Pasta with cauliflower, raisins, saffron and pine nuts

December 27, 2014February 7, 2016 Belinda

I realize I have many cauliflower recipes and am happy to add yet another. Such a humble, unpretentious vegetable, the cauliflower, where the repertoire of flavor combinations is endless. Yet again, this Sicilian-style recipe is a must.

Serves 4

12 oz bucatini pasta or a one of your choice
1 small cauliflower,cut into florets
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp raisins, soaked in warm water for 20 mins, drained
1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan
2 salted anchovies, soaked in water for 1 hour,drained
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tomato, finely chopped
A good pinch of saffron strands (soaked in 1 tbsp warm water)
Approx 10 basil leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
To serve: Freshly grated pecorino cheese Toasted breadcrumbs (optional)

Fill a large (approx. 6 litre) heavy bottomed saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add approx. 1 tbsp of salt.
Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and cook for a few minutes (they should still be crunchy). Drain the cauliflower and reserve the cooking water.
Add the olive oil to the pan and gently fry the garlic and finely chopped anchovies, till the anchovies have melted and the garlic is soft.
Next add the tomatoes, pine nuts, raisins and saffron.
Cook the mixture over a medium heat, stirring regularly, for about 5-6 mins.
Add the drained cauliflower to the pan and season with salt and black pepper.
Cover and cook (medium heat) for a further 5 mins, adding a couple of tablespoons of the cauliflower water occasionally, to stop the mixture from sticking.
Reduce the heat, then remove the lid and continue cooking while you prepare the pasta (stir the cauliflower regularly).
Using the cauliflower water, cook the pasta so it’s a little undercooked (a little harder than “al dente”).
Drain,leaving a little water clinging to the pasta, then add to the sauce. Mix well, then cover and cook over a low heat for a couple of minutes, or until pasta is completely cooked.
Finally add the chopped basil leaves and stir. 1
Toss the finished pasta with a little extra olive oil and serve with some grated pecorino.
You can also serve this pasta dish topped with some fried breadcrumbs instead of the cheese.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Fish · Gluten Free · Grains · Nuts

Grilled parmesan polenta with olives, peppers, pine nuts and rosemary

January 5, 2014February 7, 2016 Belinda

So many wonderful Mediterranean flavors and gluten free!

Serves 8 as starter or 6 as a main course

2 1/2 pints water
1 tsp salt
1/2 lb polenta (It’s recommended to use the instant variety, which cooks in 5 minutes)
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 red peppers
1 yellow pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
3 anchovy fillets, drained of oil and squished (optional, but I love them)
1/4 cup fresh pine nuts
sea salt

Bring the water to the boil in a large wide (not tall and narrow) saucepan.
Add the salt, then shake in the polenta from a height. Stir continuously, using a wooden spoon.
When the polenta is cooked (5 mins for instant polenta and about 20 mins for regular polenta), stir in the butter and parmesan cheese.
Tip it on to a shallow tray and spread out to 1/2 inch thick. Smooth the surface and leave to cool. The cooked polenta can be left at room temperature for several hours, or it can be made a day in advance, but should be kept covered and refrigerated.

Blacken the peppers over a hot gas flame until well charred, put them into a paper bag (I use a paper grocery bag) and clip it shut so the peppers can steam until cool. This makes it easy to remove the skins.
When cool, remove the skins, core and seeds, put them into a colander over a bowl to catch any precious juices, and cut into fine slices.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over a low heat in a small pan and add the garlic and rosemary. Cook gently until aromatic, but don’t let the garlic color.
Add the black olives and take off the heat, then stir in the peppers and any juices caught underneath the peppers.
If using anchovies, blend them into this mixture. This can all be prepared a few hours ahead; cover and keep it at room temperature.

Fry the pine nuts in a little oil until golden (make sure you keep moving them around in the pan or they will burn) and drain on a paper towel, sprinkling them with a little salt.

When ready to finish off the polenta, cut it into squares and brush it on both sides with olive oil.
Barbecue the pieces on both sides, or grill them on an indoor griddle until light brown and crispy.
Transfer the crispy pieces onto a serving platter, spoon on the pepper topping and add a smattering of toasted pine nuts.

Serve immediately with a good, interesting green salad.

Fish · Pasta

Pasta with cauliflower and anchovies

November 10, 2013February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is a Marcella Hazan recipe which is so simple and so flavorsome. It was brought to my attention recently by the person who served me at the Beverly Hills Cheese Store. Thank you!!

You can adjust the amount in this recipe if you’re using less than 1lb of pasta.

Serves 4

1 & 1/2 lb head of cauliflower
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
6 flat anchovy fillets, chopped
1/4 tsp chopped red chile pepper
salt
1lb packaged penne or other pasta
2 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped

Break apart the cauliflower into florets; steam until tender, about 10 – 12 minutes.
Put the oil, garlic and chopped anchovies into a medium-sized saute pan.
Turn on the heat to medium and saute until the garlic begins to turn golden, stirring and mashing the anchovies.
Put in the cauliflower and break it up with a fork, crumbling it into peanut-sized pieces, mashing some of it into a pulp to create a sauce.
Add the hot pepper and a liberal amount of salt. Cook for a few minutes more.
Cook the pasta, place in a serving bowl and pour the sauce over it.
Toss and add the parsley.

Do-ahead · Soup

Tuscan tomato and white bean soup

October 27, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda

Gorgeous, smooth and velvety. Lovely for the Fall.

Serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 28oz can good quality tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 14 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
finely grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan.
Cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic and anchovies and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the broth, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper and rosemary.
Reserve 1/3 of the white beans then add the remainder to the soup.
Stir to combine and bring to the boil.
Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion stick blender.
Return the soup to the saucepan and stir through the reserved white beans to heat through.
Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh parsley and remaining tbsp of olive oil.
Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese

Do-ahead · Fish · Sauces

Tonnato sauce

September 6, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is one of the loveliest cold sauces to put over thin slices of cold chicken, turkey, veal or roasted red peppers. The lovely tuna flavor with the capers is really special and it’s very silky.

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
Sea salt
2 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 7oz can good quality tuna packed in oil
5 anchovy fillets
3 tbsp capers, drained

For garnish
extra capers, thin slices lemon, pitted black olives, parsley leaves or anchovy fillets.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/4 tsp salt until pale yellow and the consistency of cream.
Beginning a drop at a time, add 1 1/4 cups olive oil, whisking continually.
As the mixture thickens, you can add the oil a little quicker. When it gets quite thick, whisk in 1 tbsp lemon juice.
Continue adding the oil until the whole 1 1/4 cups has been absorbed and the mayonnaise is quite thick and shiny.
Whisk in another tbsp of lemon juice.

Drain the tuna and put it in a food processor with the anchovies, remaining cup of olive oil, remaining lemon juice and capers.
Process until you get a creamy uniformly blended sauce.
Scrape the sauce into a bowl with the mayonnaise and fold to combine.
Taste for seasoning. It should be tangy and highly seasoned.
Refrigerate until needed

Fish · Pasta

Spaghetti with grilled shrimp, zucchini and salsa verde

August 9, 2012February 8, 2016 Belinda

Summer is the perfect time for this recipe.You can BBQ the zucchini and shrimp but I do them on the ridged pan over two gas elements. Like this one below.

Serves 4

Salsa Verde
2/3 cup lightly packed Italian parsley leaves
3 tbsp drained capers
1 large clove garlic
4 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp anchovy paste
a level 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1&1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Rest of the dish
2 tbsp olive oil
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
1&1/4lbs large shrimp, shelled and deveined
wooden or metal skewers for cooking the shrimp
3/4lb spaghetti

Put the parsley, capers, garlic, lemon juice, anchovy paste, mustard, 1/2 tsp of the salt and the pepper into a food processor, Pulse, just to chop, 6 to 8 times. With the machine running, add the 1/2 cup olive oil in a thin stream to make a coarse puree.
Leave this salsa verde in the food processor, if necessary, pulse to re-emulsify just before adding to the pasta.

Light the grill or heat the ridged pan to hot. Brush the zucchini with 1 tbsp of the oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the salt.
Grill the zucchini, turning, until just done, about 10 minutes in all.
When the slices are cool enough to handle, cut them crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces and put them in a large bowl.

Thread the shrimp onto the skewers. Brush the shrimp with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
Grill, turning, until just done, about 4 minutes in all.
Remove the shrimp from the skewers, slice them in half horizontally and add them to the zucchini

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes.
Drain. Add the pasta to the grilled zucchini and shrimp and toss with the salsa verde.

Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free · Meat

Tonnato sauce (Italian tuna sauce) with sliced pork fillet

August 9, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is the easiest and most delectable cold sauce to put over thinly sliced pork fillet.
You can also use thinly sliced turkey, chicken, veal and even roasted peppers. It’s so versatile and I highly recommend it.

Serves 4

For the pork
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1lb pork fillet

For the sauce
3.5 oz a good brand of canned tuna in olive oil, drained
2 egg yolks
2 anchovy fillets
8 – 9 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 -2 tbsp capers
freshly ground pepper
chopped parsley to garnish

Pout the stock into a large saucepan and poach the pork fillet for 20 minutes until cooked through. Leave it to cool in the stock.
When the fillet is quite cold, remove them it the stock and slice thinly. Arrange on a serving plate.

Meanwhile, put the drained tuna into a food processor with the egg yolks and anchovy fillets. Turn the motor on and gradually add the olive oil in a very thin trickle.
Add the ground pepper and lemon juice, to taste
Spoon the sauce over the pork and scatter with capers
Garnish with parsley and serve

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Green Goddess dressing

August 8, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

I don’t understand why this is not used as much these days. It’s fabulous!
A great idea is to slice tomatoes in half, put a piece of mozzarella and basil inside and sandwich them together then pour over the Green Goddess dressing. The dressing will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

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This recipe makes about 2 cups of dressing, the recipe is slightly adapted from the original recipe from”The Palace Restaurant” in San Francisco.

1/3 heaped cup fresh chives or green onions (packed in to a measuring cup)
1/3 heaped cup fresh tarragon, (packed into a measuring cup, tarragon is optional but if you like tarragon it’s really good in this dressing)
1/3 heaped cup fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley (packed into a measuring cup)
1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp anchovy paste (or more, depending on how much you like anchovies)
1 cup mayonnaise (a good brand like Kraft or Helmanns)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

I used a food processor for this recipe, it makes life a lot simpler.
Measure 1/4 cup each of chives (or green onions) tarragon and parsley and add to the food processor.
Pulse the processor until the fresh herbs are finely chopped then add the lemon juice, white wine vinegar and anchovy paste and pulse a few more times.
Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, salt and pepper and run the food processor about 20 to 30 seconds or until the ingredients are well combined,
Chill at least for a few hours before serving

Fish · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Jamie’s traybaked salmon with olives, green beans, anchovies and tomatoes

August 2, 2012January 7, 2017 Belinda

This is so light and tangy as the anchovy melts over the vegetables, the cherry tomatoes provide sweetness and juice and the olives a little hit of pure joy

Serves 4

7 oz green beans
20 small cherry tomatoes
1 handful pitted black olives
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
freshly grund black pepper
4 x 8oz thick fillets of wild salmon, with or without skin but definitely pin-boned
2 lemons
1 good handful fresh basil
12 anchovy fillets (the ones in oil)

Top and tail the green beans, blanch them until tender in salted boiling water and drain. Shock in a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process then drain.
Put the beans in a bowl with the cherry tomatoes and the stones olives
Toss in the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper
Give the salmon fillets a quick wash under the tap and pat dry using kitchen paper towels.
Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the fillets, on both sides, then season both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
Preheat the oven and a roasting tray at the highest temperature your oven goes to.
Put your 4 fillets at one end of the roasting tray.
Toss the basil into the green beans, olives and tomatoes and place this mixture at the other end of the tray.
Lay the anchovy fillets over the green beans
Roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and serve with lemon quarters.
This is very tasty especially with some homemade mayonnaise or aioli.
A good cheat’s aioli is done by adding crushed garlic to a good brand of store bought mayonnaise, say the Helmanns or Kraft brand.