Category Archives: Uncategorized

French Green Beans and Baby Tomatoes with Tapenade (4)

Posted in side dishes, Uncategorized by

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French green beans or haricots verts as they are known in France are a thinner version of the traditional green beans found in the US and UK and I much prefer them. In France haricots verts and tomatoes are often combined, whether it be in a salad or a hot dish such as this. I have added tapenade – a traditional Mediterranean appetizer often served on toasted bread in a similar way to bruschetta or used as a dip for crudites – and stirred it in with the vegetables. Tapenade at its most basic combines black olives, capers and olive oil. My version also includes anchovies, garlic and lemon juice. If you don’t want to make it yourself you may be able to find it in your local supermarket. Goes well with lamb or firm white fish.

8 oz thin green beans – topped, tailed and cut in half

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 oz cherry tomatoes – cut in half

1 tbsp. tapenade (or more if you want)

Boil the green beans for just a few minutes until ‘al dente’, then drain.

At the same time put 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. When sizzling add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes become soft and browned on both sides.

Add the beans and 1 tbsp. of tapenade to the pan with the tomatoes and the juices and toss well together.

TAPENADE (makes approx. 1 cup – which is more than you need for this recipe)

1 x cup pitted black olives

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 heaped tbsp. curly parsley

1 tbsp. capers – drained

1 large clove garlic – cut into small pieces

4 anchovies

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend to your desired consistency.

DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this blog is for information purposes only, and may not apply to your situation. The author, publisher, distributor and provider provide no warranty about the content or accuracy of the content. Information provided is subjective. Keep this in mind when reviewing this blog.

Neither the publisher or author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages resulting from use of this blog. All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy, or any other implied or explicit purpose.

 

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Leek, Broccoli and Spinach Soup with a Hint of Mustard (4)

Posted in Soups, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian by

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Soup season, for me, runs from October to March or April. I like my soups to be thick and filling. This soup is a vibrant green color and looks especially good when served in a white soup bowl. The addition of some Colman’s Mustard adds a little piquancy to this very healthy dish.

1 tbsp olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion – roughly chopped

3 leeks – sliced

3 medium heads of broccoli – roughly chopped

10 oz baby spinach

3 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp. Colman’s Mustard Powder mixed with an equal amount of cold water (it needs 10 minutes to stand before using)

Heat seasoned oil in a Dutch oven and, when sizzling, add the onion and let soften and brown.

Add the leeks and let soften a little before adding the broccoli, spinach and broth.

Bring to a boil the let simmer for 15 minutes.

Add mustard mixture and cook for 5 more minutes.

 

 

 

 

A Greek Way with Lamb Chops (4)

Posted in One-pot, Uncategorized by

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Imagine gathering the flavors that to me conjure up Greek food – lamb, black olives, tomatoes, potatoes, lemon, oregano, feta cheese – and tossing them all together then cooking them in the oven in a large baking dish until the meat is tender and juicy, the potatoes a little crisp, the tomatoes bursting with juice. Dinner party worthy.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

4 x loin lamb chops

1 large onion – sliced

2 large cloves garlic – roughly chopped

8 oz. baby tomatoes – halved

2 oz. black olives – pitted and cut in half

12 oz. new potatoes – cut into 1 inch chunks

1 tbsp. each of fresh oregano, thyme, parsley – finely chopped

Juice of half a lemon

3 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 oz. feta cheese – cut into small cubes (optional – I can eat this as it is made from sheep’s milk. I can’t tolerate cow’s milk)

Place the lamb chops in a large baking tray.

Put the tomatoes, olives, potatoes and herbs in a large bowl.

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and pour over the vegetables. Stir well, cover and leave to marinate for half and hour.

Place vegetables around the lamb chops and cook for an hour – check every so often and give veg.  astir.

Add feta cheese (optional) and serve.

Brussels Sprouts with Leeks and a Hint of Ginger and Citrus (4)

Posted in side dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian by

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Vegetables are so versatile. Why just have sprouts on their own when they can be teamed with leeks and ginger, for instance?. The sprouts are pan fried with the ginger then leeks, lime juice, lime zest, a few drops of yuzu and vegetable broth are added.

Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit with an intense flavor, so only a few drops are needed. It can be used in sweet and savory dishes and also salad dressings. It is becoming more popular on menus. I buy my yuzu juice online as I haven’t found it locally.

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp. ginger – peeled and grated

1 pound of Brussels sprouts – halved or quartered depending on size of sprout

3 medium size leeks – use only the whiteish parts, wash thoroughly and slice thinly

Juice of 1/2 a lime

Zest of 1/2 a lime

A few drops of Yuzu juice

2 tbsp. vegetable broth

Place the seasoned olive oil in a skillet and when oil is sizzling add the ginger, turn the heat down and cook for a minute or so until you can smell the ginger.

Add sprouts and cook until they are nicely browned. This will take 10 minutes or so. Turning them over frequently.

Add leeks, lime zest, lime juice, yuzu juice and vegetable broth and cook until leeks are softish – 3 to 5 minutes.

Turkey and Spinach Curry (4)

Posted in Curry, Uncategorized by

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This is a loosely termed curry borrowing from both Asian and Indian dishes. From the Asian I took coconut milk and ginger and from the Indian I used various spices – garam masala, cumin, curry powder and turmeric – and I stir in a touch of mango chutney and a pinch of white pepper (enough so that you can taste it) just before serving. The addition of spinach and lentils and using ground turkey as the meat makes for a light and healthy curry.

1 tbsp. olive oil seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion – chopped

2 large cloves of garlic – grated

1 tsp. each of cumin, curry powder and garam masala

Pinch of turmeric

2 inch piece of ginger – peeled and grated (makes 1 tbsp.

1 pound of ground turkey

1 can (15 oz.) lite coconut milk

1 can (15oz.) lentils – rinsed

1/2 cup turkey/chicken broth

10 oz. baby spinach

1 – 2 tbsp. mango chutney

Good pinch of white pepper

Chopped cilantro (to sprinkle over top of curry before serving)

Put 1 tbsp. of seasoned olive oil in a Dutch oven. When it is sizzling add onion. Let it soften and brown a little then add garlic and spices and stir. When you can smell the spices, add the ginger.

Cook for a couple of minutes then add the turkey and brown.

Pour in coconut milk, turkey/chicken broth and lentils. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add spinach and let wilt, stirring a little.

Stir in a mango chutney and white pepper.

Sprinkle with chopped cilantro

The information contained in this blog is for information purposes only, and may not apply to your situation. The Author, Publisher, Distributor and Provider provide no warranty about the content or accuracy of content enclosed. Information provided is subjective.

Neither the Publisher nor Author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages resulting from use of this blog.  All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy, or any other implied or explicit purpose

Poached Chicken and Zucchini Parcels (2)

Posted in Dinner, Uncategorized by

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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

I my use spiraliser to make the zucchini into spaghetti-like spirals but am noticing that they are appearing in more and more supermarkets. The chicken breast is cut into think slices or even small chunks and placed on a sheet of aluminum foil and topped with the zucchini and the lemony sauce then steamed in the oven.

1 chicken breast – sliced

8 oz zucchini – spiralised

Place a piece of aluminum in an ovenproof dish, top with the chicken and zucchini and pour the sauce over (see below). Close the foil so you have a parcel. Place in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

Lemony Sauce

1 clove garlic – grated

1 tbsp. parsley – finely chopped

2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Zest of 1/4 of a lemon

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a small bowl in the order they are listed above and whisk together then pour over the chicken and zucchini.

Lemon Curd and Raspberry Pavlova with Raspberry Puree (6 – 8)

Posted in Dessert, Uncategorized by

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Divine is how one person described this dessert! I created this after mentioning to a friend that I had made a pavlova filled with whipped cream and covered in mixed berries for guests but that I hadn’t been able to eat it. She suggested substituting lemon curd for the cream and an idea began to form – lemon and raspberries go well together so how about topping the lemon curd with fresh raspberries? And then, the final piece of the puzzle, how about drizzling raspberry puree over the top?

Before starting to cook place a dinner plate on parchment paper and draw a circle around the plate and then cut out the circle. Oil a cookie sheet, place parchment circle on top and brush with oil to prevent sticking.

Place a packet of frozen raspberries to thaw in a bowl of tepid water.

Meringues are easy enough to make. The cooking process is around 2 hours (1 hour cooking on a low heat of 160 degrees fahrenheit and 1 hour still in the oven but with the heat turned off) and should not be rushed but once the meringue is in the oven you can make the lemon curd as, once made, it needs to cool and then spend an hour in the fridge.

Normally lemon curd is made with butter but I have come across a vegan butter – Earth Balance brand – and this butter has opened up all sorts of new possibilities for recipes and from reading the label it seems healthy enough too. If you want a less tart lemon curd use Meyer lemons.

MERINGUE

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F

4 egg whites (save 3 egg yolks for lemon curd recipe)

8 oz caster sugar

1 tsp. vanilla essence

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. cornstarch

Whisk egg whites until stiff (a good test to see if they are stiff enough is to turn the bowl over in the air and they should not fall out!).

Add the sugar a little at a time and then add the next 3 ingredients one after the other.

Spoon meringue mixture onto parchment paper, then shape it with your fingers until the edges of the circle are higher than the middle (like a pie shape).

Place in the pre-heated oven for an hour, then turn off the oven and leave meringue in there for another hour.

LEMON CURD

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup caster sugar

Juice of 2 large lemons

2 tsp. lemon zest

3 oz vegan butter – cut into small pieces

Whisk the egg yolks before adding the lemon juice and zest, then place in a pan over low to medium heat (you do not want scrambled eggs!).

Add the butter bit by bit, stirring all the time. You will notice the mixture gradually thickening and you want it to get to the point where you can see the trace of where the spoon has been and at the same time you will see that the mixture is just beginning to form little bubbles. At this point remove the pan from the heat and pour lemon curd into a glass bowl set over a bowl of iced water so the curd doesn’t continue cooking. When cool, place in the fridge for an hour or so to thicken some more.

RASPBERRIES AND RASPBERRY PUREE

1 punnet of raspberries

1 x 10 oz bag of frozen raspberries

1 – 2 tsp. confectioner’s sugar, if needed

Once the lemon curd is spooned into the meringue, sprinkle fresh raspberries over the curd then drizzle with the raspberry puree. This can be done an hour ahead of serving.

Place the thawed raspberries in a sieve and drain. Then put a bowl under the sieve and  stir with a spoon until only raspberry seeds are left in the sieve and the puree is on the bowl.

Taste the puree and if needed add confectioner’s sugar

Drizzle puree over the dessert.

The information contained on this blog is for information purposes only, and may not apply to your situation. The Author, Publisher, Distributor and Provider provide no warranty about the content or accuracy of content enclosed. Information provided is subjective. Keep this in mind when reviewing this guide.

Neither the Publisher nor Author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages resulting from use of this blog.  All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy, or any other implied or explicit purpose.