No-bake chocolate oatmeal bars

February 21, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

Everyone needs an easy, no-cook dessert in their lives.

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1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Line an 8 x 8″ baking dish with parchment paper.
Combine the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is completely melted, stirring to combine. Add the oats, ground cinnamon, and salt.
Cook and stir for about 5 minutes.
Pour 1/2 of the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Spread and pack down.
Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a liquid measuring cup in the microwave in 30 second increments, until fully melted.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan (reserving some) and top with the remaining oat mixture, packing down once again.
Drizzle the reserved chocolate mixture over the entire pan.
chill for at least four hours before serving.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Grains · Rice · Vegan

Moroccan rice with Harissa, dates and orange

October 19, 2018October 17, 2023 Belinda

Enjoy this flavorful, exotic rice dish from the food blog, “Alexandra’s Kitchen”
The combination of the dates and orange gives the rice that wonderful Moroccan aroma.

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3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp harissa
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear (do not use brown rice)
6 Medjool dates, pitted and diced
1 orange, zested and juiced

In a large skillet over high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium.
Add a pinch of salt, and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and bay leaf to the onions, and cook for another minute more. Add the harissa. Stir to incorporate.
Add the rice and stir for another minute or until each grain is glistening. Add the dates and the orange zest.
Squeeze the orange into a liquid measure and add enough water to create 1 and 1/3 cups liquid. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pan. Stir to combine.
Bring to a simmer, cover the pan, turn heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes.
Let stand for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. There should be a bit of nice caramelization on the bottom of the pan — I like to scrape this up and incorporate it into the rice.
Serve immediately.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Grains · Soup · Uncategorized · Vegan · Vegetarian pasta

A bowl of Asian goodness

June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 Belinda

This is divine on a hot day when you don’t feel like cooking too much. It’s also a great starter for a dinner party

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Serves 4 as a starter

1/2 oz instant dashi granules
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp wasabi paste
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
10 1/2 oz soba noodles
1 nori sheet
3 1/4 inch piece of daikon radish, peeled and finely grated
3 scallions, finely sliced

Put the dashi granules in a bowl and pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over them.
Stir until the granules have dissolved, then add the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, wasabi paste and ginger. Stir to make a dressing.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the noodles. Allow the water to return to the boil then add 1/2 cup cold water to drop the temperature a little.
Repeat this process three times, then drain the noodles.
Rinse the noodles with cold water to remove the starch, then divide between 4 bowls.

Toast the nori sheet over a high flame or in a hot oven, then slice into this strips. Pour the dressing over the noodles, toss lightly, then scatter with the daikon, scallions and nori strips.

Baking · Do-ahead · Grains

Goat cheese, bacon and olive quick bread

March 27, 2016September 7, 2022 Belinda

This recipe is from David Lebovitz and is very easy to make. The flavors are divine and your guests will love it.

6 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 to 2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp kosher salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
6 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red serrano chile, seeded and minced
2 tsp minced thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment paper. In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

In a bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, cayenne and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, olive oil and mustard. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the egg mixture until just combined. Fold in the goat cheese, Parmigiano, olives, bacon, scallions, chile and thyme. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface. 

Bake the bread until golden on top and a toothpick or metal skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the loaf to loosen it from the pan. Invert onto a plate and let cool completely. Cut the loaf into thick slices and serve.

Make Ahead

The bread can be wrapped well in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1 week.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Grains · Poultry

Asian-influenced chicken and coconut “paella”

January 3, 2016February 7, 2016 Belinda

This is Tyler Florence’s Asian version of a Spanish paella which is gorgeous. The chicken thighs are lightly crusted with crushed coriander seeds then sauteed and tucked into basmati rice that has been simmered in sweet coconut milk and ginger. Need I say any more?

Serves 4 to 6

1/4 cup coriander seeds
8 chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cups basmati rice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups coconut milk

Pea Salad
1 cup frozen peas, thawed in a colander under cool water
A small handful of fresh mint leaves
1 bunch watercress
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Mint leaves for garnish
Lemon wedges for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Coarsely crack the coriander by either pulsing in a spice grinder, wrapping the seeds in a tea towel and crushing them with a rolling pin or grinding them in a pepper grinder on a coarse setting.
Season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper and sprinkle all over with the cracked coriander.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep ovenproof skillet. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down and give them a good sear for 4 to 5 mins to develop a nice crust.
Turn and cook for 4 to 5 mins on the other side to brown the meat. Take the chicken out of the pan.

Put another 2 tbsp of olive oil in the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion, ginger and bay leaf, and cook, stirring for 4 to 5 mins, until the onion is soft but not colored.
Now you’ve got all this great flavor going on in the bottom of the pan; chicken drippings, onion, ginger and bay leaf. Add the rice and season with salt and pepper. Stir for a minute or two until the grains are well coated with oil. Stir in the lemon zest. Now add the broth and coconut milk and bring that to a simmer.
Tuck in the chicken thighs, put the whole thing in the oven, and bake, uncovered, until the rice is tender and bound by a creamy sauce and the chicken is entirely cooked through,about 30 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf.

When the chicken is done, put the peas, mint and watercress into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and give it a good toss. Taste for seasoning. To serve take a big spoon and scoop out some chicken and rice and garnish each plate with the pea salad

Asian flavors · Breakfast · Dairy-free · Dessert · Gluten Free · Grains · Vegan

Vegan Coconut Milk Rice Pudding with Citrus and Ginger

August 18, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

I could eat this whole thing in one go, being a coconut addict and it’s delicious for breakfast, lunch or dessert for dinner. The addition of the ginger and citrus really takes it to another dimension

Serves 4

1 can (13.6 fluid oz.) full fat coconut milk
1 cup water
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 cup long grain basmati rice
2 to 4 tbsp maple syrup, to taste
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp orange zest

Mix the coconut milk, water, orange juice, vanilla extract, salt, and rice in a medium-sized pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Cover the pot, but leave the lid very slightly ajar to let steam escape.

Simmer the rice for 30 minutes, or until most of the liquid has absorbed. Stir in maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, and zest. Continue cooking till rice is creamy and soft. If necessary, add a little more water or maple syrup.

Serve warm or cool, dusted with extra cinnamon if desired!

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Grains · Nuts · Salad · Vegetable-related

Orange-scented quinoa salad with pistachios and dates

August 17, 2015February 7, 2016 Belinda

Another beautiful healthy and tasty Summer salad. I can’t have enough of these and am always looking for more of these interesting recipes. We love eating them with a piece of marinated and barbequed fish or chicken.

Serves 4

6 oz (175 g) quinoa or red quinoa, rinsed
1 oz (30g) shelled pistachios
5 tbsp 70ml) fresh orange juice, plus finely grated zest 1 orange
4 tbsp (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 scant tsp Dijon mustard
6 green onions, very finely sliced
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
3 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 large bunch watercress, tough stalks removed
10 ready-to-eat dates, chopped
Optional- goat cheese or Greek feta cheese to toss through or sprinkle over it

Bring 3 cups (500 mls) water (or 1/2 water and 1/2 broth of your choice) to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa and reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook for 18-20 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork and spread over a large plate to cool.

Meanwhile, in a dry frying pan, toast the pistachios until fragrant and starting to brown. Cool, then coarsely chop.

To make the dressing, whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, mustard and vinegar and season well.

To assemble the salad, put the quinoa in a serving bowl and toss with half the dressing. Fork through the orange zest, green onions, herbs, watercress, dates, chopped pistachios and enough of the remaining dressing to coat. Taste and add more salt, pepper and/or dressing if needed, then serve.