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Posts Tagged ‘Starter’

Aubergine & Pesto Medallions

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 6 May 2013| 1 Comment »

Capturing the summer season with fresh basil Pesto and aubergines. Serve with a simple green salad for a great starter.

Aubergine and Pesto Medallions – to serve 4

  • 1 vine-ripened tomato, cut into 5mm-thick slices and finely diced
  • 85ml olive oil
  • 1 aubergine (about 400g), cut into 8 x 1.5 cm thick slices
  • 2 tbsp Pesto
  • 16 small bocconcini, halved or a large ball of mozzarella, diced
  • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
  • 8 small basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Put the diced tomato on a paper towel-lined plate.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the aubergine slices. Cook for 5 minutes; don’t worry if the oil disappears. Turn the slices over and add the rest of the oil if you need it. Cook for another 5 minutes, and drain on a plate covered with paper towel. Blot the top of the aubergines with more paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and transfer the aubergine slices onto it. Divide the pesto between the slices and spread. Spoon some of the diced tomato onto each slice (you might have a bit too much).

Arrange the mozzarella on top of the tomato. Sprinkle with Parmesan, season with salt and black pepper, then bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Drain again on paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Wine Suggestion: You could go for either a light red with a bit of acidity, such as an Italian Barbera, or a textural white, like a good Vermentino.

(Original Recipe from Stephanie Alexander’s Kitchen Garden Companion, Lantern, 2009.)

 

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Penne con Pomodoro e Aceto Balsamico

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 16 April 2013| 3 Comments »

This is a really good first-course pasta which has a richness of flavour without being heavy. Use a good quality, aged balsamic vinegar (if you don’t you might need to use a bit extra).

Penne with Tomato & Balsamic Vinegar – to serve 6

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced finely
  • a handful of fresh basil
  • 2 x 400g tins of peeled plum tomatoes (Italian brands are usually the best quality)
  • 250g penne rigate
  • 75g butter, cut into pieces
  • 4 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
  • 120g Pecorino cheese, grated

Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the garlic until light brown. Add a few basil leaves and then the tomatoes. Stir and cook gently for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and thick. Season with salt and pepper and add the rest of the basil.

Cook the penne in lots of salted boiling water , drain thoroughly and return to the saucepan with the butter. When this has melted, add the balsamic vinegar and toss over a gentle heat for a few seconds until the penne are brown. Throw in a handful of the Pecorino, then stir in the tomato sauce. Serve with more Pecorino.

Wine Suggestion: Pairing a wine with this dish is not as straight forward as it may seem as you need a wine to balance the rich flavours, acidic tomatoes and sweet and sour vinegar. One option is something from the Marche with a combination of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. Alternately look for a very good Valpolicella or Ripasso, but make sure it is one with a bit of freshness, tannins and elegance.  Another option, which we tried to good effect, is Barbera where the fresh acidity and softer tannins complemented the dish excellently.

(Original recipe from the River Café by Ruth Rogers & Rose Gray, Ebury House, 1995.)

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Rich Crab Cakes & Corn Puree

Posted in Food, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , on 5 September 2012| 2 Comments »

These are unusual little crab cakes with a side dish of sweet, fresh corn purée. It’s corn season at the moment in Ireland so make them while it’s still available.

Crab cakes with corn purée and chilli oil – to serve 4 as a starter (makes 8 little cakes)

  • 250g fresh picked white crab meat
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
  • 100ml top-quality mayonnaise
  • squeeze of lime or lemon juice
  • 50g fresh white breadcrumbs
  • 150g unsalted butter

For the chilli oil:

  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 80ml extra virgin olive oil

For the corn purée:

  • 3 fresh corn cobs
  • 120ml water
  • 40g unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 50ml crème fraîche
  • 1tsp Tabasco
  • lime wedges (to serve)

Put the crab into a bowl, add the chilli and coriander and mix with a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise. Add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice and season with salt. Make 8 little crab cakes from the mixture and place on a tray. Chill for 30 minutes.

Spread the breadcrumbs evenly on a board and roll the cakes to coat generously. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Make the chilli oil by putting the chopped chilli in a small bowl, add a good pinch of salt and add the olive oil. Stir and leave to infuse.

For the corn purée, cut the kernels from the cobs. Put the kernals into a saucepan, add the water, butter and sugar, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on a gentle heat until the corn is tender, about 20-25 minutes, then drain, but keep the cooking liquor.

Transfer half the corn to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Tip the rest into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pass through a really fine sieve to make sure you have a really smooth purée; it it’s too thick you can add a bit of the reserved cooking liquor to loosen. Stir in the rest of the corn, the crème fraîche, and the Tabasco. Check the seasoning and keep warm.

To cook the crab cakes, heat the butter in a wide non-stick pan over a medium-low heat. When the oil has warmed, gently transfer the crab cakes into the pan and cook for a couple of minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve the crab cakes hot with the corn purée. Serve with the chilli oil and lime wedges.

Wine Suggestion: This is a relatively rich dish so needs to be paired with a wine that has a bit of weight to it. Try and find a Chardonnay that is not too heavy on the oak and from a cooler climate, such as a Pouilly-Fuissé, or one from the Macedon Ranges in Australia.

(Original recipe from Skye Gyngell’s My favourite ingredients, Quadrille Publishing Limited, 2008.)

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Garlic Prawns

Posted in Albarino, Food, Prawns, Shellfish, Spanish, Wine, tagged , , , , , , on 19 May 2012| Leave a Comment »

A really fabulous starter with some crusty bread; a classic Tapas or party starter.

Garlic prawns with parsley & lemon – to serve 6

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • pinch of red chilli flakes
  • 400g large, raw, peeled prawns
  • juice from half a lemon
  • small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • crusty bread to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the garlic with the chilli flakes.

Add the prawns and cook over a high heat for 2-3 minutes until pink.

Squeeze in the lemon juice, stir in the parsley and serve.

Wine Suggestion: This is a classic Spanish dish so we went for the classic Spanish white, Albariño, a great match for shellfish. It worked a treat.

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Caramelised endive with Serrano ham

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , on 2 February 2012| 3 Comments »

It’s endive season but what to do with it? This is another gem from Ottolenghi: the cookbook. You can prep it all in advance and finish it in the oven when your guests arrive. Our favourite starter for February!

Caramelised endive with Serrano ham – to serve 6 as a starter

  • 6 endives, cut in half lengthways
  • 40g unsalted butter
  • 4 tsp caster sugar
  • 50g sourdough breadcrumbs
  • 70g Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tbsp thyme leaves
  • 120ml whipping cream
  • 12 thin slices of Serrano ham
  • olive oil
  • 2 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley (only if you have some!)

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Get your largest frying pan to caramelise the endive in. You will need to do it in batches as they must be able to sit flat without touching. So put half the butter and sugar in the pan and put it over a high heat. Stir to mix. As soon as the butter starts to bubble, place 6 endive halves face down in the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden. You might need to press them down a bit. Don’t worry if your butter starts to brown. Repeat this with the rest of the endive halves, butter and sugar.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment and arrange the endives on top, caramelised side up and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, thyme, cream, 1/4 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper. Spoon this over the endives and top each one with a slice of the ham. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the endives feel soft. Serve hot or warm, drizzled with some olive oil and sprinkled with chopped parsley if you happen to have some.

Wine Suggestion: This is a hard one cause the dish is bitter, sweet, salty and savoury – in hindsight we thought a Grenache might work. Try and find a light, fruity and slightly spicy example from Spain to complement the Spanish ham.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi: the cookbook, Ebury Press, 2008.)

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Poppadoms with Bengali-style Tomato Chutney and Cucumber & Mint Raita

Posted in Asian, Food, Indian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 4 January 2012| Leave a Comment »

If you have access to an Asia market or Indian grocer then they will sell poppadoms (they look like packets of very fine wafers) that are much superior to the already puffed ones you get in ordinary supermarkets. You can fry them in oil or just cook them in a microwave for 60 seconds.

Cucumber & Mint Raita – to serve 4

This is really light and refreshing and would also work well with a barbecue or on baked potatoes. Measure the mint so it doesn’t overpower the dish.

  • 200g cucumber
  • 400g thick plain yogurt
  • 8g mint leaves, shredded
  • 3/4 tsp roasted cumin powder (You can make this by roasting cumin seeds in a small dry pan for about 40 seconds, stirring constantly, until they darken, then grind to a fine powder)

Grate the cucumber on coarse side of a grater. Squeeze out the excess water and put it in a large bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir well and serve cold.

(Original recipe from Anjum Anand’s I ♥ Curry, Quadrille, 2010.)

Bengali-style Tomato Chutney – makes about 350ml

This is great with poppadoms or served alongside a curry. It keeps for several months in the fridge and would also be nice with burgers, chicken, lamb or even in your sandwiches!

  • 2tbsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp whole brown or yellow mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp whole fennel seeds
  • 475ml tomato passata
  • 1 1/2 tsp peeled and very finely grated ginger
  • 175ml cider vinegar
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sultanas

Pour the oil into a heavy-based, medium stainless-steel pan and put over a medium-high heat. When hot add the cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as they start to pop add the fennel seeds. A few seconds later, put in the tomato passata, ginger, vinegar, sugar, pepper flakes and salt. Stir and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 50 minutes, stir now and again. Add the sultanas and cook for another 10 minute by which time it should be thick and look glazed.

Spoon into a steralised jar, leave to cool, screw on the lid and keep in the fridge.

(Original recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Curry Easy, Ebury Press, 2010.)

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Mexican Food – Queso fundido

Posted in Food, Mexican, tagged , , , , , , on 8 October 2011| 2 Comments »

We were kindly lent Thomasina Miers’ Mexican Food made simple by our friend Jenny and this is our first recipe. Very tasty! Serve with some warm flour tortillas and a green salad.

Queso fundido – serves 4-5 as a starter 

  • 3 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 120g chorizo cooking sausage, casings removed
  • 1/2 a white onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 150g mozzarella, grated
  • 150g mature cheddar, grated
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Cover the tomatoes with boiling water and leave for 20 seconds. Drain and pierce them with a knife so you can peel them easily. Scoop out the seeds and dice the flesh into small cubes.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and brown the chorizo over a medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon as you go. Add the onion and cumin and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated from the pan and you have a mince-like texture. Season.

Spread the mixture on to the bottom of a gratin dish so that is just covers the bottom. Cover with the grated cheeses and put in the oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Or you can stick it under the grill.

Warm your tortillas in a hot dry frying pan for a few seconds on each side. Spoon some Queso fundido and salad on your tortilla and roll them up to eat.

Wine Suggestion: You could try a Mexican Zinfandel like LA Cetto from Baja California or it might be easier to pick up a Spanish Garnacha which should be medium-bodied – don’t go for something too complex or concentrated here. A beer would work too!

(Original recipe from Thomasina Miers Mexican Food Made Simple, Hodder & Stoughton, 2010)

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Silver Spoon Penne with Saffron

Posted in Food, Pasta, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 7 August 2011| 12 Comments »

This is made just like a risotto, except you use penne pasta instead of rice. Sounds strange but apparently it’s quite common in the south of Italy, according to our Italian friend. The pasta ends up really soft instead of al dente like we’re all used to but it melts in the mouth and is not at all like over-cooked pasta. We served this as a dinner party starter and it was really simple to stir up while we all had an aperitif.

Penne Gialle (Penne with Saffron) – to serve 4 (or 6 as a starter)

  • about a litre of vegetable or meat stock
  • 40g butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 350g penne lisce (this is the smooth type but if you have ridged penne that will do)
  • pinch of saffron threads
  • 40g Parmesan cheese, grated
Bring the stock to the boil. Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the penne and stir until shiny and coated with fat. Add a ladleful of hot stock and stir until it has been absorbed. Continue adding stock, a ladle at a time, until the pasta  is completely cooked. Stir the saffron into the last ladleful of stock before adding it to the pan. Mix well until everything turns an even yellow colour. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
(Original recipe from The Silver Spoon Pasta published by Phaidon – we highly recommend it!)

Wine Suggestion: We had a Friulano from the north-east of Italy but any fresh Italian white with good roundness and medium body will do. Stay clear of Pinot Grigio as it doesn’t tend to taste of much.

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Crushed pea & broad bean crostini

Posted in Food, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 25 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

We will definitely do this recipe again; the flavours burst in your mouth and taste so summery. Our inspiration was our friend Carol who had some pea puree with radishes at a lovely Sunday lunch recently and Sheila from Gimmetherecipe posted a similar recipe and reminded us to try it. Such an easy summer starter.

Crostini with pea purée rocket & broad beans – to serve 6

  • 200g double-podded broad beans
  • 400g frozen peas
  • 85g butter
  • 100g natural yogurt
  • leaves from a small bunch of mint
  • 1 ciabatta, sliced
  • 1 small bunch dill, chopped
  • couple handfuls of rocket
  • 140g radishes, thinly sliced
  • 85g pecorino cheese
  • extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
  1. Cook the broad beans for 4 minutes until just tender. Drain, , cool under cold running water, then drain and set aside. In the same pan, fry the peas in half the butter until just cooked. Allow to cool, the blitz in the food processor (or use a hand blender) with the yogurt, mint and seasoning.
  2. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Melt the rest of the butter in a small pan, stir in the dill, then brush over the ciabatta slices. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crisp and golden.
  3. Spread some pea purée onto each slice, top with rocket, broad beans and radishes. Shave some pecorino over the top. Drizzle with oil before serving.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)


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Summer Mezedes: a scrumptious feta starter

Posted in Food, Greek, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 11 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

Tiromezes

This is so simple to make and was an excellent way to start a Greek meal (see main course below). The saltiness of the feta becomes imperceptible with grilling, and it balances perfectly with the sweetness of the tomato and mild heat of the chilli. We’ll definitely do this again!

Tiromezes: easy cheese appetizer – serves 4

  • 4 square, thick slices feta cheese
  • 1 large tomato, cut into 4 rounds
  • 1 long green chilli, thinly sliced
  • pinch of dry oregano
  • pepper
  • olive oil for drizzling

Preheat the grill. Put the cheese slices side by side in a shallow flameproof dish. Put a tomato slice on top of each feta square and top with the slices of chilli. Sprinkle with oregano and pepper and drizzle with a little bit of oil. Grill for 6-8 minutes, until the tomato and chilli are lightly browned. Serve immediately with a glass of ouzo if you have some (we didn’t 😦 maybe next time).

(Original recipe from Vefa’s Kitchen)

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Probably the best anchovies in the world

Posted in Food, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on 10 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

Anchovies are like Marmite – you love them or hate them. We love them and to really make them sing this is what to do.

To serve 4:

Arrange 8 large good-quality pickled anchovy fillets on a nice plate. Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon and drizzle some olive oil over them. Grind over a good twist of black pepper, scatter over a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves then toss and serve.

Your anchovy-loving friends will thank you.

(Idea from Anchovies in Jamie Does…)

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Don’t ever buy houmous!

Posted in Food, Healthy, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on 10 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

HummusHoumous is very cheap to make and is almost instant if you use tinned chickpeas. You will get at least three times the quantity of one of those little supermarket tubs from this recipe. It also tastes great and is really healthy.

Hummus 

  • 2 tins of chickpeas, drained, reserving some of the liquid
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sweet paprika

Crush the garlic with some salt until it becomes a paste. Put the chickpeas, tahini and garlic in a blender or food processor and puree a little and then season with salt. Add the lemon juice and continue blitzing until smooth. Scrape out into a bowl and mix the olive oil in well. If it’s a bit dry add some of your reserved liquid. Check that there is enough salt. Sprinkle with the paprika and drizzle another bit of olive oil over the top.

(Original recipe from ‘Falling cloudberries’ by Tessa Kiros)

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Speedy Gaucamole

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 10 April 2011| 2 Comments »

This guacamole takes minutes to make and is delish! Avocados are in season now too so you should have no bother picking up some nice ripe ones. Another side that we pulled from one of Jamie’s 30 minute meals. It’s so good we’ve made it twice in 48 hours!

  • 4 scallions
  • bunch of fresh coriander
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled
  • 1 lime
  • 2-3 small ripe avocados
  • a handful of cherry tomatoes

Put the scallions into your food processor with the coriander, whole chilli (remove the stalk), garlic,  the juice from the lime and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Whizz while you stone the avocados and quarter the tomatoes.

Stop whizzing and put the avocado flesh into the processor. Add the tomatoes and pulse until chunky (don’t start whizzing again or it will go smooth which you don’t want here).

Scrape it out into a bowl, season and add a bit more lime juice if you want.

Serve with tortilla chips, chilli or whatever you like.

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Greek Feast – Stuffed Vine Leaves

Posted in Greek, Vegetarian, tagged , , , on 7 November 2010| Leave a Comment »

Our friends are just home from their honeymoon in Greece and as we are still new-fangled with Vefa’s Kitchen so we invited them over for a Greek Feast on Saturday night.

These vine leaves were a labour of love (they took me hours) but were well worth it and our friends reckoned they were better than any they had in Greece – though maybe they were just being nice. Perfect party food and can be made well in advance.

Dolmadakia gialantzi (Rice-stuffed Vine Leaves) – Serves lots of people!

  • Rinse 500g vine leaves and trim off the stems.
  • Add the leaves, a few at a time, to a pan of boiling water and blanch briefly, then drain, and leave to cool.
  • Cover the bottom of a large, wide, heavy pan with some of the leaves.
  • Put 175g finely chopped scallions and 2 large chopped onions into a colander, sprinkle with a little salt, and rub with your fingers. Rinse and drain, then squeeze out as much water as possible.
  • Combine 500g medium-grain rice (we used basmati), the onions, 25g chopped parsley, 15g chopped dill, 225ml olive oil, 4 tablespoons pine nuts and 4 tablespoons currants in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
  • Lay a leaf out flat, shiny side down. Put about 1 tablespoon of the mixture at the stem end in the middle, fold the sides over the filling, and loosely roll up into a parcel.
  • Arrange the stuffed leaves in the lined pan, seam side down – you will have more than one layer.
  • Pour over 225ml olive oil, 600ml boiling water, and 5 tablespoons of lemon juice.
  • Invert a heavy plate on top of the parcels to stop them from opening while cooking.
  • Cover the pan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer until all the water has been absorbed (the recipe suggests 35-45 minutes but ours took much longer than this!).
  • Remove from the heat, put a cotton cloth between the pan and the lid to absorb the steam, and allow to cool.
  • Transfer to a serving platter and serve with Tzatziki or plain yoghurt.

Julie

These tasted great the day after too – best vine leaves ever! – Jono 🙂

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