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.

Baked Apples

Baked Apples seemed to be an appropriate welcome back, New Years resolution, apple desert recipe.  What better way to satisfy your sweet tooth while watching your waist line. Plus baked apples are a cinch to make… core, stuff, bake. That’s it. No fuss no muss.

Olivier’s parents have an apple orchard in France and this year they were overwhelmed with the yield. There were enough apples for the Russian army I tell you. So each week we receive a top up, which means I continuously have a bag of these golden red globes in my fridge. I would be complaining except that they are absolutely delicious and make wonderful apple sauce, pies, cakes, muffins not to mention baked apples.

RECIPE :  Erika Alliston – Sweet Pea Blog, BAKED APPLES

• 6 cooking apples
• 1 handful whole almonds
• 1 handful raisins
• a pinch ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 15g melted unsalted butter

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (355°F) convection heat.
2. Coarsely chop the almonds, set aside
3. Melt the butter.
4. Add the chopped almonds, raisins, spices and brown sugar to the butter, stir well, set aside.
5. Prepare the apples; remove the core. Using a sharp knife draw a line around the middle of each apple (see picture). Stuff with the nut/spice mixture till it reaches the top of each apple.
6. Cook for 45 -60 minutes (depending on the size of your cooking apples), until apples are very tender when poked with a knife.
7. Serve immediately

The DUTCH Series N°5 : Lentil Soup Recipe with Saffron Garlic Roux

It is officially the 1st day of SPRING!

So why am I writing about a winter soup you may ask. Good question. The thing is – the calendar may say that Spring has arrived,  but while it is sunny in Geneva it is still very chilly. I was nearly blown away this morning when crossing the bridge  - literally! It is because of  ‘la bise’ a Northerly wind that comes whistling through the city at a bone chilling rate. It is at these times you really need some stick to your ribs, heart warming food.

Years ago lentil soup was the very last thing on my list of favourite foods. It was something to eat under duress. In fact I was such a terrible child, that once my aunt went to all the trouble of preparing a homemade lentil stew and I turned my nose up and said I couldn’t possibly.  Naughty naughty naughty.

I have since grown up & so have my taste buds.  The first lentil soup recipeI tried will remain nameless, as the spices were all off and it made enough for the Russian army… needless to say, I was not impressed. I have since fiddled and tweaked my way to come up with this version, with a hint of chilly, the tang of lemon, soothed with spices & served with a generous dollop of saffron, garlic roux!

The saffron garlic roux is a thick cream that was inspired by a bouillabaisse soup I had this past summer at a friends house in Provence. She served her fish  soup with a traditional roux made of mayonnaise, saffron & garlic. One of the guests liked it so much that I think we could have left him alone with just the sauce & a spoon! I have made a lighter version using thick Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise and reduced the garlic to half as it is very strong.

RECIPE – SWEET PEABlog

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots
• 1 large carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (net weight can 400g)
• 100 gr (1/2 cup) red lentils
• 50 gr (1/4 cup) barley
• 1L vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 bay (laurel) leaves
• salt & pepper to taste

SPICES:

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (add more if you like the soup spicy)

SAFFRON GARLIC ROUX:

• 250 gr (1 small container) full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2  garlic clove
• 3 generous pinches of powdered saffron
• pinch of salt

1. First prepare the spices, set aside
2. Next finely chop the onions, carrots & celery, set each aside separately
3. Heat the oil & add the onions & bay leaves.  Use med / low heat as you only want to sweat the onions not turn them brown.
4. Add garlic & spices. Stirring, let cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add chopped carrots & celery.
6. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils & barley. Stir well.
7. Add bouillon, lemon juice, salt & pepper.
8. Cover & simmer gently for 30-40 minutes until lentils & barley are cooked.
9. For the roux, mix the pressed garlic into the yogurt and finally add the saffron & salt. Mix until well combined.

The DUTCH Series N°2

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ This is a great saying however this is just one minor detail they left out…. the cooking instructions!

Taking advantage of this little loophole and the fact that it is currently the apple season, I have invented a quick & healthy recipe, within the guidelines of the Dutch Series.

Now I am not suggesting that you run triumphantly down to your doctors’ office, boasting how you have found a justification to eat more desert…. a chink in the dietary armor so to say. Perhaps best to remain discrete and if you do happen to have a sweet tooth, here is your prefect solution to satisfy a craving while keeping an eye on your waistline & budget!

RECIPE - SWEET PEA Blog

As I did not have a basic recipe to work from and was cooking ‘au pif – by the nose’, I tried several different combinations of spices and different quantities of sugar, to find my preferred balance. Often the best food is the simplest and there is something so comforting about hot apple compote that leaves you feeling warm & satisfied.

COOKING APPLES: by definition are primarily used for cooking rather than eating fresh. They are generally larger in size, less sweet when uncooked, with a more floury texture. They naturally soften and release their sweetness when cooked.

I will soon be posting a recipe for molasses caramel, a heavenly twist on the traditional caramel that goes divinely with this recipe.

Sugar & spice makes everything nice….

• 2 large cooking apples (480 grams whole)
• 20 grams unsalted butter
• 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar (depending on how sweet your apples are)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1 whole star anise

1. Peel & core the apples. Chop into 8 slices then into large cubes.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the sugar & spices, let simmer for a minute
3. Add the apples and mix well.
4. Cover & cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes. All the water should be absorbed and the apples very soft when tested with a knife
5. Normally no blending is needed as the apples will naturally soften and loose their form
6. Sever warm

SUGAR COOKIES :

C is for cookie …. well that all depends on where you come from. In England & Australia B is for Biscuit and in Spain G is for Galletas, whereas in Italy they have a completely different range of names from amaretti to biscotti.

Going back to the root of the English word ‘cookie’, we find that it was derived from the Dutch word koekje, meaning small/little cake. According to culinary historians, these little cakes were the product of chefs using small amounts of batter to test the heat of their ovens before baking. I will soon be taking a trip over to Holland, to visit my brother and to taste the local delicacies - he says they have excellent local cheese & yogurt, so I will be reporting back!

In regards to reporting back, each year I find that the decrease in autumn temperature, brings with it an increase in my desire to cook with fragrant spices. However when it comes to my spice rack, I fear I have lately been playing favourites ….  exploiting certain spices while marginalsing others to their traditional roles.

A good example of this is nutmeg – great for beshamel sauce, perfect for rice pudding and even better when used in savoury spinach quiche. But should that be all? Is that everything this little ”nut” has to offer?? Perhaps I should be looking outside the recipe box, to the sweeter side of life. Which got me to thinking about my mother’s delicious sugar cookies and how nicely they would compliment the aromatic flavours of nutmeg. And as they say, whoever they are, the rest is history!

NUTMEG – A History

• Native to the Banda islands of Indonesia
• Nutmeg is a seed from the evergreen tree
• The tree produces small yellow flowers that bear fruit – inside is the nutmeg seed
• Name derived from the Latin nux muscatus “musky nut”
• The Pericarp (exterior fruit/pod surrounding the nutmeg seed) is not waisted : in Grenada it is used to make ‘Morne Delice’ jam, in Indonesia for making candy, “nutmeg sweets”
• Prized / costly spice in medieval cuisine : St. Theodore (ca.758-826) supposed to have allowed his monks to sprinkle nutmeg on their pea pudding!!!
• Valude for its medical properties : remedies for nausea & indigestion
• Use : Best grated fresh!

RECIPE - ERIKA ALLISTON – Sweet Pea Blog

Ingredients:

• 175 gr (3/4 cup) softened unsalted butter
• 170 gr (1 cup) packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla
• 300 gr (2.5 cups) white flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

Directions:

1. Beat the softened butter until light in colour & texture
2. Now add in brown sugar in 3 lots
3. Next beat in egg & vanilla
4. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder & salt, mix well.
5. Now add to butter mixture in 3 lots
6. Make a round flat ball with the dough, divide in 1/2 & cover in plastic wrap
7. Chill for 1 hour
8. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F)
9. Using 1/2 the dough at a time, roll out on a well floured surface & rolling pin (approx. 0.5cm thick)
10. Cut out shapes using large cookie cutters
11. Place on a non stick baking sheet at least 1cm (1/2 inch) apart and bake for 8 to 10 minutes (depending on your oven and how chewy you like the cookies to be!)
12. Let cook on a cookie rack.

EMILY THE GREAT’S CARROT & PEAR SOUP

First there was Catherine the Great of Russia (1729 – 1796), and then a few hundred years later, came Emily the Great, my good friend, who proudly gave herself this name at the ripe old age of 2, for surely one great lady in history deserves another!

And a great lady she is, one who I am proud to know, and who was a lifesaver (the pink kind with a gold star) at my wedding this September 6th. So how does the soup fit in you may ask - well in amongst the dress fittings, dinners, last minute ribbons, welcome packages, speech preparations, vows etc, we all had to eat…. so each member of the family took turns putting something delicious together.

Emily’s contribution to the soup pot – was in fact soup, her version of fresh garden carrot, autumn William pear, and spicy Cayenne pepper. Top that with oven baked, olive oil & garlic croutons, and you have a great fall dish, that I couldn’t wait to put on the blog. Afterall today is the 1st day of autumn / fall.

RECIPE – SWEET PEA BLOG

This a new taste for me, a sweeter soup than I am used to, but one that I have fallen in love with. What is nice is that you can taste each individual ingredient – the sweetness of the pears & carrots, nicely offset by the spicy cayenne pepper & brought together with the tangy yogurt.

Ingredients:

• 6 large carrots
• 4 medium William pears
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups chicken broth (approx 1L)
• cayenne pepper to taste

Preparations:

• peel & cut the carrots into small rounds
• peel & cut the pears into small pieces
• peel the garlic and chop into small pieces
• peel & coarsely chop the onion

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and add the chopped onion & garlic. Let cook on a medium low heat until the onions become slightly soft (approx 5+ minutes)
2. Next boil the 4 cups (1L) of water and add a bouillon cube to make the chicken broth. Add this to the onions & garlic.
3. Now add the chopped pears & carrots, and simmer until they are well cooked.
4. Using a hand blender, mix the soup well, until it is evenly blended and slowly add cayenne pepper to taste.
5. SERVE: topper with a spoon of thick greek yogurt & homemade croutons.

HOMEMADE CRUTONS:

• cut1/2 a bagetteinto 2cm (1 inch) cubes, toss with olive oil and crushed garlic.
• Evenly spread onto a lined baking tray.
• Bake for approx. 10 mins in a 180°C oven, turning ever so often so they cook evenly

{CURRY AU CURCUMA ET CHOU-FLEUR} The idea for each recipe that I post comes from an inspiration. My source this time was David Servan-Schreiber’s book ‘Anticancer’ – the theme of which is how our bodies can prevent & protect us against cancerous cells with a little help from what we eat.

A cancer survivor himself, David’s message about nutrition is clear – there are certain foods that enhance the bodies natural defence system against the formation of cancerous cells, while there are others that diminish it. Tip the scales of your daily diet in favour of the enhancing foods to give your body the best start.

Reduce: 

• refined sugars
• vegetable oils (ie sunflower)
• non-bio fish, meat & dairy
• white flour etc

Increase:

• fruits & veggies (especially red fruits & berries, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, garlic, ginger)
• agave nectar instead of refined sugar
• olive oil 
• bio fish, meat & dairy
• drink 6 + cups of Japanese green tea per day (10 min infusion, drink with the next hour)
• Eating dark chocolate (70%+ cacao) was surprisingly on the list
• the other dark horse was Turmeric

TURMERIC ‘Curcuma longa’, also known as curcuma, haldi or Indian saffron, is an ancient spice from South East Asia.  This fine, bright yellow powder is obtained from the ground rhizome (underground stem), and posses an earthy, peppery flavour with a sweet mustard perfume. It is used for cooking, cosmetics (sunscreen), dyes, gardening (ant deterrent) and medicine.

What caught my eye was the marriage between cooking and the medicinale properties of turmeric. For centuries this spice has been used in India as a natural anticeptic & antibacterial agent, and has only recently become a topic of research in the oxidental medical community. According to the book ‘Anticancer‘, turmeric / curcuma is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory identified to date & can be used as a natural defence mechanism against cancerous cells when used in cooking!!!! IMPORTANT for the turmeric to be absorbed by the body, it must be combined with black pepper and ideally dissolved in oil (ie olive oil). Many curry spice mixes only contain a small % of turmeric, so it is best to buy the pure variety on its own.

I have created a delicious, simple recipe, that uses these essential ingredients and takes only 15 minutes to make.

RECIPE – SWEET PEA Blog

• 300g cauliflower (1 small cauliflower head)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 11/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• pinch of salt
• 2 bay / laurel leaves (dry or fresh)
• 250ml (approx. 1cup) coconut milk

1. Prepare the cauliflower: wash & dry well, remove the the green leaves & stalk, and cut the ‘flower’ into small pieces
2. Spices : mix well with the salt in a small dish
3. In a medium sized suacepan, heat the oilve oil on low heat, add the spices & bay leaves and let cook gently for 2 mintues
4. Now add the coconut milk and mix well until all the spices are absorbed
5. Add the cauliflower and cook COVERED for approx 8 minutes or until the cauliflower is just tender

I normally serve this dish with basmati rice (cooked with 4 black pepper corns, 3 cardamon pods, 2 whole cloves and 1 cinnamon stick). If you find using pure coconut milk is too rich, you can use half coconut milk and half normal milk for this recipe. The sauce will be a little thinner but still delicious.

‘ANTICANCER’:  I would highly recommend reading David Servan-Schreiber’s book  - the French version is currently out in stores, and the English translation will be available on Amazon in Sept. 2008.

GRANOLA: To be or not to be a breakfast person, that is the question …

I for one used to fall into the latter category… a category reserved for those of us who don’t do mornings… rush out the door like mad women (as if there was time for toast let alone breakfast) and find themselves sitting at their desk before the sun has even risen, sipping on a cup of coffee. Healthy you say…. I think not!!!

It took moving to Geneva and living with my other half – a breakfast fiend, tartine nut, jam addict and general muesli fan… to make me turn over a new leaf or should I say grain.

With breakfast becoming an increasingly important meal of my day, I started paying more attention to the ingredients I was eating…. and was shocked to discover the amount of salt, white sugar & hydrogenated oils that most granola brands add. Something had to be done! So I set to work on making my own healthy recipe.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can personalise it… I use the rolled oats as a base and then add and subtract the nuts, seeds & dried fruits I feel like.

GRANOLA RECIPE - ERIKA ALLISTON – Sweet Pea Blog

• 200 grams rolled oats (approx. 2 cups)
• 2 or 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or nutmeg as you like)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 180 grams of a mixture of seeds, nuts, & dried fruit ie raisins that you like (for this post I combined sunflower, pumpkin & linseeds, with whole almonds & pecans)
• 2 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (320°F).
2. Cover a large baking sheet with baking paper.
3. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, borwn sugar, cinnamon, salt & seed/nut mix.
4. Beat the egg & oil, add to the dry mixture
5. Next, evenly spread the granola on the baking sheet, and bake at 150°C for 30 mins. Then REDUCE the heat and cook for 1 hour at 120°C.
6. Turn off  the oven and let the granola cool COMPLETELY inside before storing in a dry sealed container.

NOTE: technically MUESLI and GRANOLA are different. While they are both rolled oat breakfast cereals, muesli is the Swiss / German version normally served uncooked or soaked in water, while granola is the US /UK version, which is baked and crunchy. As the names have become interchanged I have used both in the title of this post. I also plan on trying a maple syrop & pecan version.

{TARTELETTES AUX PRUNEAUX ET CANNELLE} I know I know, I promised more savoury & less sweetie recepes - but little purple plums are TAKING OVER MY KITCHEN!!! Everywhere I look there is a bowl, box or plate of them. Why you might ask – well it just so happens that Olivier’s parents have plum trees at their country house in France…. and as they cannot keep up with them, the torch has been passed! Something had to be done….

As I have already made ‘PLUM, GREEN GAGE & CINNAMON JAM’ (soon to be posted on the SP blog) I thought I would turn my attention to tart making… before the plums turn or the season passes! And seeing as the cinnamon was a nice added touch to the plum jam, I decided to make a sweet cinnamon pastry crust for this recipe.

RECIPE – SWEET PEA BLOG

CINNAMON PASTRY

• 200g white flour
• 100g unsalted butter
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 egg
• pinch of salt

1. Remove the butter from the fridge, cut into small cubes and bring to room temperature.
2. In an electric mixer, combine the flour, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, white sugar and salt. (NOTE: if you are using liquid vanilla extract add this with the egg at the end.) 
3. Now add the butter and mix well until you have a breadcrumb consistency.
4. Beat the egg separately then add to the flour mixture. At this point I often use my hands, to work the dough until it forms a smooth, uniform ball. Cover with plastic warp and place in the fridge for 20 mins to half an hour.

PLUMS & TART MAKING

• 14 slightly firm damson plums (approx. 430g)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damson
• 6 teaspoons of finely ground almonds
• for decoration:
• 1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F)
2. REMOVE the cinnamon pastry from the fridge, so it will be easier to roll. Wash the plums & cut each one in half and then half again and set aside.
3. Roll out the pastry dough till approx. 2-3mm thick and line each tart tin –  I normally make either 8 tratlets or 1 large tart. Using a fork prick the bottom of each tart and then placing them on a cookie sheet pre-bake for 6 minutes.
4. Remove the tartlets from the oven and dust the bottom of each with 1 teaspoon of ground almonds.
5.  Arrange the plums in each tart so that they are sitting next to each other on their sides and then sprinkle with a few chopped pistachio nuts.
6. Bake for 40 minutes and immediately sprinkle with a little white sugar when removed from the oven.

NOTE: I use slightly firm plums as the overly ripe variety produce more juice and can leave you with a runny tart. The ground almonds will help to absorb some of the plum juice and avoid a soggy pastry.

{PETITS POTS DE CHOCOLAT NOIR ET BLANC A LA CARDAMOME} The dinner party…… a wonderful event, but for the host it can become a juggling act to create delicious dishes that are easy, made in advance and beautiful! Do not let the picture above fool you – this is an easy recipe, that is based on Trish Deseine’s ‘Petits pots de chocolat’ with a twist. I have wooed many a guest at the end of a dinner where the conversation goes quiet and everyone relishes in this heavenly desert.

The original recipe calls for only dark chocolate, which is sinful but as it is summer I felt the need to lighten things up – so I divided the recipe in 2 and created one rich dark chocolate cream layer and a 2nd delicate white chocolate layer with a hint of cardamon, finished with a dust of cacao.

RECIPE – SWEET PEA BLOG

For 6 people

Dark chocolate cream:

• 20cl single (table) cream 18% (in Geneva crème fleurette fraîche)
• 125g dark chocolate (minimum 60%)
• 2 egg yolks
• 15g melted butter

1. First separate the egg yolks and set aside.
2. Next break the dark chocolate into as little pieces as possible and place in a heat proof, pouring jug (ie large glass liquid measuring cup)
3. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. As soon as it has boiled remove from the heat and pour over the dark chocolate pieces. With a whisk blend together until smooth (this can take a few minutes). Leave to cool for 2 minutes.
4. Melt the butter and set aside.
5. Whisk the egg yolks and then gently stir them into the dark chocolate cream.
6. Finally add the butter.
7. Divide the dark chocolate cream evenly between the 6 glasses, and place them in the fridge to cool for 1 hour. The timing here is important so please don’t cheat, or your layers will mix together!

White chocolate & cardamon cream:

• 20cl single (table) cream 18%
• 125g white chocolate (minimum 30% cacao)
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 2 egg yolks
• 15g melted butter
• (cocoa for dusting over the chocolate pots before serving)

Repeat the cooking instructions above, only add the cardamon to the cream before bringing it to the boil. Leave the white chocolate cream mixture to cool for at least 5 minutes BEFORE pouring over the dark chocolate cream layer. Place the glasses in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours, with cling film (plastic wrap) over the top to avoid unwanted odours from the fridge being absorbed by the cream!

Serving: remove the chocolate pots from the fridge just 5 mintues before serving, and using a sieve dust with a thin layer of cocoa.

NOTE: many people do not love white chocolate (Olivier included) – too sickly sweet etc. This recipe will surprise you, as the taste is subtle and works well in contrast to the thicker and slightly bitter dark chocolate cream. Also do not panic & run for cover like I did the 1st time – when you see that the white chocolate is not solidifying like the dark. This is normal, and will remain a more liquid cream.