Simple and delicious beet gazpacho

July 12, 2020October 30, 2025 Belinda

This recipe is from the lovely food blog, “Feasting at home”

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You don’t have to be precise with these ingredients, they are more of a guide. I wasn’t, and it turned out beautifully. I like a little more sherry vinegar as it has a sweetness to it, and I roasted my beets instead of boiling them.

1lb beets (4 medium beets, smaller than a tennis ball, about 3 inches in diameter)
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced, divided
2-3 cups chilled vegetable or chicken broth
2 garlic cloves ( 1 large or 2 two small)
3-4 small Turkish cucumbers, divided
½ cup fresh dill, divided
2 tbsp sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
½ tsp kosher salt, more to taste
¼ tsp fresh pepper

Garnishes- avocado, diced cucumber, diced beet, finely diced onion, chopped dill, baby nasturtium leaves, olive oil or yogurt or sour cream

Place beets in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer until fork tender all the way through, about 45- 60 minutes. Chill the beets.

Once the beets are cold, slip off their skins using your hands. Slice and place 3 of the 4 beets ( saving one) in a blender with 2 cups of broth.

Add the half of the chopped onion (about 1/4 cup), 2 garlic cloves, 2 sliced Turkish cucumbers (saving one) salt, pepper, vinegar and about ⅔ of the fresh dill (saving some for garnish).
Blend until very smooth.
Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. You may want to add more broth, or any of the other ingredients. It’s worth playing with until you get just the flavor you want.
Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Prep the garnishes.
Finely dice remaining beets, cucumber, avocado and chop the remaining dill. Pour chilled beet soup (the colder it is, the better) into bowls.
Top with with the garnishes.
Drizzle with a little olive oil or a swirl of yogurt or sour cream if you like. Serve immediately!

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

Smokey cauliflower hummus

July 11, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

One can never have enough cauliflower recipes, especially when they come out like this!

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Makes about 2 cups (serving size: 2 tbsp.)

1/2 head cauliflower (1 to 1 1/2 lbs.), trimmed and cut into 2-in. florets (about 4 cups florets)
4.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
About 1 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp kosher salt, divide
½ tsp ground cumin ( I roast mine then grind it, as it’s much more flavorful this way)
¼ tsp red chile flakes
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
About 2 tbsp lemon juice
3 1/2 tablespoons well-stirred tahini

Preheat oven to 450°.
Put cauliflower florets in a large bowl and add 1 1/2 tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. salt, the cumin, chile flakes, and garlic.
Toss to coat thoroughly.
Spread florets evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast, stirring once, until florets are cooked through and a little crispy, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool.
Put 1/2 cup water in a blender with roasted cauliflower and garlic, lemon juice, remaining 3 tbsp. oil, the tahini and remaining 1 1/2 tsp. salt.
Blend, adding more water if needed (up to 1/4 cup) and scraping sides often, until you have a creamy purée, about 4 minutes. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if you like.
Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of smoked paprika.

Make ahead: Up to 3 days, chilled airtight.

Baking · Chocolate · Do-ahead

Chocolate raspberry “pudding” cake

July 8, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Nigella Lawson’s decadent but easy recipe

“I call this a pudding cake because its texture is simply a mixture between pudding and cake, though lighter by far than that could ever imply. Think, rather, of a mousse without fluffiness: this is dense but delicate with it. And it’s heavenly at blood heat, when the gooey chocolate sits warmly around the sour-sweet juicy raspberries embedded in the cake, like glinting, mud-covered garnets. This should be eaten an hour or so after it comes out of the oven. It gets more solid when cold, and loses some of that spectacular texture.
If you have any left, wrap it in foil and heat it up in the oven, or warm it up a slice at a time in the microwave before eating it.

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Photo by Jonathan Lovekin

Serves: 8

1½ cups self-rising flour
3 tbsp good unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter (plus more to grease cake tin – I use the butter wrapper)
1 tbsp Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
½ cup superfine sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
9 oz good bittersweet chocolate – 70% cocoa solids (broken into squares)
¾ cup black coffee and 185ml / ¾ cup water or 2 tsp instant coffee made up with 370ml / 1½ cups water
2 large eggs at room temperature (beaten slightly)
9 oz raspberries (plus lots more to serve)
approx. ½ teaspoon confectioners’ sugar (to serve)

You will need: a 22–23cm / 9-inch spring form cake tin.

Arrange the oven shelves so that one is in the middle for the cake, and another just below it. Slide a baking sheet onto the lower rack to catch any drips as the cake bakes. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F.
Butter a 22–23cm / 9-inch spring form cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. Mix the flour and unsweetened cocoa together in a bowl, and set aside.

Put the butter, liqueur, sugars, chocolate, coffee and water in a thick-bottomed saucepan and stir over low heat until everything melts and is thickly, glossily smooth. Remove the pan from the heat, and let stand for a couple of minutes.

Stir the flour and cocoa mixture into the pan, and beat well – just with a spatula or wooden spoon – until all is smooth and glossy again, then gradually beat in the eggs. The mixture will be runny: don’t panic, and don’t add more flour; the chocolate itself sets as it cooks and then cools.
Pour into the prepared tin until you have covered the base with about 2cm of the mixture (which will be about half of it) and then cover with the raspberries and pour the rest of the mixture on top. You may have to push some of the raspberries back under the cake batter by hand.

Put into the preheated oven and bake for 40–45 minutes. Don’t try and test by poking in a skewer as you don’t want it to come out clean: the gunge is what the cake is about. But when it’s cooked, the top will be firm, and slightly cracked. Don’t worry about that: a little confectioners’ sugar will deflect attention. When it’s ready, take the cake out of the oven and put on a rack. Leave in the tin for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the tin; the cake must stay on its base.

When you’re just about to eat – and this should be around an hour after the cake’s come out of the oven – dust with a little confectioners’ sugar pushed through a tea strainer. Serve with lots more fresh raspberries, and Greek yoghurt, whipped double cream or crème fraîche as wished.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Uncategorized

Bacon and corn salsa dip

June 23, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is a lovely dip for a family BBQ.

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4 slices thick bacon, diced
3 cups corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp whole milk, or more to taste
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes, then transfer to paper towels to get rid of the excess fat. Drain the excess fat in the pan, reserving 1 tbsp of it.
Add the corn, onion, jalapeno and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the cream cheese and milk until well combined, 2-3 minutes.If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk to thin it down.

Stir in the scallions and sugar, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately sprinkled with the bacon.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

My ultimate Eggplant Parmigiana

June 23, 2020July 6, 2023 Belinda5 Comments

I’ve tried several recipes now and I find the stage where you dip the slices of eggplant in egg and breadcrumbs totally unnecessary.
I have compiled the best recipe I can think of, which is a combination of several recipes plus my own additions.
It is simple and very tasty, has way fewer steps and tastes just as good as the longer haul traditional ones.
Don’t eat it directly from the oven as it’s too hot to appreciate the flavors, and if you let it sit out for 45 mins – 1 1/2 hours, it’s easier to slice and isn’t so gooey. It makes all the difference and is also really good served at room temperature.

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Serves 4-6 (Or can easily be multiplied)

4 good-sized eggplants
Olive oil for dipping in or wiping the slices of eggplant
Salt
3 cups of good quality tomato/basil pasta sauce. I use RAO’S Marinara sauce
A really large bunch fresh basil
2-3 cups pre-sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (Trader Joes does a good one) or shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano (Don’t cut corners and buy pre-grated, again, Trader Joes sell this)

* I always have far too much of each ingredient and make several of these so I can freeze them (uncooked). Be very generous in your amounts and you will taste the difference!
** Another thing I do to get ultimate flavor is to put a couple of large jars of RAO’S marinara sauce in a saucepan, add chopped basil and lots of crushed garlic, then let it simmer gently, reducing and strengthening the flavors. You can do this while you’re cooking the eggplant.

Preheat the oven to 350F

Cut the tops and a small amount from the bases of each eggplant and with a peeler remove some of skin, like a zebra (just random strips)

Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices straight across, (not lengthways as it’s too difficult) and dip into or wipe each slice with olive oil, then season well with salt and pepper.

At this point, there are a couple of ways you can go as far as cooking the eggplant.
1/ I use a panini press to grill both sides of the eggplant at once.(See the pic below)
It’s quick, not messy and leaves lovely grill marks on the eggplant. I highly recommend you get one for this job alone as it can be a pain in the ass to fry the eggplant.
Cook 4-5 slices at a time or whatever can fit on your panini press and remove when they are nice and brown and tender when you pierce them with a fork. Lay on paper towels to mop up excess oil and set aside. Repeat this process until all the slices have been cooked.

2/ Alternatively you can set the oven to 400F and put all the slices on a large greased cookie sheet and roast for up to 30 minutes, checking on them after about 25 and flipping them. They should be nice and lightly browned and tender.

Your choice

To assemble, spread a very thin layer of tomato-pasta sauce on the bottom of a lightly greased ovenproof dish. Add a layer of the fried eggplant, then add another thin layer of tomato sauce, some torn basil leaves, some grated or torn mozzarella and grated Parmigiano evenly spread across the dish. I am pretty generous in my amounts of basil and cheese, so go for it.
Repeat the layers until you run out of eggplant.
Finish with a layer of sauce, mozzarella and finally a thicker layer of Parmigiano to create a crust.

Put in the oven at 350F and cook for about 30—45mins until the top is crusty and the dish is bubbling.
Remove from the oven and leave out for 45 mins to 1 1/2 hours
Serve!

PS This dish freezes beautifully too, but freeze it BEFORE it is cooked. Very important

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

Cheesy polenta (grits) with tomato sauce

April 11, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Fabulous and easy recipe from the one and only Yotam Ottolenghi

“This understated side dish is dressed up enough to keep everyone at the table happy, but simple enough not to steal the show from the main course. It would pair really well with roast chicken or grilled seafood. You can make the sauce well in advance – just warm it through while you’re cooking the polenta – but don’t make the polenta until just before you’re about to serve, otherwise it’s likely to set.”

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Prep 20 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 4 as a side

For the sauce
1 onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges (150g net weight)
150g (5oz) datterini tomatoes, or regular cherry tomatoes
4 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
750g (1.5lbs) vine tomatoes, core removed and finely chopped into 1cm (1/2″) dice (seeds and all)
1 tsp caster sugar
5g (1/2 oz) oregano sprigs (leaves and stalks), plus 1½ tbsp leaves extra to serve (or use basil or parsley instead)
Salt and black pepper

For the polenta
500ml (17 fl oz) chicken stock
350ml (12oz fl oz) whole milk
60g (2 oz) unsalted butter
200g (7 oz) quick-cook polenta
150g (5 oz) gruyère cheese, roughly grated

Put a large sauté pan on a high heat and, once very hot, add the onion wedges and cook, turning regularly, for about six minutes, until very well charred on the outside. Transfer to a plate, then put the tomatoes in the same pan and char for another four minutes, or until nicely blistered in places. Transfer to the onion plate, but keep the two separate, and put the pan aside to cool slightly.

Return the pan to a medium-high heat and add the oil and charred onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about two minutes, until slightly softened, then add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the chopped vine tomatoes, sugar, oregano sprigs, 150ml (5 fl oz) water, a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Bring up to a simmer, then turn down the the heat to medium and leave to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have started to break down. Add the charred tomatoes and cook for seven minutes more, until they’ve started to soften and the sauce has thickened. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Put the stock, milk, 100ml (3.5 fl oz) water, half the butter, a teaspoon and a quarter of salt and a good grind of pepper in a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, turn the heat to medium-low and pour in the polenta in a slow, steady stream, whisking continuously, until completely incorporated. Carry on whisking for two to three minutes more, or until the polenta is cooked and the mixture is still quite wet and loose.

Stir in the cheese and remaining butter, then spread out the polenta on a large platter. Spoon the tomato sauce on to the polenta, gently swirling some of it in, top with the extra oregano leaves and serve warm.

Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Bacon & Cheddar Scones

April 6, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe from the D’Artagnan website

This easy-to-make scone recipe is packed with flavor from with Applewood Smoked Bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and fresh chives.
Enjoy fresh from the oven, or split and fill with scrambled eggs for brunch.

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Makes 8 scones
1 package Applewood Smoked Bacon or another smoked good-quality bacon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
4 tbsp cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed

With the rack in the center position, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper toweling. Coarsely chop bacon and set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and garlic powder.
Add cold butter and pulse until incorporated, keeping some larger, pea-sized chunks of butter in the mix. Add cheese, reserved bacon, and chives. Pulse quickly, just to evenly distribute.
Empty mixture into a large bowl. Add the cream and stir to combine.
The dough should be shaggy but not too wet. It should stick together when squeezed. Add more cream, a tablespoon at a time, if needed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat and shape the dough into an 8” round. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment or a silicon mat. Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Spread them out on the pan, as they will rise when cooked. Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream.
Bake until golden brown, about 22-24 minutes.
Remove them from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Do-ahead · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Creamy Braised White Beans

April 5, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe c/o Con Poulos for the New York Times.

This is a great recipe for this time of quarantine, as it relies on store cupboard basics and is very easy and tasty, supplying your protein for the day.
Everything you need to make this humble-but-satisfying meal is probably in your kitchen at this very moment. Two cans of beans (chickpeas and white beans) are simmered with milk, a whole head of garlic, herbs and nutmeg for a rich and creamy vegetarian dinner that can be on the table in under a half-hour. Be sure to use whole milk here — it’s the most flavorful and will yield the best results. Feel free to wilt greens like chard, watercress, arugula or basil into the beans, and serve with grated Parmesan and red-pepper flakes.
A slice of crusty bread slicked with caramelized garlic is the perfect crunchy accompaniment to velvety beans.

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Serves 4
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
1 cup whole milk
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, with their liquid
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed
1 thyme or rosemary sprig or 3 sage leaves chopped finely and/or 1 bay leaf
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg, allspice or garam masala
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 slices crusty bread or thick toast
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Aleppo pepper or red-pepper flakes, for serving

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, cut side down, and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the milk, chickpeas and their liquid, white beans, thyme/rosemary/sage and nutmeg and stir to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper.
When the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the pan (you don’t want it to come to a full boil), reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened and tastes great to you, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Use a fork to remove the garlic halves from the beans. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then use the fork to remove the cloves from the skins. Spread the cloves on bread or toast.

If you would like the beans to be more stew-like, mash some of the beans using a potato masher or the back of a spoon.
Serve beans and milk in bowls. Garnish as you wish, with a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan and a pinch of Aleppo pepper and black pepper. Serve with the bread alongside for dipping.

Tip
You can reheat leftovers the next day over low heat; the sauce will have thickened, but the beans will still be delicious.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Vegetable-related

Cauliflower-and-Cumin Fritters

April 3, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

recipe c/o Yotam Ottolenghi

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Yields: Serves : 4 to 6

“These are not your usual fritters,” says cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi. His are pancake-like, packed with cauliflower and spiced with cinnamon, cumin and turmeric. As a dipping sauce, he serves lime-spiked Greek yogurt.

Lime Sauce
1 1/3 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Taste—the flavor should be vibrant, tart and citrusy—and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Chill or leave at room temperature for up to 1 hour.

Fritters
1 small cauliflower, about 3/4 pound, cut into little florets
Scant 1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
2 shallots, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
4 large eggs, preferably organic
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
About 2 cups sunflower oil, for frying

Add the florets to a saucepan of salted boiling water. Simmer until very soft, 15 minutes; drain.
Meanwhile, put the flour, chopped parsley, shallots, garlic, eggs, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to make a smooth batter. Add the warm cauliflower. Mix, smashing the cauliflower into the batter with the back of a wooden spoon.

In a wide skillet, heat 2/3 inch of oil over high heat until very hot. Working in batches, spoon in the cauliflower mixture, allowing 3 tablespoons per fritter.
Separate the fritters with a fish spatula. Fry in small batches, adjusting the heat so the fritters cook but don’t burn. They should take 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Drain the fritters well on paper towels.
Garnish with the parsley leaves and serve hot or warm with the lime sauce.