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Monday 31 March 2008

Green curry paste

Ingredients
4-6 medium green chillies, de-seeded and roughly chopped
2 shallots, roughly chopped
5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
small bunch of fresh coriander, stalks and roots attached if possible
2 lemongrass stalks, chopped (if unavailable, use 2 tbsp dried)
1 lime, grated zest and juice
8 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces (if unavailable, use the grated zest of
1 extra lime)
2.5 cm piece galangal, peeled and chopped (if available)
1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
2 tsp Thai fish sauce or light soy sauce
3 tbsp olive oil

Method
1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a paste. Use straight away or store in a jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. This quantity is enough for a curry for 8 people.

Tip:
When your curry is cooked, if you think it is too spicy, add some more sugar; if it isn't spicy enough, fry a little more curry paste in some oil for a minute or two and add to the sauce

Tuesday 18 March 2008

Halloumi salad with mint and capers

Ingredients

Salad:
Baby plum tomatoes, halved
Red onion, sliced thinly
Avocado, sliced
250 g halloumi cheese, thickly sliced

Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp clear honey or sugar
Small handful fresh mint, chopped
1 1/5 tbsp capers, drained

Toasted pitta bread, to serve

Method

Preheat a barbecue, griddle or grill to a medium-high heat.
Put the salad leaves and tomatoes in a serving bowl.
Make the dressing by putting the oil, lemon juice, honey or sugar, mint and capers in a screw-top jar. Season with salt and black pepper. Shake well to mix, then set aside.
Put the halloumi slices on the barbecue, griddle or a foil-lined grill pan. Cook for 5 minutes, turning once, until golden and just beginning to soften.
Divide the salad between the plates and top with the halloumi.
Shake the salad dressing again and drizzle over the salad. Serve straight away with the toasted pitta bread.

Halloumi salad

Ingredients

1 halloumi cheese
2 tablespoons seasoned flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the dressing:

1 lime, juice and zest of
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons small capers, drained
1 clove crushed garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons grain mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped coriander
2 tablespoons of a good quality olive oil
salt, to taste
milled pepper, to taste
some coriander, to serve

Directions:

Unwrap the cheese and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Using a sharp knife try to slice the cheese in 8 slices, halloumi tends to split.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.

Heat the oil in a frying pan; press each slice of cheese in the flour, coat on both sides.

When the oil is really hot, add the slices to the pan, fry them approx one minute on each side, they have turn a deep golden color.

Serve them with the dressing poured over and garnished with the coriander.

Monday 3 March 2008

Maa-artisokkakeitto

500 g maa-artisokkaa
1 sipuli
1 jauhoinen peruna
1 valkosipulin kynsi
n. 1 l vettä
1 dl valkoviiniä
valkopippuria
ripaus muskottipähkinää
suolaa
1-2 dl kermaa
tilkka ruokaöljyä

Kuori ja paloittele maa-artisokat, sipuli ja peruna. Viipaloi valkosipulin kynsi. Kuumenna kattilassa tilkka öljyä ja kuullota kasviksia hetki. Lisää vesi ja valkoviini. Keitä kasvikset pehmeiksi ja soseuta keitto tasaiseksi. Mausta keitto suolalla, valkopippurilla ja muskottipähkinällä. Lisää kerma ja kiehauta keitto.

Sunday 2 March 2008

Stuffed Savoy Cabbage Leaves

2 savoy cabbages
salt and freshly ground black pepper
115 gstreaky bacon, cut into 1 cm cubes
85 g unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
85 g Roquefort or other blue cheese
3 tbsp mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp pine nuts
12 slices Parma ham
plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, for coating

Method
1. Remove six outer leaves from each of the cabbages.
2. Place the leaves in a pan of boiling salted water and cook for four minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of cold water.
3. Remove from the water, cut out and discard the central ribs of the leaves and set aside.
4. Shred the remaining cabbage and cook in the cabbage water for eight minutes. Drain and cool then set aside.
5. In a frying pan over a high heat, cook the bacon with 25g/1oz of the butter until the bacon is golden.
6. Add another 25g/1oz of the butter to the pan, then the onion, garlic and thyme. Cook over a medium heat until the onion has softened.
7. Add the cooked shredded cabbage and stir to combine.
8. Tip this mixture into a clean bowl and add the crumbled Roquefort, mascarpone and the pine nuts. Fold the mixture to combine and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide the mixture into 12 even portions.
9. Lay out the blanched cabbage leaves and line the inside of each of them with a slice of ham.
10. Put one portion of the stuffing onto the ham and fold up the cabbage into a parcel in the sides.
11. Roll each package in seasoned flour.
12. Heat the remaining 25 g butter in a large frying pan. Add the floured cabbage parcels in batches and fry until golden on all sides.
13. Serve warm.

Cabbage with mustard seeds

1 small cabbage finely shredded [Savoy]
2 tbsp groundnut or corn oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds
12 curry leaves [fresh, you can freeze the ones you don't use]
1 dried red chilli, broken, seeds removed
2 small onions, sliced
2 cm fresh ginger, finely shredded
1.25 ml tsp turmeric powder
pinch chilli powder
1 tomato blanched, seeds removed, diced.

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
2. Toss in the fenugreek and mustard seeds, curry leaves and the chilli (take care, lots of crackles!).
3. Lower the heat immediately and add the onions and ginger.
4. Cover the pan and soften the onions without colouring for 5 minutes (they should be opaque).
5. Add the turmeric and chilli powder to the pan and stir to mix.
6. Add the shredded cabbage and salt.
7. Cover the pan once more and cook over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage has softened but retains a bite .
8. Stir in the diced tomato, reheat, re-season and serve.

Sauteed Savoy Cabbage with Pine Nuts and Lemon Zest

1/2 Savoy cabbage
salt and fresh ground black pepper
20 g Butter
2 tbsp Pine kernels
finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

1. Cut the core out of the cabbage, then shred the remaining cabbage.

2. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the cabbage and blanch for 2-3 minutes, then drain thoroughly.

3. Just before serving heat the butter in a large frying pan until sizzling and add the pine nuts.

4. Fry the pine nuts, stirring often, for 1 or 2 minutes until they begin to colour, then add the blanched cabbage.

5. Fry the cabbage until piping hot then sprinkle with lemon zest and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve at once.

Spring minestrone

3 tbsp olive oil
40 g butter
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 leek, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
250 g potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
3 sticks celery, finely chopped
150 g savoy cabbage
2 litres beef or vegetable stock
400 g can Italian chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp green basil pesto

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large pan. Add onions, leek and potatoes and cook for about five minutes, until starting to soften, stirring from time to time. Add the celery and cook for a few minutes more.
2. Meanwhile cut the half cabbage in quarters. Remove central stalk from cabbage and discard. Cut leaves across the wedge shape in short shreds.
3. Pour stock and can of tomatoes into the pan with the cabbage. Bring to the boil.
4. Season with salt and pepper and gently simmer for about 30 mins.
5. Add pesto for the last 5 mins, and check the seasoning before serving.