Bavarois de Poivrons Rouges. (A mousse of red peppers)

July 13, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

This recipe from Raymond Blanc is truly a treat and is spectacular for a Spring or Summer dinner party.
The texture is so smooth, so melting, the taste so sharp and lively that the dish is WELL worth the effort
It can be made a day in advance and who doesn’t love that!

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You will need
A 10″ wide pastry ring

1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 fl oz (50ml) olive oil
2 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
5 red peppers, seeded and finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 gelatine leaves (soaked in cold water to soften)
3.5 fl oz (100ml) white wine vinegar
1 tsp raspberry vinegar
cayenne pepper
14 fl oz (400ml) chilled heavy whipping cream

For the jello and julienne of peppers
3.5 fl oz (100 mls)reserved vegetable juices
1 gelatine leaf soaked in cold water to soften
1 red pepper, skinned and seeded

Preparing the mousse
In a large pan, sweat the onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red peppers. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a medium heat for about 8 minutes, covered with a lid.

Spoon out 3.5 fl oz (100ml) of the juices that the peppers and tomatoes have released. Strain into a bowl, reserving for the jello.
Cook the vegetables for a further 20 minutes without the lid. All the moisture will have evaporated.(You should be left with about 6-7 fl oz).
Add the softened gelatine leaves and stir until dissolved.
Cool down the pulp a little, then puree and force through a sieve or mouli-légumes.

Separately, mix the 2 vinegars in small pan and boil to reduce by two-thirds in volume. Add to the puree. Taste, then add salt and cayenne pepper. Cool down completely to room temperature.

Whip the cream in a bowl until firm and fold delicately (Using a spatula. Don’t over mix as you will lose volume) into the puree. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Place the pastry ring over a flat serving plate and pour in the mousse. Smooth the top with a palette knife and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to set.

Preparing the jello and julienne of peppers.
Bring the reserved juice to the boil and dissolve the single leaf of gelatine in it. Allow to cool down.
Cut the pepper halves. Divide each strip in half horizontally, and cut into very fine julienne strips 1/8 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper and reserve

Finishing the dish.
Scatter the julienne strips over the mousse and spoon the nearly set jello over the top. Refrigerate.

Serving
Loosen the mousse from the ring with the blade of a warm knife and lift the ring off.
Ease onto a flat, wide round platter

Accompaniments · Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead

How to turn mozzarella into burrata in 2 minutes!

July 13, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Abra Berens’technique turns regular mozzarella into burrata

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Well, it’s basically burrata. And it only takes two minutes.
Berens’s creamed mozzarella is simple: you tear the mozzarella and toss it with sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.
Just like that, regular mozzarella (which I think we can all finally admit can be rubbery and dry and a little like eating slices of a softball) is transformed into something decadent and luscious and something much more like mozzarella’s cousin burrata.

1 ball (8 oz) fresh mozzarella
1/4 cup sour cream
1 lemon, zest and juice

Tear the mozzarella into rough chunks.
Combine with the sour cream, lemon zest and juice, a good pinch of salt, and a couple of grinds of black pepper.

Tear, toss, done!

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

EASY lentil curry

July 13, 2020February 29, 2024 Belinda

Recipe from food blog, “Contentedness Cooking”

This lentil curry is so very tasty, packed with aromatic spices, creamy, satisfying and protein rich.
Using steamed, vacuum packed lentils makes it a great time- saver.
It is lovely over rice, roasted sweet potato, quinoa or pasta, and even pickiest people will eat this.

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1 x 1 lb pack vacuum-pack green lentils. (Trader Joes sells these))
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cup onions, diced
4 tbsp butter
3/4 cup full fat coconut milk or coconut cream for extra creaminess
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
2 heaped cups chopped fresh spinach
1 tbsp Madras curry powder
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 1/2 tsp ground roasted cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger or 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
A good handful of chopped cilantro, but you only have parsley, that works too
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, melt the butter, add onions and garlic and fry for around 7 minutes. Add the ginger, curry powder, cumin and mustard powder and blend well together, allowing the spices oils to come out

Add the lentils, crushed tomatoes and tomato halves to the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes more on medium heat.

Add the coconut milk/cream, spinach and chopped cilantro/parsley and let simmer for a few more minutes until well blended. Make sure the onions are tender and the cherry tomato halves are soft before serving. You might have to let it simmer gently for another 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Soup · Vegan

Simple and delicious beet gazpacho

July 12, 2020October 30, 2025 Belinda

This recipe is from the lovely food blog, “Feasting at home”

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You don’t have to be precise with these ingredients, they are more of a guide. I wasn’t, and it turned out beautifully. I like a little more sherry vinegar as it has a sweetness to it, and I roasted my beets instead of boiling them.

1lb beets (4 medium beets, smaller than a tennis ball, about 3 inches in diameter)
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced, divided
2-3 cups chilled vegetable or chicken broth
2 garlic cloves ( 1 large or 2 two small)
3-4 small Turkish cucumbers, divided
½ cup fresh dill, divided
2 tbsp sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
½ tsp kosher salt, more to taste
¼ tsp fresh pepper

Garnishes- avocado, diced cucumber, diced beet, finely diced onion, chopped dill, baby nasturtium leaves, olive oil or yogurt or sour cream

Place beets in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer until fork tender all the way through, about 45- 60 minutes. Chill the beets.

Once the beets are cold, slip off their skins using your hands. Slice and place 3 of the 4 beets ( saving one) in a blender with 2 cups of broth.

Add the half of the chopped onion (about 1/4 cup), 2 garlic cloves, 2 sliced Turkish cucumbers (saving one) salt, pepper, vinegar and about ⅔ of the fresh dill (saving some for garnish).
Blend until very smooth.
Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. You may want to add more broth, or any of the other ingredients. It’s worth playing with until you get just the flavor you want.
Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Prep the garnishes.
Finely dice remaining beets, cucumber, avocado and chop the remaining dill. Pour chilled beet soup (the colder it is, the better) into bowls.
Top with with the garnishes.
Drizzle with a little olive oil or a swirl of yogurt or sour cream if you like. Serve immediately!

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Fish

Sesame prawn toasts

July 11, 2020November 15, 2020 Belinda

I just love these and they’re much easier to make than you think.

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8oz (200g) prawns, deveined, peeled and cleaned
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 egg white
½ tsp golden caster sugar (superfine)
1 tsp light soy sauce, plus extra to serve
2 scallions, very finely chopped
3 slices white sourdough bread, crusts removed
Sesame oil, for brushing
1 egg, lightly beaten
4oz (100g) sesame seeds
groundnut or sunflower oil for shallow frying

Put the prawns, garlic, ginger, egg white, sugar and soy in a food processor and blitz to a paste. Stir in the spring onion. Scrape into a bowl, cover and chill for 30 mins.

Brush one side of each piece of bread with sesame oil. Spread the prawn mixture on top, taking it right to the edges of the bread. Brush the beaten egg carefully over the top and sides and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds so they stick all over.

Heat ½ inch to 1 inch (2-3cm) oil in a sauté pan or deep frying pan until hot, and cook each piece of bread (it’s easier to cook one at a time), unspread-side down for 1½ mins, then carefully turn over and cook for 1-2 mins on the prawn side or until the sesame seeds are golden and the prawn paste cooked through.

Cut each piece into four triangles. Serve with soy sauce (or a sweet & sour sauce) for dipping, if you like.

Accompaniments · Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan

Smokey cauliflower hummus

July 11, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

One can never have enough cauliflower recipes, especially when they come out like this!

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Makes about 2 cups (serving size: 2 tbsp.)

1/2 head cauliflower (1 to 1 1/2 lbs.), trimmed and cut into 2-in. florets (about 4 cups florets)
4.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
About 1 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp kosher salt, divide
½ tsp ground cumin ( I roast mine then grind it, as it’s much more flavorful this way)
¼ tsp red chile flakes
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
About 2 tbsp lemon juice
3 1/2 tablespoons well-stirred tahini

Preheat oven to 450°.
Put cauliflower florets in a large bowl and add 1 1/2 tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. salt, the cumin, chile flakes, and garlic.
Toss to coat thoroughly.
Spread florets evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast, stirring once, until florets are cooked through and a little crispy, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool.
Put 1/2 cup water in a blender with roasted cauliflower and garlic, lemon juice, remaining 3 tbsp. oil, the tahini and remaining 1 1/2 tsp. salt.
Blend, adding more water if needed (up to 1/4 cup) and scraping sides often, until you have a creamy purée, about 4 minutes. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if you like.
Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of smoked paprika.

Make ahead: Up to 3 days, chilled airtight.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Meat

Roast pork tenderloin with stir-fry cabbage and spiced figs

July 11, 2020 Belinda

Recipe by Nigel Slater

This is so lovely with the spiced cabbage and red onion stir-fry.

roast pork with figs Nigel Slater

Serves 3

1lb pork tenderloin, silver-skin removed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds ( love to roast my cumin before using)
1 heaped tsp coriander seeds
8 green cardamom pods
3/4 lb cabbage leaves
6-8 fresh figs
6 tbsp white vermouth

Make sure the tenderloin is dry to the touch, patting it with kitchen paper if not, then season generously with salt and black pepper.
Warm the olive oil in a roasting tin over a moderate to high heat then add the pork and brown lightly, turning it from time to time so all sides color to an even toasty brown. About 6 or 7 minutes.
Remove the roasting tin from the heat, lift out the pork and leave to rest under a large upturned bowl or a piece of foil.

Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Place the roasting tin over a moderate heat, add the onion to the fat and oil already in the tin, then leave to cook over a moderate heat, with an occasional stir, for 15-20 minutes, until soft and sweet.

Put the cumin and coriander seeds in a mortar. Crack the cardamom pods, extract the tiny brown seeds from within and add them to the spices. Pound to a coarse powder with a pestle. (A spice mill will do it even more quickly.)
Stir the ground spices into the onion and continue cooking.

Wash and dry the cabbage leaves, then stack one on top of another and roll them up. Now shred them into ribbons about 1/8 ” thick. Stir the cabbage into the onion, tossing well with 2 spoons or a pair of tongs, to mix everything thoroughly.

Slice the pork into 1″ (3cm) thick pieces.
Cut the figs into quarters, depending on their size.
As soon as the cabbage has wilted – about 2 minutes – remove the mix to a warm serving dish and cover.
Pour the white vermouth into the pan and let it bubble furiously for 30 seconds, then return the slices of pork and their resting juices, along with the figs, to the pan and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.
Spoon the meat, figs and juices over the cabbage and onions and serve.

Meat

Beef and eggplant fatteh

July 11, 2020 Belinda

Recipe by Nigella Lawson
“This is a subtly textured, richly flavored arrangement of toasted pieces of flatbread topped with meaty aubergine and beef, a garlicky tahini-yogurt sauce, red pepper flakes, pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts and fresh shredded mint. I think of this rather as a refined, Middle-Eastern form of nachos.”

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Serves: 4-6

FOR THE BASE:
4 pita breads (split open and cut into nacho-sized triangles)
FOR THE TOPPING:
2 cups full-fat greek yoghurt
5 tbsp tahini (at room temperature)
1 – 2 lemons (to give 3 x 15ml tablespoons of juice)
2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
1 – 2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste)

FOR THE AUBERGINE-BEEF LAYER:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion (peeled and finely chopped)
1 medium-large eggplant (cut into small cubes)
2 tsp ground cumin (I roast mine)
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Aleppo pepper or paprika (plus more for sprinkling)
1 – 2 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
1lb ground beef

TO SPRINKLE OVER:
¾ cup pomegranate seeds
⅓ cup toasted pinenuts
1 tbsp mint (finely shredded leaves)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Spread the pitta triangles out onto a large baking sheet and toast for 10–15 minutes, or until they are crisp. You don’t need them to color, but if they do just a little here and there, that’s not a bad thing. Set the pitta triangles aside for the moment.

Beat the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt together in a heatproof bowl that will later sit over a saucepan. Taste to see if you want any more salt. Put to one side while you cook the eggplant-beef layer.

Warm the oil in a wide, though not deep, heavy-based saucepan or casserole and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to low and carry on cooking it, still stirring occasionally, until soft and a pale caramel color. This will take another 4 minutes or so.

Turn the heat up to medium, tumble in the eggplant cubes and stir well to mix with the onion. Stay by the hob as you will need to stir frequently, and cook them for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down if they look as if they’re catching.

Stir in the cumin, coriander and a teaspoon each of Aleppo pepper and kosher salt and, now over a high heat, add the ground beef and use a fork to break it up a little and turn in the pan until it’s lost its red color.
Turn the heat back down to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through. Taste to see if you want to add more salt, then take off the heat while you return to the tahini-yogurt sauce.

Pour some just-boiled water into a fresh pan, enough to come about 1¼ inches up the sides, and put over a low heat. Sit the bowl with the tahini-yogurt mixture on top, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Beat well until the yogurt is slightly above room temperature and has the consistency of lightly whipped cream.

Now for the grand assembly: arrange the crisp pitta triangles on a large round plate (I use one of about 12 inches diameter). Top with the eggplant-beef mixture, followed by the yogurt-tahini sauce. Sprinkle with the Aleppo pepper (or paprika, if you’re using that) to give a light dusting. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts and, finally, strew with the finely shredded mint leaves. Eat with your fingers, nacho-style.

MADE AHEAD/STORE:
The pitta can be toasted 1-2 hours ahead. Store in an airtight container. The aubergine-meat layer can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool and refrigerate, within two hours of cooking, in an airtight container. Return to the pan and add a splash of water, then reheat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.

FREEZE:
Meat layer can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.

Baking · Chocolate · Do-ahead

Chocolate raspberry “pudding” cake

July 8, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Nigella Lawson’s decadent but easy recipe

“I call this a pudding cake because its texture is simply a mixture between pudding and cake, though lighter by far than that could ever imply. Think, rather, of a mousse without fluffiness: this is dense but delicate with it. And it’s heavenly at blood heat, when the gooey chocolate sits warmly around the sour-sweet juicy raspberries embedded in the cake, like glinting, mud-covered garnets. This should be eaten an hour or so after it comes out of the oven. It gets more solid when cold, and loses some of that spectacular texture.
If you have any left, wrap it in foil and heat it up in the oven, or warm it up a slice at a time in the microwave before eating it.

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Photo by Jonathan Lovekin

Serves: 8

1½ cups self-rising flour
3 tbsp good unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter (plus more to grease cake tin – I use the butter wrapper)
1 tbsp Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
½ cup superfine sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
9 oz good bittersweet chocolate – 70% cocoa solids (broken into squares)
¾ cup black coffee and 185ml / ¾ cup water or 2 tsp instant coffee made up with 370ml / 1½ cups water
2 large eggs at room temperature (beaten slightly)
9 oz raspberries (plus lots more to serve)
approx. ½ teaspoon confectioners’ sugar (to serve)

You will need: a 22–23cm / 9-inch spring form cake tin.

Arrange the oven shelves so that one is in the middle for the cake, and another just below it. Slide a baking sheet onto the lower rack to catch any drips as the cake bakes. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F.
Butter a 22–23cm / 9-inch spring form cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. Mix the flour and unsweetened cocoa together in a bowl, and set aside.

Put the butter, liqueur, sugars, chocolate, coffee and water in a thick-bottomed saucepan and stir over low heat until everything melts and is thickly, glossily smooth. Remove the pan from the heat, and let stand for a couple of minutes.

Stir the flour and cocoa mixture into the pan, and beat well – just with a spatula or wooden spoon – until all is smooth and glossy again, then gradually beat in the eggs. The mixture will be runny: don’t panic, and don’t add more flour; the chocolate itself sets as it cooks and then cools.
Pour into the prepared tin until you have covered the base with about 2cm of the mixture (which will be about half of it) and then cover with the raspberries and pour the rest of the mixture on top. You may have to push some of the raspberries back under the cake batter by hand.

Put into the preheated oven and bake for 40–45 minutes. Don’t try and test by poking in a skewer as you don’t want it to come out clean: the gunge is what the cake is about. But when it’s cooked, the top will be firm, and slightly cracked. Don’t worry about that: a little confectioners’ sugar will deflect attention. When it’s ready, take the cake out of the oven and put on a rack. Leave in the tin for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the tin; the cake must stay on its base.

When you’re just about to eat – and this should be around an hour after the cake’s come out of the oven – dust with a little confectioners’ sugar pushed through a tea strainer. Serve with lots more fresh raspberries, and Greek yoghurt, whipped double cream or crème fraîche as wished.