A really great and easy BBQ sauce

March 1, 2016March 1, 2016 Belinda

This is a really simple and super BBQ sauce you can keep refrigerated for up to 1 week, so if you’re planning a BBQ party, this part of it, you can do well in advance. It’s easily doubled too.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

1/2 cup vegetable oil or any other oil ( don’t waste really good olive oil)
4 large cloves garlic, finely diced or minced
a good handful fresh rosemary leaves, stripped from the stalk, finely chopped (minced)
2 tbsp mustard powder
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp curry powder
4 tbsp sesame oil(toasted is nice too)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup store-bought BBQ sauce (yes, I really mean it!)
salt to taste

Place ALL the ingredients in a jar with a tightfitting lid and shake really well.
Use to brush on absolutely anything that you BBQ, mushrooms, chicken, meat, onions, fish…
Enjoy!

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

Roast salmon with spiced coconut crumbs

March 1, 2016January 5, 2017 Belinda

As you probably know by now, anything with coconut makes me stop in my tracks, so when I saw this on the BBC GoodFood website, I had to try it. It’s easy and very tasty, what more do I need to say!

Serves 8
Made in 30 mins or less

2 oz butter, ghee or clarified butter
8 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and finely crushed
3 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 plump fresh red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 pinch ground turmeric
8 slim boneless skinless salmon fillets
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

UP TO A DAY AHEAD:.
Melt the butter in a medium pan, add the cardamon and coconut and stir non-stop for 2-3 minutes until the coconut starts to toast. Stir in the chili, ginger, garlic, ground coriander and turmeric. Cook for another minute then leave to cool.

Arrange the salmon in a single layer, spaced slightly apart, in 1 large or two smaller buttered ovenproof dishes. Season the salmon, scatter on the cilantro and spread the coconut mixture on top. Cover in cling film and chill (for up to one day) UNTIL ONE HOUR BEFORE COOKING.

TO SERVE:
Turn the oven to conventional 400F/200°C .
Roast the salmon for 13-15 minutes until cooked, but still moist. If this is for a buffet, bring to the table in the dish(es).

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Grains · Poultry

Asian-influenced chicken and coconut “paella”

January 3, 2016February 7, 2016 Belinda

This is Tyler Florence’s Asian version of a Spanish paella which is gorgeous. The chicken thighs are lightly crusted with crushed coriander seeds then sauteed and tucked into basmati rice that has been simmered in sweet coconut milk and ginger. Need I say any more?

Serves 4 to 6

1/4 cup coriander seeds
8 chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cups basmati rice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups coconut milk

Pea Salad
1 cup frozen peas, thawed in a colander under cool water
A small handful of fresh mint leaves
1 bunch watercress
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Mint leaves for garnish
Lemon wedges for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Coarsely crack the coriander by either pulsing in a spice grinder, wrapping the seeds in a tea towel and crushing them with a rolling pin or grinding them in a pepper grinder on a coarse setting.
Season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper and sprinkle all over with the cracked coriander.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep ovenproof skillet. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down and give them a good sear for 4 to 5 mins to develop a nice crust.
Turn and cook for 4 to 5 mins on the other side to brown the meat. Take the chicken out of the pan.

Put another 2 tbsp of olive oil in the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion, ginger and bay leaf, and cook, stirring for 4 to 5 mins, until the onion is soft but not colored.
Now you’ve got all this great flavor going on in the bottom of the pan; chicken drippings, onion, ginger and bay leaf. Add the rice and season with salt and pepper. Stir for a minute or two until the grains are well coated with oil. Stir in the lemon zest. Now add the broth and coconut milk and bring that to a simmer.
Tuck in the chicken thighs, put the whole thing in the oven, and bake, uncovered, until the rice is tender and bound by a creamy sauce and the chicken is entirely cooked through,about 30 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf.

When the chicken is done, put the peas, mint and watercress into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and give it a good toss. Taste for seasoning. To serve take a big spoon and scoop out some chicken and rice and garnish each plate with the pea salad

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan · Whole30 compliant

Watermelon Tomato Salad with Cumin and Fennel

August 18, 2015January 5, 2017 Belinda

Another vegan, dairy-free beauty of a salad (from Food 52) for those hot summer days. If you like, you can add crumbles Greek feta cheese or even sliced Kalamata olives to have some variety, of course it would become vegetarian.

Serves 6

6 cups cubed (1/2-inch cubes) watermelon
2 heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tsp sugar, optional
Salt
1/4 cup sliced mint
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 inch ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chile powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Optional – Greek feta cheese, crumbled
Halved pitted Kalamata olives

Puree 2 cups of the watermelon in a blender and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the remaining watermelon and tomato and toss with the sugar, a large pinch of salt, the mint, and lime juice.

Set a large saute pan over medium heat and add enough oil to thinly coat the base of the pan. When the oil is hot, sprinkle in the cumin, fennel, and ginger, and toast for 30 seconds. Add the turmeric and chile powder, then 1/2 cup watermelon juice, and the lemon juice. Bring to a simmer. Add salt or sugar as desired, and cook for 1 minute.

Pour the sauce over the watermelon and tomatoes and gently fold together. Divide among 6 shallow bowls, and serve.

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.

Fish

Salmon on salsa with black beans, corn and cumin

March 22, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

Now that Spring is here, I am trying to find lighter meals with interesting spices. This is a really super light meal and the salsa is divine eaten with salmon or just scooped up in tortilla chips. Don’t refrigerate it as the tomato will turn pulpy.

Serves 4

The Salsa
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 scallions, green parts chopped only
1 medium red onion, chopped medium fine
10 ripe plum tomatoes, diced, with juices and pips removed
1 x 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small tin of sweet corn niblets, drained
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped finely (I only use 1)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
1 tbsp ground roasted cumin (I like to roast my own)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the salmon
4 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each, skinned and boned
2 tbsp coarse grain mustard
3/4 to 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 to 3 tbsps olive oil

To serve
4 cilantro sprigs
4 lime wedges

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, scallions, red onion, tomato, corn, black beans, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, taste for seasoning, cover and set aside.

Pat the salmon fillets dry. Brush each side with the grainy mustard and sprinkle with the coarse pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.Add the oil.
Saute the fish fillets for 4 to 5 minutes on each side- don’t overcook though, so keep an eye on it. The fish should be a little pink in the middle and very moist.

Spoon some salsa onto the plates, lay a salmon fillet on top and garnish with the cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

Only 305 calories per serving!

Asian flavors · Beverage · Breakfast · Chocolate · Fruit · Gluten Free

Spiced Mocha Lassi

January 17, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

This is a terrific recipe from Bobby Flay and the only thing you need to do in advance is make the spiced coffee ice cubes. They are well worth having in the freezer as the flavors are incredible when you drop a cube into this drink. A wonderful and different breakfast drink.

Serves 4

SPICED COFFEE ICE CUBES:

2 cups hot espresso
1/4 cup sugar
1 strip orange peel
8 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped

LASSI:

3/4 cup to 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (or more to thin down the drink)
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 ripe banana, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Make the spiced coffee ice cubes:
Combine the espresso, sugar, orange peel, cloves, cinnamon sticks and ginger in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves.
Cool to room temperature, and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Strain the coffee mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl and discard the solids. Divide the mixture among 2 ice cube trays and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours.

Make the lassi:
Add 3/4 cup orange juice, the yogurt, banana and cocoa powder to a blender and puree until smooth (if you’d like the lassi to be a bit thinner, blend in the remaining 1/4 cup orange juice).
Add a few spiced ice cubes to the blender and puree. Pour the lassi into glasses and add 2 more spiced ice cubes to each glass.
Serve immediately.

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.

Baking · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Nuts

Italian Panforte for Christmas

December 6, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is so Christmassy, stuffed full of fruits, nuts, chocolate and spices. Again, so easy to make, and will transport you straight to Italy.

1 1/2 cups whole blanched almonds (unblanched is also fine)
3/4 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted
3/4 cup whole walnuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup dried figs coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups dried mixed fruit (the type used for Christmas cake)
3/4 cup plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tbsp water
1/3 cup runny honey
3/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Grease and line with baking parchment, a large rectangular or 2 round baking tins.
Mix the nuts, figs, mixed fruit, flour, cocoa powder, ground cloves, pepper, cinnamon and coriander together in a large bowl.
Place the water, honey and sugar in a pot and slowly bring to the boil, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pout the syrup into the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly.
Place in the prepared tin and flatten with wet hands. The mixture should be no more than 1 inch 9approx) thick.
If there is some mixture over, then place into another tin.
Bake for 35 minutes. Cut into squares when cool