushrooms until they let go of their liquid before you add them to the pie. The second pizza was with sauteed spinach and caramelised onions, with a little blue cheese added to the cheese topping mix at the end.

Spinach PizzaPut the pie in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until you see the edges begin to become golden brown. Take the pizza out of the oven, and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Let brown in the oven for a further 5 – 10 minutes. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes once out of the oven. This is also wonderful cold, and makes a fantastic picnic!

All photographs copyright Chan KY

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