Zasar Legumes: Mauritian-style pickled Vegetables

This recipe is from Shellina Permalloo,  winner of Masterchef a few years ago. I really like her and we both liked this recipe even though I'm not normally a fan of "cole slaw."


Ingredients

• White cabbage, sliced
• Green beans
• Carrots, sliced
• Red onion, sliced
• Chili pepper, sliced (she leaves the seeds in, I don't)
• Turmeric
• Mustard seeds
• Fenugreek seeds
• Garlic
• Fresh ginger (or powder if you don't have it)
• White vinegar
• Oil

Method

• Blanch cabbage, green beans, carrots in equal quantities for 2-3 minutes;
• Warm oil; make garlic and ginger paste in a pestle and add to oil;
• Add chilis and spices to warm through;
• Add onions, 
• Remove from heat and add other veg
• Sprinkle a bit of white vinegar and salt
• Leave overnight (or an hour, if that's all you've got)

It is surprisingly nice! Slamat makan!

Julie's Witlof Tatin

based on a recipe by Phillippe Exertiec

(Will add photo next time Julie or I make one!)

For 4 people – Preparation time: 30 min – Cooking time: 30-40 min at 200ºC

4 Belgian endives; 4 rounds of Chavignol/goat’s cheese; 8 walnuts*; olive oil; caster sugar [Julie used brown]; salt; pepper; 1 rol of puff pastry

* Julie used toasted whole pine nuts which were even nicer.

1. Remove leaves of the endive one by one to leave the centre core for another use
2. Colour the leaves in a pan of olive oil and a pinch of sugar on each side
3. Set aside whilst buttering the tart forms then add the leaves one by one with the tips of the leaves pointing to the centre in a star form. We found two layers of endives more effective.
4. Add crumbled goat’s cheese and chopped nuts.
5. Salt and pepper
6. Cut puff pastry in rounds to cover forms [or use a single form – easier!]  and prick with a fork
7. Bake at 200ºC for 30-40 mins and turn over on to a platter to serve.

 You may find one not enough!

Braised lettuce with peas

Braised lettuce with peas

Ingredients

small knob butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 Little Gem lettuces
200ml fresh chicken stock
4 tbsp single cream or crème fraîche
500g bag frozen petits pois

Method

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan with a lid. Fry the onion gently for about 5 mins, until softened.
Meanwhile, pull any damaged or coarse outer leaves from the lettuces and trim the bases. Cut the lettuces in half lengthways, through the base. Place the lettuce cut-side up on top of the onions and cook for half a minute, then turn over and cook for another 30 secs. Pour over the stock and lightly season. Put the lid on the pan, reduce the heat to the minimum and cook for 10 mins. With a slotted spoon, lift the lettuces out and put into a sieve over a bowl. Raise the heat under the pan and boil the juices until reduced by half. Add the cream or crème fraîche and petits pois and boil for 1 min until heated through. Arrange lettuces in a serving dish and pour over the pea-and-cream sauce.

I just felt like having braised lettuce for dinner and found this recipe on the BBC Food website. Apart from substituting skimmed milk (!) for the cream, I actually (more or less) followed the recipe and it was dee-licious! We had 1/2 a gem lettuce each as I wanted to see what it was like first. Shall definitely be making it again - especially for friends!

Bon appétit!

Southern Indian Mixed Vegetables

"Avial", by Anjum Anand
Don't think I've posted this before... it's a really good recipe, not quick but not difficult. All the work is in the prepping of the veg.
"Avial", by Anjum Anand

50g dissicated coconut [I used creamed cc block as I always have it in the house]
2 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 med onion, peeled and sliced
1-2 green chillies, sliced lengthwise but left whole [I just used sambal oelek]
 1/4 [sure!] tsp tumeric
salt to taste
 2 med potatoes, cut into chunks
2 med carrots, peeled and cut into fat batons
15cm pc cucumber, halved, de-seeded, cut into 1cm pieces
100g green beans [a handful, basically]
50 g shallots, peeled and halved
10g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped [I had run out so used dried which was fine]
2 handfuls frozen peas
12 curry leaves [I just used bay leaves, I think curry leaves are daon salam]
5 level Tbsp plain yoghurt [or whatever!] 
1 Tbsp coconut oil

• In a large non-stick pan, sautée cumin, onion and chillies for about 4-5 mins until onions are soft and colouring. 
• Add turmeric, salt, potatoes and carrots, cook covered for about 14 mins, over a low heat, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick. Sprinkle with water if necessary [shouldn't be!]
• Add cucumber and green beans and continue cooking [abt 6-7 mins] until all vegs are tender
• In the meantime, blend shallots, ginger and coconut along with its soaking water to make a fine paste.
• Add to pan together with the peas and cook, stirring often, for 5 mins. 
• Tear the curry leaves to release their aroma and add to pan. Give it a good stir and add the yoghurt.
• Turn off the heat, mix well and pour over coconut oil, if using.

 Serves 6

Bon Appétit!

Cilantro and Lime Cauliflower Rice

 



I am putting this recipe in here because I always look for it here!

Skinnytaste.com

Servings: 5 • Size: 1 cup  • Old Points: 1 pt • Weight Watchers Points+: 2 pts 

Calories: 61 • Fat: 3 g • Carb: 8 g • Fiber: 3 g • Protein: 2.5 g • Sugar: 0 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg • Sodium: 37 (without salt)

Credit to Nicole for finding it!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head (about 24 oz) cauliflower, rinsed
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 scallions, diced
• kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-1/2 limes
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:

Remove the core and let the cauliflower dry completely. Coarsely chop into florets, then place half of the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is small and has the texture of rice or couscous – don't over process or it will get mushy. Set aside and repeat with the remaining cauliflower.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil, scallions and garlic and sauté about 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft.

Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the cauliflower "rice" to the saute pan. Cover and cook approximately 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is slightly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and place in a medium bowl; toss with fresh cilantro and lime juice to taste.

Makes 5 servings [or not!!].

Added by  Ella+Felix Mama:

Very lekker Green Lentils

This is part of a whole meal presented on Masterchef by a contestant., but I wanted a lentil recipe and this one filled the bill. it does have pancetta in it which gives it a very nice taste, but perhaps you can suggest a vegetarian alternative. Soy sauce? Not sure that's the same thing. I look forward to hearing your suggestion.

GREEN LENTILS

Ingredients:

1 Bay leaf
1 sprig Rosemary
1 sprig Sage [which I didn't have but it tasted fine without it]
250 gr Green Lentils - preferably lenticchie di castelluccio [I "made do" with Puy lentils!]
2 Tbl olive oil
1 white onion - finely chopped
1 carrot - finely chopped
1 celery stick - finely chopped
1 small leek 100g piece unsmoked pancetta*

• Tie herbs together with a string (or - throw in some dried herbs - just as good)
• Soak lentils in cold water whilst finely chopping vegetables
• Heat olive oil in a pan and add chopped vegetables and pancetta.
• Cook, gently stirring for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not browned.
• Add the drained lentils and tied herbs [!] and cook for 5 minutes, mxing everything. Do not season.
• Add enough vegetable stock to just cover the lentils. 
• Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes until soft.
• At this point you can set aside and re-heat when needed

If there is any left over, add more stock and serve it as a delicious lentil soup!

Bon appétit!

Baked cucumber à la Julia

The official recipe calls for 6 cucumbers for 6 people; I used one for the four of us and halved her amounts (more or less)...

6 cucumbers about 8" long    

Marinade:
2 Tbl wine vinegar                    
1.5 tsp salt
a 2 qt [?] porcelaine or st/st bowl [why not glass??]

Sauce
A baking dish 12" diam x 1.5" deep [or anything else you have handy!]
1.5 oz [some] melted butter - *I poured olive oil over the whole thing instead
3-4 Tbl chopped spring onion
1/2 tsp pepper

• Peel and halve cucumbers, scoop out seeds. Cut into strips about 1/2" wide, cut into 2" pieces [which I'd have done first but there you go...]
• Mix vinegar, salt and sugar in a bowl and leave to stand for 30 mins or several hours

Pre-heat oven to 375ºF/Gas mark 5

• Drain, pat dry 
• Toss cucumbers i the baking dish with the other ingredients* and place uncovered in a  pre-heated oven for about 1 hour, tossing 2 or 3 tines until the cucumbers are tender but still have a suggestion of crispiness and texture. They will barely colour during the cooking.

You may wish to add: parsley, parsley and cream, parsley, cream and sautèed mushrooms or [Mornay] cheese sauce. I didn't find it necessary on this occasion but I suppose any of those would be nice too.

Sorry, no photo. If I make it again and have time, I'll post one!

Mediterranean eggplant ratatouille

I made the recipe you sent me from The Meat Free Monday Cookbook but didn't have some of the ingredients so it changed considerably into this; very delicious! I'll definitely be making it again soon.

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped (or 3 small)
2 fat garlic cloves, crushed
1 eggplant, cubed
1 - 1.5 cup Trader Joe's Harvest Grains blend (a mixture of Israeli/pearl couscous, red and green orzo, split dried garbanzo beans, and red quinoa). Substitute with whatever grains you can find, or potatoes.
1 tsp dried oregano
1 large (28 oz/800g) can/2 medium (14.5oz/400g) cans chopped tomatoes
2 cups/400g vegetable stock (or a bouillon cube and boiled water)
10-12 mushrooms, chopped
1 large apple, chopped (or 3 small)
1-2 Tbsp capers
2 oz/125g feta, crumbled

Heat some of the oil in a large soup pot, add the chopped onion and celery and sprinkle with a little salt. Cover with a lid (this helps them sweat but not brown). While the onion is cooking, chop the eggplant. Add the remaining oil and the eggplant and cook 4-5 more minutes, until the eggplant begins to soften. Add the tomatoes, stock/water, grains, oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for  25-30 mins until all the vegetables are tender and the grains are cooked (check halfway through to stir and add more water if necessary). At the end, it should be thick & chewy, not soupy.

Add the capers and heat through, and salt & pepper to taste. Serve with the feta.

Optional: additional vegetables like zucchini and red bell pepper, olives, and sprinkle with parsley and pine nuts (or more affordable: sunflower seeds). You can definitely make this ahead and let it sit, it will improve.

cook to impress! - 3 super easy recipes

Okay, the flan can be a bit of work if you really want it to be. But the others are definitely super easy and so compensate, thus the title is justified. These recipes really work the pure taste of good, simple ingredients - and they all look great. You can also use all three of these to make a healthy, light meal. Well, except for the dessert, depending on how much you eat ;)

First: zuppa di zucchini e salmone
Second: torta tricolore
Third: dessert piu facile del mondo ;)

Courgette soup
This has got to be the easiest soup in the world. But it is really tasty and again, with a teeny extra effort, you are sure to impress people with your extraordinary culinary creativity!

- 3 or 4 courgettes
(you can also use more courgettes and less water)
- vegetable bouillon cube
- spring onion or small leek (optional)
- salt and (white) pepper
- smoked salmon
- saté stokjes (sorry, don't know what these are called in English!)
- optional: light cooking cream

Sautee spring onion in a pan in olive oil until translucent. Chop courgette into course pieces, add to pan. Cover. After 10 mins or so, add bouillon cube and water (depending on how much soup you want, but don't add too much to allow for optimal courgette taste; I guess no more than about 1 liter (?)). Taste - if it is too bland add another vegetable bouillon cube. Add white pepper. Puree with staafmixer, add cooking cream if you want. Serve in bowls. Then, as a somewhat pretentious but fun finishing touch: 'thread' a strip of smoked salmon (approx 3 or 4 cm wide) on a saté stokje in a zigzag pattern. Lay one stokje diagonally on each bowl of soup. A tiny dollop of cream in the middle of the soup - and again: so simple, so tasty, and looks great!

Torta tricolore
I am not a big fan of pastry products so I transformed this quiche into a 'flan'. But you can also use filo dough or something to line it, and you can use 1 less egg (maybe). The taste and the color of this flan will definitely impress anyone, it looks really, really great, it's light and very tasty! Apart from the peppers (and even then, see my footnote...), it is super easy to make.

- 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper (paprika)
- 2 pieces of soft goat cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk* (approx.)
- 1 cup light slagroom (or just do a bit more milk if you don't want to use this)
- Italian herbs or herbes de provence (of course)
- optional: lightly roasted pine nuts

• Roast and peel paprika's. Cut into very thin, narrow slices and mix colors.**
• Crumble goat cheese into a large mixing bowl, add milk, cream, herbs and eggs, and whip lightly with a fork.
  
• Pour into a greased baking dish. Drop the paprika slices onto flan to get a nice colorful mixed up pattern.
  
• Bake in pre-heated oven on about 180-200 degrees for about 25 mins until it is set (check frequently to make sure it doesn't color too brown as this will ruin the colorful effect - if it is coloring too brown cover with foil). Serve luke warm.
• You can also throw in some lightly roasted pine nuts but make sure not to burn them while roasting (I always, always do!)

Served with for instance a salad of blanched haricot verts, sundried tomatoes (optional: artichoke hearts and pine nuts if you haven't already used the latter in the quiche) and a light dressing of yoghurt-mayonnaise, walnut oil, olive oil, salt and pepper, this makes for a nice light dinner or elegant lunch.

* (literally 1 cup, not the American size because I have no idea how much that is. I kind of just add some milk etc. to get a nice consistency and amount.)
** now that I have kids, I skip this, because it's too much work! Either buy preroasted, or just sautee narrow slices in olive oil until soft. It really doesn't make that much difference.

source: Marielle (this is, of course, a variation of the original)

The easiest dessert in the world
This is a great summer dessert.

1. Buy profiterolles or 'soesjes' (or make them yourself. Yeah right!)
2. Buy strawberries, cherries, blueberries - whatever tasty fruit there is available
3. Put profiterolles on a nice dish
4. Add fruits to dish among the profiterolles, arrange them to look nice together
5. Sprinkle a bit of icing sugar over the top.

This is so tasty, and looks very gezellig. So tell me, is this not the easiest dessert in the world..?

Mexicali Corn

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I'm posting this early so you can get the necessary ingredients, should you wish to make this next Monday. Do we really care about Cinco de Mayo? Not really, but it is celebrated with verve (and mas cervesa) here in SoCal and it's an excuse to make some yummy food. This is a quick and easy recipe for a side dish made with ingredients that you probably already have.

4 Tbs (60 ml) butter or olive oil
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp (2 ml) cumin seeds or ground cumin
3 cups (750 ml) frozen corn kernels
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt the butter or oil in a large skillet over moderate heat and saute the bell peppers, onion, and cumin seed until the vegetables are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the corn, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Pizza!

I am not very fond of pizza unless it's really good - i.e. not of the frozen or take-away variety. So I bring you these recipes to make one heck of a delicious pizza! It's also fun to 'shock' your friends by telling them you're serving them pizza for dinner - esp. when you're a bit notorious for cooking well and elaborately - but then pull out this delicious home made one rather than a yucky frozen one.

The secret is in the red sauce, very simple and delicious, combined with making the dough yourself. This is also very easy after a bit of practice, and working with flour and water towards getting just the right consistency is also very therapeutic and calming, I find. It all sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't and trust me, it's soooo much better than a freezer pizza, really no comparison.

Here's two varieties: the first is a 'traditional' pizza with a really great red sauce (also perfect for pasta, lasagna, canelloni, etc.). This one also makes a great vegan meal if you skip the cheeses and add maybe some more vegetables (eg. thinly sliced sauteed mushrooms). The second is a hip pizza variety imported from LA (where else) which is made with red onions, port and brie.

For the pizza dough (2 pizzas):
500 grams of flour (white flour is easiest)
350 ml luke warm water
1 sachet yeast (7 gr.)
1 scoop of light castor sugar
salt
a sprinkling of corn meal, for baking tray

Add yeast and brown sugar to the water, stir and let sit for a moment. Pour flour in a mound onto a clean counter top, add a good pinch of salt. Make a large open space in the centre of the flour heap. Pour most of the water mixture into the flour, and using a fork, carefully stir in the flour, until the two have formed a good mush-like substance. When the water is absorbed by the flour, take over by your hands and start kneading the dough for about 5-10 minutes. You may need to add the rest of the water, or more flour, to get a good, fairly dry consistency. When the dough is 'right' (you will know when this is!), set it aside in a bowl, cover lightly and put in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour, or while you prep the pizza topping.

Turn on the oven to preheat to about 200 degrees C.

For the red sauce:
1 tin of plum tomatoes
1/2 box of passata
olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 cube veg. bouillon
herbes de provence

Pour a good layer of olive oil into a sauce pan. Don't be stingy with the oil!! Slice garlic. When oil is warm, add garlic. When it is golden (not brown!) add the tomatoes and the passata. Throw in a bunch of the herbes, some pepper and the stock cube. Turn down to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 mins for the flavours to absorb.

Oil the baking trays with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with the corn flour. Take dough out of fridge. Lightly flour the counter top, divide the dough in half and roll out for a thin crust to fit the size of your baking tray. Pop into the middle of the oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until crust starts to lightly turn brown. Remove from oven, and flip over so 'uncooked' side is facing up. Repeat for the other half of the dough. The dough will also start to bubble a bit but that's okay, it will 'relax' once the toppings are on.

For the toppings:
Basically, you can add whatever toppings you like best, but the general rule of thumb is less is more. So I usually go for the original, basic 'Tuscan' variety:
- a good serving of the red sauce to cover the dough all around, leaving an edge of about 1 cm.
- a light sprinkling of grated gouda
- a can of artichoke hearts, sliced up
- a ball of mozzarella, torn into small pieces
Return pizza to oven for 5 minutes or until mozzarella is melted and starting to brown.
Pull out of oven, add a sprinkling of arugula (aka rocket salad, rucola, etc.) over the top and serve immediately!

Red onion pizza variety
For a fancier version (I usually serve both), try this.
- 3-4 red onions, sliced in thin rings
- a large glass of red port, or red wine and a heaped teaspoon full of light castor sugar
- 1 section of brie (200 gr?)
- pine nuts

Slowly sautee the red onions in olive oil. When they are halfway done (i.e. starting to soften), add the port (or the red wine/sugar). Finish cooking until soft. In the meantime, carefully brown the pine nuts in oven or dry pan. Take a cooked pizza crust (see above), turn onto uncooked side. Spread the onions over the top. Cut brie into thin slices and lay over the top of the onions, sprinkle pine nuts over this, and cook for a few minutes until the brie has melted. Make sure the pine nuts don't burn. This is a very subtle yet extremely tasty pizza.

Source: red sauce & pizza dough adapted from Jamie Oliver; onion topping adapted from Nicki Ferguson (LA Ring?)