Posts tagged yoghurt

Roasted Tomatoes & Cold yoghurt

April 24, 2022 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

‘ve been absent for some time I know. In fact, this has been my biggest hiatus from blogging since I started “forage in the pantry” back in 2012! I haven’t stopped cooking and creating you’ll be pleased to know! On the contrary, I’ve been taking inspiration from our recent travels “honeymooning” in Mexico where I fell head over heels in love with the tacos, avocados, burritos. An oh the mezcal. I’ve been greedily recreating since…and a Mexico post is due.

I have however been back at school. Wine School. Studying for my WSET Diploma. And with studying commitment has come a compromise. I’ve swapped camera spittoon and evenings learning the maximum yields in Champagne to the advantages of hand harvesting…

I am loving it and whilst the end if not near, I am hoping to have some time in the summer to dedicate for recipe inspiration. So dear followers, I am simply on a blogging sabbatical, not retiring yet.

A sunny summer lunch with the family inspired me to pop up a quick and easy side dish that seemed to get a lot of attention. This one is from ‘Ottolenghi’s’ SIMPLE, but with some modifications, obviously. But its a real winner for ease and flavour. A monkey could make it, I promise. Its fantastic as a side dish for some roasted or barbecued meats or as a starter scooped up with warm pitta or crusty sour dough. The hot/cold contrast is an added bonus.

Serves 6 (as a side dish)

600-800g cherry tomatoes, best you can afford.
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 shallots, sliced
4 large sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp sumac
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp chopped thyme/rosemary
1 lemon
Handful basil
Handful pine nuts, lightly toasted
400g thick Greek yoghurt (I always use Skyr)
To serve – toasted pitta/crusty sour dough OR as a side dish.

Preheat the over to 200 degrees and get yourself a large roasting tin/dish.
Add all your cherry tomatoes in an even layer.
Scatter over the sliced shallots, crushed garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the sumac, chilli and thyme leaves. Grate over the zest of half a lemon.
Drizzle with some olive oil (or use the oil from the sun dried tomatoes jar) and toss well to combine.
Roast for about 20 minutes keeping an eye on them until the tomatoes have broken down and rebased their lovely juices.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before tearing over all but a handful of basil leaves.
Get yourself a nice serving plate and spoon the yoghurt on top. Spread out and create a slight well in the centre.
Spoon over your lovely roasted tomatoes and their juices.
Scatter with the pine nuts and any left over basil and serve.

Bonus recipe – Roasted new potatoes with oregano & feta

Preheat the oven to 220. Cut your potatoes in half and place on a baking tray
Scatter with flaky salt and dried oregano.
Drizzle with oil and roast for 30 minutes until crispy and golden.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before crumbling over some feta.

Coconut Blueberry Yoghurt Loaf

June 19, 2016 Comments Off read Sweet Treats

was recently lucky enough to receive a generous bounty (excuse the pun) of The Coconut Collaborative’s tasty products to do some experimenting with. As my close friends will know I love all things coconut. I can’t get enough. So any food based with this creamy exotic flavour is in my good books. While targeted at the dairy free among us, you would not know for the lack of it with it creamy moreish taste. I thought I’d attempt to use their delicious flavoured and non flavoured yoghurts in a cake, dairy free, and packed with fruit. Devine.

And I know recipes do tend to write this a lot but this really (truly, honestly) is the EASIEST cake in the world to knock out. I think it took me a 5 minutes. Mixing bowl, spoon and loaf tin. Minimal washing up…more eating time. No scales needed just a ratio of yog-pots!

Makes 1 loaf

1x 120g pot of ‘The Coconut Colloborative’ blueberry yoghurt (Here is have used this coconut based yoghurt so this is a dairy free loaf! But feel red to use any yoghurt of choice)
2 pots self raising flour
Just under 1 pot caster sugar (dependant on the sweetness of your yoghurt)
1/2 pot of vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract/ seeds from 1 pod
Pinch salt
150g blueberries

Preheat the oven to 180°C. and grease and line a loaf tin
Place the yoghurt in a large mixing bowl and then add the rest of the ingredients except the blueberries.
Mix thoroughly to combine until you have a smooth batter
Mix in the blueberries
Spoon the mixture into a loaf tin and bake in the own for about 45 minutes until cooked. Bake for a little longer if a knife inserted into the middle does not come out clean.
Leave to cool, dust with icing sugar and serve with extra blueberries and a hearty spoonful of Coconut Ice cream (see here for a dairy free option)

Spiced Bass, Bulgur Wheat Salad, Lime

December 17, 2015 Comments Off read Seafood

What started out as a loss of inspiration the other evening turned into a pretty delicious quick and tasty meal for my adoring sister and I for a casual and relaxing Friday night a few weeks ago. A breeze to knock up which was appreciated as we barely kept our eyes open after a long week and hard work. Tasty and nutritious with a beautiful girly scattering of rose petals. Sorry chaps, girls night in. After a few glasses of something crisp and aromatic (I recommend maybe a Gewürztraminer) I highly recommend topping this off with a helping of trashy Reeses peanut butter cups for pudding…A bit of an oxymoron to the meal but moderation in moderation.

Serves 2

80g bulghur wheat
Handful raisins
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 large bunch coriander, chopped
1 large onion, cut into half moons
1 tsp ground cumin
1 lime, zest and juice
200g yoghurt
2 seabass fillets
1 tbsp Ras El Hanout
Pinch rose petals (optional)

Start by cutting the fish fillets in half and season. Mix with a tablespoon of olive oil and the Ras El Hanout and massage this in. Set aside.
Slowly cook the onions now. Heat a splash of light oil in a frying pan and gently soften and fry the onion slices for about 10 minutes until just beginning to turn golden brown and crisp. Once soft and gold stir in the cumin and remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, cook the bulgur wheat by simmering in boiling water until just tender (about 5-8 minutes). Drain well and leave to dry a little. Season.
Stir the onions, raisins, the chopped coriander (save a handful for garnish) and mix to combine. Check the seasoning then add the juice of the lemon. Fork through to combine the flavours and set aside.
Mix the yoghurt with the juice of the lime and the majority of the zest (save a pinch for garnish). Season and set aside.
Now you’re ready to cook your fish. Heat a frying pan with a little oil until hot. Fry the fish, skin side down for about 2-3 minutes until crisp. Flip onto the flesh side for the final 30 seconds then remove from the heat.
To serve, spoon half the yoghurt mixture into the centre of a plate. Top with some of the bulgur wheat salad. Finally top with fish and garnish with some chopped coriander, lime zest and rose petals.

Pistachio and Feta Dip

August 25, 2015 Comments Off read Extras, Meat, Vegetables and Salads

ot another dip I hear you say? And not another Moroccan and middle Eastern themed recipe. Yes. Please continue. A boozy and wonderful dinner party in the Wiltshire countryside this weekend was enhanced as it naturally would be by the addition of a Middle Eastern themed feast! And gracious guests of course! And the weather seemed to be on it best behaviour for most of the time rather suitably while we guzzled bubbly Saumur and nibbles. The downpour and lightening only theatrically threatened to steal the attention late into the evening when the food had already stolen my guests hearts. It reminded me a little of my recent venture to Morocco where a hearty downpour after a heavy humid day was still not enough to spoil the show once the hearty tanginess graced our dining tables.

Kicking off with a round (or two) of sparkling Saumur, my new and cheaper favourite alternative to Champagne, to set the tone, this cheesy spiced Turkish/Bulgarian dip went down a treat. A lovely alternative to the usual humus this is perfect with some mini ‘olive oil cracker tongues’ (see here) adapted with the addition of some sweet smoked paprika and rolled smaller and bite sized.

While the middle East is always a source of natural inspiration for me, both these recipes were inspired by a new cookbook purchase that has weakened my already full and bursting cookbook shelf. Bought on a whim having been won over in a trace by the initial sparkling textured cover and once in side, by the beautiful photos and recipe combinations that steal my foodie heart. Adapated slighty but quite welcomely without much amending. Persiana, Sabrina Ghayour. A delightful book for any cookbook collector, food lover or photography buff.

Serves 8 as a nibble with drinks

100g pistachios, shelled
75ml olive oil
200g feta cheese
Handful chopped dill
Large bunch of coriander leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 red chilli, chopped
3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
zest 1 lemon, juice of 1/2
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp dukka (see here) to garish (optional)

Blend the pistachios and oil in a processor for 30 seconds.
Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until you get a smooth but rustic texture. Season to taste
Spoon onto a shallow bowl or plate. Sprinkle with any leftover dill leaves, the dukka and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Serve with olive oil crackers.

Dips and drinks were followed by a slow roasted, shredded and falling off the bone leg of lamb spiced to the nines with Moroccan love. Zesty lime yoghurt and cumin dipping salt on the side of a fresh allotment picked raw vegetable salad….

Serves 8-10

1 large leg of lamb on the bone (2.5kg approx)
50g butter
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp sea salt flakes
Handful coriander leaves to garnish

Cumin dipping salt

2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp flaky sea salt
Pinch cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a large roasting tin.
Mark deep incisions over the lamb with a sharp knife
In a small bowl, place the butter, spiced, thyme, and garlic and blend into a paste. Rub the paste over the land and into the incisions.
Place the lamb in the tin and pour in 1 large glass white wine. Cover with foil and cook for 4 hours.
During this time, baste the lamb with any juices every 40 minutes or so.
After 4 hours, turn the oven up to 190°C. Remove the foil and finish the cooking for the final 1 hour uncovered to brown the top and crisp the skin.
Meanwhile, for the dipping salt, dry fry the cumin seeds in a hot frying pan for a few minutes until fragrant. Tip into a pestle and mortar and grind. Add the salt and cinnamon and grind together lightly. Tip into a small ramekin or bowl.
After 5 hours, remove the lamb from the over. Cover with foil and leave to rest for about 15 minutes.
When ready to serve, carve the lamb which should tenderly fall from the bone. Carve into chunky pieces and slice the herbed skin. Serve on a large warmed serving platter, scattered with coriander leaves.
Serve e.g some turmeric and cumin roasted new potatoes, fresh raw green salad and a limey creamy yoghurt.

Indian Fish

March 29, 2015 Comments Off read Seafood

You can use any fish here. I made this with a generous plumpy salmon on Mother’s Day, a clean mango ribbon salad, coriander lime chickpeas and Peshwari naan. However, sea bass this evening served with pistachio, coriander and cinnamon raisin rice and greens was equally as delicious and adoring. Both with this creamy, cooling cardamon laden, lime spiked yoghurt splashed slap-handedly over the spicy garam marsala crust is enough to satisfy even the most adoring Indian take-out stalker.

Serves 2

2 x salmon or seabass fillets
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp olive oil
150g natural yoghurt
Juice and zest 1 lime
1 tsp ground cardamon

Mix together the garam masala and oil in a bowl and coat the fish fillets with your hands. Set aside in the fridge to marinade for 2 hours or so
Meanwhile, mix together the yoghurt, lime zest and juice and the cardamon. Season and taste.
If using salmon, preheat the oven to 200°C. When ready to cook, bring a frying pan up to a high heat. Add 1tbsp of olive oil.
When hot, add the fish skin side down and hold down to prevent the skin curling up.
Fry for 2 minutes until eh skin is lovely and crisp. If using sea bass, fry until just cooked and turn onto the flesh side to finish cooking for the final minute (about 3 minutes cooking in total). If using salmon, fry until the skin is crisp and then place in the hot oven for about 7 minutes depending on their size. If they are thick fillets (2inch or so) allow this time. If thinner (1cm or so) allow about 5 minutes, Do not overcook!
Serve the spicy, warm and soft fish fillets with a spoonful of creamy yoghurt and scattering of fresh coriander leaf.

Harissa Salmon

March 14, 2015 Comments Off read Seafood

This is a beautiful salmon recipe. Not just aesthetically but a taste bud teaser too. And not just for salmon….the first time I made this I used a lovely white sea bream fillet which also stands up to the harissa flavour well. Harissa is a lovely firey Tunisian paste made form red peppers, hot chillis and spices and has a natural affinity with rose from its neighbouring Moroccan friend. Salmon filliets rubbed in this spicy paste and cooled with a vibrant lime and turmeric yoghurt were a match made in North African Tunisian heaven.

Serves 2

2 salmon (or sea bream) fillets
1 heaped tsp harissa paste
½ tsp ground cumin
150g natural yoghurt
1 lime, juice and zest
Small knob of fresh turmeric
½ tsp ground turmeric
Coriander to garnish
Rose petal to garish (optional)
Brown rice/couscous to serve

Begin by marinading the salmon fillets. Mix together the cumin and harissa in a bowl and rub the salmon fillets in this paste all over. Season and set aside for a few hours in the fridge to infuse
Meanwhile, make the yoghurt. Mix together the yoghurt, zest and ½ the juice of the lime and season. Grated in the turmeric root (careful it will stain your hands!) and finally stir in the ground turmeric.
Season well and taste. Add more lime juice if you think it needs more zesty taste. Set aside
When ready to cook your salmon, heat to over to 190°C.
Heat a frying pan over a medium high heat and add 1tbsp oil.
Fry the salmon, skin side down to crisp the skin for about 1-2 minutes. The harissa may catch and look burnt but this is ok. Turn to sear on the flesh side for a further minute to create a golden crust.
Immediately transfer to the oven on a foil lined baking tray and cook for about 5 minutes depending on how thick your salmon is. Don’t be tempted to over cook this! Salmon will take no time at all in a hot oven and will carry on cooking when removed anyway.
Serve the salmon on a generous spoonful of your creamy yoghurt. Top with a scattering of rose petals and chopped coriander alongside some rice or couscous.

Spiced Lamb, Charred Carrots, Green Coucous, Saffron Yoghurt

September 6, 2014 Comments Off read Meat, Vegetables and Salads

I strongly recommend and encourage you to use Organic carrots here but if they’re homegrown, all the better. You can usually tell by their wispy piggy-tail-like ends – these bits always seem to taste the sweetest and nicest. Being simply boiled and charred in a griddle with lemon, the flavour has to good otherwise you’ll just end up chewing on a tasteless carrot stick….

The green couscous recipe is adapted from Ottolenghi and the remainder is a combination of flavours and textures I love and craved last weekend of August that raced by in the blink of my (luckily sun glass clad) eyes!

Serves 2

Green Couscous

100g cous cous
150ml boiling water
1 small onion, finely sliced
Ground cumin
25g pistachios, chopped roughly
1 small green chilli, chopped
Large bunch herbs: Parsley, basil, mint, coriander, dill
Good olive oil

Place the couscous in a shallow bowl and season well. Add a very small knob of butter if you wish and then pour over the boiling water. Cover and set aside.
Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan and gently and slowly fry the onion until soft and beginning to colour. Add a big pinch of cumin and fry for a few minutes before taking off the heat.
While the onion is cooking, make the herb paste. Blend the herbs in a food processor, adding a slow stream of oil until blended nicely into a paste (The amount of oil you add here is up to you. The more you add the more moist the couscous will be).
When the couscous has absorbed all the water, use a fork to fluff up the grains and add to the pan with the cumin onions. Add the green chilli and pistachios and finely stir through your herb paste.
Taste and add a touch or lemon juice or seasoning or more olive oil to loosen.

Carrots

6-8 Organic/home grown carrots, cleaned
1 lemon, zest
1tbsp olive oil

Leave the carrots whole and cook in simmering water for about 4 minutes or so but just until tender when pierced with a knife but still with lots of bite and a bit of crunch. Drain and leave to cool and dry a little.
Heat a griddle pan until hot and add the oil.
Griddle the carrots until beginning to char on the outside for a few minutes
Serve warm with the couscous, with the grated lemon zest scattered over the top.

Lamb Steaks and Yoghurt

2 lamb leg steaks (You can also use lamb cutlets if you wish)
Ras el Hanout, Smoked paprika, spice mix (see here)
Olive oil
150g plain yoghurt
Pinch saffron threads

Sprinkle a good pinch of the dry spices and spice mix over your lamb steaks. Drizzle with olive oil and massage the spices into the meat. Set aside at room temperature.
Put the saffron in a small cup and add 1 tbsp of hot water. Leave to infuse.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan or griddle pan until hot.
Fry the steaks for 2 minutes per side (for a piece the thickness of mine, about 2cm, for medium) and then wrap tightly in foil and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes while you assemble the dish.
Take the saffron water (which should be a vibrate yellow) Pour into the yoghurt with some generous seasoning and stir to combine.
When ready to serve, carve your rested lamb and serve on top of your couscous and carrots with a generous dollop of yoghurt. Drizzle with the resting lamb juices!

Wine suggestion: Sijnn White 2012 (Chenin-Viogner)

I devoured this with a glass (or two) of Sijnn White 2012. South African, 84% Chenin Blanc, 16% Viogner. Stony fruits, peach, mineral and nutty flavour went deliciously with the spices in this dish.

Spice Roasted Sweet Potato Soup, Lime-cardamon Yoghurt, Coconut Flatbread

January 18, 2014 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

Some relaxing blogging always starts the weekend off well. After a long week, it was nice to slow down and take my time over lunch instead of dashing home from work and being caped in my apron and up to my eyes in ingredients before I could even take off my coat! I love to constantly use different flavours and it really is the easiest thing to inspire a standard recipe by adding a few flavourful touches. If you haven’t got a stocked pantry of store cupboard ingredients then I highly recommend investing in a few essentials to be at hand and add to your cooking (see here). My store cupboard is by no means complete…storage space and budget don’t allow my dream pantry so for now I stick to the most useful ingredients.

This warming soup is smooth, creamy and cinnamon scented. Sweet potatoes have natural sweetness which goes really well with cinnamon and ingredients like maple syrup so the lime and cardamon yoghurt is a lovely fresh addition to top it off. Coconut flatbreads (just because) are heavenly.

Serves 4

Soup

800g sweet potato, peeled, chopped into chunks
2-3 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped finely
2 pints of good, hot chicken or vegetable stock

Lime Cardamon Yoghurt

150g plain natural yoghurt
½ lime – zest and juice
Few mint/coriander leaves
3-4 cardamon pods

Coconut Flatbreads

15g dessicated coconut
75-80ml coconut milk/water
125g flour
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel and chop you sweet potatoes into chunky pieces and add to a large roasting tray. Throw in your garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled.
Drizzle with a couple of generous tablespoons of olive oil or sunflower oil and scatter over the cumin seeds, cinnamon and some generous seasoning. Mix until coated in the spices and roast for 30 minutes. Toss half way through cooking.
Meanwhile, sweat and soften the onion in a little oil in a saucepan over the hob and prepare your stock.
Make the flatbreads by combining the flour, seasoning and coconut in a large bowl. Add in your liquid and mix with a fork until combined. Bring together to form a smooth dough, adding a little more liquid if needed. Knead for a few minutes and then set aside to rest.
For the yoghurt, combine in a bowl with the lime juice, zest, finely chopped mint and some salt and pepper. Bash the cardamon pods to remove the seeds inside. Grind these as fine as you can in a pestle and mortar and add to the yoghurt. Stir to combine then set aside.
Once the potatoes are ready remove from the oven and pick out the garlic cloves. Add the potatoes to the sweating onion. Squeeze the roasted and sweet garlic pulp from their skins and add with the potatoes.
Add the stock and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the flavours are combined and the potatoes are really tender.
Puree with a hand blender until silky and smooth. Add a little more stock to thin the soup if you like.
Keep warm while you cook the flatbreads. Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll each out thinly on a floured surface. Fry each in a the dry hot pan for a few minutes each side until a lightly charred and they begin to puff up slightly.
Serve warm immediately (or keep warm in the oven) with a generous warming bowl of spiced soup drizzled with the fresh yoghurt.

Herby Halloumi Wrap

December 21, 2013 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

These are an enticing, comforting and friendly hug inside a warm pitta on a rainy December afternoon with the prospect of a Christmas feast approaching. A perfect semi-healthy lunch in the lead up to Christmas. I’m back home in the country air with a day of present wrapping, card writing and general festivity on the agenda. With the house and, more importantly, the kitchen blissfully to myself I welcomed the peace and solidarity and devoured these for a welcome lunch break mid Christmas chores. Alone I’ll admit but I don’t regret a thing…..a thing.

Serves 2

4-6 slices of halloumi (cut thickly)
2 pitta breads (For my homemade pittas see here) or warm wraps
Small bunch parsley/coriander
Small bunch basil/mint
Small bunch dill
4 tbsp thick yoghurt
½ lemon juice and zest
1 tbsp runny honey

If making your own the pitta breads start with these (see here) and keep warm while you deal with the halloumi. If not, lightly toast the pitta breads or warm the wraps.
Chop your chosen herbs finely and add the lemon zest. Mix the yoghurt with the lemon juice and some seasoning and set both aside.
Heat a frying pan until hot and add a drizzle of olive oil. Fry the halloumi slices for a few minutes each side on a high heat until golden. Add the honey and remove from the heat and coat the slices in the syrup.
Now assemble your pittas. Cut each open and spoon in a some yoghurt and a handful of herbs. Add your warm sweet halloumi slices and stuff with some more of the herbs and yoghurt.
Devour while warm!

Wrapped appropriately in a festive napkin….and eaten appropriately with a festive appetite!

Lamb, Mint and Pea Salad

August 28, 2013 Comments Off read Meat, Vegetables and Salads

Leftover lamb never tasted better. Freshly cut herbs from the garden, a cucumber from the greenhouse and some leftover local lamb. A sunny evening called for a fresh cleansing salad to start the week on a healthy note. Although washed down with a large glass of Cab Sauv it probably had the opposite effect!

Not sure the picture does this dish justice but it is extremely tasty, particularly also crumbled with feta or goats cheese as well as or instead of the lamb for the veges.

Serves 3 as a main, 4 as a lunch or starter

Salad

2 little gems
1 romaine lettuce, shredded
1 small cucumber, chopped on diagonal
1 avocado, chopped
1 lemon, juice
Handful pine nuts, toasted
Bunch mint, leaves picked and chopped
Bunch of chives, chopped
Leftover lamb, sliced- mine was rare roast butterflied leg but anything works well, shredded etc
250g frozen peas, blanched

Oregano and Lemon Yoghurt

6 heaped tbsp thick yoghurt
1 small garlic clove, minced
Bunch oregano, leaves picked
½ lemon juice and zest
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Sun dried Tomato Bread

250g self raising flour
4 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Bunch basil
Salt and pepper
Warm water

Make the bread first. Blitz the sun dried tomatoes and basil in a processor until fine. Add the flour and some generous seasoning and blend. Pour in enough warm water until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes before leaving covered to rest.
Mix the yoghurt ingredients and chill.
Keep the stalks on the little gems to hold them together. Half each and cut each half into 3 keeping them together at the base.
Mix with the blanched peas, shredded romaine, cucumber and chopped herbs on a large platter.
Griddle the avocado on a hot oiled griddle pan until warm and charred. Season well and add to the salad. Squeeze over the juice from the lemon, a good splash of extra virgin olive oil and some seasoning and toss gently to combine.
Sprinkle over the toasted pine nuts and finally the lamb.

7. Heat a large frying pan. Roll the bread out to the thickness of a pound coin and big enough to fit the pan. Fry in the pan for about 5 minutes each side until toasty and beginning to char and crisp. Turn out onto a board and rip up and serve warm with the salad, dunked in the yoghurt or with some salted butter.