Greek Spinach Leek Pie
23 July 2010
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.
Asparagus Risotto
26 May 2010
Asparagus Risotto
Classic asparagus risotto made with arborio rice, onions, stock, Parmesan cheese and fresh asparagus.
The season for asparagus always seems too short. In a blink of an eye it’s gone and you have to wait a whole year to enjoy these tasty shoots again. So when I was in Provence this past weekend I took advantage of the Uzes Market.
There were many different varieties of asparagus to choose from – white, green, purple tipped, but for this recipe I prefered the green. What is great about risotto is that it doesn’t over power the asparagus, but compliments it. This is quintessential Italian cooking, which is all about tasting each ingredient.
For other asparagus recipes see these links: Pumpkin Risotto Grilled Asparagus
See link ‘asparagus risotto‘ below for recipe:
Wild Garilc, Ramsons, Bear’s Garlic
13 May 2010
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:
ROCKET PESTO
8 April 2010
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:
Baked Potato
21 March 2010
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:
Gougères – French Cheese Puffs
1 March 2010
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):
Lemon chicken
9 February 2010
Lemon Chicken
Chicken recipe : Roasted Lemon Chicken with Sumac
What to do with chicken…. that ever versatile white protein. My mother has been trying to disguise it for years while my father throws every curry in the book at it just to ‘add’ some taste.
I was looking for a change, so went sniffing through my cookbooks for an EASY CHICKEN RECIPE when I came across Ottolengi’s ‘Roast chicken with sumac, za’atar and lemon’.
The basis of the recipe looked good but I didn’t have a few of the ingredients on hand ie) no za’atar (Middle Eastern blend of dried thyme, sesame seeds and salt) or allspice and didn’t feel much like messing around with a whole chicken, so I simplified things.
All you need is a few chicken breasts, fresh lemon, sumac (a spice made of crushed Mediterranean berries), garlic, stock and a few other spices. This makes a delicious, fragrant dish, that is healthy and great served over basmati rice.
See the link ‘lemon chicken’ below for the recipe:
BEEF STROGANOFF
25 January 2010
Beef Stroganoff
BEEF STROGANOFF {Бефстроганов, Befstróganov}
A great Russian beef recipe!
“Don’t always listen to your husband but always listen to your BUTCHER!”
This is what I was told on Saturday after finding Olivier in the butcher shop. He had ventured in with our shopping list and ordered 350g of beef shoulder. The butcher put the meat on the chopping block and with his knife poised asked what we were cooking. “Beef Stroganoff” Olivier replied.
The knife went down and a knowing look came over the butchers face. “My friend” he said, “this is not the meat for you. For beef stroganoff only beef fillet will do! You want the most tender meat, cut into ‘allumettes‘ (thin strips) and then quickly seared in the pan. It will melt in your mouth”.
And it did. The price was definitely not that of beef shoulder, but worth every penny.
Beef strogi as it’s known in our family comes with many variations on a theme. However I like a simple recipe, made with only beef, onions, paris mushroom and sour cream. A little salt & pepper, garnished with chopped parsley and you have a carnivores bit of heaven.
The name is likely derived from Count Sergei Stroganoff (1794-1881), a Russian official and gourmet! I bet you he was all over the beef fillet.
