Whipped goat’s cheese & roasted grape toasts

May 18, 2022 Belinda

Sweet roasted grapes and creamy goat’s cheese come together superbly in this fabulous vegetarian lunch or starter

Serves 2 but can be augmented

6oz sweet red seedless grapes
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 oz walnuts
5oz soft goat’s cheese
3 tbsp goat’s milk yogurt (or Greek yogurt)
½ unwaxed lemon, zest
4 thick slices sourdough or another good quality bread, toasted
3 lemon thyme sprigs, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to 350F/180 °C, gas mark 4.
Toss the grapes, oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a small roasting tin and roast for 8 minutes. Shake the tin to turn the grapes, then put the walnuts on a separate baking tray and add to the oven with the grapes for a further 8 minutes, until the grapes are soft and juicy, and the walnuts toasted. Set both aside to cool.

Use a wooden spoon to beat together the goat’s cheese, yogurt and lemon zest; season. Spread over the toasted bread and top with the grapes and any roasting juices, the broken walnuts and the thyme leaves.

Cook’s tip
The roasted grapes work in both savory and sweet dishes (omit the salt if serving as a dessert). Try them in a feta salad or spooned over vanilla ice cream.

Appetizer Vegetarian

Baked feta with honey & dukkah

May 18, 2022May 18, 2022 Belinda

Move over camembert, baked feta is in town. Martha Collison’s delicious recipe is soft and squidgy, with a sweet, crunchy topping. Serve with warm pitta or flatbreads and a crisp, dressed salad.

Serves 4

7oz/200g pack feta
2 tbsp clear acacia honey
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp Dukkah spice
Pita or flatbread or something similar, to serve

Preheat the oven to 400F/200ºC.
Place the feta block in a small roasting tin. Drizzle with the honey and olive oil until the whole block is coated, then sprinkle with the dukkah and season well.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the feta is soft and the top is crisp. When the cheese is almost ready, sprinkle the flatbreads or pita breads with water, place on a baking tray and bake for 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Beet Slaw with Pistachios and Raisins

May 17, 2022May 17, 2022 Belinda

Joshua McFadden always dresses his salads with the acidic components first so the produce can absorb some of those flavors before being coated with oil. I love the pistachio butter that coats the plate and eventually turns into a creamy dressing when the juices from the beet slaw emerge.

Serves 4
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup golden raisins
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/4 pounds beets, peeled and julienned. (Use a mix of colors if you can)
4 chopped scallions (optional)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup lightly packed mint leaves
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
2 oz pistachios, roasted
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 1/4 cup max, of extra-virgin olive oil

Pistachio Butter
1 cup (about 5oz) pistachios, lightly toasted
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the garlic, raisins, and vinegar in a large bowl and let sit for 1 hour.
Peel and cut the beets into fine julienne slices. (Yes, your hands will get stained, but the color fades quickly.)
Remove the garlic from the raisins and discard.
Add the beets, scallions, lemon juice, most of the parsley and mint (save the rest for finishing), and chili flakes.
Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and lots of black pepper and toss. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and then taste—the slaw should be tart, spicy, peppery, and sweet. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, then add up to 1/4 cup olive oil. Toss and taste again.

To make pistachio butter:
Process the pistachios in a food processor to get them as fine as possible. With the motor running, pour in the water, vinegar, and salt and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Again with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and adjust with more salt or vinegar. Store in the fridge for up to 10 days.
To serve, spread a layer of pistachio butter onto each plate and top with the slaw. Finish with the reserved fresh herbs, scattered pistachios and a drizzle of olive oil.

Gluten Free · Salad

Celery Salad with Dates, Almonds, and Parmesan

May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 Belinda

Sweet from dates, sour from lemon, bitter from celery, and salty from Parmesan, this salad manages to get all taste buds firing at once.

Wonderful recipe from Joshua McFadden from his “Six Seasons” cookbook. Well worth buying!

Serves 4

½ cup raw almonds, roasted
8 celery stalks, peeled of “string” and thinly sliced (1/4″) on a diagonal, leaves separated
7 Medjool dates, pitted, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 oz Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste

Preheat oven to 350°.
Spread out almonds on a small rimmed baking sheet; toast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop.
Keep the celery in the fridge to keep it crispy. If it starts wilting, immerse in a bowl of iced water for 20 mins, then drain and pat with paper towels

Toss almonds, celery, celery leaves, dates, and lemon juice in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Add Parmesan and oil and toss gently; season with red pepper flakes.

Dairy-free · Fish

Lemon salmon piccata

May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 Belinda

Recipe by Alyssa Rivers

This easy salmon piccata is a delicious yet elegant meal that is great for a weeknight meal or for when you have guests over. The flakey pan-seared salmon nestled in a bed of a creamy lemon and caper sauce will definitely be a crowd-pleaser!

2 tbsp olive oil
4 salmon fillets
salt and pepper
1 cup flour
3 garlic cloves minced
1/3 cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp fresh thyme
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp Capers
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water

In a medium nonstick skillet add the olive oil over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the salmon filets. Add the flour to a shallow bowl and coat each side.
Add the salmon skin-side down and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. Flip and continue to cook until the top has a golden brown cut and the salmon flakes easily.
Remove the salmon and set it aside on a plate. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 20 seconds. Add the white wine and fresh lemon juice, and whisk to deglaze the pan. Stir in the thyme, capers, and chicken broth.
In a small bowl whisk the cornstarch and water. Add to the sauce and whisk until it starts to thicken.
Add the salmon back to the sauce and spoon the sauce on top. Serve immediately.

Baking · Do-ahead

ANZAC “biscuits”

April 22, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

ANZAC Day, celebrating the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp in the 1st World war, is almost here, which means it’s time to start making our favorite quick and easy “biscuit” of the year. This recipe is very close to the traditional version we all know and love, but with slightly higher amounts of coconut, golden syrup and butter, the end result is more chewy than crumbly.

1¼ cups (110g) rolled oats
1 ¼ cups (110g) desiccated coconut
1 cup (150g) plain flour
150g unsalted butter
¼ cup (90g) golden syrup
1 cup (220g) raw sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preheat oven to 180°C/350F.
Combine the oats, coconut, flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside. Place the butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Bring to a simmer and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then add the bicarb soda and 1 tbs water. Stir to combine, then pour over the oat mixture.

Using a wooden spoon, combine butter and oat mixture. Using 1 tbs mixture each, roll into 24 equal-sized balls. Divide between two baking paper-lined baking trays, leaving 3cm between each.

Flatten biscuits slightly, then bake for 10-12 minutes until the top tray is slightly golden. Swap trays and cook for a further 6-8 minutes until all “biscuits” are golden.
Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Do-ahead · Fruit · Holiday Food · Meat

Braised Lamb With Dried Fruit

April 17, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe by Mark Bittman and Sam Sifton

The flavors of North Africa and the Middle East are utilized for this lamb shoulder. Braising the meat in red wine yields a tender cut of meat without a lot of work.

YIELD At least 8 servings
TIME 3 hours, largely unattended

1 lamb shoulder, boned, about 4 pounds. (I know people who have used leg of lamb but the shoulder has more fat therefore is more tender and flavorful)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon ground cumin ( I roast mine)
2 tablespoons ground coriander
10 allspice berries or a pinch of ground allspice
½ to ¾ bottle not-too-soft red wine
¾ cup dried prunes
¾ cup dried apricots
Chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish

Season the meat with salt and pepper and put it in a pot that will fit it snugly and can later be covered.
Add the spices and a 1/2 bottle of wine.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a slow bubble, and cover. Cook about an hour, then add onion, garlic, ginger and dried fruit, and check to make sure the liquid isn’t evaporating too quickly; turn and continue to cook. Add the remaining red wine if the mixture looks dry, but essentially cook this without fuss.
When the meat is very tender — after about 2 1/2 hours — uncover. Check and adjust the seasoning as necessary, and at this point it’s optional whether you remove the cinnamon stick and allspice berries and puree half of the sauce to get it thicker.
garnish and serve.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead

No-bake chocolate cheesecake

April 3, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

Don’t you just love those desserts that require no baking? For those in the USA< you can buy Digestive cookies in Costplus World market, Bristol farms or on Amazon.

100g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the tin
110g dark chocolate digestive cookies
160g digestive cookies
60g porridge oats
3 tbsp Nutella
360g soft cheese
250g mascarpone
60g icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
200g dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly (minimum 55% cocoa solids)
2-3 tbsp whole milk
2 tbsp roasted hazelnuts, chopped

Lightly butter a deep 23cm square cake tin and line with baking paper, ensuring that it comes up and over the sides of the tin, and put it in the fridge.

Reserve two of the dark chocolate digestives, then put the rest of the biscuits into a food processor and blitz until fine. Add the oats, melted butter and 1 tbsp of Nutella, then blitz again until it comes together. Tip the crumbs into the chilled tin, spreading them evenly and into all corners, before compacting flat with the base of a glass. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Use an electric whisk to beat together the soft cheeses and icing sugar. When all the sugar has been incorporated, add the melted chocolate, remaining Nutella and 2 tbsp of milk, and beat until fully combined. If the mixture looks a little thick add the extra 1 tbsp of milk. Spoon the filling onto the chilled biscuit base and spread level with a spatula. Crush the last two digestives to crumbs, mix with the chopped hazelnuts and sprinkle evenly across the top of the cheesecake. Chill for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

When completely chilled, release one side of the cheesecake by gently pulling up one length of the baking paper. Holding the paper firmly, angle the tin and pull to slide the base of the cheesecake flat onto a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to cut into slices or squares. This will keep, chilled, for up to a week.

Baking · Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Egg based · Gluten Free · Rice

Nigella’s rice pudding cake

April 3, 2022September 7, 2022 Belinda

From Nigella
“This is every bit as wonderful as it sounds: an Italian torta di riso, refracted through the prism of someone who loves a bowl of very British rice pudding. The Italians like to stud their rice cake with candied peel, bake it in a tin lined with breadcrumbs or crushed amaretti, and eat it cold; I sprinkle mine with nutmeg, and serve it warm, most frequently with a jewel-bright jam sauce. But it’s also lovely with poached fruit and I can’t help thinking it would be fabulous with a bit of golden syrup drizzled on top, too.

I’m very happy to eat leftovers cold, should I be lucky enough to get them (very much recommended for breakfast) but first time out, I feel, it must be warm, by which I mean to indicate a gentle warmth, rather nearer room temperature than hot. This means the cake is still quite tender, so I should caution you against trying to remove it from its base.”

Yields: 8-12 slices

¾ cup arborio rice
scant 3 cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 lemon
5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter (plus more for greasing tin)
3 large eggs (at room temperature)
⅓ cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
nutmeg (for grating)

FOR THE SAUCE
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Put the rice, milk and salt into a heavy-based saucepan – I use one of 18cm / 7 inches diameter – and finely grate the zest of the lemon into it.
Over high heat, and stirring regularly, bring to the point where it looks like it’s just about to boil, though do not let it actually boil. Turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook the milk and rice for about 30 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the rice is cooked and the milk is absorbed. Keep an eye on it, as you don’t want the milk to start boiling, nor do you want the rice to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the 75g / 5 tablespoons of butter until melted. Scrape the contents of the pan into a bowl large enough to take all the remaining ingredients. Leave for about 1 hour to cool. Once it’s at room temperature, you can move on, so heat the oven to 160°C/140°C Fan/325°F, and butter a 20cm / 8-inch springform cake tin.

Separate the eggs, letting the whites fall into a large grease-free bowl (which could be the bowl of a freestanding mixer) and drop the yolks into a wide measuring jug (or a bowl). Whisk the whites until stiff, and set aside for a moment. Add the sugar to the yolks, and whisk – I use a balloon whisk with vigor, rather than an electric one here – until pale and mousse-like.
Add the vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of juice from the zested lemon to the yolks and sugar, and then pour gradually into the cooled rice, folding it in well as you go.

Dollop a large spoonful of the stiffly whisked whites into the rice bowl and stir briskly to lighten the mixture, and then fold in a third of the remaining whites gently but thoroughly, then another third, and when that’s incorporated, fold in the rest. Pour and scrape this mixture gently into the prepared tin.

Grate nutmeg over generously and bake for 45 minutes; by then the top will have set, with no hint of wobble underneath.
Sit on a wire rack for about 1 hour, until it’s just slightly warm.
To ease the unmolding, slip a small spatula all around the edges, unclip the tin, and transfer the cake, still on its base (unless, like me, you don’t mind risking damage trying to remove it), to a flat plate.

Just before you are ready to serve the cake, gently heat the raspberry jam with the lemon juice in a small saucepan, giving it the occasional stir, during which time leave a suitable pitcher filled with hot water in the sink. When the sauce is hot, fill the warmed pitcher (obviously, emptied of its water!) with the garnet-glossy sauce.