Chilled lemongrass and cilantro soup

June 14, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

Thanks to the wonderful and foolproof Delia Smith for this refreshing, zingy soup for those hot summer evenings.
Delicious before a dinner even in a soup shooter. it’s even nicer when the soup and the bowls or shooters are chilled when serving.

Serves 4
4 thick stems lemongrass
2oz fresh cilantro leaves
5 green onions, finely chopped
2 oz butter
2 medium onions
10 oz new potatoes, scraped and chopped small
5 fl oz whole milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Firstly, strip the cilantro leaves from the stalks and reserve both the leaves and the stalks.
Lemongrass is dealt in exactly the same way as leeks; trim the root and the tough top away, leaving 6 inches of stem, remove the outer skin and chop quite finely. Then do the same to the green onions.
Gather up all the trimmings from both, wash them and put them into a saucepan together with the cilantro stalks, some salt and 1 1/2 pints water and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes to make a stock.
To make the soup, melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the chopped lemongrass, onions (reserve the green onions until later) and potatoes and keeping the heat low, let the vegetables sweat gently, covered for about 10 minutes.
After that, pour in the stock through a strainer, discard the debris from the strainer and add the milk and about 3/4 of the cilantro leaves.
Season with salt and pepper, bring the soup up to a simmering point and simmer very gently for about 25 minutes.
Allow the soup to cool a little before pouring it into a food processor or blender, puree it, then pour it through a strainer into a bowl.
When it’s cold, cover and chill thoroughly until you’re ready to serve it.

Serve in chilled bowls or soup shooters.

You can add an ice cube to each bowl if you like and sprinkle in the rest of the finely chopped cilantro and the green onions as a garnish. FYI, in my picture there is no garnish other than a blob of whipped sour cream and a mini basil leaf which is also nice, but more minimalist.
Make sure you serve this soup chilled!

Baking · Do-ahead

Rosemary and ginger shortbread

June 5, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

I adore any form of shortbread and the combination of the ginger and rosemary is a real winner. This is uber rich so you only need a small piece of heaven.

Serves at least 12
1 lb (2 cups) Butter, softened
1 3/4 cups Sugar
4 cups Flour
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 large Eggs, beaten
1 cup Crystallized Ginger, chopped
3 tbsp Fresh Rosemary, chopped (may use 2-3 tsp dried rosemary for a milder flavor)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. In another bowl sift together the flour and salt to add some air. Add this mixture to the butter and sugar and mix just until combined. As always, do not over-mix. Add approximately 3/4 of the beaten eggs and reserve the remaining 1/4 for a glaze. Add the chopped ginger and rosemary and mix until well incorporated.
Spread the mixture into a 9″x13″ pan. No need to grease it; it has plenty of butter already in there! Mix that 1/4 egg mixture with 1 tablespoon of water until a pale yellow color. Brush this over the shortbread batter.
Bake at 350 F for 35 to 45 minutes, until glaze is a light golden color and a toothpick comes out clean. Cut into 2″ bars when cool!
You might think 2″ is really tiny when you look at it, but these are super flavorsome

Do-ahead · Soup

Chilled corn soup with prawns, avocado and tomato relish

May 29, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

This is the season for gorgeous chilled soups, whether you serve them in shooter glasses or bowls like this picture. I will be posting several of these over the next few summer months, as I love starting a meal with a refreshing and zingy flavor. You can make them well in advance so they are ideal for dinner parties or spontaneous lunches. Recently we held a house concert here at our home and I made my chilled cucumber soup (also on this blog) and set out 40 shooter glasses and two large pitchers of the soup. There was a constant group hovering over the pitchers refilling their glasses.

Serves 4
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 large leeks, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
3 ears corn, husked, silk removed
3 cups chicken broth
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
6 oz grape tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
8 to 10 leaves fresh, thinly-sliced basil
8 oz small or medium prawns, peeled and de-veined, tails removed
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

In a large saucepan on low, heat oil until melted. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until softened.
Meanwhile, over a large bowl, cut the corn kernels from the corn cobs (A sharp, serrated knife would work well). With a heavy knife, cut each cob into 2 to 3 pieces.
Add the corn kernels and pieces of cob to the pot with the leeks. Add the chicken broth and 1 cup of water, and increase the heat to high. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Remove the pot from heat and discard the cobs. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then purée soup with an immersion blender. (Alternatively, carefully purée soup in batches in a food processor or blender.) Transfer to a large bowl, cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
In a small bowl, toss avocado, tomatoes and basil
Heat a nonstick skillet on medium. Season the prawns with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until just opaque.
Just before serving, chop the prawns coarsely and stir the lime juice into chilled soup. Ladle into bowls and garnish with avocado-tomato mixture and prawns, dividing evenly.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Meat

Meaty melanzane parmigiana

May 27, 2014October 9, 2022 Belinda

There is not much to say about this as it’s a complete meal and all you need to do is make a green salad. Simply divine!
What could be nicer than ground meat in with the Melanzane Parmigiana? This comes direct from the one and only BBC Good Food magazine.

Serves 6
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
2lbs ground lamb
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 thyme sprigs
4 rosemary sprigs
3 large bay leaves
2 x 14 oz or (1x 28 oz) can chopped tomatoes or tomato passata
a good glass of drinkable red wine
1 lamb or chicken stock cube
1 good handful of fresh basil, sliced roughly
1 tbsp sugar
5 large eggplants, sliced lengthways into 1/4 inch slices
2 x 7 oz balls mozzarella cheese, torn into chunks
8 oz good parmesan cheese, grated
6 oz mascarpone cheese

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or flameproof dish. Add the ground meat and brown over high heat, breaking up with a fork as you go. You may need to do this in batches. Once well browned, tip onto a plate and set aside.
Add more oil, the garlic and herbs to the pan and gently cook for 1 minute. Tip in the tomatoes and red wine and bring to a simmer, stirring up any meaty bits on the bottom of the pan. Return the ground meat to the pan, crumble in the stock cube and add the sugar and seasoning.
Gently simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally, splashing in more water (or lamb/chicken broth, if you have some) to keep it saucy if you need to. If you have time to simmer for longer, go for it – the longer the better for great flavor and intensity. Now fish out the herb stalks and bay leaves.

Meanwhile, heat a griddle or frying pan. Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil, then griddle in batches. You want each slice softened and slightly charred, so don’t have the heat too high or the eggplant will char before softening. Remove to a plate as you go.

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Set aside some of each cheese to go on top. In a large baking dish, spread a large spoonful of meat mixture over the base, then a layer of eggplant and season well. Spoon over more meat sauce then scatter over some fresh basil, mozzarella, parmesan and blobs of mascarpone cheese.
Add another layer of eggplant and some seasoning. Repeat, layering everything up and finish with a layer of meat sauce. Top with your reserved cheese and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is crisp and golden and the meat mixture is bubbling.

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Meat · Soup

Asian spicy ground pork (or turkey) and green soup

May 27, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

So soothing, cleansing, light and tasty. Oh, and easy too! I found this in an old Bon Appetite magazine and adapted it slightly.

Serves 2
1/2 lb ground pork (or turkey)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp finely grated and peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, coarsely chopped (I roast mine for more flavor)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 bunch mustard greens, or kale, beet greens or other greens, torn (about 4 cups)
4 to 6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp Thai fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
8 oz wide rice noodles

Mix the ground pork, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, red pepper flakes and cumin in a medium bowl.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the pork mixture, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a fork, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the broth and bring to the boil; reduce the heat and simmer until the flavors meld, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the torn greens, scallions, soy sauce and fish sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 8 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and divide the noodles between the bowls and ladle the soup over

Do-ahead · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Creamy gratin of roasted tomatoes

May 24, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

A really delicious, creamy but summery side dish. It’s also great to serve as reheated leftovers with scrambled eggs for breakfast.
I’m addicted to any gratin, but this one uses intense, roasted tomatoes with fresh thyme. Well worth roasting the tomatoes yourself, as they’re so easy to do.
The roasted tomato recipe is below the main recipe.

Serves 6 to 8
30 oven-dried tomato halves
about 1/4 of loaf of bread: French, Peasant, focaccia, rosemary, etc.
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1-2 tsp minced thyme leaves, preferably fresh
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tsp chopped chives or chervil
1/3 cup shredded Gruyère cheese or Parmesan

Prepare the oven dried tomatoes. See the recipe below called “Oven dried tomatoes” These dried tomatoes can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to proceed with the recipe.
Prepare croutons: Preheat oven to 300ºF. Remove crusts from bread. Cut into 1/3-inch slices, and then cut into 1/3-inch cubes. Spread cubes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake until cubes are dry and crisp, about 40 minutes. Toss the croutons with a spatula about every 15 minutes for even cooking. Cool completely and store for about a week at room temperature. As an alternative, you can also use homemade croutons for salads.
Prepare gratin: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9×12-inch oven-proof dish with at least 1-inch sides that is large enough to hold all the tomatoes in a single layer.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil, and add the garlic and time, and cook for a couple of minutes until the garlic is softened, but not brown. Add the dried tomato halves and 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook gently for a couple more minutes.
Add the cream and bring to a boil. Add the croutons and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to the prepared gratin dish. Dot with the the remaining butter and bake for about 40 minutes until bubbly and nicely browned. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

OVEN DRIED TOMATOES
Oven temperatures vary, so your tomatoes may bake faster or slower than what’s called for in the recipe. The longer and slower you can dry the tomatoes, the better, because the flavors become more concentrated the longer the tomatoes bake. Through this process, normally bland winter tomatoes become fairly edible and summer tomatoes become super intense, delivering an out-of-this-world taste experience.
39 large fresh plum tomatoes             2 Tbsps kosher salt
2 Tbsp granulated white sugar         1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced             1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Line two cookie sheets with aluminum foil. Place a baking rack on each cookie sheet.
Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the stem core. Gently squeeze out most of the seeds and place the halved tomatoes closely together, cut side up, on the baking racks.
In a small bowl, combine the salt and sugar. Sprinkle generously over the cut side of the tomatoes. Let the tomatoes sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature. The salt and sugar will help draw out the moisture in the tomatoes.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 225ºF. Transfer the cookie sheets to the oven. Bake the tomato halves for 3 to 4 hours, checking about every 30 minutes. Rotate trays half way through for even baking. The tomatoes are done baking when they start to shrivel but are not completely dried.
When cook enough to handle, turn the tomato halves over and gently peel away the skins.
If you like, in a bowl, dress the tomatoes with the olive oil, freshly sliced garlic, black pepper and fresh thyme. Delicately layer the tomatoes in a flat container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Because all the moisture is not extracted, the tomatoes will spoil.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts · Poultry · Whole30 compliant

Eric Ripert’s summer chicken paillard with tomatoes, fennel and olives

May 17, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

In true Eric Ripert style (chef of the extraordinary restaurant in New York called “Le Bernadin”) this is a light and very flavorful summer dish with pure, refreshing flavors.

Serves 4
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and lightly pounded flat
1/2 cup shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 cup thinly sliced fennel
1/2 cup green olives, pitted and sliced
1/3 cup raisins, soaked in white wine or water
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted (or you can substitute almonds)
2 tablespoons capers
4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced julienne
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F
Toss the tomatoes, fennel, green olives, shallots, pine nuts, raisins, caper, basil, thyme leaves, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Drizzle most of the olive oil over the vegetables and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a single layer on a large baking dish. Cover the chicken with the vegetable mixture and drizzle the remaining olive oil over and around the chicken.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle the parsley over the chicken and serve immediately.

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free · Sauces

Avocado salsa to have with cold poached salmon

May 16, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

Screen shot 2014-05-17 at 7.02.27 AM

Serves 4

This is gorgeous on a hot summers day with cold poached salmon. The recipe is from Delia Smith, a British recipe book writer whose recipes are absolutely fail-safe. This is a cross between a sauce and a salsa and complements the flavor of salmon and it also looks really pretty with the color of the salmon.

1 ripe but firm avocado
2 large firm tomatoes
1/2 small red onion
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 rounded tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
A few drops Tabasco
Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, then leaving for exactly 1 minute before draining and slipping the skins off when they’re cool enough to handle.
Then cut each tomato in half and, holding each half over a saucer (cut side downwards), squeeze gently to extract the seeds.
Now chop the tomato flesh as finely as possible.
Next, halve the avocado, remove the stone, cut each half into quarters and peel off the skin.
Chop the avocado into minutely small dice, and do the same with the onion. Finally, combine everything together in a bowl, adding seasoning, the lime juice, chopped cilantro and a few drops of Tabasco sauce.
Cover with clingfilm and leave on one side for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
Serve this salsa with grilled, poached or baked salmon salmon

Asian flavors · Curry · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan

Butternut squash curry with garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

May 1, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

I am a curry freak, but don’t always want a meat curry. This is such a fabulous vegetarian alternative that you will cook many times.

Serves 4
1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
2 tbsp Thai yellow curry paste (I buy this brand on Amazon.com and it lasts for months in the fridge. Actually, I have a red, green and yellow curry from the same brand.) You can also use 3 tbsp of the curry paste if you like really spicy. It’s worth playing around with it.

2 onions, finely chopped
3 large stalks lemongrass, bashed with the back of a knife
6 green cardamon pods
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 piece of butternut squash,peeled and cubed in 3/4″ inch pieces, weighing about 2lbs
8 fluid ounces vegetable or chicken stock
15 fl oz can coconut milk
15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 large limes
A large handful fresh mint
naan bread or steamed rice , to serve

Heat the oil in a saute pan, then gently fry the curry paste with the onions, lemongrass, cardamon pods and mustard seeds for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the butternut squash and coat in the paste, then pour in the stock and coconut milk.
Bring everything to a simmer, add the chick peas, then cook for about 10 minutes or until the squash is tender.
The curry can now be cooled and frozen for up to 1 month.
Squeeze the juice of one lime into the curry, then cut the other lime into wedges to serve alongside.
Just before serving, tear the mint leaves up, then bring to the table with the lime wedges and rice or warmed naan breads.