Easy lemon pesto sauce

March 2, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

A light, lemony and more refreshing version of a traditional pesto sauce is delicious tossed with hot pasta for a quick meal or side dish with roasted or grilled meats and fish.

2 garlic cloves
3 Tbs. toasted pine nuts (to toast the pine nuts, place them on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.)
1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, basil, parsley, cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pulse until ground to a fine paste, about 1 minute. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups.

Do-ahead · Meat · Pasta

Easy chorizo pasta bake

January 21, 2015September 7, 2022 Belinda

I love chorizo and often order it online through “La Tienda” a great Spanish website. I like the mild chorizo best but do remember to peel it before using. This is a warming, spicy pasta that you will adore!

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 good sized red onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 red peppers (capsicums) roughly chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
6 oz (or even 8 oz) good quality Spanish chorizo, chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch dried red chillies
28 oz tin plum tomatoes
a good handful of fresh basil, ripped up
1 tsp sugar
12 oz penne pasta
8 oz mozzarella

Heat the olive oil in a large pan then gently cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft, adding the garlic and cooking for a further minute.
Add the peppers and chorizo and cook until the meat starts to crisp up.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar, paprika, chilli, if you want an extra kick, and the tomatoes.
Mix it well, breaking up the tomatoes, add the basil, then season with a tsp of sugar and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Allow it to simmer for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, drain and then add to the pan of simmering sauce.
Tear the mozzarella into small pieces and stir half into the pasta mixture.
Turn out into a large ovenproof dish, dot with the remaining chunks of mozzarella and then bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese is all melted.

Serve with a large green salad and some great garlic bread

Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Roasted butternut squash with pistachio pesto, feta and pomegranate seeds

January 17, 2015December 20, 2016 Belinda

There are limitless ways of having your roasted butternut squash, but this has to be one of the prettiest and tastiest out there. Wonderful Persian inspiration behind this dish!

For the butternut squash

1 large butternut squash, quartered lengthways (skin-on) and seeds removed (You could try other squashes too)
4 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 oz feta
4 oz pomegranate seeds

For the pesto

4 oz shelled pistachio nuts
3 oz parmesan cheese, chopped into rough chunks
4 fl oz oz good olive oil
1 small bunch fresh cilantro (coriander)
1 small bunch fresh parsley
1 small bunch fresh dill
1 hot red chilli or 1 tbsp chilli oil (optional)
1 lemon, juice only
2 tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

For the butternut squash, rub each wedge of butternut squash with oil and season generously with sea salt and black pepper. Place on the lined baking tray.

Roast the squash for about 45-50 minutes, just until the edges have begun to brown slightly (you want to blacken the edges a little to give them a nice chewy texture). Check the squash is cooked by inserting a knife – if it slides in easily the squash is cooked.

For the pesto, add the pistachios and cheese to a food processor. Pulse to break them into small pieces and add enough olive oil to slacken the mixture to your desired consistency (you may not need all the oil). Add all the herbs, the chilli (if using) and lemon juice. Pulse again to combine the herbs and add a little more olive oil. Season generously with sea salt and give the mixture one last pulse. Taste the pesto, to make sure it has enough salt and acidity, and allow it to rest in the fridge until you need it.

To serve, serve the butternut squash on plates, drizzled generously with the pesto. Crumble your feta over the top and scatter some pomegranate seeds over to finish.

Asian flavors · Beverage

Pod Thai. (The worlds best cocktail!)

January 17, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

Cardamom-lemongrass syrup lends a bit of Thai spice to a fresh cocktail made with rum and coconut.

FOR THE CARDAMOM-LEMONGRASS SYRUP
½ cup sugar
4 cardamom pods, crushed
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and thinly sliced

FOR THE COCKTAIL
3 sprigs Thai basil
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1½ oz. light rum
1 oz. cardamom-lemongrass syrup
½ oz. crème de coconut
Club soda, for topping

Make the cardamom-lemongrass syrup: Boil sugar and ½ cup water in a 1-qt. saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add cardamom and lemongrass; let cool and then strain. Makes 1 cup. Syrup will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.

Muddle 2 basil sprigs with lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add rum, crème de coconut, syrup, and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass mug; top with soda and garnish with remaining basil sprig.
Enjoy!!

Grains · Nuts · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Saffron rice with barberries, pistachios and mixed herbs

January 14, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

If you are like me, you will go onto Google and buy a bag of barberries rather than schlepp around all the stores. They are not expensive and there really is no substitute to these little jewels. I must credit the incredible Ottolenghi for this recipe and picture as there is no way my iPhone can better this image.

Serves six

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed under cold water and drained
2 1/2 cups boiling water
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp saffron threads, soaked for 30 minutes in 3 tbsp boiling water
2 oz dried barberries, soaked for a few minutes in freshly boiled water with a pinch of sugar
2 tbsp dill, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tbsp chervil, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tarragon, roughly chopped
4 to 5 tbsp slivered or crushed unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted

Firstly;
Barberries are tiny, jewel-like, dried sweet-and-sour Iranian berries. Their intense sharpness accentuates other flavours in a dish and adds wonderful drama to its looks. You can get them online, and from Iranian and some Middle Eastern grocers. If you can’t find any, use currants soaked in a little lemon juice instead. Serve this rice with roast chicken or just on it’s own.
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Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the rice, making sure the grains are well coated. Add the boiling water, a teaspoon of salt and some white pepper. Mix well, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook on a very low heat for 15 minutes. Don’t be tempted to uncover the pan – you need to let the rice to steam properly.

Remove the pan from the heat – all the water will have been absorbed by the rice – and pour the saffron water over about a quarter of the surface, leaving most of the rice white. Cover with a tea towel, reseal tightly with the lid and set aside for five to 10 minutes.

With a large spoon, transfer the white rice to a large bowl and fluff it up with a fork. Drain the barberries and stir them in, followed by the herbs and most of the pistachios, reserving a few to garnish. Fluff up the saffron rice in the pan, then fold gently into the white rice – don’t overmix: you don’t want the white grains to be stained by the yellow ones. Taste, adjust the seasoning and transfer to a shallow serving bowl.

Scatter the remaining pistachios on top and serve warm or at room temperature.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers

Gooey baked fontina cheese with herbs

January 14, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is divine and all you need is some great fresh bread and red wine. I could polish this off all by myself. As always the Barefoot Contessa does it again! This is not for the faint-hearted though!

1 1/2 pounds Italian Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese, rind removed and 1-inch-diced
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 crusty French baguette

Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack 5 inches from the heat.

Distribute the cubes of Fontina evenly in a 12-inch cast-iron pan. Drizzle on the olive oil. Combine the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and sprinkle it over the cheese and olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and place the pan under the broiler for 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and starts to brown.

Serve the baked Fontina family-style right out of the oven in the cast-iron pan with crusty chunks of bread for everyone to dip. Mmmmm

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Poultry

Malaysian chicken rendang

January 6, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is one of my all time favorite dishes. It’s very intense, bursting with lemongrass, ginger and coconut flavors, slow cooked so the chicken falls apart and the sauce reduces so the flavors intensify.
All you need with this is some steamed rice. Enjoy!

Serves 4
Cooking time 1 1/2 hours

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken thighs, skin on
4 chicken drumsticks, skin on
2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
boiled rice, to serve

For the curry paste
1 1/2 onions, quartered
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped
4 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin, (I use roasted cumin)
1 tbsp dark, soft brown sugar
2 tbsp peeled and grated root ginger
3 large garlic cloves
14 fl oz (1 1/2 cups) coconut milk
1 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 star anise, ground to a fine powder

Preheat the oven to 325 F

Put all the paste ingredients in a blender, season with salt and pepper and blitz together to a paste.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and heat the oil in a flameproof braising dish with a lid over a medium heat.
Add the chicken and fry for a few minutes until lightly brown. Add the spice paste, bring to the boil, then cover with a lid.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours until cooked through and completely tender.

Serve with the cilantro and serve with plain boiled white rice.

Poultry

Pulled chicken tacos

January 2, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

If you’re like me and adore pulled pork, but don’t want the calories, try this recipe. It’s divine!!
A great recipe from the good old BBC Good Food website

Serves 6

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed and trimmed of any big bits of fat.
2 tbsp chipotle paste
8 oz tomato passata
5 tbsp barbeque sauce (your favorite one)
1 onion, chopped
Juice of 3 limes, plus extra wedges to serve
2 x 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can refried bens
1 ripe avocado, diced
1/2 pack cilantro, leaves only
shredded iceberg lettuce
8 to 12 tacos or cooked white rice to serve

Heat the oven to 350 F.
Rub the chicken thighs with 1 tbsp of the chipotle paste and some seasoning. Mix the remaining chipotle paste with the passata, barbeque sauce, 4 fl oz water or chicken broth and half the onion.
Spoon the sauce into a roasting tin that will fit the chicken snugly in a single layer and add the chicken thighs.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour, then uncover, increase the oven to 400 F and bake for another 20 mins.
Meanwhile, mix the remaining onion with the lime juice and some salt, and set aside while the chicken cooks. Mix all the beans in a saucepan with 4 fl oz water or chicken broth, ready to heat to serve.
When the chicken is really tender, use two forks to shred the meat into the sauce (discard the bones). Keep covered with the foil while you heat the beans for 5-10 mins until piping hot and not too wet. Warm the tacos following the pack instructions. Stir the avocado and cilantro leaves into the lime-onion mixture.
Serve the pulled chicken and beans with shredded lettuce and tacos, or rice and lime wedges to squeeze over, if you like.
Top with a spoonful of the avocado salsa.

Baking · Do-ahead · Nuts

Rosemary and pine nut brittle

November 30, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda2 Comments

Lovely crunchy, salty, rosemary scented pine nut brittle. Your guests will adore it as it’s so different, great for the holidays and easy to make.

MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN PIECES

2 cups sugar
2 ½ cups pine nuts, toasted until light golden
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. finely ground sea salt

Heat the sugar in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it becomes a liquid, golden caramel.
Add the pine nuts and then the butter and stir until the butter is fully absorbed by the caramel

Stir in half each of the rosemary and salt, and then pour onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spreading to create an even layer; sprinkle with the remaining rosemary and salt while warm. Let cool completely and then break into bite-size pieces.
Store in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper.