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Posts Tagged ‘Food’

Gilaki Herb Stew

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 31 July 2017| 2 Comments »

Gilaki herb stew

This sour herb stew is unusual, and perhaps not to everybody’s taste, but we loved it! Served with some saffron rice it felt like a big dish of healthy goodness. It would also work as a side dish, or as they serve it in Iran with smoked fish.

Gilaki Herb Stew (Torsh-e tareh) – serves 4

  • 300g spinach
  • 65g fresh coriander
  • 65g fresh parsley
  • 40g fresh dill
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 400ml water
  • 1½ tbsp cornflour mixed to a paste with 2 tbsp water
  • juice of ½ a lemon (plus a bit extra)
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 10g butter

Finely chop the spinach and herbs (use a food processor if you’ve got one). Put the chopped greens into a saucepan and add the garlic, turmeric and water. Stir well, then cover and cook for 15 minutes over a low heat.

Add the cornflour paste, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Turn up the heat and cook for 5 minutes, without the lid, until the sauce thickens.

Crack the eggs into the greens and allow to cook for a minute before touching them. Run a wooden spoon through each of the egg yolks twice (horizontally then vertically) so they are just broken. Don’t be tempted to mix them around as you want the chunks of cooked egg, rather than scramble.

Cover with the lid again until the eggs are cooked. Remove from the heat and stir through the butter. Season to taste. Serve with some extra lemon if you like it sour.

(Original recipe from The Saffron Tales by Jasmine Khan, Bloomsbury, 2016.)

 

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Warm Couscous Salad with Halloumi, Courgette, Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 24 July 2017| 3 Comments »

Haloumi, courgette, chickpea and tomato couscous

Really summery, colourful, and quick to throw together.

Wine Suggestion: the vibrancy of flavours demanded an equally vivacious wine; we chose the Kilikanoon Morts’ Block Riesling from the Clare Valley in Australia. It was dry and driven by a limey, textured presence that sang alongside this dish.

Warm Couscous Salad with Halloumi, Courgette, Chickpeas & Tomatoes – serves 4

  • 250g couscous
  • 250ml boiling vegetable stock
  • 400g tin of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • 300g courgettes, sliced
  • 300g cherry tomatoes on the vine, halved
  • 250g pack of halloumi cheese, sliced thickly, then halved lengthways
  • 125ml olive oil (nothing too big flavoured)
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • ½ tsp sugar

Tip the couscous into a bowl and pour over the vegetable stock. Cover with some cling film and leave for 5 minutes.

Mix the 125ml olive oil, the lime juice, garlic, mint & sugar together in a bowl to make a dressing.

Fluff the couscous with a fork, stir in the chickpeas, then pour over half of the dressing. Mix well together and pile onto a serving plate.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan and fry the courgette slices for 2-3 minutes or until well browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on some kitchen paper. Put the tomatoes into the pan, cut side down, for a couple of minutes until tinged brown on the cut side. Scatter the courgettes over the couscous, followed by the tomatoes.

Heat a little more oil, then add the halloumi strips and fry for a couple of minutes or until brown on all sides. Pile the halloumi on top of the salad and pour over the remaining dressing.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food.)

 

 

 

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The Best Lamb Kebabs for the Barbecue

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 19 July 2017| 1 Comment »

Lamb shoulder kebabs

These lamb kebabs from The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan are fabulous cooked over hot coals. Ask your butcher for lamb neck, it’s cheap and really tasty. Good served with saffron rice, herby salad and yoghurt with cucumber and mint. They were also good stuffed into some warm flatbreads with a radish and broad bean salad (see pic below).

Wine Suggestion: We chose the Poggio ai Ginepri which is a Cabernet, Syrah & Merlot blend from Bolgheri in Tuscany. The classic Bordeaux blend with the infusion of Syrah creates a balance of power and juiciness that works with the BBQ smokiness and the moist lamb with a good earthy spice that compliments the herbs and spices in the marinade.

Dr Asaf’s Juicy Lamb Kebabs – serves 4

  • 4 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 1 small onion, finely grated
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¾ tsp sumac, plus extra to garnish
  • a generous pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1¼ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 800g lamb neck fillet, cut into 2.5 cubes
  • 4 tomatoes, halved

Mix the yoghurt, onion, garlic, oregano, oil, sumac, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in the lamb pieces until well coated then cover with cling film and leave to marinade in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Don’t skip this as it will make the meat nice and tender.

Preheat the barbecue. Thread the lamb onto metal or wooden skewers (wooden ones need to be soaked for about 20 minutes before using). Cook the lamb kebabs and the tomato halves on the barbecue for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through.

Rest the meat for a few minutes and sprinkle with some more sumac before serving.

(Original recipe from The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan, Bloomsbury, 2016.)

Lamb kebabs with radish salad

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Cooling Yoghurt with Cucumber & Mint

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 19 July 2017| 1 Comment »

Yoghurt with cucumber and mint

A perfect cooling accompaniment for barbecued lamb kebabs and Persian rice dishes. The fresh mint can be replaced with fresh dill.

Yoghurt with Cucumber & Mint – serves 4-6

  • 200g cucumber
  • 500g Greek yoghurt
  • ½ garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 tsp dried mint
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh mint
  • 1 tbsp sultanas
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Cut the cucumber in half and scoop out the watery middle and seeds with a teaspoon. Grate the cucumber and squeeze out the excess water over a bowl using your hands.

Mix the cucumber into the yoghurt, along with the garlic, dried mint, fresh mint, dill, sultanas, salt and pepper. Stir well before serving.

(Original recipe from The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan, Bloomsbury, 2016.)

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New potato & Pecorino frittata

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 12 July 2017| 2 Comments »

New potato & Pecorino frittata

Not much to say about this. Easy, tasty, not too bad for you, cheap…

New Potato & Pecorino Frittata – serves 4

  • 600g new potatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1  onion, finely sliced
  • 8 eggs
  • 2 tbsp snipped chives
  • 100g pecorino/Parmesan, finely grated

Cook the potatoes in boiling salty water for 15-20 minutes or until cooked. Allow to cool a bit, then slice.

Heat the oil in a heavy non-stick frying pan. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, they should be soft and starting to brown.

Meanwhile whisk the eggs and chives together in a bowl. Season generously then add the grated cheese and whisk again.

Get the grill on and let it come up to a moderate heat. Add the potato slices to the onions and pour over the egg mixture. Cook over a low heat until the edges start to firm up and the eggs are set lightly. This could take up to 10 minutes.

Put under the grill (not too close to the heat) and cook for a couple of minutes or until the eggs are set and the top is golden brown.

Works for lunch or weeknight dinner with some salad on the side.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Trout with Brown Butter & Almonds

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 10 July 2017| 2 Comments »

Trout with brown butter & almondsA simple and delicious idea for trout fillets. Serve with steamed new potatoes and asparagus or other seasonal greens.

Trout with brown butter & almonds – serves 2

  • 4 small trout fillets with skin on
  • a handful of flaked almonds, lightly toasted
  • 50g butter
  • 3tbsp of chopped mixed herbs, we used parsley, thyme & chives
  • juice of ½ a lemon

Heat the butter in a frying pan until it starts to turn a nutty brown colour. Add the trout fillets, skin-side down, and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Transfer the fish carefully onto warmed plates.

Add the almonds to the pan with a squeeze of lemon juice, some seasoning and the herbs. Toss the almonds gently in the buttery juices and pour over the fish.

Serve with steamed new potatoes and greens.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, June 2005.)

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A Tasty Couscous Salad for Summer Barbecues & Picnics

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 5 July 2017| 2 Comments »

Thrill of grill couscous

This is an old favourite that we make every summer. The chopped up mushrooms give it a fantastic earthy flavour and it works really well with barbecues and on picnics.

Tasty Couscous Salad – serves 4

  • 200g couscous
  • 400ml boiling vegetable stock (we still use Swiss Marigold Bouillon Powder)
  • 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 175g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
  • half a bunch of scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3-4 tbsp pesto
  • a handful of toasted pine nuts, almonds or rough chopped hazelnuts
  • a generous handful of basil

Put the couscous into a bowl and pour over the hot stock. Cover with cling film and leave to soak for 5 minutes.

When the 5 minutes is up, fork the couscous through to break up any lumps, then stir in the oil and pesto, then tip in all the veg and nuts and tear in the basil. Taste and season.

Simple as that!

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine, August, 2002.)

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Griddled courgettes with Parmesan & Basil

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 3 July 2017| Leave a Comment »

Griddled courgettes with parmesan & basil

We have used some fancy yellow courgettes for this dish but the usual green variety will be just as good. An excellent side dish for barbecues… of which we are having many at the moment. If you don’t want to light the barbecue you can also griddle the courgettes with good results.

Griddled courgettes with Parmesan & basil – serves 4 as a side dish

  • 5 medium courgettes
  • 2 tbsp salt flakes
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ lemon
  • 25g pine nuts
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 25g Parmesan, finely grated
  • a handful of basil leaves, roughly torn
  • a few mint leaves, roughly torn

Preheat the barbecue (or griddle pan). Cut the ends of the courgettes and cut a long thin slice off two opposite sides and discard. Cut each courgette into 4 long strips. Mix the courgettes with the salt and place in a colander to drain with some plates on top. Let them drip over the sink or a bowl or an hour or so.

Shake off any excess salt from the slices, then rub each side with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Cook the courgettes on the barbecue/griddle for about 5 minutes per side or until softened and well charred. Transfer to a serving dish and squeeze over a little more lemon juice.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes or until golden.

Scatter the pine nuts, parmesan, basil & mint over the courgettes. Trickle over the rest of the olive oil and serve warm.

(Original recipe from by Valentine Warner in BBC Olive Magazine, July 2009.)

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Mussels with Chorizo & Spiced Fries

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Shellfish, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 1 July 2017| 3 Comments »

Mussels with chorizo & spiced fries 1

One of our least favourite kitchen jobs is scrubbing mussels but they’re always worth it in the end. This chorizo sauce and spicy fries make a great casual dinner.

Wine Suggestion: Chill a Spanish red for 30-40 minutes. A good choice could be the Jesus Romero Rubus, and unoaked blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha & Syrah which has a brilliant purity and drive. Alternately, and contradicting our initial thoughts, a big robust Ribera del Duero, the Condado de Haza also worked a treat chilled down with this dish.

  • 250g skinny oven fries
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • olive oil
  • 125g chorizo, diced
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 200ml white wine
  • 125g tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • a pinch of sugar
  • 1kg mussels, cleaned

Heat the oven to whatever heat suggested on the pack of fries. Toss the fries with 1 tsp of the paprika and some seasoning, spread out on an oven tray and cook until crispy.

Put 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan that you have tight-fitting lid for. Add the chorizo and fry until crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion, garlic, 1 tsp of paprika, chilli and thyme springs to the pan. Cook over a low heat until softened, then turn the heat up, return the chorizo to the pan and add the wine, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar, lots of black pepper and a little salt. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Stir the mussels into the chorizo sauce, cover with a lid and steam for 3-4 minutes, shaking now and then, until the mussels have opened. Serve in bowls with the spicy fries on the side.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, July 2014.)

Mussels with chorizo & spiced fries 2

 

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How to Barbecue a Whole Chicken

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , on 24 June 2017| 1 Comment »

BBQ poached chicken

We love this! No fear of either raw or dry barbecued chicken. The chicken is tender and moist and you get lots of delicious barbecue flavour. We’re going to be cooking this all summer!

Wine Suggestion: We started with a glass of Alsace: the Bott-Geyl Pinot d’Alsace “Points Cardinale” which highlighted the ginger and chilli in a very good way.

We then followed with a juicy, medium bodied red, the Ridge Geyserville, a Zinfandel blend. Don’t be afraid of having a red with either Chicken or spice, just make sure the wine isn’t too tannic or heavy, and that there is enough juiciness to provide a foil for any chilli or ginger. In this case the Geyserville added a layer of flavour that gave the chicken extra dimension and celebrated the barbecue char.

Poached and Barbecued Chicken – serves 6

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 2-3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1-2 leeks, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 garlic bulb, halved
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
  • 1 glass of red wine
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 red chillies, halved
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 large chicken

Heat a large saucepan (big enough to hold the chicken) over a moderate heat, add the oil and sauté the onion, celery, leeks, carrots and garlic together for a few minutes, then add the ginger, red wine, cinnamon, star anise, honey and soy sauce. Bring to the boil then simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Season the chicken and set it on top of the layer of vegetables in the pot, add about 1 litre of water, then cover the pan and simmer gently for an hour and a half.

Preheat the barbecue. Strain 200ml of the cooking liquid into a small pan and reduce over a high heat until it becomes thick & syrupy, remove the chicken from the pot and set onto a tray, brush the reduced liquid over the chicken. Cook the chicken on a moderate barbecue, turning, until charred all over.

If you like you can discard the vegetables boil up the remaining liquid to serve as a sauce.

Serve the chicken with barbecued veg or other nice summer salads.

(Original recipe from Cooking at the Ballymore Inn by Georgina O’Sullivan.)

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Cheesy Tuna Pesto Pasta

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , , on 20 June 2017| 3 Comments »

Cheesy tuna pesto pasta

Oh this is soooo easy and has become a regular feature in our house at lunchtime on Saturdays. Also adored by the resident 3 year old which is always a bonus. Maybe save the wine for after 7pm 😉

Cheesy Tuna Pesto Bake – serves 4 generously and the leftovers are good

  • 400g penne pasta
  • 200g tin or jar of good quality tuna in olive oil
  • 190g jar of pesto (we find that off the shelf rather than out of the fridge works better here as the fresh-made pestos make the dish a bit oily)
  • 100g cheddar, grated
  • 250g cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack.

Meanwhile empty the contents of the tin of tuna (including the oil) into a large bowl and add the pesto. Mash together with a wooden spoon. Stir in about a third of the cheese and all the tomatoes. Heat the grill to high.

Drain the pasta and stir into the bowl with the tuna and pesto mixture, then tip into a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Put the dish under the grill for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese has just melted.

Serve with salad and garlic bread if you like.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food.)

 

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Radish & Broad Bean Salad

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 6 June 2017| 4 Comments »

Radish & broad bean salad

We’ve been revisiting the original ‘Cookbook’ from Ottolenghi and found this delicious spring salad. Works well as a side for a barbecue or on its own with some warm pitta breads. The leftovers didn’t suffer too much packed into lunchboxes the next day.

Radish & broad bean salad with green tahini sauce – serves 4

  • 500g broad beans, fresh or frozen
  • 350g small radishes
  • ½ red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 30g preserved lemon, finely chopped
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

For the Green Tahini Sauce:

  • 150ml tahini paste
  • 150ml water
  • 80ml lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 30g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped if making by hand

First make the tahini sauce by using a food processor or blender to whizz all the ingredients except the parsley together until smooth. Add more water if necessary until you have a honey-like consistency. Add the parsley and blitz for another few seconds, then adjust the seasoning to taste. (If you don’t have a processor you can whisk the ingredients together in a bowl and add the chopped parsley at the end.)

Chill the tahini sauce until needed. It will thicken the longer it is left in the fridge so add a bit more water if necessary before serving.

Simmer the broad beans in a pan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Remove the beans from their papery skins by squeezing them gently.

Cut the radishes into 6 wedges each and mix with the broad beans, onion, coriander, preserved lemon, lemon juice, parsley, olive oil and cumin. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with warm pitta breads.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi: the cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi, Ebury Press, 2008.)

 

 

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Butter Chicken Curry

Posted in Chicken, Food, Indian, tagged , , , , , , , on 29 May 2017| Leave a Comment »

 

Butter chicken

Not an authentic recipe by any means but really tasty and much healthier than anything available in the local take-away. We have also made this with leftover cooked chicken with good results.

Wine Suggestion: We want to like wine with curry but most times we prefer something cool and bubbly – like beer! With this we had a bottle of Cooper’s Original Pale Ale to remind us of recent travels in Australia.

Butter Chicken Curry – serves 4

  • 500g skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • ½ a lemon, juiced
  • 35g butter
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • curry paste (we used half a jar of Patak’s Madras which is quite spicy but use what you like)
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp ground almonds
  • 175ml full-fat natural yoghurt
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • coriander leaves
  • cooked basmati rice, to serve

Toss the chicken pieces with the turmeric, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and ½ tsp salt. Heat the butter in a large wide pan, then cook the onion for about 10 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the curry paste and tomato purée and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until opaque (if using cooked chicken just heat through).

Mix the almonds and yoghurt together in a bowl then stir into the curry and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the stock and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Scatter over the coriander and serve with the rice.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, April, 2017.)

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Salmon with Greens & Crème Fraîche

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 22 May 2017| Leave a Comment »

Salmon with greens & creme fraiche

Spring is such a lovely time for fresh ingredients, encapsulated by greens like peas and broad beans. It’s broad beans with pretty much everything in our house at the minute. Serve with steamed new potatoes or mash.

Wine Suggestion: We went with a fresh Chablis that had a similar Spring vitality to the food; a Domaine Gueguen from 2015 which had hints of white flowers and smokiness with green apple skins. It was crisp with a wonderful chalky, flinty, limestone character – a good match.

Salmon with greens & crème fraîche – serves 4

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 leek, thinly sliced
  • 250ml chicken stock or fish stock
  • 100g crème fraîche
  • 140g frozen peas
  • 140g frozen broad beans
  • 4 skinless salmon fillets
  • small bunch of chives, snipped

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan with a lid. Cook the leek until soft but not coloured, about 5-10 minutes. Pour in the stock and simmer until reduced slightly, then add the crème fraîche and season. Cook for another minute.

Add the peas and beans, then gently add the salmon fillets, nestling them in amongst the veg. Turn down to a simmer, then cover and cook for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through. Sprinkle with chives and serve with mash or steamed new potatoes.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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How many ways can we cook asparagus?

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Italian, Soup, tagged , , , , , , , on 18 May 2017| 2 Comments »

Asparagus & Prosciutto soup

Another favourite from the River Café where the prosciutto gives a big addition to the flavour. Serve with a few asparagus tips and top quality olive oil on top. Delicious!

Wine suggestion: Sauvignon Blanc with bags of  flavour. Something like the Dog Point from New Zealand or the Dezat Sancerre from the Loire will work great. Going slightly off-piste we love the Domaine Bellier Cheverny Blanc which combines 85% Sauvignon Blanc with Chardonnay in a un-sung appellation from the Loire, a really good food wine.

Asparagus & prosciutto soup – serves 4

  • 500g asparagus
  • 140g prosciutto slices, sliced into thin ribbons
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
  • 140g spinach
  • Marigold Swiss bouillon powder dissolved with 750ml of boiling water
  • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
  • extra virgin olive oil

Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and cut the remaining stalks into short lengths. Keep the tips to one side.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a heavy-based pan, add the onion and soften for 5 minutes, then add the prosciutto, potatoes, parsley and asparagus stalks. Season with pepper (hold off on the salt until the end as the ham is salty) and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, then add the bouillon and simmer until the potatoes and asparagus are tender – about 15 minutes. Add the spinach and most of the asparagus tips and cook for a another few minutes. Remove from the heat and blend to a rough purée.

Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil and fry the reserved tips for a few seconds. Serve the soup with the asparagus and oil drizzled over each bowl.

(Original recipe from Italian Two Easy by Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers, Clarkson Potter, 2006.)

 

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Radish & Fennel Salad

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Healthy, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 15 May 2017| 2 Comments »

Radish & fennel salad

Let’s eat more radishes. They’re delicous and in season right now. Try this easy spring salad that tastes good with almost anything.

Lemony Radish & Fennel Salad – serves 4

  • 2 bunches leafy breakfast radishes
  • 1 unwaxed lemon
  • 2 shallots, finely sliced into rings
  • 2 fennel bulbs
  • 5 tbsp olive oil

Separate the leaves from the radishes, then wash & dry them.

Finely grate the zest of half the lemon, then juice all of it.

Put the lemon zest into a salad bowl and stir through the shallots. Leave to macerate.

Trim the fennel & slice it as finely as possible (a job for your mandolin if you have one). When you’re ready to serve, toss all the ingredients, including the radish leaves, with the lemon juice & olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Radicchio & Gorgonzola Pasta

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 11 May 2017| Leave a Comment »

Radicchio & Gorgonzola pasta

In some ways this is an opportunistic dish because we don’t always see Radicchio in our grocer’s shop. We love the creamy, salty, bitter flavours  which come together with the rich creamy sauce. We like serving it with a bit of Parmesan too, but it’s not necessary.

Wine suggestion: The Rocca delle Macie’s Vermentino from the Maremma was our choice and the crisp, almost sappiness, helped to cut through the richness and complement the bitterness of the radicchio. If we’d had one we would have loved to have tried a good, dry Lambrusco from near Bologna. We could be wrong but think this might work too.

Pasta with Radicchio & Gorgonzola – serves 4

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 radiccio, shredded
  • 50ml white wine
  • 4 tbsp cream
  • 75g gorgonzola
  • 300g pasta

Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the timings on the packet.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and fry the onion until softened, then add the radicchio and continue to cook until wilted.

Add the white wine and season. Pour in the cream, melt in the gorgonzola and mix through the cooked pasta.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, April, 2014.)

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Coconut Fish Curry

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, Indian, tagged , , , , , , , on 8 May 2017| 3 Comments »

Coconut fish curry

We love to serve a fish curry alongside other Indian dishes to serve a crowd. Try this with some chicken tikka, mint & yoghurt chutney, cinnamon lamb curry, steamed basmati rice & some naan bread from the takeaway. Also great on its own with rice of course.

Coconut Fish Curry (Fish moilee) – serves 4

  • 5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 green chilli, roughly chopped (deseed if you don’t want too much heat)
  • salt
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil/rapeseed oil
  • 20 fresh curry leaves (optional but handy to buy fresh, then keep in the freezer for dishes like this)
  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 big ripe tomatoes, quartered
  • ¾ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • 300ml coconut milk
  • 4 white fish fillets e.g. hake, haddock or cod (we use hake as it’s cheaper)
  • 1 lime, quartered

Put the ginger, garlic,  green chilli and a pinch of salt in a pestle & mortar and bash until you have a paste.

Put the oil into a wide, shallow pan over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the curry leaves, followed by the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes or until pale gold. Add the ginger, garlic & chilli paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1½ tsp salt, the turmeric & chilli powder. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, dilute the coconut milk with 100ml of water and add to the pan. When the milk begins to bubble, add the fish, then turn the heat down, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Serve with a squeeze of lime and rice on the side.

(Original recipe from Made in India by Meera Sodha, Penguin, 2014.)

 

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Picadillo

Posted in Beef, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , on 2 May 2017| Leave a Comment »

Picadillo

This is not dissimilar to a chilli con carne but it tastes really fresh and summery. We loved the addition of almonds and green olives.

Wine Suggestion: we echoed the summery freshness with the Flying Solo Rosé from Domaine Gayda in the Languedoc which made everything feel light and easy as we ate. If you feel like something more robust look to a good Grenache / Garnacha which we find work with the peppers and olives well.

Picadilo – serves 6

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 750g minced beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 red chillies, chopped
  • ½ tbsp ground cumin
  • a handful of plump raisins
  • 400g tin of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp dark brown sugar
  • 200ml stock (or water)
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 50g green olives, chopped
  • a handful of coriander, chopped
  • a handful of toasted almonds
  • rice, avocado, sour cream & grated cheese to serve

Heat the oil in a casserole and cook the beef over a high heat until well-browned. This will work better if you do it in batches, then remove to a bowl.

Add the onion and chopped peppers to the pan and cook until soft and golden. Add the garlic, chillies and ground cumin, then cook for another minute before stirring in the raisins, tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar and stock/water. Cook, uncovered for 40 minutes, or until you have a thick sauce, stirring occasionally.

Add the lime juice, green olives and some seasoning. Lastly stir in the coriander and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.

Serve with steamed rice, avocado, sour cream & grated cheese.

(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)

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Spanish Mussels with Chorizo and Cider

Posted in Food, Shellfish, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , , on 27 April 2017| Leave a Comment »

Mussels with chorizo and cider

We had a hankering for mussels, as we often do, and thought this sounded a bit different. There’s no finishing of the sauce required once the mussels are cooked unlike other classic mussel dishes. Last minute finishing can be fiddly, especially with guests, so this worked well for us. Easily scalable, provided you have a big pot, and a good party dish.

Wine Suggestion: we used Stonewell Dry Cider from Kinsale in County Cork for this dish which has a really good depth of flavour and it would equally work well as the accompaniment. Some ciders are lighter but the robust nature of the chorizo and mussels needed a more robust flavour like the Stonewell.

Alternately if you would prefer to drink some wine we’d suggest a good South African Chenin Blanc, like Adi Badenhorst’s Secateurs. The ripe yellow apple flavours are a good compliment and the freshness, texture and zing provide a good balance. The Secateurs is a great go-to wine in our house and we highly recommend it!

Spanish mussels with cider & chorizo – serves 4

  • 2kg mussels
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g chorizo, skinned and cut into chunks
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 500ml dry cider
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Wash the mussels really well and scrape off any barnacles and beardy bits. Tap any opened mussels on the sink and throw them away if they don’t close.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pan and sauté the chorizo with the onions until slightly coloured and softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the mussels, cider and some black pepper, then cover. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and steam until the mussels have opened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve.

(Original recipe from Food From Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)

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