The River Café’s Chocolate Nemesis

June 11, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

The River Cafe is in London and is where Jamie Oliver trained, plus many others. I am not a huge chocolate person, but this is a complete uncomplicated chocolate experience.
I am hoping you have a metric scale as this is a British recipe, hence the grams.

Ingredients

675 grams really good dark chocolate , 70%
450 grams butter
10 whole eggs, at room temperature
675 grams caster sugar

Method

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bain marie. (This means put it into a bowl over simmering water, but don’t let the bowl touch the water.)
Remove from the heat and allow to cool
Preheat the oven to 320F and line a 27 cm springform cake tin with foil.

Beat together the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for 5 to 8 minutes until they’ve quadrupled in volume.
Fold the chocolate and butter mixture into the eggs and sugar and stir thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. You might have a little too much batter but don’t worry.
Place the cake in a large roasting tin in the oven then pour enough boiling water in the roasting tin to come 3/4 up the side of the cake.
Cook in the preheated oven for over an hour, then turn the oven off and allow to completely cool before removing.
Serve with creme fraiche and raspberries.

Cucumber and avocado salad with lime, mint and feta cheese

June 10, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This comes from another great food blog ‘Kalyn’s Kitchen”

Serves 2 – 4

Ingredients

2 cups peeled and chopped English cucumbers (3-4 medium sized ones or 2 large)
salt, for drawing water out of cucumber
1 – 2 ripe (but not too squishy) avocados, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 – 2 tsp fresh lime juice, to toss with the avocado pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint, measure after chopping
1/2 cup crumbled Greek (not French) feta, make sure you buy the solid block, not the crumbled.

Dressing Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions

Peel the cucumbers and scrape out the seeds, if they are large. Cut the cucumber into half inch pieces and put into a colander. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and let it sit for 30 minutes. make sure you put a bowl underneath as there will be a fair amount of liquid that the cucumbers give off.
After 30 minutes use paper towels to blot the moisture and salt from the cucumbers.

While the cucumber is draining peel the avocados and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Put the avocado into a large salad bowl and gently toss with the 1 to 2 tsp fresh lime juice.
Wash the mint and chop finely.
Whisk together the olive oil and lime juice to make a dressing and measure out 1/2 cup of crumbled feta.

Add the drained cucumbers, mint and dressing to the avocado and combine.
Then gently stir in the crumbled feta into the salad ingredients.
Serve immediately.

This salad doesn’t do well sitting in the fridge for too long

Beverage · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Cranberry Liqueur

June 10, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is slightly adapted from “The Essential New York Times” recipe book by Amanda Hesser.

Yields 2 cups

2 cups cranberries
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup water
12 oz vodka
2 cinnamon sticks

Combine the cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Boil until cranberries are soft and start to pop, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree.
Pour into a jar and add the vodka and cinnamon sticks.
Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 week and up to 3 weeks.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth if you don’t want any straggling seeds.

Serve and/or refrigerate and it will last for up to 1 year!

Dessert · Do-ahead · Grains

Coconut tapioca pudding with smoked sesame seeds

June 10, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is great for vegans and tastes so exotic and comforting.

Serves 4

2 cups almond milk, divided
1/3 cup tapioca pearls
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 tsp good vanilla extract
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
Smoked sesame seeds for garnish

In a large bowl soak the tapioca overnight (or at least for 5 hours) in 1 cup of the almond milk.
When you’re ready to cook it, add the other cup of almond milk and warm the tapioca /almond milk mixture over medium heat.
Wait until the pudding is boiling then add the coconut milk, vanilla extract and agave syrup.
Cook for another 10 to 12 minutes, stirring continuously.
Finally, add the cornstarch/water mixture and the salt cooking and stirring for 5 minutes.
Cool in a glass or Tupperware bowl for at least 1 hour before serving, or, eat a little warm, it’s lovely.
When serving, sprinkle a few smoked sesame seeds on top.

Baking · Do-ahead

Easy chunky apple cake

June 10, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is delicious and so easy.

Ingredients for the cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (real)
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 cups chopped, peeled tart apples (I use granny Smith)

Butterscotch sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1/ Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish with butter

2/ Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3/ Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda in another bowl. Gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. The batter will be stiff. Stir in the apples until well combined.
Spread it into the prepared pan. bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 30 minutes before serving.

4/ Meanwhile combine the brown sugar and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over a medium heat until the butter is melted. Gradually add the cream and bring to a slow boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until it turns the caramel/butterscotch color and is smooth. Remove from the heat.

Serve with the cake. Yield 12 to 14 servings

Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based · Meat

Breakfast Strata

June 10, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

Another gorgeous and easy breakfast/brunch dish.

Serves 4 to 6 people

6 slices of a good dense Italian loaf cut 3/4 inch thick
1lb Sweet (or spicy) Italian sausage meat
1 tsp Dijon mustard (or less of English Colmans if you can take the heat)
1 heaped cup grated or shredded strong cheddar cheese. it’s always better if you buy it whole and mature then do it yourself
4 extra large (or large) eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp Worcester sauce

Trim the crusts from the bread and fit it all into the bottom of a 10 by 16 inch baking pan.
Brown the sausage meat, using a fork and press down forcing the lumps to disappear until it’s crumbly and drain off any excess fat. Stir the mustard into the sausage meat.
Spoon the cooked sausage meat evenly over the bread and sprinkle evenly with the grated cheese.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl (eggs, milk, half and half, salt, pepper, nutmeg and Worcester sauce) then pour the mixture over the cheese and sausage mixture.
Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes until hot, bubbly and set.
Note
This can be made the day before and kept in the refrigerator. Allow extra time for bakiong if it’s been refrigerated

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free

Tuna tapenade

June 10, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is one of Ina Garten’s recipes and is delicious as a quick starter to put over toasted crostini.
I beg you to use Italian tuna in olive oil, not American tuna, as it has twice the flavor.

Makes about 36 crostini full.

10 – 12 oz canned Italian tuna packed in olive oil
2 tsp anchovy paste
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tbsp good olive oil (plus extra for brushing the bread slices)
1/3 cup Italian mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup pitted and chopped Kalamata olives
1 tbsp drained capers
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
36 slices French bread sliced diagonally

Drain all but 1 tbsp of the oil from the tuna then flake the fish into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
Add the anchovy paste, thyme, lemon zest, garlic and parsley and pulse a few times.
Add the lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, and the mascarpone cheese and process until smooth.
Add the olives, capers, salt and pepper and pulse just to incorporate.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile heat a grill or use a heavy ridged flat pan. Slice the French bread diagonally and brush with olive oil and put on the grill until lightly browned. You can also put the slices on a sheet pan and roast at 400 F for about 6 minutes or until toasted.
Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
Mound the tapenade on the toast pieces and sprinkle with the extra chopped parsley and serve on a large platter.

Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Meat · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Brussel Sprout gratin

June 10, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is a recipe from a fellow blogger called “The View from Great Island”
This will get you addicted to brussel sprouts if you weren’t already, like me!

Preheat the oven to 350F I would say this serves 5 – 6 as a side dish, but 4 for a main dish.

5 – 6 cups brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
4 slices bacon
3 shallots, sliced
Oliver oil
3 tbsp Marsala wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heaped cups grated Gruyere cheese
2 tbsp butter
fresh thyme leaves
freshly ground nutmeg
zest of half a large lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk

In a large pot, snip the bacon into 1 inch pieces and saute over medium heat till it starts to get brown and crisp.
Add in the shallots and brussel sprouts and saute for a few minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the Marsala wine, stirring up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Put a little olive oil in the bottom of an oval gratin dish and spread out half of the sprouts in the dish.

Season well with salt and pepper, the fresh thyme leaves, lemon zest and a dash of nutmeg.
Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the top. Dot with a tbsp of the butter and season with salt and pepper.

Top with the remaining sprouts and the past cup of cheese. Dot with the last tbsp of butter.
Mix the milk and cream together and pour it gently over the whole dish.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Egg based

Coconut Cream Bread Pudding

June 9, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

Oh Lordy! I am a coconut fanatic and coupled with the comfort of bread pudding, you can’t get better than this!
Thank you to Paula Deen for daring to combine these two things.

Serves 6

Ingredients

Butter, for the dish
1 x 16 to 20 inch loaf of French bread, cut into cubes
4 extra large egg yolks
2 whole extra large eggs
2 (13 1/2 oz) cans unsweetened coconut milk
1 (13 1/2 oz) can cream of coconut (The sweetened one found near the Pino Colada section in the supermarket)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pinch mace
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, plus 1/2 cup, toasted for garnish

For the chocolate velvet sauce
1 cup (6 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
Make the chocolate sauce right before serving the pudding. Put the chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over low heat, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth.

Directions for pudding

Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch square flameproof baking dish. Arrange the bread cubes evenly in the dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, coconut milk, cream of coconut, salt, nutmeg and mace.
Stir in 1 cup of the coconut flakes. Pour the custard over the bread cubes, pressing down gently to soak up the custard.
Let the mixture stand for 1 hour, covered, in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 325 F
Sprinkle the top of the pudding with the remaining coconut flakes. Cover the whole dish with aluminum foil, poking a few holes in the top to release the steam.
Put the baking dish into a roasting pan on a wire rack. Pout hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
Bake until the pudding if firm to the touch, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remore the foil and bake for 15 minutes more.
Remove the baking dish from the water bath and run it under the broiler, at least 4 inches from the heat, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Let the pudding cool completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Pour the chocolate sauce over the individual pudding servings as desired. Top with the toasted coconut and serve
Note The chocolate sauce can be reheated in a saucepan over low heat. Add more cream, 1 tbsp at a time as needed to return it to the desired consistency.