Lime and sweet chili broccoli with roasted almonds

September 5, 2012September 3, 2022 Belinda

This so light and delicious with the sweet chili sauce and lime giving it real balance and depth, the the almonds the crunch.

2lbs broccoli, chopped into large bite-sized florets
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp grated lime rind
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
A good pinch of sugar (optional)
1/3 cup roasted slivered almonds to sprinkle on the top

Boil or steam the broccoli until just tender. Meanwhile, roast the almonds for about 9 minutes at 350F (watching them closely, incase of burning) until golden brown.
Mix the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and grated rind, cilantro and sugar together in a small bowl. Drain the broccoli and put in a large serving bowl or platter
Pour the mixture over the hot broccoli, sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve.

Enjoy!

Accompaniments · Do-ahead

Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

September 5, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

I am reading and adapting recipes from a book called “Vegan YumYum” by Lauren Ulm.
This is one of the recipes with a few modifications. Extra tasty, you won’t miss regular Caesar dressing and it’s completely cholesterol free! No cheese or anchovies! The nutritional yeast and miso make it taste as if there is Parmesan cheese in it.
This recipe makes about 1&1/2 cups.

1/4 cup slivered almonds (raw)
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp mellow white miso
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcester sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed (or more if you like it really garlicky)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 pinches salt
2 pinches ground pepper
About 1/2 block of silken tofu (6 oz)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, but I use it as it contains protein and is really good for you)
2 tbsp water or more oil , to thin out the dressing if necessary

Make the dressing by putting ALL the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
That’s it!!

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

Italian rice and beans

September 5, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is the beginning of a series I am starting called “CleanCuisine”. The emphasis being on “clean” tasting food that has zero cholesterol, very low fat and is probably the healthiest for you (and tastiest). As you eat it, you can feel it doing you good!
The special ingredient for this is the grated lemon rind over the dish, as it creates a tangy zing in the mouth and really brings it all together. Don’t skimp on the lemon rind

Makes 2 – 3 servings

1 cup brown rice
3 tbsp olive oil
3 heaped tbsp fresh Italian herbs, roughly chopped. (basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary…)
A heaped half cup of oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, sliced into strips
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 can Cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained. (I cooked my own beans and have them available in the fridge)
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 tsp balsamic vinegar (you may need more at the end)
2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
zest of 2 lemons

Start by cooking the rice according to the instructions on the packet. Just use water, not broth
When the rice is finished, keep the lid on and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
Add the herbs, tomatoes and pine nuts. When the pine nuts start to turn a golden brown, add the beans. Toss gently, trying your best to keep the beans whole.
Add the salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar and stir gently. Turn down the heat to low.
Place the spinach in one layer on top of the bean mixture. Place the hot, steaming rice over the spinach and cover for about 30 seconds until the spinach starts to wilt. Mix it all together gently and taste for seasoning. At this point you may need more salt and pepper or even balsamic.
Grate the lemon zest on top of the dish and serve. (I use a Microplane grater as it makes the lemon zest all fluffy and it goes further)

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Poultry

Roast chicken with basil, lemon, garlic and white wine

September 1, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is the quintessential juicy, tangy, moist roast chicken that you can’t beat.
You can make this for any amount of people, but this recipe serves 4.
You will need to use a good white wine that you will also be drinking, the tougher leaf basil and a good organic, free range chicken, whether it’s a whole chicken cut up or chicken pieces. This is seriously divine with couscous or good bread as there is so much juice, the couscous just soaks it up

6 free range, organic chicken pieces, bone in and skin on
good fruity olive oil
6 – 8 large cloves of garlic,
1 large lemon
a large glass of white wine, (not too sweet)
large handful of basil leaves (about 30)

Season the chicken pieces well on both sides with salt and pepper and put them in a roasting tin.
Pour over enough olive oil to moisten them and make a shallow pool in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Squash the garlic in it’s skin and tuck it in amongst the chicken.
Squeeze the lemon over the chicken and drop in the empty shells too.

Roast for 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 400 F.
After the chicken has been roasting for 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven.
Tear up the basil leaves and toss them about a bit with the chicken and pour in the white wine, stirring everything around.
Return the chicken to the oven for another 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and put the roasting tin over a hot flame and let the wine and juices bubble and reduce a little, (for about 5 minutes) basting the chicken as you do this.

This is also good with lots of good bread as there is so much aromatic, sticky juice to mop up from the plate.

This is seriously divine!!

Do-ahead · Meat · Poultry

My turkey meat muffins

August 24, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

These are fun and easy to make and are great to have cold the next day. You can use a muffin or cupcake tin and they are so much more flavorsome than ordinary old meatloaf. You can vary the amounts of ingredients, I tend to like a very flavorsome blend.

Makes about 18 cupcakes, or 12 muffins

2lbs ground turkey (I use the dark meat, but either is good)
1 large onion, chopped in the food processor
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 tbsp Worcester sauce
2 heaped tsp sweet paprika
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 extra large egg

Glaze

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Get your largest bowl and put ALL the ingredients except the glaze ingredients into it.
Wash your hands, (remove any wedding rings) and plunge your hands into the mixture and mix it all together thoroughly so the egg is well blended and everything else is well blended.

Get out your muffin or cupcake tins and spray each hole with oil. Also with your hands, or an ice cream scoop, fill each hole with the meat mixture.

Brush the tops of each meat muffin with the ketchup then sprinkle over the grated parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Zucchini Provencal

August 24, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

This is our favorite way of having zucchini as the onions are so sweet underneath, enhanced by the parmesan cheese and herbes de provence.

Serves 4

5 – 6 medium sized zucchini, sliced on the 1/4 inch, diagonally
3 large yellow onions, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 heaped tsp herbes de Provence (or if you don’t have it, try dried thyme)
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter

Preheat the oven to 350F
Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan on medium heat and put in 3 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter. When the butter has melted, put in the sliced onions and stir to coat the onions in the butter/oil mixture.
Season with salt and pepper, stirring, then turn the heat to low and let the onions caramelize for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking on the bottom.
When they start to turn a lovely beige color and soften, tip them into the base of a baking dish with flat sides. (10″ by 8″ approximately)
Sprinkle about 1/3 of the parmesan cheese on top of the onions, then season with salt and pepper and sprinkle 1 tsp of the herbes de Provence over the onions.
Slice the zucchini on the diagonal, then lay in rows, just overlapping at the wide side.
Season the zucchini and sprinkle the remaining herbes de Provence and parmesan cheese over the top.
Drizzle the top with some olive oil and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the zucchini are tender and the top is browned.
Test the zucchini by pushing a fork of skewer into the thickest one.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Salad

Lentils and quinoa with avocado, arugula and burrata cheese

August 23, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

I made this up a couple of nights ago as Ollie was coming to stay the night and he’s been trying to be vegetarian for health reasons. Since the kidney transplant he’s been recommended to minimize meat as it contains Creatinine.
I had some leftovers and wanted to make something vegetarian. It is delicious and well worth trying.
It’s also delicious for the next few days to have cold for lunch!

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1lb vacuum pack of cooked puy or green lentils (available from quite a few supermarkets and they last months in the fridge)
2 good handfuls or fresh baby arugula
1 large avocado or 2 small ones, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tub of Italian burrata cheese (it usually has 2 balls of cheese in it)

Dressing
5 tbsp good olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (you could try lemon juice too)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Put all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to emulsify. Set aside.

Cook the quinoa in the chicken or vegetable broth according to the instructions on the packet. Tip cooked the quinoa into a serving bowl.

Remove the lentils from the packaging and put into a microwave- proof container. Heat through on high for about 3 minutes. Break up lentils with a fork, then tip into the serving bowl with the quinoa and mix together with a fork. Pour in all but 2 tbsp of the dressing and mix well.

Gently mix the arugula leaves and avocado cubes into the quinoa/lentil mixture, so the avocado is covered with the dressing and the arugula starts to wilt in the heat.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool for about 30 minutes.
When you are about to serve, break the burrata cheese into big chunks and dot over the salad. Pour the reserved dressing over the burrata and serve

Gluten Free

Dilled and buttered baby potatoes

August 23, 2012February 8, 2016 Belinda

Oh my gosh, these are thoroughly addictive, I promise. I made these last night and Ollie, our younger son, couldn’t stop eating them. Who would have thought that fresh dill is so fabulous with potatoes and instead of boiling the potatoes in water, you steam them in butter!!!! Okay, so I don’t do it every day!

Serves 4 to 6 (or in our family 3)

1lb small red or small yukon gold potatoes
1 stick (8 tbsp) sweet butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 good sized bunch fresh dill, chopped (8 tbsp chopped fresh dill, at least) Plus a little extra to toss in at the end

Scrub the potatoes and dry.
Melt the butter in a heavy bottom flameproof dutch oven or pan with a tight fitting lid.
Add the potatoes and chopped dill , season well with the salt and pepper, toss the potatoes in the dill and butter and make sure they are well coated.
Cover and cook over a low heat for 30 t0 35 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally and checking they aren’t burning.
They are done when they can be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
Toss the the extra dill and serve at once

24 baby potatoes (baby yukon gold, pee wee, french fingerling or whatever baby ones are around)

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Sauces

Two delicious Asian fusion sauces for fish, chicken or pasta

August 21, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

Chilli-lime cream sauce

This sauce is terrific with either grilled fish or pasta. Thanks to Bon Appetite magazine back in 2005.
Makes about 2/3 cup

1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tbsp minced shallot
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp *chili-garlic sauce
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan.
Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes or so.
Add the cream and boil until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, mix in the chili-garlic sauce. Add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking just until melted before adding the next piece. Warm through without boiling and serve.

* Chili-garlic sauce is available in the Asian section of the supermarket or at Asian supermarkets

Coconut-Curry Butter Sauce

A mixture of South Indian and Asian fusion flavors. Lovely with salmon.

3/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Premium unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp Indian curry powder
2 bay leaves
3 -4 whole cloves
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, but keep chilled
Kosher salt to taste

In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce except for the butter and salt.
Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces to 1/2 cup.
Turn the heat down to low, then whisk in the butter until it is incorporated into the sauce.
DO NOT let the sauce boil at this point or it will curdle horribly!
Season to taste and serve