Grapefruit and sumac salad
Posted: April 25, 2013 Filed under: Salad, Vegetarian | Tags: Grapefruit, Salad, Yotam Ottolenghi 2 Comments
My iPhone Samsung Galaxy Note, whom never lies, tells me today is going to be a nice sunny day. The tepid 24oC it promised, seems as good as an excuse as any other to together this lovely salad. It almost feels a bit too summery for the end of April, even. But when the sun is out you have to enjoy it while it is there. If it goes again, God only knows when it will be back. And, apparently, grapefruits are in season…
Pink grapefruit and sumac salad (adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s column in The Guardian)
Ingredients
- 5 pink or red grapefruits for the salad
- 300mL of grapefruit juice (a big one is suffice).
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 small dried red chilli
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- ½ red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
- 2-3 small red chicory, separated, and large leaves cut in half on an angle
- 80g lamb’s lettuce (Valerianella locusta)
- Salt
Method
Top and tail five grapefruits so they’ll stand on a board. Cut down the side of each grapefruit, following its natural lines, to remove the skin and white pith. Over a bowl to catch the juices, cut in between the membranes to separate the individual segments. Dry the segments on kitchen paper and squeeze any juice from the skin and membranes into a saucepan.
Squeeze enough juice from the last grapefruit to make the juice in the pan up to 300ml. Add the sugar and chilli, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens and you have about five tablespoons-worth of juice left – this could take up to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool down, then whisk in the oil, lemon juice, sumac and a quarter-teaspoon of salt.
In a large bowl, put the grapefruit segments, onion, chicory, watercress and basil. Pour over three-quarters of the dressing and toss gently. (If it seems dry, add all the dressing; otherwise, save it in the fridge for another leafy salad.) Serve at once.
Kohlrabi salad
Posted: March 18, 2013 Filed under: Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tags: Kohlrabi, Middle East, Salad, Spices, Yotam Ottolenghi Leave a comment
To my great dismay, I realized too late I have no Irish specialty to post on St Patrick’s day… After pondering for a few seconds, I decided to go for something green instead. All I had on the store was this Middle Eastern dish, found in Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi‘s Jerusalem. A very unlikely combination, but nevertheless green enough. Happy St Patrick’s day!
Kohlrabi salad (adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi‘s Jerusalem)
- 3 medium kohlrabies (about 750g)
- 80g Greek yoghurt
- 70g sour cream
- 5og thick double cream
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon of finely shredded fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- 20g Nüssli (Valerianella locusta)
Method
Peel the kohlrabis, cut into 1.5cm dice and put in a large mixing bowl. Set aside and start making the dressing.
Put the yoghurt, sour cream, double cream, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil in a medium bowl. Add salt to taste and a generous portion of freshly ground black pepper. Whisk well.
Add the dressing to the kohlrabi, followed by the fresh and dried mint, and halt nüssli, Gently stir and place on a serving bowl.
Drop what is left of the nüssli and sprinkle with sumac.
Cooking classes with the Laughing Lemon: fennel and carrot salad
Posted: February 9, 2013 Filed under: Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tags: Carrots, Cooking class, Fennel, Laughing Lemon, Middle East, Salad 3 Comments
You may have noticed a lot of Middle Eastern flavors in this blog as of late. Jerusalem – the latest Yotam Ottolenghi‘s book – is partly to be blamed, but… this was how everything really started: The Laughinglemon‘s Moroccan Feast. I knew I would like it when I saw it, and registered without further ado. What I was not expecting was Jack’s pulling his mother’s old family recipes and throw at us a family meal cooked from the heart with all love and care. The kind of thing I will cherish for a very long time. * grab kleenex to wipe a stubborn tear *
As most mothers, Jack’s mother didn’t write her recipes down – why bother if they are normally passed down from generation to generation? And, when she explained the dishes to her sons, she did it as every mother would do. An essential ingredient was forgotten, directions would range from “let a cook for little while, but be careful not to overcook” to a whole time mother classic “add a little bit just like that” or failing to mention the little detail which would have avoided to set the kitchen on fire. Jack and his brother are trying to recover the recipes slowly but surely. and this Moroccan feast is the result of it. The most curious of all was the sudden realization that Jack and I might actually be related. Both our families are of Jewish extraction. Mine became Roman Catholic to escape the Spanish Inquisition. His, most likely fled to Morocco around the same time…
Religion and familiar disputes apart, this spicy carrot and fennel salad was one of the heroes of the day. It is not so straightforward as it might seem and it has a long list of spices, herbs and condiments. The result is totally worthwhile the effort – a fresh and crunchy dish with bold flavors. The type of thing which made K. lose her normal calm-cool-collected state to fight for the last bit (She won. I still have a black eye…).
Fancy coleslaw
Posted: January 29, 2013 Filed under: Salad, Vegetarian | Tags: Salad, Yotam Ottolenghi Leave a comment
And, after #beetrootgate, back to Yotam Ottonlenghi’s alternative Christmas menu… Truth to be said, this was coleslaw was put together by Todpop’s. A lot of shredding, chopping and mincing, but the result was worthwhile. As Yotam promised, the perfect side dish to get a break from Christmas sugary-starchy-deepfried-ish tradition.
Fancy coleslaw (adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s column in The Guardian)
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
- 1 medium fennel, trimmed and shredded 3mm thick
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ savoy cabbage, shredded 3mm thick
- 1 large radicchio, shredded 3mm thick
- 1 small red pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced
- 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
For the dressing
- 100g Greek yoghurt
- 40g mayonnaise
- 1½ tsp dijon mustard
- 1½ tsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 30g parsley, chopped
- 20g dill, chopped
- 10g tarragon, chopped
- Salt and white pepper
For the spiced cashews
- 120g cashew nuts, roughly chopped (or other toasted nuts)
- ¾ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp ground paprika
- ¾ tsp caster sugar
Method
For the spiced cashews
Heat the oven to 160C/320F/gas mark 2½.
place in a small bowl the cashews, turmeric, cumin, paprika, sugar and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Stir through a tablespoon of water so the spices cling to the nuts, place on a baking tray and roast for 10-12 minutes, until golden and crunchy. Remove and set aside to cool.
For the salad
In a large bowl, mix the carrots, fennel and two tablespoons of the lemon juice. Set aside for 20 minutes, drain in a sieve over the sink and leave to strain.
Return the strained carrots and fennel to the bowl, add the cabbage, radicchio, red pepper and chilli, and stir well.
For the dressing
For the dressing, whisk together the yoghurt, mayonnaise, remaining lemon juice, mustard, honey, olive oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and an eighth of a teaspoon of white pepper. Pour this over the vegetables and mix well. Add the herbs and spiced nuts, stir to combine and serve
Grilled lettuce hearts with a mint vinaigrette
Posted: September 16, 2012 Filed under: Salad, Vegetarian | Tags: Ferran Adria, Herbs, Lettuce, Salad, vinaigrette Leave a comment
Grilling lettuces hearts might sound like a cardinal sin. However, if you are bored of eating lettuce with a traditional dressing, this is a very, very, very easy to do dish with surprising results. Serve either as an appetizer or a side dish.
Grilled lettuce hearts with a mint vinaigrette (adapted from Ferran Adrià’s The Family Meal)
Ingredients
- the leaves of 8 springs of fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon of mustard
- 1 tablespoon of cherry vinegar
- 1 egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 lettuce hearts, cut in half lengthways and seasoned with salt and pepper
Method
To make the vinaigrette, put the mints leaves in a tall beaker. Then, drop in the mustard, the vinegar, the egg yolk and one portion of the olive oil. Start mixing with a hand held blender. Add the olive oil bit by bit, without stopping the blender. It is done when the mint looks chopped, right before it starts to convert into a mayonnaise (be careful not to over do it). Season with salt and pepper.
Cover the surface of a large frying pain (or a grilling one) with olive oil, and heat it. Drop in the lettuce heart and let them fry over medium heat until they are golden on both sides (it will take about 5 minutes). Once out of the pan, cut them half lengthways again.
Put the 4 wedges on a plate and poor the vinaigrette on top it. Serve while warm.
Gazpacho
Posted: August 12, 2012 Filed under: Salad, Soup, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tags: bread, Ferran Adria, Soup, Spain, Summer, Tomato Leave a comment
- 3 bleached garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 onions peeled and chopped in big chunks
- 60g cucumber peeled and chopped in big chunks
- 75g red bell peppers seeded and sliced
- 1Kg rip red tomatoes, chopped in big chunks
- 30g of white rustic bread, without crust, torn into pieces
- 120ml cup water
- 6 tablespoons of olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
Method
First, peel the garlic cloves and drop in small saucepan with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. When the water begins to boil, take out the garlic out of the water and put into a bowl of ice water to quickly cool it. Repeat twice, always starting with cold water.
Peel and cut the vegetables into large chunks and put them into a large bowl. Add the tomatoes into large wedges and put in a bowl with the onions, cucumbers, and bell peppers. Add the bread, torn into pieces, then pour over the water. Process everything together using a hand-held blender, about 5 min until is well combined. Add the olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper and blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Chill in the fridge before serving (at least 2 hours). Serve the gazpacho with a plus an extra drizzle of olive oil. If you want, you can add cured ham, finely chopped egg, tuna, croutons, chopped pepper…..
Marinated mozzarella and tomato
Posted: August 4, 2012 Filed under: Salad, Vegetarian | Tags: Herbs, Mozzarella, Salad, Summer, Tomato, Yotam Ottolenghi Leave a comment
If you had lived in Zurich for long enough, you will have quickly learnt that if the sun is out, you have to leave home and in enjoy it while it is there. God only knows when you will be able to enjoy again walking down the street without having to resort to several layers of clothing. It could be next day, but it can also be in a week, in a month or next year (if ever!). This Summer, it was even more extreme than usual. After a few weeks of sheer desperation, we found ourselves enjoying each quasi-summer day like it was the last one. And, many times it seemed like that indeed it was, and that we all would be condemned to an existence plagued with cashmere cardigans, heavy scarfs and thick stockings…. So, in a nutshell – there was not really a lot of opportunities for cool dishes. Except, maybe this one, from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty. An italian classic, converted into a ubiquitous dish:tomato-mozzarella-basil dictatorship. But, this one has a twist – roasted fennel seeds – which makes it outstanding. Not the usual watered stuff you get so often here in Zurich…
Marinated mozzarella and tomato (adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty)
Ingredients
For the salad
- 250g mozzarella (use buffalo mozzarella for best results)
- 4 ripe tomatoes, cut in wedges
For the marinade
- 1/2 tablespoon of crushed roasted fennel seeds
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 15 basil leafs shredded
- 2 tablespoons of chopped oregano
- olive oil to taste (or a mix 1:1 of olive oil and rapeseed oil)
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
For the marinade
First, put the fennel seeds in a small frying pan and heat until they start to pop. Drop them in a mortar and grind them until you have a chunky powder.
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Drop in the shredded mozzarella (shred the cheese and the basil with your hands, for an extra touch of rusticity).
Set aside for a about 20min
For the salad
In a plate, put the marinated cheese and the tomatoes side by side. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, if necessary and serve.
Valencian salad
Posted: March 23, 2012 Filed under: Salad | Tags: Almonds, olives, Red pepper, Thomas Keller, vinaigrette 1 Comment
Have been many times to Valencia, and never saw this combination. Normally, what you get if you ask for an ensalada valenciana is a mix of tomato, lettuce, onion and olives, dressed with some olive oil, vinegar and salt. In any case, Thomas Keller’s take is absolutely worthwhile trying… A lot of flavors that seem that won’t go together, but compliment each other to perfection.
Valencian salad (adapted from Thomas Keller‘s Ad Hoc at Home)
Ingredients
- Baby leafs ensemble by Migros (the original called for frisée and watercress, which I could not find).
- Roasted red peppers (the original recipe called for piquillo peppers, a bit challenging to find in this part of the world; see bellow for a recipe of roasted red peppers )
- Spanish olives
- Valencia oranges
- Marcona almonds
- Roasted garlic vinaigrette (see below for recipe)
Method
Put everything in salad bowl, in a proportion that makes sense to your taste. Gently mix the vinaigrette. Serve.
Roasted garlic vinaigrette (adapted from Thomas Keller‘s Ad Hoc at Home)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (=120ml) champagne vinegar
- 2/3 spoons garlic puree (just blend the equivalent of 2 – 3 confit garlic cloves)
- 1 1/2 cup (360ml) extra virgin olive oil
Method
Mix the vinegar and garlic puree. Add the oil slowly, whisking until emulsified and smooth. Put in the fridge in a covered container until use.
Roasted red peppers (adapted from Ferran Adrià‘s The Family Meal)
Ingredient
- 2 large red peppers
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper freshly ground
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Rinse the peppers, and then place in a roasting tin while still slightly wet.
After 45min, the peppers will be blackened and soft. Leave until cool enough to handle. Keep any juices that have collected in the pan.
Peel the skin from the peppers and remove the seeds. Do this over a bowl to catch any juices.
Cut the pepper flesh into thin strips. Put the peppers and the reserved juices into a pan and simmer over a low heat for 5min.
Sabih, tahini sauce, zhoug and salad
Posted: August 23, 2011 Filed under: Eggs, Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tags: Aubergine, bread, Eggs, Herbs, Salad, Spices, Tahini, Yotam Ottolenghi 1 Comment
An Israeli chef gives his interpretation of an Iraqi dish, topped with an Yemenite green chilli sauce. And, a pretty damn good it was, just ideal for this sort of weather…. The recipe was brought to the Guardian (here), by the hand of Yotam Ottonleghi. You know the drill: kilometric list of ingredients and several elements to put together at the end. But, it is worthwhile the effort – the combination of flavors and textures is delicate and at the same time exciting. Each one has its place and none is over-powering. It can be cooked in large batches and stored in the fridge to be eaten ad hoc.
Sabih, tahini sauce, zhoug and salad
Ingredients
For the sabih
- 2 large aubergines
- About 300ml sunflower oil
- 4 slices rustic white bread, toasted
- 4 free-range eggs, hard-boiled and cut into 1cm-thick slices
- Salt and black pepper
For the tahini sauce
- 100g tahini paste
- 80ml water
- 20ml lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
For the salad
- 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1cm dice
- 2 mini cucumbers, cut into 1cm dice
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1½ tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
For the zhoug
- For the zhoug
- 35g coriander
- 20g parsley
- 2 green chillies
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ⅛ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp water
Method
Using a vegetable peeler, peel off strips of aubergine skin from top to bottom, so they end up like a zebra, with alternating black-and-white stripes. Cut both aubergines widthways into 2.5cm-thick slices.
Heat the sunflower oil in a wide pan. Carefully – the oil spits – fry the aubergine in batches until nice and dark, turning once, for six to eight minutes; add oil if needed as you cook the batches. When done, the aubergine should be completely tender in the centre. Remove from the pan, leave to drain on kitchen paper, then sprinkle with salt.
To make the zhoug, put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste. For the tahini sauce, put the tahini paste, water, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix well, and add a little more water, if needed, so its consistency is slightly runnier than honey. Make the salad by mixing the tomato, cucumber, spring onion, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, place a slice of bread on each plate. Spoon a tablespoon of tahini sauce over each, then arrange overlapping slices of aubergine on top. Drizzle over some more tahini, without completely covering the aubergines. Season each egg slice, and lay on top of the aubergine. Drizzle more tahini on top and spoon over as much zhoug as you like – be careful, it’s hot! Serve the salad on the side; spoon a little on top of each sabih, too, if you like. Store any leftover zhoug in a sealed container in the fridge – it will keep for a week at least.
Russian egg and mushroom salad with mustard vinaigrette
Posted: August 3, 2011 Filed under: Eggs, Salad, Vegetarian | Tags: Egg, Food blogger recipe, Herbs, Mushrooms, Salad 1 Comment
I saw it on Orangette, who warned in no equivocal terms: this is not a beautiful egg salad. She was right. Indeed, this is not a good-looking salad. In fact, it is as ugly as dark stormy night. But, the flavors! Oh, the flavors! It is just something that you cook, and have to it eat. And eat it again. And again. And again… I now do it in relatively large batches, and try to make it last through the week by carefully rationing the portions. The flavors deepen over time, and can be eaten warm or cold. In the original recipe, the salad is served over toasted bread.
As I still cannot see mayonnaise in front of me without feeling nauseous, I replaced it with home-made mustard vinaigrette. I used the recipe of The Reluctant Gourmet. Actually, his post on home-made vinaigrette is worthwhile reading if you have a vinaigrette fetich – it is one of the most comprehensive and detailed explanations I have seen. Not that I have seen many, but after reading his, I don’t feel the need to look at something else.
Russian egg and mushroom salad with mustard vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad
- 5 tablespoons of canola oil (I replaced it with olive oil, as usual)
- 500g mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch of finely chopped fresh dill (about 1/3 of a cup)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Mustard Vinaigrette
- 1 glove of garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I also use old style mustard with all its grains)
- 5-6 tablespoons olive oil
- pinch of dried parsley
- pinch of dried thyme
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Methods
Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, and add the mushrooms. (If they don’t all fit in the pan at once, let the first panful wilt down a bit, and then add the rest. It’ll work out fine.) Cook, stirring often, until lighly browned, 14-16 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and set aside. Wipe out the frying pan.
Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onions begin to soften; then reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until lightly caramelized, 10-15 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms. Add the dill and eggs, and stir to mix.
For the vinaigrette, in a clean jar or small bowl, add the vinegar, garlic, mustard and mix well. Slowly add the olive oil while either whisking or stirring rapidly with your fork (I use a small stirrer, and add 1 spoon of olive oil at a time). Add the parsley and thyme, salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings.
If you really must use mayonnaise, the in a small bowl, whisk together a 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, with 2 tablespoons of mustard, and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
Pile the salad on lightly toasted bread – preferably sourdough rye, if you’ve got some – and serve open-faced.
Lucie Loves Food 