Category: Vegetables

Broadbean salad with eggs, bacon and parmesan

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I had lived in the UK for two years when I heard about the Two Fat Ladies for the first time, via a Swedish food blog. Oh, the irony… I bought the DVD box straight away and although I love their cooking, the two ladies can be quite annoying to listen to at times.

But all is forgiven when trying their recipes. Like this broadbean salad. The original recipe had anchovies in it, which I substituted for the saltiness of the parmesan. This was a perfect lunch together with a creme fraiche based dressing (creme fraiche + mayo + Italian salad herbs) and a slice of bread.

Broadbean salad with eggs, bacon and parmesan, serves 1

200 ml fresh broadbeans, cooked

1 boiled egg (the way you prefer) cut into 4

3 slices streaky bacon, fried in pieces

olive oil

chopped parsley (or other herbs)

black pepper

parmesan

Mix beans, bacon, oil, parsley and black pepper. Plate and add eggs and parmesan.

Italian asparagus tart

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I have been wanting to try Ursula Ferigno’s asparagus tart recipe in the wonderful cookbook Bringing Italy Home for a while now, and when I finally got around to it, it was as lovely as I had hoped it would be.

Because I had a roll of puff pastry that I needed to use up I substituted it for the pastry in the book, and that worked well too. The focus is indeed on the filling, which is moist and luscious, and I wanted to eat it before I even put the whole thing in the oven. Ricotta has that effect on me.

Italian asparagus tart, serves 6

1 roll puff pastry

350 g asparagus, trimmed

25 g unsalted butter

2 tbsp plain flour

4 eggs, lightly beaten

250 g ricotta

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

55 g Parmesan, grated

sea salt and black pepper

Cover a pie dish with the puff pastry. Pick holes with a fork and pre-bake for 10 minutes in 200C. Cook the asparagus in salted wanted until just soft (about 5 mins). Drain and leave to cool. Cut off the spears and put aside. Cut the stems into 2 cm large chunks. Make a roux with the butter and flour (melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour), leave to cool. Combine all the ingredients, apart from the spears, in a bowl. Pour it into the pie crust, smooth it out and decorate the top with the spears. Bake in 200C for 30 minutes. Serve as a starter, at a buffet or a lighter dish for say, lunch time.

Cauliflower terrine and parma ham

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Every time I go back to Sweden I always end up bringing recipes back to London, one way or the other. Either scribbles on notes (from my mothers cookbooks) or from a magazine. Since we fly to and from Copenhagen (the closest larger airport to South of Sweden although it is in Denmark) I bought a few foodie magazines in Danish on our last trip.

The languages are related so it is not difficult understand recipes in Danish. 🙂 I found this recipe for a cauliflower terrine in Spis Bedre Magazine and I just had to try it. As usual I made a few changes to the recipe, using less gelatine and adding persillade for more taste.

I really enjoyed it, where as Christopher enjoyed the flavour but didn’t like the idea of cold cauliflower or the texture that much, so consider that before making it yourself. 🙂

Cauliflower terrine

1 cauliflower (ca 500 g)

200 ml milk

200 ml cream

a pinch of salt

zest from 1/2 lemon

2 tsp persillade

white pepper

2 gelatine leaves

To serve: parma ham and crema di balsamico

Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water. Cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces, throw the stem away. Rinse and place in a sauce pan with milk, cream and salt. Bring to the boil and cook until the cauliflower is soft. Remove the cauliflower and place in a cling film lined loaf tin. Add lemon zest, persillade and pepper to the cream mixture. Take out the gelatine leaves and add them to, while stirring. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin. Leave to cool completely, cover and place in fridge over night. Serve with parma ham and crema di balsamico.  

Scallops with pea purée and basil sauce

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I manged with a themed dinner on Friday, a bit unintentionally. When I was standing in the kitchen making bruschetta and the basil scent overpowered the kitchen it hit me that peas and basil would be great together. And they were. I flavoured the pea purée only slightly with some pesto but the cold basil sauce had more of a punch to it, and to put a dollop of this and put it on top of the mash and let it melt is truly heaven. Serve with panfried juicy scallops and you have a wonderful and healthy meal. Pair with a glass (or two) of rosé and enjoy a warm summer evening.

Try this, ok? I beg of you.

Scallops with pea purée and basil sauce, serves 2

8 large scallops

1/2 lemon, the juice

a knob of butter for frying

400 g frozen petit pois

3 tbsp butter

2 tsp pesto

salt, white pepper

The sauce:

150 ml creme fraiche

1/2 lemon, the juice

1/3 bunch basil

salt, white pepper

Mix the ingredients for the sauce with a stick blender. Cut the muscle off the scallops and place the scallops in a bowl, squirt lemon juice over. Cover the peas with boiling water and cook for a few minutes.  Drain and purée with a stick blender. Add butter and pesto, season to taste with salt and pepper. Klicka i smöret och peston, mixa igen. Smaka av med salt och peppar. While the peas are cooking, fry the scallops on high heat for a few minutes on each side, in plenty of butter. Season. 

A reminder: Bruschetta

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I came down with a terrible cold on Sunday. Just bam it hit me, and I got the lot; sore throat, runny nose, fever… At least it broke out quickly and the recovery seem pretty quick as well. Fever is gone, I’m back at work and my taste sensation has come back as well. Yay!

Before this hit me, on Friday we had a lovely little basil-themed dinner. It just happened like that and it was really nice! We had one of my favourite starters to begin with – bruschetta. It is best this time of year when the tomatoes taste like they should, full of sun and happiness. Paired with lots of basil, some garlic and nice crusty bread this is a winner every time. I just wanted to remind you of that.

Bruschetta, serves 2 as quite a large starter

6 largeish pieces of ciabatta

4-6 medium tomatoes

a handful of basil, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, pressed

salt, pepper

Chop the tomatoes wuite finely and put it into a sieve to get rid of the excess water. Transfer to a bowl, add basil, pressed garlic, olive oil and spices.

Place the bread pieces on an oven tray and pour garlic on them. Rub the recently used garlic press over the bread to give it a hint of garlic. Roast in 200C oven for about 5 minutes (or until crusty on top).

Place generous spoonfuls of the tomato mixture on each piece of bread. Serve immediately – with napkins.

Classic tomato salad

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After seeing this the other day, I craved tomato salad, something I haven’t eaten since I was in Provence in 2007. Weird, since it is such a nice and refreshing little salad. And incredibly easy to make. Just make sure you have nice tomatoes and this will be a perfect little side dish, especially with meat.

Classic tomato salad, serves 2

4 medium tomatoes

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt

black pepper

Slice the tomatoes and place them on a plate. Sprinkle the onion on top, and salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk together mustard, vinegar and oil and pour over the salad. 

Fabulous aubergine lasagne

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I was so proud of myself last night, because I had managed to fix my laptop that wasn’t working all by myself. And, more importantly, I made this amazing lasagne.

I know it doesn’t sound very humble to say that, but I would be lying if I didn’t tell you how great this dish was. It is easy to make, no bèchamel involved, melts in your mouth, and the flavours work so well together. Balsamic vinegar in the tomato sauce with plenty of Italian herbs and a pinch of brown sugar work so well together, giving it depth. The aubergine, soft after a little oil bath in the frying pan is nice and smooth, the pasta gives it texture and the icing on the cake is the creme fraiche, cream and cheese layer on the top. I say no more.

So try this, ok? At once, please!

Aubergine lasagne, serves 3 (maybe 4, but it is easy to have seconds and thirds of this)

2 aubergines

olive oil

400 g passata or chopped tomatoes (I always use Cirio – they’re the best)

4 tbsp water

1,5 tsp concentrated vegetabe stock

1 tbsp Heinz chilli sauce or other mild chilli sauce

a pinch of brown sugar

2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Italian herb seasoning

salt & pepper

1 packet fresh lasagne sheets

150 g Philadelphia cheese

100 ml creme fraiche

50 ml cream

100 ml grated cheese (I used Emmenthal)

Peel the aubergines and cut them into 1/2 cm thick slices. Fry these soft in plenty of olive oil on high heat. Meanwhile make the tomato sauce. Add tomatoes, water, stock, vinegar and sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to the boil and let it thicken for 5-10 minutes while stiring. Season to taste with Italian herbs, salt and pepper.

When the sauce and aubergines are ready, start layering the lasagne. Start with tomato sauce in the bottom of an ovenproof dish, then lasagne sheets, some more tomato sauce, aubergines, dollops of Philadelphia cheese. Start again with lasagne sheets for the next layer. Finish the lasagne off with lasagne sheets and some tomato sauce if left over. Mix cream and creme fraiche, salt and pepper and spread it on top to cover the dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in 200C for about 30 minutes. Enjoy – you certainly will! 

Asparagus risotto

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Right now our diet mainly consists of rhubarb and aspargus. I love both, so it is not a problem but one has to come up with a few new ways of eating it, not to grow bored.

When it was rainy and cold last week, I made a creamy asparagus risotto. Seasonal comfort food. 🙂

Asparagus risotto, serves 2-3

300 g aborio rice

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 glass dry white wine (or rosé)

olive oil

1 l chicken stock

100 ml grated parmesan

200 g asparagus

salt and pepper

To serve:

chopped parsley

more parmesan

Heat up the oilve oil in a large pan and fry the onions on medium heat for a few minutes. Add the rise and watch it go transparent. Pour in the wine and let half of it evaporate Add a ladle of stock and stir while it is simmering. When the pan is dry, add another ladle and continue doing this until the rice is soft (about 20 minutes). Cut the asparagus into smaller pieces and fry them in oil on medium heat for five minutes. Set aside. When the rice is cooked, add the parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and serve straight away. Add some parmesan and parsley to each plate. 

Mezze: amazing lamb scewers and Damascene lentil salad

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Another recipe courtesy of the carismathic Syrian chef is this phenomenal lentil salad with pasta. Unfortunately my stomach does not allow me to eat lentils, but I still wanted to make this for my friends.

Pasta is actually quite common in the Middle East among with other Italian influences such as pizza. This dish requires lasagne sheets, but I couldn’t find any egg-free lasagne sheets (to make it vegan) in the shops near work so I used fusilli instead. It worked well but I used a little bit too much pasta to get the perfect pasta-lentils ratio, so do use the measurements below. It was still a very tasty dish and this is great buffet food. (And cheap too.)

Damascene lentil salad (Harra s’bao), serves 4

230 ml lentils

2 lasagne sheets, semi-cooked, cut in finger-sized strips

1,4 l water

2 tsp salt

4 lonions, finely chopped

1/2 bunch coriander, chopped

4 garlic cloves, pressed

juice from 2 lemons

3-4 tbsp pomegranate molasses

240 ml olive oil

250 ml pomegranate seeds

Arabic croûtons

Bring the water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add salt, lentils and 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook for 2o mins, covered, stirring occasionally.

Add the pasta after 20 minutes and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until the pasta is cooked.

While the lentils are cooking, fry the onion brown in a frying pan, transfer to a bowl. In the same pan, fry the coriander for a minute (until wilted), add the garlic and fry on low heat. Place with the onions.

When the lentils are done, add olive oil and the rest of the ingredients. Top with Arabic croûtons and pomegranate seeds. 

As I told you earlier, everything was vegan apart from one meat dish, and that is the lamb scewers above. It might not be strictly Middle Eastern influences in this recipe, but it has the chilli and the cumin, and besides, it was too nice not to try!

And if you will be barbecuing just one thing this summer, make sure it is these scewers! The recipe is courtesy of the lovely Rejina at Gastrogeek and you find the recipe here.

I marinated the meat for 2 days to cram in as much flavour as possible, but since we don’t have a barbecue (or a garden, sob) I cooked them in the oven for 15 minutes or so and a few minutes under the grill at the end.

Mezze: Fatoush and Maroccan carrot salad

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At least one salad is compulsory when having mezze, and the most common one is probably tabbouleh, but I chose to make fatoush instead, the same way we made it in Syria when cooking with the chef.

I completely forgot to take a photo of it, but it looks like a regular green salad with tomatoes and peppers, chopped herbs and some Arabic coûtons on top. These:

Fatoush, serves 6-8

4 cucumbers, roughly diced

4 tomatoes, roughly diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 head of lettuce, romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

1 bunch mint, only the leaves, chopped

1 bunch parsley, chopped

(2 bunches purslane, chopped hackad – if available)

cider vinegar

pomegranate molasses

sumac

salt

Arabic croûtons (deepfried left over pitta/flatbread)

Mix the vegetables. Add the chopped herbs. Season to taste with vinegar, molasses and spices. Add the croûtons just before serving. 

I also made this Maroccan carrot salad from Plenty that was very appreciated. This would work well as a side dishtoo, for something that can handle the spice.

Maroccan carrot salad, serves 4-6

1 kg carrots, peeled and sliced

80 ml olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp caster sugar

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 spring onion, chopped

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1-2 tbsp pickled lemon peel (I used the same amount grated lemon peel)

1 bunch coriander, chopped

(120 ml Greek yoghurt (I omitted this, soygurt would not have worked)

Peel the carrots and cut them in 1 cm slices. Boil in salted water 10 minutes or until they have softened but still are crunchy. Drain.

Heat up the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for 10-12 minutes until soft and brown. Add the carrots and the rest of the ingredients apart from the fresh coriander (and yoghurt). Mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Leave to cool completely and sprinkle with coriander just before serving. Ottolenghi suggests serving this in individual bowls with yoghurt on top.