Posts tagged spice

Asparagus Salad with attitude

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Asparagus Salad with attitude

Asparagus

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ts May! My favourite month. Not just because its my birthday month but because summer is around the corner and we occasionally get some warm sunny days that are by now longer and greener. Also, its not quite summer yet so any warmth is a bonus and any rain can’t be really argued about….rain in July however….that can be, thats not on.

In addition, asparagus season kicks off! One of my favourite vegetables and one that I adore but religiously only use in season. Peruvian flown asparagus in November isn’t quite the same. My patient (and I mean patient) Dad has slaved over a beautiful allotment for a good few years now and asparagus has to be one of the benefits of these hours. Its a funny vegetable to grow really. Its painfully teasing in its initial stages, taking 3 years to form solid allotment foundations. It needs to grow and die again before you can even reap the benefits of your first harvest – 3 years! So it was on day one, year one when Dad announced he was to plant some that we all cheered then sat back in asaparugus-less silence as we waited. But wait we did and now we have a wonderful patch of these cheeky greens. I say funny as while it takes years to establish, when the season hits, asparagus shoots up and grows in lightening speed. It has been known to grow up to 25cm in 24hours! So we can hardly cut it quick enough. While the weather wasn’t ideal for a BBQ this weekend for Dad’s birthday that didn’t stop us from having my (oven grilled) spatchcocked BBQ chicken and this wonderful salad filled with all my Dad’s favourite salad staples and his well deserved asparagus served alongside crispy roasted new potatoes

This is more of an assembly of elements which are open to modification.

Crispy fried croutons, boiled eggs, smoky bacon lardons, stir fired spiced broccoli, crunchy bitter little gems and of course this seasons asparagus….

Serves 6

  • 2 little gem lettuces
  • 1 large head broccoli, chopped into florets and halved if necessary
  • Large bunch asparagus (about 8 stems)
  • 2 free range eggs
  • 3 slices brown bread, chopped into 2 cm pieces
  • 100g pancetta/diced smoked bacon/smoked lardons (optional)
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp each fennel seed, cumin seed, nigella seed, coriander seed.
  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  1. Toast the spices in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until fragrant then tip into a pestle and mortar and grind. Set aside
  2. Asparagus – Snap the asparagus where it naturally breaks so you can discard the woody end. Chop the spear ends into half finger length pieces. Blanche these in simmering water for just 2 minutes until just cooked but al dente and drain immediately. Cool under cold water to retain the green colour then allow to cool and dry.
  3. Eggs – Simmer the eggs in boiling water for about 8 minutes depending on their size. Aim for a hard boiled consistency but not overdone. Reduce the time a little if you like them runnier. Drain and cool in cold water. Peel and discard the shell and chop each egg into 8 pieces. Season with a little black pepper.
  4. Salad – Snap the outer leaves of the little gems into a large salad serving bowl and chop the hearts into pieces. Add the cooled and dried asparagus.
  5. Croutons – Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan on a medium high heat. When hot, add the bread cubes and some salt and pepper and fry until you have golden and crispy croutons. Drain on kitchen towel and set aside.
  6. Bacon – Add a little more oil to the pan if needed and fry off the bacon pieces until crispy and golden. Drain on kitchen paper then add to the croutons and set aside.
  7. Broccoli – Do this step last so the florets are still a little warm when added to the salad. Either get a clean pan or wipe out the last of the bacon juices and heat a tbsp of olive oil. Add the broccoli florets and season and fry until beginning to char and turn cripsy in places and the stems start to soften. They will have a nice al dente bite to them. As they begin to stir fry and soften, add the crushed spices and fry for a further minute.
  8. Serve – When ready to serve, add the stir fried broccoli to the salad and asparagus and toss well. Add the croutons and bacon and toss again.
  9. Squeeze over the juice of the lemon and a good drizzle of some good quality extra virgin olive oil and toss to combine.
  10. Finally carefully place the eggs on top!

RP - Asparagus

Dahl, Roasted Curried Cauliflower, Shredded Duck in Lime

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Dahl, Roasted Curried Cauliflower, Shredded Duck in Lime

Jess - Dahl and Cauliflower duck

Jess - Dahl and Cauliflower

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ou won’t be surprised to hear it was another week of stressful and busy work so the long weekend glowed like a beacon on Friday evening with promises of yoga, long runs in the sun and some experimental time in the kitchen to blog and relax the mind. I woke to a beautiful sunny day and after a long run to clear the working cobwebs I was already on my way to some downtime. All that was required was some time in the kitchen.

With a stressful period at work keeping 90% of my mind on the task it was time to start planning my second supper club to focus and begin that excitement again! With the date confirmed and inked in the diary I was more than eager to start developing the menu! With just over 2 month before the (second) big day it might seem premature but to get the invites and advert out as soon as possible and the ticket confirmations rolling in the menu was vital. Starter done. Dessert done and obviously featuring ice cream the main needed some attention. With the somewhat limited kitchen facilities and equipment of my cosy, niche and atmospheric chosen venue the dish needed some attention. Ambition needs to be carefully managed and focussed int he right direction.

While flavour is key here using wholesome ingredients cooked from scratch I wanted a menu that would make my potential guests salivate on reading and be booking tickets on autopilot before they could say ‘Deliveroo’! Flavour vital but practicality is also a contender here when cooking solo for 30 paying guests. And in addition economics, aesthetics and style are also important. Factoring all these competing aspects and a love of all things spice this punchy dish was created. I won’t give anything away but the next supper club main with feature something along these lines…

Serves 4

  • 4 duck legs
  • 1 x speedy dahl recipe (see here) with juice of 1/2 lime added at the end.
  • 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds and cumin seeds
  • 3 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal
  • Handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
  • Handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 large lime
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Season the duck legs and roast for about 40 minutes in the oven.
  2. Scatter the cauliflower florets in a large baking tray and drizzle with a good glut of olive oil.
  3. Toss in the curry powder, turmeric cumin and mustard seeds and stir to coat. Add some seasoning.Jess - Curried Cauliflower2Jess - Curried Cauliflower
  4. After the duck has had 20 minutes of roasting add the cauliflower to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile make the dahl and set aside to keep warm.
  6. Once the duck and cauliflower are ready remove from the oven. leave the duck to rest for a few minutes before shredding the meat into a warm bowl with two forks and quickly squeezing over the juice of the fresh lime.
  7. Toss the warm cauliflower in the spring onions and herbs.
  8. To plate up, ensure you have warm shallow serving bowls or plates and spoon a generous spoonful of dahl onto the bottom and let it ooz out onto the plate. Top with a handful of the cauliflower before finally topping with a quarter of the shredded duck
  9. Serve immediately while still warm and devour! Serve with warm homemade flatbreads or roti if needed.

WINE: This would be great with an aromatic white such as a Riesling or a Gervertz to balance the spice.

Jess - Dahl and Cauliflower2

Pea and Avocado Dip with Sprouted Olive Oil Crackers

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Pea and Avocado Dip with Sprouted Olive Oil Crackers

Jess - Cracker2

Jess - rudehealth

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irstly I think I need to explain the mystery behind the ‘Sprouted Olive Oil Crackers’. As if the wholesome organic produce that Rude Health so stylishly provide wasn’t tempting enough, they have developed a range of ‘sprouted flours’. Nothing to do with sprouts, nothing to do with flowers…..These flours basically contain a grain that has been allowed to sprout and germinate in an environment which stimulates enzyme activity and allows for the transformation of wonderful nutrients. Soaked in water, the grains sprout and release nutrients and once slow fired and and stone ground these are captured inside these tasty flours ready for your baking purposes. Nutty, wholesome and devine, they can be used in baking like for like to add a fantastic texture and flavour layer. Here I used the flour in some lovely giant tongue shaped crackers which I often make for dinner parties as elaborate dipping utensils!

They are amazing served with dips and spreads. I’ve made these in the past but never with sprouted flour and the baking smell alone as they crisped away in the safety of the oven was enough to inspire a healthy dip to accompany.

Makes about 15 dependant on size (adapted from Ottolenghi)

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C and line a large tray with baking parchment.
  2. In a large bowl or food processor combine all the ingredients except for the salt until you have  affirm dough.
  3. Leave to rest for 30 minutes or so in the fridge.
  4. When ready to cook, take walnut sized pieces of dough (about 15g) and roll on a floured surface into tongue or oval shaped crackers, paper thin if you can!
  5. Repeat and place on your lined backing tray. Drizzle well with olive oil and scatter with the sea salt.
  6. Bake in the oven for about 6 minutes or until crisp, golden and filling the kitchen with wonderful smells.
  7. Leave to cool on a wire rack before enjoying with a dip or choice.

Pea and Avocado Dip (Serve 4-5 as a starter/nibble)

I saw a version of this recipe in a recent Waitrose magazine. Having been invited to a last minute impromptu BBQ I felt I needed a culinary offering which is where this speedy dip was created. To my disappointment this said recipe wasn’t particularly inspiring on the taste delivery. It was a bit bland. However, with a complete recipe makeover and the addition of some forage in the pantry flavour staples I had a tasty vibrant dip in no time to accompany my sprouted olive oil crackers. Knocked out in minutes I just had time to grab a bottle of chilled white before heading out into the sun….

  • 150 peas, defrosted or fresh
  • 1 lime, juice
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • 1 tbsp creme fraiche
  • 15g pistachios
  • 1 avocado, chopped into chunks
  • 1 tsp spice mix (see here)
  • 60g feta cheese
  • Handful mint leaves
  • Chives, dill and chilli oil to garnish
  1. In a food processor, please the peas, lime juice, garlic, pistachios, creme fraiche, spice mix and mint. Pulse and blend until the mixture turns into a paste. You may need to scarp the sides down as you go.
  2. Add plenty of seasoning and then add the feta cheese and avocado.
  3. Blend again to form a smooth paste. If you like it a bit thinner, add some olive oil.
  4. Serve scattered with chopped dill and chives and drizzled with chilli oil

Jess - Peaavocadodip2

 

Moroccan Slow-cooked, Shredded Lamb Tagine and a Tuscan Red

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Moroccan Slow-cooked, Shredded Lamb Tagine and a Tuscan Red

 

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Warming, spicy, comforting. Undertones of festive cinnamon and some punchy chilli. Sweet prunes, melting succulent slow cooked lamb and the freshness of lime all make this tagine one of my absolute favourites dishes! I once made this recipe when I catered for a 30th Birthday party for 70 people….needless to say, after repeatedly cooking up around 12 batches, my once favourite tagine recipe became a little hard to face again. However, enough time has passed and I couldn’t resist its tempting taste for my New Years Eve celebrations!

I give credit to the wonderfully wholesome and flavour laden style of Skye Gyngell for this recipe with a little adaptation from myself. I often serve mine, as recommended, simply scattered with fresh coriander on a creamy sweet potato puree. However, New Years Eve called for a glimmering jeweled rice salad and a tangy lime yoghurt.

NOTE: I’ve always used diced lamb shoulder for this recipe but this time I used a whole shoulder of lamb and cooked it on the bone for longer and shredded the juicy meat into the tagine sauce before serving. I highly recommend this if you’re willing to add a little more effort. If not, diced lamb shoulder works perfectly too!

Serves 6

  • 1 small shoulder of lamb, or about 1kg diced lamb shoulder
  • 3 red onions, chopped roughly
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3cm knob ginger, grated
  • Bunch of coriander, stems chopped, leaves picked for garnish
  • 1-2 red chillis (depending on their heat) finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp spice mix (made by toasting 1tbsp of each fennel, cumin, coriander, fenugreek and mustard seed with 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamon pods and 1 star anise in a dry frying pan until hot, fragrant and beginning to pop. Grind in a pestle and mortar until fine).
  • 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1- 1.5 litres chicken stock
  • 1 lime, juice only
  • 200g prunes
  • Optional- Skye suggests adding a splash of maple syrup (about 70ml) and100ml of tamari at the end of cooking. However, I never had these to hand on my first attempt so I left them out- it still tastes delicious without so feel free to experiment. For my tastes, I think the prunes add enough sweetness as it is without the need for syrup!
  1. Preheat the oven to 180.
  2. In a large heavy bottomed casserole dish, heat a splash of oil. Season the lamb and brown the shoulder/pieces well in the pan for about 10 minutes or so before setting aside to rest.
  3. In the remaining oil and lamb juices, fry the onion for about 5 minutes until soft.
  4. Add the chopped garlic, chilli and ginger and cook for a further few minutes.
  5. Add the spice mix, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves and cook out for a few minutes. Finally, add the chopped coriander stems and season.image
  6. Add the tomatoes and bring to the simmer. Add the lamb back in at this stage either in diced pieces or the whole shoulder.
  7. Cover with about 1 litre of the stock or enough to cover. I find the amount of stock varies and can be topped up during cooking for a thicker tagine once it has reduced
  8. Cover and place in the oven.If using a whole shoulder cook for about 2 hours. If using diced lamb, cook for 45 minutes.
  9. After this cooking time, add the prunes and remove the lid. Cook for a further 1 hour for the shoulder or 30 minutes or so for the diced lamb. This really cannot be overcooked so allow to cook away for longer on a lower heat if you like. Just keep checking/adding more stock if it gets too thick. (Essentially, cook until the lamb is tender and the sauce has reduced to the desired consistency. Add more stock is to thick (I usually top it up as it cooks) or remove the lid to brown and reduce if too thin)
  10. Once ready, add the lime juice and (if using the whole shoulder) shred the lamb meat into the sauce.
  11. Scatter with the coriander and serve!

I served mine with:

Lime yoghurt– ½ lime, juice and zest, and some seasoning per 150g plain yoghurt)

Jeweled Rice – Cooked wild rice, diced spring onions, chopped coriander, salted cashews and pomegranate seeds (or see here for similar recipe)

WINE: In terms of a wine to drink with this tagine, all I had to hand was this (below) delicious bottle from Italy that I received as a gift that I have been too tempted to open for some time! A Tuscan wine made from a blend of Merlot, Cab Sauv and Sangiovese. Lamb and the typical dried fruits in this tagine went really well with the juicy Merlot flavours as would perhaps a Rioja of sorts.

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Celery, Pistachio and Red Onion Halloumi Salad

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Celery, Pistachio and Red Onion Halloumi Salad

I absolutely love halloumi and seem to eat it for the majority of my lunches. Served on salad, in couscous, with lentils or stuffed between the warm toasted arms of a fluffy pitta and some punchy herbs its always welcome. The weather today was shockingly poor but I fancied salad regardless. This is a fresh and satisfying one if your stuck for inspiration…

Serves 2

  • 1 little gem
  • A few large handfuls of mixed leaves -rocket, watercress, spinach
  • Small bunch of coriander, chopped
  • 2 slicks celery, sliced thinly on diagonal
  • Handful pistachios
  • ½ red onion, sliced in half moons
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • ½ lemon
  • 1 slice stale bread, cubed (sourdough works best)
  • 1 tsp spice mix (see note), optional
  • 200g approx halloumi cheese, sliced
  1. Place the red onion slices in a shallow bowl and cover with the red wine vinegar and 1 tsp of salt.
  2. Pick the outer leaves from the little gems and cut the heart into quarters. Mix together in a large serving bowl with the salad leaves, coriander, celery, pistachios and seasoning.
  3. Heat a frying pan until hot. Add a small splash of oil and fry the halloumi slices for a few minutes each side until golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen roll and set aside
  4. Add the cubed bread to the hot pan with a little more oil if needed. Season and scatter with the spice mix (alternatively, use a tsp of cumin seed, fennel seed or like etc). Toast until golden and crisp.
  5. Dress the salad with the lemon juice and a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil. Drain the red onions and scatter on top.
  6. Serve scattered with your warm toasted croutons and fried halloumi!

imageNOTE: My spice mix contains the following spices, toasted in a hot frying pan until fragrant and ground in a pestle and mortar.

  • 1 tbsp fennel seed
  • 1 tbsp cumin seed
  • 1 tbsp coriander seed
  • 1 tbsp fenugreek seed
  • 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
  • 3 cardamon pods
  • 1 star anise