Glazed Carrots with Goat Cheese and Honey

October 21, 2019 Belinda3 Comments

Recipe c/o “Food and Wine Magazine”
The chefs at Soho Farmhouse transform carrots into an impressive side dish or starter when sautéed with fresh herbs and spices, then glazed with apple cider vinegar and honey.

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THE CARROTS
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs medium carrots, peeled
6 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tarragon sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon mustard seeds
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tbsp honey, plus more for serving
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
GREMOLATA
1 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped tarragon
1 tsp finely grated garlic
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt & Pepper
6 oz fresh goat cheese & flaky sea salt, for serving

Cook the carrots
In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter  in the olive oil.
Add the carrots, garlic, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, star anise and the cumin, fennel and mustard seeds and season with salt and pepper.
Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are golden, about 12 minutes.
Add the 2 tablespoons of honey and cook, stirring, until the honey is lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and cook until the carrots are evenly coated, about 2 minutes.
Add the stock, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and the liquid is syrupy, about 20 minutes; discard the herb sprigs, bay leaves and star anise.
Transfer the carrots to a plate and let cool slightly; halve lengthwise.

Make the gremolata
In a medium bowl, combine the parsley, tarragon, garlic, lemon zest and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.  

Spread the goat cheese on plates and drizzle with honey.
Top with the carrots and gremolata, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve.

Dairy-free · Fish

Sheet-pan shrimp scampi with lemon and garlic

October 17, 2019October 17, 2019 Belinda

Recipe by Melissa Clark

This has all the garlicky, lemony flavors of classic shrimp scampi, but is cooked on a sheet pan instead of a skillet. This allows the lemon to char and caramelize, and gives the shrimp a condensed, deep flavor from roasting at high heat. Serve it with crusty bread for dipping, or over pasta to absorb the sauce, and with more lemon juice and red pepper flakes showered on top for pizzazz.

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Serves 3-4

2 lemons
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more as needed
1 cup dry white wine
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 lb peeled large or extra-large shrimp
2 to 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
⅛ tsp red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped (or use more parsley)

Position a broiler rack 4 inches from heating element, then heat the boiler. If your oven is separate from your broiler, heat the oven to 450 F.

Slice one of the lemons 1/4-inch thick, removing the seeds. Arrange lemon slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut the other lemon into wedges and reserve for serving.
Brush the lemon slices generously with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Carefully pour wine onto baking sheet, avoiding pouring directly over lemon slices.

Transfer the pan to the oven or broiler, and broil until the tops of the lemon slices are caramelized and charred in spots, and the wine has reduced by half, 6 to 12 minutes. (Broilers vary a lot in their intensity, so watch carefully.) If your broiler is in your oven, turn off the broiler and heat oven to 450 degrees. (It should heat up quickly since the broiler’s been on.)

Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add the shrimp, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, the red-pepper flakes and black pepper; toss well to coat the shrimp with the butter.

Transfer the shrimp mixture to the baking sheet, and spread the shrimp in an even layer on top of the lemon slices.
Roast until the shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.
Toss the lemons and shrimp well, taste, and add more salt if needed.
Transfer shrimp, lemons and any pan juices to a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley, basil and more red-pepper flakes. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Chocolate · Poultry

Spicy chocolate milk-braised chicken

October 17, 2019 Belinda

Your inner-child is screaming “YASSSS”!!

Recipe is from the website Food 52

1. Chicken poached in milk is absolutely wonderful, as evidenced by chicken potpie or any creamy chicken dish for that matter.
2. Chicken in a sweet sauce is totally a thing. See American Chinese food classics, like sweet-and-sour chicken, General Tso’s chicken, and orange chicken.
3. Chicken, chili and chocolate have a long and beautiful history in the form of mole, from the state of Puebla, Mexico.

So accept that this chicken may just be one of the most interesting things. After poaching the chicken (and I promise the milk will not curdle, and the chocolate will help keep it emulsified and beautiful. Pull the meat out of the liquid and put it over quinoa with some sautéed zucchini for a solid weeknight meal. Or stuff it in corn tortillas with a spoonful of the braising liquid and Greek yogurt.

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Serves 4
1 cup (240ml) full-fat chocolate milk
2 tbsp chili powder (I prefer the one made from ancho chiles)
2 jalapeños, stemmed and split lengthwise
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 1 1 ⁄ 2 pounds (680g)
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 zucchini, sliced into 1 ⁄ 2-inch-thick (1.3cm-thick) rounds
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups Cooked quinoa, for serving

In a saucepan, combine the chocolate milk, chili powder, jalapeños, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and the chicken thighs. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender.
While the chicken is cooking, add the oil to a large sauté pan over high heat. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the zucchini and the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is caramelized and soft, though not so soft that it’s turning to mush. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until the garlic starts to caramelize a little.
Serve the chicken and zucchini over cooked quinoa.

Accompaniments · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts · Sauces · Vegan · Whole30 compliant

Dairy-free pesto with roasted cashews

October 16, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

From the food blog, Endless Meal.

Dairy Free Pesto is easy to make and so delicious. Rather than adding parmesan, we toast the cashews (cheaper than pine nuts!) which gives the pesto the best flavor.
It’s crazy easy to make. Pull out your food processor and gather the ingredients and it will be 99% made.
In the unlikely event that you have leftovers, it keeps well refrigerated for most of the week.
Serve it with eggs for breakfast, in a sandwich for lunch, or with pasta, salmon, or chicken for dinner.

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Makes 2 cups

3 cups basil, packed
2/3 cup roasted cashews.
2/3 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (see notes)

To roast the cashews
Put the cashews on a baking sheet and toast them for 6-7 minutes at 350 degrees. They will be golden and smell fragrant when ready. Let them cool before using them in this recipe.

Place all the ingredients into your food processor and blend on low until it’s a chunky texture.
For a creamier pesto, blend on high.

*Depending on the type of salt you use, you may want to add an extra pinch more. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and add an extra 1/8 teaspoon if needed.
*For a super creamy pesto, use a high-powered blender and a splash or water so it runs smoothly.

Dessert · Fruit · Gluten Free

Pineapple with rum syrup and lime crème fraîche

October 15, 2019 Belinda

This hot and fruity dinner party-pleaser from Delicious Magazine only takes 30 minutes to make. It’s sweet, citrusy and drowned in a boozy rum syrup – it’s sure to go down well!

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Vegetable oil for frying
1 large pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 8 long wedges (see tip)
2 tbsp unsalted butter

For the rum syrup
7oz (200g) caster (superfine) sugar
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out and added
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lime
Finely grated zest ½ orange
1 star anise
2 cardamom pods, crushed
1 bird’s eye chili (optional)
2 kaffir lime leaves
3.5 oz (100ml) dark rum

For the lime crème fraÎche
7oz (200g) full-fat crème fraîche
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lime
1 tbsp icing (confectioners) sugar

First make the rum syrup: put 7 fl oz (200ml) water and the sugar in a pan, then bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar. Add the rest of the syrup ingredients except the rum. Bubble for 1 minute, then cool for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of vegetable oil, then add the pineapple wedges and cook for 5 minutes or until golden on the bottom. Turn the wedges over and add the butter, reducing the heat to medium. Fry the pineapple until golden all over and cooked all the way through. Transfer to a bowl or plate, then pour over the pan juices.

Put the frying pan back over the heat and add the rum (be very careful as it may flame). Use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the base of the pan. Bubble until reduced by half.

Add the cooled syrup to the rum in the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a coating consistency. Strain the liquid, remove the spices (discard), then pour 3/4″( 2cm) of the syrup back into the pan with the pineapple and juices to warm through.

Mix the crème fraîche with the lime juice and icing sugar.
Serve the pineapple with a dollop of lime crème fraîche, a sprinkling of lime zest and the remaining syrup and lime crème fraîche on the side.

Appetizers · Holiday Food

Easy baked figs with parma ham, blue cheese and balsamic

October 15, 2019October 15, 2019 Belinda

A simple starter consisting of sweet figs wrapped in salty parma ham, topped with blue cheese and balsamic and then baked until gorgeously sticky.
Want more inspiration? These baked figs are served with goat’s cheese, honey and walnuts.

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Serves 2-3
6 figs
6 pieces of Parma ham
2 oz Roquefort cheese
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar glaze
Splash of dry white wine
Fresh basil
Crusty bread

Heat the oven to 400F/ 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
Cut the figs into quarters, slicing most of the way through but keeping the base intact.
Squeeze the base of each fig to open it up, then wrap each one in a piece of parma ham, leaving the top open.
Put in a baking dish, then dot with the roquefort cheese.
Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar glaze and a splash of dry white wine, then bake for 20-25 minutes until oozing.
Scatter with fresh basil and serve with crusty bread.

Accompaniments · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Thanksgiving cranberry and fig chutney

October 15, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

Try this instead of the usual cranberry sauce!
It’s also divine with ham, sausages, pork or cheese.

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2 lbs fresh cranberries
8 oz black mission figs
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup golden raisins
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 orange, juice and zest
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp ginger, grated
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied together

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Make this a few days ahead to lessen the load on Thanksgiving day.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Thanksgiving Osso Bucco

October 15, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

Fabulous recipe from “Food 52”
What to make on Thanksgiving when turkey is a bit too much, when you are planning a romantic dinner for two, when your friends do not like white meat, or simply when you are up for something a little bit more adventurous than just a good old roasted bird. This is a dish that preserves the spirit of the Thanksgiving meal, without really having to do the entire thing.

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Serves 4

2lbs turkey drumsticks, cut crosswise into 1.5″ thick pieces, by your butcher.
1 finely chopped yellow onion
2 diced carrots
2 minced garlic cloves
8 diced Turkish apricots
16 dried cranberries, halved
1 cup hard cider
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a large cast iron casserole or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the turkey pieces with salt and pepper and brown them nicely, about two minutes per side.
Remove the turkey from the pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, until the onion is very soft and slightly caramelized, for about five minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute. Add the carrots and cook for another five minutes. Stir in the apricots, cranberries, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cider. Place the turkey pieces back into the casserole, coat with the sauce, and bring to simmer.
Cover the casserole with a lid and put it in the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender and begins to fall of the bones, for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (If it becomes dry during cooking, feel free to add a bit more liquid.)
Adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve warm with mashed potatoes and the sauce spooned on top.