Turkey tonnato

May 5, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

Given I’m not using beef or veal in recipes, I have replaced the usual veal tonnato with turkey and it’s brilliant! Thank you to Giada de Laurentiis for this recipe.

2 pound turkey breast, skinless and boneless (Or you can be really lazy and use precooked thickly sliced turkey, (1/2 ” slices) then miss the cooking stage of the turkey completely)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tuna Sauce:
6 ounces canned white meat tuna, packed in olive oil, do not drain. (Try not to use a tuna that contains soy.)
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 1 anchovy fillet, drained
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/3 cup Kraft Real, or Helmann’s Real mayonnaise. (Or a good quality Whole 30 version)
Chopped parsley leaves, capers or lemon slices, for garnish

Preheat oven 375 F.

Season the turkey with salt, pepper and herbs. Coat with olive oil, place in a baking pan and pour the chicken broth around the turkey. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch slices, on an angle. Allow to sit in baking pan with juices as you make sauce.

In the bowl of a food processor add the tuna, anchovy, lemon juice and capers. Puree until creamy, about 1 minute. Pour the tuna mixture into a bowl and stir in the mayonnaise.

Place the slices of turkey on a platter and pour the tuna sauce on top. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free · Grains

Asian fish parcels with coconut rice

May 5, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

This dish is so easy to make and a delight to the senses. The coconut rice really makes a difference and gives an exotic richness to the rice. It’s well worth growing your own Kaffir lime tree either in a pot or in the garden. They are very easy to grow and you have instant Indonesian/Thai flavors at your doorstep.

Serves 4

4 white fish fillets, 5 to 6 oz each, (haddock, halibut, sea bass or cod)
4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
1 red chili, chopped
1 good sized shallot, thinly sliced
1 lime, sliced, plus extra lime halves to serve
2 lemongrass stalks, 1 roughly chopped and 1 bashed
10 1/2oz basmati rice
2 fresh or dried Kaffir lime leaves
2 fl oz coconut milk or even better, coconut cream
salt to taste
dry roasted peanuts, chopped for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Cut 4 pieces of nonstick baking parchment into a 12 inch square
Put a fish fillet in the center of each piece and arrange some of the cilantro, chili, shallot, lime and chopped lemongrass evenly over each.
Wrap them up into neat parcels, transfer them to a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, max.
Put the rice in a lidded pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes or until the rice is soft.
When the rice is cooked and the water is absorbed, stir in the coconut milk.
Serve with the rice alongside the fish parcels with some extra lime halves. If you serve with the parcels open, then sprinkle the fish with some finely chopped dry roasted peanuts.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Caponata ratatouille

May 5, 2015January 5, 2017 Belinda1 Comment

Mediterranean vegetarian food is the most comforting to eat and beautiful to look at. This is a combination of the Provencal ratatouille and Italian caponata with the briny capers and olives added for a punch. It is from the wonderful BBC Food website and is very low calorie. If you need anything else with it, you could boil some rice or pasta with it.

Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1lb 10 oz eggplant, cut into 1 1/2″ chunks. If you don’t like eggplants you can use zucchini instead
1 large onion, cut into 1 1/2″ chunks
3 celery sticks, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, skinned,deseeded and chopped into 1/2″ chunks
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp caper, drained
small handful pitted green olives
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar, optional
1-2 tbsp cocoa powder, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
To garnish;
chopped toasted almonds
Chopped Italian parsley

Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan until very hot, add the eggplant and fry for about 15 minutes or until very soft. Add a little boiling water or stock to prevent sticking if necessary.
Meanwhile, place the onion and celery in a large saucepan with a little water or stock. Cook for 5 minutes or until tender but still firm.
Add the tomatoes, thyme, cayenne pepper, and eggplants to the saucepan. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the capers, olives, vinegar, sugar and cocoa powder and cook for 2 to 4 minutes.
Season with freshly ground pepper and add salt if you think you need it.
Divide between 6 bowls, garnish with the toasted almonds and chopped parsley and serve.

Gluten Free · Grains

Spanakorizo (Greek spinach rice)

May 4, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

I happen to adore all rice dishes, but this one is especially lovely served with meat, fish or poultry. The combination of spinach, fresh dill and lemon is so perfect.

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
1 tbsp garlic, minced
Zest from one lemon
1/2 tsp ground cumin (I use roasted ground cumin)
1/2 lb baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 tbsp fresh dill, chopped and divided
1/2 tsp salt
A few grinds freshly ground black pepper
Juice from one lemon

Heat olive oil in a medium pan with a tightly fitting cover over medium high heat. Sauté onions until translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
Add the lemon zest, cumin and spinach and cover the pan. Cook until the spinach wilts down (about 3-5 minutes).
Stir the rice, stock, 2 tbsp of the dill, salt and pepper into the spinach mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, replacing the lid on the pan, and cook until the rice is tender (about 15 to 20 minutes –follow your rice’s package instructions).
Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining fresh dill before serving.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead

Baileys Irish Cream tiramisu

May 3, 2015June 16, 2025 Belinda

Do you have that bottle of Baileys Irish Cream lurking at the back of the booze cupboard you occasionally stumble upon, think about, then return to the back of the cupboard?
Well get it out because here is the best use I know for it.

Serves 6

9 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 1½ cups water (cooled)
1 cup Baileys Irish Cream
14 oz Savoiardi cookies
2 large eggs
⅓ cup superfine sugar
1 lb mascarpone cheese
2 ½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix the coffee with ¾ cup of the Baileys in a shallow bowl. Dip the cookies into this liquid; let them soak on each side but only long enough to become damp but not soggy (2 secs). Line the bottom of an 8½ inch square glass dish with a layer of cookies.

Separate the eggs, but keep only one of the whites. Whisk the two yolks and the sugar together until thick and a paler yellow, then whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of Baileys and the mascarpone to make a mousse-like mixture.

Whisk the single egg white until thick and frothy; you can do this by hand with such a little amount. Fold the egg white into the “yolky” mascarpone, and then spread half of this mixture on top of the layer of cookies.

Repeat with another layer of soaked savoiardi, and then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture.

Cover the dish with clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to serve, push the unsweetened cocoa through a small tea strainer to dust the top of the tiramisu.

If you cover the tiramisu with several layers of cling film (before putting the chocolate on) you can freeze this for a future time.

Do-ahead · Meat

Slow-braised pork shoulder with cider and parsnips

May 2, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

Don’t you just love those long, slow braises when the house fills with the wonderful aroma and you can just leave the dish to cook itself slowly? The parsnips add a wonderful earthy sweetness to the dish too.

Serves 4 to 5

2 tbsp olive oil
2lb 4oz pork shoulder, diced. (Sometimes this joint of meat is called Boston Butt)
2 onions, sliced
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
3 parsnips, cut into chunks
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp plain flour
12 fl oz (330 mls) bottle of cider
28 fl oz (1 1/2 pints) chicken or pork stock
a good handful Italian parsley, chopped
mashed potato and greens, to serve (optional)

Heat oven to 350 F or 180C.
Heat the oil in a large lidded flameproof or Le Creuset braiser and brown the meat in batches, then set aside. Fry the onions, celery and parsnips with the bay leaves for 10 mins until golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and give a good stir, then add the pork and any juices back to the dish.
Add the cider and stock so that the meat and vegetables are covered. Season and bring to a simmer, then cover and put in the oven for 2 hrs.
Serve sprinkled with parsley, with mashed potato and greens, if you like.

** One nice tip is that if the braise is too liquidy, take out the solids and boil the liquid down to reduce, then return the solids to the pan.

Asian flavors · Curry · Pasta · Poultry · Soup

15 minute Coconut curry noodle soup

May 2, 2015September 13, 2018 Belinda

Want a bowl of heaven in 15 minutes? This recipe is from a great blog called Woks of Life and has all my favorite ingredients rolled into one bowl of deliciousness.

Makes 2 generous portions

You’ll need:

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste (or 3 tbsp if you like it really spicy)
8 oz. boneless chicken breast or thighs, sliced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 tbsp fish sauce
2/3 cup coconut milk
6 oz. dried rice vermicelli noodles (or the fine rice noodles)
A bag of beansprouts (about 10 oz)
1 lime, juiced
Sliced red onion, red chilies, cilantro, scallions to garnish

In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, garlic, ginger, and Thai red curry paste. Fry for 5 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the chicken and cook for a couple minutes, just until the chicken turns opaque.
Add the chicken broth, water, fish sauce, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. At this point, taste the broth for salt and adjust seasoning accordingly (add salt if needed, or if it’s too salty, add a bit of water).

Put the dried rice vermicelli noodles in each of your large soup bowls, add a large handful of beansprouts, a good amount of roughly chopped cilantro and about 1/4 cup chopped scallions per bowl.
Pour the boiling soup over all this and add a good squeeze of lime juice to each bowl.Let sit for about 4 minutes until the noodles are cooked. Serve

(Alternatively, you can add the noodles to the boiling broth to cook them, and then divide among serving bowls).

Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Summer berry terrine

April 14, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is the prettiest, lightest, most low calorie dessert I can possibly think of. It is a real stunner to look at and dead simple to make. I bet it will be a firm favorite for your outdoor or indoor dinners.

15 fluid ounces sparkling rose wine
2 oz superfine sugar (caster sugar)
2 x (1/4 oz) sachets of gelatine
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

For the fruit

12 oz sweet strawberries (not too large)
8 oz raspberries
12 oz blackcurrants, blueberries or red currants (or a mixture of them)
Fresh mint leaves

In addition to the ingredients, you will also need two 2 lb loaf tins, 7½ x 4¾ inches x 3½ inches deep, preferably non-stick but anyway with a good surface.

First, prepare the fruit: remove the stalks and halve the strawberries if they are any larger than a quail’s egg. Then mix the fruits together in a large bowl, being very gentle to avoid bruising them.

In a small saucepan heat half the rosé wine until it begins to simmer, then whisk the sugar and gelatine into it. Make sure that everything has dissolved completely before adding the remaining wine and the lime juice. Then pour the liquid into a pitcher and allow it to cool.

While that is happening, lay the mixed fruit in one of the loaf tins – it is worth arranging the bottom layer with the smallest, prettiest-shaped fruit as this will be on top when the terrine is turned out.

Next, pour all but 5 fl oz of the liquid over the fruit. Now lay a sheet of clingfilm over the tin, place the other tin directly on top, then put two unopened tins of tomatoes or something similar to act as weights into the top tin and put the whole lot into the fridge for about 1 hour, or until it has set.

Then warm up the remaining 5 fl oz wine mixture and pour it over the surface of the terrine. Re-cover with clingfilm and return to the fridge overnight to set firm.

When you are ready to serve, turn out the terrine by dipping the tin very briefly in hot water and inverting it on to a plate. Use a very sharp knife (also dipped first into hot water) to cut it into slices. Decorate with the fresh mint sprigs and serve with red berry coulis, chilled pouring cream, crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt.

Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Hot Cross Scones

April 3, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

I adore hot cross buns but can’t seem to find them in Los Angeles. These hot cross “scones” have the flavor of hot cross buns but are much easier to make and they’re moist and moreish!

8oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
3oz butter, softened
3 tbsp light muscovado sugar (or dark brown sugar)
1/3 cup small golden raisins (sultanas)
1/4 cup cut mixed peel
½ tsp ground mixed spice, see the recipe below. (It’s nothing like allspice)
1 large egg, beaten
3 tbsp buttermilk or 4 tbsp milk, plus extra for brushing
1/4 cup plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Sift the self-raising flour into a large bowl; rub in the butter with your fingertips. Stir in the muscovado sugar, sultanas, peel and spice.

In a pitcher, beat together the egg, buttermilk and a pinch of salt. Pour into the flour mixture and bring together to make a soft dough.
Lightly dust a work surface with extra flour, then roll out the dough to no thinner than 1/2 inch. Using a 1 inch cutter, stamp out the rounds – try not to twist the cutter as this makes the scones rise unevenly.

Re-roll the trimmings and stamp out more. Transfer to a non-stick baking sheet.
Make the crosses. Mix together the plain flour and 1-2 tablespoons of water and knead to make a smooth dough. Roll out, cut into thin strips and put a cross on top of each scone. Brush with milk, then bake for 15 minutes, until well risen and golden.

For the glaze, dissolve the sugar in 2 tablespoons boiling water. Use to brush the tops of the scones as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Eat while warm, or split and toast the next day and serve with a smudge of butter.

Allspice recipe

1 Tbsp ground allspice
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground Ginger
Blend all spices together, and store in a sealed jar away from light.

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

Slow roasted garlic and lemon chicken

March 29, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

There is nothing nicer than throwing everything into a roasting pan and watching it caramelize slowly, turning each ingredient into a mouthful of sweetness. The beauty of this dish is that the lemon turns sweet and incredibly tender and you can pop the chunks straight into your mouth, skin, pith and all! Thanks to the irrepressible Nigella Lawson.

Serves 4 but can easily be augmented

1 chicken (approx 4½lbs) cut into 10 pieces
A bulb of garlic separated into unpeeled cloves
2 unwaxed lemons (preferably thin-skinned) cut into chunky eighths
1 handful fresh thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup white wine
black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Put the chicken pieces into a roasting tin and add the garlic cloves, lemon chunks and the thyme; just roughly pull the leaves off the stalks, leaving some intact for strewing over later. Add the oil and using your hands mix everything together, then spread the mixture out, making sure all the chicken pieces are skin side up.
Sprinkle over the white wine and grind on some pepper, then cover tightly with foil and put in the oven to cook, at flavor-intensifyingly low heat, for 2 hours.
Remove the foil from the roasting tin, and turn up the oven to 400ºF. Cook the uncovered chicken for another 30-45 minutes, by which time the skin on the meat will have turned golden brown and the lemons will have begun to scorch and caramelize at the edges.

I like to serve this as it is, straight from the roasting tin: so just strew over some thyme sprigs, warm some lovely bread and make a quick green salad and Bob’s your uncle!