Green Beans Hazelnut Orange Salad

Greens Beans, Hazelnut & Orange Salad

I recently discovered a new type of green bean, the Purple Queen Bush Bean. In actual fact its outer skin is an aubergine colour which turns to a deep shade of green when cooked. Magic!

You could use these for this recipe but I only had normal green beans (French beans) on had, which work just as well. Toasting the hazelnuts removes their slightly bitter taste and allows you to rub off part of the skin, exposing the nut below. The orange is a nice contrast to the nuts and sweetness of the beans.

The original recipe is from the Ottolenghi cookbook. I adapted it as snow peas (mangetout) are often difficult to find here and I try, when possible, to buy local produce.

ERIKA ALLISTON – Green Beans Hazelnut Orange Salad Recipe

• 450 g green (French) beans
• 100 g whole hazelnuts
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 1/2 skin of an orange
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon nut oil (hazelnut or almond)*
• salt & pepper

*Use olive oil here if nut oil is not available

1. Hazelnuts: Pre heat the oven to 180°C / 375°F. Spread on a baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes, turning them after 7 minutes. Let cool, rub to remove part of the skins & then lightly chop, set aside
2. Green beans: Boil a large pot of water, cook the beans at a boil for 7 minutes.  Then immediately place beans in very COLD water.**
3. Orange zest: Using a citrus peeler, remove the 1/2 the zest from an orange, avoiding the bitter white part. Or use a vegetable peeler, in which case you will need to slice the pieces into thin strips.
4. In a large bowl toss the green beans, toasted hazelnuts, orange zest, garlic, salt & pepper.

**This will keep the beans green and crunchy

Parmesan Biscuits

Canapes / hors d’oeurves to serve with drinks…. Delicious, bite sized morsels that go well with drinks and don’t turn you into a kitchen slave – translation, they take 15 minutes to make!

Perfect for a summer‘s evening, sitting on a terrace, sipping cocktails with friends while the sun sets, I do paint a pretty picture now don’t I.

These Parmesan Biscuits are perfect as they are a little salty and have a kick of black pepper which nicely offsets the sweetness of a drink.

This is a slight adaptation of The Cook’s Companion recipe, I have reduced the salt by 1/4 and the cooking time by 3 minutes.

ERIKA ALLISTON – Food Blog: PARMESAN BISCUITS

Makes about 24

• 110 g (1 cup) grated Parmgiano-Reggiano cheese
• 55 g (2 oz or 1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 85 g (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (1/2 for dough, 1/2 for decoration)
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Directions:

1. Combine Parmesan and butter in a  food processor.
2. Add flour, egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well.
3. Roll into a 15cm long log, wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 1hr
4. Pre-heat oven to 180°C/(350°F)
5. Cut log into 1/2cm thick rounds, place 2cm apart on a baking sheet
6. Sprinkle each with salt & remaining black pepper
7. Bake for 11 minutes, or until golden

Greek Spinach Leek Pie

My friend Lucy said to me “ being a vegetarian shouldn’t be a side dish”.

More often than not she is confronted with restaurants lacking luster and creativity when it comes to vegetarian food. Glorified side dishes of pasta, risotto, tossed greens or sauteed veggies is all they can muster. Which is disappointing really, as cooking for vegetarians shouldn’t be seen as a curse.

Despite being a carnivore, I am also a vegetarian at heart and dedicated to the pursuit of delicious vegetarian recipes. Here is my take on the Telegraph’s original Greek Spinach & Leek Pie. I removed the dill, forgot the Parmesan (it happens) and added nutmeg.  This is a great dinner party recipe, just serve the pie hot, right out of the oven, when it is at it’s best and the filo pastry, crispy.

RECIPE : ERIKA ALLISTON – Greek Spinach Leek Pie

• 1 kg fresh spinach
• 800 grams leeks (finely chopped)
• 160 grams butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• 500g ricotta (drained)
• 4 large eggs
• 300 grams feta cheese
• 300 grams filo pastry
• grated nutmeg to taste
• Black pepper for seasoning
• Spring-form pan (26cm across)

Fillings:

1. Spinach: wash, dry & destalk. Chop roughly. Boil 2 kettles of water, pour over spinach till covered, let sit until leaves are wilted. Drain well, squeeze out ALL water, set aside.
2. Leeks: Remove the majority of the green part of leeks. Clean by slitting leeks lengthwise so they open like a fan. Finely slice (see photo). Heat 60 g butter on medium/low heat, add leeks, cook on low until soft (approx. 15 mins).  Drain any excess liquid
3. Garlic: chop finely. Heat 20g butter on low heat, add garlic and saute for 1 min. Remove from heat, add spinach. Mix.
4. Cheeses: in a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, feta, nutmeg and black pepper
5. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°

Assembling the pie:

1. Heat 80 g butter.
2. Brush pan with butter.
3. Pastry trips: cover with a slightly damp tea towel so it doesn’t dry out, become brittle & break. Completely line the bottom and sides of pan with 2/3rds of filo pastry (they can overlap and don’t have to look nice), brushing layers with a little butter as you go.
4. Lay spinach in bottom, then leeks and finally cheese/egg layer.
5. Cover with remaining filo pastry again brushed with butter – work quickly so pastry doesn’t dry out. Tuck sides in and bunch them up if necessary, they will become nice and crispy.
6. Brush top with butter and cook for 50 minutes, till pie is golden. If getting too dark cover with aluminum foil while cooking.
7. Serve immediately, while pastry is still crispy. It will naturally become soft once cooled.

TARTE TATIN

TARTE TATIN: an upside down apple pie – but why?

Rumour has it that French Tatin sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline had a small crisis in the kitchen….The result: a traditional apple tart served upside-down. Whatever the truth, this ranks among one of my favourite desserts – the pastry on top stays golden and crispy, while the apples caramelise below.

We christened my father’s Emile Henry tatin set the last time I was in Provence. This one ceramic dish does everything: first make the caramel directly on the stove top using butter and sugar, add the apple slices, cover with pastry and bake until golden brown. When done, the tarte tatin turns out easily onto the matching plate.

Caramel: Getting the caramel recipe to work can take a little practice, click on the link ‘Tarte Tatin‘ below for more on this and the tarte tatin recipe:

ERIKA ALLISTON: Tarte Tatin Recipe

Pastry:

• 170g white flour
• 80g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten

1. Combine four, salt & sugar
2. Add butter, mix with fingers until looks like bread crumbs
3. Add egg and mix till a smooth ball forms
4. Chill for 30 minutes

Caramel:

• 170g white sugar
• 50g unsalted butter

Filling:

• 6 small cooking apples (ie Russets), peeled & cut into 6es
• 30g white sugar
• 30g unsalted butter

1. On the hob/stove top, melt 170g white sugar
2. When the sugar is JUST melted and a light golden colour, remove from the heat – do this earlier than later as the hot pan will continue to cook the sugar when off the heat!**
3. Add 50g butter, mix till forms a smooth caramel. There is always a little butter that won’t fully mix in.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F
5. Place the apple pieces evenly around the dish.
6. Sprinkle with 30g sugar + place small cubes of butter around the apples
7. Cover with pastry, tuck in the corners
8. Bake for 40 minutes
9. Remove and LET SIT for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a plate

**As we are among friends I will tell you that my 1st attempt at making the caramel was a disaster… I burned the sugar, not removing it from the heat in time. My 2nd attempt was slightly better, I tried adding water to melt the sugar, but it just evaporated. They say 3 times a charm and it was – just watch the heat and remove the golden sugar a few minutes before you think it’s done!

Bear's Garlic Pesto

Wild garlic, ramsons, bear’s garlic….

Whatever you choose to call it, it is delicious and currently in season. In French they call it l’ail des ours (garlic of bears) as apparently this is a brown bear’s Achilles’ heel! Humans also love these wild, garlic flavoured leaves, which are edible and great to use in soups, salads, omelette etc.

Wild garlic is currently in abundance at the local fruits and veg market. Every stall seems to have a large basked of these bright green leaves. I have taken advantage of this and made a basic bear’s garlic pesto, half of which I keep fresh in the fridge and the rest I divide into smaller portion to freeze. There is just too much to use all at once and as the season is relatively short it is a nice way to enjoy bear’s garlic for weeks to come.

Click link  below for bear’s garlic pesto recipe:

ERIKA ALLISTON : BEAR’S GARLIC PESTO

• 1 1/2 large bunches of fresh bear’s garlic leaves (approx. 280 grams)
• 100 mL olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Generous squeeze of 1/2 a lemon

1. Wash & dry the garlic leaves and remove the stems
2. Using a blender coarsely chop the leaves, adding the leaves handfuls works best
3. Pour in the olive oil, blend
4. Finally add the salt and lemon juice, blend till smooth.
5. Store in a glass jar in the fridge and / or freeze portions for later use

Bear's Garlic Pesto

Rocket (Arugula) Pesto

ROCKET (ARUGULA) PESTO

Peppery rocket pesto is a nice alternative to basil.

Now I love basil pesto just as much as the next person, but every once and a while it’s nice to have  a change. Instead of basil leaves and pine nuts I like to use rocket (arugula) and pecans. The strong peppery taste of rocket with the mellowing effect of the slightly sweet pecans works perfectly together

When you think rocket, the first thing that generally comes to mind is salad. Don’t limit yourself, break free, break free I tell you!

This rocket pecan pesto is great with pasta, meat, fish even rice. Why not use it in a sandwich instead of mayonnaise or mustard.

See the link ‘‘rocket pesto” below for recipe:

ROCKET PECAN PESTO :  ERIKA ALLISTON – Sweet Pea Blog

• 50g rocket (arugula)
• 140mL olive oil
• 1/4 clove crushed garlic
• 30g grated parmesan
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 squeezes of lemon juice
• 70g whole pecans

1. In a blender, combine the rocket & olive oil and pulse till chopped.
2. Add the galic, parmesan, salt & lemon juice, pulse again
3. Add pecans, blend till pesto of desired texture forms

NOTE: if you find the texture of the pesto too thick add a little extra olive oil

Baked Potato – Jacket Potato recipe

How do you like you spud?

Crispy golden outside, tender fluffy inside. The baked potato a meal in itself, and such an easy recipe to make – child’s play really.

Just take large baking potatoes, scrub, dry, prick, rub with olive oil & sea salt, in the oven for about an hour and they are done. Now your only care in the world is what to top them with! My preference is a little sour cream, cheese (Gruyère & sharp English Cheddar) and a sprinkle of chives.

The type of potato is important for best results. Baking potatoes are generally large, long, starchy potatoes with a thick, coarse skin. They are high in starch, with a dry, floury texture. If you are wondering what the best baking potatoes are, look for Russet, Estima, Marfona or Victoria.

See the link ‘baked potato‘ below for recipe:

Baked Potato Recipe : ERIKA ALLISTON – Sweet Pea Blog

Potatoes:

• 4 large baking potatoes (Russets, Estima, Marfona, Agata)
• olive oil
• sea salt

Topping:

• 30g Gruyère cheese
• 30g sharp English cheddar cheese
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 4 teaspoons salted butter
• chives (finely chopped)
• pepper

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F regular heat
2. Wash & thoroughly dry the potatoes.
3. Using a fork, evenly prick the skin of each potato 8 times (this avoids them  exploding!)
4. Rub the potato skin with olive oil and then sea salt. Place them on a metal baking dish.
5. Bake for  1 hour to 1h15, depending on the size of your potatoes.
6. While waiting grate the cheese
7. They are done when the skins are  slightly wrinkled and you can very easily insert a sharp knife inside.
8. Remove from oven. Make a 2 large, deep cuts like a cross on the top of each potato. Pinch the sides so they open.
9. Inside EACH potato place: 1 teaspoon of butter, then 1 tablespoon sour cream, generously sprinkle with cheese and top with chives & ground pepper

Hint: you can always pop the topped potatoes back into the warm oven for 2 minutes for the cheese to melt!

Apple Crumble

Apple Crumble

I think certain deserts are underestimated; an easy recipe can be just as delicious as a complicated one. In fact chefs nowadays seem to be signing the praises of just such an idea.

I have always loved apple crumble, all the wonderful taste of apple pie, without fiddling around with rolled-out pastry. The crumble for this recipe actually comes from Ottolenghi’s carrot muffins. I think it is the addition of black sesame seeds and honey that makes this buttery crumble so fabulous. Your taste buds will thank you!

You can adapt this recipe using white sesame seeds if you don’t have black ones, pears instead of apples and cook the crumble for 10 minutes longer at 150°C if you prefer a softer fruit texture.

See link ‘apple crumble’ below for recipe:

APPLE CRUMBLE – ERIKA ALLISTON –  Sweet Pea Blog

Cooking apples

The crumble

• 50g unsalted butter
• 75g white all-purpose flour
• 25g brown sugar
• 50g whole rolled oats
• 20g sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon warm water
• 1 teaspoon sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon honey

1. Cut the butter into small cubes, set aside
2. Combine the flour, sugar, oats and seeds.
3. With your fingers, work the butter cubes into the dry ingredients until you have a bread crumb consistency.
4. Combine the water, oil and honey, then add to the crumble, mixing with your fingers till well combined

Apple Crumble

• 450g chopped cooking apples (approx. 3 medium whole apples)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C / 340°F
2. Cut apples into small cubes
3. Butter a small baking dish
4. Add the apples
5. Evenly sprinkle with the crumble
6. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Serve warm

Gougères - French Cheese Puffs

Gougères – French Cheese Puffs

Gougères are classic French cheese puffs made with choux pastry and grated cheese (Gruyère / Comté). French they may be but it was in Russia that I really took a liking to them.

I blame it on the French bakery Volkonsky‘s, which was in dangerous proximity to Katya’s Moscow appt. A small bakery / café selling delicious pastries, sandwiches, breads and coffee not to mention gougères.

It was a lesson in how something so innocent can be so addictive … I could have eaten them by the handful.

In memory of  Volkonsky’s gougères, here is  my recipe (see link Gougères below):

Gougères – French Cheese Puffs Recipe : ERIKA ALLISTON – Sweet Pea Blog

• 250 mL cold water
• 75 gr unsalted butter (in small cubes)
• 3 pinches salt
• 150 gr white flour (sifted)
• 4 eggs
• 80 gr Gruyère cheese (finely grated)
• grated nutmeg to taste

Chou Pastry – Method:

1. Place water, butter & salt in a sauce pan. Heat till just boiling.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add flour all at once. Using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously untill a smooth dough forms (see photo)
4. Let cool for 5 minutes.
5. Add 1 egg, mix well. Don’t panic, it will take a few minutes of vigorous stirring for the egg to fully mix in. At the beginning the dough will separate and look lumpy, just keep stirring!
6. Repeat step 5 for remaining three eggs, adding them one by one.
7. Now fold in the grated cheese & nutmeg.

Baking – Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C (normal not convection heat)
2. Using a teaspoon, place generous dollops of dough on a lined baking sheet (see photo), leaving 2cm  / 1 inch between them. *
3. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
4. Let cook and serve immediately. You can keep and reheat the gougères but they will lose their perfect consistency

NOTE : other recipes suggest chilling the dough before baking ie. 30-60 minutes in the fridge. I tired this and felt that it didn’t make a large difference, except that when cooked my gougères were slightly paler in colour  and softer in texture.

Thomas Keller OREO

TKO – Thomas Keller Oreo Recipe

What makes these cookies so drop dead gorgeous is the sublime duo of salty chocolate cookies sandwiching a perfect white chocolate ganache cream. And for those of you who are less than ecstatic when it comes to white chocolate, not to worry, the taste is so subtle you will find yourself converted.

So it is no wonder that my colleague Claire was, and still is addicted to TKO‘s: Thomas Keller‘s ‘grown-up’ Oreo cookies. This my friends is no small food craving, we are talking about a woman making a bee-line to the Bouchon Bakery once a day, 5 days a week to buy not 1 but 2 of these pancake sized cookies. You are getting the picture here…

As  I apparently have not lived until I’ve tried a TKO, and short of asking Bouchon to FedEx me a care package, I thought I’d make them myself.  This is Thomas Keller’s original recipe from the ‘Essence of Chocolate‘ cookbook.

See link ‘Oreo‘ below for the recipe:

TKO – Thomas Keller’s Oreo Cookie Recipe

Chocolate cookie:

• 210 g (1 1/2 cups + 3 tbls) all-purpose white flour
• 160 g (3/4 cup) white sugar
• 65 g (3/4 cup + 1 tbls) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt (do not reduce, the saltyness makes the cookie!)
• 210 g (15 tbls) unsalted butter (room temperature, cut into small cubes)

Filling:

• 118 mL (1/2 cup) heavy / full fat cream
• 230 g (8 US ounces) white chocolate (finely chopped)

Method:

First prepare the white chocolate filling:

1. Very finely chop white chocolate.
2. Heat cream till just boils, pour over chopped chocolate. Mix with whisk till all chocolate has melted.
3. Set aside for 2 hours at room temperature.*

Next prepare the chocolate cookies:

1. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda & salt, mix well.
2. Next, with mixer on slow speed, add butter cubes one by one, until a thick even batter forms
3. Per heat oven to 180°C / 350°F
4. Line two cookie sheets with baking / parchment paper, set aside
5. Separate dough into 2 pieces. Roll out between two large piece of baking paper, till approx. 0.25cm (1/8″ inch) thick
6. Place rolled out dough in fridge for 5 minutes, this makes cookie cutting easier.
7. Using a fluted cutter, cut out cookies. Put scraps together & roll out again.
8. Place 1cm (1/2″ inch) apart on cookie sheet
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Remove, let cool on cook sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack

Cookie assembly:

• Lightly whip the white chocolate ganache.
• You can used a pastry bag with 1/4″ plain tip. I used a spoon and knife. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons cream in centre of one cookie, top with another cookie to form a sandwich.
• Gently press down till cream comes near edges
• Can be stored in loosely covered container, in fridge for 3 days.

*NOTE : the original recipe said to leave the ganache to sit for at least 6 hours. Perhaps if you use a pastry bag this is necessary. But with a spoon & knife I found 2 hours was sufficient to thicken the chocolate cream.