Wilted spinach with creamy lemon and ginger sauce

December 31, 2014 Belinda

This is a real beauty with the tangy flavor of the lemon, the slight heat from the ginger and the smooth creaminess of the sauce. Super served with grilled or roasted meats and fish.

Serves 2, but can easily be augmented

For the sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 glass of white wine
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into julienne strips
1 lemon, zested
9 oz heavy cream
For the spinach
2 tbsp olive oil
9 oz fresh baby spinach
pinch sea salt

Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion for 3 to 5 minutes until soft but not colored.
Add the ginger and lemon zest and cook for a further minute
Pour in the cream and white wine, stirring to combine
Simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced and thickened and coats the back of a spoon. At this point you can remove the ginger pieces. Set aside.
For the spinach
Heat the oil in a saute pan and add the fresh spinach, cooking to wilt, about 2 minutes.
Season with the sea salt.
Spoon the spinach gently into the cream mixture, mixing gently or what is also nice, is to put the spinach into 2 x 3 inch chef’s rings on serving plates, pour the sauce around and over the spinach and remove the ring, leaving this lovely mound of green and the pretty sauce floating around it.

Baked butternut squash, ricotta and spinach

December 6, 2014February 7, 2016 Belinda

Although I’m not a vegetarian, I am always attracted to non-meat dishes and this one, given it’s December and has me making soups, stews and baked dishes, this really attracted me. It’s from the wonderful British website and food magazine, Delicious.

Serves 4

1 large butternut squash, halved lengthways (about 2.5 – 3lbs in weight)
1/2 tsp caraway seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 tsp crushed red chillies
4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tbsp olive oil
4 oz baby spinach
1lb ricotta cheese
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese,(not the pre-grated stuff) plus extra to serve
1 large egg, plus an extra egg yolk
A bunch of fresh sage leaves

Heat the oven to 400F
Scoop out and discard the seeds from the squash. Sit the squash halves cut-side up in a roasting tin. Score flesh in a crosshatch pattern with a knife and season.
Scatter over the caraway seeds, chillies and whole garlic cloves, then drizzle with the olive oil.
Cover with foil and roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until soft.

When cooked, set the garlic cloves aside, then scoop all but 2 tbsp of the squash flesh into a bowl, keeping it in pieces. Gently stir through the spinach and season.Leave to cool.

Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into a large bowl and mash into the remaining 2 tbsp squash using a fork. Add the ricotta, Parmesan and some seasoning. Add the whole egg and extra egg yolk, stir then gently stir through the spinach and squash mixture.

Spoon into 4 x 6 oz individual gratin dishes.Top with Parmesan, scatter with extra caraway seeds and the sage leaves, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve immediately

Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides

Roasted carrots with cumin yoghurt

November 8, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is a gorgeous dish and the little “stubby” carrots roast so well with a really deep flavor. The cumin yoghurt lends a “Middle Eastern” quality and all in all, it’s a must.

Serves 8

3 lbs Thumbelina or other small carrots, scrubbed and cut into 2″ pieces
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup plus tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup plain Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro (coriander) leaves with tender stems, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 450 F.
Toss the carrots with the orange juice, thyme, bay leaves and 1/4 cup olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.
Roast,tossing halfway through until golden brown and soft, 30 – 35 minutes; remove bay leaves

Meanwhile, toast the coriander seeds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, tossing, until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer to a plate. Repeat with the cumin. Let cool and coarsely chop.

Puree the coriander seeds, cumin, yoghurt,lime juice, 1/4 cup cilantro and remaining 2 tbsp oil in a food processor until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

Serve the carrots topped with the cumin yoghurt, cilantro and sesame seeds

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Grains · Meat · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Baked butternut squash, cheese and bacon polenta cake

November 2, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

Oh my gosh, this combination is pretty heady. If you want to keep it vegetarian, leave out the bacon and use vegetable broth, but I like to incorporate the meaty components.

Serves 8 to 10

One 2lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and sliced 1 inch thick
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the pan
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 tsp dried sage, crumbled or 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth (or half and half with 3 cups of water and 3 cups of stock)
2 cups coarse polenta
unsalted butter
5 oz smoked Gouda cheese, shredded or sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 375F
Arrange the squash on a large oiled baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until tender. Transfer the squash to a bowl and mash coarsely. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups)
While the squash is roasting, spread the pine nuts on a pie plate and toast in the oven for 4 minutes, until golden. Coarsely chop the nuts.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and sage and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 25 minutes.Add a few tbsp of water if the onions start getting dry.

In a saucepan bring the 6 cups stock/water to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and 1 tsp salt. Cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 35 minutes.The polenta will get very thick and that is fine. Stir in 1 tbsp butter along with the mashed squash, pine nuts, bacon, onion, Gouda or cheddar cheese and half the Parmesan cheese.Pour the hot polenta into a large springform pan or a 2 quart braising dish sprayed with non stick spray.
Flatten the top of the polenta slightly without spreading it to the edges; refrigerate until firm for up to an hour.

Cut 1 tbsp of the remaining butter over the polenta and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tbsp parmesan cheese.
Bake in a 375F oven for 1 hour, until the top and sides are lightly browned and crisp.
Let stand for 20 minutes before cutting it into wedges
Serve with sauteed mushrooms, braised greens or tomato sauce.

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.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Stuffed roasted peppers with caramelized rutabaga (swede), capers and goat cheese

October 23, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

Well, this knocked our socks off! Yotam Ottolenghi’s new book, “Plenty More” stuffed full of more spectacular vegetarian recipes is a winner.
What a combination of flavors this recipe has, with the caramelized rutabaga, capers, parmesan cheese and goat cheese.

These are just as good at room temp (or as leftovers the next day) as they are hot. Rutabaga gets a whole new “wardrobe’ with this dish!

Serves 6
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 3/8″ dice (about 7 cups)
1/3 cup thyme leaves, stripped from the stalk
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 large cloves garlic,crushed
5 tbsp capers, drained and coarsely chopped
3 small yellow bell peppers
3 small red bell peppers
1 tbsp olive oil, approx
6 oz chevre log, (goat cheese) broken into 3/8″ pieces
1/3 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.Add the rutabaga, thyme leaves, 1 1/2 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper. Turn down the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for about 50 minutes, spooning the butter over the rutabaga from time to time, until the rutabaga is completely soft and caramelized. Use a slotted spoon to remove the rutabaga from the butter and add it to a large bowl along with the parmesan cheese, garlic and capers and mix well. Set aside until needed. (The leftover butter can be used for cooking carrots or zucchini)

Preheat the oven to 500 F

Cut the peppers in half lengthways, keeping the stalks intact. Remove the seeds and white flesh and place, cut side up, on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Drizzle the oil over the top, sprinkle with a little salt and place in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the peppers are slightly charred and the flesh is completely soft.

Remove the peppers from the oven and turn down the oven to 425 F

Spoon the rutabaga mixture into each pepper half and dot with the goat cheese on top.
Return to the oven for a further 10 to 15 minutes so that the cheese gets some color.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving warm, or serve at room temperature
Top each stuffed pepper with a sprinkle of parsley

Gluten Free · Grains · Salad · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Mediterranean quinoa salad

September 29, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

Don’t be put off by the long ingredient list. It’s a very easy salad to prepare and will be one of the best things you’ve ever eaten.
I absolutely adore quinoa and if you also like it, not only is this recipe great, these two other quinoa salad recipes below, also on this blog, are terrific.

Crunchy Thai quinoa salad

Quinoa, beet, feta and caper salad

I sometimes make these quinoa salads in double quantities and have them in the fridge for a week, adding chicken or salmon to them if we fancy, or just having a small bowl of it with some home made soup. The beauty of this salad is that you can change up the amounts of the vegetables and can replace or add with other things you like. Basically, play with it! I have also given you a few ingredients that are optional.
It’s very healthy, very filling without piling on the calories and soaks up the flavors.

Easily serves 4 and can be augmented.
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1x 15oz can of garbanzo or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
2 Roma tomatoes,chopped or 4 oz sliced sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthways
2 tbsp capers, drained
1 medium English cucumber, seeded and chopped
5 scallions, chopped or 1 medium red onion, chopped
4 oz roasted red bell pepper, cut into chunks
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped,
1/4 fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Greek feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 green chili, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts, optional
1/2 cup raisins, optional

Dressing ingredients (you may not need it all)
4 tbsp good olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 anchovy fillets, optional
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp red chili flakes, optional
salt and pepper to taste

Place the quinoa in a saucepan with the stock and bring to the boil. When boiling, turn down low to a simmer and put a lid on. Let it simmer on low for about 12 – 15 minutes until it becomes fluffy and all the liquid is absorbed. You will begin to see the “germ” of the grain appear on each piece of quinoa.
Remove from the heat,fluff with a fork and allow to cool with the lid off. (I sometimes tip it out onto a baking tray and spread it out to dry and cool a bit, it works faster this way)

In a very large bowl, combine the salad ingredients. Add the cooled quinoa to the salad.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and add about 3/4 of the dressing to the salad. Mix together really well, season with salt and pepper and add more of anything you like to get the exact flavor you want. Chill the salad in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving. This gives the ingredients time to “hang out”
This is a very forgiving salad and I sometimes add toasted pine nuts, or raisins/currants to it for a change.
Enjoy!