Dairy-free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Miso leeks with white beans

BelindaLeave a comment

Recipe by Hetty Lui McKinnnon

In this reinterpretation of the classic French dish, leeks vinaigrette, tender braised leeks are bathed in a punchy miso vinaigrette, tossed with creamy white beans then served with an oozy soft egg for an easy, comforting midweek meal. Steady, gentle heat is the key to achieving the rich, jamlike leeks, coaxing out their sweetness while ensuring that they stay silky. The miso leeks can also be eaten in other ways — on a slice of toast, stirred through warm potatoes or pasta, or tossed with French lentils and peppery arugula for a simple salad. Make sure you use the whole leek. Many recipes recommend the white part only, but the green parts, while slightly tougher with a stronger flavor, can also be cooked and tenderized, especially in recipes where they are braised. The miso leeks improve over time and can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge.

Serves 4  (about 4 heaping cups)
2 large leeks (about 1 pound), roots and wrinkled tops trimmed, stalks halved lengthwise, white and green parts thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 fresh thyme sprigs
4 eggs
2 (14-oz) cans white beans, such as cannellini or butter beans, drained
Handful tarragon or parsley leaves, roughly chopped, to serve
Toasted bread (optional), for serving

For the Miso Vinaigrette
4 tsp white miso paste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tsp red-wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Prepare the leeks: Place the sliced leeks into a colander and rinse them well, rubbing to loosen any dirt. Rinse them again and drain well. (There is no need to dry them, as the residual water is useful in cooking the leeks.)

Heat a large Dutch oven or skillet on medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the leeks. Season generously with salt and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid cooks off and leeks start to stick to the pan, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high. Add the eggs and continue to cook over medium-high for 7 minutes. (Make sure you set a timer.) Set up an ice bath. Using a spider ladle or slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and immediately add them to the ice bath. Cool for 3 to 4 minutes, then peel and set aside.

Make the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk together the miso paste, Dijon mustard, garlic, vinegar and olive oil.

Uncover the leeks — they will have reduced into a silky, jammy consistency. Discard the thyme, transfer the leeks to the bowl and stir to coat in the miso vinaigrette.

Stir in the white beans and leave to cool for a few minutes. Add about ¾ of the tarragon or parsley leaves and toss gently to combine.

Divide the leeks and beans among bowls and drizzle each with olive oil. Top with a halved jammy egg and finish with the remaining herbs. Serve with toast, if desired.

Uncategorized

Orzo Salad

BelindaLeave a comment

Serves 8

Salt
1½ cups orzo
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
1 medium garlic clove, grated or minced
1 tsp dried oregano
Black pepper
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, rinsed
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
6 oz feta, crumbled or diced ½-inch (about 1½ cups)
½ English cucumber, diced ½-inch (about 1½ cups)
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, dill or mint (or a combination)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
While the orzo cooks, make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, red onion, garlic, oregano, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; whisk vigorously until smooth.

Pour about half the dressing over the hot orzo, then add the tomatoes, chickpeas and olives; toss well. Set aside to bring to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Add the feta, cucumbers and herbs along with the remaining dressing. Toss, taste for seasoning and serve.

Salad · Vegetable-related

Herby Green Goddess Potato Salad

Belinda

Recipe by Nina Moskowitz

Baby gold-fleshed potatoes tossed in a green goddess dressing, topped with dill parsley and scallions.
Tender herbs get blitzed into zingy sour cream and luscious mayo, with both lemon zest and juice to keep everything bright. The skins are left on the potatoes for texture. Feel free to use any small variety of potatoes to make this salad, such as fingerlings, baby gold, or creamers. My personal favorites are the tricolored peewees for their petite size and vibrant skins. Just make sure to cut them in half to allow for the dressing to properly hug the potatoes and absorb into their interiors. This side dish tastes best after chilling in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Finishing the dish with even more herbs and olive oil is completely optional but gives it that extra bit of goddess glow.

**Be sure to let the dressed potato salad rest for at least two hours before serving. It will look like a lot of dressing at first but the potatoes soak it up as the dish sits.

Serves 4-6

2 lb. small potatoes, preferably tricolored peewees, scrubbed
3¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2 tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
10 scallions, divided
3 garlic cloves
1½ cups (lightly packed) dill sprigs, divided
1½ cups (lightly packed) parsley leaves with tender stems, divided
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1½ cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; plus more for drizzling (optional)
1½ tsp. freshly ground pepper; plus more (optional)

Place 2 lb. small potatoes, preferably tricolored peewees, scrubbed, in a large pot and pour in water to cover by at least 2″. Add a generous pinch of kosher salt and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until fork-tender, 15–20 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander and let sit until cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop 8 scallions, 3 garlic cloves, 1 cup (lightly packed) dill sprigs, and 1 cup (lightly packed) parsley leaves with tender stems, and place in a blender. Add zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1½ cups mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2 tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1½ tsp. freshly ground pepper and blend on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour dressing into a large bowl.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and add to dressing. Thinly slice remaining 2 scallions on a diagonal; finely chop remaining ½ cup (lightly packed) dill sprigs and remaining ½ cup (lightly packed) parsley leaves with tender stems. Transfer about ¼ cup scallion mixture to a small bowl and set aside for serving. Add remaining scallion mixture to potato salad and toss until potatoes are evenly coated in dressing and scallion mixture. Taste potato salad and add more salt if needed. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, top potato salad with reserved scallion mixture. Season with more pepper and drizzle with more oil if desired.

Do Ahead: Potato salad (without toppings) can be made 12 hours ahead. Keep chilled. Cover and chill reserved scallion mixture separately.

Gluten Free

Beet and dill tzatziki with fried capers

Belinda

Apologies, I forgot to add the capers for the photo!
Recipe by Georgina Hayden in her wonderful book “Greekish”

Serves 4-6

1/2 cucumber or 1 small Persian cucumber
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2x cooked beets (about 120g)
2 tbsp good olive oil
2 heaped tbsp capers, drained
250g (8oz) Full fat Greek plain yoghurt
1 good-sized garlic clove
1/2 good bunch fresh dill
1/2 lemon

Coarsely grate the cucumber and place in a sieve or colander and toss with 1/2 tsp salt. Leave over a bowl or in the sink to drain as the salt pulls out the excess moisture. Coarsely grate the beets, stir into the cucumber and leave for 15 mins or so.

Meanwhile place a small frying pan on a medium-low heat and pour in the olive oil.
Fry the capers for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp. Leave to one side.
Press out the excess liquid from the cucumber-beet mixture then transfer to mixing bowl. Stir in the Greek yoghurt and finely grate in the garlic clove, discarding the skin.
Finely chop the dill and stir in most of it with the juice of the lemon and half of the fried capers.
Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
Spoon into a serving dish and finish with the remaining dill and fried capers and drizzle with some of the fried caper oil.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Icecream

Creamy coconut ice cream

Belinda

This may be the world’s easiest recipe for your ice cream maker.

2 cups heavy whipping or double cream
1 cup whole milk
1 can CocoLopez

Mix these three ingredients together in a bowl and pour into your ice cream maker.
That’s it!
Serve with a little Khalua drizzled on top and you have a showstopper dessert that your guests will be raving about for weeks.

Accompaniments · Appetizer Vegetarian

Easy Greek olive tapenade

Belinda

A fabulous and easy recipe from Food Blog, “Hungry happens”

Serves 4

1/3 cup Greek olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano finely chopped
3/4 cup green olives, finely chopped
2 oz feta cheese, finely crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 large lemon, zested + juiced
2 tsp honey

Combine all ingredients in a shallow rimmed plate. If it needs more olive oil, add more.
Enjoy this with crusty bread, crackers or veggie sticks.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Halloumi stuffed dates with honey and lime

Belinda

Recipe from Lukas Volger.

You can cook these using the broil setting of your toaster oven if you have either.
Paneer or even feta would make a good substitute for the halloumi. Just steer clear of anything that won’t hold its shape as it heats up.
It’s simple to scale this recipe up or down however you need.

Yield 12 stuffed dates | Prep & cook time 10 minutes

12 dates
Half of an 8.8-oz package halloumi cheese
Honey or hot honey
Olive oil
Lime Zest
Smoky chili flakes, such as Aleppo flakes
Flaky salt

Preheat your broiler.
Using a paring knife, make a slice down the length of each of the dates and gently pry them open to expose and remove the pits. Cut the halloumi into 12 rectangles. Place a piece of halloumi in each date and gently wrap the date around the sides of the cheese. Arrange them on a small baking tray.
Transfer the tray to the oven and place it directly beneath the heat source. Broil the stuffed dates until the cheese is golden brown on top and the dates’ skins are slightly blistered, 3 to 5 minutes (this could vary quite a bit based on the strength of your broiler), watching carefully.
Arrange them on a plate and drizzle lightly with honey and olive oil. Use a microplane to shower them with lime zest, and finish with a few pinches of chili flakes and salt.
Serve warm.

Baking

Oliver’s parsnip and maple syrup cake

Belinda

This is the most moist and delicious cake that my son Oliver regularly makes. All those who try it prefer it to carrot cake.

175g butter, plus extra for greasing
250g demerara sugar
100ml maple syrup
3 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
250g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder (make sure it hasn’t expired)
2 tsp mixed spice (this is an English mix, so if you can’t find it see recipe below)
250g parsnips, peeled and grated
1 medium eating apple, peeled, cored and grated
50g pecans, roughly chopped
zest and juice 1 small orange
For the filling and topping
500g tub mascarpone
7-8 tbsp maple syrup
75 – 100 grams toasted chopped pecans for the topping

STEP 1
Heat oven to 350F/180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Grease 2 x 8″/20cm loose bottom cake pans and line the bases with baking parchment.
Melt butter, sugar and maple syrup in a pan over gentle heat, then cool slightly. Whisk the eggs into this mixture, then stir in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice, followed by the grated parsnip, apple, chopped pecans, orange zest and juice. Divide between the pans, then bake for 30- 40 mins until the tops start to spring back a little when pressed lightly. Sometimes it takes a little longer, like 45 mins.This cake doesn’t rise like a sponge, so don’t panic.

STEP 2
Cool the cakes slightly in the tins before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Just before serving, mix together the mascarpone and maple syrup. Spread over one cake and sandwich with the other. Spread the rest on the top and sprinkle the toasted chopped pecans over the icing.

Mixed Spice

1 Tbsp ground allspice
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground Ginger

Blend all spices together, and store in a sealed jar away from light.

Baking · Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Gold rush coffee cake

Belinda

Recipe from Ruth McKeaney’s lovely book, “Hungry for Home”

In Ruth’s words
“I make this coffee cake for every holiday and shower. It is adapted from Panera’s Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake recipe by Maris Callahan and is so good that my kids have asked for it in lieu of a birthday cake! So… what makes it such a standout?First off, it’s gorgeous. The streusel runs right through the middle. When you take a bite, you’ll think you’ve struck a vein of sweet, buttery, golden goodness. Secondly, it might be the most moist coffee cake I’ve ever had. This cake is not difficult on the baking scale and uses everyday ingredients you probably already have on hand. What’s more, it lasts on the counter for a few days (well… not in my house) and serves as a beautiful gift if you want to make something special for someone you love. Serve with strong coffee. And if you’re feeling extra decadent, dollop with thick homemade whipped cream.”

MIX YOUR STREUSEL

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup lt. brown sugar, lightly packed 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

PREPARE YOUR BATTER

12 (1 1⁄2 sticks) tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sour cream
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round bundt pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on high-speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light.
Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time. Then slowly add the vanilla and sour cream.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.
Mix with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread it out with a knife.
With your fingers, crumble half of the topping evenly over the batter.
Pour in the remainder of the batter and crumble the remaining half of the streusel topping on top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool completely before serving.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts · Poultry · Salad

Asian chicken and cabbage salad

Belinda

This is a delicious and healthy salad and makes a mountain of it! It’s great for those outdoor summer entertaining and
you can prepare everything ahead of time, as long as you keep them separate until you’re ready to serve.

Serves 8 at least

Dressing
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 2″ piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped (about 1 Tbsp.)
½ cup avocado oil
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup toasted sesame oil
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp freshly ground pepper

Salad and Assembly
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lb.)
1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
¾ cup raw almonds
½ small head of purple cabbage (about 10 oz) cored, thinly sliced
4 baby bok choy, thinly sliced crosswise
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 8-oz. cans water chestnuts, drained, quartered
1 7-oz. bag bean sprouts (about 2½ cups)

Dressing
Step 1
Whisk 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped, one 2″ piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped (about 1 Tbsp), ½ cup avocado oil, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, ¼ cup toasted sesame oil, ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar, and ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper in a small bowl to combine.

Do Ahead: Dressing can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Whisk before using.
Chicken can be marinated 12 hours ahead; cover and chill.
Chicken can be baked 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Vegetables can be sliced 1 day ahead; cover and chill.

Salad and Assembly.
Step 2
Pour ½ cup dressing into a medium bowl. Add 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lb.), sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and turn to coat. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.

Step 3
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast ¾ cup raw almonds on a large rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop; set aside.

Step 4
Line baking sheet with a piece of foil about twice its length. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into bowl, and arrange in a single layer on baking sheet; discard marinade. Fold foil up and over chicken and bring edges together to make a packet; crimp tightly to seal.

Step 5
Bake chicken until cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted through foil and into the thickest part of a breast should register 150°), 30–40 minutes. Let cool in foil, then tear open packet and shred chicken into large pieces.

Step 6
Place chicken in a large bowl. Add ½ small head of purple cabbage (about 10 oz.), cored, thinly sliced, 4 baby bok choy, thinly sliced crosswise, 6 scallions, thinly sliced, two 8-oz. cans water chestnuts, drained, quartered, one 7-oz. bag mung bean sprouts (about 2½ cups), and remaining dressing; toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Step 7
Pile salad on a platter; top with reserved almonds.