Patricia Wells’ Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado and Pistachios

July 26, 2015January 5, 2017 Belinda3 Comments

When you just can’t look another zucchini in the face, put it on a pedestal. Raw zucchini can be spongy, bitter and strangely sticky, so pamper it like Patricia Wells does here, by shaving it into delicate ribbons, then bathing them in a lemony marinade.

A trusted mandoline makes a big difference here — and if you don’t have one, you’re better off opting for a vegetable peeler than a sharp knife. You want planks as thin as flower petals.

There will be leftover lemon salt. Swirl it into buttered pasta; dust it on blanched green beans; put a pinch on a dark chocolate cookie.

Serves 4 (as a meal) Lemon Zest Salt:

1 tbsp lemon zest, preferably organic
1 tbsp fine sea salt

Combine the lemon zest and salt in a spice grinder, and grind into a fine powder. Transfer to a small jar and close the lid. (Store, sealed in the jar, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. After that the lemon flavor will begin to fade.)

Salad:

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Lemon Zest Salt
3 tablespoons best-quality pistachio oil (such as Leblanc) or extra-virgin olive oil
4 small, fresh zucchini (about 4 ounces each), rinsed and trimmed at both ends
1 large ripe avocado
1/2 cup salted pistachios
Leaves from 4 fresh lemon thyme or regular thyme sprigs, with flowers if possible
Fleur de sel

In a small jar with a lid, combine the lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon Lemon Zest Salt. Cover with the lid and shake to blend. Add the oil and shake to blend.
With a mandoline, vegetable peeler, or very sharp chef’s knife slice the zucchini lengthwise as thin as possible. Arrange the slices on a platter and pour the dressing over them. Tilt the platter back and forth to coat the slices evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, so the zucchini absorbs the dressing and does not dry out.
Halve, pit, and peel the avocado, and cut it lengthwise into very thin slices. Carefully arrange the slices of marinated zucchini on individual salad plates, alternating with the avocado slices, slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle with the pistachio nuts. Garnish with the thyme leaves and flowers and fleur de sel.
Serve and enjoy!

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

Banana coconut parcels

May 12, 2015 Belinda

This has got to be one of my favorite desserts and so easy. You can store the banana leaves in your freezer, so you will always have them around.
This recipe is c/o Saveur magazine.

12 fresh or frozen banana leaves
2 1⁄4 cups coconut cream
3⁄4 cup sugar
Kosher salt, to taste
1 1⁄2 cups short-grain sticky rice, soaked for 6 hours, drained, and rinsed
3 firm-ripe bananas, quartered lengthwise

Cut each banana leaf into a roughly 12″x 14″ rectangle, then cut the scraps into 12 thin ribbons for tying; set aside.
Combine the coconut cream, sugar, 1⁄4 cup water, and salt in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook, stirring, until it begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Add the rice; cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 7 minutes.
Remove from heat; let the rice absorb liquid, about 20 minutes. Divide the rice into 12 equal portions.

Working with 1 banana leaf at a time, arrange a leaf with a short edge parallel to you, smooth side up.
Put a portion of rice in the center; top with a banana quarter; press gently.
Shape the rice into a rectangle.
Fold the leaf ends over the rice to make a packet. Tie with a ribbon. Repeat to make 12 packets in all.
Pour water into a wide-bottomed pot to a depth of 1″. Set a colander inside pot.
Working in 2 batches, steam the packets until firm, about 15 minutes.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Caponata ratatouille

May 5, 2015January 5, 2017 Belinda1 Comment

Mediterranean vegetarian food is the most comforting to eat and beautiful to look at. This is a combination of the Provencal ratatouille and Italian caponata with the briny capers and olives added for a punch. It is from the wonderful BBC Food website and is very low calorie. If you need anything else with it, you could boil some rice or pasta with it.

Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1lb 10 oz eggplant, cut into 1 1/2″ chunks. If you don’t like eggplants you can use zucchini instead
1 large onion, cut into 1 1/2″ chunks
3 celery sticks, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, skinned,deseeded and chopped into 1/2″ chunks
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp caper, drained
small handful pitted green olives
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar, optional
1-2 tbsp cocoa powder, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
To garnish;
chopped toasted almonds
Chopped Italian parsley

Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan until very hot, add the eggplant and fry for about 15 minutes or until very soft. Add a little boiling water or stock to prevent sticking if necessary.
Meanwhile, place the onion and celery in a large saucepan with a little water or stock. Cook for 5 minutes or until tender but still firm.
Add the tomatoes, thyme, cayenne pepper, and eggplants to the saucepan. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the capers, olives, vinegar, sugar and cocoa powder and cook for 2 to 4 minutes.
Season with freshly ground pepper and add salt if you think you need it.
Divide between 6 bowls, garnish with the toasted almonds and chopped parsley and serve.

Grains · Nuts · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Saffron rice with barberries, pistachios and mixed herbs

January 14, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

If you are like me, you will go onto Google and buy a bag of barberries rather than schlepp around all the stores. They are not expensive and there really is no substitute to these little jewels. I must credit the incredible Ottolenghi for this recipe and picture as there is no way my iPhone can better this image.

Serves six

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed under cold water and drained
2 1/2 cups boiling water
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp saffron threads, soaked for 30 minutes in 3 tbsp boiling water
2 oz dried barberries, soaked for a few minutes in freshly boiled water with a pinch of sugar
2 tbsp dill, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tbsp chervil, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tarragon, roughly chopped
4 to 5 tbsp slivered or crushed unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted

Firstly;
Barberries are tiny, jewel-like, dried sweet-and-sour Iranian berries. Their intense sharpness accentuates other flavours in a dish and adds wonderful drama to its looks. You can get them online, and from Iranian and some Middle Eastern grocers. If you can’t find any, use currants soaked in a little lemon juice instead. Serve this rice with roast chicken or just on it’s own.
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Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the rice, making sure the grains are well coated. Add the boiling water, a teaspoon of salt and some white pepper. Mix well, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook on a very low heat for 15 minutes. Don’t be tempted to uncover the pan – you need to let the rice to steam properly.

Remove the pan from the heat – all the water will have been absorbed by the rice – and pour the saffron water over about a quarter of the surface, leaving most of the rice white. Cover with a tea towel, reseal tightly with the lid and set aside for five to 10 minutes.

With a large spoon, transfer the white rice to a large bowl and fluff it up with a fork. Drain the barberries and stir them in, followed by the herbs and most of the pistachios, reserving a few to garnish. Fluff up the saffron rice in the pan, then fold gently into the white rice – don’t overmix: you don’t want the white grains to be stained by the yellow ones. Taste, adjust the seasoning and transfer to a shallow serving bowl.

Scatter the remaining pistachios on top and serve warm or at room temperature.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Dhal with spinach, tomatoes and coconut milk

January 13, 2015 Belinda

I get more excited about non-meat recipes these days than anything. I almost always choose non-meat dishes in restaurants as I find them so much more interesting than a lump of meat on a plate.
This is lovely just served with some boiled rice.

Serves 4

11 oz red lentils
1 heaped tsp freshly grated ginger
A handful of cilantro stalks finely chopped and leaves roughly chopped
14 fl oz coconut milk
15 oz tin of chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 red chile, seeded and finely chopped
8 curry leaves (fresh is best or dried)
4 oz baby spinach leaves
juice of 1 lemon
3 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
salt and pepper

Put the lentils into a heavy-based pan with the ginger, cilantro stalks and a teaspoon of salt then pour over the coconut milk and about 21 fl oz of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, adding the tomatoes after 10 minutes.

After 30 minutes the lentils will have broken down and will be thick and creamy. Then whisk until the mixture becomes smooth. If it is too thick then you can add a little more water. Leave to simmer gently while you get the spice mixture ready.

Heat the oil in a small heavy-based frying pan. Add the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves. Leave them to temper. The oil should be bubbling and the seeds popping. This will take about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Stir straight into the lentils reserving 1 tablespoon. Be careful, as the mixture may spit a little. Whisk until well combined and then stir in the baby spinach, lemon juice and spring onions. Test for seasoning and put some salt and pepper in, it if it needs it, but it may not.

Ladle the dahl into bowls, then sprinkle over the cilantro leaves, reserved spices and spring onions to serve.

Do-ahead · Grains · Holiday Food · Nuts · Salad · Vegan

Wild rice salad with cranberries and roasted nuts

November 29, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

We had this salad for Thanksgiving as a side, and it was definitely everyone’s favorite dish. Not only is it healthy, it tastes clean, fresh and divine and only gets better with sitting in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. I adapted this from a recipe from the great food blog, View from a Great Island.

Serves 6-8

1 cup wild rice, rinsed
1/3 cup raw pecan halves
1/3 cup whole raw cashews
1/3 cup pistachios
1/3 small red onion
several small inner stalks of celery, peeled and chopped (I used 5 good sized stalks)
5 to 6 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp of your favorite vinegar, I used Sherry
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
1 heaped tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

This first soaking step is optional, but will help keep your wild rice from splitting as much, which I think makes a prettier salad. If you have the time, soak the rice in plenty of water for 8 hours or overnight. Then drain and continue the recipe.

Bring a quart of water and a teaspoon of salt to boil in a saucepan and add the rice. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and cook for about 30-40 minutes, or just until the rice is tender. Wild rice will always have a little bite to it, so don’t try to cook it until completely soft.

While the rice is cooking, put the pecans and cashews in a large skillet and toast, over medium heat, until you smell them and they start to turn slightly brown. Take them off the heat and let them cool before giving them a rough chop.
Drain the rice and put in a bowl.
Toss the warm rice with the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk together the dressing in a small jar. If you put the top on and shake it vigorously, it should emulsify. Taste it to adjust the amount of vinegar or seasonings. Toss the salad with half of the dressing, and then refrigerate until completely chilled.
When ready to serve, add more dressing and toss well.

Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Salad · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Tomato and pomegranate salad

October 23, 2014 Belinda

My friend Rose put a huge bag of pomegranates on my car seat the other day when we were recording a score at Warner Brothers. She grows a lot of fruit and vegetables and we often chat about recipes and what’s in season. I give her our Seville oranges when they’re in season as she too loves to make marmalade. It’s fun to have musician friends who grow and cook their own food as we can exchange recipes and jars of homemade goodies on the sessions! Since receiving this lovely gift of pomegranates, I have been researching recipes that include them. This one is a jewel in every sense of the word. To look at and to eat. Highly healthy, tasty and beautiful.

1 1/3 cups red cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4 ” dice
1 1/3 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4″ dice
1 1/3 cups plum or tiger tomatoes, cut into 1/4″ dice
1lb medium vine tomatoes, cut into 1/4″ dice
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4″ dice
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra to finish
1 large pomegranate, seeds removed (about 1 cup seeds)
1 tbsp small oregano leaves
salt

Mix together all the tomatoes, the red pepper and the onion in a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil and a scant 1/2 tsp salt until well combined. Pour this over the tomato mixture and gently mix.

Arrange the tomato mixture and it’s juices on a large, flat platter. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and oregano over the top.
Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Radicchio, banana and avocado salad with dates and a ginger- lime dressing

September 23, 2014 Belinda1 Comment

This is very unusual but sensational. Bananas and avocado have a very similar texture and the Asian dressing lends itself really well to this combination. I would love to hear what you think of it.

Serves 6 as a starter.

2 medium heads of radicchio
6 Medjool dates, pitted
2 firm bananas
2 ripe avocados

For the dressing
3 tbsp safflower oil
2 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tsp Asian chile sauce
1 tbsp finely minced ginger
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 tbsp chopped cilantro sprigs

Pull apart the radicchio leaves, then tear away and discard the bitter white stem area; you should have abut 4 cups. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to make the dish.
Thinly slice the dates. In a small bowl combine all the dressing ingredients and refrigerate until needed.
When ready to serve, slice the bananas and cut the avocado flesh into 1/4 slices. Stir the dressing, place the radicchio in a bowl and toss with just enough of the dressing to barely coat the leaves.
Transfer the leaves to salad plates and put the dates, banana and avocado slices in the same bowl, add the rest of the dressing and very gently toss together.
Place this mixture on top of the radicchio and serve at once.

Asian flavors · Nuts · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Pan seared broccoli with toasted pinenuts and Asian orange sauce

September 23, 2014 Belinda

This is a super vegetable dish and works really well served with fish or chicken or even just steamed rice. It’s very light, with the nuttiness of the toasted pine nuts and the clean, tangy flavors of the Asian orange sauce.

Serves 2 to 4 as a side dish

1/2 cup pine nuts
1 large broccoli head,about 1lb
3 whole green onions
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp flavorless cooking oil

For the orange sauce
1/2 tsp grated orange rind
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp Asian chile sauce

Preheat the oven to 325F to toast the pine nuts.
Cut the stems then trim off the tough ends and peel the stems with a vegetable peeler. Cut the stems on a sharp diagonal into 1/8 inch thick slices. Separate the broccoli florets, you should have about 4 cups broccoli.
Discard the root ends of the green onions and cut on the diagonal into 1 inch lengths.
Combine the broccoli and green onions and refrigerate.
Toast the pine nuts for about 8 minutes until golden brown, then remove and set aside in a bowl.
In a small bowl, combine all the orange sauce ingredients.
Place a 12 inch saute pan or a wok over a high heat. When it’s hot,add the cooking oil and when it starts to smoke, add the vegetables and garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds, then add the orange sauce.
Immediately cover the wok/saute pan and let it steam for about 20 seconds, then remove the cover and stir fry for a few seconds. (If the broccoli has not turned a bright green, replace the lid and steam for another 20 seconds)
As soon as the broccoli turns bright green, stir in the nuts and immediately transfer to a serving platter, serving at once.