Vegetarian

April 26, 2015 Recipe

Warm spring salad, with a wild garlic dressing

I think we’re all trying to eat more vegetarian food aren’t we? At least occasionally? I’m predominantly a vegetarian these days, though I will sometimes eat fish. But just because you’re eating something vegetarian, it doesn’t mean you have to be boring about it! This dish satisfies on several levels, and if you really want a bit of protein with it – try adding something delicious, such as a few pieces of Spanish Jamón Ibérico crisped in the oven {which is what I did for Hubby}.

The other key thing about eating vegetarian food is to eat seasonally, so that ingredients are at their peak both in terms of taste and nutrition, and incurring as few food miles as possible.

Ingredients {serves 2}

5 carrots
1 orange pepper
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp green cardamom seeds {podded}
3 Tbsp Marsala
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1/2 golden beetroot
3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 bunch of asparagus
Handful of parsley
2 Little Gem lettuces
1 Tbsp wild garlic juice*
3 Tbsp natural yoghurt

To Dress:
10 slices of Jamón Ibérico {optional}
Edible flowers {optional}

Method:

Peel the carrots, and if they’re large, cut them into quarters. Chop the pepper into cubes, don’t worry about peeling the skin {unless you desperately want to}
Put the carrots and peppers into an appropriate roasting dish with the caraway and cardamom, and the oil. Season with salt and pepper, and put into a hot oven, at around 180ºC
In the meantime, peel and finely slice the beetroot on a mandolin – put into the balsamic vinegar
Mix about 1 tablespoon of wild garlic juice* into the yoghurt and set to one side
De-ear your asparagus {just pull of the triangular leaves you find on the stalk} and set to one side
If using the Bellotta, put individual strips onto a foil lined baking tray, and put in the oven for around 10 minutes, or until they are coloured and crisp
When the carrots begin to colour slightly, pour the Marsala into the dish, and put back into the oven
Pick over your parsley, and rinse it, then spin it in a salad spinner, to remove the excess water
Slice your individual little gem lettuce leaves through the spine into long strips
Remove the stamens from your edible flowers, if using
When the carrots and peppers begin to caramelise, pop your asparagus tips into a small pan of boiling water, until just cooked
While the asparagus is cooking begin to plate up – put a small handful of the parsley and little gem onto the plate, and top with the carrots and pepper. Scatter your edible flowers, if using, and place a few discs of the pickled beetroot onto the dish. Spoon small ‘blobs’ of the garlic yoghurt onto the plate and top with the asparagus… You can also mix the remaining balsamic vinegar with the oil from the carrots, and dress the dish with that. If using the ham, top the dish with this last, to ensure it remains crisp.

* When wild garlic is in season, I run boxes of the leaves through the juicer, and then freeze the juice in ice-cube trays. Mixed either with olive oil and vinegar to produce a vinaigrette, or here mixed with yoghurt, or added to stews and sauces, it adds an incredible level of umami to any dish!

*Carrot and pepper, roasted with cardamom and caraway*

*The dish topped with the Jamón Ibérico*

April 21, 2015 Recipe

Antioxidant Rich Smoothies

Smoothies can be a quick way of consuming wasted calories, or with a little planning and foresight, can add valuable minerals and vitamin to your diet – forget throwing in a banana and some milk, and concentrate on building a smoothie recipe which offers you more… Once you familiarise yourself with the nutritional properties of some of the ingredients, you can tailor something to suit your own specific needs, as I have done here.

The quantities given will make 2 large smoothies – have one for lunch, and save the other for an evening snack, when you feel the chocolate munchies coming on. Not only will the cacao nibs kill the craving, but they’ll give you a better sense of well-being than chocolate, in my opinion…

Cacao and Coconut Smoothie

50ml almond milk
330ml coconut water
40g coconut flesh
2 bananas
1 Tbsp organic cacoa nibs
1/2 mango
1 passion fruit
50g pineapple
big handful of ice
{handful of mint, for an mint-choc hit ;0)}

Blend all the ingredients together, until the texture is to your liking. The cacao nibs will add fibre, but if you find the texture unpleasant, you could always use ground cacao. Personally I think it adds to the fullness of the smoothie.

Nutritional information:

Almond milk is made from whole, blanched {or sometimes unblanched} almonds which have been soaked in water overnight. Whizzed with the fresh mineral water the following day, you drain them through muslin 0r nut bag, and use the resulting liquid in place of dairy milk. The flavour is actually rather refreshing, though not good for cappuccino’s etc. Nut milks are much higher in protein than cow’s milk, with a lower saturated fat content, and higher level of healthy fats. Unsweetened almond milk has a low glycemic index, so won’t cause your blood sugar levels to spike – a key consideration when looking for smoothie ingredients, which are so often fruit based. Being non-dairy, it doesn’t require refrigeration either, which makes it great to take out with you for the day! What else? There’s no lactose or casein, so it’s eminently suitable for those on a dairy-free, lactose-free, or casein-free diet. It’s also vegan and vegetarian friendly, so can be enjoyed by everyone apart from our poor nut-allergic chums! To sweeten almond milk, soak a couple of dates in water for an hour, and blend into the filtered milk.

Coconut water can be a bit of an acquired taste on its own, but add it to juices and smoothies, and it brings a whole heap of benefits to the party. Containing sugars, minerals, vitamins, cytokinins {which are anti-carcinogenic}, amino acids, cytokine {anti-ageing and PH regulation}, electrolytes {including potassium and sodium, both of which aid rehydration, and give coconut water a similar electrolyte balance to blood}, bioactive-enzymes {which aid digestion}, and phyto-hormones {which are currently touted to be anti-ageing, antioxidant, and again anti-carcinogenic}.

Bananas contain potassium, vitamin B6, magnesium and vitamin C. Potassium is particularly useful for improving heart health, and lowering blood pressure. They also contain tryptophan, which can improve your mood and help your memory. Not just for the kids and the gym freaks after all!

Mango contains an antioxidant called zeaxanthin, which helps filter out blue-light rays, and decreases the risk of age-related macular-degeneration. The beta-carotene found in its rich orange flesh has been shown to have an adverse affect on colon and prostate cancer. Again rich in potassium, but also in fibre and Vitamin A, this makes mango a must-eat fruit in my family {my family are predisposed to macular-degeneration, and my father has just finished prostate cancer treatment!} Eat those mangoes people!

Passion fruit contains dietary fibre, high levels of vitamin C, but also vitamin A, beta-carotene, and our good friend potassium.

Pineapple is the only known source of Bromelain, which is thought to improve joint mobility, decrease joint inflammation, alleviate joint pain, and inhibit tumour growth. Again it contains vitamin C, betacarotene, and potassium, making this smoothie a real power-house.

Cacao nibs contain flavonoids, similar to those found in tea, grapes and berries. Whilst research into flavonoids is ongoing, particularly around the quantities which need to be consumed, they are reputed to lower cholesterol, and act as an anti-inflammatory. They also contain polyphenols, which again help with cardiovascular health, and are thought to inhibit strokes and cardiovascular disease {both through improving platelet ‘clogging’ and strengthening artery walls}.

Alternatives: You could swap out the banana for an avocado – it would increase the fat content significantly, but would create a smoother mouth-feel, which would work well with the flavour of the cacao. You could also add coffee beans and/or a shot of coffee, as a perfect breakfast pick-me-up – it’s yummy!

April 11, 2015 Book Review

My New Roots, by Sarah Britton

My New Roots I’m thoroughly enjoying Sarah’s book, which is full of original and delicious offerings. We’re entering a brave new world, where foraged, seasonal, raw, vegetarian, vegan and allergen-free cooking-styles are colliding head first. I’ve the most obscure Scandinavian restaurant books sitting along-side my raw books, and for the first time it’s beginning to feel as though these worlds are overlapping in mainstream vegetarian books… Yes, there have been a spate of releases in this genre of late, but this is probably my favourite of 2015. These are dishes that are balanced, well-considered, and beautiful – they feel a little more grown-up than some of the other offerings.

The book is divided in to the following sections:

Essential techniques

Spring
Mornings: strawberry coconut milkshake; carrot rhubarb muffins; freekeh pancakes with wilted Swiss chard and poached eggs; strawberry chia jam; dark chocolate cherry overnight oats; the life-changing loaf of bread with olives and caraway; spring cabbage wraps with couscous, za’atar and spicy tahini dressing; pick-me-up pickled turnips; shaved turnip and radish salad with poppy seed dressing; savory spring hand pies; dandelion greens with ghee-poached radishes and smoked salt; oyster mushroom bisque; quinoa risotto with grilled scapes and rocket; black lentil salad with tzatziki, avocado and pea shoots; sprouted wild rice with pistachios and spring vegetables; socca with grilled white and green asparagus, dill and feta; moon macaroon; apricot rhubarb clafoutis; strawberry chamomile and no-churn frozen yogurt; sunflower sesame seed brittle

Early summer
Mornings: rooibos ginger sun tea; multi-grain carrot cake porridge with pecan crunch; tempeh mushroom breakfast bowl. fully loaded breakfast bars
Small Measures: sorrel hummus; labneh with rose petals, sesame and honey; carrot top and garlic scape pesto; grilled courgette and spring onions with baby spinach and hazelnuts; the real deal ginger ale
Mains: caramelised onion, olive and kale calzones; full-bloom rocket salad with millet, redcurrant and nasturtiums; caramelised fennel on herbed pollen; Thai-style coconut soup with courgette noodles; broad bean, sweet pean and tarragon soup
Sweets: mint chip ice cream sandwiches; the raw blondie; raspberry macadamia thumbprint cookies; piña colada passion fruit popsicles

Late summer
Mornings: raspberry breeze smoothie; raw cashew yoghurt with maple and blackberry; cornmeal pancakes with gingered plum compote; blueberry cardamom chia pudding
All measures: sparkling mint lemonade; cleansing grape salsa; courgette firecracker corn bread; roasted red pepper walnut dip; heirloom tomatoes with olive-cured olives and crusty bread; sundown carrot and grilled corn salad; the best lentil salad ever
Mains: CBLT-coconut “bacon” lettuce tomato sandwich; cucumber nigella spelt salad; miso sesame-clazed aubergine; grain-free hemp tabbouleh; buckwheat crepes with creamy green bean slaw
Sweets: blueberry-lemon star anise cantuccini; berry volcano cake with white chocolate hemp sauce; raw key lime coconut tarts, grilled peaches with blackberry sauce; rawkin’ funky monkey ice-cream

Autumn
Mornings: vanilla rose apple cider; green galaxy smoothie bowl with buckwheat crispies; hazelnut flatbread with maple spice pumpkin butter; warm spinach. “bacon”, and egg salad; fig and buckwheat breakfast tart
Small measures: red onion lentil soup with Manchebo toasts; raw cashew cheese; celeriac ribbon salad with toasted coming and pomegranate; pan beignet with sunflower seed “tuna”; roasted butternut squash with grilled helium and duke on massaged kale
Mains: skinny dip white bean fondue; roasted cauliflower with Lebanese lentils and kaniwa; forest floor flatbreads; 10-spiced chocolate chili; roasted pumpkin with black rice and tangerine tahini sauce
Sweets: pear apple blackberry crumble; upside-down plum cake; walnut fig bars; raw chocolate night sky; banoffee pie.

Winter
Mornings: chaga tea; chaga hot chocolate; chunky banana bread granola; ginger-rosemary roasted grapefruit with macadamia nut cream; chipotle sweet potato and trumpet mushroom breakfast tacos; cranberry carrot loaf
Small Measures: pickled fennel, grapefruit, cabbage and avocado salad; beetroot party with orange and pine nuts; roasted parsnips with pomegranate glaze and za’atar; trippy tie-dye soup
Mains: four corners lentil soup; butternut stacks with kale pesto, kasha and butter beans; leek “scallops” and chanterelles on black rice; grain-free black kale sushi rolls with white miso ginger sauce
Sweets: creamy eggnog milkshake; pecan cranberry pie; rooibos-poached pears with raw chocolate olive sauce; salt ‘n’ pepper chocolate chip cookies; blood orange chocolate cake.

Stocking the pantry

There’s a useful introduction to the basic techniques and ingredients in a well stocked vegetarian kitchen, together with options that are gluten, dairy and sugar-free. The book is divided by season, something we’re beginning to see more and more frequently {hurrah!}, and encourages you to get out into the market to see what’s fresh. You won’t see many of the offerings that had filled the Sunday supplements of late, and that’s my reason for giving Sarah an elusive 5th star – there are enough original recipes in this book to ensure you’re kept moving forward. I’m particularly looking forward to giving the coconut ‘bacon’ BLT a go – I loathe meat substitutes, but I reckon this one will actually be pretty interesting, with tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup and coconut… The book is also beautifully shot – you can tell Sarah has come up the food-blogger route – it shows on every page…

One note of caution, this isn’t a book for someone who’s looking for the odd vegetarian recipe – not everyone keeps organic cacao nibs and chia seeds in their pantry {the cost can add up quickly unless you’re using them regularly}, and so it isn’t necessary going to suit those looking to supplement their usual diet with an occasional foray into this world.

You can get your copy here >

February 1, 2015 Recipe

Saffron Jewelled Rice

As a pescetarian, vegetarian dishes are a substantial part of my diet, but when I need to feed a large number of people this is ideal, and is generally a crowd-pleaser. Because it’s one dish that’s fantastic to serve alone, with meat, or fish, it suits so many diets. For our school Quiz Night {amazingly one of the highlights of the social calendar, as we’re all so laughably inept} I served it with Ottolenghi’s Saffron Chicken.

Jewelled rice is a Persian {Iranian} dish, usually saved for weddings and celebrations. Although mine is perhaps not the most authentic version, it seems there is no definitive recipe {or rather everyone thinks their version, is the definite version}. I can’t even spot a consistent difference between the two names: Morasa and Javaher Polow – both seemingly meaning jewelled rice.

Amongst the dozens of recipes I’ve read, there appear to be two distinct variations: one which uses spices and saffron, and a whiter version which omits them. Beyond that, I’ve seen every combination of ingredients and techniques. A few remain common: both nuts and dried fruit feature heavily, with the fruit usually being barberries. These are a sour berry not dissimilar to cranberries in appearance, but as I don’t always have them to hand, I’ve found dried physalis, and sour cherries to be a decent substitute. The physalis particularly has a sour but plump effect. The recipe which appealed to me the most came from the Amira site, and this is the one I’ve adapted.
Serves 8 comfortably

Ingredients:
600g long-grain basmati rice
Generous pinch of saffron threads
300g dried fruit (I used cherries, physalis, cranberry and blueberry)
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
60g unsalted butter
A few fine julienne of carrot
Zest of 1 orange
1 cinnamon stick
seeds from 8 cardamon pods
2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:
100g walnuts, roughly chopped
100g pistachios
seeds of a large pomegranate
Generous handful of parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped

Method:

Run the basmati under water in a sieve to remove the excess starch, and the cover with cold water, setting it aside to soak for an hour
Cover the saffron with three tablespoons of orange blossom water, and leave to steep
Add the dried fruit to a small bowl, and barely cover in boiling water, leave to steep
After 30 minutes, add the oil and half the butter to a frying pan and set over a low heat. Add the spices and the shallot, and soften gently for 30 minutes until the shallots are barely caramalised. Turn off the heat.
Drain the rice into a large saucepan, and pour boiling water over the rice, until it comes approximately 3cm above the rice. On a medium heat, boil the rice for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold running water, draining well.
When cool, mix the basmati into the shallots, along with the carrot strips, orange zest, saffron infusion, the dried fruit, and their soaking water. Season well with salt and pepper, and stir well.
Dot the surface of the rice with the remaining butter
Using a wooden spoon handle, make 5-6 holes through the rice, allowing it to steam evenly
Take a large piece of baking paper, scrunch it up, and soak in a little water. Shake off the excess, and lay over the rice {as a cartouche}. Cover the pan tightly with a damp tea towel, or sheet of foil, and set over a low heat. Cook, undisturbed, for 40 minutes. By this time your rice will be fluffy and a buttery crust will cover the bottom
While the rice is steaming, toast the nuts in a dry pan until they begin to smell ‘nutty’. Tip into a large bowl, and stir in the parsley, orange zest, garlic, carrot strips and pomegranate seeds
Once the rice has cooked, remove the paper, and stir through the nut and herb mixture. Serve the caramelised rice (the tah-dig) over the top.

I combine this dish with Ottolenghi’s Saffron Chicken, which also contains cardamom and oranges {one of my favourite combinations, as I’m sure you will have realised!}. The two dishes have a number of ingredients in common, and echo each other very successfully. I also took along a selection of hummus, with pitta breads toasted with a little olive oil, parsley and dukkah. Our portable pudding was a bento box of fruit, and a few riciarelli {which though Italian, are not hugely dissimilar to Middle Eastern nut treats}. And no. We did not win!

Do let me know what your favourite version of Jewelled Rice is!

January 27, 2015 Recipe

Braised lettuce, with spring onions and peas

There’s something very comforting about braised lettuce – maybe it’s because I know that lettuce is a soporific? Such a useful vegetable, there’s always, always, a variety of lettuces in my fridge, and as soon as the weather improves, in my garden. I like all varieties, particularly the more fluffy varieties such as lambs lettuce, and pea shoots (though not technically a lettuce)… I’m rather partial to herb salads to, especially those found in Eastern Europe and the Middle East… But I digress – perhaps lettuce makes one too calm, too loquacious…

Today’s variety is baby gem – that old stalwart of prawn cocktails… Personally I usually have mine simply cut in half, with a drizzle of very good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a good helping of salt and pepper – delicious just as it is. However todays little gem was destined for the pot! Braised with cumin seeds, white wine, and a tiny dash of cream, it was a perfect accompaniment to my sea trout.

Ingredients:
4 baby gem lettuce
1 glass white wine
Splash double cream
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
Bunch of spring onions
100g petit pois
20g unsalted butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Trim the spring onions, chopping three or so into a fine dice – retain the others whole
Cut the baby gems in half lengthways, retaining a little of the stalk to help keep their shape
Pop the oil and butter into a frying pan or shallow casserole, and soften the chopped and whole spring onions, without colouring them. At this point add the cumin seeds, salt and pepper
When the onions have softened a little, add the baby gems, cut side down, and cook for around 2 minutes, until they begin to soften
Add the glass of wine, and cream, and continue to cook for around six more minutes, until the lettuce is tender to a knifepoint, and the wine and cream have thickened
Add the petit pois, and cook until just tender

Notes:

This would make a great dish with fresh peas when they’re in season – I can’t digest fresh peas for some reason, but it would work beautifully
You could actually get away with adding more cumin seeds, they don’t taste as strongly in this as you might imagine
I added a little fennel herb salad to the bottom of my dish, and chervil, just to boost the anise notes further

November 2, 2014 FrontPage

Wild Rice and Roasted Vegetable Soup

Autumn is a glorious time for cooks, although we’ve had the bounty of spring and summer, it’s now time for pumpkins, squash, and spicy soups in front of a roaring fire. This recipe is very definitely a two for one – it begins as a roasted vegetable and wild rice salad, and the following day becomes a delicious soup!

Ingredients:
1 tsp garam masala
2 cloves garlic
300g soffritto or mirepoix (2 red onions, 2 carrots, 2 large celery stalks, all fined diced)
olive oil to fry the vegetables
1kg mixed vegetables (king oyster mushrooms, butternut squash, heritage carrots, heritage tomatoes, 2 courgettes)
1 large lemon, cut into wedges
1 large bunch of chervil or parsley
100g mixed salad

Method for the salad:

If you’re using wild rice, you’ll need to put this on first, as it takes 40-50 minutes to cook. The ratio for rice to water is usually 1 part rice, to just over 2 parts water or stock. My one cup of rice was more than sufficient for four portions of salad
Fry the soffritto in the olive oil, with the garlic and garam masala. If your using mushrooms, you can cut the stalks into dice or matchsticks, and add them to the soffritto, as I have done
Prepare your vegetables into quills, or a shape of your choosing. For quills, cut your carrot, for example, into a slanted wedge, then cut that into half
Incorporate your vegetables with the fried mixture, and pop them into a 180ºC oven for around 30 minutes – you’re not looking to roast the colour or flavour out of them, just to add some additional flavour through caramelisation. I also added the stalks of the chervil, finely chopped, and lemon wedges
When the rice is ready, combine the salad, roasted vegetables and rice into a bowl, and dress with a little more chervil. You may need to rinse the rice in a little water, if it looks as though it is going to become too starchy

Although I was eating the salad on my own (Hubby having cooked meat for the others), I made a full portion so that I could make soup the following day. You do have to be careful using pre-cooked rice, as it can contain bacteria. I blended mine in my Thermomix for 10 minutes, 100C, initially at speed 10, but then reducing it to speed 4. If you’re blending it normally, you will need to bring it back to the boil as a precaution. Swirl a little creme fraiche onto the top and snuggle up!

November 2, 2014 FrontPage

Pink Peppercorn Salad

I adore the scent and tang of pink peppercorns. I can distinctly remember the first time I tasted them in a sauce in Frederick’s Restaurant in Islington, nearly thirty years ago. These little berries of the South African baies rose plant aren’t related to peppercorns at all. Their flavour is very complex, both aromatic and sweet, and though I can’t find them listed at the Umami Information Centre, I’m certain they have a high umami level. I’ve used them in everything from panacotta’s to venison stew, and their scent and flavour profile are immediate identifiable… Here I wanted to enliven a warm green salad with a spicy little dressing, but not overwhelm the flavour of the veggies in the way, say, chilli might. The crushed peppercorns were a vibrant addition to the salad.

Ingredients:
100g of mixed green salad
200g of green vegetables (I used broccoli, and asparagus)
1 small shallots, finely diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 little olive oil

For the salad dressing:
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons pink peppercorns, crushed in a pestle and mortar
1 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Fry the shallots, cumin and garlic in a little olive oil
Prepare and cook your vegetables (c’mon, you don’t need me to tell you how to cook broccoli!)
Crush the peppercorns, and then incorporate the remaining vinaigrette ingredients
Toss all of salad, vegetables and dressing together in a bowl

Et voila! Welcome to the wonderful world of pink peppercorns… Now you can use them to infuse cream for a panna cotta, to impart flavour to white chocolate, in marinades for meat, even in cocktails – a pink peppercorn martini anyone?

October 17, 2014 FrontPage

Giant couscous, vegetables, herbs, pea-shoots

This dish is based very loosely on another Ottolenghi dish from Plenty – in it he combines rocket, onions, couscous and herbs. It struck me that it’s the perfect sort of dish to adapt based on what you love, or have available. Whilst rocket is peppery, for me pea-shoots impart a sweet freshness to the dish, that echoes the sweet and savoury shallots and cumin. I rustled Hubby up some blackened chicken to go with his dish, and the whole thing was done and dusted in the time it took to roast – no more than 25 minutes from beginning to end. This is one dish I’ll make dozens of variations of, and will treat as a method, rather than a recipe to adhere to rigidly.
Ingredients:

2 shallots
1 medium courgette
100g giant couscous
200g boiling water
1 tsp ground cumin
1 large clove of garlic
A handful each of parsley, mint, chives and chervil (whichever you have to hand or love)
80g pea-shoots
50g dried cranberries
olive oil, to fry the shallots in
Juice of one lemon, to dress
Extra virgin olive oil, to dress

Method:

Measure one mug of giant couscous into a bowl, and measure two mugs of boiling water, at the same level, pouring into the bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and set to one side (the couscous will cook in the residual heat of the boiling water – this method is sometimes called the absorption method, and will take around 15 minutes).
Finely slice two small shallots, and add to the pan with the olive oil. Gently fry until they are golden brown. Add a scant teaspoon of cumin powder, and lightly toss the mixture together.
Add the crushed garlic to the pan and soften without browning.
Cut the courgette into diagonal slices (if it pleases you), and if large, cut those slices in half. Cut the broccoli into manageable sections, and add both the broccoli and courgette to the pan. When lightly cooked, set the pan aside to cool a little.
Finely chop (or mince) a large handful of mint, parsley, chives, and chervil – or whichever herbs you prefer.
When everything is ready, combine your pea-shoots, drained couscous, herbs and vegetable together in a bowl. If you don’t mind fruit in your couscous, and I realise it’s not for everyone, add around 50g of dried cranberries, or sour cherries.
Drizzle with a little good virgin olive oil, and the lemon juice

October 16, 2014 Cheese

Butter and Sage Gnudi

I’m such a lucky gal, I’m so lucky to have a Hubby who likes to cook as much as I do. Normally it’s curry (and he makes fabulous curry), but he was recently captivated by Jamie Oliver’s gnudi recipe. He likes the combination of multiple cheeses, and lemon particularly. So lucky me, he undertook the two day task as earnestly as I would have done. Don’t let the fact it’s a two day recipe put you off, you really need the drying out time to allow the gnudi to set-up.

Ingredients (for 3-4 portions):

500g best-quality ricotta
50 g Parmesan cheese
½ whole nutmeg, for grating
Zest of one lemon
fine semolina, for dusting

Method:

Put the ricotta into a bowl with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then finely grate in the Parmesan and a few scrapings of nutmeg, along with the lemon zest. Beat it together, then have a taste to check the balance of seasoning is right – you want the nutmeg to be very subtle.
Generously cover a large tray with semolina, then roll the ricotta mixture into 3cm balls, rolling them in the tray of semolina as you go until really well coated. You should get around 20 gnudi from this amount of mixture. Shake and cover really well with the semolina and leave for 8 hours or preferably overnight in the fridge (don’t cover the tray) – the semolina will dehydrate the ricotta, giving the gnudi a lovely fine coating.
The gnudi will only take 3 minutes to cook, cook them in 2-portion batches to take care of them. Shake the excess semolina off 2 portions-worth of gnudi and cook them in boiling salted water while you melt a large knob of butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and pick in about 10 sage leaves to crisp up. Remove the crispy leaves to a plate and scoop the gnudi directly from the water into the frying pan, adding a spoonful of the cooking water. When the butter and water have emulsified, take off the heat and grate over a layer of Parmesan, add just a few drops of lemon juice, then toss together. Serve in warm bowls straight away with an extra grating of nutmeg and Parmesan and the crispy sage leaves, while you get on with the next batch, wiping the frying pan clean between batches.

Notes:

Do not place the gnudi in boiling water – bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, carefully put the gnudi in, so that they don’t break up
The size of Jamie’s gnudie is a little too big, in our opinion, we think they should be about half the size.
Jamie doesn’t include the zest of a lemon in his recipe, though he did on the TV episode. Hubby included the zest, and we do think it’s necessary, to offset the richness of the ricotta
In his new book, My Perfect Pantry, Geoffrey Zakarian has a gnudi recipe with mushrooms – that looks amazing!
They are quite rich, but they’d make an amazing starter… We’re already trying to work out combinations… It would seem sensible to have a category of variations that were light and herby, others that were meaty and full of depth, like the mushroom, and others that might include spices and a little heat… Think of it as your new pasta..

October 13, 2014 FrontPage

Crusted pumpkin wedges, with soured cream

This dish is from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty, and he’s quickly becoming my go-to chef… Though I still blog meat and fish dishes, I’m increasingly eating vegetables, and you can guarantee his recipes still pack enough punch to make up for that. For some reason, an onion squash has appeared in my kitchen… No doubt one of the children has spotted it somewhere, and convinced that halloween is on the way, coerced Hubby into buying it. Little do they know it’s just become my supper… Well, after all, they can always buy another… Though the recipe calls for a larger squash than mine, it still tastes magnificent.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

700g pumpkin (skin on, or any other squash)
50g Parmesan, grated
20f dried white breadcrumbs (panko in my case)
6 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
2½ tsp finely chopped thyme
grated zest of 2 large lemons
2 garlic cloves, crushed
60ml olive oil
120g soured cream
1 Tbsp chopped dill
salt and white pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/Gas Mark 5. Cut the pumpkin into 1cm thick slices and lay them flat, cut side down, on a baking sheet that has been lined with greaseproof paper.

To make the crust, mix together in a small bowl the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, half the lemon zest, the garlic, a tiny amount of salt (there is salt in the Parmesan) and a little pepper.

Brush the pumpkin generously with olive oil and sprinkle with the crust mix, making sure the slices are covered with a few millimetres of the coating. Gently pack the mix down a little.

Place the tin in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender: stick a knife in one wedge to make sure it has softened and is cooked through. If the topping starts to darken too much, cover loosely with foil.

Mix the soured cream with the dill and some salt and pepper. Serve the wedges warm, sprinkled with the remaining lemon zest with the soured cream on the side.

Notes:

If you have a combination of herbs you prefer, do feel free to use them. On my counter I had chervil, parsley, dill and thyme, and as I like that aniseed hit, I went with that
It would have been nice to use a larger squash to give a larger surface area, but the onion squash worked perfectly well. It also has the advantage of having a delicious skin when cooked
The smell of the garlic and lemon, as soon as this hits the oven, is ridiculous. It’s worth doing as a side-dish for that alone, your kitchen will smell amazing… For vegetarians, this is enough of a dish to satisfy your taste-buds
We dressed ours with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and some lemon juice