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

Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas With Herby Cashew Cream

Belinda

Recipe by Hetty McKinnon for Bon Appetite

Carrots are often relegated to supporting roles in soups, braises, and stews that take advantage of their sweetness but hardly make them the star. This salad lets them shine, roasted alongside chickpeas and taken to the next level by an herbaceous cashew cream.
Blitzing the base cashew cream recipe with dill, parsley, and scallions brings fresh balance to the carrots.
Serve extra sauce as a dip with crudités or grilled bread. —Hetty McKinnon

Serves 4

1 cup raw cashews
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

CARROTS AND ASSEMBLY
¼ cup almonds
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
¼ cup tender dill sprigs
¼ cup tender parsley sprigs
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 lb. carrots, peeled, cut into 3″ pieces
2 14-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided
3 cups greens (such as arugula, spinach, and/or mesclun)

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add cashews and let sit until tender, 30–60 minutes.
Drain cashews and transfer to a blender (preferably high-speed) or food processor. Add garlic, oil, salt, and ½ cup water and purée until smooth.

CARROTS AND ASSEMBLY
Preheat oven to 350°.
Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 8–10 minutes. Let cool; finely chop. Reserve baking sheet.

Increase oven temperature to 425°.
Purée cashew cream, scallions, dill, parsley, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, ⅛ tsp. pepper, and ¼ cup water in a blender until smooth. Set herby cashew cream aside.

Place carrots and chickpeas on reserved baking sheet. Drizzle 4 Tbsp. oil over and sprinkle cumin, paprika, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and remaining ⅛ tsp. pepper on top; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer and roast 10 minutes. Remove carrots and chickpeas from oven and toss. Return to oven and roast until carrots are tender and mostly golden and chickpeas are crisp, 10–15 minutes.

Place salad greens in a large bowl; drizzle in remaining 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and 1 Tbsp. oil and season with remaining ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Toss to coat.

Arrange greens on a platter, then spoon carrots and chickpeas on top. Drizzle with reserved herby cashew cream and top with the toasted almonds.

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

Cauliflower Steaks and Purée with Walnut-Caper Salsa

Belinda

Fabulous recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

You will have more than enough of the cauliflower purée and the salsa. Use the leftovers as a dip or swirl into vegetable soups.

Serves 2

SALSA
⅓ cup walnuts
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp drained capers, patted dry
1 Fresno chili, seeds removed, finely chopped
3 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley
1 tbsp dried currants
1 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt
CAULIFLOWER AND ASSEMBLY
1 small head of cauliflower
Kosher salt
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 sprigs oregano
2 3-inch strips lemon zest
Lemon wedges (for serving)

SALSA
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°.
Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 7–10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425° for roasting cauliflower.

Step 2
Heat oil and capers in a small saucepan over medium, swirling often, until capers burst and are golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour oil and capers into a small heatproof bowl; let cool.

Step 3
Mix in walnuts, chile, parsley, currants, vinegar, and lemon zest; season with salt.

Step 4
Do Ahead: Salsa can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic, pressing directly onto surface and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

CAULIFLOWER AND ASSEMBLY
Step 5
Remove only the toughest outer leaves from cauliflower (leave on any tender inner leaves). Trim stem to create a flat base. Resting cauliflower on stem, cut in half from top to bottom, creating two lobes with stem attached. Trim outer rounded edge of each piece to create two 1½”-thick “steaks” (the stem should hold the florets together); set steaks aside. Very coarsely chop remaining florets.

Step 6
Cook florets in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender, 6–8 minutes. Drain well, then process in a food processor with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and 1 Tbsp. water until smooth; season with salt. Set aside.

Step 7
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add butter and swirl until melted, then add cauliflower steaks, oregano, and lemon zest. Cook, gently lifting up cauliflower occasionally to let hot fat run underneath, until steaks are deep golden brown (if oregano or lemon start to burn, place on top of steaks). Turn steaks and season with salt. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until cauliflower stems are fork-tender, 10–15 minutes.

Step 8
To serve, spoon about ⅓ cup cauliflower purée onto plates and place steaks on top. Spoon salsa over and sprinkle with salt. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Step 9
Do Ahead: Purée can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic, pressing directly onto surface, and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Dairy-free · Poultry

Za’atar Roast Chicken with Green Tahini Sauce

Belinda

Spectacular recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

Because of the brothy marinade, the skin won’t get as crisp as with other roast chickens, but the flesh will be so tender, you’ll want to eat it with your hands.

Serves 4

GREEN TAHINI SAUCE
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup (lightly packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems
½ cup tahini
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
CHICKEN AND ASSEMBLY
4-5 large whole bone-in chicken legs with thigh attached
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic smashed
1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
1 tbsp ground sumac
1½ tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp za’atar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup pine nuts
6 pieces lavash or other flatbread

GREEN TAHINI SAUCE
Step 1
Pulse garlic, parsley, tahini, lemon juice, and ½ cup water in a food processor, adding more water if needed, until smooth (sauce should be the consistency of a thin mayonnaise); season with salt.

Step 2
DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

CHICKEN AND ASSEMBLY
Step 3
Preheat oven to 400°. Toss chicken, onions, garlic, lemon, sumac, allspice, cinnamon, broth, and ¼ cup oil in a large resealable plastic bag; season with salt and pepper. Chill at least 2 hours.

Step 4
Place chicken, onions, garlic, and lemon on a rimmed baking sheet, spooning any remaining marinade over and around chicken. Sprinkle with za’atar and roast until chicken is browned and cooked through, 45–55 minutes.

Step 5
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns, and nuts are golden brown (be careful not to burn), about 4 minutes; season with salt.

Step 6
Serve chicken with roasted onion and lemon, topped with pine nuts, with green tahini sauce and lavash.

Step 7
DO AHEAD: Chicken can be marinated 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Nuts

Muhammara- Middle Eastern roasted red pepper and walnut dip

Belinda

This is divine and so easy to make. Great for vegans and is also lovely to have on cold salmon or chicken.

3 large red bell peppers
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp roasted ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus more for drizzling
1/2 tbsp Maras or Aleppo pepper flakes, or more/less to taste
1 tbsp tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup fine fresh bread crumbs

Char the peppers on all sides directly on the burner of a gas stove, or roast at 400 degrees until blistered all over and soft. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film and let stem so the skins are easier to remove.
When until cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and remove seeds and stem. Roughly chop the peppers.

Pulse the bell peppers, breadcrumbs, olive oil, Aleppo-style pepper, tahini, cumin, lemon juice, paprika, toasted walnuts, keeping back 4 for the topping, and 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses in a food processor until mostly smooth; season the Muhammara with salt.

Transfer the Muhammara to a small bowl, season to taste then drizzle with more pomegranate molasses, olive oil and top with some reserved chopped walnuts.
Serve with warmed pita bread or crackers

Accompaniments · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan

Grilled onions, chickpea purée with za’atar and lemon oil

Belinda

Recipe from Nigel Slater
“I keep the onions a few inches from the bars of the broiler, letting them take their time – a good 20 minutes – to come to tenderness. If they cook too quickly, their edges will scorch before they soften. You are after a soft, golden, translucent finish, soft enough to be crushed between your finger and thumb.
I serve the purée with warm flatbread, but it also makes an inexpensive and substantial side dish for baked field mushrooms or grilled steak; it’s good with baked ham and makes the best of all dips in which to stick a grilled lamb cutlet.”

Serves 4

For the onions:
3 large onions
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp za’atar

For the chickpeas:
800g canned chickpeas
5 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 lemon

Peel the onions, cut them into slices roughly as thick as a pencil. Brush them with a little olive oil and cook them over a hot griddle – or under a preheated overhead broiler – until soft and lightly charred. Expect this to take a good 10-25 minutes with the occasional turn. Stir the za’atar into the olive oil. As the onions are approaching softness, brush them with the seasoned oil.

Make the chickpea purée: drain the liquid from the chickpeas, then put them into a small saucepan with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Add 500ml of water, the bay leaves – crushing them in your hand as you do so – and the thyme leaves, then bring to the boil. Lower the heat and let them simmer for a good 10 minutes.

Drain the chickpeas, keeping back 2 tbsp of the cooking water and discard the bay leaves. Purée the beans to a soft cream with the reserved cooking liquid and the remaining olive oil then squeeze in the lemon. They may need a little salt. Spoon into a dish, add the grilled onions and squeeze over a little lemon juice before serving.

Baking · Do-ahead

The Ted Lasso Biscuits

Belinda

A friend of ours made these last night to go with my lemon-lime possets, and I had the same reaction as the woman on the show when I bit into one. I couldn’t stop eating them! The egg yolks make them wonderfully chewy in the center and the extra brown sugar gives them more of a caramel flavor.

This is my version of the cookies and they’re to die for.
For something a little extra special you can add 3-4 finely chopped knobs of stem ginger in syrup (drained) and add to the mix just before you put the flour in, OR,
8 finely chopped good quality dried apricots with the ginger. Some finely chopped fresh rosemary is good with ginger too.
Sorry Ted!

1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks softened
1 ⅓ cup confectioner’s sugar
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 tsp good vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup All purpose flour (You can use oat flour too)
1/2 tsp scant kosher salt

Heat the oven to 350F
Line a 8×8” baking dish with parchment with some overhang to lift them out of the pan easily. Grease the pan.
Using a mixer, beat butter, sugars and salt together on medium speed until smooth and creamy
Stir in the egg yolks and vanilla extract
Add the flour and mix just until the dough just comes together. Do not over mix.
Press dough into an even layer in the pan. The dough will be sticky, dampen hands (just a bit) to press dough in. Spread and level dough with an offset spatula. Dock dough with a fork 2 inches apart.
Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes or until a thin, golden brown layer forms on top and the center is not too soft.
Cool completely before cutting into 3 rows. Cut each row into 8 pieces.

Gluten Free · Vegetable-related

Portobello “steak” au poivre

Belinda

Recipe by Ali Slagle

Steak au poivre, a classic French dish of peppercorn-crusted steak with cream sauce, seems like it was meant to be made with mushrooms. Not only do mushrooms sear well, but they’re also a friend to the dish’s main flavorings of heavy cream, heady spices and warming liquor. For the best results, crisp the mushrooms first in a hot pan, baste them with garlic butter until tender, then let them simmer in the cream sauce so they soak up that richness. Eat with roasted, mashed or fried potatoes, a salad of watercress or another spicy green.

Serves 4

4 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed with a spoon
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
4 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more as needed
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt
1 shallot, finely chopped
¼ cup Cognac or another brandy
¾ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Brush the mushrooms all over with olive oil. Sprinkle the pepper evenly over the gill sides (about 1/2 teaspoon per mushroom). Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high, then add the mushrooms gill side up and sear until the underside is browned and the gill side looks wet, 3 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook until golden and the pepper is fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Flip the mushrooms so they’re gill side up, then add the butter and garlic, and season with salt. While stirring the garlic to keep it from scorching, tilt the skillet to spoon up the melting butter and baste the mushrooms until tender, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate, leaving the butter in the skillet.
Add the shallot and stir until softened, 2 to 4 minutes, adding a little more butter if the pan is dry. Stand back, and carefully add the Cognac. (It might flame.) Stir until the Cognac has nearly evaporated. Add the heavy cream and mustard, season with salt, and stir to combine. Return the mushrooms to the pan gill side down, and cook until the cream is thickened and the color of a latte, 2 to 4 minutes.
Eat the mushrooms with a drizzle of the sauce.

Appetizers · Fish · Fruit · Meat

Chorizo, prawn and banana cakes with harissa yoghurt

Belinda

These beauties are from the wonderful Yotam Ottolenghi. What a great combination of flavors and textures!
Makes about 15 fritters, to serve four as a snack or first course.

3 cooking chorizo sausages, skin removed and discarded, meat finely chopped (150g net weight)
100g Greek-style yoghurt
1 tsp rose (or regular) harissa
2 ripe bananas (but not so ripe that they have brown bits), peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
80g sustainably caught ready-peeled raw king prawns, roughly chopped
1 green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2cm piece ginger, peeled and finely grated (to end up with about ½ tsp)
2 limes – zest finely grated, to get 2 tsp, then cut into wedges
¼ tsp ground coriander
10g cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
Salt
2 large egg whites
3 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Put a large nonstick saute pan on a high flame. Once hot, fry the chorizo for four minutes, stirring regularly, until nice and crisp, then tip into a large bowl (including any oil that leeches out) and leave to cool a little.

2. In a small bowl, fold the harissa into the yoghurt – don’t mix them together so much that they turn into a uniform mass, but rather just swirl the harissa through the yoghurt, so it ends up with attractive red marbling. Cover with cling-film and refrigerate.

3. Add the bananas, prawns, chili, garlic, ginger, lime zest, ground and fresh coriander, flour and a quarter-teaspoon of salt to the chorizo and stir to combine. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, then gently fold into the fritter mixture, taking care not to knock out too much air.

4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan on a high flame. Once the oil is hot, turn down the heat to medium and, in about three batches, carefully spoon the mixture into the pan, one tablespoon per fritter and spaced well apart. Fry for two minutes on each side, until crisp and golden brown, then use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining batter.

5. Serve warm with the harissa yoghurt and lime wedges alongside.

Appetizers · Fish · Holiday Food

Salmon tartare with beet, orange and pear

Belinda

This delicious salmon, beet and pear tartare makes an excellent Christmas Day starter, as it can be prepared in advance and is fuss-free to plate up on the day. Ensure you buy the best quality fish you can to make the dish really sing.

400g of salmon fillet, as fresh as possible, pin-boned and skinned
150g of cooked beets, peeled
1 pear
1/2 banana shallot, finely diced
1 bunch of chives, very finely sliced
80g of créme fraiche
1/2 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested and juiced
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Equipment
8cm metal rings

Dice the salmon and beets into 1cm cubes and place in a mixing bowl. Peel the pear, dice it into 1cm cubes and add that too
Add the shallot and about a quarter of the chives, reserving the rest for garnishing the top
Mix in the créme fraîche, orange zest and lemon zest, until everything is well combined. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper
Use a metal ring to plate up neat piles of the tartare and sprinkle a layer of chopped chives over the top. Serve with buttered toast or on its own for a lighter starter

Dairy-free · Gluten Free

Long-Cooked Broccoli (you read it right!)

Belinda1 Comment

I was reminded of this wonderful recipe by Alice Waters in the NY Times this morning, and decided to re-post it. With all this heavy Christmas food, I’m already planning the lighter foods in the New Year…

“If you’re used to quick-cooked broccoli, barely blanched in boiling water, or crisp, raw florets, this old Alice Waters recipe from “Chez Panisse Vegetables” (HarperCollins, 1996) might seem a little off. A whole hour of simmering with the lid on? Yes! The result is an incredibly sweet, tender, juicy and delicious vegetable with almost no hands-on work. Finish the dish with plenty of cheese and lemon zest, and an extra drizzle of olive oil, and eat it just the way it is, or break it up into some hot, just-cooked pasta for a bigger meal”

Serves 4-6

2 lbs large-headed broccoli
8 garlic cloves
½ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
½ tsp red-pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
3 salt-packed anchovies or chopped oil-packed anchovies (optional)
1 lemon, halved
Pecorino Romano, for serving

Pick off the coarse leaves from the broccoli stems, and peel away any tough skin with a vegetable peeler. Break up the head into a few large florets, then slice each one lengthwise, cutting through the stem and top to make 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch-thick cross sections. Put the broccoli in a wide saucepan, about 3 inches deep, with a fitted lid.
Peel and slice the garlic, and add to the pan with 2 cups water, the olive oil and red-pepper flakes. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then cover the broccoli and simmer on low for about 50 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and just beginning to crumble and the liquid is nearly completely evaporated. If the pot starts to go dry before the cooking time is up, add a splash of water to keep it going.

Rinse, fillet and chop the salt-packed anchovies, if using. When the broccoli is cooked through, toss with lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice and anchovies, if using, then scrape into a serving dish and cover with a drizzle of olive oil and grated cheese.
Serve warm, or at room temperature.