Poultry

Prosciutto-Wrapped Boursin-stuffed Chicken

Belinda

This ridiculously delicious chicken dinner is surprisingly easy to prepare.

Serves 4

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
8 good slices thinly sliced prosciutto
2 packages Boursin Cheese Spread with Garlic and Fine Herbs (You will have some leftover)
Grated rind of 2 good-sized lemons
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
olive oil to drizzle
¼ cup milk or cream
Garnish: chopped flat-leaf parsley or chopped fresh basil

Heat oven to 400°F.
Put the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound the chicken to an even thickness (¼ to ½ inch)
Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Divide the Boursin among the chicken pieces, placing 1 tablespoon dollop on each then sprinkle each with a little grated lemon rind.

Roll the chicken around the cheese and place seam side down in a nonstick, heavy, ovenproof skillet
Wrap each chicken roll in a slice of prosciutto. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle fresh cracked pepper.
Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.

Once done, transfer the chicken from the skillet to a dish or serving plate to rest.
Add the milk/cream to the skillet over medium-high heat, whisking until smooth.
Simmer up to 1 minute to thicken if necessary.
Serve the sauce spooned over the chicken rolls, and sprinkle over some parsley or basil.

Baking · Chocolate · Dessert · Holiday Food

Sticky toffee self-saucing pudding

Belinda

A glorious mash-up of two favorite puddings, this rich recipe is the perfect weekend winter warmer
Recipe by Janine Ratcliffe for Olive Magazine

Serves 8

200g Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
250 ml weak black tea
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
85g unsalted butter, softened
175g dark muscovado sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
vanilla ice cream to serve

TOFFEE SAUCE
250 g dark muscovado sugar
250 ml double/heavy cream

Heat the oven to 350F/180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the dates and tea in a pan, and bring to the boil. Gently cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the dates. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda.

To make the toffee sauce, put the sugar and cream in a pan with 150ml water. Stir, then put over a low heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Cool a little.

Beat together the butter and sugar with electric beaters until creamy, then beat in the eggs, flour and mixed spice. Stir in the date mixture and pour into a buttered 20cm x 30cm ovenproof dish. Pour the toffee sauce over the top. Don’t worry if it looks messy. The sauce will sink to the bottom and a sponge will form on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is just firm to the touch.

Scoop onto plates and serve with ice cream.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · lentils · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Ottolenghi’s puy lentil and eggplant stew

Belinda

From Ottolenghi’s wonderful book, “Simple”

Serves 4 as a starter and 2 as a main course

3 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra to serve
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 large red onion, finely chopped (160g)
½ tbsp picked thyme leaves
2 small eggplants, cut into chunks, about 5 x 2cm (420g)
200g cherry tomatoes
180g puy lentils
500ml vegetable stock
80ml dry white wine
100g crème fraîche
1 tsp urfa chili flakes (or ½ tsp regular chili flakes)
2 tsp picked oregano leaves
Salt and black pepper

Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a large, high-sided sauté pan and place on a medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, thyme and ¼ teaspoon of salt and fry for 8 min, stirring often, until soft and golden. Tip into a bowl, leaving the oil behind. Set aside.

Place the eggplants and tomatoes in a bowl and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Add the remaining oil to the same pan (don’t worry about wiping it clean) and, once very hot, add the aubergines and tomatoes. Fry for 10 min, on medium high, turning them often until the aubergine is soft and golden-brown and the tomatoes are beginning to blacken. Return the garlic and onion to the pan, then add the lentils, stock, wine, 450ml of water and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer gently for about 40 min, until the lentils are soft but still retain a bite.

Serve warm, or at room temperature, with a dollop of crème fraîche, a drizzle of oil and chili flakes and oregano on top.

Gluten Free · Rice · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Pilaf of eggplant, cauliflower and dates with harissa yogurt

Belinda

Another wonderful recipe by the wonderful Diana Henry. I highly recommend ALL her recipe books!

Toss leftover lamb or chicken into this too if you have it, or add chickpeas. You can extend and vary at will.

Serves 4

150g basmati rice
20g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground ginger
350ml chicken or vegetable stock
4 medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
½ small head of cauliflower, leaves removed, broken into florets
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large eggplant, cut into 1cm cubes
20g unsalted shelled pistachios, chopped
3 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
225g full-fat Greek yogurt
½ tbsp harissa paste

Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear.
Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and sauté the onion until soft and pale gold. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another couple of minutes.
Now add the rice and stir until well coated and just beginning to toast. Add the stock and dates, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down low and cook for 15-20 minutes. Don’t stir or the rice will become sticky, but check towards the end to make sure it isn’t catching at the bottom of the saucepan.

Boil or steam the cauliflower until just tender (but not falling apart).

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and cook the aubergine over a medium heat to get a good color all over, then turn the heat down, season and cook until soft. Scrape into a bowl, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and quickly fry the cauliflower over a high heat until toasted. Season.
Gently fork the eggplant and cauliflower into the cooked rice, along with the nuts and cilantro.
Serve with the yogurt in a bowl alongside the harissa.

Do-ahead · Icecream

Strawberry and basil ice cream

Belinda

Recipe from Diana Henry
Basil, which is sweet and has cinnamon notes, is very good with strawberries. You need 
to use sweet, 
ripe berries 
for this

550g ripe, sweet strawberries, hulled and sliced
130g caster sugar
300ml double cream
200ml milk
2 broad strips of 
lemon zest
20g basil leaves
3 large egg yolks
3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbsp lemon juice 
(add to taste)

Put the strawberries and 20g of the caster sugar into a bowl, cover and leave to macerate overnight in the fridge.
You can make the custard to chill overnight too, or on the day you make the ice cream. Place the cream and milk in a saucepan then add the lemon zest and basil leaves. Heat to just under boiling, then remove from the heat and leave the basil and lemon to infuse for about 90 minutes. Strain the mixture, pressing the basil to make sure you extract its flavor.
Put water into a basin, or into your kitchen sink, and set a large bowl in it. If you have ice, throw some into the water.
Beat the yolks and the remaining sugar until thick and pale, either in a food mixer or using an electric hand mixer. Add the infused cream and milk, whisking all the time, to the beaten yolks, then transfer this to a clean saucepan.

Set over a very low heat and heat gently, stirring all the time. You have to cook the custard but you must not let it boil or the eggs will scramble. You can use a sugar thermometer to help you. When it reaches 82C, pull the saucepan off the heat and immediately pour the custard into the bowl sitting in the iced water.

If you don’t have a thermometer you should be able to see that the custard has thickened. When you drag your index finger through the custard on 
the back of your wooden spoon it should leave a 
clear channel. Leave the custard to 
cool, stirring from time 
to time, then cover and chill in the fridge.

The next day, blend the strawberries with the balsamic vinegar until the mixture is really smooth. Add it to the custard then taste to see how much lemon juice you need to add. Lemon juice makes 
the ice cream ‘sing’ but 
if you add too much 
you can overwhelm the basil flavor.

Churn in an ice-cream machine. If you don’t have a machine transfer the ice cream to a container that will fit in your freezer and cover it. Churn it, either by beating it with an electric whisk or by throwing it into a food processor and whizzing the mixture, about three times during the freezing process. Do this first after about 90 minutes, when the ice cream is setting around the edges.

This ice cream can set quite hard, so take it out of the freezer about 10 minutes before you want 
to serve it.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Salad · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Butternut squash and eggplant caponata with burrata

Belinda

Diana Henry’s autumnal dish of chunky butternut squash and fried eggplant with capers and green olives, served with creamy burrata.

Serves 4 as a light lunch or 6 as a starter

1 large eggplant
400g butternut squash, peeled and deseeded
100ml olive oil
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Pinch of dried chili flakes
400g tin cherry tomatoes in thick juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
30g capers
50g green olives, pitted and halved
3 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
4 tbsp chopped parsley
250g burrata or mozzarella
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Cut the eggplant and squash into 2.5cm(1″) cubes. Heat half the oil in a large heavy-based sauté pan. Fry the vegetables in batches until golden-brown, about four minutes. Transfer them to a bowl. Add more oil and sauté the celery and onion to pale gold then add the garlic and chili and cook for two minutes.

Add the tomatoes and vinegar, stir and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 10 minutes.

Add the fried vegetables, capers, olives and sugar to the pan and season. Add 50ml of water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is soft and the mixture thick. Remove from the heat and bring to room temperature. Add the lemon juice and parsley and season.

Serve topped with a chunk of mozzarella or burrata. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad

Cucumber salad with peanuts, coconut and lime

Belinda

A refreshing chopped cucumber salad loaded with peanuts, spices, toasted coconut, and chiles.
You can prep all the components ahead of time, but don’t toss the salad until just before serving. If you do the peanuts will lose their crunch because the cucumbers give off a good amount of water. If you use two chiles and leave the seeds/veins in – this is quite a spicy salad, so feel free to adapt for your tastes. You can just use one chile, and if you’re still worried, remove the seeds and veins. It can be made vegan by substituting sunflower oil for the ghee.

3 medium cucumbers, partially peeled, like a zebra
1-2 green chiles, stemmed and minced
1/2 cup / 2.5 oz freshly roasted peanuts
1/3 cup / 1.5 ounces / 45 g dried large-flake coconut, toasted
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp natural cane sugar
1 tbsp, ghee or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
a handful cilantro, chopped

Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and chop into pieces roughly the size of pencil erasers. Just before you’re ready to serve, transfer to a mixing bowl and toss gently with chiles, peanuts, coconut, lemon juice, and sugar.

Over medium heat melt the ghee in a small skillet. When hot stir in the mustard seeds. They are going to sputter and spit a bit, and when this starts to happen, add the cumin for 15-30 seconds, just long enough to toast the spices. Cover with a lid if needed. Remove from heat, stir in the salt, and immediately stir this into the salad. Turn out onto a platter topped with the cilantro.

Asian flavors · Curry · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Soup · Vegan

Brothy Thai Curry With Silken Tofu and Herbs

Belinda

Recipe by Kelly Marshall for The New York Times.

A jarred red curry paste is the central flavor of this wonderfully restorative and nourishing broth. Coconut milk lends a subtle creaminess, and the cherry tomatoes become bright little jammy bursts. You can use fresh tomatoes when in season, but canned tomatoes do just as well. Ladle the piping hot broth over seasoned tofu pieces and fresh herbs: The delicate silken tofu used here will absorb big flavors from the surrounding liquid.

Serves 6

2 (14-ounce) packages silken tofu, drained
2 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed
2 shallots, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed and grated
3 tablespoons red curry paste
1 (14-ounce) can cherry tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes
1 quart vegetable stock
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
Salt
¼ cup soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups mixed fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil and dill
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges, for squeezing

Pat the tofu blocks dry with a clean kitchen or paper towel. Cut each block into 3 slices.
Heat a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high. Add the oil and shallots, and stir until softened, 2 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste, stir, and cook until fragrant and the paste turns deep red, 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the tomato juices thicken slightly, 4 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable stock, stir, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer to slightly reduce the liquid, 10 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk, season to taste with salt and remove from the heat.
While the broth is simmering, divide the soft tofu into 6 bowls.
Break each slice into 4 or 5 pieces. Season each bowl of tofu with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and a few cracks of black pepper, and top with about ¼ cup of the fresh herb mix.
Ladle the hot broth and tomatoes over the bowls of silken tofu.
Top with sliced scallions and serve hot, with lime wedges for squeezing.

Gluten Free · lentils · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Baked pumpkin, burrata and lentils

Belinda

Recipe c/o Nigel Slater

Serves 2-3
2.2lbs (1kg) pumpkin or squash 1kg
3 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
100g small green or brown lentils
A good handful of cilantro (coriander)
1 tbsp za’atar
1 tbsp thyme leaves
10 thyme springs
200g burrata

Set the oven at 350F/180C fan/gas mark 6.
Cut the pumpkin into thick slices, place in a single layer on a baking sheet or roasting tin and pour over the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the slices over so they are coated with oil, then bake for about 20 minutes till translucent and tender.

Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the lentils and cook for about 20 minutes till tender. Drain and toss them in the extra olive oil, a grinding of salt and black pepper, and the cilantro leaves.

Mix together the za’atar and the thyme leaves. Grind in a little black pepper, then scatter the mixture over the pumpkin slices. Add the sprigs of thyme and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Transfer the pumpkin to a serving dish and scatter with the lentils. Break the burrata into small pieces and add to the pumpkin.

Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Rumbledethumps, the ultimate Scottish vegetarian comfort food.

Belinda

Similar to bubble and squeak, Rumbledethumps is a traditional Scottish dish of buttery mash, cabbage and rutabaga (swede), baked until golden brown and crispy.
You can cook it earlier in the day and reheat in the oven – give them an extra 20 minutes or so from cold.

Recipe by Sue Lawrence for BBC Good Food

Serves 6

1 1/2 lb large potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
14 oz rutagaba (swede) peeled and chopped into large chunks
3-4 oz unsalted butter
9 oz savoy cabbage or kale, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 oz mature cheddar, grated

Set the oven to 350F.

Cook the potatoes and swede in a saucepan of salted boiling water until tender. Drain well and return to the pan.

Heat 50g/2oz butter in a pan and gently cook the cabbage for a few minutes, until the cabbage is tender but retains its color.

Add the cabbage to the pan with the potatoes and swede. Add the remaining 25g/1oz butter and mash together using a potato masher. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place the mashed vegetables into an ovenproof lidded dish and top with the cheese. Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, or until piping hot and golden-brown on top.