Yet another variation on the pancake theme... These were served in our hotel for breakfast with lashings of butter and honey. They were very very good indeed.
For 12-16 pancakes you need:
2 eggs
125ml warm water
2 tsp yeast
125ml warm milk
250g plain flour
225g semolina
1/2 tsp salt
vegetable oil for frying
honey and butter to serve
Begin by adding the yeast to the water and leaving it for 5 mins to dissolve. Put the flour, semolina and salt in to a bowl. Add the eggs to the milk and mix well. Pour the eggs and milk in to the flour mixture and then add the yeasted water. Mix well to form a very sticky dough/very stiff batter. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for at least 2 hours (I leave it overnight in a cool room).
When you're ready to make the pancakes, mix the batter again and heat a large frying pan. Add a little oil and then pour some of the batter into the pan. Spread out to make a pancake about the size of a side plate. Cook gently until bubbles perforate the top. Eat topped with honey and butter.
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Saganaki
OK OK I know this isn't strictly middle eastern an' all but it tastes nice and goes well with the other offerings on the mezze table...
For 2 people you need:
1 pack feta
fine breadcrumbs
lemon juice
vegetable oil
Coat the cheese in the breadcrumbs and chill for about 30 mins. Heat a pan until very hot and add a little oil. Briefly fry on both sides till golden brown and the cheese is warmed through. Serve with lemon juice. Delicious!
For 2 people you need:
1 pack feta
fine breadcrumbs
lemon juice
vegetable oil
Coat the cheese in the breadcrumbs and chill for about 30 mins. Heat a pan until very hot and add a little oil. Briefly fry on both sides till golden brown and the cheese is warmed through. Serve with lemon juice. Delicious!
Baked Figs with Moroccan Spices (v)
I had a holiday of a lifetime in Morocco a few years back. I adored the sights, smells and of course THE FOOD!!! This is a Moroccan themed dessert to finish our Middle Eastern inspired menu for tonight.
For 2 people you need:
4 ripe figs
1/2 tub ricotta or 1/2 tub vegan cream cheese/silken tofu
1 tsp fragrant honey (preferably Moroccan but I'll let you off if you can't find that) or agave nectar if you're vegan
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp flaked almonds
3 cardamon pods, seeds extracted and ground to a fine dust
1 tsp rose water
1 tsp orange flower water
Begin by cutting a cross in the top of the figs and gently squeezing the sides to make them open out. Place them in an oven proof dish. Mix together the other ingredients (aside from the pine nuts/almonds). Dollop a tbsp of the sweetened mixture per fig in the middle. Top with the pine nuts and almonds. Bake in a moderate oven for 15 mins or so until warmed and the fig juices are running. Serve.
For 2 people you need:
4 ripe figs
1/2 tub ricotta or 1/2 tub vegan cream cheese/silken tofu
1 tsp fragrant honey (preferably Moroccan but I'll let you off if you can't find that) or agave nectar if you're vegan
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp flaked almonds
3 cardamon pods, seeds extracted and ground to a fine dust
1 tsp rose water
1 tsp orange flower water
Begin by cutting a cross in the top of the figs and gently squeezing the sides to make them open out. Place them in an oven proof dish. Mix together the other ingredients (aside from the pine nuts/almonds). Dollop a tbsp of the sweetened mixture per fig in the middle. Top with the pine nuts and almonds. Bake in a moderate oven for 15 mins or so until warmed and the fig juices are running. Serve.
Fart Soup (v)
As so called by Lex due to the effects on his digestive system... Beware.
For 4-6 portions you need:
1 butternut squash peeled, deseeded and cubed
500g jerusalem artichokes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 litre veggie stock
1 tsp italian seasoning
Fry the onion and artichokes in a little oil. Roast the squash in a hot oven for about 30 mins (or add to the pan if you want to save time). Add the stock and seasoning and cook for about 10 mins till the veggies are cooked through. Puree when cooked and serve with bread.
For 4-6 portions you need:
1 butternut squash peeled, deseeded and cubed
500g jerusalem artichokes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 litre veggie stock
1 tsp italian seasoning
Fry the onion and artichokes in a little oil. Roast the squash in a hot oven for about 30 mins (or add to the pan if you want to save time). Add the stock and seasoning and cook for about 10 mins till the veggies are cooked through. Puree when cooked and serve with bread.
Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach & Ricotta
I adore baked mushrooms, and these were thrown together during the week to use up a glut of spinach that arrived in the veg box. Very tasty they were too :)
For 2 people (as a starter) you need:
4-6 portabello mushrooms
250g spinach, washed and finely shredded
25g butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 tub ricotta cheese
salt and pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup finely grated gruyere
Begin by peeling the mushrooms and trimming the stalks. Place them stalk side up on a baking sheet and top with a little garlic and butter and seasoning. Bake in a moderate oven for 5-10 mins. Meanwhile wilt the spinach in a bowl in the microwave. Season and add some grated nutmeg. Mix in the ricotta. Take the mushrooms out of the oven and place the spinach filling on them. Top with a sprinkling of cheese and bake for a further 20 mins or so until hot and bubbling. Serve with lots of crusty bread to soak up the juices.
For 2 people (as a starter) you need:
4-6 portabello mushrooms
250g spinach, washed and finely shredded
25g butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 tub ricotta cheese
salt and pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup finely grated gruyere
Begin by peeling the mushrooms and trimming the stalks. Place them stalk side up on a baking sheet and top with a little garlic and butter and seasoning. Bake in a moderate oven for 5-10 mins. Meanwhile wilt the spinach in a bowl in the microwave. Season and add some grated nutmeg. Mix in the ricotta. Take the mushrooms out of the oven and place the spinach filling on them. Top with a sprinkling of cheese and bake for a further 20 mins or so until hot and bubbling. Serve with lots of crusty bread to soak up the juices.
Monday, 20 September 2010
Gooseberry Crumble (v)
I am slowly working my way through the glut of fruit we have in our freezer. Tonight was the turn of the gooseberries.
For 6-8 portions you need:
1kg of frozen gooseberries
200g self raising flour
100g vegan marge
100g demerara sugar plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling
Place the fruit in a baking dish. Mix together the fat and flour till it's like breadcrumbs and then mix in the sugar. Sprinkle over the gooseberries, and then add the final 2 tbsp sugar on top. Bake at 170 degrees for 45-60 mins till bubbling, hot and browned. Eat with swedish glace or vegan custard.
For 6-8 portions you need:
1kg of frozen gooseberries
200g self raising flour
100g vegan marge
100g demerara sugar plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling
Place the fruit in a baking dish. Mix together the fat and flour till it's like breadcrumbs and then mix in the sugar. Sprinkle over the gooseberries, and then add the final 2 tbsp sugar on top. Bake at 170 degrees for 45-60 mins till bubbling, hot and browned. Eat with swedish glace or vegan custard.
Culinary Crack
or salty sweet and nut crunch as Nigella calls it. Do not make this if you are on a diet. Or don't want to eat your bodyweight in good things! I am in the process of tinkering with this to make a vegan version. I'm thinking glace cherries to replace the crunchies...
Anyways. This is from Nigella's Kitchen and is another variation on the theme of add things to melted chocolate and butter and scoff...
For about 24 squares you need:
150g plain chocolate
150g milk chocolate
250g salted peanuts
125g UNsalted butter (this is important due to the amount of salt in the nuts)
3 tbsp golden syrup
4 40g crunchie bars, roughly chopped
Begin by melting together the butter, chocolates and golden syrup. Once melted add the nuts and crunchie bars and then spread out in a foil lined swiss roll tin. It's important to use foil and not clingfilm unless you want to pick minute pieces of plastic out of the chilled article...! Leave to set overnight and eat. OMG.
Anyways. This is from Nigella's Kitchen and is another variation on the theme of add things to melted chocolate and butter and scoff...
For about 24 squares you need:
150g plain chocolate
150g milk chocolate
250g salted peanuts
125g UNsalted butter (this is important due to the amount of salt in the nuts)
3 tbsp golden syrup
4 40g crunchie bars, roughly chopped
Begin by melting together the butter, chocolates and golden syrup. Once melted add the nuts and crunchie bars and then spread out in a foil lined swiss roll tin. It's important to use foil and not clingfilm unless you want to pick minute pieces of plastic out of the chilled article...! Leave to set overnight and eat. OMG.
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