Squash, chestnut and hazelnut nut roast wreath

November 18, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

If you’re after a fantastic centre piece for your festive feast – look no further!
I know that nut roasts are pretty old school but they’re tasty and this one is packed with flavor. The squash adds some sweetness to the mix and when combined with hazelnuts and chestnuts its really delicious. Plus lots of extra veg and seeds for flavor and crunch – seriously tasty.
I decided to cook it in a bundt mould to create a fun, Holiday wreath. I think it looks pretty special, but feel free to cook it in a loaf tin if you don’t have a bundt mould – just as delicious.
Great served with all the festive trimmings…

Recipe from food blog “Rebel Recipes”

10-12 servings

2 large onions, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small squash or 1/2 butter nut, peeled and cut into small cubes
100g mushrooms, finely chopped
2 big handfuls of kale
300g hazelnuts
4 tbsp pine nuts toasted or pumpkin seeds if preferred
4 tbsp sunflower seeds toasted
180g chestnuts, chopped up
2 tbsp tamari
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp vegan Worcester sauce
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tsp sea salt
Zest 1 lemon
Black pepper
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp fresh thyme chopped up
3 tbsp olive oil

Pre- heat your oven to 350F/180C

Add the onion and oil to a medium pan and fry gently on a low heat for around 10 minutes until soft and browning.
Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.
Next add the squash and mushrooms and fry for 10 minutes until soft. Stir in the kale and. Turn off the heat when wilted.
Toast the hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and pine nuts in a dry pan until slightly golden. Add them to a food processor. Pulse a few times.
Add them to the pan along with the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
Chop the chestnuts roughly and add them to the pan.
Stir everything to combine.
Transfer the mix to a medium greased bunt tin of choice – I used a silicone one as its easier to remove the nut roast.
Press the mix down firmly into the bunt tin.
Bake for 40 minutes – the nut roast should be a little brown on top.
Allow to cool then carefully flip onto a plate.
Top with vegetable crips, herbs etc

Do-ahead · Grains · Holiday Food · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Feta-stuffed cannellini bean nut roast

November 18, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

Revamp the nut roast with this Middle-Eastern inspired version. It’s packed with flavor and has an irresistible herby, cheesy filling. A great vegetarian alternative to turkey!

Recipe by Esther Clark

Serves 6

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the tin and for drizzling
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 leeks , halved and sliced
400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
100g pistachios, finely chopped
50g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
80g parmesan, grated
100g cooked quinoa
3 tbsp za’atar
50g fresh breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
50g plain flour
½ small bunch of parsley , finely chopped
1 tbsp toasted mixed seeds
For the stuffing
100g feta, crumbled
2 tbsp mascarpone
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
1 tbsp finely chopped dill , plus a few fronds to serve
1 lemon, zested
For the broccoli
300g purple sprouting broccoli
½ tbsp coriander seeds , crushed
1 tbsp rose harissa

Oil the base and sides of a roughly 18cm loaf tin and line with baking parchment. Heat 1½ tbsp oil in a frying pan, tip in the celery and leek, and fry for 10 mins, or until both are softened and translucent.

Roughly mash the cannellini beans in a large bowl. Stir through the fried celery and leek, pistachios, sundried tomatoes, parmesan, quinoa, za’atar, breadcrumbs, eggs, flour and parsley. Season well.

For the stuffing, roughly mash the feta with a fork, then stir in the mascarpone, chives, dill and lemon zest. Season.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Sprinkle the mixed seeds over the bottom of your lined loaf tin. Pat half the bean and nut mixture into the tin and use a spoon to press out a channel along the middle, roughly 2cm wide. Spoon the feta mixture into the channel, then pat down the remaining bean and nut mixture over the top and around the sides. Cover in foil and bake for 50 mins or up to 1 hr until firm to the touch.

Toss the broccoli in a baking tray with the coriander seeds, harissa and remaining 1½ tbsp oil. Season and roast on the lower shelf of the oven for the last 20 mins of the cooking time, or until crisp at the edges.

Serve the nut roast on a platter alongside the broccoli. Drizzle with olive oil and top with the dill fronds.

Appetizers · Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Whole30 compliant

Salmon and Avocado Towers

November 9, 2021November 9, 2021 Belinda

This is one of the all-time most popular special occasion dishes — so easy to do but it will knock the socks off your guests.
A great one to get a Holiday dinner off to a good start too.

Recipe by Annabelle Langbein

Serves 10

5 avocados, mashed
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 spring onions, (scallions) finely chopped
2 1/2 cups peeled and finely diced cucumber
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/4lbs /600 g gravlax, raw salmon, or cold-smoked salmon, finely diced
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 1/4 cups microgreens, to garnish

Mash the avocado.
Put mashed avocado in a bowl and mix in lemon juice, spring onion and cucumber.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a separate bowl, mix the salmon with the dill and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place ten 6-8cm (2″-3″) ring moulds onto ten small serving plates
Divide half the avocado mixture between the moulds and press down gently with the back of a teaspoon.
Divide the salmon mixture between the moulds on top of the avocado and smooth down evenly.
Divide the remaining avocado on top of the salmon and smooth the tops.
Chill until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, simply lift the moulds up to reveal the towers.
Top with a garnish of micro greens and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Baking · Dairy-free · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Perfect Panforte

November 8, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

We like to use raisins, dried cranberries, mixed peel and/or chopped dried apricots or figs for this decadent dessert, but you can play around with different types of fruit and nuts as long as you keep the quantities constant. You might want to wear a clean pair of dishwashing gloves to mix this dense Italian festive fruit cake as it’s too heavy to mix with a spoon and you need to work fast so the toffee mixture doesn’t set before it’s mixed through the fruit and nuts.
Panforte is very rich, so serve it in very thin slices. It also makes a lovely gift.

Serves 20

2 cups dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cranberries, candied orange or lemon peel and/or chopped dried apricots or figs
1 cup whole roasted almonds
1 cup whole roasted, skinned hazelnuts
1/2 cup plain flour
2 tbsp good-quality cocoa
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
60 g dark chocolate, chopped
icing sugar, to dust

Preheat oven to 325F/150°C
Thoroughly grease a 8″/20cm-diameter springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper.

Combine fruit and nuts in a large bowl
In a smaller bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, spices and salt.
Tip into the fruit and nut mixture and mix well
Combine honey and sugar in a pot and boil until a little mixture dropped into a glass of cold water forms a soft ball.
Remove from heat, add chocolate and stir until melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour into dry ingredients and quickly mix with a very strong wooden spoon until combined.
Press into prepared tin, sprinkle with icing sugar and bake until set (about 35-40 minutes).
Remove from tin by running wet knife around the outside of the cake.
When cool, dust liberally with more icing sugar.
Stored in an airtight container it will keep for weeks.

Dessert · Holiday Food

5-Minute Pumpkin Parfait

November 7, 2021November 7, 2021 Belinda

A quick, healthier alternative to pumpkin pie, this pumpkin parfait is velvety smooth and packed with comforting fall flavors including cinnamon, nutmeg, nuts, and even dark chocolate!
Recipe from “The Mediterranean Dish”

1 15oz can pumpkin puree or scant 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cup Greek full-fat plain yogurt
3-4 tbsp mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2-2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Parfait toppings
2 tbsp honey or molasses, more for garnish
Chocolate chips for garnish
Chopped roasted hazelnuts or walnuts for garnish

Place the pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt and the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips and nuts, in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand electric mixer or a whisk, mix together until you reach a smooth consistency.
Give it a taste and adjust flavor to your liking (add a bit of molasses or brown sugar to sweeten some more, for example. Or adjust the spices if you want more cinnamon or nutmeg.) Mix again to combine.
Transfer the pumpkin-yogurt mixture to small (3-oz) serving goblets or small mason jars. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.

When ready to serve, top each with a drizzle of molasses, chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts or walnuts. Enjoy!

NOTES

Prepare-Ahead Tip: You can prepare this pumpkin parfait one night in advance. Refrigerate in a tightly closed container or individual mason jars (hold the chocolate chips and nuts for later). When ready to serve, stir the yogurt mixture and transfer it into the serving goblets or mini jars and add toppings.

To serve a larger crowd: Simply double the recipe to feed 12 or more (small 3-oz goblets or mason jars.)

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Soup

Slow-Cooker Curried Sweet Potato Soup With Coconut and Kale

November 7, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

This creamy Thai-inspired soup is all about balance: When the contrasting flavors are in harmony, it is outrageously delicious. (It is also vegan if there’s no fish or shrimp in your curry paste.) Supermarket curry pastes are a great shortcut to flavor for weeknights, but salt and spice levels can vary greatly among brands. So taste at the end, and adjust: You may need to add curry paste, sugar or lime juice to your liking. Chile-lime flavored peanuts, available at some grocery stores, are particularly good for topping — snap them up if you happen to see them. Otherwise, roasted salted peanuts will work beautifully.
Recipe by Sarah DiGregorio for the New York Times

Serves 6

2 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped
5 large garlic cloves
2 tbsp coconut oil, preferably unrefined virgin
2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 (4-oz) jar red curry paste (1/2 cup)
1 (13-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
1 cup smooth peanut butter
Juice of 1 lime, plus more to taste
5 oz/1 medium bunch baby kale or spinach, stemmed and chopped

Combine the sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, oil, sugar, turmeric and salt in a 5- to 8-qt slow cooker. Add more than half of the jar of curry paste (about 1/3 cup) and 1 cup of water or broth. Stir to combine all the ingredients and cook on low until the potatoes are quite tender, about 8 hours.
Add the coconut milk, peanut butter, remaining curry paste and 2 1/2 cups water to the slow cooker.
Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until it is uniformly creamy.
Add the lime juice and the kale, and stir to combine. Cook on low until the greens are wilted and tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in more warm water/broth if you would like a looser texture.
Taste and add more lime juice or salt if necessary.
Serve in bowls with peanuts on top.

Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread

November 6, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

“Sticky, spicy and full of cranberries, this gingerbread is perfect for the holidays. The recipe has been designed to make ahead, and will taste as good 2 days after baking as it does on the same day. (It will keep for 4 to 5 days.) To store it, wrap it well, stick it in the fridge and then bring to room temperature before serving. Whipped cream or crème fraîche, spiked with a little bourbon if you like, is nice on the side.”
Recipe by Melissa Clark for the New York Times

Serves 8-10

2 cups/8oz/266 grams fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup/200g granulated sugar
1 stick/4oz/113g unsalted butter
⅔ cup/133g dark brown sugar
½ cup/120 mls whole milk
½ cup/120 mls maple syrup
¼ cup/60 mls molasses
1 ½ cups/185g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp/5g ground ginger
½ tsp/1g ground cinnamon
½ tsp/3g baking powder
½ tsp/3g kosher salt
¼ tsp/1g baking soda
¼ tsp black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp/14g grated fresh ginger (from 1-inch piece)

Heat oven to 350 F and line a 9-inch square or round baking pan with parchment.

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is syrupy and bubbling thickly, about 10 minutes. Aim to have about half the cranberries broken down, with the remainder more or less whole.

In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to just barely a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.

Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop fat dollops of cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a long, slender knife through the batter in a swirly design, as if you are marbling a cake.
Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Stuffing biscuits (scones)

October 31, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

All the herby and aromatic flavors of a classic Thanksgiving stuffing—sage, rosemary, fennel seed, oniony scallion–are packed into this tender biscuit. Stacking pieces of dough before rolling out ensures plenty of tall, buttery layers. If you have any extra biscuits after The Big Meal, store them in an airtight container at room temperature overnight and prepare to have the most festive biscuits and gravy (featuring leftover Thanksgiving gravy, of course!) for breakfast the next morning.
Recipe from Bon Appetite

Makes 12
1 tbsp. Diamond Crystal kosher or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1tbsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
3 Tbsp. finely chopped sage
1 (heaping) Tbsp. fennel seeds
1½ cups chilled buttermilk, plus more for brushing

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425F.
Whisk the salt, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, pepper, and 4 cups flour in a large bowl.
Add the butter and, using your fingers, work into dry ingredients, smashing and flattening and tossing to coat with flour, until you have some flat quarter-size pieces and some smaller pea-size pieces. Add scallions, rosemary, sage and fennel seeds and toss to evenly distribute. Add 1½ cups buttermilk and stir mixture with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice to incorporate any loose pieces.

Pat dough into a 10 x 8″ rectangle. Using a large knife, cut in half crosswise, then stack 1 piece on top of the other. Turn rectangle so a long side is closest to you and cut dough in half crosswise again. Stack 1 piece on top of the other. (This process will build layers into your biscuits.) Turn dough and pat again into a 10×8″ rectangle. Cut into 12 even pieces (you should have a grid of 4 on the long sides and 3 on the short sides). Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing evenly, and freeze 10 minutes.

Brush top of each biscuit lightly with buttermilk and bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 22–26 minutes.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based · Holiday Food

Cheese croissant bread and butter pudding

October 31, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

This indulgent cheesy croissant bread and butter pudding makes the ideal lazy breakfast to share with friends. Prep the dish the night before and chill in the fridge, to buy yourself more time in bed in the morning.

Serves 4-6
Knob of soft butter for greasing the dish
6-8 croissants, depending on the size, ideally a day or two old
8oz (200g) gruyère cheese, grated
5oz (150g) ham hock, finely shredded
8.5 fl oz (250ml) whole milk
15 fl oz (450ml) double cream
3 medium free-range eggs and
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
5 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 tsp English mustard powder

Heat the oven to 350F/160°C fan/gas 4.
Halve the croissants horizontally and lay them on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove them to cool – you can turn off the oven now as you won’t need it for a bit. This helps the croissants dry out so they’ll greedily soak up the custard.
Arrange half the halved croissants, cut-side up, in the baking dish. Scatter over half the cheese and all the ham, then arrange the rest of the halved croissants, cut-side down, on top.
Stir the milk and cream in a pan and warm until just steaming. Remove from the heat, whisk in the eggs, yolks, chives and mustard, then season with salt and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the croissants, then cover and chill for an hour or overnight. If you can, tilt the dish from time to time and baste the croissants with the custard to make sure it’s absorbed.
Reheat the oven to 350F/160°C fan/gas 4.
Remove the dish from the fridge, scatter over the rest of the cheese, put the dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips, then bake until the custard is just set and the cheese is bubbling (30-35 minutes). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving with whatever your heart desires (within reason).
delicious. tips

* It only takes 15 minutes to prep but it needs time in the fridge, so if you’re not the type to get up early, make it the night before to the point where it’s soaked in the custard, then cover it, put it in the fridge and cook it the next morning.