Tag Archives: vegetarian

Strawberry Tart with Chocolate Ganache, Creme Patissiere and a Port Wine Balsamico Glaze

16 Jul

Strawberry TartIts the end of exam time for Angel Kitten and Ezril, and I wanted to make them something that would be a celebration. I have a real thing for tarts (a natural affinity, shall we say), and strawberries are on my mind. The organic strawberries are just gorgeous – lush, ripe, juicy, and that glowing red that only strawberries can glow. So a strawberry tart it was, but I wanted to make it even more of a celebration. Each and every part of this tart had to be sublime. So I went with a crumbling sweet cookie crust, that is surprisingly easy to make, and, as long as you freeze it, easy to bake too! No pie weights and all that nonsense. Then, hidden between crust and creme, a lick of dark chocolate. This actually is very useful because it waterproofs the crust from the creme that goes on top. And the creme patissiere? Sweet, but not too sweet, studded with vanilla bean, creamy and yet not overwhelmingly so. Perfection. And then the stars of the show – red, ripe strawberries, glazed with a port wine balsamico reduction that just highlights their sweet-tart-juicy-tang.

For me, the key to this tart is there is a lot of resting and waiting. It seems like a lot of work, but it isnt really. The tart dough comes together in minutes, as do all the other components. The important thing is they all need to rest, cool, freeze, calm down and meld together before you go on with the next step. This is a tart to bake over the course of an afternoon (3 or 4 hours) when you have a good book to read, or a dvd to watch. Its fun because the sum is so much more than the parts – but the parts themselves are pretty delightful!

Crust

For a 10 inch pie plate, you will need:

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 9 tablespoons very cold butter
  • 1 large egg

In a large bowl, combine the flour, caster sugar and salt. Mix well and make sure there are no lumps. Take the butter out of the fridge, and grate into the flour mixture. I do this in two stages, grating about half, then putting the butter back in the fridge, then using my fingers to mix the grated butter into the flour, and then repeating. Once the butter has been mixed into the flour, it should look crumbly, almost like oatmeal. Make a well in the centre of the flour butter mixture, and in a separate small bowl, beat the egg lightly. Pour the egg into the well, and using your hands or a large spoon, lightly mix all together. As you turn the mixture upon itself, it should become a dough. Dont overmix. Dont knead. Just get it bound together as a dough. It will happen, I promise.

Centre your dough in your pie plate, and using floured fingers, gently roll out the dough to cover the entire pie plate. Make sure the dough is even, there are no bald spots, and that the dough comes up to over the edge of the plate. Prick with a fork all over, and freeze for at least half an hour or more.

While the dough is freezing, you can go on to do other things.

When youre about ready to bake the crust, preheat your oven to 190C.

Take the frozen dough out of the freezer and cover the dough with buttered tin foil, butter side down, pressing down quite strongly. Bake in the oven for about 20 – 25 minutes until lightly browned. Take out of the oven, remove the tin foil very gently. Put back into the oven to brown completely. You want a pretty dark brown crust, otherwise it will be flavourless and slightly doughy.

Once the crust has browned (about 5 minutes more), take out of the oven and leave to cool.

Chocolate Ganache

This is simple, easy and you can use it for many things – glazing a pie crust is but one life – you could drizzle it over vanilla ice cream, use it as a glaze for a cake, or even as the basis for a phenomenal hot chocolate. Im sure there are loads of other uses that you can imagine up.

  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup dark chocolate, in chunks

In a small saucepan, over low heat, combine cream and chocolate. As soon as the chocolate starts to melt, and the cream starts to bubble, take off the heat. Mix well, to ensure the chocolate melts into the cream and all is combined. Keep aside, and allow to cool.

Creme Patissiere

This is so yum. So easy, and so very subtle. I love the vanilla bean studded throughout, but if you dont have a vanilla bean, just use a couple tablespoons of vanilla extract. You can use this to for the basis of any cream fruit tart, and also to stuff eclairs. Simple and good.

  • 2 1/2 cups thick milk
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 – 6 tbsp caster sugar
  • 4 tbsp flour

By thick milk, I really mean milk that has been cut with a bit of cream to give it richness. You dont have to do this, you can definitely use just milk, but I prefer to add about half a cup of cream to 2 cups of milk in this recipe.

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half, and using the tip of your knife or a small spoon, coax all the seeds out of the bean. Place both bean and seeds into the milk. Put over high heat, and allow the mixture to come just to the boil. Whisk to ensure that a skin doesnt form. Set aside, covered, to steep for about 15 minutes to half an hour.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar until light yellow. By the way, the amount of caster sugar really just reflects how sweet you like your creme patissiere. If your strawberries are not that sweet, then use more sugar. Whisk in the flour. The mixture will become very thick and almost pudding-y.

Once the milk has come down to lukewarm, whisk about half a cup into the egg mixture, and then whisk this back into the remaining milk. Put saucepan over heat again, and cook until the creme just comes to the boil, about 5 minutes or so on medium heat. It must boil to become creme. It will get thicker as it cooks, just make sure you whisk constantly. Once the creme is to your consistency, pour into a bowl, and allow to cool, covered with a bit of greaseproof paper or plastic wrap. This will ensure no skin forms.

You can refrigerate the creme patissiere for up to two days. When you are ready to use it, fish out the vanilla bean stalks.

Port wine and balsamic glaze

  • 3/4 cup port wine
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp very old balsamico

In a saucepan (just a note, I used the same saucepan for all these components! Just rewashed it over and over, saved on the cleanup!) combine the port wine, caster sugar and balsamico. Stir to ensure that the sugar has dissolved into the wine mixture. Over medium heat, boil the wine until it reduces by half and becomes very syrupy. It will eventually boil up – this is usually a clue that its reduced far enough. Pour into a heat proof bowl, and allow to cool.

Assembly

  • Baked and cooled tart shell
  • Chocolate ganache
  • Creme patissiere
  • 1lb/500 gm fresh strawberries (or more if you want), hulled, and sliced if you want or kept whole

You can assemble this pie up to 1 day before serving, but honestly, I think its better the day of serving, assembled a few hours before eating.

Using an icing spreader, or the back of a spoon, spread the chocolate ganache all over the cooled tart shell, including the sides. Use as much or as little of the ganache as you like. Any leftover can be used for a variety of delicious things! Place the chocolate covered tart shell in the fridge for at least half an hour to let the ganache solidify.

Once the ganache has hardened, take the tart out of the fridge, and spread the cooled creme patissiere over. Dont fill the pie right to the edge, as the strawberries will displace a bit of the creme.

YumArrange strawberries in a pretty pattern all over the creme patissiere, and brush them gently with the port wine glaze. Refrigerate for at least half an hour and up to a day.

Celebrate 🙂

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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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Aioli – Garlic Mayonnaise

15 Jul

This is the Provencal version of mayonnaise. Lightly golden, thick, unctuous, and garlicky. Its delicious. Its a lot of olive oil, but the flavor of the oil, with the creamy yolks is grassy and summery and very French. Its a sophisticated delicious mayonnaise, and you should try to make it the day of eating, but it can be made ahead and stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days.

The process of making aioli can be very zen, but it can also be terrifying because of the ability for it to separate and “break”. Don’t be scared. There is a very easy fix. Take a couple more egg yolks, beat them till light golden, and drip the broken aioli back into this mixture. It will firm up. Guaranteed.

  • 4 egg yolks (+ 2 more just in case the aioli breaks) – organic and free range are a must here because they will be eaten raw
  • 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 – 3 cloves of garlic mixed with 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 2 – 3 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard

I use a large metal mixing bowl and a whisk to do this. Not because I am old school, but because you can control the emulsification process much better than in a blender, an electric whisk or a food processor. It doesn’t take that long.

First take the garlic and take out its germ or inner shoot. Mince and then with the flat blade of a knife puree the garlic with the salt. Leave for a while as you mix together the oil and egg. The salt breaks down the garlic, and when you come back to it, you can really squish and squash it to a fine paste.

Take a kitchen towel and centre your bowl on it. This helps prevent it from jumping around as you whisk. Take your egg yolks and whisk them until they are light gold. Using a measuring cup with a spout, start dripping infinitesimal amounts of oil into the egg, whisking all the while. Use a light hand, and keep up a steady stream of droplets. After about half a cup of oil is incorporated, you should see this coming together. It thickens, and becomes much harder to beat. Start using stronger strokes, and keep adding the oil in tiny droplets.

After a full cup of oil is added, you can start a steady, but very thin stream of oil, as opposed to droplets. Keep beating strongly. The entire process should take about 10 – 15 minutes. You can stop and take breaks if you get tired! Just give it a couple whisks before you start adding oil again! Once all the oil has been added, you should have a thick glossy goopy mayonnaise, greeny gold in colour.

Take about half the garlic and add, whisking all the while. Add the lemon juice and mustard, whisking to incorporate fully. Taste for salt, garlic, and the edge of sharpness the lemon juice brings. Adjust accordingly.

Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

This is phenomenal as a dip with fresh vegetables, and takes a sandwich to new heights. I make it when I have a dinner and want a gorgeous sexy succulent dip – and I always keep some back for me for the next day 😉 An avocado and aioli sandwich on rough brown bread is beyond wonderful.

Please note pregnant women and those with immune risks should not consume raw egg yolks. You might want to try pasteurized eggs though I personally don’t like them.

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Cream Scones with Strawberries (or Strawberry Shortcakes!)

14 Jul

Scone with strawberries and creamEither way you cut it, scones with strawberries (English) or strawberry shortcakes (American) are delicious – and they highlight one of the most beautiful, sensuous, tangysweetsourjuicy products of summer – the strawberry. I love strawberries every which way – plain, with yogurt, cream, ice cream, with balsamic drizzled all over, in pies, crumbles, smoothies. I could go on and on and on. Strawberries, especially fresh summer berries, are a little love explosion in your mouth. But please, if you dont have strawberries, do not buy the frozen berry. Of all the different berries, strawberries just die when you buy them frozen – I find that they turn mushy and pulpy. Strangely enough, fresh picked, home frozen strawberries dont have that problem so much. Not sure why.

Scones and devon cream have always been a favourite – as have strawberry shortcakes the other side of the pond! Amazingly enough, the recipe is basically exactly the same. And so simple, as long as you do a little prep work (if you can call shoving some butter in the freezer and cutting up some berries prep) a few hours beforehand. The frozen butter is a must. It ensures soft, fluffy, rising scones, with plenty of layers. Try and handle this dough as gently and as little as possible. You dont want to melt the butter. Work quickly especially in the heat and humidity of summer.

Makes 6 – 8 scones / shortcakes

  • 1 stick / 8 tbsp / 115 g butter, frozen
  • 2 cups all purpose flour + bit extra for roll out
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup cream/half and half/milk + 1 tbsp
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp rough granulated sugar
  • 1 – 3 cups strawberries
  • 1 – 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 – 2 cups heavy whipping cream

First of all, freeze your butter. You need to do this at least an hour or so before you start the recipe. Then, if you like, prep the strawberries. Cut about 1/3 of the berries into slices, and crush with a few teaspoons of caster sugar. Cut or slice the rest of the strawberries into the crushed juices, and if you have it, pour a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar over. Leave in the fridge to get juicy and gorgeous.

When you are ready to start, preheat your oven to 200C.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt. Mix with your fingers to combine well. Grate the frozen butter over the flour mixture, and using the tips of your fingers, mix till just combined, and all the butter is coated with flour.

Measure out 1/2 cup of cream or milk, beat egg lightly into milk, and add a glugg of vanilla extract. Pour this over the flour/butter mixture, and using your hands, combine lightly. Knead once or twice to form a soft dough. Refrigerate if you are not using immediately.

Flour your work surface lightly, and roll out dough to about 1 inch thick. You should be able to get about 6 – 8 scones from this. I used a glass as my cutter. Place at least 1 inch apart on your baking paper lined baking tin, and using your fingers, glaze with a little heavy cream. Sprinkle some rough granulated sugar over the top. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown, and baked through.

While scones are baking, whip 1 – 2 cups of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Once scones have cooled down to warm, split apart, pile with strawberries, and top with cream. Devour.

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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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Banana White Chocolate Bread Pudding

12 Jul

Banana White Chocolate Bread PuddingI was supposed to go out to dinner tonight to see an old friend’s Mum. However, I think I twisted my back in the excitement of the World Cup finals! So panadiene it was, and I was in no fit mood to drive. After a little nap, I decided I needed to try and cook something comforting, soothing, and nurturing. So I looked in the fridge, and on the counter (new organic delivery today!) and pieced together this bread pudding. Oh my, YUM! So good. So simple, and very quick to make. Just the thing for making a sore back go away. Heh.

Just a note. I literally used what I had in the fridge. It worked out really well. If you have dont have port wine, for example, you could substitute it with a little wine or liqueur or some juice. If you dont have bread, but only croissants, go ahead and use them! Dark chocolate, and no white? Substitute lah. This is a very forgiving recipe.

I baked this in a round cake tin. You could use 2 loaf tins, or a square tin if you like. Serve with sour cream on top for a really lovely contrast.

  • 12 slices bread (white or brown), toasted
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp + 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 5 very ripe bananas
  • Couple tablespoons port wine
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups milk – I didnt have enough! So I used 1 cup milk, and into the measuring cup, I put 2 tbsp light sour cream and 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk. I made up to 2 cups with a bit of water and mixed all together. If you do have enough milk, and decide to use just that, then make sure to add 3 tsp sugar to the recipe (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chunks
  • A little brown sugar for topping

First of all, toast your bread in the toaster. This will dry out the bread, and also caramelise it (thats what the brown is – the sugars in the bread caramelising) and will add tons of flavour. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large non stick pan over medium heat. Once the butter is sizzling, sprinkle 2 tbsp dark brown sugar over the butter. Dont mix, but just let the sugar melt into the butter. Slice the bananas over this and let cook for a few minutes. Using a spatula, gently flip the bananas over, and add the teaspoon of vanilla and port wine. Let the bananas cook for about 3 – 5 minutes in this gorgeous sauce, and then take off the heat and let cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk (see note above), sugar if you are using, salt and tablespoon of vanilla. Gently mix in the cooled banana with all its juices. Tear the bread into chunks and add to the bowl, and mix well. Add the white chocolate chunks and stir to combine thoroughly.

Let this mixture sit for at least 10 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 180C. You want almost no liquid left and the bread to have soaked it all up. Butter a 9 inch cake pan, and pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, sprinkling a little brown sugar over the top 5 – 10 minutes before the cooking time is over. You will know its read when its risen and puffy, and there is no more liquid when you pierce the bread pudding with a knife.

Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Serve warm with a little sweetened sour cream on top. Soul comfort food.

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Vegetarian Chili + Tacos

11 Jul

Taco DinnerThis is a meal for a celebration. A birthday, a party, a World Cup final. Or even just because. Its so delicious – and its good for you too! No cream or butter, and lots of fresh vegetables. You can make it vegan by cutting out the sour cream and cheese sides (or finding wonderful alternatives – soy cheese is surprisingly tasty). It looks lush and bountiful, and making it is really the work of one afternoon. There are lots of fiddly bits, and I admit, I dont make my own tacos, and I supplement my salsa by purchasing a good branded one (I used Paul Newman’s peach salsa this evening). The heat is also up to you. I give measurements for a medium spicy chili, but really do what feels natural to you.

I also use dried pinto beans. Why? Well, in part because I am stubborn, and Ive always made it that way. But also because even with an overnight soaking, they need at least 3 – 4 hours to cook. This forces you to cook the chili for long enough so that it really becomes thick and luscious, and for all the flavours to meld.

Feel free to halve this recipe, but really, its a meal for a big group of people!

Serves 8 – 12

Vegetarian Chili

  • 500 g pinto beans
  • 3 – 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion minced
  • 7 cloves of garlic, sliced
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 4 large portobello mushrooms, peeled and chopped
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
  • 1 – 2 red chilis, deseeded and chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp dry basil
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp mixed herbs
  • 1 tsp crushed chili pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp smoked hot paprika
  • Salt and pepper
  • 250 g can white beans
  • 250 g lentils
  • 250 g can kidney beans
  • 500 g can pomodoro tomatoes in their own sauce
  • 1 – 2 c fresh tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp mustard
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • handful of dried chanterelle and portobello mushrooms reconstituted in hot water for 15 minutes
  • juice of 3 small limes
  • Handful of Italian parsley (or fresh coriander if you really must)

In a saucepan or heatproof bowl, rinse and sort the pinto beans. Make sure there are no grit or stones in the beans – a nasty bite of food if there ever was. Cover with water and leave overnight.

The next day, about 4 – 6 hours before you want to eat, in a large, heavy pan (I use a dutch oven or heavy bottomed 5 quart stock pan), over medium low heat, heat oil and soften onions and garlic. Saute until glossy, and then add the celery, carrots, mushrooms, pepper and chilis, mixing well after each addition. Cook for about 3 – 5 minutes until the mixture has softened and let go of some of its liquid.

Add the bay leaf, basil, cinnamon, herbs, pepper flakes, cayenne, coriander, cumin, oregano, and smoked hot paprika, and mix very very well. Season with salt and pepper.

Add about 3/4 of the pinto beans (you can freeze the rest and use in a soup or stock), the white beans, lentils, and kidney beans, mixing well after each addition. Add the pomodoro tomatoes and their liquid and stir to combine. Cover and let simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so.

After about 15 minutes, uncover the pan. It will be very liquid. Add the fresh tomatoes, the mustard, cocoa powder, sugar, and red wine. Chop the dried mushrooms fine, and add to the stew, along with the juice of 3 small limes. Cook, over very low heat, for at least 3 hours and up to 6 if you want, stirring every 10 – 15 minutes so it doesnt burn on the bottom. The chili will go from liquid to a very thick savoury stew. Taste for spice and salt and pepper, and adjust to your liking.

Just before serving, sprinkle over some chopped fresh parsley. If you like fresh coriander (I hate it), please feel free to substitute!

Tomato Salsa

I dont add any spice to this salsa because I think it would interfere with the chili and the bought salsas I am serving. However, if this is the only salsa youre serving, feel free to add 1 – 2 chilis, chopped fine.

  • 1 – 2 cups baby roma tomatoes (or 2 – 3 large juicy tomatoes)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 yellow onion, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 – 1/4 cup mixed fresh basil and Italian parsley, chopped
  • Juice of 4 – 5 small limes

Chop the tomatoes in a small dice. Add the minced onions, and salt and pepper, and mix well. Chop the basil and Italian parsley, and add and mix well. Juice 4 – 5 small limes, and add this liquid to the salsa. Mix, cover and store in the fridge until serving time.

Guacamole

I am a purist. I like guacamole simple – as many avocados as I can afford, mashed with a bit of salt and pepper and lime. Unbelievably delicious.

  • 4 ripe avocados (dark skinned)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Juice of 5 small limes
  • 1 avocado pit

Cut your avocados in half lengthwise, using the pit as a guide for your knife. Using a spoon, carve out chunks of avocado into a pretty serving dish. Make sure you scrape out all the beautiful dark green flesh that is right next to the peel.

Mash the avocado with a fork until it is a smooth paste. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the juice of 5 small limes. You wont taste the limes in the finished guacamole, just a really intense avocado flavour.

Pop the avocado pit into the serving bowl to ensure that the avocado does not brown, and store, covered, in the fridge until time to serve.

To serve

To serve this feast, you will need:

  • White and yellow corn tacos, heated briefly in the oven (figure 3 taco shells per person, or 2 if you add the wraps)
  • Soft burrito wraps, warmed briefly in the oven
  • Vegetarian chili
  • Tomato Salsa
  • Store bought salsa as an addition, refrigerated
  • Guacamole
  • Shredded lettuce (I use a combo of lettuce, baby spinach and parsley)
  • Sour cream
  • Shredded cheddar or jack cheese

Arrange on pretty serving platters, and let your guests make their own! So much fun!

All photos copyright Chan KY

Hand: Ezril

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Grasshopper Pie

11 Jul

Grasshopper Pie with chocolate Cool green mint mousse, over a chocolate biscuit base. A cloud of whipped cream hides nuggets of chocolate – a surprise texture in the midst of all that smooth silkiness. Grasshopper pie is quite retro, but since I was serving a rather retro dinner (tacos with all the fixins) I thought this was apt. Tacos are also very healthy – no cream, no butter, lots of fresh veg. So something as decadent as this is a fun trade off. And watching the World Cup finals, it was imperative that we have something very satisfying and comforting and delicious. This one comes up trumps on all counts.

Its also very easy to make. I do the biscuit base, the mousse and sprinkle the chocolate nuggets the night before. I decide if I am really gonna go whole hog so to speak the day of serving. Agar agar is cooked with milk and eggs to form a custard. Creme de menthe is added, and whipped cream “lightens” (dont you wish) the whole thing. Pour it onto the biscuits, sprinkle nuggets of chocolate over, and refrigerate. Perfection.

By the way, this recipe calls for a double boiler. But I dont have one, and couldnt be bothered with one if I did. I boil water in a saucepan, and set a heatproof bowl over. Enough lah.

You can serve this three ways. For a very elegant, pure green pie, stop with pouring the mint mousse into the pie plate. It is very grown up and sexy. For a slightly rowdier pie, textural and delicious, stop with sprinkling the chocolate pieces (or shaving some chocolate if you want something slightly more sophisticated) over the mint mousse. Which, as you can see from the photo, is what I have decided to do. And finally for over the top lushness, top the whole thing with whipped cream. I might still yet be tempted 😉

For one 10 inch pie, you will need:

  • 12 Mint Milano cookies, crushed
  • 10 chocolate wafer biscuits, crushed
  • 4 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tsp agar agar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1/3 cup creme de menthe
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1/2 cup chocolate bits
  • additional whipped cream (about 1 cup) to cover

Place all your cookies in a zip loc plastic bag, and crush. I usually bang them about with the bottom of my olive oil bottle. Tip all the biscuits into a pie plate, and make a little well in the centre. Melt 4 tbsp butter, and pour over the cookies. Using your fingers, mix well, and pat to form a crust. Refrigerate until needed.

In a large, heatproof (metal) bowl, pour milk and sprinkle over agar agar. Leave for 5 minutes to let the agar agar soften.

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water, and bring to the boil. The agar agar should have incorporated into the milk by then. Whisk to combine, and place the large bowl over the top of the saucepan. Lower heat. Cook the milk and agar agar, whisking often, for about 5 – 10 minutes, or until the agar agar has been completely combined into the milk. It will thicken, and as its cooking, you will be able to taste and see the grainy agar agar. Keep at it, and keep whisking, and the agar agar will melt into the milk. Youre ready for the next step when it is silky smooth.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk 4 egg yolks together with 4 tbsp caster sugar until light and lemon coloured.

When the milk mixture has thickened, and there is no more grittiness from the agar agar, take the bowl off the heat, with a cloth or oven mitt, and drip the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk, whisking constantly. The mixture will incorporate, and immediately whisk in the creme de menthe. Put the bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan again, and keep whisking until the mixture is the consistency of a thick custard. This should take about 5 – 10 minutes. Be patient, and keep beating often!

Meanwhile, beat 1 cup cream in a stand mixer (so you have time to also focus on the mint custard) until it holds stiff peaks. As soon as the custard is thick like a pudding, place the hot bowl over a bowl filled with ice. Please remember to use a cloth or oven mitt to transfer! This will cool down the mixture significantly. Remember to continue whisking all the while. As soon as the mixture is lukewarm, whisk half the whipped cream to combine. Fold the remaining cream into the mixture until combined, but do it gentlegentle. You want to keep some of the air in there!

Pour this mixture into the prepared pie plate, and sprinkle with chocolate. I usually use dark chocolate, but you could use anything you like.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 1 day.

Up to 8 hours before serving, whip an additional cup of cream and a whisper of agar agar (to help it hold) and mound over the top. You could flavour this cream if you like – a scant teaspoon of caster sugar and some vanilla, or some dark cocoa powder, or even a little bit of coffee. You could do without this though if you just cant deal with so much richness. The pie is divine as is!

Share with those you love.

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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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