Raspberry, sherry and nut trifle

April 2, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

A simple, quick and delicious trifle, updated with amaretti biscuits and chopped toasted hazelnuts.

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Serves 6

250g (9oz) bag of amaretti biscuits
Sweet sherry
150g (6oz) punnet raspberries + more for decoration
Icing sugar
500g (18oz) tub of crème anglaise or vanilla custard
284ml (10oz) whipped fresh double cream
Chopped toasted hazelnuts
Fresh mint leaves

Spill a box of amaretti biscuits into the bottom of a large glass bowl.
Sprinkle well with a sweet sherry.
Use a fork to crush 100g (4oz)raspberries with icing sugar to taste, then spoon over the soaked biscuits.
Add a few more whole raspberries.
Spoon over a large tub of crème anglaise or vanilla custard and top with plenty of whipped fresh double cream.
Decorate with whole raspberries, chopped toasted hazelnuts and fresh mint leaves.

Tiramisu crepe cake

April 2, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Current times need comfort food!
Tiramisu meets crêpe in this decadent, yet surprisingly easy, layer cake.

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For the crêpes (or buy them ready-made!)
12 large free-range eggs
500ml (17 fl oz) whole milk
250m (l8.5 fl oz) single cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
250g (9oz) plain flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
Unsalted butter for frying

For the filling
1kg (2.2lbs) mascarpone
140g (5oz) icing sugar
3 tsp espresso powder dissolved in 75ml hot water, cooled
5 tbsp brandy
200ml (7 fl oz) double cream
Cocoa powder for dusting
20g (1oz) amaretti biscuits, crumbed

You’ll also need (if making the crêpes)…
18cm (7 inch) crêpe pan or shallow frying pan

If you’re making your own crêpes, whizz the crêpe ingredients (except the butter) in a food processor until combined, then put in a jug. Heat a small knob of butter in the pan over a medium-high heat. When lightly bubbling, pour in enough batter to coat the pan, tilt until even, then cook for about 1 minute. The crêpe is ready to flip when bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula and cook for a further minute. Transfer to a plate and cover with a damp tea towel. Repeat to use up the rest of the batter – it will make about 18 crêpes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the mascarpone, icing sugar, coffee and brandy with an electric mixer until lighter and slightly thickened. Add the double cream, then whisk until combined and just holding its shape.

Place a crêpe on a serving board or plate and spread over a little of the cream with a palette knife. Repeat, layering crêpes and cream, until the crêpes have been used up, finishing with the remaining cream. Dust the top generously with cocoa powder and sprinkle with the crumbled amaretti.
delicious.

Tips
If time is short, use 18 shop-bought readymade sweet pancakes, about 18cm in diameter (3 x 375g packs of 6, widely available in supermarket).

Make up to 12 hours in advance without the cocoa powder and amaretti biscuits. Chill in the fridge, then bring back to room temperature before decorating and serving.

Accompaniments · Baking · Egg based

Savory Dutch baby

March 31, 2020 Belinda

This savory Dutch baby is like Yorkshire pudding meets a popover meets a gougère, flavored with browned butter, Parmesan and thyme.
You can serve it for brunch, pancake style. Or try it as an hors d’oeuvre. Bring the whole thing out to your guests and let them tear it apart with their hands. Salty, cheesy and delicious.

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1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
8 large eggs
¾ cup whole milk
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp minced chives, parsley or tarragon
6 tbsp unsalted butter
¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Gruyère
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Sriracha, for serving (optional)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Heat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and pepper.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
Whisk wet ingredients into dry until just combined. Stir in thyme and the other herbs.
Melt the butter in a heavy 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Let it cook until it smells nutty and browns, about 5 to 7 minutes, then swirl skillet so that butter coats bottom of pan.
Pour batter into pan and scatter cheese and flaky salt over the top.
Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 minutes.
Serve with sriracha and lemon wedges on the side.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Spicy orange salad, Moroccan style

March 31, 2020February 12, 2024 Belinda

Simple perfection

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Serves 4
Takes 10 minutes

3 large, sweet, seedless oranges

1 avocado, ripe but too too ripe, cut into cubes
⅛ tsp cayenne
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp fresh garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
⅓ cup chopped parsley or half chopped mint and half parsley
14 pitted, halved black olives, and preferably imported Greek or Italian

Peel the oranges, paring away all the exterior white pulp.
Cut each orange into 8 wedges. Cut each wedge into 1-inch pieces.
Set aside.
Place the cayenne, paprika, garlic, olive oil and vinegar in a salad bowl.
Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk to combine.
Add the oranges, almonds, avocado, parsley and olives. Toss gently to blend.
Serve cold or at room temperature.

Do-ahead · Icecream

California date shake

March 31, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Sweet dates and creamy ice cream blended together. Nothing could be easier and nothing could taste better as the weather gets warmer.

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4 pitted Medjool dates (about 3 ounces), coarsely chopped
¼ cup very cold milk
1 ¼ cups vanilla ice cream

In a blender, blend dates and milk until smooth and very frothy.
Add ice cream and pulse a few times, until just blended.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Pad thai zucchini noodle & quinoa salad

March 27, 2020January 21, 2024 Belinda

Recipe c/o “Simply Quinoa” food blog

This pad thai zucchini noodle and quinoa salad is a carb-free, lightened up version of a takeout staple. Clean ingredients, tons of flavor and packed with nutrients!

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Serves 2

1 medium zucchini
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
2 scallions thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

for the sauce
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter or almond butter
Juice of 2 limes
2 tsp gluten-free tamari
1 tsp sriracha sauce or asian hot sauce of choice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Water as needed to thin the sauce

Slice the ends off the zucchini and secure it to your spiralizer.
Spiralize the zucchini into long noodles and transfer to a large bowl.
Thinly slice the cabbage and pepper, either with a knife or mandolin slicer, and add that to the bowl with the zucchini noodles, along with the scallions, cilantro, quinoa and peanuts.

In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it’s thin enough to pour — you’re looking for the consistency of a creamy dressing.

Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Transfer to two bowls, sprinkle with a bit more peanuts and cilantro and enjoy!

Appetizers · Fish · Salad

Smoked trout and avocado salad toasts

March 26, 2020 Belinda

This is a great recipe for lunch using cans of Trader Joes smoked trout.

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Serves 4
1 large shallot
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 heads Belgian endive
2 to 3 scallions, finely sliced
1/2 pound smoked trout, or use 2 x 3.9oz cans from Trader Joes. They are great to have in the pantry
1 firm, ripe avocado
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
Four 1-inch thick slices good bread

Preheat the broiler to high.
Finely mince the shallot and place in a small bowl. Cover with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper. (I like to add a pinch of sugar, too.) Set aside to macerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
Use a fork to whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Meanwhile, quarter the heads of endive through the core, then finely slice crosswise. Place in a large bowl. Scatter the scallions over top. Break the smoked trout into large pieces over top.
Pour the dressing over top, and use your hands to gently toss everything together, keeping the trout in largish pieces. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed—now is the time to correct for seasoning because once the avocado is in, you don’t want to toss too much or it will all turn to mush.

Dice the avocado, and add to the bowl followed by the parsley. Toss with your hands again gently until combined. Set salad aside.

Arrange bread on cooling rack set on sheet pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Broil 2 minutes or until lightly golden, keeping a close watch. Remove pan from oven, flip slices of bread over, drizzle with more oil, and return pan to the oven for another 2 minutes, or until bread is golden.

Transfer toasts to a platter. Mound trout and avocado salad over top. Serve immediately.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead

Mrs. Myers’ sweet and moist banana bread

March 15, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

Author c/o Alexandra Stafford from “Alexandra’s Kitchen”

Overripe bananas freeze beautifully — just peel them and place them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. When you’re ready to use them, place them in a colander in the sink to drain — they’ll give up a lot of liquid and look totally repulsive, but they work beautifully.

To make homemade buttermilk: place 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches the 1/2-cup line. Let stand for five minutes.

Loaf Pans: I use a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan for this recipe. You need two pans for this recipe.

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Yield 2

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sifted flour (I never sift)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. table salt
5 eggs (I use 4)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup nuts (I never add nuts)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 quart mashed bananas, about 8 (ripe to overripe)

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Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Butter two loaf pans. (I butter generously.)
In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla, buttermilk and bananas.
Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Divide batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for approximately 1 hour.
Remove from oven and turn loaves out onto cooling rack immediately.
Let cool.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · lentils · Rice · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Mujadara: lentils and rice with crispy onions

March 10, 2020January 23, 2023 Belinda

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From “The Mediterranean Dish”
Clearly, lentils and rice do not make for a fancy meal. In fact, in the Middle East, mujadara is known more as “poor man’s food,” or peasant food.
This mujadara is very simply spiced with salt and pepper. The main flavor maker here is onions, fried to the point of dark golden brown. This is what gives the rice the beautiful depth, both in color and taste.
I use these all-natural black lentils for mujadara. These petite lentils cook fairly quickly. They have a wonderful, creamy consistency; full-bodied and earthy flavor.

Serves 4-6

1 cup black lentils, sorted and rinsed
4 cups water, vegetable sock or meat stock, divided
1/4 cup Greek extra virgin olive oil, more for later
2 large yellow onions, diced (4 cups)
1 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
1 cup long-grain white rice, soaked in water for 10–15 minutes and then drained
black pepper
Parsley for garnish
For the fried crispy onion garnish
Oil for frying
1 large yellow onion cut in very thin rings

Place the lentils in a small saucepan with 2 cups of the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and simmer, cover until the lentils are par-boiled (10-12 minutes). Remove from the heat, drain the lentils and set them aside.

In a large saute pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and cook until the onions are dark golden brown, darker than typical caramelized onions (about 40 minutes), sprinkle the onions with a teaspoon of salt as they cook.

Carefully pour the remaining 2 cups of water, bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir the rice and par-cooked lentils into the onion mixture. Cover and bring back to a boil. Stir in a healthy pinch of salt and the black pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice and lentils are both cooked through (about 20 minutes).

Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the Mujadara hot or at room temperature with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and parsley garnish, if you like.

For the fried onions, heat the oil over medium-high heat (to 375 degrees F) in a saucepan. When a small piece of onion bubbles vigorously, the oil is ready. Fry the onions in batches until they are golden brown. Transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined plate or try, and then arrange them on top of the Mjuadara.

A dollop of Greek yogurt is lovely to serve it with
Enjoy!