Chilled spicy cucumber, avocado and coconut milk soup

August 16, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

Give me anything curried and I’ll walk miles for it! I love this because there is no cooking and it tastes as if you’ve been slaving for hours in the kitchen. You can vary the garnishes.

Two 12-ounce cucumbers—peeled, seeded and chopped
2 Hass avocados, coarsely chopped ( try just one to start with as it may be too thick with 2)
2 teaspoons Thai green or yellow curry paste (Try less to start with and taste it)
2 teaspoons sugar, optional
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
One 13-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
3 ½ cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (use lemon if you cannot find limes)
Salt
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, for garnish
10 cilantro sprigs, for garnish

In a food processor, puree the cucumbers until smooth. Add the avocados, curry paste, sugar, lime zest and chili.
Process until blended. Add 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth, the coconut milk and lime juice and process until smooth. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and season with salt. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, toast the coconut over low heat, stirring a few times, until lightly browned and crisp, 3 minutes. Let cool.
Ladle the soup into small bowls or cups, garnish with the toasted coconut flakes and cilantro sprigs and serve.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Soup · Vegetable-related

Gorgeous Greek gazpacho with feta cheese

June 16, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

This is such a lovely, refreshing and vibrant dish on a hot summers day and so easy as there’s NO COOKING!!
I saw Ina Garten making this on the Food Network and immediately ran to the computer to get the recipe. It’s richer and more interesting than the usual slightly watery and one dimensional gazpachos one gets in many restaurants.
When we start our kitchen remodel in a couple of months, this will be a staple, along with several other great chilled soup recipes as we will be without the kitchen for 2 months.

Serves 8 to 10
2 thick slices day-old bread, such as Ciabatta
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp freshly chopped oregano leaves
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
5 tbsp red wine vinegar
5 tbsp good olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 red onions, chopped
1 seedless cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and chopped
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 (46 oz) can good tomato juice, such as Sacramento
4 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 oz good Greek feta cheese, small-diced, not crumbled

Place the bread, garlic, oregano and parsley in a food processor and process until everything is finely chopped.
Add the vinegar and olive oil and process again until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Place the peppers, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes and olives separately in the food processor and process until very coarsely chopped. Add to the mixing bowl.
Add the tomato juice, salt and pepper and stir well. Taste for seasoning, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours for the flavors to come together nicely.
Fold in the feta and serve chilled.

Asian flavors · Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Sesame-Ginger and Cucumber Soba Noodles

February 22, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

Gorgeous!! Soba noodles tossed with scallions, cucumber and a light yet creamy sesame -ginger tahini sauce.

8 oz soba noodles (about 2 bundles)
1 large or 2 small English cucumbers
1 bunch scallions (green onions), chopped (about 3/4 cup, chopped)
1/3 cup tahini<
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp white miso
2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
A handful fresh cilantro, chopped
pinch red pepper flakes
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
2 tbsp sesame seeds, (preferably black)
sea salt, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the soba noodles until al dente, according to the package directions. (Do not over cook them) Drain and rinse under cold water.
Using a chef’s knife or better yet, a julienne peeler, slice the cucumber into long skinny strips. Toss out the super-seedy inside strips. Then you can slice the remainder into 3 inch long strips or leave them long.

In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, rice vinegar, ginger, miso, soy sauce, sesame oil, cilantro and red pepper flakes. Once blended, whisk in water until you reach your desired consistency.
Toss the soba noodles in the sesame-ginger sauce. Toss in the cucumber strips, scallions, sesame seeds and extra cilantro if desired.
Season to taste with salt or more soy sauce.
This dish is best served promptly, as the salt will draw out the water from the cucumbers and dilute the flavors.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts · Vegan

Peanut Butter Hummus with cucumber dippers

October 21, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda

For those peanut butter addicts!!!

3 tbsp creamy or crunchy peanut butter
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cumin (I use roasted)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/8 tsp Kosher salt
1 (151/2 oz ) can chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained
7 tbsp water
1 English cucumber, cut into 48 1/4 inch thick slices

Place the peanut butter in a small microwave – safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 20 seconds.
Combine the peanut butter and the next 7 ingredients (through the garlic) in a food processor.
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the water/
Process until smooth.

Serve with the cucumber dippers

Appetizers · Fish · Gluten Free

Spicy jerk prawn and mango, black bean tacos with a Caribbean coconut dressing

August 20, 2013February 8, 2016 Belinda

I just love the BBC Good Food website and magazine. Interesting, exotic and very different flavors from the Caribbean

12oz raw peeled prawns
1/2 tbsp Jamaican jerk paste
14 to 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large ripe mango, stoned, peeled and diced small
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 seedless or de-seeded cucumber, diced small
A bunch of cilantro, leaves roughly chopped
8 taco shells
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 Boston Bibb lettuces or romaine, shredded

For the dressing
6 fl oz unsweetened coconut milk
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 good pinches of sugar

Stir the prawns and jerk paste together in a bowl and set aside.
Mix together the dressing ingredients.
Tip the beans into a bowl along with the mango, onion, cucumber, most of the cilantro, the dressing and some seasoning
Warm the taco shells following the packet’s instructions.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the prawns and cook for 2 -3 mins or until cooked through.
To build the tacos, start with a handful of shredded lettuce, followed by the bean salad, then top with the prawns.
Sprinkle over the remaining cilantro and serve.

Use up leftover taco shells by crushing and scattering them over a salad for some extra crunch or blitz them in a food processor and use to coat fish or chicken when frying in place of breadcrumbs.

Asian flavors · Fish · Gluten Free

Broiled salmon with cucumber raita

September 25, 2012February 8, 2016 Belinda

Beautiful, light, unusual and easy!

Serves 4

2 tsp curry powder
4 tsp whole grain mustard
4 salmon fillets about 6 oz each, skinned (preferably wild)
1 large English cucumber. peeled, seeded and diced small
1 cup red onion, diced the same size as the cucumber (small)
1/2 cup plain thick yoghurt. (Not low fat)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 heaped tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Coat the salmon fillets in the mustard and sprinkle on 1 tsp of the curry powder then season with salt and pepper. Set aside until the raita is made.

Diced cucumber

In a bowl, stir together the remaining tsp of curry powder, cumin,cucumber, red onion, yoghurt, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate until serving. (About 1 hour so the flavors can blend)

Cucumber raita

Put the salmon fillets under a broiler and broil until just done but don’t over cook.
Serve with the raita either over the salmon or under the salmon

NB You can also poach the salmon then chill it, making the dish a cold one, but I like the salmon hot.

Asian flavors · Fish · Gluten Free · Nuts · Poultry · Salad

Marie Claire’s Vietnamese prawn and chicken salad (CleanCuisine)

August 9, 2012February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is so light and tangy and one of the best salads I know. Well worth making and wonderful for entertaining in the summer!

Serves 4 – 6

12 oz small cooked prawns
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp fish sauce
4 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
15 fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
1 tsp sugar
2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
2-3 carrots, grated
4 oz snow pea sprouts or other sprouts
1&1/2 English cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced
6 scallions (spring onions) , finely sliced
3 x baby cos (romaine) lettuce, finely sliced
1 -2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
optional 1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
optional 1 avocado, cubed

Peel the prawns and put them in a bowl
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, fish sauce, lime juice, olive oil, sesame oil, mint and sugar.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then pour the mixture over the prawns and toss until the prawns are well coated.
Add the chicken, carrot, snow pea sprouts, optional cubed avocado, cucumber, spring onion and lettuce.
Lightly toss together then pile onto a serving platter or into individual bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds. (dry roasted peanuts)