Baked black truffle stuffed brie

July 20, 2019July 20, 2019 Belinda

This recipe is unapologetically decadent and wonderful for date night.
Creamy brie, enhanced with the earthy delicious flavors of black truffle all baked to oozing delicious perfection!
Recipe c/o the Australian food blog, “Sprinkles and Sprouts”

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Serves 2

1 medium brie wheel – around 8oz
1/2 oz black truffle (or as much as you can afford!!)
1 tbsp olive oil
A pinch of salt and black pepper
Really good crusty bread to serve

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove all the packaging from your brie, but if it came in a wooden box keep this for later.
Use a sharp knife to cut a circle in the top of your brie. You want to go through the rind and a little into the cheese.
Peel this back and use a teaspoon to scrape a small amount of cheese away (eat this – chefs perk!)
Finely grate the truffle over the cheese, drizzle over the olive oil and add a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Cover the truffle cheese back up with the circle of rind you removed earlier
Wrap the brie in parchment paper and then tightly in aluminum foil.
Place the brie on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until completely molten.

To serve I like to remove the foil and carefully slide the cheese back into the wooden box.
Serve with plenty of bread and some apple slices.

** Some little radishes are amazing with this, but ideally you want the ‘french breakfast’ radishes as they have a milder flavor.
Notes
If you have more truffle then add as much as you like (and can afford!!!)

In France the cheese is often baked in the box, but there the boxes are stapled together. Don’t do it if your box is glued as they often are, as the heat of the oven will pop the box open!
Better to use tin foil and transfer to the box. Otherwise you might end up with a cheese flood!!

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Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Nuts · Salad · Vegetable-related

Marinated zucchini with hazelnuts and ricotta

July 12, 2019July 12, 2019 Belinda

From Bon Appetite magazine

Zucchini is anything but boring when bathed in a kicky vinaigrette. Summer squash contains a lot of water, which can cause it to get mushy when cooked. We turned to a trick we use with moisture-rich vegetables like cucumbers and eggplant: Toss raw halved squash with salt and let it sit for at least ten minutes (and up to 30) to draw out some liquid, and then pat dry with paper towels. This also seasons it from the inside out, concentrating the flavor.

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3 medium summer squash or zucchini (or pattypan squash!), cut in half lengthwise
1½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more
¼ cup blanched hazelnuts
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 small bunch mint, divided
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
¾ tsp. sugar
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
½ lemon
½ cup fresh ricotta
Flaky sea salt
Toasted country-style bread (for serving)

Preheat oven to 300°. Toss squash and 1½ tsp kosher salt in a colander; set over a bowl. Let sit 10 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels.

Toss hazelnuts and 1 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, shaking occasionally, until golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Let cool; crush into large pieces with a measuring cup or glass.

Smack 3 mint sprigs against your cutting board a few times to release their flavor; mix in a large bowl with garlic, vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, and 2 Tbsp. oil; set dressing aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high until shimmering. Arrange squash cut side down in skillet, breaking into smaller pieces if needed in order to fit in a single layer, and cook, moving around in pan to ensure even browning, until golden brown on cut side, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover (if you don’t have a lid use a baking sheet), and continue to cook until very tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly.

Cut squash into 2″ pieces and toss in reserved dressing to coat; season with kosher salt and black pepper. Let sit at room temperature, tossing occasionally, 15 minutes. Pluck out mint sprigs; discard.

Meanwhile, zest lemon half into a small bowl, mix in ricotta and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; season with kosher salt. Hang on to that lemon.

Spread lemon ricotta over platter. Top with squash and their juices. Squeeze reserved lemon over. Pull leaves from remaining mint sprigs (you want about ¼ cup). Scatter mint and hazelnuts over squash. Drizzle generously with oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with toast.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Spicy black bean, corn and avocado tacos

June 24, 2019 Belinda

Ripe summer corn is so delicious, so fresh, and so full of flavor, you can literally enjoy it raw. Filled with black beans, avocado, and raw corn marinated in bright lime juice along with jalapeño, cilantro, and toasted nuts and seeds, these hearty tacos make a great side to your BBQ meat.

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Serves 4

1/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 ears of corn, shucked
1 medium jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
5 tbsp fresh lime juice, divided, plus lime wedges for serving
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, drained
1 tbsp ground cumin (preferably roasted, but don’t worry if you don’t have any)
12 small corn tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large avocado, thinly sliced

Toast the hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the corn off cobs into a large bowl (you should have about 2 cups kernels).
Add the toasted nuts and seeds, jalapeño, red pepper, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/4 cup oil, 3 Tbsp. lime juice, and 1/2 tsp. salt; toss to combine.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium.
Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion starts to release moisture and turns translucent, 4–5 minutes.
Add the beans, cumin, 1/3 cup water, and remaining 3/4 tsp. salt. Cover and cook until liquid is reduced and beans soften, about 5 minutes.
Uncover, add 1/3 cup water, and use the back of a fork to mash up about half of beans.

Working one at a time, warm tortillas with tongs directly over a gas burner over medium heat, turning often, until lightly charred and puffed in spots, about 45 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 350°F oven until warmed through, or wrap in damp paper towels and microwave in 20-second bursts until warm.) Transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.

Whisk the sour cream and remaining 2 tbsp lime juice in a small bowl. Fill the tortillas with the bean mixture, then top with the corn salsa, avocado, and cilantro leaves.
Drizzle with sour cream mixture and serve with lime wedges alongside.

Do Ahead
Corn salsa and beans can be made 3 days ahead; store separately, cover, and chill. Bring corn salsa to room temperature. Reheat beans in skillet before serving.

Accompaniments · Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan · Whole30 compliant

Roasted, spiced pumpkin seeds

May 29, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

We love to live the Whole 30/Paleo lifestyle at home as it makes us feel good, energetic and healthy.
We rarely snack except on fruit, nuts and seeds, and this recipe is a wonderful way of having something a little different available when you’re peckish or to bring out when friends drop by.

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Spice Mix
1 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp granulated garlic (NOT garlic salt)

1 tbsp olive oil

Mix together until well combined in a small bowl; the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, kosher salt and granulated garlic. (You can of course experiment with the amounts after you’ve tried it this way)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a sturdy frying pan, add the pumpkin seeds. Stir continuously, as they start to brown, for about 6 to 7 minutes. If they start to char, then turn the heat down.

Remove from the heat, add the spice mixture and stir in well. Return to the heat for about 2 minutes, stirring well and then remove from the heat.
Let cool and keep in a container or jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Enjoy!

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Paprika-Seared Potato Wedges with Olive-Date Tapenade & Date Sour Cream

May 3, 2019 Belinda

Another great recipe from the food blog “The Original Dish”, author, Kayla Howey
I love the way she is so inventive with vegetables and highly recommend going on her blog and signing up.

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Serves 4
Date Sour Cream
8 oz pitted Medjool dates
1 cup cream sherry
8 oz sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Paprika-Seared Potatoes
2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed and wedged (about 4 large potatoes)
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ lemon

Olive-Date Tapenade
4 oz pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped
5 oz black pitted olives, finely chopped
1/2 oz capers, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Combine the dates and cream sherry in a small saucepan. Bring the sherry to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the dates have absorbed most (but not all) of the sherry. Let the mixture cool.
In a food processor, blend the cooled date mixture until smooth. In a mixing bowl, combine 3 ounces of the date mixture with the sour cream, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, toss the potato wedges with the paprika, salt and pepper. Make sure each wedges is coated with paprika. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is sizzling hot, add the potato wedges (you may need to work in batches; you don’t want to overcrowd the pan).
Lower the heat to medium and sear the potatoes until golden brown, a few minutes per side. Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking the potatoes, about 10 more minutes. Squeeze the lemon over the potatoes as soon as they come out of the oven.

Combine the dates, olives, capers, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix to incorporate.

To Serve
Spread the date sour cream on a plate. Place the potato wedges on the plate and spoon the olive-date tapenade over the top. Alternatively, serve the date sour cream in a bowl with the tapenade on top and potato wedges alongside.
notes

** To lighten this dish up, try Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. You also will have extra date puree. Save this to flavor other dishes or to make the sour cream again. You can freeze it if needed.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Roasted carrots with scallion vinaigrette

May 1, 2019 Belinda

I get more excited about interesting vegetable dishes than meat or fish. Although I couldn’t be a vegetarian, I could happily eat this sort of dish 5 out of 7 days a week.
This recipe comes from the great food blog, #theoriginaldish Recipe by Kayley Howey

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Scallion Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 scallions
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup neutral oil (safflower, grapeseed, vegetable, etc.)
½ cup raisins
kosher salt

Roasted Carrots

½ cup raw hazelnuts
2 bunch long baby carrots, scrubbed and halved
olive oil
kosher salt
feta cheese, shaved or crumbled (as much as you’d like)
carrot top leaves, to garnish (optional)

Scallion Vinaigrette

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots. Cook until tender and caramelized, just a few minutes, stirring often.
Lower the heat and toss in the scallions. Continue to cook for another minute.
Stir in the white wine vinegar and honey. Let the mixture come to a bubble and simmer for a minute. Turn off the heat.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and slowly drizzle in the neutral oil until emulsified. Fold in the raisins. Season with salt to taste.
Let the vinaigrette sit while you make the carrots.

Roasted Carrots

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Lay the hazelnuts out onto a baking sheet. Roast for 5 minutes. Let cool just slightly and use a kitchen towel to rub the hazelnuts between your hands in order to remove the skins. Discard the skins. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and set aside.
Meanwhile, lay the halved carrots out onto a baking sheet. Toss with enough olive oil to coat them well. Spread them into one, even layer. Season with a pinch of salt.
Roast the carrots for 12-15 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelized (time may vary depending on your oven).
Toss the warm carrots with the scallion vinaigrette. Serve them with the chopped roasted hazelnuts, feta cheese, and carrot top leaves (optional) on top.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Breakfast · Egg based · Holiday Food

“Bacon and eggs” truffle custards with crispy prosciutto

April 15, 2019 Belinda

Most of Thomas Keller’s recipes (of French Laundry fame) are too complicated for my short attention span but this one is not too hard and is absolutely life changing.

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8 large eggs (the fresher the better)
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup milk
1& 1/2 tbsp truffle oil
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

Finishing Touches
1 tbsp chives (finely diced)
1 oz (2-3 slices) prosciutto

Ragout
1/3 c veal or chicken Stock
dash of fish Sauce (or dash of white wine vinegar)
1 tsp unsalted Butter
1/2 tsp truffle oil

A used egg carton

Custards
Prepare the egg shells
With an egg topper or serrated knife, cut off wider end of the egg (make sure cut is low enough that a spoon can fit in the opening.) If cutting with a serrated knife, lay the egg on a towel, and with a steady but gentle sawing motion, cut halfway through width of egg.
Remove knife, turn egg upright, and pop off the top of the egg. Pour 2 of the eggs into a bowl to reserve for the custard, and the others you can save for any other kitchen uses you might have for them. Reserve the paper egg carton. Reserve the shell bodies.
Under running water, using your fingers, carefully remove the membrane from inside the shell bodies. Clean up any loose shell pieces from the edges of the shell cavity, then set aside.

Prepare the Custards
Preheat oven to 275°F
In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream and milk. As soon as it reaches a boil, transfer to a blender. Carefully pulsing, slowly build speed of blender to prevent extreme splattering. While blending, add the 2 reserved eggs, truffle oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher that pours well. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then skim foam from top of custard.
Place the shell bodies upright into a reserved egg carton (cut away extra spaces to make carton smaller.) Carefully pour custards into shells, filling about 85% full. (If pitcher is pouring like a bitch, use a funnel to help aim the pours.)
Using a pan that is a least 3 1/2 – 4″ deep, fill about 1″ of hot water into the pan. Place custards (carton and all) into the water, and top off with more water (if necessary) to have water level reach 3/4 ths up the sides of the eggs. Place pan into oven, cover with a lid or baking sheet, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until custards are set. Remove from oven and set aside (They can stay in the warm water for about 2 hours if needed.)

Prepare the Finishing Touches and Ragout
Heat a saute pan over med-high heat, add a touch of oil, and crisp up prosciutto (just like cooking bacon.) Dab on paper towels to remove excess oils, then cut into 1/2″x 2″ pieces (there will be spare tidbits you’ll get to snack on.)
Dice the chives.
Put the stock and fish sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes, or until it coats the back of a spoon. There should be about 3 tbsp of sauce.

Finishing
Swirl the butter and truffle oil into the reduced stock. Season to taste. Place each egg in a cup, and spoon about 1 tsp of ragout on top of the custards. Add a sprinkling of diced chives, then place a prosciutto crisp in each egg.