Portobello “fries” with truffled aioli

October 23, 2013February 7, 2016 Belinda

This addicting recipe is from the great Eric Ripert” chef at my favorite fish restaurant, Le Bernadin.

Serves 8

The fries

8 Portobello mushrooms
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups fine breadcrumbs
1 cup grated pecorino cheese
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
canola oil for frying

The truffled aioli

2 egg yolks
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp white truffle oil
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Trim the stems of the mushrooms, remove the gills and gently wipe the caps with a damp cloth.
Cut the Portobello caps into 1/2 inch strips

Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, thyme, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Toss the mushrooms “fries” in flour to coat evenly, then dip into the egg and roll in the breadcrumbs.

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, place the breaded mushrooms strips in the hot oil and cook on all sides until golden brown, 3 – 4 minutes.
Transfer to a paper lined tray.

To make the aioli;

Combine the egg yolks, lemon juice and garlic in a blender, turn the blended on medium and drizzle the canola oil and olive oil into the blender in a steady stream until emulsified into the eggs and is fully incorporated.
Season with truffle oil, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers

Baked goat cheese with caramelized onion, garlic and Mission figs

October 21, 2013September 27, 2020 Belinda

I would take this to a desert island if I could have an oven on it!!

Makes about 20 servings

1 lb goat cheese
2 cups dried Mission figs, sliced
Enough sweet Marsala to cover figs when cooking (2-3 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large Spanish or sweet onions, thinly sliced
8 large garlic cloves, crushed
3 good-sized rosemary sprigs, stripped of leaves and chopped
2-3 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 sliced baguettes, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 375 F

Crumble the goat cheese into an oven safe dish and set aside

In a saucepan combine the figs and enough sweet Marsala to barely cover the figs.
Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, cover and remove from the heat and let the figs plump up while you’re cooking the onions.

Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and place over medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for about 20 minutes or until golden. Taste and add more salt if necessary

Using a slotted spoon remove the plumped figs from the saucepan, leaving behind any of the liquid.
Add the figs to the cooked onions, stir to combine and then spoon over the crumbled goat cheese.

Place the dish into the top half of the oven for about 20-25 minutes, until the edges begin to bubble.

Remove and serve immediately with sliced baguette. It’s best when served straight from the oven.

*It’s nice with a little runny honey drizzled over too

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts · Vegan

Peanut Butter Hummus with cucumber dippers

October 21, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda

For those peanut butter addicts!!!

3 tbsp creamy or crunchy peanut butter
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cumin (I use roasted)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/8 tsp Kosher salt
1 (151/2 oz ) can chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained
7 tbsp water
1 English cucumber, cut into 48 1/4 inch thick slices

Place the peanut butter in a small microwave – safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 20 seconds.
Combine the peanut butter and the next 7 ingredients (through the garlic) in a food processor.
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the water/
Process until smooth.

Serve with the cucumber dippers

Appetizers · Baking · Meat

Easy bacon and cheddar pull-apart bread

September 8, 2013January 10, 2016 Belinda

This is almost not a recipe, but I was reminded of this yesterday and forgot it was in my “bottom drawer”! Perfect for football season and SO tasty.

10 oz of your favorite mature cheddar cheese, grated
1 large round loaf of soft bread like a French or Italian loaf
10 oz diced, sliced bacon, cooked till crisp
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tbsp dry Ranch dressing mix from a packet

Cut the bread in 3/4 inch intervals, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Cut again in the same way, crosswise, still not cutting through. You are going to need a good sharp knife for this!
Place the shredded cheese in between all the cuts then sprinkle with the cooked bacon.
Blend the melted butter with the Ranch mix and drizzle evenly over the top of the bread.
Wrap in foil and bake at 350F for 15 minutes, uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.
Serve hot and pull apart the pieces to eat.

You can add fresh herbs, garlic and all sorts of other things to this bread and it just gets better!

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Poultry

Pate with Asian influence

August 24, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda

This pate is a little different due to the Asian flavors added. Thank you to the wonderful Hugh Carpenter who has some superb Asian-ized recipes which I adore!

It takes minutes to make this in a food processor and continues to improve in flavor if made a day or two in advance

Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer

1/2 lb chicken or turkey livers
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 tbsp finely minced fresh ginger
2 shallots, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp dry mustard powder
1 heaped tsp grated or finely minced orange peel
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 tsp 5-spice powder
1/4 tsp Chinese chile sauce (optional)
3 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp Cognac
Sprigs of fresh herbs for garnish

In advance

Trim the fat and sinew from the livers and discard. Cut the livers in half.

In a 10 inch saute pan set over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter saute the shallots, ginger and garlic for about 30 seconds.
Add the livers, cover the pan and cook until the livers are no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the livers to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Scrape all the pan juices into the processor as well then add oyster sauce, mustard powder, orange peel, salt, sugar, 5-spice and chile sauce.
Process until completely smooth.
Add the cream cheese to the food processor and blend briefly.
Add the remaining butter and blend until very smooth.
Add the Cognac and blend again briefly.

Transfer the puree to a 2- cups mold. Smooth the surface and cover with plastic wrap to the top doesn’t discolor.
Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with either crackers or toasty bread

Appetizers · Fish · Gluten Free

Spicy jerk prawn and mango, black bean tacos with a Caribbean coconut dressing

August 20, 2013February 8, 2016 Belinda

I just love the BBC Good Food website and magazine. Interesting, exotic and very different flavors from the Caribbean

12oz raw peeled prawns
1/2 tbsp Jamaican jerk paste
14 to 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large ripe mango, stoned, peeled and diced small
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 seedless or de-seeded cucumber, diced small
A bunch of cilantro, leaves roughly chopped
8 taco shells
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 Boston Bibb lettuces or romaine, shredded

For the dressing
6 fl oz unsweetened coconut milk
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 good pinches of sugar

Stir the prawns and jerk paste together in a bowl and set aside.
Mix together the dressing ingredients.
Tip the beans into a bowl along with the mango, onion, cucumber, most of the cilantro, the dressing and some seasoning
Warm the taco shells following the packet’s instructions.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the prawns and cook for 2 -3 mins or until cooked through.
To build the tacos, start with a handful of shredded lettuce, followed by the bean salad, then top with the prawns.
Sprinkle over the remaining cilantro and serve.

Use up leftover taco shells by crushing and scattering them over a salad for some extra crunch or blitz them in a food processor and use to coat fish or chicken when frying in place of breadcrumbs.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers

Fried halloumi cheese with lime and caper sauce

August 20, 2013February 7, 2016 Belinda

This is Delia Smith’s divine, pungent and easy sauce you can put over fried halloumi cheese, or grilled and marinated prawns, fish, chicken or pork.
It is light, tangy and really worth making to take your piece of protein to a new level

This recipe serves 2, but can be doubled easily

1 halloumi cheese (Many supermarkets stock this, otherwise it’s available in Middle Eastern markets)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 level tbsp well-seasoned flour

Dressing ingredients
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 heaped tbsp capers, drained
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
1 heaped tsp grain mustard
1 level tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To garnish

a few sprigs fresh cilantro

First of all, unwrap the cheese and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Then, using a sharp knife, slice it into 8 slices, including the ends.
Now prepare the dressing by simply whisking all the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.

When you’re ready to serve the halloumi, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is really hot, press each slice of cheese into the seasoned flour to coat it on both sides, then add them to the hot pan as they are done – they take 1 minute on each side to cook., so by the time the last one’s in, it will almost be time to turn the first one over.
They need to be a good golden color on each side.

Serve them straight away on warmed plates with the dressing poured over and garnished with sprigs of cilantro

This is good served with lightly toasted pita bread or Greek bread with toasted sesame seeds

** If you decide to have this lime and caper sauce with grilled fish, prawns or meat, follow the same recipe for the sauce and serve it in a separate container beside the grilled meat/fish.
You will love this!

Appetizers · Meat

Italian sausage and gorgonzola stuffed baby Portabella mushrooms

August 18, 2013February 7, 2016 Belinda

Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Anything to do with Italian sausage with that gorgeous fennel flavor has me, and the addition of Gorgonzola (or St Agur Blue cheese) is just incredible.

Serves 10 to 16 people as an hors d’oeuvres

Preheat the oven to 350 F

1lb sweet Italian sausage
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 & 1/4 cups Mountain Gorgonzola (the creamy one) You can use a little less if preferred, but I like my flavors bold!
32 baby Portabello (Crimini) mushrooms
salt and pepper
a good handful fresh basil, shredded

Cook the sausage meat in a skillet, crumbling it with a fork until the pink is all gone.
While it’s cooking, take the stems out of the mushrooms and chop up the stems.
Add the crushed garlic and mushrooms stems to the sausage and cook for 1 minute and turn the heat to low.
Add the mascarpone cheese, breadcrumbs, gorgonzola ad shredded basil.
Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff the mushrooms with the cooked filling and line up on a lined baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350F for about 20 to 25 minutes

There will most likely be filling left. you can eat it on bread or crackers!