Gluten Free · Salad

Greek lentil salad

Belinda

This lovely, earthy salad is from the blog “Cookie + Kate”.

This simple lentil salad is loaded with Greek flavors and health benefits. You can prepare all of the ingredients while the lentils cook. This salad makes great leftovers—just store the spinach separately from the rest so it doesn’t completely wilt.

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Serves 4 mid-sized servings)

1 cup black beluga lentils (dry/uncooked)
3 cups water
3 lightly packed cups of chopped baby spinach
½ medium red onion, chopped
⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed
⅓ cup pitted and quartered Kalamata olives
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
Optional garnish: crumbled feta cheese

Greek dressing
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp tahini
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
½ tsp dried oregano
Scant ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (if using regular table salt, start with ¼ teaspoon and add more to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To cook the lentils: First, pick through the lentils and remove any debris (like tiny rocks). Pour the lentils into a fine-mesh colander and rinse under running water, then dump the lentils into a medium saucepan. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 25 to 35 minutes. Then, drain the lentils and return them to the pot to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium serving bowl, combine the spinach, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and basil. Set aside.

To prepare the dressing, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Once the lentils have cooled for about 5 minutes, add them to the serving bowl. Pour all of the dressing over the salad and toss until blended.
Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve in individual bowls with a sprinkle of feta cheese on top, if desired.

Uncategorized

A new recipe book I really love

Belinda

Do you love really interesting salad (and non-salad) recipes and inspiring stories from artists who also share their recipes?

As I love to share other people’s recipes here as well as my own, I thought I would introduce you to my new neighbor who writes a food blog and recently wrote this terrific book.

I haven’t been inspired (until now) by a really good and unusual salad recipe since the Ottolenghi books.

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THE BOOKS

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

Chilled corn and coconut soup with crab garnish

Belinda

This is a super soup for the hot summer months and makes a welcome change to gazpacho. It is also vegan if you leave off the crab topping, as in this photo.

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Serves 6

4 tbsp Grapeseed Oil
1 White Onion, medium dice
1 Fennel Bulb, medium dice
1 Carrot, peeled and sliced
2 Garlic Cloves, rough chopped
1 Serrano Pepper, seeded and rough chopped
4 cups Sweet Corn Kernels
16 oz Coconut Milk
16 oz Vegetable Stock
1 Star Anise
2 sprigs fresh Tarragon
3 Tbsp Lime Juice
Salt, to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

For Garnish:
6 oz Jumbo Lump Crab Meat, picked
1 tbsp Shallot, minced
1 tsp Serrano Pepper, minced
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lime Juice, to taste
Salt, to taste

Heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat.
Sweat the onion until translucent, add the carrot and fennel, continue to sweat until they begin to soften.
Add the garlic and serrano pepper, sweat until fragrant.
Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to caramelize.
Add the coconut milk and vegetable stock, whisk together and bring to a simmer. Add the star anise and tarragon.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender – about 20-30 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a blender, not filling more than halfway at a time.
Cover the top with a kitchen towel and start blending slowly, gradually increasing to high speed.
Puree until smooth, adjust the seasoning to taste.
Continue to puree soup in batches.
Strain through a fine sieve into clean pot or bowl, using the back of a ladle to help push it through.
Discard the solids.
Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Chill the soup for 6 hours to overnight.
Stir in the lime juice when ready to serve.

Garnish

Toss the crab, shallot, and serrano peppers in extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, and salt.
Divide the soup into 6 bowls.
Garnish each serving crab salad and serve immediately.

Dairy-free · Pasta

Spaghetti with fennel, anchovies, currants, pine nuts & capers

Belinda

Another light, summer pasta dish, pretty much made from ingredients from your pantry.
From the BBC Good Food website

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2 fennel bulbs
l lb spaghetti
2 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
3.5 oz jar anchovy fillets in olive oil, roughly chopped
½ tsp dried chili flakes
3 oz currants, soaked in boiling water for 5 mins and drained
2½ tbsp capers, rinsed
1 small pack flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
3 oz pine nuts, toasted
A good squeeze of lemon juice

Quarter the fennel bulbs. Remove the coarse outer leaves and trim the tips (cut off and reserve any fronds). Remove and discard the core from each quarter, then chop the rest of the fennel.

Cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling, lightly salted water.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the fennel until soft, then add the garlic and cook gently until pale gold.
Add the anchovies, press with a wooden spoon, then add the chili flakes.
When the anchovies fall apart, toss in the currants, capers, parsley and most of the pine nuts.

Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the frying pan. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.
Toss together, then serve straight from the pan or transfer to a large warm serving bowl.
Scatter over the remaining pine nuts and any fennel fronds.

Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Zucchini and basil pasta with pesto breadcrumbs

Belinda

What to do with all that summer squash? I will be posting many recipes over the summer using summer squash.
This is #1 from the wonderful BBC Good Food website.
Simple, tasty and a little different. All you need is a green salad with some avocado in it to serve as a side.

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Serves 6

1 lb pack penne pasta
5 zucchini, grated
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
16 oz pot crème fraîche
2 oz Parmigano Reggiano cheese, finely grated
A medium bunch basil, reserve a few leaves for garnishing
4 oz chunk ciabatta
A handful toasted pine nuts, plus a few extra for sprinkling

Slightly undercook the pasta, then drain, reserving a ladleful of cooking water. Rinse the pasta with cold water to cool. Drain again, toss in a little oil to stop it sticking together and set aside while you get the rest of the bake ready.

Fry the zucchini in oil for about 10 mins to drive off most of the liquid; they should reduce down a lot. Add the garlic and onion to the pan, cook for 2 mins more, then season really well and add to the pasta. Stir in most of the crème fraîche and half the Parmesan with seasoning, then tip into an ovenproof dish. Dollop the rest of the crème fraîche over the top.

Heat oven to 350 F.
Whizz nearly all of the basil, remaining cheese, bread and pine nuts together to make pesto crumbs, then scatter all over the top.
Finish with a few more pine nuts.
Bake for 20 mins until the topping is crisp and bubbling at the edges.
Serve with a few more basil leaves scattered over.

Do-ahead · Poultry

Chicken egg pastia

Belinda

One of my favorite Middle Eastern uses for ground chicken or turkey.

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1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2lbs ground chicken (or turkey)
3 red onions, 2 finely chopped, 1 thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp ras el hanout (Moroccan spice mix)
1 pinch saffron threads
2 cups chicken stock
6 eggs, lightly beaten
4oz pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup Craisins (or substitute with currants)
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked, finely chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, finely chopped, plus extra leaves to serve
20 sheets filo pastry
5oz unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease
1 tbsp nigella seeds

Heat half the oil in a wide, deep-sided frypan over high heat.
In 2 batches, add the ground meat and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 3 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining meat.

Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in the same frypan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add ras el hanout and saffron, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Return the meat to the frypan with the stock, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Pour the eggs over chicken mixture and gently simmer, without stirring, for 2 minutes or until eggs start to set.
Add the pistachios, craisins, lemon and orange zest, and chopped herbs, and stir until combined.

Transfer to a heatproof bowl, stand for 20 minutes to cool slightly, then chill for 1-2 hours or until completely cooled.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a deep 11″ by 15″ roasting pan.
Lightly brush 5 filo sheets with melted butter and stack on top of one another. Cover with a baking paper and a damp tea towel, and set aside. Repeat with the remaining filo to make four 5-sheet filo stacks. Place the prepared pan with a short side facing you.

Place a pastry stack in bottom half of pan, short side facing you, allowing half the stack to overhang bottom edge of pan. Place a second stack in top half of pan, short side facing you and bottom edge slightly overlapping first stack, with excess overhanging top edge of pan. Place a third stack in pan with a long side of stack slightly overlapping long side of first stack and excess overhanging edge of pan. Repeat with fourth stack to completely cover pan.

Pour in the meat mixture and fold excess pastry over to enclose, scrunching corners slightly. Brush with butter and scatter with nigella seeds.
Bake the pastia for 1 hour or until golden. Stand for 15 minutes to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, toss the sliced onion and lemon juice in a bowl. Set aside to pickle slightly.

Scatter the pastia with the pickled onion and extra mint and parsley leaves to serve.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Nuts · Salad · Vegetable-related

Marinated zucchini with hazelnuts and ricotta

Belinda

From Bon Appetite magazine

Zucchini is anything but boring when bathed in a kicky vinaigrette. Summer squash contains a lot of water, which can cause it to get mushy when cooked. We turned to a trick we use with moisture-rich vegetables like cucumbers and eggplant: Toss raw halved squash with salt and let it sit for at least ten minutes (and up to 30) to draw out some liquid, and then pat dry with paper towels. This also seasons it from the inside out, concentrating the flavor.

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3 medium summer squash or zucchini (or pattypan squash!), cut in half lengthwise
1½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more
¼ cup blanched hazelnuts
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 small bunch mint, divided
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
¾ tsp. sugar
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
½ lemon
½ cup fresh ricotta
Flaky sea salt
Toasted country-style bread (for serving)

Preheat oven to 300°. Toss squash and 1½ tsp kosher salt in a colander; set over a bowl. Let sit 10 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels.

Toss hazelnuts and 1 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, shaking occasionally, until golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Let cool; crush into large pieces with a measuring cup or glass.

Smack 3 mint sprigs against your cutting board a few times to release their flavor; mix in a large bowl with garlic, vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, and 2 Tbsp. oil; set dressing aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high until shimmering. Arrange squash cut side down in skillet, breaking into smaller pieces if needed in order to fit in a single layer, and cook, moving around in pan to ensure even browning, until golden brown on cut side, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover (if you don’t have a lid use a baking sheet), and continue to cook until very tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly.

Cut squash into 2″ pieces and toss in reserved dressing to coat; season with kosher salt and black pepper. Let sit at room temperature, tossing occasionally, 15 minutes. Pluck out mint sprigs; discard.

Meanwhile, zest lemon half into a small bowl, mix in ricotta and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; season with kosher salt. Hang on to that lemon.

Spread lemon ricotta over platter. Top with squash and their juices. Squeeze reserved lemon over. Pull leaves from remaining mint sprigs (you want about ¼ cup). Scatter mint and hazelnuts over squash. Drizzle generously with oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with toast.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Dessert · Gluten Free · Rice · Vegan

Thai-style ginger & coconut sticky rice

Belinda

One of my all-time favorite desserts by Phoebe Wood.

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7.5oz black glutinous rice (from Asian food shops)
6 Kaffir lime leaves, plus extra finely shredded leaves to serve
2″ piece of fresh ginger, sliced
1/3 cup coconut cream, plus extra to serve
5oz finely grated palm sugar
1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted salted peanuts
Thin strips of fresh coconut, to serve

Soak the rice in cold water overnight.
The next day, drain it and place the rice in a saucepan with 4 cups of cold water.
Add the kaffir lime and ginger, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 35-40 minutes or until thickened.
In the final 10 minutes of cooking, add the coconut cream and palm sugar, and stir until sugar is melted.
Add 1 tsp salt flakes and stir to combine.
Strain into a bowl, discarding the ginger and kaffir lime.
Cool slightly, then divide among serving bowls.
Top with the peanuts, extra coconut cream, fresh coconut and extra shredded kaffir lime.

Asian flavors · Baking · Do-ahead

Lime & coconut tres leche cake

Belinda

This cake has all my favorite things, coconut, lime and tres leche all in one!!

Recipe by Phoebe Wood from “Delicious” Magazine, a wonderful Australian food magazine I adore.

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7oz unsalted butter, chopped, softened
1 1/3 cups caster sugar, or superfine
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
Finely grated zest of 3 limes
6 eggs
3 cups self-raising flour, sifted
20 fl oz buttermilk
13 fl oz can evaporated milk
2 cups coconut milk
Coconut flakes, to serve

LIME AND COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING

7oz pure icing sugar, sifted
5oz unsalted butter, softened
17.5oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup coconut cream
Finely grated zest of 2 limes

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the base and side of a 8-9″ round springform cake pan and line with baking paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and caster sugar until pale. Add 2 tsp vanilla and the zest of 2 limes, and beat to combine. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. In 2 batches, fold in the flour and 12 fl oz to the buttermilk, then spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Stand for 20 minutes, then prick the top all over with a thin skewer.

Combine the evaporated milk, coconut milk and remaining buttermilk in a pitcher with the remaining 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, then pour half over the cake.
Stand to soak for 15 minutes, then pour over remaining milk mixture.
Chill for 4 hours or overnight until cold.

For the icing, beat the icing sugar and butter together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale. Beat in the cream cheese, coconut cream and lime zest until combined and smooth.

Spread over the cake using a palette knife. Scatter with coconut flakes and remaining lime zest, and cut into slices to serve.

Do-ahead · Meat

Lebanese beef skewers

Belinda

These skewers are best enjoyed when laid on a bed of hummus or flatbread.
This is an edited extract from “Saffron in the Souks” by John Gregory-Smith.

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1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp sumac, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus extra leaves, to serve
12 oz hummus, to serve
Extra virgin olive oil plus flatbreads, to serve

KEBABS

1 lb ground beef (20% fat)
3/4 onion, grated
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Baharat spice (Middle Eastern spice mix)
1 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
2 oz toasted pine nuts, plus extra to serve
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Place the onion into a large bowl with the lemon juice. Season to taste and mix to combine. Stand for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat a chargrill pan or barbecue to high heat.
For the kebabs, place all the ingredients in a large bowl, season and mix well to combine.
Divide the mixture into 8 portions and roll each into a sausage shape. Thread the meat onto metal skewers. Chargrill or barbecue for 3-4 minutes each side until charred and juicy.

Stir the sumac and parsley into the onions until well combined. To serve, spread the hummus onto a serving dish. Lay the kebabs on top and pile the onions on top.
Sprinkle with extra sumac and pine nuts, and drizzle with oil.
Serve immediately with warmed flatbreads.