Category: Fruit

Asian flavors · Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Nuts

Mango and ginger cheesecake with kiwi fruit sauce

Belinda

I must thank the wonderful New Zealand cookery book writer, Annabel Langbein, for this wonderful recipe.
It is utterly sumptuous and darn right sexy!  The kiwi fruit sauce is so easy and adds such a wonderfully exotic and refreshing addition too.
You can cut individual cheesecakes like the one pictured above with a round cutter which look great or you can serve it in slices.

Serves 8

1 1/2 cups plain sweet cookie crumbs
1 1/2 cups finely chopped macadamia nuts or toasted almonds
4 oz butter, melted
3 tsp powdered gelatine
1/4 cup water
9 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup cream
2 x 15 oz cans mangos in juice, drained
1/4 cup chopped crystallized or uncrystallized ginger

Method

Mix the cookie crumbs and nuts together.
Stir in the melted butter and combine evenly. Press into a 9-10inch spring form pan.  Chill

Heat the gelatine and water in a small pan and stir well to dissolve.
Place in a food processor bowl with the cream, cream cheese, sugar, cream and half the mangos.
Puree until smooth.
Finely chop the remaining mangos and stir into the cream cheese mixture with the ginger.
Pour into the prepared base.
Chill for 4 to 5 hours.

This will store covered for 2 to 3 days.

For the kiwi fruit sauce
 
3 peeled kiwi fruit
2-3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Place 2 of the peeled kiwi fruit and the other ingredients in a food processor. Puree in short bursts to prevent seeds pulverizing. (or the sauce will be bitter)
Chill.  it will keep 2-3 days.
Use the 3rd kiwi to slice and fan across the cheesecake.
Makes about 1 cup
Fruit · Gluten Free · Salad

Grilled peach, onion and bacon salad with buttermilk dressing

Belinda

The peppery addition of arugula to this is lovely and spicy. With all the great summer peaches around, this is a winner. If the white peaches are looking better than the yellow, replace the onion with red onion for good color contrast.

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 sup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
2 tbsp snipped chives
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1lb thickly sliced bacon
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3lbs Vidalia onions, or other sweet onions, cut into 1 inch thick slabs
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
4 large, ripe peaches, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
2 – 3 cups baby arugula, for serving

Preheat the oven to 325 F

In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the sour cream, buttermilk, mint, parsley, chives and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices on the sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with brown sugar and cayenne pepper. Bake for about 25 mins, until caramelized. (the bacon will crisp as it cools). Let cool, then cut or break the bacon into bite-size pieces.

Meanwhile, light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over a moderate heat, turning occasionally until softened and browned.
Separate the onions into rings.

Brush the peaches with olive oil and grill over a moderately high heat until tender, 2 minutes.
Transfer to a plate.

On a large serving platter, arrange the arugula in a layer. Top with the peaches, onions and bacon.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve

 
 

Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Nuts

Italian stuffed nectarines or peaches with Amaretti

Belinda

This picture doesn’t do these enough justice as they are irresistible! You can make them a few days in advance then keep them in the refrigerator.  Bring to room temp before serving with a dollop of creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt.

6 nectarines or peaches, stones removed and halved. (I love the white ones as long as they are ripe and sweet)
4 oz Amaretti cookies
4 oz butter, softened
3 oz ground almonds (Trader Joes does “almond meal”)
3 oz golden superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1 -2 tbsp toasted, flaked almonds

9 fl oz sweet Marsala
Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F
Sit the fruit halves snugly in a baking dish, cut side up.
Put the amaretti cookies in a large bowl and with the end of a jar or rolling pin, bash them until they are crumbs. (I put them in a plastic bag and hit them with the rolling pin, then pour them out into the bowl)
Add the softened butter, ground almonds, sugar and beaten egg and stir together.
Push spoonfuls of the mixture into the cavities of the fruit, piling more on top until the mixture is evenly distributed amount them.
Scatter the almonds  over the stuffed fruit then carefully pout the marsala into the dish through a gap in the fruit taking care not to get the topping wet as it will go soggy. (I use a plastic funnel for this)
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until golden and crisp and the fruit is soft.
Eat warm with the juices spooned over and a dollop of Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche alongside.

Do-ahead · Fruit · Gluten Free · Grains · Nuts · Salad

Quinoa, beet, feta and caper salad

Belinda1 Comment

I had a version of this at Hugos restaurant in Hollywood and absolutely adored the combination of flavors. I rushed home, via the supermarket and immediately made a version of it that is actually better!
I don’t want to dictate measurements too much as you can pretty much improvise.

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1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or chicken broth. (I like to use chicken broth as it gives more flavor)
4 large beets, roasted, peeled and chopped small (1/2″ size cubes)
finely chopped red onion and scallions
small cubes of peeled raw carrots
1/2 cup golden raisins
finely chopped fresh Italian parsley and fresh mint
1 tbsp capers, drained, but keep the liquid to use in the dressing.
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese
1/2 cup lightly toasted walnut pieces
cayenne pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
good balsamic vinegar
freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Roast the beets individually wrapped in aluminum foil and a few drops of water per beet so as not to dry out while they’re cooking. They will take about 1 hour or even more. Pierce each foil parcel with a fork or skewer to test they’re cooked, then remove and peel when a bit cooler.
Chop the beets into small cubes.
Cook the quinoa in boiling water or broth for 15 minutes until all the liquid has gone, then put into a large bowl and allow to cool.
Add the chopped beets, chopped onions, chopped herbs, raisins, capers, crumbled blue cheese, walnut pieces and mix well.
Pour in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and season well. Add some caper juice, a little cayenne pepper and mix well.
Leave the salad in the fridge for 1 hour for the flavors to mingle.

Do-ahead · Fish · Fruit · Gluten Free · Salad

Papaya, avocado and prawn salad with a Rarotongan curry mayo

Belinda

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If you make nothing else on my blog, make this. It’s a winner and very simple! The flavors are like nothing you’ve ever had before as the sauce has curry powder, mint, lime and sweet chili sauce.
Being a Kiwi, I am naturally drawn to Pacific flavors and thanks to Annabelle Langbein (a New Zealand food writer) for sharing this recipe.

Serves 6

Curry mayo—
1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves
1/2 – 1 tsp good quality curry powder
1/2 – 1 red chilli, de-seeded, pith removed and minced
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp sweet Thai chilli sauce (sweet chilli sauce)
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise (I use Best Food or Hellmans)

1lb prawns cooked and shelled. (Buy them raw and boil them briefly yourself, that way they won’t be overcooked)
2 just-ripe avocados, peeled and flesh chopped
1 papaya, peeled, de-seeded and flesh chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
rocket (arugula) or soft lettuce leaves

Stir the chopped mint, curry powder, chilli, lime juice and Thai sweet chilli sauce into the mayonnaise.

Add the cold cooked prawns and chill in the fridge until ready to serve (up to 24 hours)

Toss the avocado and papaya through the prawn mixture. Season wth salt and pepper.

Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.