Halloumi stuffed dates with honey and lime

June 14, 2024June 14, 2024 Belinda

Recipe from Lukas Volger.

You can cook these using the broil setting of your toaster oven if you have either.
Paneer or even feta would make a good substitute for the halloumi. Just steer clear of anything that won’t hold its shape as it heats up.
It’s simple to scale this recipe up or down however you need.

Yield 12 stuffed dates | Prep & cook time 10 minutes

12 dates
Half of an 8.8-oz package halloumi cheese
Honey or hot honey
Olive oil
Lime Zest
Smoky chili flakes, such as Aleppo flakes
Flaky salt

Preheat your broiler.
Using a paring knife, make a slice down the length of each of the dates and gently pry them open to expose and remove the pits. Cut the halloumi into 12 rectangles. Place a piece of halloumi in each date and gently wrap the date around the sides of the cheese. Arrange them on a small baking tray.
Transfer the tray to the oven and place it directly beneath the heat source. Broil the stuffed dates until the cheese is golden brown on top and the dates’ skins are slightly blistered, 3 to 5 minutes (this could vary quite a bit based on the strength of your broiler), watching carefully.
Arrange them on a plate and drizzle lightly with honey and olive oil. Use a microplane to shower them with lime zest, and finish with a few pinches of chili flakes and salt.
Serve warm.

Baking · Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Gold rush coffee cake

March 31, 2024March 31, 2024 Belinda

Recipe from Ruth McKeaney’s lovely book, “Hungry for Home”

In Ruth’s words
“I make this coffee cake for every holiday and shower. It is adapted from Panera’s Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake recipe by Maris Callahan and is so good that my kids have asked for it in lieu of a birthday cake! So… what makes it such a standout?First off, it’s gorgeous. The streusel runs right through the middle. When you take a bite, you’ll think you’ve struck a vein of sweet, buttery, golden goodness. Secondly, it might be the most moist coffee cake I’ve ever had. This cake is not difficult on the baking scale and uses everyday ingredients you probably already have on hand. What’s more, it lasts on the counter for a few days (well… not in my house) and serves as a beautiful gift if you want to make something special for someone you love. Serve with strong coffee. And if you’re feeling extra decadent, dollop with thick homemade whipped cream.”

MIX YOUR STREUSEL

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup lt. brown sugar, lightly packed 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

PREPARE YOUR BATTER

12 (1 1⁄2 sticks) tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sour cream
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round bundt pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on high-speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light.
Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time. Then slowly add the vanilla and sour cream.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.
Mix with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread it out with a knife.
With your fingers, crumble half of the topping evenly over the batter.
Pour in the remainder of the batter and crumble the remaining half of the streusel topping on top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool completely before serving.

Baking · Holiday Food

Treacle spiced traybake

December 11, 2023December 11, 2023 Belinda

This is such a wonderful Mary Berry classic recipe, especially good at Christmas as it fills the house with the smell of Christmas spices.
Don’t be too worried if the traybake dips in the centre – it means you were a little generous with the treacle.

MAKES 15–20 SLICES

225g (8 oz) butter, softened
175g (6 oz) caster sugar
225g (8 oz) black treacle
300g (11 oz) self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
3 bulbs stem ginger from a jar, finely chopped

ICING
75g (3 oz) icing sugar, sifted
about 2 tbsp stem ginger syrup from the jar
2 bulbs stem ginger, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F/180ºC. Line a small roasting tin about 30 × 23cm (12 × 9 in) with foil and grease well.

Measure all the ingredients for the cake into a large bowl and beat well for about 2 minutes until well blended. Pour into the prepared tin.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little. Lift cake in foil case out of the tin to cool completely.

To make the icing, mix together the icing sugar and syrup. Pour over the cake while still warm, and sprinkle with the chopped stem ginger. If preferred, dust with sifted icing sugar.

PREPARING AHEAD – Make up to 2 days ahead, and ice on the day. If you want to freeze, leave whole, un-iced, wrap in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw for about 6 hours at room temperature, then ice and cut into 15–20 squares.

Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides

Sticky sprouts, orange and tarragon

December 2, 2023December 2, 2023 Belinda

Thanksgiving is over, but Christmas is still to come!

Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi
In this recipe (which I keep in metric) the sprouts are sticky, salty, nutty and delicious, and the whole dish can be cooked up to a day in advance – keep the sprouts and sauce separate, though, and reheat and combine just before serving.

Serves 4-6 as a side

750g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthways
90ml olive oil
Fine sea salt and black pepper
50g peeled pistachios, lightly crushed in a mortar
2 oranges, zest finely grated, to get 2 tsp, then juiced, to get 250ml
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
5g tarragon leaves

Heat the oven to its highest setting – at least 450F/240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9. Toss the halved sprouts with the oil, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then spread out on a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and roast for 10 minutes. Stir in the pistachios and roast for another 10 minutes, until the sprouts are nicely browned and the pistachios have toasted.

Meanwhile, put the orange zest and juice, soy sauce and maple syrup in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat, and leave to cook for five to eight minutes, until the sauce has reduced by three-quarters and has turned syrupy.

Once the sprouts are cooked, pour the syrup all over them, scatter over half the tarragon and toss to combine. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle over the remaining tarragon and serve.

Holiday Food · Vegetarian pasta

The best macaroni and cheese to date

November 24, 2023November 24, 2023 Belinda

Please be warned, this makes a ton-a mac-and-cheese, but it’s perfect for a Holiday meal and you will have enough to make smaller dishes to freeze. It is everything I love about mac n’cheese with the nutty rounded flavor of Gruyere and a good strong mature cheddar (I use grated blocks of Sharp New Zealand cheddar cheese from Trader Joes)

Serves 12

2 sticks butter, max
12 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp coarse salt, plus more for water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp Colmans mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 cups (about 20 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated Gruyère
1lb elbow macaroni (use Barilla preferably, as it holds it’s shape well as it has ridges, otherwise De Cecco is a good brand)

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 stick of butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread and toss lightly. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot but watch it, as it can boil over.

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes or sometimes eve longer.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère and set the cheese sauce aside.

Cover a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30-45 minutes but your oven may vary. (we needed a bit more time to get it brown)
Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes and serve

Accompaniments · Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

The best cornbread casserole out there

November 24, 2023November 24, 2023 Belinda

I found this recipe while watching a YouTube video of Hillside Farm in Pennsylvania, home of Ruth McKeaney. Oh my, what an idyllic home and garden. Her recipes and laid back approach to entertaining are wonderful.
This recipe produces the lightest, most delicious and moist cornbread I have ever had. Also, I prepped this the day before and put it in the fridge overnight before baking it.

“I like it a little sweet and very moist. You’ll never have to eat dry, crumbly cornbread again after making this recipe. For added deliciousness, I melt half a stick of butter and drizzle it over the freshly baked bread. Serve with ribs, chili, or pulled pork. For my family and friends, a BBQ is not the same without it.”

4 cups Bisquick
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
2 sticks melted butter, plus another 3/4 stick melted butter for drizzling over top.

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Thoroughly mix the Bisquick, cornmeal, sugar, and baking powder together.
Add in the milk, eggs, and butter and stir to combine.
Pour into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan.
Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.
Drizzle remaining melted butter over top.

PRO-TIP:
For added sweetness, mix honey into the drizzling butter.

Dairy-free · Holiday Food · Meat

Garlic-Braised Pork Shoulder

August 13, 2023 Belinda

Adapted from a recipe by Ali Slagle

Cooking time 3 ¾ hours

This beginner-friendly, hands-off braise is for anyone seeking fall-apart pork and lots of savory sauce. After browning whole heads of garlic and the pork, the two braise with water or pork stock until the pork is shreddable, the garlic is buttery and the surrounding liquid is as flavorful as can be. Some braises are loaded with many aromatics, but this one zeroes in on caramelized garlic, a heavy hitter that can singlehandedly season a dish. Slice or shred the meat and serve with the pureed braising liquid ( minus the herbs), mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower and leek (I love this)tortillas, or bread for dunking.

Serves 4-6

3½ – 4lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of more than ¼-inch fat
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
4 cups pork stock made with 4 cups boiling water and 1 pork stock cube, crumbled and dissolved into the boiling water.
3-4 heads garlic, tops removed leaving 2/3 of the garlic
Good-sized bundles fresh rosemary, sage, oregano or thyme tied with butchers string. (I used thyme and rosemary)

Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Season the pork all over with salt and pepper (about 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 teaspoons fine sea salt). You can season the pork up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate until using.

Step 2
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, cut-sides down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the garlic, turn up to medium-high heat then add the pork shoulder and cook until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3
Add 4 cups of broth, the garlic and the herbs.
Bring to a simmer, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven, turning the pork every 30 minutes or so until the pork falls apart when prodded with a fork, 2½ to 3 hours.

Step 4
Transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and rest for about 15 minutes (the pork, that is!).
Use tongs to squeeze the garlic halves until the cloves pop out into the braising liquid. Discard the garlic peels and herb sprigs. As the braising liquid sits, a fat cap will appear: Use a spoon to skim off most of it. Season the liquid to taste with salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce so it becomes smooth and very creamy.

Step 5
Slice the pork against the grain into ½-inch-thick slices, or shred the pork with two forks.
Serve with the sauce in a little bowl beside the pork, or dribble some over the sliced meat to keep moist

Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Holiday Food

Berry platter with labneh and orange oil

June 8, 2023May 2, 2024 Belinda

Serves 6

900g labneh
100ml good-quality olive oil
10g lemon thyme sprigs, plus a few extra picked thyme leaves to serve
1 orange: finely shave the skin to get 6 strips
200g blackberries
250g raspberries
300g strawberries, hulled and halved lengthways (or quartered if they’re larger)
50g caster sugar
1 lime: finely grate the zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 1 tbsp
200g blueberries
150g cherries, pitted

Put the oil into a small saucepan, for which you have a lid, on a medium heat. Heat gently for about 7 minutes, or until tiny air bubbles form. Remove from the heat, add the thyme and orange strips, then cover with a lid and leave to infuse, ideally overnight, though half an hour will also do the job.

The next day, put 50g of blackberries, 100g of raspberries and 100g of strawberries into the small bowl of a food processor along with the sugar and lime juice and blitz until completely smooth. Put all the remaining berries and the cherries into a large bowl along with the blitzed fruit and gently combine. You can serve it straight away or leave it in the fridge for a few hours, bringing it back to room temperature before serving.

Spread the labneh out on a large platter. Spoon over the berries, then sprinkle with the lime zest. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the infused oil, along with a couple of the orange strips and the extra picked thyme leaves.

Dessert · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Eton Mess

June 4, 2023 Belinda

Donal Skelton is a super Irish chef and cookbook author.
Picture this: layers of crushed meringue folded through delicately whipped double cream, laced with the aromatic essence of vanilla bean paste and a dusting of icing sugar. To top it all off, simple sweet macerated Irish strawberries. The stuff of summer dreams!

Serves 6
1lb (500g) fresh sweet strawberries, hulled and halved
11 fl oz (300ml) heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered (icing) sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
8-10 store-bought meringue cookies (nests), roughly crushed
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

In a bowl, combine the strawberries and 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar. Set aside to macerate while you prepare the rest of the dessert.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cream, remaining powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste until soft peaks form. Be careful not to overmix – you want a beautifully luscious texture with no graininess!

Gently fold the crushed meringue cookies into the whipped cream mixture.

Now, it’s time to assemble! Use a large serving platter and begin layering the Eton Mess. Start with a spoonful of the meringue and cream mixture, then add a layer of macerated strawberries and more lightly crushed meringue. Repeat this process, creating beautiful alternating layers in a large pile.

Finish off your Eton Mess with a final flourish of macerated strawberries on top.
To add a touch of freshness and vibrancy, garnish each serving with a few mint leaves.

Finally, grab a spoon and serve straight to the table.