Asian flavors · Vegetable-related

Quick mushrooms with red curry sauce

Belinda

This is super quick and so tasty. It’s worth a trip to the Asian market for the few ingredients you might need.

Serves 4

2 cups coconut cream
1 1/2 tsp red curry paste
2 tsp finely chopped lemongrass, white part only
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup coconut mik
2 tsp soy sauce (or mushroom soy sauce)
1 1/2 tbsp shaved palm sugar or brown sugar
3 fresh kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
1 tbsp lime juice
14 oz assorted mushrooms (shitake, oyster, enoki, button..)
2 tbsp cilantro leaves
3 tbsp torn Thai basil leaves or basil leaves

Place the coconut cream in a wok, bring to the boil and cook over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes

Add the red curry paste and chopped lemongrass and cook, stirring continuously, for 3 to 4  minutes or until fragrant.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the stock, coconut milk, soy sauce, sugar, lime leaves and lime juice. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.

Stir in the assorted mushrooms and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.

Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro and basil and serve with steamed rice.

 

Baking · Do-ahead

3 ingredient Coconut Macaroons

Belinda

Yes, only  three ingredients and incredibly low fat and low calorie, for those that care!

Makes 12

2 extra large egg whites
4 oz superfine sugar (caster sugar)
6 oz desiccated coconut

Heat the oven to 350 F.
Whisk the egg whites, sugar and coconut together in a bowl until they lightly come together.
With wet hands, press the mixture into a flat, round shape about 1 inch high.

Cut out 12 rounds about 1 1/2 inches using a small pastry cutter or upturned liqueur glass and place on a lightly oiled or non stick baking tray.

Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes until very lightly golden, just touched with color.
Transfer the macaroons to a wire tray and cool.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

 

Dessert · Do-ahead

Sticky toffee pudding

Belinda

We’re getting to that time of year when this is just the ticket! It is one of my top three favorite desserts of all time and so good served with vanilla ice cream. It has a great sauce and the sweetness is from Medjool dates!

Serves 8

8 oz Medjool dates, pitted
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 oz unsalted softened butter
6 oz caster (superfine) sugar
2 large free range eggs
6 oz self-raising flour
1/4 tsp ground mixed spice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp whole milk plain yoghurt
2 tbsp a malted milk drink, like Ovaltine, see below. (You can get Ovaltine on Amazon.com.)

For the toffee sauce

4 oz unsalted butter
4 oz light muscovado sugar
5 fl oz heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Put the dates in a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and cover with 7 fl oz boiling water.
leave to stand for a couple of minutes to soften, then drain.
Whizz the dates in a food processor until you have a puree.
Meanwhile, cream your butter and sugar until pale using a wooden spoon  and add the eggs, flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and Ovaltine.
Mix together well then fold in the yoghurt and your pureed dates.
Pour into a buttered ovenproof dish and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

While the pudding is cooking, make the toffee sauce by putting the butter, sugar and cream in a pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened and darkened in color.
To serve, spoon out the pudding at the table and pour ver the toffee sauce.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Poultry · Whole30 compliant

Tender and crisp whole chicken legs with sweet tomatoes, garlic and basil

Belinda

 

This is a simple, family friendly Jamie Oliver recipe that ALL the family will love, especially if you serve it with really good ciabatta bread that you can dunk in the gorgeous juices.

This takes minutes to put together as you just chuck everything in a pan without any pre-cooking then it needs looooong, slooooooow gentle cooking.
What happens in the pan is well worth the wait as the skin gets super crisp (my favorite part) and the meat gets sticky and tender and falls off the bone. The tomatoes are slow roasted and create a terrific broth and you just squish the garlic out of it’s skin with a fork and it’s incredibly sweet.

Serves 4

4 or 5 large whole organic chicken legs
salt and ground black pepper
a really big bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and stalks finely chopped. (I buy a large plastic container of basil from Trader Joes.)
2 or 3 big handfuls of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved and ripe plum tomatoes, quartered
2 whole large heads of garlic, broken up into cloves. (Try and choose heads with large cloves)
olive oil

Play with the recipe, it’s incredibly forgiving. My favorites to add are olives and Chorizo.

* Optional additions
Fresh chopped chili or dried red chili flakes
1 good handful of pitted Kalamata olives
2 handfuls baby potatoes.
1 drained can of cannellini beans
1 whole mild or spicy Spanish chorizo, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch slices.

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Season the whole chicken legs all over really well, (even more than you are comfortable doing) and put them into a snug-fitting shallow-ish heavy pan in one layer.
Throw in all the basil leaves and stalks, then chuck in your tomatoes.
Scatter the unpeeled garlic cloves (chopped chorizo, potatoes, beans and Kalamata olives, if using) into the pan and drizzle over some olive oil.
Mix around a bit with your hands, pushing the tomatoes (etc) underneath the chicken.
Place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, turning the tomato mixture halfway through, until the chicken skin is crisp and the meat falls off the bone.

* You can serve with the unpeeled garlic cloves, just tell your guests to squish the cloves with their knife or fork so the sweet, tender garlic oozes out.

Fish · Meat

Gloria’s Fish Wellington

Belinda

This is such a lovely recipe and much lighter and less expensive than beef Wellington.
Gloria used to cook for my mother and father after my mother became ill and I remember her making this, but I’ve never seen the recipe in any book.
It’s well worth trying and you can also make a nice cream fish sauce to go with it,  but it’s not necessary.

4 rashers bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
1lb white fish  fillets, chopped
1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1/2 cup cream
2 eggs, separated
1 tbsp dried dill weed
1 packet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Combine the bacon and onion in a small frying pan and cook for about 3 minutes or until soft.
Put the fish, breadcrumbs, cream, egg whites and dill in a food processor and process until combined.
Empty into a bowl and stir in the bacon mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Tip into  a 8″ by 5″ greased loaf tin and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes.
Cool to room temperature.
Roll the pastry to about 10″ by 14″ rectangle and brush the edges with the beaten egg yolks.
Place the fish loaf in the center of the pastry rectangle, roll up, seal and trim any excess pastry around the edges.
Place onto a greased baking tray and brush all over with beaten egg yolk.
Bake until golden, about 30 mins or so, depending on your oven. Check occasionally.

Meat

Baked Italian sausages with potatoes and rosemary

Belinda

Easy, satisfying and warming. You can also add some bite-sized pieces of chicken thigh to this recipe.

Serves 4

6 Italian sausages
1 1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thick
1 1/2 tsp paprika
2 large rosemary stalks
6 unpeeled cloves garlic
sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 thick slices Ciabatta bread
3 fl oz olive oil
1 handful Italian parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Slice the sausages into 1 inch pieces and place in the roasting pan.
Add the potato slices, paprika, rosemary, garlic cloves, sea salt and pepper
Tear the ciabatta into bite sized pieces and add to the roasting tray
Drizzle the oil over everything, season well and gently toss to combine
Place in the oven and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are  tender and the sausages and bread are golden brown.
Top with the chopped Italian parsley and serve with a green salad

 

Do-ahead · Grains · Poultry

Easy family-friendly Mexican chicken bake

Belinda

I have made this for the kids since they were 7 and 10 and they are now 22 and 25 and they still love it. It’s great for parties too.

Serves 4

3/4 cup medium or short grain rice
1 1/2 cups canned red kidney beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed
3 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/4lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
12 oz jar spicy taco sauce. (In LA, I buy La Victoria Red Taco Sauce, medium)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Lightly grease a deep, round, 8 1/2 ” ceramic casserole dish. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the rice and cook for 10 to 12 mins, stirring occasionally. Drain.

In the prepared dish, combine the beans and 1 1/2 tbsp of the cilantro, then add the rice and toss together. Lightly press the mixture so that the beans are mixed into the rice and the mixture is flat.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute the chicken thighs for 3 minutes, then turn the chicken over. Add the taco sauce and cook for another 3 minutes.

To assemble, spread half the cheese over the rice. Arrange the thighs and sauce on top in a star shape, sprinkle with 1 1/2 tbsp of cilantro, then sprinkle with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling and the cheese is melted and slightly browned – remove the foil for the last 5 minutes.
Cut into four servings with a knife and scoop out carefully, keeping the layers intact.

Serve sprinkled with the remaining cilantro and a dollop of sour cream

Meat · Pasta

Pasta with spicy sausage, fresh basil and Dijon mustard

Belinda

This is a Nigel Slater recipe which is fabulous, rich and unctious! I can feel the Southern Californian weather just start to nod towards Fall and that is my favorite season here.

This recipe is for 2 but you can easily double or treble it.

4 spicy Italian sausages
olive oil
4 handfuls (about 1/2 lb) of dried pasta. (any tube or shell shape that catches the sauce)
1 glass of white wine
dried chile flakes, a pinch or two
a small handful of chopped fresh basil, plus a few leaves for garnish
a tbsp of Dijon mustard, smooth or grainy
8 fl oz heavy cream

Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.

Split the sausages open and take out the filling. Warm a little olive oil in a frying pan, just enough to lubricate the bottom.
Discard the sausage skin, crumble the meat into the hot pan and fry till sizzling and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Salt the water generously and add the pasta.

Pour the wine into the sausage pan and let it bubble a little, scraping up all the sticky sausage goo on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the chile flakes, season and add the chopped basil.
Add the mustard and pour in the cream and bring slowly to a simmer. Cook for a minutes or two, stirring now and again.

When the pasta is tender, about 9 minutes after coming to a boil, drain and tip into the creamy sausage sauce.
Serve piping hot garnished with a few sprigs of fresh basil

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Roast garlic puree

Belinda

There are multiple uses for this and it’s well worth doing once a week. Thanks to the incredible Nigel Slater for this recipe.
Ideas on different uses for this wonder-condiment are below the recipe

4 large, juicy heads of garlic (the huge heads of elephant garlic are ideal, but if you can’t find these, use regular garlic)
a wine glass full of olive oil
fresh thyme sprigs
bay leaves

Slice the heads of garlic across the diameter. Put them in a shallow baking dish, cut side up.
Tip over the olive oil and tuck in a few sprigs of thyme and a couple of bay leaves.
Bake in an oven preheated to 350F for 40 minutes, basting from time to time until they are golden and the cut edges are very slightly caramelized.
The cloves must be soft enough to squash between the fingers.

Scoop the soft cloves from their skins with a teaspoon and remove the tiny brown root. Mash to a puree using a pestle and mortar, wooden spoon or if you’re doubling or trebling the recipe, a food processor.
You should get a good heaped tablespoon from each head.

Now you have a jar of fragrant, honey colored garlic cream to play with!

*  Spread the neat puree thinly on toasted baguette as an appetizer
*  Mix with a little cream cheese as a spread
*  Make a suave, rich sauce by mixing 2 tbsp of garlic puree with 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of Marsala and about 3-4 oz heavy cream in a small pan over low heat. Cook till thick, then season with salt. It’s great with poultry!
*  Add a spoonful to a soup or stew during cooking.
*  Use instead of fresh garlic in stir fries
*  Store in an airtight jar in the fridge, with it’s surface covered by a thin layer of olive oil. it will keep for a week or two.

Do-ahead · Nuts · Pasta · Vegetable-related

Gnocchi with spinach, tomato and pine nuts

Belinda

This is a great quickie for when you get home from work and can’t be bothered to make something from scratch. Very flavorful too.

Serves 4

3/4 cup cream
15oz can crushed tomatoes
3 fat cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup drained, chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata black olives, sliced (NOT the pre-sliced tinned ones PLEASE!
1 1/2 lbs packaged potato gnocchi (available from most supermarkets these days)
 1lb spinach, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Combine the cream, undrained crushed canned tomatoes and garlic in a large pan.
Bring to the boil, simmer, uncovered about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and olives, simmer, uncovered for another 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi according to the package imstructions: drain.
Gently toss the gnocchi, spinach and pine nuts with the sauce from the pan until the spinach wilts and the mixture is heated through.
You can serve it sprinkled with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano over it too.