Apricots, Earl Grey & mascarpone

It is time for a dessert from my new cookbook. Simplicity of many dishes really took me over but quite unexpectedly the desserts really won my heart too. And as I mentioned few times - I am not a really dessert person. I like to eat them, but not a big fan of making sweets. I have few recipes that I stick to and don't experiment a lot. This time it was completely different and I can tell you now this is not the last dessert from "Hugh's Three Good Things (on a plate)" on this blog. I am absolutely in love with this one and cannot wait to try some more fruity puddings soon.

Serves 6

250g organic dried apricots

500ml hot Earl Grey  tea

200g mascarpone 

20g icing sugar (or to taste)

splash of double cream (optional)

Place the apricots in a container and cover with hot tea. Leave it to cool down, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight. 

Next drain the liquid into a pan and boil until reduced by half and syrupy. When still warm pour over the apricots, leave it to cool down, cover and place in the fridge for another few hours, or up to two days. (each time I left apricots in the fridge for about 16-18 hours).

Beat the mascarpone with the sugar using hand miser or balloon whisk and if it gets too stiff add splash of cream or some Earl Grey syrup to loose it up.

Serve apricots with syrup and a dollop of mascarpone.


Swaps? Extras? Use dried figs, sultanas or prunes instead or as a mix.

Breakfast. Eggs, tomatoes, bread.

Good morning!

Eggs are such a classic thing for breakfast, aren't they? Bread first thing in the morning isn't something unusual too. Still this dish left me speechless. Yes, another recipe from my new cook book. Enjoy this lovely breakfast.

Serves 2

250g ripe tomatoes (cherry or regular ones)

3 tbsp olive oil

2-3 slices of your favourite bread 

2 eggs

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 180 C. 

Line a baking tray with some baking paper. 

If you are using large tomatoes, cut them into wedges. I cut mine into halves and then each half into 3 pieces. If using cherry tomatoes, just cut them in half. Place onto a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until they soften and start to caramelised on the edges.

Meanwhile tear or cut the bread into bite size pieces, place in a bowl and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Set aside.

After about 20 minutes remove the tomatoes from the oven and add the bread chunks. Return to the oven for about 7 minutes, until the bread starts to turn golden and crisp.

Then remove the dish from the oven and using a spatula or spoon form 2 hollows in amongst the tomatoes and bread. Break an egg into each hollow and return to the oven for max. 5 minutes. Whites should be set, but yolks still runny.

Remove from the oven, grind some salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Plus one? Add roughly torn chunks of mozzarella at the same time as eggs, letting them melt into the bread.

Enjoy it and have a lovely day!

Sourdough bread, olive oil, honey

I have a feeling not many of you have tried this combination, even I am sure most of you have all the ingredients at home all the time.

On Tuesday I have received bran new book called "Hugh's Three Good Things" by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. I am going to write a review shortly, but first let me show you few recipes from this book that I have already tried. 

This was my Saturday's breakfast. Crunchy, sweet, salty and little bit sour.

few slices of good quality bread (preferably sourdough, I used wheat sourdough with a hint of rosemary)
good quality extra virgin olive oil (I used olive oil from Ginestra, with low acidity and scent of artichokes)
coarse sea salt or flaked salt
honey

Toast or grill bread to your liking.

Drizzle fairly generously with olive oil and leave for a minute to soak in.

Sprinkle with some salt.

Drizzle with some honey.

That's it. So little and so much. I died and found myself in heaven.

Hope you'll enjoy it, have a lovely Sunday!

Oven baked sweet potato crisps (with herbs & smoked salt)

 
Probably in last ten or twelve years (or maybe longer?) I haven't been a big fan of potato crisps. I use to like them a lot, but then after one of my best friend's birthday party that I have spent mostly on my knees embracing a toilet and getting those chips back from my stomach... Never mind. The point is - I never touched them since. And just to make it clear - I had one beer and I think it must have been not exactly fresh one...

I tried them again when I moved to UK, because the idea of vinegar flavour was so intriguing, that I could not resist. Now I have to say I like them a lot, try not to eat them very often, probably small packet or two a year when I have cravings. What I like even more are vegetable crisps. There are few on the market that have a decent mixture of nice vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips but none of those are baked. 

Therefore I made an attempt to my own oven baked crisps. Sweet potato is probably one of my favourite bites from whole selection of vegetable crisps, so I decided to start with this veg and hopefully will be more to come. Perhaps even my own homemade selection of baked vegetable crisps? It would be good not to depend on the shop bought, deep fried. We'll see!

Makes bowl enough to 2-4 for sharing 

2 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled, washed 

3-4 tbsp olive oil 

few small springs of fresh thyme and rosemary

smoked, flaked salt 

Using a mandoline slicer is essential. Potatoes should be cut into same thickness otherwise baking them will be problematic. I cut them into about 1.5mm slices.

Heat the oven to 150C (fan). Place the potatoes in one layer onto a baking tray. You don't have to, but you can very lightly oil the tray before putting the potatoes on, but I once tried to bake them without oiling the tray and probably one out of ten didn't want to come off (I used knife), but otherwise they were OK. It depends how much oil you want to use in this recipe. Oil on the tray helps to get them crispier - that is sure.

Chop the herbs and mix with the remaining oil, then brush the top of the potatoes, sprinkle with some salt and place in the oven. Now the tricky bit - because they are of different size some of them will be ready after about 25-30 minutes. They will be curled up on the edges, lightly browned and crispy. Remove them from the oven and place on the wire rack. When the cooled down, check larger crisps - they probably will need some more time in the oven - the centre will be still quite chewy. Turn the temperature down to about 100C and return them to the oven on the same baking tray (no oiling required). Bake until crispy. This, depending on the size and thickness of the slices, should take about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool down. Place in a serving bowl and enjoy. 

They are very hygroscopic, which means they absorb moisture very easily and quickly, so better not to store them, but eat straight away. Or, if they are bit damp and chewy in orded to make them more crispier return them to the oven and be careful not to burn them.

Five or less ingredients # 6 (two ingredient ice cream)

I haven't posted anything in this series for quite some time, and now it just realised that this recipe is just perfect. It will be a dessert for a change and something that suits my diet - I am unable to eat most of the dairy products and sweets. For more than a week I had some fruit for my desserts (I am only allowed to have some...) or some fruit & buttermilk shakes and then I decided to make ice cream. I know that sorbets were an option too, but I didn't fancy any.

I found this simple recipe on many American blogs, they seem to be very popular also there any many versions, but most of the ingredients doesn't suit my diet at the moment. SO I went for one of the easiest one - with peanut butter, but no sugar or honey added - bananas are sweet enough for me. I always use natural, organic, unsweetened peanut butter - no nonsense ingredients. It goes very well with the banana - but you probably know I am a huge fan of salty - sweet desserts.

I was a bit sceptical at first but when I tried them I was extremely happy and now I am hooked. I am definitely going to make some more flavours. I hope you will give it a go - if you don't like it you will waste little time and only two ingredients.

Banana & peanut butter ice cream

makes about 4-6 scoops

4 small very ripe bananas (preferably with blackened skins)
2 tbsp natural unsweetened peanut butter

Peel the bananas and cut into not too thick slices. Place on a tray in one layer and place in a freezer. I left mine overnight, but I think 3 hours is enough time to freeze them. Then remove the tray from the freezer and leave it in room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Then place them in a food processor and blend - scraping down the bowl when they stick. Blend until nearly smooth and then add the peanut butter and mix for a little while. You can add peanut butter straight away and mix with the bananas, but I wanted to have a veins of peanut butter in my ice cream, so I added it at the very end. You can enjoy your ice cream now, or place it in a container and freeze it for later. Remember to remove it from a freezer for about 20 minutes before serving.

 Previously in this series:

#1 Series rules and pork stir fry in caramel sauce

#2 Salmon baked with fennel and black olives

#3 Tagliatelle with courgettes & sun blushed tomatoes

#4 Avocado & blue cheese bites

#5 Spinach & egg tart 

Cannellini, cucumber & dill salad

I am back! I am back with some new cookbooks. I did not cook at all during my break in Poland; I was spoiled by my family and friends, they have cooked for me.

I was also given some fantastic cook books such as “Nepal cook book” from friends who came back from Nepal not long time ago and Magdalena from Tasty Colours blog (that I highly recommend if you are interested in Polish cuisine – it is in English!) gave me Julia Child’s book – an absolute classic, I am sorry but I am not sure about the English title, it is general cook book with many classic recipes ant useful tips.

I also bought myself chunky cookbook about Polish regional cuisines. It has over 1000 recipes from different regions and I think this will help me to get more ideas about versatile Polish cuisine.

I found today’s recipe in this book, but I have changed it slightly. As much as I love garlic I thought it was rather mad to use whole garlic bulb in raw salad, also in my opinion the dressing based on the water was rather strange idea to go with a cucumber salad, as this is quite water vegetable already. So this is my take on this salad that suppose to come from Warmian-Masurian (PL Mazury i Warmia) region (North East, beautiful lake district). 

 

Serves 3-4

300g white beans, soaked and cooked (I used cannellini)  

1 cucumber, peeled and diced  

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

1 large garlic clove, peeled  

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil  

½ level tsp of salt  

freshly ground black pepper

Mix the beans, cucumber and dill in a large bowl.

Roughly slice the garlic and place in the mortar with the salt. Crush using a pestle until smooth then add the olive oil and mix well. Add the dressing to the salad and mix well. Season with some pepper. Chill before serving.

Celery, orange & mackerel salad

Today another Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipe. I like to watch this Eton College graduate, who talks perfect English. I find his recipes easy to follow and I am always very pleased with the result. It was the same this time when I tried this unusual salad. He made it in "River Cottage" TV series for somebody who hates celery sticks, to convince fussy eater that celery can be quite pleasant. I do not have any problems with this veg, but I found this recipe quite unusual and intriguing. It is very easy and quick to make although very good looking and tasty.

I highly recommend it and say good bye for few weeks. We are off for holiday, this year my dream about seeing Rome and Lazio region will finally come true. Lot of history, ancient monuments, beautiful nature and without any doubt - marvellous food are waiting for my partner and I.

So enjoy the salad, take care and I talk to you in few weeks!

Serves 2

2 smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and boned, torn into chunks

2 oranges, peeled and segmented, juice saved for the dressing

4-6 celery sticks, chopped into bite size pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

celery salt

For the dressing mix the orange juice with pepper and salt, ser aside. Arrange celery, oranges and mackerel together in a serving dish and drizzle with the dressing. Serve immediately. You can also serve it warm with freshly fried mackerel fillets on the top instead of smoked one.

THANK YOU! Five or less ingredients #5

First of all I would like to thank you all who voted for my recipe in Best Cabbage Recipe competition. My cabbage & mushrooms pasties won and I have £200 to spend in any UK restaurant of my choice. I decided to dine at The Kitchin, awarded one Michelin star in 2007. Currently I am awaiting a confirmation as the when I can book a table. I do not know if I have to say how happy I am; again I would love to thank you all - you have gave me a perfect gift for my upcoming birthday. Obviously I will write about the whole experience on my blog.

***

Previously in this series:

#1 Series rules and pork stir fry in caramel sauce

#2 Salmon baked with fennel and black olives

#3 Tagliatelle with courgettes & sun blushed tomatoes

#4 Avocado & blue cheese bites



Today we are back to Five or less ingredients series. Accordingly to series rules (that you can find in the first post of this series) I have excluded salt and pepper from the list of ingredients. I have seen similar recipe in one of the recent Good Food magazine, however I did not have all of the ingredients and I realised that tart that I have made actually fits in this series. You can fit 4 eggs in, I made it with 2 and served 2, for lunch.


Spinach and egg tart

serves 2-4

400g fresh spinach, roughly chopped
2 tsp olive oil (I used garlic infused)
some freshly grated nutmeg
375 rolled puff pastry
2-4 eggs
salt
freshly ground black pepper


Heat the oven to 180 C (fan).

Place the rolled puff pastry on a baking tray lined with baking paper and fold it's edges onto itself making a kind of overlap, about 1.5cm wide. Cover the edges with pieces of kitchen foil and pierce middle of the pastry with fork few times. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.

Fry the spinach in the oil until wilted. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Remove the pastry from the oven, uncover the edges and beat the middle with a wooden spoon if it puffed too much. Transfer the spinach onto the pastry leaving some space for eggs. Crack one egg in each space, season with salt, pepper and bake for about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, divide into portions and serve immediately.

Five or less ingredients #4

Previously in this series:

#1 Series rules and pork stir fry in caramel sauce

#2 Salmon baked with fennel and black olives

#3 Tagliatelle with courgettes & sun blushed tomatoes

Right, I think it is time to come back to 5 or less ingredients series, and this time I will show you something lighter for a change. Something for light lunch, perhaps a starter, or a snack, when you fancy something nice and not too big. Accordingly to series rules (that you can find in the first post of this series) I have excluded salt and pepper from the list of ingredients.

For the first time I mixed avocado with blue cheese but I have to say it works for me. Well for both of us. However next time I will try to mash the cheese together with the avocado and make smooth dip and see if it works well too.



Avocado & blue cheese bites

Serves 2-3


2 ripe avocados *
zest and juice of one lime
4-6 slices of baguette (you can use stale one – toasted or grilled)
some crumbled blue cheese (I used Blue Stilton)
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Hold the avocado in one hand and use a sharp knife to cut it in half around the stone. Twist one half to release it from the stone and set aside. Hit the stone with a large sharp knife, and then twist the blade - the stone should come out of the avocado when you pull the knife away. Remove the flesh with a spoon and place in a mini chopper or finely smash with a fork. Add lime zest and juice, salt, pepper and process until smooth. Smear the avocado paste over the bread slices, crumble some cheese on the top and serve.


* quite often you can’t get really ripe avocados in the shops so buy some in advance wrap it in a paper or newspaper and leave it in room temperature for 2 days or so.

Five or less ingredients #3

Previously in this series:

#1 Series rules and pork stir fry in caramel sauce

#2 Salmon baked with fennel and black olives


Right, I am back with my series, I have to admit I had a break for a while with 5 ingredients dishes. Now I would like to present a pasta dish, while we are in the pasta mood after making a homemade one. Also I am using the courgettes that are still in season. Easy dish, tasty, light and very quick to make – it only takes time to cook the pasta, meanwhile you can prepare the rest of ingredients. It is better to use a garlic infused olive oil but extra virgin is good as well.


Tagliatelle with courgettes & sun blushed tomatoes

Serves 2

about 200g tagliatelle (or other long pasta)
2 small courgettes
few tbsp garlic infused olive oil
few sun blushed tomatoes from olive oil
parmesan or pecorino
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Put a big pan filled with water on the hob to boil the pasta. Meanwhile prepare the courgettes.

Using a veg peeler cut the courgettes lengthwise into ribbons. Fry them in the pan/skillet in olive oil – gently, try to not damage them and do not brown them too much.

Boil the pasta accordingly to producer’s instructions, drain and mix with the courgette ribbons. Add some pepper and sun blushed tomatoes then plate. On the top add some parmesan shavings (I made them using a veg peeler). Serve immediately.

Five or less ingredients #2

Previously in this series:

#1 Series rules and pork stir fry in caramel sauce


I have not showed a fish for a while so this time it is fishy dish as good quality fish does not need many extra ingredients to be cooked with. Recipe inspired by “Good Food” magazine (some ancient issue).


Salmon baked with fennel and black olives

Serves 2

2 salmon fillets (I used steaks)
fresh fennel
lemon
2 handfuls of black olives (I used whole black olives, not from a brine)
new potatoes to serve
salt



Preheat the oven to 200C.

Slice the fennel finely, saving some top leaves for later and place in an ovenproof dish.

Half the lemon and save one half for serving and squeeze the other half juice onto the fennel.

Place the salmon on the top of the fennel, sprinkle with salt and chopped fennel top leaves. Add olives and bake for about 15 minutes (depends on fish weight). Serve with boiled new potatoes and lemon wedges.

Five or less ingredients #1

I was quite temped to buy a new cookery book last week, but luckily for my purse, and more importantly for my shelves that have run out of space, Magda has told me not to do so! Being very optimistic she told me that possibly about half of the recipes will be crap and certainly I am able to cook better dishes using my own knowledge. The book that was tempting me was about tasty food made from four ingredients.

So I sat with a pen and a piece of paper and wrote a list of dishes that require five or less ingredients to prepare. I was quite impressed with the outcome , especially when I was making this list I still did not check any of my cookery books or magazines.

Therefore I have decided to start a new series. Just to explain how it works:

I am hoping to show tasty and easy to make five or less ingredients dishes. List of ingredients will exclude salt, pepper and water, as I presume everyone has those at home at all times. Sometimes possibly you will see some fresh herbs for garnishing, but these are not included and I only use them for photographing purposes and they will not have a major or any impact on the taste of the final dish.

I will also use ready buy products such as good quality powdered bouillon (stock), puff pastry, pesto or curry paste. Anyway I do use them on everyday basis, as not always I have spare time to cook homemade stock (or I run out of the frozen one) or make my own pesto. Not even mentioning homemade puff pastry, which is gorgeous and buttery but time consuming.

Right! Lets try first recipe. It is turkey stir fry in caramel sauce served with rice. The recipe comes from "Quick & easy Vietnamese" Nancie McDermott and I have made few alterations to it.

I have tried it before with pork, which is probably my favourite one but chicken, turkey or even king prawns are fine.



Turkey stir fry in caramel sauce

Makes 2

400g of turkey, cut into bite size strips
4 tbsp brown sugar
6 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
half tsp chilli powder
rice to serve (allow 80-100g uncooked rice per person)
ground black pepper (quite a lot)
2 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp hot water

Mix the meat with fish sauce, pepper and one tbsp of sugar and set aside.

Place 3 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp of cold water in non stick pan and boil until it starts to bubble and changes colour to honey-like and it is quite syrupy. Next add 2 tbsp of hot water and leave it to erupt for a little while, then add the meat with marinade. Stir until it is all covered with the caramel sauce and keep on the heat until most of the juices evaporates and meat is quite sticky.

Serve immediately with cooked rice.