Halloumi stuffed dates with honey and lime

June 14, 2024June 14, 2024 Belinda

Recipe from Lukas Volger.

You can cook these using the broil setting of your toaster oven if you have either.
Paneer or even feta would make a good substitute for the halloumi. Just steer clear of anything that won’t hold its shape as it heats up.
It’s simple to scale this recipe up or down however you need.

Yield 12 stuffed dates | Prep & cook time 10 minutes

12 dates
Half of an 8.8-oz package halloumi cheese
Honey or hot honey
Olive oil
Lime Zest
Smoky chili flakes, such as Aleppo flakes
Flaky salt

Preheat your broiler.
Using a paring knife, make a slice down the length of each of the dates and gently pry them open to expose and remove the pits. Cut the halloumi into 12 rectangles. Place a piece of halloumi in each date and gently wrap the date around the sides of the cheese. Arrange them on a small baking tray.
Transfer the tray to the oven and place it directly beneath the heat source. Broil the stuffed dates until the cheese is golden brown on top and the dates’ skins are slightly blistered, 3 to 5 minutes (this could vary quite a bit based on the strength of your broiler), watching carefully.
Arrange them on a plate and drizzle lightly with honey and olive oil. Use a microplane to shower them with lime zest, and finish with a few pinches of chili flakes and salt.
Serve warm.

Appetizers

Balsamic Roasted Figs with Burrata & Prosciutto

November 19, 2023November 19, 2023 Belinda

Sweet & spicy balsamic roasted figs with burrata cheese and prosciutto, served with toasted bread alongside

Serves 6-8
1lb fresh black figs, stemmed + halved*
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Calabrian chili peppers (crushed in oil)
1 tbsp honey, plus more for serving
Kosher salt
½ cup pecans
1lb burrata cheese
flaky sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
olive oil, as needed
toasted bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Add the halved figs, balsamic vinegar, Calabrian chilis, honey, and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Gently toss to combine and set aside.
Line a sheet pan with a piece of foil. Add the pecans in an even layer. Place the pan in the oven and toast the pecans for about 6 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer them to a cutting board (reserve the foil-lined sheet pan) and roughly chop them.
Set the oven to high-broil. Place the figs onto the sheet pan, cut-side facing up. Pour any remaining balsamic mixture over top. Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until caramelized.
Tear the burrata into large pieces and arrange it on a platter. Season with a pinch of flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Arrange the prosciutto and figs over top.
Garnish with the fresh thyme. Drizzle the dish with olive oil and extra honey. Serve the toasted bread alongside.
notes

*Figs are typically in season from the end of August to November. Sometimes, figs at a grocery store won’t be fully ripened (similar to stone fruit) and can be firm, dry, and fairly tasteless. It’s important to find ripe figs that are soft to the touch.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead

Creamy French onion dip

August 1, 2023August 1, 2023 Belinda

Think of this crowd-pleaser as the love child of French onion soup and French onion dip: an ooey-gooey, salty, tangy Gruyère-filled dip with jammy caramelized onions. Gruyère is classic for that French onion soup flavor, but any fairly firm cheese like cheddar or Gouda will work—you can even mix and match if you’d like.

Recipe from Bon Appetite magazine

Serves 6-8
3 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
5 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 sprig thyme, plus more for serving
1¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided
8 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temperature
¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup sour cream
1 lb. Gruyère, coarsely grated, divided (about 4 cups)
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 baguette, sliced
2 pears, sliced
2 red endive, leaves separated

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 thyme sprig, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and jammy, 15–20 minutes.

Step 2
Meanwhile, stir cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a large bowl to combine well. No lumps!

Step 3
Remove bay leaves and thyme sprig from onions; discard. Transfer onions to cream cheese mixture. Add 3 cups Gruyère and season with pepper; stir to combine. Transfer dip to an 8″ cast-iron skillet or 2-qt. ovenproof baking dish and spread into an even layer with a rubber spatula.

Step 4
Toss panko, remaining Gruyère, remaining 1½ tsp. oil, and remaining ¼ tsp. salt in a medium bowl to combine, then sprinkle over dip. Bake until heated through and top is lightly browned, 25–30 minutes.

Step 5
Heat broiler. Broil dip until bubbling and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.

Step 6
Scatter more thyme over dip and serve with baguette, pears, and endive alongside for dipping.

Do ahead: Dip (without panko mixture) can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Top with panko mixture just before baking.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead

Whipped Feta with Hot Honey

June 15, 2023June 15, 2023 Belinda

Recipe from food blog “Erin Lives Whole”
Grab your crostini and pita chips and dig into this Whipped Feta with Hot Honey recipe.
Made with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and scallions, it’s the perfect refreshing summer dip just make sure you refrigerate it and serve the feta/yoghurt mixture cold, it will firm up in the fridge.

Makes up to 2 cups
8oz block Greek feta cheese
1/3 cup Greek full-fat yoghurt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Toppings:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped (stringy tops discarded)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped small
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup hot honey (heat it up gently in a saucepan.)

In a food processor, add feta, yogurt, lemon juice, and olive oil. Scrape down sides as needed, until dip is smooth and fluffy. Add salt and pepper and stir to combine and taste for seasoning.Put in the fridge to firm up for a couple of hours.
When you’re getting ready to serve, in a sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add scallions and garlic and cook for 5-6 minutes or until browned. Turn off heat and set aside.
Pour whipped feta into serving bowl. Top with scallions and garlic and any remaining oil.
Add almonds, red pepper flakes, and drizzle hot honey on top.
Serve with crostini.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Holiday Food

Baked blue-cheese cake with pickled beetroot and honey

December 21, 2022August 5, 2023 Belinda

Another beauty from Yotam Ottolenghi

“The pickled beetroot needs to be made the day before. It keeps for a few weeks in the fridge, so can be made well ahead of time. You’ll make more than you need for this recipe, so keep any leftovers in the fridge to spoon alongside grilled fish or cheese. If you are short on time, dicing some ready-pickled beetroot is a perfectly good substitute.

“You can bake these in wide ramekins or small soufflé tins, but the recipe also works well as one large cheese cake. If you go for one large cake you’ll need to double the base mix quantity and increase the cooking time to 45 minutes. Make sure, also, that you grease and line the whole tin (rather than just the base) before the batter gets poured in. Finally, instead of serving it at once, you’ll need to let it cool for an hour before releasing it from the tin and reheating.”

Serves 8

For the pickled beetroot:
3 large beetroots (670g), skin on and scrubbed clean
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
10g sprigs of thyme
½ tsp black peppercorns
50g caster sugar
500ml red wine vinegar
coarse sea salt

For the base:
40g unsalted butter, fridge-cold and cut into 2cm dice, plus 20g extra, melted, for greasing the moulds
50g pumpkin seeds, toasted
5 digestive biscuits (75g), roughly crumbled. (You could substitute Graham crackers at a push)
40g coarsely grated Parmesan

For the cheese cake:
20g unsalted butter
1 medium leek, trimmed, white and green parts finely sliced (125g)
360g cream cheese
170g creme fraiche
80g double cream
2 garlic cloves, crushed
20g chives, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped basil
100g Stilton (or a mixture of
75g Valdeon and 25g Gorgonzola), roughly crumbled
4 eggs, lightly beaten

To serve:
40g runny honey (mixed, optionally, with a few drops of truffle oil)
30g hazelnuts, toasted and lightly crushed
15g baby basil or regular basil leaves

Place all the ingredients for the pickled beetroot in a medium saucepan, for which you have a lid, and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Pour over 800ml of water – all the beetroots should be submerged, so add a little bit more water, if you need to – and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 35–40 minutes, covered, until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside until completely cool. Lift out the beetroots, then peel and cut them into 1cm dice. Strain the pickling liquid, discard the bay, thyme and peppercorns, and return the liquid to a medium heat for about 25 minutes, until reduced by half and with about 600ml left in the pan. Set aside to cool, then pour the liquid over the beetroots. Keep in the fridge for 24 hours before using.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6. Lightly grease eight 12cm wide ramekins or soufflé tins and place a circle of baking parchment in the base of each.

Place all the ingredients for the cheese cake base in a food processor, with ½ teaspoon of salt. Blitz well to form fine crumbs, then divide between the ramekins, pressing down evenly and firmly. Set aside until ready to use.

Place the butter for the cheese cake in a small pan and add the leek. Cook on a medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the leek is soft but still retains its colour. Set aside to cool, then transfer to a large mixing bowl along with the cream cheese, crème fraîche, double cream, garlic, chives, basil, ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well to form a smooth paste before adding the blue cheese and eggs. Fold gently, then pour the mixture into the individual ramekins. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the mixture is cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and serve at once, in the ramekins or soufflé tins, with a drizzle of the honey and the hazelnuts and basil sprinkled on top. The beetroot, strained, can be spooned on top of the cheese cakes, before the garnishes, or served alongside.

Poultry

Prosciutto-Wrapped Boursin-stuffed Chicken

February 26, 2022 Belinda

This ridiculously delicious chicken dinner is surprisingly easy to prepare.

Serves 4

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
8 good slices thinly sliced prosciutto
2 packages Boursin Cheese Spread with Garlic and Fine Herbs (You will have some leftover)
Grated rind of 2 good-sized lemons
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
olive oil to drizzle
¼ cup milk or cream
Garnish: chopped flat-leaf parsley or chopped fresh basil

Heat oven to 400°F.
Put the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound the chicken to an even thickness (¼ to ½ inch)
Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Divide the Boursin among the chicken pieces, placing 1 tablespoon dollop on each then sprinkle each with a little grated lemon rind.

Roll the chicken around the cheese and place seam side down in a nonstick, heavy, ovenproof skillet
Wrap each chicken roll in a slice of prosciutto. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle fresh cracked pepper.
Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.

Once done, transfer the chicken from the skillet to a dish or serving plate to rest.
Add the milk/cream to the skillet over medium-high heat, whisking until smooth.
Simmer up to 1 minute to thicken if necessary.
Serve the sauce spooned over the chicken rolls, and sprinkle over some parsley or basil.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based · Holiday Food

Cheese croissant bread and butter pudding

October 31, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

This indulgent cheesy croissant bread and butter pudding makes the ideal lazy breakfast to share with friends. Prep the dish the night before and chill in the fridge, to buy yourself more time in bed in the morning.

Serves 4-6
Knob of soft butter for greasing the dish
6-8 croissants, depending on the size, ideally a day or two old
8oz (200g) gruyère cheese, grated
5oz (150g) ham hock, finely shredded
8.5 fl oz (250ml) whole milk
15 fl oz (450ml) double cream
3 medium free-range eggs and
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
5 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 tsp English mustard powder

Heat the oven to 350F/160°C fan/gas 4.
Halve the croissants horizontally and lay them on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove them to cool – you can turn off the oven now as you won’t need it for a bit. This helps the croissants dry out so they’ll greedily soak up the custard.
Arrange half the halved croissants, cut-side up, in the baking dish. Scatter over half the cheese and all the ham, then arrange the rest of the halved croissants, cut-side down, on top.
Stir the milk and cream in a pan and warm until just steaming. Remove from the heat, whisk in the eggs, yolks, chives and mustard, then season with salt and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the croissants, then cover and chill for an hour or overnight. If you can, tilt the dish from time to time and baste the croissants with the custard to make sure it’s absorbed.
Reheat the oven to 350F/160°C fan/gas 4.
Remove the dish from the fridge, scatter over the rest of the cheese, put the dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips, then bake until the custard is just set and the cheese is bubbling (30-35 minutes). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving with whatever your heart desires (within reason).
delicious. tips

* It only takes 15 minutes to prep but it needs time in the fridge, so if you’re not the type to get up early, make it the night before to the point where it’s soaked in the custard, then cover it, put it in the fridge and cook it the next morning.

Appetizer Vegetarian

Baked cheese in a box

September 10, 2021September 10, 2021 Belinda

Perhaps the quickest way to feed two or three hungry people is this gloriously rich but more-ish dish. Quick and simple to prepare.
Recipe by Sally Clarke

Serves 2, 3 or even 4

1 “boxed” cheese – ideally Baron Bigod, Tunworth, Camembert or Vacherin
1 large garlic clove, centre shoot removed if present
Rosemary sprigs
A quarter to a half of a bread loaf of your choice
Good olive oil
Sea salt
Runny honey (optional)

Heat the oven to 350F/160C (180C non-fan).
Unwrap the cheese (if in paper) and return to the balsa-wood box. With a small sharp knife, pierce the top skin of the cheese in 10 or 12 evenly spaced places. Slice the garlic finely and gently push a slice into each hole along with a small sprig of rosemary. Place the cheese (in its box) into an ovenproof serving dish and bake for 5 minutes or until the tips of garlic and rosemary start to color.

Meanwhile, slice the bread into 8 or 10 chunks or slices for dipping.

Remove the dish from the oven and place the bread pieces around the outside of the cheese. Drizzle them with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Return the dish to the oven for a further 8-10 minutes or until the bread is golden at the edges and the cheese has just started to ooze from the side.

Serve immediately on warm plates, drizzled with honey if you like, and use the bread pieces to dip into the molten cheese.