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!

Ella's Favorite Things Rice Krispy Treats

Just your basic Rice Krispie Treats covered with caramel and white chocolate.

Makes about 20 squares (cut 4 x 5). To double the recipe, make it in 2 batches unless you have very large bowls! I found the ingredients at Target.

1 bag (10.5) marshmallows
½ stick (4 Tbsp) butter
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
½ box (6 cups) puffed rice cereal
1 bag Kraft caramel bits (11 oz bag), more convenient than the individually wrapped soft caramels
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Line a 13 x 9 pan with plastic wrap or wax paper, leaving some draped over the ends to help lift out afterwards (smaller pan makes taller squares).

In a medium pan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows, stir occasionally until they are melted and mixed in. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla (optional). In a large mixing bowl, mix together cereal and marshmallow goo, until well coated.

Turn cereal into pan and press down carefully with some wax paper or buttered spatula.  When cooled and set, melt caramel bits in microwave with the milk, for 2 minutes in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Pour over cereal.

Melt white chocolate chips in microwave or over double boiler, be careful not to cook too long. To make it easier to drizzle, add a little vegetable or coconut oil to the chips before melting. Drizzle over  caramel in diagonal lines, cool in fridge to set up. Cut into squares.

Julie/Tina's Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

Brownies made with zucchini, bananas and applesauce, yielding a brownie with only 120 calories, 2 grams of fat, and a whole bunch of vitamins and minerals, and egg free. YESSSS!!!!

These are even a very moist low fat chocolate brownie alternative, for weight watchers, only 2 WW points per serving ( 24 servings). Its not going to be the same box brownie, but especially someone that only eats sweets occasionally like me, this healthier option is delish and guilt free!!

♥♥ AM POSTING THIS HERE SO I CAN FIND IT ♥♥

Ingredients
1/2 cup applesauce
2 small or medium bananas mashed
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups finely shredded zucchini
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 9x13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, mashed bananas and sugar. Add vanilla and cocoa and mix together. Then add baking soda, salt, and zucchini and mix together. Add flour and walnuts and mix together. Spread evenly into a prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes until brownies spring back when gently touched.

Raymond Blanc’s Burnt aubergine salad

I watched Raymond Blanc (famous "English" chef) make this the other day on telly and thought I'd serve it to my friends last night... they went mad. They loved it...

 So easy!

Raymond Blanc’s Burnt aubergine salad

·       Nick in either end of aubergine to allow steam to escape

·       Place on pre-heated griddle over flame (must be searing hot)

·       Char on all sides

·       flesh must be translucent, press down and cool

·       slice through, scrape flesh whilst still warm from sides and roll it towards centre, then lift flesh into a bowl

·       add olive oil, a bit of lemon juice (¹/₈ wedge); season a little with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar; at this point you can serve it on toast or, to make a salad:

·       add chopped dates, (pre-cooked) chick peas, fresh mint and coriander, chopped chilli, very little garlic;

·       plate up and decorate with a little feta cheese and flaked almonds

·       a drizzle of olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar around it and a sprinkle of chilli and crispy croutons (very thin rounds of French bread toasted)

I omitted the extra chilli on top as the tiny bit of chilli I used in the salad was very hot indeed! Also, the dates I had in the house weren't very moist so I used chopped apricots instead. Perfectly acceptable alternative. Oh yes, I also didn't have any feta but I did have some Wensleydale in house which was getting quite old so had just the right sourness for using as a substitute for feta.

Quinoaballs with green paprikasauce

Quinoa is a superfood but not very tasty by itself. This is a great recipe for non-meatballs, and the quinoa becomes all crispy little granules on the outside, very good!!! It is not difficult but you need to reserve a bit of time for the various stages (stuff has to cool down before the next step. Setting outside in a winter climate also works). Well worth it though!!!

1 cup quinoa (about 135g)

2 onIons

1 carrot

2 cloves garlic

1/2 red pepper

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp ketoembar (i think this is ground coriander)

1 slice stale bread

1 whisked egg

50g soft goats cheese

2 green paprikas

2 tblsp thick turkish yoghurt

1 tblsp basil

Chop onion, grate carrot, saute in olive oil, add garlic, half the pepper (without seeds). Add spices. Fry for a few minutes and turn off heat. Wash quinoa in a seive under running water, then bring to boil in 2 cups water and a bit of salt. Turn heat down low with lid on pan. Turn off heat after 7 mins and let sit for another 10 until all water has been soaked up. Stir and let cool. 

Add cooled quinoa to the crumbled bread, plus salt, pepper, onion-carrot mixture, goats cheese, and half the egg in a bowl and mix well. Make balls from the mixture and flatten a bit. Let them set under some plastic wrap in the fridge. Fry the balls in olive oil on medium heat. Turn carefully after 5 mins. 

Chop an onion very finely, remove seeds from paprikas and dice them very small. Saute in olive oil for 15 mins. Add finely chopped garlic toward the end. Let it cool down in a bowl, mix in the yoghurt, salt, pepper and chopped basil. 

Tasty served with salad, good quality bread and the paprika saus. 

Lemon coconut cake YUMMMMM

Even Eva who doesnt like coconut (?!!) loved this. The only drawback to this cake is that it is so lekker you just want to eat it all in one go, so make sure you have plenty people to share it with!! The coconut milk keeps it really moist.

175g soft butter

200g witte basterdsuiker (hmm... No idea what this is outside of NL... Maybe use v fine granulated sugar?)

3 eggs

1,5 limes

50g dried coconut

200g flour

Baking powder

100ml coconut milk

Glazing:

50g soft butter

180g powder sugar

1 lime

Garnish with raspberries or edible flowers (or nothing)

Whip butter and sugar until crystals have completely disappeared (about 10 mins). Add eggs one at a time, keep whipping. Add dried coconut, coconut milk, pinch of salt and juice of 1,5 lime (i also added the zest). Fold in flour and baking powder. 

Butter and flour baking tray, pref. a square one of about 25cm (but a regular one works too). Add cake mix, put in 170 degree C pre-heated oven for about 30 mins (10 mins longer if it is a round tin). Cool down cake, then gently remove, flipping it upside down. 

For the glaze, mix powder sugar, juice of 1/6 lime (???!!! I did 1/2 lime and it was tasty) and 50g soft butter with a mixer. Spread out over the cake and let it harden. Cut into nice squares and garnish if you have anything, and if not just eat it up!!!! Super tasty. 

Pear, apple and goat's cheese tarte tatin recipe

The new: vegetarian pear, apple and goat's cheese tarte tatin recipe

By Alice Hart

Serves four to six

 

This is also fabulous made with all pears or all apples. Serve with a green salad. You’ll need a sturdy 25cm (10in) tatin dish or ovenproof frying-pan.

For the pastry
100g (3½oz) butter
200g (7oz) plain flour
100g (3½oz) vegetarian parmesan-style cheese, finely grated
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp thyme leaves

For the topping
75g (2¾oz) soft light-brown sugar
50g (1¾oz) butter, cubed
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp thyme leaves
3 ripe but firm pears, peeled, quartered and cored
3 dessert apples, such as Braeburn, peeled, quartered and cored
50g (1¾oz) hard goat’s cheese, coarsely grated

Whizz the butter and flour in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Add a pinch of salt and the grated cheese and blend for a few seconds. Follow with the egg and thyme and blitz again until it just comes together into a ball. Knead very briefly, shape into a disc and wrap in clingfilm. Chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Gently heat the sugar in the tatin tin or frying-pan until it turns to liquid, swirling occasionally to melt it evenly. When the caramel is golden, turn up the heat slightly and add the butter and vinegar, allowing the mixture to bubble for a minute. Remove from the heat.

Sprinkle the caramel with walnuts and thyme then carefully (it’s hot!) arrange the fruit on top, peeled-side down. Pack it in concentric circles. Top with the goat’s cheese.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a circle a bit larger than your pan. Using a rolling-pin to pick it up, cover the fruit with the pastry, tucking in the edges.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the caramel bubbling at the sides. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Using oven gloves, hold a plate (with a lip) tightly over the pan and flip the whole lot over. Remove the pan, pushing any dislodged fruit back into place if necessary. 

I have some pears and goat's cheese which need eating up so I'm going to try this out tonight. I can't imagine it won't be wonderful...