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.

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:

ERIKA ALLISTON: ASPARAGUS RISOTTO RECIPE

RISOTTO TIPS:

1. Use the best quality short grain rice = Carnaroli. Alternatively you can use Aborio rice which may be easier to find.
2. Don’t wash the rice, or you will loose the starch which helps make the risotto creamy
3. Use the best quality Parmesan ”aged Parmigiano-Reggiano” if possible
4. Watch the rice while cooking and stir constantly
5. Do not omit the final ’mantecare’ stage – this is the last traditional step of adding butter & Parmesan to the finished risotto, giving it that deliciously rich & creamy texture.
6. Heat your bowls & serve immediately; when the risotto cools it thickens and looses its creamy quality.

Ingredients:

• 350g Carnaroli rice
• 2 small white onions
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter for onions + 5 tbls for montecare
• 60 mL white wine
• 1L vegetable stock
• 100g grated parmesan
• 350g green asparagus pieces

Preparing Asparagus:

1. Wash & dry asparagus
2. Remove the bottom woody ends, then peel the remaining bottom
3. Cut into 2cm (1 inch) pieces. Separate the tips for the rest of the asparagus – they will be added last as cook fastest

Risotto recipe:

1. Stock: first make the stock / broth = boiling the water in a kettle then add the bouillon cube.
2. Onions: finely chop. In a large skillet (frying pan) saute over medium heat with 3 tablespoons of butter, until onions are  softens and translucent.
3. Rice: add to onions and mix well.  Stir while cooking for two minutes.
4. Wine: add to rice/onions. Stir, allowing the wine to be absorbed by the rice.
5. Using a ladle, add 1 to 2 ladle’s full of hot stock to the rice. Stir slowly & consistently until it has been absorbed. Keep adding ladles of stock to the rice all the while stirring.
6. Asparagus:  When 3/4 of the stock has been used, add the asparagus (except the tips) and then finish adding the stock. Taste the rice as you cook, it is ready when it has a firm texture but not crunchy. If you prefer it a little softer you can always add a little more stock. Add asparagus tips now.
7. Mantecare: Reduce heat to low & stir in 5 tablespoons of butter, grated Parmesan & pepper to taste. Remove from the heat. The risotto should be rich, creamy &  fragrant.
8. Serve immediately in hot bowls

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!

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.

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:

LEMON CHICKEN Recipe : ERIKA ALLISTON – Sweet Pea Blog

Dinner for Two:

• 2 chicken breasts (without the skin)  approx. 220g
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 pinches ground ginger
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 120 mL (1/2 cup) chicken or vegetable stock
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac
• 1/2 an unwaxed lemon
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts (optional)

1. Pre heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F
2. Oil a small metal baking dish. Place the whole chicken breasts in the dish
3. Boil water in kettle. Make stock.
4. In a bowl combine: garlic, oil, spices, stock & pepper, mix well
5. Pour over chicken
6. Sprinkle chicken evenly with sumac
7. Slice lemon into paper thin rounds (see picture)
8. Place over chicken
9. Sprinkle with pine nuts
10. Roast in oven uncovered for 15 minutes (check if cooed)

Serve over basmati rice, quinoa or with fresh pita bread.

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.

BEEF STROGANOFF Recipe – ERIKA ALLISTON, Sweet Pea Blog

• 350g beef fillet
• 1 medium onion
• 150g paris mushrooms (approx. 18)
• 180mL sour cream
• 30g butter
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• salt & pepper
• small bunch parsley (chopped)

1. Cut beef  into ‘allumettes’ thin fingers (see picture). Beef should be at room temperature.
2. Finely slice the onion (see picture)
3. In a large, non stick skillet (frying pan) on medium/low heat,  melt 15g of butter & olive oil
4. When bubbling add onions, cook till translucent but not browned (5-8 mins)
5. Cut mushrooms into slices (see picture)
6. Add mushrooms to onions, cook for 2 minutes, set aside
7. Add 15g of butter to skilled on medium/high heat
8. When sizzling add beef, salt & pepper, cook until golden
9. Add cooked onions / mushrooms &  sour cream to beef, let simmer for 2 minutes
10. Serve immediately sprinkled with chopped parsley