Posts tagged goats cheese

Courgette & Broad Bean Rice-otto

Comments Off on Courgette & Broad Bean Rice-otto read Vegetables and Salads

T

his one is thanks to Nigel Slater’s Diaries which, naturally, I’ve tweaked a bit. The perk of Nigel’s Diaries is the ease at which you can flick to the date of the month (or closest!) that you’re enjoying and take inspiration from what he was cooking, in season and usually with some store cupboard staples. 

Into my final month of pregnancy and I was craving something fresh in the warm summer but equally something hearty which can be a hard balance. This ticks all those boxes. It’s a ‘not too clingy’ summer hug in a bowl. Eat from a bowl, with just a fork, on the patio, under the sunshine with a glass of crisp white wine (if you can…!). I used crumbled goats cheese here but feel free to just use parmesan or any cheese of choice.

NOTE: Given I had some time to kill whilst waiting for Baby X to arrive, I was quite happy to de-pod these broad beans. It’s a therapeutic process. If you don’t want to de-pod them, feel free to substiitute broad beans for frozen peas! If you leave the skins on, they can be a bit tough, plus you don’t get that green vibrancy!

Serves 4

  • 300g courgette
  • 250g frozen broad beans (or peas as above)
  • 1 litre vegetable/chicken stock
  • 1 onion / 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 60g butter
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed
  • Sprig of thyme
  • 250g brown rice
  • Small glass white wine
  • 100g goats cheese
  • 200g breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 lemon, zest.
  1. Grate the courgettes into a colander using a large box grater or food processor with the shredding attachment. Season generously with salt and leave for at least 20 minutes so the juices can be drawn out.
  2. Simmer the broad beans in boiling water for about 5 minutes then drain cool under cold water until cool enough to handle. You do not have to de-pod them but its recommended as the skin can be tough! It does take some patience and time if you have it. Pinch the skin and push the fresh green bean out into a clean bowl. Continue with all broad beans and set them aside.
  3. Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep warm on a low heat.
  4. In a large heavy based casserole dish or high sided frying pan, melt 40g of the butter with a splash of oil. Add the chopped onion and stir over a low heat until soft and translucent. Add the crushed garlic and thyme leaves and generous seasoning. Stir and cook for a few minutes.
  5. Add the rice and stir together to coat the grains in butter for 1-2 minutes.
  6. Add the glass of wine and allow the alcohol to simmer away.
  7. Now, add about 1/4 of the hot stock and simmer gently. The rice will take total 40 minutes approx to soften. Keep adding stock until the rice is tender. Don’t let the rice dry out though. You may use all the stock and a little extra hot water if its not cooked by the time you’ve used all the stock.
  8. Once the rice is just cooked, turn off the heat and turn your attention to the courgettes. The salt will have drawn the moisture out now. Using your hands, squeeze the watery juices out into the sink and put the drained courgette into a bowl with the broad beans.
  9. Stir both the shredded courgette and broad beans into the rice. Add the remaining 20g of butter and season to taste. Keep warm with a lid on.
  10. In a dry frying pan, add a splash of olive oil until hot. Add the breadcrumbs and season. Cook until the breadcrumbs are golden and crunchy and then set aside. Add the lemon zest.
  11. Give the rice one final good stir to mix everything together until creamy.
  12. Serve, crumbling over the goats cheese and with a scatter of crunch breadcrumbs. Enjoy!

Sharing Pastry Wheel

Comments Off on Sharing Pastry Wheel read Vegetables and Salads
Sharing Pastry Wheel

T

his puff pastry sharing wheel has become one of my Christmas signatures! Made only in December for a festive drinks gathering with friends. Its such a perfect sharing canape as you can tailor it to your favourite flavours, those flavours of your guests or to suit any dietary requirement. I like to make this vegetarian as the rest of Christmas tends to be meat themed . Its such a pretty centre piece to the table – eye catching and head turning! The best part is that its barely cooking – I’d call it an assembly job! 

Glass of cold Champagne in hand, buttery puff pastry really is the most ideal pairing and always will be in my eyes!

Ingredients

  • 1 block puff pastry (I always end up with leftover pastry when I make this so I make a set of Palmiers here to match. Same process really just a different shape)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Fillings of choice, some combination suggestions below: Be careful here with your choices, you’re not making a pizza. It can’t be too ‘full’ or bulky. Chop finely and scatter scarcely, hence why punchy flavours work better!

Green pesto, feta, sun dried tomatoes, cumin seeds

Red pesto, sun dried tomatoes, goats cheese, chopped dill

Olive tapenade, feta, sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, fennel seeds

Pesto, anchovies, capers, crumbled mozzarella, basil

  1. Half the pastry block and roll out each on a floured surface into circles around 30cm diameter. Use a plate as a cutter to cut around to form a nice neat circle.
  2. Place one circle on a baking sheet on a baking tray. Onto this circle add your toppings! Start with your pesto base and then scatter over the toppings and herbs making finely chopped/small pieces and scattering evenly. You can work up to the edges, but leave a 1cm border or so.
  3. Brush the 1cm border with a little egg wash.
  4. Take your second circle of pastry and place on top, and then gently press down so that it snugly hugs the fillings underneath and is sealed at the edges where you’ve egg washed.
  5. Next take a small upturned egg cup and place it in the middle gently, not enough to cut through. Working outwards, cut thin strips so that they are still attached at the centre.
  6. Take each strip and gently twist like a cheese straw and press down onto the tray at the end to keep it unfolding again. You’ll know here if you’ve packed it too full or cut your pieces too big as they will pop out everywhere!
  7. Continue all the way round and once done, remove the egg cup.
  8. Place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes, preheat the oven to 200°C.
  9. When ready to cook, remove from the fridge, egg wash over generously so its gets a wonderful golden shine and then scatter over sesame, nigella or any seed of choice that suits your filling if desired.
  10. Bake for about 20 minutes, checking regularly until golden and puffed!
  11. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little before serving but nicest served warm (avoid burning anyones mouths with molten cheese!)

You can remove the centre circle puff where the egg cup marked (eat it..) and then pop a nice dipping sauce in the middle in a dish. The idea is the guests ‘tear and share’…and dip if desired!

Spinach & Cheese Spiral

Comments Off on Spinach & Cheese Spiral read Vegetables and Salads

F

ilo pastry is one of my favourite pastries. Its light, crispy, buttery and gives the most amazing texture contrast when baked with a soft filling. Its not only ideal for savoury pies such as here but impressive when cooked with a sweet filling. This very spiral can be packed with a sweet almond frangipane and dusted with icing sugar for a delicious dessert.

This a a spiral version of the traditional Greek spanakopita that can be made in a round tin also. This may look more complicated but its actually a lot easier if you don’t have a tin to hand! It can be a bit tricky to manipulate however I promise once baked it will look like stunning. As someone who grumpily shoved the raw pie into the oven, cursing at how it looked “nothing like the recipe photo” and “how on earth can that be expected to work” it came out looking like a model spanakopita. I felt smug.

Serve with a simple fresh green salad with plenty of lemon juice and a scoop of Greek yoghurt.

TIP: Keep the filo pastry under a damp tea towel when not using to stop it drying out. It WILL dry out in minutes and break apart if not.

TIP: Use plenty of melted butter. Don’t leave any raw pastry un-buttered. It will make it easier to form into a spiral, prevent cracks and taste better.

Adapted from delicious magazine.

Serves 4

  • 1 pack filo pastry (about 6-7 sheets)
  • 125g unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp nigella seeds

Filling

  • 1 large red onion, sliced
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 x 400g bags spinach leaves
  • 300g feta, crumbled
  • 150g goats cheese, crumbled
  • 40g parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 3 free range eggs
  • Bunch dill, finely chopped
  • Bunch fresh mint, finely chopped
  • Pinch chilli flakes
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 75g pine nuts, toasted
  • Nutmeg
  1. Preheat the oven to 190 and line a baking tray with parchment.
  2. Wilt the spinach in batches in your biggest pan with a splash of water. Drain, cool and then squeeze out any excess water. Then, using a muslin cloth or tea towel, tightly squeeze the remaining water (you’ll be shocked at how little spinach you end up with).
  3. Roughly chop the remaining spinach and add to a big mixing bowl. Set aside.
  4. Fry the red onions for about 5 minutes until soft. Season and add the balsamic. Let this sizzle and cook and coat the onions until they become sticky. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
  5. Add all the cheeses, the eggs, the dill (save a handful for serving), mint, chilli, lemon, pine nuts and a pinch of nutmeg to the spinach bowl. Season well. Finally, add the onions and mix well.
  6. Melt the butter if not already done so.
  7. Put one sheet of rectangular filo on a clear work surface and brush generously with butter. Top with another sheet and brush as before. Add 1/3 of the spinach mixture in a line against the long edge of the pastry. Roll into a cylinder, brushing with butter to cover any raw pastry.
  8. Twirl the long roll into a coil keeping it tight at the centre. Ensure its generously buttered or it will crack. Don’t worry if it does, you can patch it up with extra buttered filo before baking.
  9. Repeat this step with the other pastry sheets and the other 2/3 of mixture adding the rolls to the coil making it larger as you go.
  10. Brush the whole wheel liberally with butter. If there are any large cracks and the filling is exposed, take a spare piece of pastry, butter and then patch it up as best you can. Finally, scatter with a pinch of salt and the sesame and nigella seeds.
  11. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until golden brown and cooked.
  12. Serve scattered with extra dill.

I like to cut mine into a slice like you would a quiche. Some serve by the roll, pealing off bits of the spiral. As you like. My way you end up with a higher pastry ratio!

 

Creamed Spinach & Goats Cheese Crumble

Comments Off on Creamed Spinach & Goats Cheese Crumble read Vegetables and Salads
Creamed Spinach & Goats Cheese Crumble

 

H

appy New Year! This was quite rightly a while ago now. January has come and gone and I’ve yet to even blog a shortbread biscuit or mince pie. But I’ve been sunning myself on South Africa’s beaches, drinking from their vineyards and eating…biltong. I don’t regret my absence. However, it has been a shameful while since I’ve given FITP some loving attention. Importantly I must confirm it is NOT because I’ve stopped cooking or experimenting. My pans continue to earn their keep and my fellow friends kept fed and watered. Its been quite an adventure over the past months and that combined with the lack of natural light, I’ve had limited time to take pictures worthy of my perfectionism and blogging standards. Recent stressful distractions at the later end of 2017 have sucked my what would have been ”recipe daydreaming time” for my blogging creations. More so I have sadly (?) opted for either comfort eats or trusty go-tos. That said there have been some blog worthy comfort eats that will have to grace these pages before the summer…

But this Monday evening in early February once again faded into another dark quiet Monday with nothing to excite me except the idea of coming home for dinner and a round of ‘Silent Witness’ (Judge as you will). That coupled with the tight budgets I’ve restricted myself to in order to fund my tenacious sun worshiping this year means that experimenting is also not such an attractive prospect for the bank balance. This dish therefore fits quite nicely. Its amazing what a £1.20 bag of frozen spinach can make and just how far it’ll go. You’re skeptical about spinach going a long way…I can tell. But this could feed a vegetarian army if such a thing exists.

Tip – opt for a larger more shallow baking dish for a better eat. Mine was a little deep and small.

Serves 4-6 (Adapted from Jamie O’s classic here)

Ingredients

  • 1kg frozen spinach ‘blocks’
  • 1 red onion, chopped finely
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • Nutmeg
  • 150g soft goats cheese
  • 100g breadcrumbs OR bread
  • 100g oats
  • 100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 50g flaked almonds
  • 250ml creme fraiche
  • 1 lemon
  1. Preheat the oven to 180.
  2. Start by sweating the onion in a little oil in a large frying pan until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a few more minutes.
  3. Add the spinach ‘blocks’ and turn up the heat to a medium setting. You want to cook out the spinach for a out 10 minutes until the blocks have melted down and you have evaporated the majority of the water.
  4. Meanwhile, blitz the bread in a processor into breadcrumbs. Season well.
  5. Add the oats and pulse lightly just to combine.
  6. Add the cubed butter and blend until you have a crumb like texture.
  7. Stir in the almonds and reserve this topping for later.
  8. Once the spinach has reduced in moisture, grate in a good few gratings of nutmeg. Add the mixture to the food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and season well.
  9. Add the creme friache and the zest of the lemon and pulse to combine. (These steps are optional. If you don’t have a processor you can simply stir the creme friache and spinach together to achieve a more textured mix).
  10. Tip a third of the mixture into a shallow baking dish (In hindsight, the one I used was a little deep). Crumble over a third of the goats cheese.
  11. Repeat with the next layer alternating with goats cheese and spinach. (Alternatively, you could add the goats cheese to the spinach mixture and pulse lightly. I preferred having nuggets of goats cheese rather than an overall flavour throughout).
  12. Once you’ve used up all the mixture, top the spinach evenly with the crumble.
  13. Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes until the crumble turns a golden brown and the juices from the spinach are starting to bubble up around the edges.
  14. Dive in!

 

 

Caramelised Garlic Tart

Comments Off on Caramelised Garlic Tart read Vegetables and Salads
Caramelised Garlic Tart

I’d seen this recipe in my thumbed copy of Ottolenghi’s ‘Plenty’ too many times to flick past it again. I’d heard good things about it…they’re true by the way. The original recipe calls for puff pastry which I think would have tipped me over the edge into food heaven but I used a lighter flaky shortcrust infused with thyme after an indulgent week that just couldn’t handle the butter content of puff. Either pastry is fine but I suggest puff just to do it justice. Agreed, when you read the recipe and see 3 heads of garlic, separated and peeled you may find yourself navigating away to another site. However, there is no need to contemplate taking a half day off work as it really won’t take long and you’ll be rewarded with the benefits on eating. The garlic is sweet and glazed when cooked and teasingly moreish.

Serves 6-8

  • 375g puff pastry, rolled/ 1 quantity of shortcrust pastry flavoured with thyme (optional)
  • 3 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 220ml water
  • Pinch sugar
  • 1 tsp each chopped rosemary and thyme
  • 240g goats cheese- a mix of soft and hard or a mix of cheeses if you’re not a goat cheese lover
  • 2 medium eggs, beaten
  • 100ml double cream
  • 100ml creme fraiche
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C . Grease and line a tart tin (about 28cm) and line with the rolled puff pastry. (You can also use a shortcrust pastry which is what I actually did when I made it). Prick all over with a fork and line with a sheet of parchment and some baking beans. Bake blind for about 15-20 minutes until mostly cooked and then remove the beans and parchment and return the case to the oven for 5-10 minutes to allow the base to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the cloves of garlic in boiling water for 3 minutes and drain.
  3. Return the garlic to a clean pan with the a splash of oil and fry for a few minutes on a high heat. Add the balsamic vinegar and the water, boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the sugar and the herbs and a pinch of salt. Simmer for another 10 minutes until the liquid begins to reduce and turn syrupy. Set aside.
  5. In a jug, whisk the eggs, creams and plenty of seasoning.
  6. In the pre-baked tart case, crumble or grate over your choice of cheese and then top with the garlic cloves and syrup. Add some more thyme leaves also if you like.

  7. Fill the gap of the tart with the cream mixture and bake at 160°C for 35-40 minutes until set and golden brown.

I served mine with a fresh rocket and baby cos salad with some griddled courgette slices, toasted pine nuts, wafers of parmesan cheese all dressed lightly with lemon juice and olive oil. Devine!

image

Barbie’s Risotto

Comments Off on Barbie’s Risotto read Vegetables and Salads
Barbie’s Risotto

 

image

image

(Beetroot, hazelnut, goats cheese risotto)

This one is for my best bud (who ironically wasn’t there to enjoy it…? Sorry Katy) as she once ordered it at a restaurant just because it was pink! It makes a lovely vegetarian mid-week meal which I even got a man- yes a man- to eat. Now while most 21st century guys under the age of about 35 are willing to try news flavours and recipes, many, like my pa, are set in their foodie ways and require meat and potatoes somewhere on the dinner plate. But, if I can make my dad eat this princess pink, meat free dish then its certainly do-able. Admittedly, he did grow the beetroot and I am inclined to say that he will in fact eat anything that he has produced from his allotment. As a side note- I mean anything. I was told (burdened) this evening with the news that he had some turnips that he’d grown that are (I quote) ‘Great! They taste like melon!’…..interesting.

Anyway, enjoy the risotto!

Serves 4

  • 250g risotto rice
  • 1 onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 small glass dry white wine
  • 1 litre hot vegetable stock
  • 50g butter
  • Large handful grated parmesan
  • 300g beetroot
  • ½ lemon, juice
  • To serve- Handful podded broad beans, handful hazelnuts, crumbled goats cheese
  1. If using raw beetroot, first boil for about 40 minutes or until soft, leave to cool and then peel. Reserve a chunk and cut into dice and set aside. Place the remaining beetroot in a food processor and puree until smooth-ish adding a few generous splashes of hot stock to loosen. Set aside until needed.
  2. Toast the hazelnuts in a hot oven for about 5-8 minutes and then coarsely chop. Fry in a little oil in a hot frying pan until golden and then set aside to use for garnish.
  3. Melt half the butter with a splash of oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a further few minutes.
  4. Add the rice and fry over a medium-high heat until it starts to turn translucent. When too hot to touch, add the wine and simmer until absorbed.
  5. Turn the heat down to a medium-low and add the hot stock ladle by ladle as it becomes absorbed, stirring all the time keeping the mix on a very gentle simmer. Keep adding stock for about 15-18 minutes until the rice is cooked but with some bite.
  6. When loose in texture and the rice is cooked, stir in the beetroot puree and the beetroot dice. Season to taste, you’ll probably find it needs a generous seasoning of salt.
  7. Add more stock to loosen if necessary and then remove from the heat. Add the remaining butter, the grated parmesan and half the lemon juice, cover with a lid and place the risotto to one side to rest.
  8. When ready to serve, firmly beat the melted butter and cheese into the risotto and season to taste. It should be oozy and runny, not stodgy. Serve spooned into warmed shallow soup bowls, scattered with the broad beans, hazelnuts and a crumbling or  quenelle of goats cheese!

NOTE: See here for my risotto tips

image

Roasted allotment salad with Balsamic Pearls

Comments Off on Roasted allotment salad with Balsamic Pearls read Vegetables and Salads
Roasted allotment salad with Balsamic Pearls

 

If you grow your own produce then maybe you can relate to this time of bountiful year on the allotment. The vegetables are literally elbowing each other with they’re knobbly roots to fight for the glorious prospect of supplying our busy kitchen. Beetroot, sugar snaps, runner beans, courgettes, potatoes and tomatoes seem to have smuggled the odd protein shake or steroid supplement and are bursting to be eaten…we can’t do it quick enough. So tonight, I went vegetarian again. A roasted salad.

image

I recently found these little balsamic gems in Waitrose and just had to try them! They’re like dinky diminutive drops of balsamic caviar which burst in your mouth with ever bite! Topped over this beetroot salad……..amazing!

image

  • 4 raw beetroot washed and chopped into chunks
  • 7 small carrots, whole
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 2 whole garlic cloves
  • Small bunch of thyme, leaves picked
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 150g goats cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tbsp mixed seeds, pumpkin, sunflower
  • Small bunch of chopped mint leaves
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Balsamic caviar (optional)
  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Mix the beetroot and whole carrots in a roasting tin and coat in the cumin seeds, thyme leaves, plenty of olive oil and seasoning. Add the whole garlic cloves.
  2. Roast, turning every so often for 45-50 minutes until the veg are soft and caramelised at the edges.
  3. Meanwhile, toast the seeds in a dry frying pan until they are fragrant and begin to pop. Chop the mint leaves.
  4. When the vegetables are ready, remove from the oven. Take the garlic cloves and squeeze the soft, sweet pulp into a pestle and mortar. Add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, a good glug of extra virgin olive oil and some seasoning and bash until blended into a paste. Coat the warm vegetables in this dressing.
  5. Crumble over the goats cheese, seeds and mint leaves and serve, scattered with a few teaspoons of balsamic caviar if you like!

Sweet Potato and Goats Cheese Tartlet

Comments Off on Sweet Potato and Goats Cheese Tartlet read Vegetables and Salads
Sweet Potato and Goats Cheese Tartlet

 

I’m not turning vegetarian- honest! Not that there’s anything wrong with being vegetarian…..I even know a few (wink wink) and meat does not rule my dinner table. However, life without meat is a little…..well….inconvenient as many of my staple bible recipes contain meat which provides that much needed flavour and protein. I know however, that many vegetarian dishes can be just as punchy, satisfying and tasty especially if you have ever read the Ottolenghi cookbook which is a must have for any passionate herbivore. This little tartlet is a tasty example of a vegetarian alternative for those days when you just fancy something simple. Its also great for those cheeky veges at your dinner parties……they’re probably fed up of quiche by now….

(Serves 4)

  • 250g puff pastry
  • 1 egg
  • 4tbsp cream cheese
  • 2 small sweet potatoes
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 100g soft goats cheese
  • Caramelized balsamic red onions (see red onion recipe)
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • Flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C . Peeled and chop the sweet potatoes into cubes about 2cm. Place in a roasting tin and season with salt and pepper and scatter with the cumin seeds. Drizzle generously with olive oil and roast for 30 minutes until soft.
  2. Roll the pastry out to about 3 mm thick and cut into 4 rectangles about 15cmx7cm and place on a lined baking tray. Using a sharp knife, score a border about 1cm in from the edge, making sure you don’t cut all the way through. Brush with beaten egg.
  3. Spread the base of each pastry rectangle with the cream cheese. Top with the sweet potato cubes, crumbled goats cheese and pumpkin seeds.
  4. Place in the oven for 15-18 minutes until golden.
  5. After this time, top with the red onions and return to the oven for a further 2 minutes until the pastry is golden and puffed.
  6. Remove from the oven and scatter with the chopped parsley and drizzle with olive oil.
  7. I served mine with a watercress, chive and sugar snap salad. Enjoy and think of the poor pig or cow you spared!image