Category: Vegetables

Simple summer fair: halloumi, tzatsiki, fried courgette and pitta

Published on by Hanna5 Comments

sommarmat

London, 32 degrees, muggy. Monday evening, having worked past 7pm and a hot tube journey home.

Then it’s bliss to come home, wash hands and face and start preparing a quick supper from whatever is available in the fridge.

Fry some courgettes with chilli, fry some halloumi until crisp and golden, whip up a batch of tzatsiki and put a pitta in the toaster. Easy peasy. And so very nice.

This is my kind of summer food. No effort – full enjoyment.

Fried courgettes with chilli, serves 1-2

1 medium, firm courgette

1 tbsp olive oil for frying

1 tsp aleppo pepper 

salt, black pepper

Wash the courgette and slice as thinly as you possibly can. Heat up the oil in a frying pan on medium-low heat. Add the courgettes to the pan and fry slowly on low heat. Be careful as not to brown, but make sure they soften. Add the chilli and fry for about 10 minutes in total. Season.

Tzatsiki, serves 2-3

300 ml thick Greek yoghurt

5-6 cm cucumber

1 large garlic clove

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt, black pepper

Grate the cucumber and squeeze the liquid out of it. Add the cucumber to a bowl and stir in the toghurt. Add pressed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Leave to develop its flavours for about 20 minutes before serving.

Slice the halloumi and fry on high heat in some oil until golden on both sides. Serve with toasted pitta. 

Baked Jerusalem artichoke salad with Parma ham and parmesan

Published on by HannaLeave a comment

IMG_4388

Salads when the weather’s hot is a must, but despite the warmth I am still as hungry as usual, so for me a salad needs to be filling. I also like contrasting textures and temperatures. Something needs to happen in a salad for me to really enjoy it.

That’s why I like this salad, it has the warmth element of soft baked Jerusalem artichokes, pepperiness from the rocket, saltiness from the parmesan, umami from the ham and some zing and sweetness from the dressing with lemon and honey. Really tasty – and filling!

IMG_4376

Baked Jerusalem artichoke salad with Parma ham and parmesan, per portion

4-5 Jerusalem artichokes

3 slices Parma ham

2 handfuls rocket

Parmesan shavings

Dressing:

4 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 lemon, the juice

salt, black pepper

Wash the Jerusalem artichokes and cut each into four wedges. Place in a roasting tray and drizzle with rapeseed oil and season. Bake in 180C until soft about 30-40 minutes depending on the size. Leave to cool slightly. 

Whisk together the dressing and season with salt and pepper. To plate the salad, start with the rocket, then the artichokes, Parma ham and drizzle with dressing. Finally top with plenty of Parmesan shavings.

Mexican corn salad

Published on by Hanna3 Comments

IMG_4283

 

We had gorgeous weather here last weekend. I made the most of it and sat outside bronzing up and reading, changing between that week’s Stylist, Jo Nesbo’s latest crime novel (read it!) and the latest issues of Bon Appetit and Delicious Magazine. 

At the same time I was contemplating the best way to jazz up some leftovers and then suddenly I literally saw the answer in front of me; this Mexican corn salad in Bon Appetit’s grilling issue. I had everything at home (not that it requires that many ingredients) and made it the same evening, warming up some left over pork to go with it. And OMG, the salad was amazing! The sweet and slightly smoky corn from the barbecue paired with salty cheese, fresh tangy lime juice, a hint of heat from cayenne and a little bit of mayonnaise for creaminess, this is the ultimate companion to any barbecued meats. 

Do try this at home!

Mexican corn salad, serves 4

Adapted from Bon Appetit. 

4 ears of corn

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/8 tsp ground paprika

a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

about 55 g grated parmesan

2 tbsp chopped coriander + more for serving

salt and black pepper

Preparation

Prepare grill for medium heat. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until tender and charred, 8–10 minutes; let cool slightly. Cut kernels from cobs and transfer to a medium bowl.
Whisk mayonnaise, lime juice, paprika, cayenne, cheese and coriander in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add corn and toss to combine. Top with more cheese and coriander.

Broad bean toast with ricotta and mint

Published on by HannaLeave a comment

IMG_4175

Preparing broad beans is quite time consuming but is, in my opinion, completely worth it. Sometimes I even enjoy such menial tasks and was stood quite happily by the kitchen window preparing these little treasures.

I prefer a simple approach to fresh new produce but at the same time want the finished dish to be exciting rather than boring and pairing these little goodies with ricotta, lemon and mint really worked.

I had the toast for supper but the toppings would work just as well on crostinis as a nibble before dinner.

IMG_4180

Broad bean toast with ricotta and mint, serves 1

1 slice proper crusty bread 

3 tbsp ricotta

1/2 tsp lemon zest

3 tsp rapeseed oil

100 ml (or so) podded broad beans

1 tbsp chopped mint

salt and pepper

Toast the bread in a toaster. Leave to cool. Cook the broadbeans in water for about 5 minutes (until they look almost white). Drain and remove the white outer shells. 

Mix the ricotta with 1 tsp rapeseed oil and the lemon zest. Season well. Mix the beans with mint and the remaining oil, salt and pepper. 

Spread the ricotta on to the bread, top with the broad beans and drizzle with some extra oil before serving. 

Simple asparagus salad with Dijon vinaigrette and Parmesan

Published on by HannaLeave a comment

1

This incredibly simple, yet very tasty, asparagus salad went down really well with the book club on Monday. I invaded Charlotte’s kitchen (sorry and thanks!) and made this at her house while chatting and making tea. We always have a potluck supper at our book club gatherings and the spread this time consisted of salad with feta and tomatoes, crusty bread and baked camembert, pizza and olives. And choccies for pudding.

Asparagus salad with dijon vinaigrette and parmesan, serves 4

3 bunches green asparagus

80 g rocket

1 lemon

1 tsp Dijon mustard

4 tbsp olive oil

salt, black pepper

oil for frying

Break off the wooden ends of the asparagus and wash them. Sauté in batches in oil on medium heat, it takes about 5-10 minutes. Season.

Mix the mustard with the juice from half the lemon and add the oil while whisking. Season. 

Spread the rocket onto a serving plate, add the asparagus, drizzle with the vinaigrette and scatter with parmesan shavings. Cut the rest of the lemon into wedges and serve with the asparagus. 

Summer supper

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

On Wednesday I had some friends over for dinner and because of the gorgeous weather of late I decided to keep a summery and fuss-free approach to the food.

hugo

We started with a pre-dinner drink from Germany, called Hugo, that my bestie Emma introduced to me. It is so refreshing with elderflower, bubbly and mint.

IMG_4077

I kept the starter simple and served it on a large plate. Scattered on a bed of rocket, these little Parma ham parcels are filled with sundried tomatoes and cream cheese and drizzled with a good olive oil and crema di balsamico.

IMG_4080

For the maincourse we had caramelised pork tenderloin slices with an amazing all-in-one potato salad with new potatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and water cress and a lovely (yet incredibly simple) parmesan and lemon crème.

As I was short of time prepping that evening, I had the pudding already sitting in the fridge as I made this stunning dulce de leche cheesecake the night before.

We had such a fun evening with the wine flowing, lots of laughter and fun conversation. Thanks guys!

Hugo, per drink

1 part elderflower cordial

3 parts sparkling wine

1 part sparkling water

fresh mint

lime wedge

ice

Mix and serve. 

Parma ham parcels with sundried tomato crème and rocket, serves 4

200 g rocket

12 slices Parma ham or similar

100-150 g Philadelphia

4-5 sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped

olive oil

crema di balsamic

fresh basil

Spread out the rocket on a large plate. Mix the chopped tomatoes with the cream cheese. Season to taste. Place a dollop of the mixture onto each ham slice and fold into a parcel. Place the parcels on the bed of rocket and drizzle with olive oil and crema di balsamico. Add basil leaves. Serve with bread and butter. 

Potato salad with asparagus, serves 4

about 800 g new potatoes

8-10 asparagus stalks

150-200 g cherry tomatoes

100 g watercress

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsp honey

50 ml good quality olive oil

1-2 tsp lemon juice

salt, black pepper

1 handful chopped chives

1 handful chopped parsley

Wash and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Cook, drain and leave to cool. Cut the asparagus into inch-long pieces, steam/boil for 2-3 minutes, drain and place in ice water. Drain. 

Cut the tomatoes in half and add to the potatoes and asparagus. Add the watercress. Mix mustard and honey in a bowl and add the oil while whisking season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Dress the salad and mix well.

Chop the herbs and scatter on top. Serve. 

Parmesan and lemon crème, serves 4

300 mlcreme fraiche (at least)

3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan 

1/2 lemon, grated zest

salt, black pepper

Mix all the ingredients and serve.

Weekday wonders: pasta with pesto and fried broccoli

Published on by HannaLeave a comment

IMG_3964

As much as I like finickety recipes sometime nothing but simple food will do. Simple without being boring that is. It’s a fine line, but I definitely think that this simple concoction of pasta, fresh pesto (may it be store-bought) and fried purple sprouting broccoli with lemon zest is simple, fresh and far from boring.

Penne with pesto and fried purple sprouting, serves 2

2 portions penne

50 ml fresh pesto

200 g purple sprouting broccoli

1/2 lemon, zest only

grated parmesan

olive oil

Cook the pasta according to the packet. Cut the broccoli into chunky pieces. Fry on medium heat in olive oil. Once browned add lemon zest and season. Drain the pasta and mix with the pesto and some olive oil. Divide between bowls, top with broccoli and grated parmesan. 

Eggs in tomato sauce – uovo in purgatorio

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

photo60

I find it interesting how much our food preferences change with age. As a child I didn’t particularly like eggs, but if I had to eat it I preferred the whites, fried hard or a scrambled version of a fried egg with Swedish hash.

Nowadays, I love eggs. Especially the yolk. I want it very runny, and if I make oeufs en cocotte I don’t mind if the white is runny too.

So it is easy to understand why I fell for this simple Italian dish of eggs kind of half poached, half fried in tomato sauce. I had this for supper with some nice bread to mop up the sauce and it was, in its simple way, utterly delicious.

You can make a bolognese version of this, but with the creamy egg I need nothing more than some vegetables in my tomato sauce.

photo50

Eggs in tomato sauce – uovo in purgatorio, serves 4

150 g chestnut mushrooms, cut in half

1/2 -1 red onion, coarsely chopped

2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 batch tomato sauce

2 tbsp red wine (if at hand)

4 eggs

Fry the mushrooms in oil on medium heat in frying pan. Season and remove from pan. Add more oil and fry the onions until soft. Add the tomatoes and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomato sauce and wine and bring to the boil. Let the mixture thicken if needed. Adjust seasoning and add the mushrooms. Make sure you keep the heat on medium and crack the eggs into the pan. Cook until the whites are set then remove from heat. Serve straight away with some nice bread. 

Mushrooms with crispy herb topping

Published on by HannaLeave a comment

IMG_4017

It suits me fine that the BBC are currently repeating Nigel Slater’s  Simple Suppers at the moment, as I missed the series (boo) the first time around.

In one episode about not to waste food, Nigel came up with this simple yet delicious recipe to use up mushrooms. I so admire his ability to make up a delicious meal out of almost nothing.

I haven’t found a complete recipe for this dish, but follow the simple instructions below and you are good to go.

Mushrooms with crispy herb topping – a sketch

Fry some mushrooms whole in a mixture of butter and oil until brown on both sides.

Meanwhile, fry chopped spring onions and rosemary in another pan in some oil or butter on low heat. Add a chopped clove of garlic and a few handfuls of fresh (or made from stale bread) breadcrumbs. Add more butter if it looks dry. When the mixture is golden brown, season and add some lemon zest and chopped parsley.

Season the mushrooms, plate and top with the crispy mixture.

Wild garlic stuffed mushrooms

Published on by Hanna3 Comments

IMG_3939

I love a classic stuffed portobello mushroom for a starter in spring or autumn or as a light lunch or supper for myself any time of year.

It is so easy to make, yet very satisfying to eat. In the regular version I use garlic, of course, as mushrooms and garlic are a match made in heaven, but it works really well with the less pungent flavour of wild garlic too. The flavours are more subtle and it tastes more of spring.

Just make sure you season well so all the flavours come through.

Wild garlic stuffed mushrooms, serves 2 as a starter or light lunch

2 portobello mushrooms

6-8 wild garlic leaves

50 ml bread crumbs, ideally fresh

2-3 tbsp cream

50 ml grated sharp cheddar

salt, black pepper

butter for frying

oil for brushing

To serve:

rocket

balsamic glaze 

extra virgin olive oil

Wash and dry the mushrooms. Yank the stems out of the mushrooms without breaking the hats. Chop the stems and wild garlic. Brush the mushroom hats with oil on both sides and place hollow side up on a baking tray. Add seasoning and bake in a 200C oven for 15 minutes while preparing the stuffing. 

Fry the mushroom and wild garlic in some butter on medium heat until the mushroom pieces are golden brown. Lower the heat and add the breadcrumbs and cheddar. Add the cream and stir so the mixture just comes together. Season well. Divide the mixture on top of the mushrooms. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the stuffing is golden brown. 

Serve on rocket with olive oil and balsamic glaze or a more substantial salad.