Lamb tajine
Posted: March 6, 2013 Filed under: lamb | Tags: Couscous, lamb, Middle East, Spices, Tajine, The spicery 3 Comments
What started with a Laughing Lemon’s cooking lesson ended up with K. and B. giving me a tajine, which eventually became very handy to try the January kit of The Spicery: a lovely lamb tajine with apricots and almonds. The Spicery – do not confuse with spice rack – is the word for the place where spices are made or stored. It is also an online shop which sells freshly ground and blended spices – really top-notch stuff. Or, puts together kits and sends them together with their recipes. I have to say I was bit skeptical when I heard about his. After 5 munches into this lamb tajine, I had to agree this was one of the best ones have ever had. If you want to try, the recipe is here. To make it work, you will really need the spices…
Chocolate chunk meringue cake
Posted: March 2, 2013 Filed under: Chocolate, Dessert, Pastry and Baking, Vegetarian | Tags: Bill Granger, Chocolate, Dessert, pistachio, Sugar Leave a comment
Believe it or not, this was a last minute dessert. It looks spectacular, it tastes scrumptious and is a fool proof recipe. Home cooking doesn’t get much better than this…
Chocolate chunk meringue cake (adapted from Bill Granger‘s Easy)
Ingredients
- 6 egg whites
- 220g golden caster sugar
- 200g dark chocolate roughly chopped
- 100g pistachio nuts,roughly chopped plus extra to decorate
- 3oo mL double cream (or whipped cream)
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 160C.
In a sheet large enough to cover a baking tray draw a circle with 26cm diameter
Turn the paper around and put it on the tray
Whist the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form soft peaks. Add the sugar, one spoon of a time, whisking between every addition until all the sugar is well incorporated.
Fold in the chocolate and the sugar.
Transfer to the baking tray and spread out, keeping the mixture roughly inside the circle.
Put in the oven for about 1h or until cooked through.
Beat the cream to soft peaks, spread over the meringue once it is evenly cool. Scatter with extra pistachios.
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…).
Quince poached in pomegranate juice and clotted cream
Posted: February 1, 2013 Filed under: Dessert, Fruit | Tags: Dessert, Fruit, pomegranate, Quince, Yotam Ottolenghi Leave a comment
I can remember those cooking marathons my Mother used to endure around Christmas time, when all the cooking would be put to an halt to produce countless pots of marmelada. Do not confuse with marmalada... Marmelada is a very sugary quincy purée, which is a staple in every Portuguese kitchen. It seems to be something the Romans learnt from the Greeks, and which staid with us until today,wikipedia dixit.
In any case, I would have thought to use the actual fruits for a dessert until I saw this recipe. And, I am glad I have tried it. Once you start with it, you just want to come back for more.
Quince poached in pomegranate juice (adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s column in The Guardian)
Ingredients
- 2 large quinces, peeled and quartered
- 800ml pomegranate juice
- 70g caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod, cut in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
- The shaved peel of 1 large orange, plus 50ml juice
- 2 whole star anise
- 65g pomegranate seeds
- 120g clotted cream
- 2 tsp fresh mint leaves (optional)
Method
Core the eight quince quarters. Discard four cores and tie the others into a bundle with an old tea towel or muslin. Put the cored quince quarters into a heavy-based pan and add the wrapped-up cores, pomegranate juice, sugar, vanilla pod and seeds, orange peel and juice, and star anise. Bring to a boil, turn down to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 15-25 minutes, until the quince is soft.
Remove the quince quarters with a slotted spoon and set aside. Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes or so, until it’s thick, syrupy and reduced to about 75ml. Just before serving, squeeze all the thick juices out of the core bundle into the sauce, then discard along with the orange peel, star anise and vanilla. Return the quince to the syrup and gently warm through. Place two quarters of quince on each plate, pour over some syrup and serve with clotted cream and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and shredded mint (if using)
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
Chocolate and beetroot brownies
Posted: January 25, 2013 Filed under: Chocolate, Dessert, Vegetarian | Tags: Beetroot, Cake, Chocolate, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Sugar 2 Comments
In the aftermath of #beetrootgate, beetroot brownies… A slightly less guilty pleasure, with a rich and velvety texture. Truth to be said, I like this version better than the 100% chocolaty thing.
Chocolate and beetroot brownies (adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ‘s River Cottage Everyday)
Ingredients
- 250g of unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 250g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces
- 3 medium eggs
- 250g caster sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 150g whole meal flower
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder (or according to instructions in the package)
- 250g of beetroot, boiled until tender then peeled and grated.
Method
Set the oven to 180oC
Grease a baking tray, and cover the bottom with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate and the butter in a bain marie. If you don’t have a proper double boiler (I don’t), just fit a metal bowl over a small saucepan filed with a few centimeter of water, making sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Let the water boil, while mixing the butter and the chocolate until the mixture is well combined and glossy.
Whisk the eggs and the sugar until well combined. Then beat in the chocolate and butter until smooth.
Combine the flour with salt and baking powder. Sift them over the chocolate mix. Gently fold in with a wooden spoon.
Finally, fold in the grated beetroot, and keep on folding gently. Be careful not to over mix – otherwise you will get though brownies
Put the mixture in a tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for 20-25min, or until a knife insert into the center come out slightly moisten or with a few crumbs attached.
Let it cool until you cut the squares.
Roasted beetroot with chestnuts, red onions and balsamic vinegar
Posted: January 22, 2013 Filed under: Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tags: Beetroot, Carlos Horrillo and Patrick Morcas, Chestnuts, Onions, Spain Leave a comment
I was not joking: here it goes #beetrootgate dish number 3. I tried this recipe once, out of one of favorite cookbooks long before I had a blog. As beetroots were pulling up in the fridge, it seemed like a good idea to try it again. And, it was as lovely as I remembered it, with lots of different flavors and textures. A perfect side dish for you winter roasts…
Roasted beetroot with chestnuts, roasted red onions and balsamic vinegar (adapted from Carlos Horrillo and Patrick Morcas’ Tapas: Simple Flavours, Striking Combinations)
Ingredients
- 3 large beetroots washed and cooked, sliced (pay attention not to pull the vinegary ones from the shelf)
- olive oil to taste vinegar to taste
- 3 red onions cut into quarter
- 8 roasted chestnuts, crushed with a mortar and pestle
- balsamic vinegar
- salt and black pepper to taste
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 190oC/3750F/mark 5
Place the sliced beetroots* in a roasting tray, and drizzle them with a generous amount of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for about 25min. Reserve.
Put the quartered onions in a small roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place them at the bottom of the oven and roast for about 20min. Reserve.
When everything is ready, place a large heavy-based non stick frying pan on a medium heat and put in enough olive oil to coat the bottom. When is piping hot and begins to smoke, drop in half the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 min, until the beetroots start to get dark, stirring occasionally, Add half the roasted onions and dash of balsamic vinegar. Mix well, and add the half the chestnuts. Cook together another 3min. Reserve. Repeat whit what is left of the ingredients.
Just when the second batch is about to get ready, put in the reserved portion. Drizzle again with olive and let it cooked until everything is well mixed.
*If you cannot find cooked beetroots, cook them by bringing them to boil in a large pan with salt and water and bring them to simmer for about 3h. After allowing them to cool, peel of the skins.
Beetroot soup with tarragon yogurt ice cubes
Posted: January 18, 2013 Filed under: Soup, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tags: Beetroot, Herbs, Soup Leave a comment
And we here go: #beetrootgate dish number 2. Truth to be said, T. found the recipe and executed it with no fault. Don’t let the unusual combination of flavors stop you to try this soup. In fact, it is delicious. Ideal to serve as an appetizer or for brunch.
Beetroot soup with tarragon yogurt ice cubes (adapted from BBC Goodfood)
Ingredients
For the soup
- 3 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 75ml red wine
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1l vegetable stock
- 500g cooked beetroot , unvinegared, roughly chopped
For the yogurt ice cubes
- 500g pot natural yogurt
- small bunch tarragon
Method
For the yogurt ice cubes
To make the ice cubes, mix the yogurt with a handful of chopped tarragon leaves
Half-fill ice cube trays
Cover with cling film and freeze overnight.
For the soup
Put the onions and sugar in a saucepan, cover with a lid, then cook over moderate heat for 10 mins, shaking the pan from time to time.
Pour in the wine and vinegar and bubble away until syrupy.
Now pour in the stock, add the beetroot and a handful of tarragon leaves. Bring to the boil, then cook for 15 mins.
Blend the soup until smooth
Season with lots of black pepper
Serve hot with a yogurt ice cube on top
Sweet spiced duck breast with beetroot and ginger relish
Posted: January 15, 2013 Filed under: Duck, Vegetables | Tags: Betroot, Duck, Spices, Yotam Ottolenghi 1 Comment
The moment I saw this Yotam Ottonlenghi’s alternative Christmas menu, I knew I had to do it. It didn’t take too long to convince three mobile calorie intake units friends to join me in cooking duck for the first time in years this journey. Lucky ladies – it was probably the best meal I cooked this year… As usual, Yotam instructions were so precise that even duck seems easy to cook.
What I could not anticipate was the several dishes of beetroot which followed this one. After an unfortunate chain of events, otherwise known as #beetrootgate, I ended up with a lot – and when I say a lot I really mean a lot – of beetroot in the fridge. Enough to keep this blog busy for the next couple of weeks…
A big thank you to T., my suffering sous-chef for this menu.
Sweet spiced duck breast with beetroot and ginger relish (adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s column in The Guardian)
Ingredients
For the duck
- 4 duck breasts, 800g in total
- 1 tsp ground star anise
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp sunflower oil
- Salt and black pepper
For the beetroot relish
- 6 medium beetroots, peeled and sliced 1mm thick
- 300ml red-wine vinegar
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 tsp flaked chilli, or more if you like it spicy
- 15g peeled ginger, finely grated
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 Sichuan peppercorns
Method
Score the duck breasts in three or four parallel lines on an angle across the skin, taking care not to cut through to the meat. Place them in a medium-sized bowl and add the star anise, cloves and oil. Rub the spices into the duck so the breasts are well covered, cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour or two.
Meanwhile, make the relish. Mix all the ingredients in a large saucepan and add a teaspoon and a half of salt. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beetroot becomes tender, the liquid thick and all but reduced entirely. Remove from the heat and set aside somewhere warm.
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6, and heat a large, heavy-based frying pan on medium heat. Add half a teaspoon of salt and a quarter-teaspoon of black pepper to the duck breast bowl and mix well. Place the breasts skin side down into the hot pan – you won’t need any oil because of the amount of fat in the duck skin – and cook for four to five minutes, regularly spooning out the fat that’s released into the pan. If the skin is getting too dark too quick, lower the heat a little.
Once the skin is a dark golden-brown and crisp, turn over the breasts and sear on the flesh side for three minutes.
Transfer the breasts to a baking tray and finish cooking in the oven for about three minutes, until cooked to medium. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and leave to rest for five minutes.
To serve, slice the breasts on an angle and lay on a plate. Spoon some beetroot relish on to each breast and pour over a little of the syrup. Scatter a few thyme leaves on top and serve immediately
Minestrone soup
Posted: January 6, 2013 Filed under: Soup, Vegetables | Tags: Italy, Sensible cooking, Soup, The Hairy Dieters Leave a comment
After one month of (almost) daily feasts and non stop indulgence, I ended up with a food hangover of biblical proportions. For a couple of days, I’d rather fight my way through the ironing pile than opening a cook book… Unless it was Dave Myers and Si King’s The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weigh, which promises dishes low in calories and big on flavor. Not small on portions, though… Their 4 servings are the equivalent of 6 of my portions, and I normally don’t eat like a birdie. But, all in all, it was exactly what I was looking for. A light soup to keep me going while fighting the hang over.
Minestrone soup (adapted from Dave Myers and Si King’s The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight)
Ingredients
- 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 celery stick finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and finely sliced
- 2 medium courgettes diced
- 1,5L of chicken stock
- 50g dried spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 200g frozen peas
- 100 savoy cabbage thickly shredded
- 25g of parmesan cheese finely grated
- fresh basil leafs to garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
First, peel the tomatoes. Prepare the iced iced water in advance (basically, water and ice). Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Make a small X in the bottom of each tomato with the tip of a knife. Using a slotted spoon, lower them one a time, into the pot for 10-15seconds. Fish them out and tip them into ice water to cool for about 1 minute. Peel the tomatoes, starting from the X mark on the bottom and pulling back the curled skin. You can now chop tomatoes into dices.
In a large non stick frying pan, heat the oil until it is piping hot and drop the onion. Lower the heat and sautée until is soft and translucent.
Add the celery, garlic, leek and courgettes and drop them into the pan with the onion. Still over a low heat for a couple of minutes, then stir in the chopped tomatoes, pour over the chicken stock and bring to the boil.
Break the spaghetti into short lengths and drop them into the pan. Add the tomato purée and bring the soup back to the boil, then cook for 8minutes stirring occasionally. Add the peas, cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes or until the pasta is just tender.
Season the soup with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan and torn basil leaves if you want.
Lucie Loves Food 