Gratin of Chard & New Potatoes

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 07:06AM
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Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
  • 450g/1lb ruby or Swiss chard, stems and broad ribs cut into 1cm/½in pieces, leaves finely sliced
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 60g/2oz black olives, stones removed
  • 2 canned anchovy fillets, chopped
  • 2 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 400g/14oz new potatoes, scrubbed, boiled until just tender, drained and sliced
  • 60g/2oz gruyère cheese, grated
  • 30g/1oz parmesan, freshly grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a wide, lidded pan and add the chopped chard ribs. Stir, then cover and cook over a low heat for four minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the leaves, stir, then cover again and cook for a further five minutes, or until just tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.
4. Place the olives, anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, parsley and two tablespoons of olive oil into a food processor and blend to make a smooth paste.
5. Lightly oil a 30cm/12in ovenproof dish. Place a layer of the chard, along with any cooking juices, and a layer of the cooked potatoes into the dish. Spread a little of the olive paste over the chard and potatoes and season with freshly ground black pepper. Continue to layer up the chard and potato, spreading more of the olive paste between each layer and finishing with a layer of chard.
6. Mix the gruyère and parmesan in a bowl and sprinkle over the top of the gratin. Drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
7. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Serve hot or warm.

Red Russian Kale - Tips

Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 06:54AM
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AKA:
Season: Winter: September-March
Cooking Tips: Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and tastier after being exposed to a frost. Tender shoots can provide an intense addition to salads, particularly when combined with other such strongly-flavored ingredients such as dry-roasted peanuts or tamari-roasted almonds. Kale can also be added to soups and stews and the flavour can be enhances with garlic, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, cinnamon, caraway seeds, or toasted pine nuts.

Traditional ways to prepare kale call for long boiling, about 40 minutes, until it is very soft. However, kale can also be boiled quickly, for about 5 to 8 minutes, until it is just slightly crunchy. Kale can also be sauted in oil with onions and garlic for about five minutes (after boiling for 5 minutes to enhance its flavor).

Notes: All kales are a good source of iron, calcium, vitamin C, Folic Acid, vitamin K and Carotenoids (which provide vitamin A). 

Chinese Cabbage & Mixed Vegetable Salad with Pineapple Dressing

Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 08:32AM
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Ingredients

For the salad
200g/7oz choi sum (Chinese cabbage) leaves, sliced
100g/3½oz sugar snap peas
2 large carrots, julienned
1 red pepper, de-seeded, sliced
1 yellow pepper, de-seeded, sliced
240g/8½oz canned pineapple, drained, sliced
2 spring onions, finely sliced

For the dressing
2-3 tbsp groundnut oil or olive oil
7 tbsp pineapple juice
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar
pinch freshly ground black pepper

Method

For the salad, toss all of the salad ingredients together in a large salad bowl.

For the dressing, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and drizzle over the salad. Toss well to coat, then pile onto serving plates and serve.

Spicy Stir-fry Chinese Cabbage

Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 06:53AM
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Chilli paste adds heat to this stir-fry with Chinese cabbage (also called Napa Cabbage or by its Chinese name, Sui Choy) and green onions.

Ingredients

1 pound Chinese Cabbage (also called Napa Cabbage or Sui Choy)
1 large garlic clove
2 green onion (spring onions)
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, for stir-frying
2 - 3 teaspoons chilli paste, according to taste~
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, or white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 - 2 teaspoons soy sauce, optional
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed in 4 teaspoons water

Method

1. Rinse the cabbage and pat dry. Remove the leaves and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Finely chop the garlic. Rinse the green onion and cut into 1-inch lengths.
2. Heat the wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the chilli paste. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the garlic. Stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant, and then add the cabbage.
3. Stir-fry the cabbage for 1 minute, splashing with the rice wine or dry sherry and stirring in the salt.
4. Add the water. Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer the cabbage for 3 minutes.
5. Turn the heat back to medium-high. Stir in the sugar and green onion. Stir in the soy sauce if desired.
6. Push the cabbage to the sides of the wok. Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick stir and add it in the middle, stirring quickly to thicken. Cook briefly to mix everything together. Serve hot.

Roast Leg of Pork with Spiced Rhubarb

Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 06:42AM
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Rhubarb makes a change from traditional apple sauce and shares its ability to balance the richness of the meat. Rather than leave it as a rough purée, I whizz the rhubarb into a smooth sauce, a contrast to the roughness of the crackling. Serves 4, with seconds.

For the Meat:
a piece of pork leg, boned, scored
and rolled, about 1kg
for the seasoning:
salt, black pepper
the leaves from three bushy thyme sprigs
2 glasses of white wine

For the Sauce:
400g rhubarb
2 tbsp sugar
the zest and juice of a small orange
ground cinnamon

Make a rub for the pork with salt, pepper and the leaves from the thyme. Massage it into the skin of the pork, making sure to get it right down in between the score marks. Roast the meat at 220C/gas mark 7 for 25 minutes, then lower the heat to 180C/gas mark 4, allowing 25 minutes per 500g.

Make the rhubarb sauce. Trim the stalks, removing the leaves (which are poisonous in quantity), and cut into short pieces. Put them into a stainless steel or enamelled pan with the sugar and the zest and juice of the orange. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Leave until the fruit has virtually collapsed.

Whizz the rhubarb in a food processor or blender till smooth. Season to taste with salt and a very little ground cinnamon.

Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes, lightly covered with a dome of foil. (Too tight and it will soften the crackling.) Put the roasting pan on the heat and pour in the white wine, stirring and scraping at the sticky bits in the pan as you go. Bring to the boil then season carefully and pour into a warm jug. Carve the roast, serving each plate with some of the gravy and passing round the rhubarb sauce.

Rhubarb Tart with Mascarpone Cream

Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 06:29AM
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Ingredients

For the roasted rhubarb
5-6 stalks rhubarb
good shake of light brown sugar
For the tart
frozen ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry, defrosted
1 tsp butter, for greasing
flour, for dusting
2 large organic eggs, separated
2 tbsp unrefined caster sugar
250g/9oz tub mascarpone
2-3 drops vanilla extract

Method

For the roasted rhubarb, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Cut the rhubarb into 15cm/6in or so lengths (about the length of a wooden spoon-handle) and place in a roasting tin with half a tea-cup of water and the light brown sugar. Roast until just soft enough to take the point of a knife, about 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool, then drain, reserving the cooking juices.

For the tart, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Unroll the puff pastry, and using a rolling pin, roll it again to make the pastry slightly thinner. Cut the pastry into three even-sized rectangles. Using a sharp knife, score a 1.5cm/½in border around each rectangle, being careful not to cut through the pastry. Place the pastry rectangles on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Arrange 3-4 lengths of drained rhubarb, depending on the thickness of them, into the middle of the pastry rectangles and brush some of the reserved juice from the roasted rhubarb around the edges to give the pastry a shine. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and risen.

Meanwhile beat the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl for a few seconds, until thoroughly mixed. Beat in the mascarpone until you have a custard-coloured cream. Stir in a little vanilla extract; a couple of drops should be enough. With a clean whisk, beat the egg white in a clean bowl until it stands in stiff peaks, then fold into the creamed mascarpone mixture.

Serve the mascarpone cream with the warm rhubarb tarts. Any remaining mascarpone cream can be served the following day with berries or used to top meringues served with fruit.

Beetroot, Horseradish & Crème Fraîche Dip

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 07:36AM
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Ingredients

  • 250g cooked beetroot , roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp hot horseradish sauce
  • 100ml crème fraîche

Method
Put all the ingredients in a food processor, pulse until blended and season well. Spoon into a bowl and serve with breadsticks or pitta bread.

Spiced Beetroot & Orange Chutney

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 07:31AM
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Ingredients

  • 1½ kg raw beetroot, trimmed, peeled and diced (wear gloves!)
  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 3 eating apples , peeled and grated
  • zest and juice 3 oranges
  • 2 tbsp white or yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp ground cloves
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 700ml red wine vinegar
  • 700g golden granulated sugar

Method

  1. In a preserving pan or your largest saucepan, mix together all the ingredients well. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 1 hr, stirring occasionally, until the chutney is thick and the beetroot tender.
  2. While the chutney is cooking, prepare your jars by running through a short hot wash in your dishwasher. Or wash thoroughly by hand, then put in a hot oven to sterilise for 10-15 mins. Once the chutney is ready, let it settle for 10 mins, then carefully spoon into the jars and seal while still hot. You can eat it straight away but it will be even better after a month. Will keep for up to 6 months in a cool dark place. Once opened, refrigerate and eat within 2 months.

Panfried Fish with Beetroot Salsa

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 07:28AM
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Ingredients

  • 4 small diced cooked beetroot
  • 8 chopped spring onions
  • 1 seeded and chopped red chilli
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 fillets of unskinned firm white fish
  • a little plain flour
  • 25g butter

Method

  1. Put the diced cooked beetroot into a bowl. Add the chopped spring onions, seeded and chopped red chilli, chopped fresh mint, lemon juice and olive oil. Season and stir well.
  2. Dust the fillets of unskinned firm white fish with a little plain flour. Melt the butter in a large pan with the olive oil. Fry the fish fillets on each side for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Serve with the beetroot salsa.

Blitz-and-Bake Beetroot & Chocolate Cake

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 07:24AM
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Ingredients

  • 1 large cooked beetroot about 175g in weight, roughly chopped
  • 200g plain flour
  • 100g cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 250g golden caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 200ml sunflower oil
  • 100g dark chocolate , (not too bitter), chopped into pieces
  • crème fraîche or clotted cream, to serve

Method

  1. heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Tip the beetroot into a food processor and blitz until chopped. Add a pinch of salt and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil and chocolate. When completely mixed (you may need to scrape the sides down once or twice), add the oil in a steady stream, as if you were making mayonnaise.
  2. When all the oil has been added, stir in the chocolate, then tip the mix into a lined 900g loaf tin. Cook for 1 hr until an inserted skewer

Carrot Cake

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 07:19AM
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Ingredients

  • 300g plain flour
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 200g soft brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 250ml oil
  • 1 orange, zested
  • 1 lemon , zested
  • 200g carrots , finely grated
  • 150g walnuts , chopped
  • 227g tin pineapple pieces, well drained and chopped (optional)

  For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 125g unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 50g icing sugar
  • 250g cream cheese

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Line a 20cm, 10cm deep cake tin. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar. Beat the eggs with the oil and citrus zests. Stir in the carrots and fold everything into the flour mixture. Fold in the walnuts and pineapple if using. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool.
  2. For the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and then beat in the cream cheese. Chill the mixture until it's thick but spreadable. Spread a thick layer on top of the cake, making sure the side of the icing is flat and continues upwards from the side of the cake.

Little Gem Lettuce & Parmesan Risotto

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 07:12AM
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Ingredients

  • butter
  • onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 350g risotto rice carnaroli or arborio
  • 1 large glass dry white wine
  • 1½ l vegetable stock , made up from fresh, cube or concentrate , kept hot
  • 50g parmesan or Grana Padano, grated , plus extra to serve
  • 2 Little Gem lettuces , torn into small pieces

Method

  1. Melt a knob of butter in a large pan, add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent.
  2. Stir in the rice until coated with the butter. Add the white wine and stir until evaporated.
  3. Add the stock a ladle at a time, until the rice is cooked but still with a little bite (you might not need to use all the stock).
  4. Stir through the cheese and the lettuce to gently wilt the leaves. Serve with extra cheese if you like.
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