lentils · Meat

Easy, tasty bollito misto

February 21, 2019 Belinda

This is a really gorgeous recipe from Gordon Ramsey. It’s simple to make and full of flavor.

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Serves 4-6

Olive oil
6 Italian fennel sausages (or Toulouse sausages)
8 oz Chorizo sausages, halved lengthwise
4 garlic cloves peeled and sliced
2 fennel bulbs cut into large chunks
4 celery stalks trimmed and thickly sliced diagonally
4 carrots peeled and sliced diagonally
8 oz Puy lentils
2 fresh Bay Leaves
1 tbsp roasted and ground fennel seeds
2 fresh thyme sprigs
3 cups chicken stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped flat-leaf parsley to garnish

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add a little oil. Cook the fennel sausages for 3–4 minutes until colored on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add the chorizo pieces, cut side down, and cook for 2–3 minutes until they start to release their colored oil and begin to crisp up. Turn over and color on the other side for a minute or two. Remove and set aside with the sausages.

Add the garlic, celery, carrots and ground fennel seeds to the pan and stir for 2 minutes until the garlic is tender. Stir in the lentils, then return the sausages and chorizo to the pan with the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Stir well.

Add 2½ cups of the stock, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes until the sausages are cooked through, the lentils are tender, and the stock is well flavored. If the stock level drops too low while the lentils are cooking, top up with a little of the remaining stock.

Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and serve the bollito misto in shallow bowls, garnished with the chopped parsley.

Chocolate · Do-ahead

Marmalade-marbled chocolate brownies

February 17, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

The chocolate-orange combination is sublime and the British cookies called “Jaffa cakes” springs to mind. Marmalade is divine marbled through the gooey, chocolatey brownie.

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1/3 cup unsalted butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup Seville orange marmalade
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-inch square pan.
Melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat.
Add the sugar and marmalade and beat until blended.
Add the beaten eggs and vanilla essence; mix.
Add the flour, walnuts and salt. Stir to blend.
Spread in the pan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Cool slightly on a wire rack.

Baking · Chocolate · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Chocolate olive oil cake

February 14, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

This cake from Nigella Lawson is absolutely wonderful and gluten free.
It’s very moist, not too sweet and divine simply served with raspberries and creme fraiche.

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Makes: 8-12 slices

⅔ cup regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)
6 tbsp good-quality unsweetened cocoa (sifted)
½ cup boiling water
2 tsp best vanilla extract
1½ cups almond meal or ground almonds
½ tsp baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 cup superfine (caster) sugar
3 large eggs

Preheat your oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/gas mark 3/325ºF.
Grease a 9inch springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.

Measure and sift the unsweetened cocoa into a bowl and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
In another smallish bowl, combine the almond meal with the baking soda and pinch of salt.

Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.
Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond mixture.
Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a pudding.

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

5-ingredient flourless orange and almond cake

February 13, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda2 Comments

This cake is so easy and incredibly tasty and moist, given the whole orange goes into it.Well worth having in your repertoire and delicious served with creme fraiche and dark berries

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2 large oranges
6 large organic eggs
½ lb ground almonds (also called almond flour)
½ lb sugar
1 tsp baking powder

Wash the whole oranges and simmer them, unpeeled, in water to cover for 2 hours. Cool, cut them open and remove the seeds. Puree the oranges, including the peel, in a food processor.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Beat the eggs in a food processor or large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, including the orange puree, and mix thoroughly. Pour into a buttered and floured cake tin, with a removable base if possible.
Bake for one hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin before turning out.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir fry

January 29, 2019January 30, 2019 Belinda

A lovely, super healthy, super tasty and super low calorie meal

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Serves 4

4 tbsp olive oil
1 lb raw shrimp
1 lb asparagus, cut into 3″ pieces
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, or more if you like it spicy
1 heaped tsp garlic, minced
1 heaped tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
6 scallions, chopped

In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add shrimp to the pan, then season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Cook until the shrimp is pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add asparagus.
Add ginger and garlic, then season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir frequently and cook until the asparagus is tender-crisp, adding in the chopped scallions halfway.
Return the shrimp to the pan then add the soy sauce/coconut aminos. Stir until the ingredients are well combined. Just before the dish is ready, add lemon juice, stir once more, then serve while hot.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free

Caprese-stuffed portobello mushrooms

January 24, 2019 Belinda

Garlic butter-smothered portobello mushrooms stuffed and grilled with fresh mozzarella cheese, grape tomato slices, and drizzled with a rich balsamic glaze. What could be easier and better! Recipe c/o “Cafe Delites”

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Garlic butter
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Mushrooms:
5-6 large Portobello Mushrooms , stem removed, washed and dried thoroughly with a paper towel
5-6 fresh mozzarella cheese balls , sliced thinly
1 cup grape (or cherry) tomatoes, sliced thinly
fresh basil, shredded to garnish

Balsamic Glaze: (or you can use store bought, or this recipe)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar (OPTIONAL)

Preheat oven to grill/broil settings on high heat. Arrange oven shelf to the middle of your oven.
Combine all of the garlic Butter ingredients together in a small saucepan (or microwave safe bowl), and melt until garlic is fragrant. Brush the bottoms of each mushroom and place them, buttered side down, on a baking tray.
Flip and brush any remaining garlic over the insides of each cap. Fill each mushroom with the mozzarella slices and tomatoes, and grill/broil until cheese has melted and golden in color (about 8 minutes).

To serve, top with the basil, drizzle with the balsamic glaze and sprinkle with salt to taste.
For the Balsamic Glaze:
(If making from scratch, prepare while mushrooms are in the oven.) Combine sugar (if using) and vinegar in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; allow to simmer for 5-8 minutes or until mixture has thickened and reduced to a glaze. (If not using sugar, allow to reduce for 12-15 minutes on low heat).

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides

Caprese-stuffed avocado

January 24, 2019 Belinda

Take creamy avocados to a different level with this stuffed avocado recipe. Sweet and juicy grape/cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella balls are tossed in basil pesto with a touch of garlic, then stuffed into avocado halves. Drizzle with a balsamic glaze for an incredible flavor combination.
Recipe c/o “Cafe Delites”

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1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
4 oz (120g) baby mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
2 tbsp basil pesto homemade or store bought)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to season
2 ripe avocados peeled, seeded and halved
Fresh basil leaves to serve (optional)
2 tbsp balsamic glaze reduction to drizzle
2 tbsp fresh basil chopped

Combine the tomatoes, mozzarella balls, pesto, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss well to evenly combine all of the flavors.
Arrange the prepared avocado halves onto a plate with fresh basil leaves.

Spoon the Caprese filling into each avocado halve and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Top with chopped fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Egg based · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Indian-spiced tomato and egg casserole

January 21, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegetable sides

Roasted red onions with walnut salsa

January 12, 2019 Belinda

Another beauty from Yotam Ottolenghi’s “Plenty More” Such a terrific combination of flavors

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Serves 4
4 medium red onions (1-1/3 lb.)
1-1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup small flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 oz. soft goat cheese, broken into 3/4″ chunks
Salt and black pepper

Salsa
2/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Peel the onions and remove the tops and tails. Cut each crosswise into 3 slices, about 3/4″ thick, and place on a baking sheet.
Brush the slices with the olive oil, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and some black pepper, and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the onions are cooked and golden brown on top. If they haven’t taken on much color, place under a hot broiler for a few minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

While the onions are cooking, put all of the salsa ingredients in a small bowl, add 1/4 tsp salt, stir and set aside.

To serve, put the arugula and parsley in a large bowl. Add the warm onions, the cheese, and half the salsa and toss carefully so the onions don’t fall apart. Divide among shallow plates, spoon the remaining salsa over the top, and serve.