Glazed Carrots with Goat Cheese and Honey

October 21, 2019 Belinda3 Comments

Recipe c/o “Food and Wine Magazine”
The chefs at Soho Farmhouse transform carrots into an impressive side dish or starter when sautéed with fresh herbs and spices, then glazed with apple cider vinegar and honey.

Screen Shot 2019-10-21 at 11.03.39 AM

THE CARROTS
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs medium carrots, peeled
6 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tarragon sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon mustard seeds
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tbsp honey, plus more for serving
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
GREMOLATA
1 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped tarragon
1 tsp finely grated garlic
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt & Pepper
6 oz fresh goat cheese & flaky sea salt, for serving

Cook the carrots
In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter  in the olive oil.
Add the carrots, garlic, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, star anise and the cumin, fennel and mustard seeds and season with salt and pepper.
Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are golden, about 12 minutes.
Add the 2 tablespoons of honey and cook, stirring, until the honey is lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and cook until the carrots are evenly coated, about 2 minutes.
Add the stock, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and the liquid is syrupy, about 20 minutes; discard the herb sprigs, bay leaves and star anise.
Transfer the carrots to a plate and let cool slightly; halve lengthwise.

Make the gremolata
In a medium bowl, combine the parsley, tarragon, garlic, lemon zest and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.  

Spread the goat cheese on plates and drizzle with honey.
Top with the carrots and gremolata, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve.

Accompaniments · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Thanksgiving cranberry and fig chutney

October 15, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

Try this instead of the usual cranberry sauce!
It’s also divine with ham, sausages, pork or cheese.

Screen Shot 2019-10-15 at 11.42.16 AM

2 lbs fresh cranberries
8 oz black mission figs
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup golden raisins
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 orange, juice and zest
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp ginger, grated
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied together

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Make this a few days ahead to lessen the load on Thanksgiving day.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Vegetable sides

Sticky miso and tahini eggplant wedges

August 5, 2019 Belinda

Gooey caramelized miso and sesame-baked aubergine wedges are finished with the sweet-sour tang of pomegranate molasses to make this more-ish vegetarian side dish. From “Delicious” magazine.

Screen Shot 2019-08-05 at 10.25.23 AM

2 medium eggplants, cut lengthways into wedges
Olive oil to drizzle
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2-3 tbsp pomegranate molasses (from the world food section of large supermarkets)
Large handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
Greek yogurt to serve (optional)

For the dressing

3 tbsp white miso paste
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp tahini
Juice 1 lemon

Heat the oven to 400F.
Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the eggplants wedges and toss to coat well.
Transfer the eggplants and dressing to a large roasting tray, drizzle over a little oil and season with salt and ground black pepper.
Roast the eggplants for 35-40 minutes until golden, sticky and soft.
Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds briefly in a dry frying pan until pale golden. When the wedges are cooked, arrange on a serving platter.
Drizzle with the pomegranate molasses and scatter over the sesame seeds and fresh chopped herbs.
Serve with a dollop of yogurt if you like.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Eggplant puree with quick pickled cucumber, tahini and soy

July 29, 2019 Belinda

Yotam Ottolenghi’s light, summery recipe with oodles of flavor.

“Cutting the aubergines in half and roasting them in the oven is a nifty trick if you don’t have a griddle pan or simply want to avoid a smoky kitchen. But by all means cook them on an outdoor barbecue if you’re looking for some serious smoke.”

Screen Shot 2019-07-29 at 4.27.48 PM

Serves 4

1 medium cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1½cm cubes
1 green chili, finely sliced into rounds, seeds and all
1 lime – shave off 4 thin strips of peel, then cut into wedges, to serve
2 tbsp rice vinegar
Salt

4 medium eggplants, cut in half lengthways
4½ tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
3 tbsp mint leaves, roughly torn
½ tsp nigella seeds

For the tahini soy dressing
2 tbsp tahini
2 tsp soy sauce, plus 1 tbsp extra to serve
2 tsp mirin
2 tsp rice-wine vinegar

Heat the oven to its highest setting – around 230C fan. Mix the cucumber and chili with the lime peel, vinegar and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and leave to pickle for at least an hour.

Cut deep cross-hatches into the flesh side of each eggplant half, season with three tablespoons of the olive oil and half a teaspoon of salt, and lay cut side up on an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper. Roast for 40 minutes, until soft and well browned, then transfer to a large bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to soften for 20 minutes.

While the eggplant is roasting, whisk all the dressing ingredients with two teaspoons of water until you have a very smooth sauce (it might seize up a bit at first, but will become smooth as you whisk).

Scoop out the eggplant flesh into a clean bowl – discard the skin and stalks. Add the garlic, the pickling liquid from the cucumbers and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and stir everything together. Spread the eggplant mixture on a platter, then drizzle over the dressing, followed by the remaining tablespoon and a half of olive oil and the final tablespoon of soy sauce.

Remove and discard the lime skin from the pickle, then spoon the pickled cucumbers and chilies on top.
Finish with the mint and nigella seeds, and serve with the lime wedges for squeezing over.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Spicy black bean, corn and avocado tacos

June 24, 2019 Belinda

Ripe summer corn is so delicious, so fresh, and so full of flavor, you can literally enjoy it raw. Filled with black beans, avocado, and raw corn marinated in bright lime juice along with jalapeño, cilantro, and toasted nuts and seeds, these hearty tacos make a great side to your BBQ meat.

Screen Shot 2019-06-23 at 7.44.31 PM

Serves 4

1/4 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 ears of corn, shucked
1 medium jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
5 tbsp fresh lime juice, divided, plus lime wedges for serving
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, drained
1 tbsp ground cumin (preferably roasted, but don’t worry if you don’t have any)
12 small corn tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large avocado, thinly sliced

Toast the hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the corn off cobs into a large bowl (you should have about 2 cups kernels).
Add the toasted nuts and seeds, jalapeño, red pepper, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/4 cup oil, 3 Tbsp. lime juice, and 1/2 tsp. salt; toss to combine.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium.
Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion starts to release moisture and turns translucent, 4–5 minutes.
Add the beans, cumin, 1/3 cup water, and remaining 3/4 tsp. salt. Cover and cook until liquid is reduced and beans soften, about 5 minutes.
Uncover, add 1/3 cup water, and use the back of a fork to mash up about half of beans.

Working one at a time, warm tortillas with tongs directly over a gas burner over medium heat, turning often, until lightly charred and puffed in spots, about 45 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 350°F oven until warmed through, or wrap in damp paper towels and microwave in 20-second bursts until warm.) Transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.

Whisk the sour cream and remaining 2 tbsp lime juice in a small bowl. Fill the tortillas with the bean mixture, then top with the corn salsa, avocado, and cilantro leaves.
Drizzle with sour cream mixture and serve with lime wedges alongside.

Do Ahead
Corn salsa and beans can be made 3 days ahead; store separately, cover, and chill. Bring corn salsa to room temperature. Reheat beans in skillet before serving.