Roast vegetable and feta salad

(serves 2)

Ingredients

2 red onions, quartered and sliced
2 plum tomatoes / handful of cherry tomatoes
3 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
1 small aubergine, thickly sliced
extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 tsp chopped thyme
200 g canned chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
100 g Feta cheese, crumbled
freshly ground salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C

2. Arrange the onions, tomatoes, garlic and aubergine in a single layer in a large shallow roasting pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with the rosemary and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Roast the vegetables for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally, until the onions are browned and sticky round the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little.

4. Scatter the chick-peas and spinach over a large serving plate. Season to taste.

5. Arrange the roasted vegetables on top. Sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar and feta cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.

6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

American Meatloaf

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

225 g minced beef
225 g minced pork
1 medium onions, very finely chopped
1 cloves garlic, peeled
1/5 heaped tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/5 level dessertspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 egg
35 g white bread, sliced and crusts removed, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1,5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoons mustard powder
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
55 ml dry white wine
4 slices traditional smoked streaky bacon
salt and freshly milled black pepper

You will also need a 450 g loaf tin, 19 x 12 x 9 cm deep, preferably non-stick.

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 150°C.

The best way to make a meatloaf is in a large food processor, if you've got one. In which case you can begin by:

1. chopping the onions, garlic, parsley and thyme all together until the onion is very finely chopped,
   
2. then add the meats and break in the egg.
   
3. Place the bread in a little bowl, spoon the milk over, then mix it with your hands or a fork until the bread has broken down to fine crumbs. Add these to the processor along with the mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, wine and a really good seasoning of salt and pepper.
   
4. Now, switching on and off, or using the pulse button, mix the whole lot together until thoroughly blended. If you don't have a food processor, grate or mince the onion, chop the garlic finely then mix everything thoroughly in a large bowl.
5. When the mixture is ready, pack it into the loaf tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon, then snip the rinds off the bacon and lay the slices all along the top of the meat, slightly overlapping, and press them down firmly.
   
6. Now place a piece of foil over the top and twist or pleat the corners. Stand the tin in a shallow baking tin, pour about 4 cm boiling water into the tin straight from the kettle and place the whole thing on the middle shelf of the oven. Let it cook slowly for 2 hours.
   
7. After that remove the foil and dig a skewer into the meatloaf; press it down to make sure that the juices are running clear. Now, if it's cooked, remove it from the oven then let it cool for about 30 minutes and after that, if you're serving it cold, replace the foil and place something heavy on top to weight it down. Leave it weighted like this until it's completely cold. This makes the meatloaf easier to slice. If you're serving the meatloaf hot, just allow it to rest for 30 minutes in the tin, covered with foil, then turn it out on to a board and serve cut in slices.

A good recipe for a meatloaf will give you many strings to your culinary bow. Serve it hot on a cold winter's day with some buttery jacket potatoes or, if the weather is warm, it's lovely served cold with salads and chutney or pickles. You can take thick chunks to serve with crusty bread on a picnic, and any leftover meatloaf is wonderful in sandwiches for a lunch box. For a special occasion serve it with Cumberland Sauce, which goes particularly well with it hot or cold. For an economy version, replace the wine with cider or stock and serve hot with fresh tomato sauce, or cold with pickles and chutneys.

Muuntotaulukko

Paljonko painaa 1 dl?

vehnäjauho 65 g
ruisjauho 50 g
perunajauho 80 g
kaurahiutale 35 g
vehnälese 20 g
riisi 85 g
korppujauho 50 g
sokeri 85 g
tomusokeri 60 g
fariinisokeri 70 g
siirappi 140 g
kaakaojauhe 45 g
jauhettu manteli 40 g
mantelilastu 30 g
mantelirouhe 55 g
sulatettu margariini 90 g
juustoraaste 50 g
1 dl
1 rkl
1 tl
1 teekuppi
1 kahvikuppi = 100 ml
= 15 ml
= 5 ml
= n. 2,5 dl
= n. 1,5 dl

Coffee brownies

Ingredients

200g best quality bitter chocolate, (70% cocoa solids)
2,3 dl(150 g) plain flour
1 tsp Baking powder
pinch of Salt
120 g soft unsalted butter
2,5 dl (200 g) vanilla caster sugar
2 eggs plus 1 yolk
4 tbsp freshly made strong coffee
handful of skinned hazelnuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Line the bottom and sides of a 30 x 22cm roasting pan or baking dish with kitchen foil.
3. Break the chocolate into pieces and gently melt in a double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
5. Cream the butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes until really light and fluffy.
6. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the extra yolk. Pour in the melted chocolate and the coffee. Fold in the sifted flour.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Scatter the hazelnuts over the top, gently pushing them into the dough.
8. Bake for about 25 minutes. Test with a skewer - it shouldn't come out completely clean but the mixture should not feel raw. (It will go on cooking after you take it out of the oven.)
9. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares.

Carbonnade

(serves 2)

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
2 Onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbs plain flour
1 tsp mustard powder
500 g stewing steak, cut into cubes
1,75 dl dark Belgian beer
0,5 dl beef stock
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 bouquet garni
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
mashed potato, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C
2. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in a heavy-based frying pan and fry the onion until lightly coloured but not brown. Lift out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a shallow casserole.
3. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour with the mustard powder and toss the meat cubes in the mixture to coat.
4. Heat the remaining butter in the frying pan, brown the meat in batches and transfer to the casserole.
5. Add the vinegar, beer and stock to the frying pan with the sugar and herbs. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and stir until simmering, scraping any residue from the bottom of the pan.
6. Pour the sauce over the meat and onions, cover tightly and cook in the oven for 3 hours. Remove the bouquet garni and stir in the mustard.

Dolmathes

Täyte
1,25 dl Arborio riisiä
250 g jauhelihaa
1 pieni sipuli silputtuna
2 rkl silputtua persiljaa
1/2 rkl silputtua oreganoa
2 rkl silputtua minttua
2 hienonnettua valkosipulinkynttä
1 rkl tomaattipyrettä
Mustapippuria
Suolaa

1. Sekoita täytteen ainekset yhteen ja huuhtele viininlehdet.
2. Laita noin 2-3 tl täytettä yhtä lehteä kohden ja kääri rullalle.
   
3. Vuoraa uunivuuan pohja rikkonaisilla lehdillä ja aseta valmiit rulla vuokaan tiiviisti vierekkäin.
4. Kaada päälle kanalientä kunnes rullat peittyvät. Pirskota päälle oliiviöljyä ja sitruunamehua.
5. Kypsennä 180 C uunissa noin tunnin ajan.
   

Uuniperunat ja savuporotäyte

Savuporotäyte

1 rasia (200 g) Valio Viola kevyt yrtti-pippuri -tuorejuustoa
1 rkl sinappia
1/2 rkl sitruunamehua
ripaus sokeria
50 g kylmäsavuporoa
1 dl hienonnettua persiljaa

Saganaki and rosemary flatbread

Ingredients

(serves 6)

For the rosemary flatbread
3 dl strong white flour
½ tsp dried yeast
150ml tepid water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 sprigs Rosemary, coarsely chopped

For the saganaki
600g Feta cheese, broken into 2cm pieces
30 small cherry tomatoes
20 capers
15 Kalamata olives, halved and stoned
2 tbsp Olive oil
6 sprigs thyme or marjoram

Method

1. For the rosemary flatbread: mix the flour and yeast in a large bowl. Add the warm water, olive oil and a pinch of salt and start mixing it together to form a rather sloppy dough. If it is too dry, add a little more water; if it is too wet, add a little more flour.

2. Bring the dough together into a ball and turn it out onto a floured surface. Knead it for 5 minutes until it is elastic but still slightly tacky. Leave the dough to rest under a damp tea towel for an hour. It will rise until it has doubled in size.

3. Preheat the oven to 180C

4. When the bread dough has risen, divide it into 6 pieces. Roll each out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 2mm. Brush each flatbread with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and chopped rosemary. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the surface starts to bubble and turn golden brown. Don't cook them too long or they'll turn into cardboard.

5. For the saganaki: preheat the oven to 200C

6. Put the cheese in a shallow ovenproof dish. Scatter around the tomatoes, capers and olives and drizzle with the olive oil. Lay the sprigs of herbs on top and bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and browning on top. Eat it hot or warm with the freshly cooked flatbreads.