Baked feta with sesame and honey

July 19, 2020 Belinda

Recipe from the BBC Good Food website
Combine the flavors of salty cheese and sweet honey to create a dish that’s so much more than the sum of its parts. Rich and decadent, serve with warm pitta

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1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
8oz (200g) block Greek feta
2 tbsp honey, plus extra to serve
1 tsp roughly chopped oregano
olive oil, for drizzling
warmed pita breads, to serve

Heat the oven to 400F (gas mark 6).
Put the sesame seeds in a shallow dish and brush the block of feta all over with the honey.
Carefully press the honey-coated feta into the sesame seeds, turning so that it’s well crusted with seeds.

Put the feta in a baking dish (it should fit snugly), then sprinkle over the oregano and a pinch of sea salt. Drizzle with some olive oil.
Bake for 15-20 mins until the feta is soft, then drizzle with a little extra honey and serve with the pitta breads on the side.

Salad

Epic summer salad

July 14, 2020 Belinda

Perfect for BBQs and buffets, this is an assembly job of gorgeous ingredients – no cooking required.
Recipe from Good Food Magazine

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A 14-15oz tin of black beans, drained
2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1lb heritage tomatoes, chopped into large chunks
½ cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scooped out and sliced on an angle
1 mango, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 large red onion, halved and finely sliced
6-8 radishes, sliced
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
4oz feta, crumbled
A handful of herbs (reserved from the dressing)

For the dressing
large bunch mint
small bunch cilantro
small bunch basil
1 fat green chili, deseeded and chopped
1 garlic clove
100ml extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil
2 limes zested and juiced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp honey

Make the dressing by blending all of the ingredients in a food processor (or very finely chop them), saving a few herb leaves for the salad. You can make the dressing up to 24 hrs before serving.

Scatter the beans and spinach over a large platter.
Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, mango, onion and radishes on top and gently toss together with your hands.
Top the salad with the avocados, feta and herbs, and serve the dressing on the side.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Salad

Salad of tomatoes, nectarines and labneh with chermoula

July 14, 2020 Belinda

Fruits (peaches, nectarines, mangoes) are great with tomatoes, especially when there is lemon or lime juice or fish sauce in the mix.
Lovely recipe from Diana Henry.

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SERVES 6
16oz Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, grated to a purée
2 large just-ripe nectarines
14oz tomatoes, different shades of red if possible
A good sized bunch cilantro
1½ tbsp white balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For the chermoula
1/2″ cube of ginger,  peeled and grated
¼ tsp sweet paprika
1 medium-sized red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
Finely grated zest and juice  of ½ lemon (you might want  more juice)
2 garlic cloves, grated to a purée
A good bunch cilantro,  stalks discarded, leaves  finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped  flat-leaf parsley
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Make the labneh the day before you want to serve  the dish. Line a sieve with  a piece of cheesecloth  (or a new J-cloth) and set  it over a bowl. Put the yogurt in the cloth and refrigerate for 24 hours.
The yogurt will lose moisture, leaving you with  a cheese-like substance. Help it along by giving it  a squeeze every so often.
Remove the drained yogurt from the cloth. Season with salt and pepper and add the garlic. Store in a container that you can cover.

Mix together the chermoula ingredients in a bowl  with some seasoning.  Taste for balance.

Halve and stone the nectarines and cut each half into four or five slices.

Quarter the larger tomatoes  (or cut into six or eight, depending on their size) and halve the smaller ones. Remove the leaves from the coriander (leave them whole) and discard the stalks.
Toss the tomatoes and the nectarines in a bowl with the balsamic and extra-virgin olive oil and season.
Arrange them on a serving plate and dot chunks of the labneh in among the sliced fruit, scattering with the cilantro leaves.
Spoon over the chermoula and serve.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Do-ahead · Vegetable-related

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.