A Salad of Caramelised Parsnip with Maple Syrup, Goat Cheese and Thyme
At the moment I could eat roots and turnips all the time luckily, as tasty spring vegetables are still a few months away. It's always the same, around March I start to miss ripe tomatoes, juicy cucumber, crunchy lettuce, zucchini, the ripe tastes of summer. Greenhouse vegetables reach their watery peak at this time of the year so they are not really an alternative. The cherry tomatoes I bought the other day had thick skin and when I ate them I had to image tomatoes rather than tasting them. I don't really feel like cabbage anymore, so I stick to everything that grows in the ground.
I enjoyed my Monday's Ginger Honey Navet Steaks so much, their sweet, syrupy juices were delicious, that I thought about other combinations of roots and syrup. My choice was caramelized parsnip roasted with maple syrup and thyme leaves, combined with fresh goat cheese in a warm salad. The juices make a great thick syrup, glazed around the roots they are a perfect match for the milky cheese crumbs and strong wintery herb. You could make it as a side dish, still hot, we ate it as a warm salad, I didn't want the cheese to melt.
I cut three parsnips into long strips and glazed them with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup mixed with salt and pepper. A dash of white wine and the leaves of 4 sprigs of time on top, everything well spread in a roasting tin, I baked it for 15 minutes in the hot oven set to 200°C / 390°F, Rotitherm roasting setting. When the parsnip was done, golden on the outside and soft inside, I let them cool for a couple minutes before I crumbled 80g / 3 ounces of fresh, soft goat cheese over the roots. The two us cleaned the tin with our fingers, not to waste a drop of the sweet syrup.
Crunchy Artichoke Hearts with Spinach Tagliatelle
I had three artichokes left from Emma's wonderful gift from Malta, where they are already in season. I kept them to cook a meal which I usually enjoy in late summer, artichoke fried with onion and garlic mixed with pasta. I remove their leaves and use just their heart and stem, cut into thin slices as opposed to the bigger, round ones which have thicker, fleshy leaves, perfect to dip into dressings and nibble on, also a summer treat I look forward to!
As soon as the leaves have been removed from the artichoke, this meal is really quick to cook. First I prepared the three vegetables which are enough for a dinner for 3. When you pull the leaves off and cut out the fine hair, you can keep the artichoke heart and stem in a bowl with water and half a lemon. This keeps them from changing their colour as you continue preparing the rest of them. I didn't do this as I don't mind.
I went for Delverde Tagliatelle Agli Spinaci (around 300g / 10.5 ounces) to bring in some colour and cooked them al dente while I prepared the artichokes. First I fried 1 finely chopped onion and 1 crushed garlic in some olive oil in a large pan until golden and soft. I added the finely sliced artichoke and fried it until golden brown on all sides. I deglazed it with some white wine, seasoned with salt and pepper and let it cook for a few minutes. When the tagliatelle were done, I poured some of the water I used for cooking the pasta over the artichokes, mixed in the pasta and seasoned everything with salt and black pepper to taste.
Ginger Honey glazed Navet Steaks with Orange Juice and Rosemary
When I saw these beautiful yellow turnips, also known as Navet, at the store, I had to buy them although I wasn't really sure what to cook with them. They are related to beetroot but taste more like rutabaga. After 1 or 2 days of looking at them I found my inspiration, thick Navet steaks fried in butter with ginger, honey, orange juice and rosemary. I made a similar recipe with rutabaga in December and the combination of turnip and ginger is one that I like a lot.
This time, I wanted to add a few more aromas, the sweetness of honey, the fruity sourness of orange juice and some woody rosemary, all this combined in the buttery juices of my yellow turnip. The result left me speechless! I couldn't get enough of this sauce, so thick, sweet, spicy and sour, simply amazing, and the Navet steaks covered in this sticky glaze combined perfectly with all the different flavours.
Ginger Honey glazed Navet Roots with Orange Juice and Rosemary
For a lunch or side dish for 2 you need
yellow turnip, cut into thick steaks, 2 (you can also use rutabaga)
ginger, grated, a thumbnail sized piece
honey, 1 teaspoon
orange juice for deglazing
fresh rosemary, chopped, 2 tablespoons
butter 3 tablespoons
salt and black pepper
In a large pan, heat the butter together with the honey and ginger, add the turnip and season with salt and pepper. On medium heat, fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Deglaze with a splash of orange juice, let it cook for 1-2 minutes and sprinkle with rosemary.
Earthy Porcini Lentil Soup with Honey and Ginger
A couple days ago I ate a very aromatic porcini soup at one of my favourite restaurants and I was very surprised when the chef and owner told me where the mushrooms for this wonderful meal came from, the desert. The dunes of the Kalahari in southern Africa produce sensational truffle and porcini in season from now till May. I savored this dinner together with my family and we were all surprised and impressed at the same time! I've never seen mushrooms from the Kalahari in a store or at the markets before but I will definitely look out for them!
The soup was so tasty that it aroused my appetite for mushrooms and I had to think of a lentil soup my aunt Ursula had told me about (she was at the dinner as well). It combines the earthy flavours of lentils and porcini. I went for dried porcini (from Italy not from Africa). My aunt recommended them for this meal as you have to shred them finely into a very concentrated porcini flour which you cook together with the lentils. I used my Swabian Alb Leisa Lentils from South Germany for this meal which conveniently don't need to soak in water. Their taste is strong enough for the aromatic porcini, so strong that I could even add a piece of ginger, some thyme sprigs and a spoon of honey. The result is an absolutely delicious lentil soup full of wintery aromas.
Porcini Lentils with Honey, Ginger and Thyme
This is great to cook in large batches to keep in the freezer for quick dinners!
For 4 people you need
lentils 350g / 12.5 ounces (I use a small dark type which doesn't need to soak)
dried porcini mushrooms, shredded finely in a blender, 50g / 2 ounces
medium sized onion, chopped, 1
garlic, crushed, 1 clove
broth 1000ml plus more for cooking depending on the lentils
fresh thyme 5 sprigs
ginger, thumbnail sized
bay leaf 1
honey 1 tablespoon
salt and black pepper
olive oil for frying
In a large pot, fry the onion and garlic in a little oil on medium heat until golden, add some more oil and the shredded porcini and fry for 1 minute. Add the lentils, ginger, thyme, bay leaf and the broth. Don’t season with salt yet or the lentils will stay hard. Close the lid and let it cook for about 30 minutes. The cooking time depends on the lentil type, mine needed 30 minutes. When the lentils are soft, add the honey, season with salt and pepper and take out the thyme sprigs, bay leaf and ginger.
A Purple Risotto with Bitter Radicchio
When it comes to risotto I like the rice to have a bit of bite, with a velvety texture and not too liquid. I always make mine with broth and wine adding a little at a time so that I don't miss the point of my favoured texture. What's great about this meal is that it's made of ingredients which I usually have in stock. There are always one or two vegetables in my fridge waiting to be used and Arborio rice, onions, garlic, olive oil and wine to cook is on my shelves anyway. So it's perfect for an indecisive day when I don't know what to put on my cooker, or I don't have the time to think about dinner. Conveniently, it's also ready in half an hour!
My purple risotto has a biting bitterness from the radicchio which combines very well with the thyme. The rice is infused with the strong flavours in my broth and spices. I use a bay leaf and cloves which introduce a woody element to the bitterness (although that sounds strange, it describes it best!). When I cook with radicchio I like to have a strong counterpart to balance out its dominant character.
Radicchio Risotto with Spices and Thyme
For 2 hungry people you need
Arborio rice 200g / 7 ounces
radicchio, quartered and cut into slices, 1 medium sized head (I cut a few radicchio slices very thinly which I leave uncooked for the topping)
onion, chopped finely, 1
garlic, cut in half, 1 clove
red wine around 200ml
broth 1200-1500ml
fresh thyme leaves from 4-6 sprigs
bay leaf 1
cloves 2
salt and black pepper
olive oil for frying
butter 1 tablespoon
In a large pot, fry the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until golden and soft, stir in the rice and radicchio and fry on medium temperature for a couple minutes. Deglaze with 1/3 of the wine, let it cook until evaporated and repeat twice, stirring in between. Add 4 sprigs of the thyme, the spices, salt and pepper and some of the stock, enough to cover the rice. The temperature should be between low and medium. When the liquid has been absorbed continue to add more broth, a little at a time stirring in between. Depending on the rice, it sometimes needs more or less liquids. When the rice is al dente and the broth is more or less absorbed take it off the heat, take out the spices, stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange on plates sprinkled with the uncooked radicchio slices and some thyme leaves.
Beetroot and Apple Carpaccio with Pomegranate
A quick carpaccio in bright red with cooked beetroot, apple and pomegranate to welcome a special guest! My mother will be at my home (and in my kitchen) over the next few days. I'm sure we'll be out a lot but I really hope we'll find some time to cook together which I enjoy a lot!
I'm a big fan of vegetable carpaccio. It allows you to combine different flavours in a very pure, quick to make and beautiful way. All you have to do is slice a vegetable or fruit very thinly, arrange it and top with a simple dressing. My red carpaccio is based on the strong, earthy-sweet taste of cooked beetroot which combines perfectly with the sweetness of the apple and pomegranate. I cooked the roots in a bigger batch - as I do every week - in salty water with two bay leaves for 50 minutes (depending on their size they might need shorter but mine were big). For my carpaccio for 2 I need 1 root cut thinly with a slicer, 1 sweet apple prepared in the same way and the seeds of 1/3 of a pomegranate. I drizzle my current favourite lunchtime dressing on top, 3 tablespoons of olive oil mixed with 2 tablespoons of white Balasamico and season it with salt and pepper. It's a great lunch, as pretty as it is tasty!
A warming Soup with Chestnuts, Cinnamon and Thyme
For this soup I appreciate the convenience of vacuum packed peeled chestnuts - even though I love the romantic, wintery atmosphere when you bake them in the oven and they fill the air with the smell of their burned peel. I need quite a few nuts for my recipe and with so many to peel, the thought of burnt fingers puts me off. I want a soup without major frustration and injury, so I bought them pre-cooked and peeled. This is a quick soup, relaxed cooking and I didn't want to change that.
I had a velvety soup in mind, smooth and a bit sweet, enhanced with some cinnamon and thyme. I wasn't sure if the chestnuts would be too overpowering so I added a few cooked potatoes. When you have a nice broth on hand, the preparation only takes a few minutes. All you need to do is fry an onion in a little oil, add the chestnuts, potatoes, cinnamon and thyme and heat everything together with the broth, some cream, salt and pepper. When you have everything together, mix it in a blender.
As a main for 2, I used 250g / 9 ounces chestnuts, 3 medium sized cooked potatoes (cut into cubes), 1 large onion (chopped and fried in olive oil), 600ml of broth, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, seasoned with 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon plus salt and black pepper to taste. Fill into bowls and if you like sprinkle with chestnut crumbles, cinnamon and thyme.
Sandwich Wednesday with Camembert and Juicy Pomegranate
It felt like a lot of people enjoyed my Stilton and Pear Sandwich a couple weeks ago as much as I did. I received quite a few messages from people who tried it and loved it which made me think about further possible cheese and fruit combinations. There are a million variations but I particularly love a mix of sweet and aromatic flavours. When it comes to cheese, I'm the kind of person who eats what others might consider to be beyond the expiry date, to me a cheese can't be too ripe. There is a wonderful cheese section in my favourite department store which has - as you can imagine - a very distinct smell in the air. So when I go there with friends you can be sure that when the others are already on the run, I'm still standing there fascinated by the variety. When it comes to cheese, I feel no pain!
At the moment I buy a lot of pomegranate, they are sweet and juicy (and full of antioxidants which isn't bad either). So the fruit is set. My cheese of choice is an an aged Camembert, so stinky that I have to wrap it twice and put into a box to keep the rest of my fridge safe, but it tastes delicious! I bought a loaf of Ciabatta, my current favourite for sandwiches when I don't bake my own bread, which I cut in half and cover with thick slices of my creamy Camembert (for 2 people I needed around 90g of this cheese). I baked it in the oven under the grill for just 20 seconds, any longer and there wouldn't be any cheese left. This one melts really quick! I kept a baking dish under it to collect the cheese running down the sides of the bread. When it was golden brown, I took it out and sprinkled my sandwiches with the seeds of 1/3 of a pomegranate and crushed black pepper.
Sweet Pear and Bitter Chicory Salad
This was my favourite salad during my university years! When I was too busy to cook or my fridge didn't have much to offer, this was always an option (besides spaghetti with tomato sauce). A crunchy sweet and bitter combination which I always love but here especially together with the walnuts. In winter I make sure I have these three in stock, pear and walnuts as a quick snack and chicory is one of my quick emergency dinners. If I'm running out of time, I cut 2 chicories in half, fry them in butter, golden brown on each side and season them with salt and pepper - done.
For my salad I need 2 chicories and 1 pear, both sliced in strips, enough to feed 2-4 people. At lunch time people have different eating habits so it's hard to estimate the exact amounts. At a dinner party this is definitely enough for a a side dish for 4. I make a light dressing with 3 tablespoons of olive oil mixed with 2 tablespoons of white Balsamico (I can't live without this vinegar in winter!), seasoned with salt and pepper. You could also add some fresh lemon juice. Some walnuts on top and I'm back in my student years!
Potato Porcini Gratin with Raclette and Thyme
Imagine bubbling Raclette cheese, golden potatoes, earthy Porcini and aromatic thyme and you have all the strong but well balanced flavours of my hearty gratin. Add some cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg and you're pretty much done. It's a quick one, the potatoes are boiled already and I used dried Porcini which only had to soak for a couple minutes. Normally I make my gratin with raw potatoes, sliced very thinly, several layers stacked on top of each other with cheese in between. It takes longer to prepare and to cook, I didn't have the time so I went for a quicker one.
I like to cook with dried Porcini. It's convenient as you can use them all year round and they are really tasty, even more intense than the fresh ones. I always use the liquid after I soak them in water as it absorbs lots of the mushroom's taste. It's great for risotto or, in my case, to mix with the cream. It makes a lighter sauce than my usual gratin milk and cream mixture. I add some thyme which is the perfect herb for Porcini (parsley also fits well but the thick thyme leaves give it this nice wintery touch). I cut the potato slices quite thick, I don't want them to become mushy when they soak a bit of the sauce. To finish it off it just needs some strong meltable cheese sprinkled on top. Swiss Raclette became one of my my favourites over the past years as it tastes really strong. I don't like to drown my poor food under piles of cheese for a bit of taste, I rather use less of a good and aromatic one.
Potato Porcini Gratin
For 4 people as a side dish, or for 2 as a main, you need
boiled potatoes, cut into thick slices, 800g / 1 1/2 pound
dried Porcini, soaked in 120ml of warm water, chopped, 20g / 1 ounce (keep the water, you will need 100ml for the sauce)
heavy cream 100ml
Raclette cheese, grated, 50g / 2 ounces
thyme leaves of 2-3 sprigs
salt and black pepper
nutmeg, ground
olive oil to brush the baking dish
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F.
Arrange the potato slices in the oiled baking dish. Mix the cream, Porcini water, chopped Porcini, cheese and thyme leaves. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and pour over the potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden. At that point you can also put the gratin under the grill for a couple minutes so that the cheese becomes a bit crisp.
Sabih - A Sandwich with Hummus, Egg and Grilled Aubergine
The last time I ate Hummus at a restaurant I decided that the time has come to make my own. It's one of my favourites from the Middle Eastern cuisine and you can be sure that I always order my own little bowl of this delicious spread when we go to a restaurant to make sure that I definitely have enough for myself.
I'm an expert when it comes to eating it but not preparing it and I didn't want to make a fool of myself so I decided to ask two experts, both very good friends of mine from Israel. They recommended using really good quality Tahini from Lebanon because this sesame paste has a big influence on the Hummus' taste. It's one of the main ingredients together with cooked chickpeas and this is actually where Hummus gets its name from, meaning chickpeas in Arabic. It's very easy to prepare if you use tinned chickpeas - that's what I did and the expert opinions didn't object - you just have to peel them which only takes 5 minutes. It's more like popping them out of their peel between two fingers, it's fun! Then you add the Tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic, salt, water, mix everything in a blender and your Hummus is done.
My friends also told me about a sandwich which is very popular in Israel - Sabih (meaning the handsome one!). You spread Hummus on some good white bread (I use my olive bread which fits really well with its juicy texture and flavours of green and black olives), then you put slices of grilled aubergine and boiled egg on the Hummus and sprinkle some Harissa on top. This is too good! I'm not normally the first one to put an egg on a sandwich, but here I make an exception. The creamy Hummus, the juicy bread, the aubergine, the egg, the whole combination is just divine, I'm not surprised this sandwich is so popular!
Sabih with Hummus, Grilled Aubergine and Boiled Egg
I made enough Hummus to fill a large bowl as you can keep it in the fridge for a few days. For the sandwich you can also use white flatbread but I must say that I really enjoyed it with my thick and juicy olive bread.
For the Hummus
canned chickpeas, cooked and peeled, 475g / 17 ounces
tahini 300g / 10.5 ounces
garlic, crushed, 2 big cloves
salt 1 1/4 teaspoon
freshly squeezed lemon juice 5 tablespoons
water 100-125ml
olive oil, for the topping
harissa, for the topping
Purée all the ingredients in a blender until you have a smooth paste, you can add a little more water and lemon juice if you want the Hummus less thick. Fill in a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil and Harissa.
For the grilled aubergine (eggplant)
one aubergine, cut into 7mm / 1/4" slices
olive oil to brush the aubergine slices (around 50ml)
salt and pepper
Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill in the oven until golden brown and soft.
For the sandwich
white bread, 4-6 thick slices
boiled organic eggs, cut into slices, 2
Spread the Hummus on a slice of bread, put 1-2 slices of the grilled aubergine and some of the egg on top and sprinkle with a little Harissa to add more spiciness. Close with a second slice of bread to finish your sandwich.
A Salad with Beluga Lentils and Beetroot
I went a bit overboard on the weekend, two pies (sweet and savory) in two days, time for a change in my kitchen! Something lighter (that doesn't involve butter) is on my mind, a salad with black Beluga lentils and fried beetroot slices. Beluga lentils are perfect for salads. They are tiny little legumes, with a strong and nutty taste and they just have to cook for 30 minutes without having to soak in water. The beetroot becomes a bit sweet when you fry the raw slices, even sweeter than when boiled in water. When it comes to salads, I prefer fewer ingredients with strong flavours and quick preparation. I'm not too fond of salads which mix up lots of different vegetables and fruit as the single tastes tend to get blurred.
Today's salad is a dark beauty, the lentils are dark grey, nearly black with shades of blue and green and the beetroot slices deepen to a dark red when you fry them. All you need for a salad for 4 is 1 cup / 200g of Beluga lentils, rinsed and cooked in 3 cups of water (without salt!) for 20-30 minutes. While they are simmering, I slice 2 large uncooked beetroots with a slicer very thinly. I heat some oil in a large pan, sprinkle the beetroot slices with a pinch of sugar and fry them in batches for a few seconds on each side before I season them with salt and pepper. They burn quickly which gives them a bitter taste so you have to watch them.
My dressing is very simple and light, 3 generous tablespoons of olive oil mixed with 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of white Balsamico vinegar, seasoned with salt and black pepper. When the lentils are done I rinse them with cold water, drain them and pour the dressing on top. You may have to add more salt and pepper at this point to taste. I lay the beetroot slices on top and the salad is ready to be served!
Buttery Crisp Fennel Tart
A tart, a quiche, a pie, call it whatever you like, anything that involves buttery short crust is heavenly food to me. I'm the happiest person in the world when I have one of these in my oven, filling the air with that buttery smell, teasing me as I can't wait to have the first bite in my mouth. Most of the time I use my all time favourite quiche crust recipe for any kind of savory tart or quiche. I wrote about that recipe in December. It has been with me for nearly twenty years and I never found a better one. It's crisp, it's buttery, yet still light. Just perfect!
If you follow eat in my kitchen you'll find that I tend to buy too much of this and that (I'm talking about food). This time it's fennel, three bulbs! I never throw any food away, I use everything I buy, but I become too excited when I see all the nice food at the market and a million things come into my mind that I'd like to cook with them. So I buy whatever arouses my appetite. Sometimes, my fridge just reaches its limits.
I haven't made a tart in a while so I will use the fennel for the filling, mixed with Parmesan, a few eggs, milk and cream, and the buttery smell can take over my flat!
Fennel Tart
For one tart you need a round (27cm / 10.5″) or oval baking dish or tart pan.
For the short crust base
flour 250g / 8.5 ounces (I use spelt flour type 630 but you can use any other plain flour)
butter, cold 125g / 4.5 ounces
organic egg 1
salt 1 teaspoon
Combine the flour with the salt. Cut the butter with a knife into the flour until there are just little pieces of butter left. Continue with your fingers and work the butter into the flour until combined (there shouldn’t be any lumps of butter left). Add the egg and continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a disc, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
For the filling
fennel, cut in half and sliced thinly, 400g / 14 ounces
organic eggs 2
milk 100 ml
heavy cream 100 ml
Parmesan, grated, 2 heaped tablespoons
salt 1 teaspoon
black pepper
nutmeg, freshly grated
The tart
Set your oven to 210°C / 410°F.
Sauté the fennel in a big pan in a little oil for 5 minutes until golden.
Mix the eggs with the milk, heavy cream, Parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Roll out the dough between cling film and line your baking dish with the flat pastry. Prick it with a fork and blind-bake in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Take your baking dish out of the oven and set the temperature down to 180°C / 355°F.
Spread the fried fennel on top of the pre-baked pastry base and pour the liquid mixture over. Put the tart carefully on a baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden, the top should be firm. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
A juicy treat with orange, turmeric and ginger
Today's post is dedicated to all my friends who have a cold - unfortunately, quite a few at the moment. I would love to have them all over to nurse them, so I decided to come up with a tasty and healthy juice, full of vitamins and powerful roots to give them a recipe that will strengthen them again!
My current favourite, the blood orange, is as important to this juice as freshly grated turmeric and ginger roots. Turmeric is a great helper when your body suffers from inflammations, be it in the throat, the ears or your tummy. This root has an important role in the Ayurveda philosophy and is assumed to have a big effect on our cells like ginger which is an antiseptic boost to the immune system.
If you feel well and strong - which I hope you all are - then you can just enjoy this wonderful juice and its spicy, fruity taste. And anyways, prevention is better than cure.
For 1 big glass of this powerful drink, you will need around 350ml of freshly squeezed orange juice (I used 6 of my blood oranges), 1/8 teaspoon of freshly grated turmeric root and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger. I bought the turmeric in a small organic shop around the corner but you can find it in lots of Asian shops as well.
Drink it, enjoy, and get well soon!
White Pizza with Spinach and Ricotta
A few years ago curiosity got the better of me and I tried a "white pizza" at one of my favourite pizza restaurants. White pizza is made without tomatoes and I didn't quite know what to expect. I had my virgin white pizza moment with a spinach and ricotta topping and all my reservations melted away after the first bite. Lighter and with more space for the single ingredients, the absence of tomato sauce didn't lessen that feel good pizza pleasure.
I wrote about my Sunday pizza tradition a few weeks ago and yesterday was no exception. It has been ages since my last white pizza and, as it's been on my mind for a while, I bought some crisp winter spinach and ricotta. To finish it off I added some olive oil infused with garlic and some crushed black pepper. The dough was light and crisp, it soaked some oil, but not too much, a bit like a Focaccia. The spinach was crisp and had some bite as in winter it's a bit thicker while the ricotta brought a touch of velvety smoothness.
White Pizza with Winter Spinach, Ricotta and Olive Oil
I start to prepare the dough 2 hours before I bake it to give it enough time to rise.
For 1 big pizza (size of 1 baking sheet) you need
For the topping
fresh spinach, rinsed, 250g / 9 ounces
fresh ricotta 250g / 9 ounces
olive oil 4-6 tablespoons
garlic, cut in half, 1 clove
salt and crushed black pepper
Warm up the olive oil together with the garlic for 2-3 minutes.
For the dough
plain flour 350g / 12.5 ounces plus more for mixing
dry yeast 1 package (for 500g / 1 pound of flour)
water, lukewarm, 190ml
olive oil 3 tablespoons
salt 1 teaspoon
Combine the flour with the yeast and salt, add the olive oil and the lukewarm water, slowly, not all at once (you might not need all of it). Mix with your dough hooks for a few minutes. The dough shouldn’t be moist and sticky at all, more on the dry side. Continue kneading and punching with your hands until you have an elastic dough ball, not too hard, not sticky. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover it with a tea towel and let it rise in the warm oven (35°C / 95°F) for 40 minutes. This works really well but make sure that your oven is set to top/ bottom heat and not to fan.
When the dough is well risen, roll it out on a very well floured (this is very important!) working surface. It should be a bit smaller than the size of your baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let it rise for another 10-15 minutes.
The pizza
Set your oven to 260°C / 500°F. My oven has a special pizza setting but you can use top / bottom heat as well. Put the baking sheet on the bottom of your oven to heat it.
Take the hot baking sheet out of the oven, flip it over and place it carefully on two stable wooden boards or mats as it will be very hot. Place your risen dough carefully but quickly (best done by two people) on the baking sheet, push it gently into place if necessary. Sprinkle the olive oil and the ricotta in lumps on top. Put the baking sheet back into the oven, on the bottom again, and bake for a few minutes until the pizza is golden. Take it out and spread the spinach on top immediately. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle some more olive oil on top if you like and enjoy!
Sunset in a Jar - Blood Orange Marmalade
This red is just stunning. It's like the brightest red sunset caught in a jar! I'm hooked on blood oranges, I have them all the time, as a snack or as fresh juice. They are so sweet and juicy at the moment that I much prefer them to normal oranges or tangerines even. I buy huge bags of the Italian ones, now that they are in season, organic with thin skin, and I think I could live off them (for now).
All good but I want to bring some variety in, therefore I decide to put them in a jar and made some blood orange marmalade. I've never made it before but so far my marmalade recipe worked very well with Seville oranges and tangerines, so why not with blood oranges (I wrote about my tangerine marmalade in December)? It worked, and more than that, the result is amazing! This marmalade is so sweet, yet slightly bitter, it's just right! I spread it on a slice of white English bread, impatiently, it just finished cooking, and I couldn't stop smiling.
Blood Orange Marmalade
For 3-4 medium sized jam jars you need
organic blood oranges, rinsed, 1200g / 2 1/2 pounds
granulated sugar 600g / 1 1/4 pounds
juice and seeds of 2 lemons
spirit to sterilise the rims of the jars
Sterilise the 4 jam jars in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil. Cook the oranges for 25 minutes or until soft (mine needed 25 minutes but they were small with thin skin). Take them out and keep some of the water.
Quarter the cooked oranges (don’t peel them, you use the whole orange!), take out their seeds and put them aside (you will need them). Cut the lemons in half and keep their seeds as well. In a small pan, heat up some of the blood orange cooking water (it should come up to 2cm / 3/4"), add the lemon seeds and orange seeds and let them cook for 5 minutes.
Shred the quartered oranges in a food processor for a few seconds. Put them in a large pan, add the sugar, the lemon juice and the water used to boil the seeds. Bring to the boil gently (the sugar has to dissolve first) and boil for 18-20 minutes.
Dip the rim of your jars in the spirit and wash out the lids of the jars with the alcohol as well. Fill your jars with the marmalade and close well immediately.
Pear and Stilton - the perfect Sandwich Combination
Ripe Stilton and crisp Abate pear are the perfect match for my sandwich. I layer thin slices of the juicy fruit and crumbs of the blue cheese on thick white bread and put it in under the grill (broiler), just until the cheese starts to bubble and the bread is slightly roasted. The spiciness of the creamy English cheese and the sweetness of the pear are a heavenly combination.
I once used this duo as a topping for my Quiche and everybody loved it but I must say, it's just as good on my sandwich and quicker to prepare. All you need is a loaf of white bread (I use fresh spelt Ciabatta), a crisp pear like Abate and around 100g / 3.5 ounces of ripe, spicy Stilton (or any other blue cheese). Prepare your sandwich, finish under the grill (broiler) and sprinkle with some walnuts and black pepper. You can treat 2-4 people to this wonderful snack, at lunch or as a starter at a dinner party and you can be sure you will make them very happy!
Crispy Latke with Orange Cream
It's been a beautiful January morning. Blue sky, the air is crisp and clean and much to my surprise glowing with sunshine! I went to the park to enjoy the first sunny morning in 2014 and it felt like spring. This calls for a celebration, something equally warming and shiny on my plate: fried golden latke. I make mine with Hokkaido pumpkin and potatoes, a home made curry mixture and an orange, cinnamon flavoured cream.
At this time of the year, I often cook with my own curry mixtures. I guess it's the cold, my body appreciates warming spices like cayenne and turmeric. For my pumpkin - potato mixture, I prepare a curry mixture that is not too hot, despite the inclusion of cayenne. I want strong flavours, but more on the sweet side, like cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. The cream gives a lighter feel to this meal, its milky sourness is a refreshing counterpoint to the fried latkes, the orange zest and spices reinforce it.
Spicy Pumpkin and Potato Latke with an Orange Cream
I use around 600g / 21 ounces peeled potatoes and 400g / 14 ounces pumpkin for my latke mixture which is enough for 3 - 4 people:
For the latke
Hokkaido pumpkin (or any other pumpkin / squash), grated, 400g / 14 ounces (with peel, just scoop out the seeds and fibre)
potatoes, peeled, grated, 600g / 21 ounces
onion, peeled, grated, 2
plain flour 12 tablespoons plus more for mixing
organic eggs 3
salt 3 teaspoons
vegetable oil for frying
For the curry mixture (for the latke)
cayenne pepper, ground, 1/4 teaspoon
coriander seeds, ground, 1/2 teaspoon
black pepper, ground, 1/2 teaspoon
turmeric, ground, 1/2 teaspoon
cumin, ground, 1/4 teaspoon
cardamom, ground, 1/4 teaspoon
cinnamon, ground, 1/4 teaspoon
3 cloves, ground in a mortar
For the cream
cream cheese 150g / 5 ounces
heavy cream 4 tablespoons
plain yoghurt 4 tablespoons
orange zest 3 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
a pinch of cayenne pepper (ground)
a pinch of cinnamon (ground)
a pinch of cardamom (ground)
Mix all the ingredients for the cream and season to taste.
Squeeze out the grated potatoes, pumpkin and onions and dry between kitchen paper (in batches) until you get most of the liquid out. Mix all the ingredients for the latke, add more flour if the mixture is too moist.
Heat a good amount of oil in a large cast iron pan. Form pancake shaped latkes and fry them in the hot oil, 1-1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Take down the heat if they get too dark. When the latke is done, remove excess oil with kitchen paper and keep in a warm oven until you finish your last batch. Serve together with the cream.
Umbrian Torta al Testo with Rucola and Mozzarella
This week's sandwich is my version of Torta al Testo - the Umbrian flatbread - stuffed with rucola and mozzarella together with a dressing of olive oil and balsamico. Originally, this bread is unleavened, just made with flour, salt and water. I add some dry yeast, some use baking soda or sourdough. The name Torta al Testo comes from the fact that, traditionally, it is cooked on a hot disc of clay or metal - al testo - over the open fire, as I don't have that I use a skillet on a normal cooker.
Torta al Testo has everything a good sandwich needs: amazing bread and a tasty filling. What I also like about it, is the way it's cooked. It's fun to see the flat disc of dough rising and cooking in the hot pan within a couple minutes. It's very entertaining! I recently had friends over for dinner and Torta al Testo was the starter. We gathered in the kitchen, crowded as always, I cooked the bread and we all watched it rise. The kitchen was packed with people and food, I cooked one batch of flatbread after the other (I had to make quite a few of them) and the room got more and more smokey from the hot pan. Thankfully no one left, even though you could barely see anymore after I had left one in too long. We were all kind of mesmerized by the rising bread but don't worry, if you watch your bread it will be fine, no need for a fire alarm!
Torta al Testo with Rucola and Mozzarella
For 6 Torta al Testo you need
For the dough
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces plus more for mixing (I use spelt flour type 630 but you can use any other flour)
dry yeast 1 1/2 teaspoons
water, lukewarm, 140ml
salt 1/4 teaspoon
For the filling
mozzarella, cut into cubes, 125g / 4.5 ounces
rucola around 100g / 3.5 ounces
olive oil (6 tablespoons) mixed with balsamic vinegar (3 tablespoons) and seasoned with salt and pepper
Mix all the ingredients for the dough with the hooks of your mixer. Add some more flour if the mixture is too sticky. After 5 minutes continue mixing with your hands for a couple minutes. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover it with a tea towel and let it rise in a warm place or the warm oven (35°C / 95°F, top/ bottom heat, no fan) for 40 minutes.
Divide the dough into 6 pieces. On a well floured working surface, roll each one out into a flat disc. Leave the discs on the floured surface, cover with a tea towel and let them rise for another 20 minutes.
Heat a large skillet on highest temperature (no oil!). Cook the bread on one side for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes, turn and cook on the other side for another minute, at that point it will start to rise rapidly. You might have to cook it for a few seconds more or less - but keep an eye on it so as not to burn it.
Take the bread out of the pan and let it cool for a minute. Cut your flatbread in half and fill with the mozzarella and rucola. Drizzle some dressing on top and close your Torta al Testo.
Maltese Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon
This pasta recipe is there for me at any time of day or night. It started as a middle of the night cooking experiment after being out at a party. My boyfriend and I came home late and hungry, so we sat down in the kitchen over a bowl of pasta with ricotta, lemon zest, basil and crushed pepper. This became a standard post-party hunger salvation.
The inspiration for this combination came from our last trip to Malta. We had just come back from our regular summer stay on this beautiful Mediterranean island where my boyfriend's family is from. Ricotta, lemon, basil and the bold use of roughly crushed pepper are essential ingredients of Maltese cooking as well as fennel seeds, the best tomatoes in the world (together with Maltese potatoes) and lots of herbs. Another treat I always look forward to is Qassata, a savory ricotta filled pastry spiced with crushed pepper and parsley. We make our own when we don't have a Maltese bakery close by (in other words, the rest of the year), I'll write about it soon!
Back to the pasta, I normally throw in a handful of freshly chopped basil but my plant had just given its last leaves so I had to do without.
For 2 people you need
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
fresh ricotta 4 heaped tablespoons
zest of 1/2 lemon
basil, chopped, 8-10 leaves
salt and crushed peppercorns
olive oil for the spaghetti
Mix the cooked pasta with a dash of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and divide between the two plates. I prefer to mix the pasta with the ricotta on each plate and not all together, therefore, I add a couple spoons on top of each spaghetti portion and sprinkle with the lemon zest and basil. I always offer some more crushed pepper and salt with it.
