Tomato and potato gratin

March 18, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda

Simple, rustic and delicious!

Serves 2 as a main course and 4 as a side

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced onions, (about 1&1/2 lbs)
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, divided
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1&1/4 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled if you want
1/2 cup heavy cream
2&1/4 lbs ripe tomatoes
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded basil
4 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and ground pepper

Heat a large saute pan or Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes
Add 3 tbsp olive oil, then the onions, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook for 6 minutes, stirring often then turn down the heat to medium.
Add the butter and cook for 15 minutes, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon until the onions start to caramelize. Turn the heat down to low and continue to cook the onions for another 10 mins or so, stirring often until the onions are a deep caramel color. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes into 1/8 inch rounds. Toss them with the cream, 1tsp thyme, 1 tsp salt and ground pepper.
Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices and arrange on a plate and season them with salt and pepper.

Place half the caramelized onions evenly on the bottom of a 9 x 9 inch gratin or baking dish.
Arrange one layer of potatoes on top of the onion layer and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese and half the garlic.

Arrange a layer of tomatoes on top of this, then sprinkle 1/2 of the basil, 1/2 tsp thyme, salt and pepper, and drizzle 1 tbsp cream from the potatoes

Scatter the rest of the caramelized onions over this mixture, arrange another layer of potatoes, then top with 1/2 of the remaining cheese and remaining garlic.

Arrange another layer of tomatoes (attractively) over the potatoes. Pour remaining cream from the potatoes over the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, remaining thyme and basil.

Press the vegetables down with your fingers. The cream should come up through the layers and coat the vegetables evenly.
Sprinkle with any remaining cheese.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for about 2 hours or until the potatoes are tender when pierced.

Remove the dish from the oven, uncover it, turn the oven up to 450 F and put it back in for about 25 to 30 minutes more until the juices have thickened and the tope is browned and bubbly

Fish

Tuna melt canapes

March 18, 2013February 7, 2016 Belinda

These are the grown up version of tuna melt! Delicious and very more-ish so make a lot.
Curry powder, raisins and chutney pair nicely with cheddar cheese in this dressed up version of “tuna melt” canapes. This recipe only serves 2 but it’s easily quadrupled!

2 -3 tbsp good quality mayonnaise
1&1/2 tbsp raisins
1tbsp mango chutney, chopped (I use Major Grey brand)
1/2 tsp medium curry powder
1 x 5oz can tuna packed in oil, drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper , to taste
2 slices good quality white bread or sourdough, crusts removed
2 thin square slices of mature cheddar cheese
8 x 1″ pieces of fresh chives, optional

Heat the oven to broil and arrange a rack about 10 inches from the heating element.
Combine the mayonnaise, raisins, chutney, curry and tuna in a bowl and season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Cut each slice of bread and cheese into 4 triangles. Spoon the tuna mixture on top of the bread pieces and top with the cheese.

Broil the triangles until the cheese is melted and bubbly. About 3 to 5 minutes. garnish with the chives and serve with a good stiff drink!

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

Caprese Dip

March 18, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda

Utterly decadent!!

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt
1&1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/3 cup diced fresh basil
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350F
In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, yoghurt, 1 cup of the Mozzarella, basil, garlic , salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
Fold in the tomatoes.
Using a spatula, spread the mixture evenly across the bottom of a glass pie plate or nice baking dish.
Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes and serve immediately with crackers, toasts or crunchy Italian ciabatta

Gluten Free · Meat · Poultry

Chicken saltimbocca skewers with white bean puree

February 14, 2013February 7, 2016 Belinda

8 x 4 to 5 ounce boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
24 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup store bought semi dried tomatoes
24 slices of prosciutto
olive oil, for brushing
rocket (arugula) leaves and lemon wedges for serving
White bean puree (see below)
1 regular can white Cannellini beans (16 oz) drained and rinsed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and black pepper

8 to 10 skewers, soaked inwater for 1 hour

To make the white bean puree, put the drained and rinsed beans, garlic, lemon juice and rind, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. Set aside.

Place the chicken pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, flatten the fillets until 1/4 inch thin at the most.
Cut the chicken pieces into three until you have 24 equal sized pieces. Place 1 sage leaf and 1 tomato on each piece of chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roll up to enclose.

Wrap each chicken roll with a slice of prosciutto.
Thread three chicken rolls onto each skewer and brush with oil.
Preheat a chargrill pan or barbeque to high heat and cook the skewers for 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with the white bean puree, rocket and lemon wedges.

Baking · Do-ahead

Espresso chocolate chip cookies

February 14, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda

Oliver made these yesterday to take to work. They really were great and the espresso just enriched the cookies without a strong coffee flavor.

Makes about 36 small cookies.

8 oz (2 sticks) good European butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/2 tsp good quality Vanilla Extract
1 tbsp espresso powder plus 1 tbsp boiling water
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup chocolate chips, again, good quality ones

Firstly, add the boiling water to the espresso powder and set aside until tepid.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter and confectioners sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla and tepid coffee mixture, then reduce the speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t over mix.
Fold in the chocolate chips with a large spoon or spatula.
gather the dough and place in between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a rectangle shape that’s 1/4 inch thick.
Refrigerate the dough, flat, for at least 2 hours. You can put it onto a cookie sheet to keep it flat so it doesn’t break or bend.
After the dough is firm, preheat the oven to 325 F. Cup the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares or circles.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until they turn golden brown around the edges.

Gluten Free · Poultry

Turkish chicken with orange and warm spices

February 14, 2013February 7, 2016 Belinda

This dish is incredibly scented and layered with such lovely spices like coriander, cinnamon and orange. It is very easy to make and really doesn’t take very long to prepare.

Serves 4

2 oz butter
2 tbsp olive oil
8 good sized chicken thighs, seasoned well with salt and pepper. (I used boneless, skinless)
2 thin-skinned oranges, unpeeled, halved and sliced into thin wedges
2 large red onions, halved and cut into wedges
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chile, halved, deseeded and finely chopped
3 good tsp ground coriander
1 long stick cinnamon, snapped in half
3 -4 oz raisins, soaked in boiling water for 30 mins then drained
juice of 1 large orange
6 -7 fl oz good chicken stock
2 tbsp thyme honey (I could only find sage honey, but I don’t think it matters as long as it’s great quality)
a small handful of fresh mint leaves
Greek plain yoghurt

Heat the butter and oil in a shallow casserole and brown the chicken thighs on each side.
Lift out the browned chicken and set aside on a plate.
Add the red onion and orange to the pan and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, chile, dry spices and raisins and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Pour on the orange juice, stock and honey.
Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

Put the chicken and juices back in the pan, cover and cook in the oven preheated at 300F for 30 to 45 minutes OR keep on a low flame and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
Check the seasoning, scatter the mint over the top and serve with Greek yoghurt and cooked rice.

Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Lemon, dill and parsley orzo

February 11, 2013January 28, 2023 Belinda

This is a great and tangy side dish to fish or chicken. Serves 2 generously and 4 small portions. (I usually double the recipe for 4 people)

1 cup orzo pasta
2 tbsp each of chopped fresh dill and parsley
3 tbsp chopped scallions (green onions)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 heaped tsp grated lemon rind (you may like more)
2 tbsp lemon juice (you may like more)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orzo for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender but firm, drain well.
Toss with dill, parsley, onions, oil, lemon rind and lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
This is best served immediately. For a make-ahead version, make this with rice instead of orzo.

Baking · Do-ahead · Nuts

Walnut and olive mini breads

February 11, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda

These are irresistible!!

Makes about 45

For the Dough:

3+1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra if needed
Pinch of salt

2 & 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup corn or olive oil

4&1/2 oz unsalted butter, softened at room temperature (it should be really soft to touch)

2 tbsp apple cider or red wine vinegar

1 cup plain yoghurt

1 cup finely (but not too finely) chopped walnuts (you should feel the bite)

1 cup pitted sliced black olives (Kalamata)

To Glaze

1 egg yolk, beaten

Preheat the oven to 375 F . Lightly grease the bottom of a large baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, butter, vinegar and plain yoghurt. Stir to mix. Add the walnuts and olives and stir to combine.

In a medium bowl combine the flours, salt and baking powder. Stir to mix.Add the flour mixture to the walnut/olive mixture. if the dough is sticky, gradually add more flour and knead the dough until it is tender and pleasant to the touch but not too tight or sticky.

Taking a little at a time, shape into balls about the size of a big whole walnut.

Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheet. Brush their tops with the beaten egg yolk.

Bake until golden, about 40 minutes.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

The inside of these mini breads should appear moist, it’s normal!

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based

California breakfast sushi roll

January 27, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda

This tickled me, as it’s a breakfast sushi roll and really works. It’s simple and a bit different.

Yields 2 servings

4 eggs, divided
6 tbsp milk, divided
4 tbsp grated Jack cheese, divided
cooking spray
2 flour tortillas
4 strips crisp bacon
1/2 large avocado, sliced
1/2 large tomato, sliced

For the spicy sour cream

2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp milk

Coat a medium skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat.
In a small bowl, whisk 2 eggs and 3 tbsp milk until incorporated. Pour into the hot skillet.
Sprinkle with 2 tbsp grated cheese and cook without stirring for 3 to 5 minutes until the top is no longer wet. You may need to turn the heat down so the bottom doesn’t burn.

Place the tortilla over the egg and gently flip them out onto a cutting board.
Place 2 strips of bacon on the bottom 1/4 of the tortilla (closest to you)
Top with half of the sliced avocado and tomato. Roll up as tightly and gently as you can.
Allow to rest for a minute then slice with a sharp knife into sushi rolls.
Repeat the process with the remaining eggs, cheese etc.

In a small bowl mix together the sour cream, hot sauce and milk. Drizzle over the sushi rolls and serve immediately