Author Archives: EvaH

Seafood Saffron Casserole

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151014 Seafood Saffron Casserole-9008

Light and delicious, quick to make and can partly be prepared in advance. The perfect Friday dinner party menu when you don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.

Serves 4

500 g sea bass fillets or other white, firm fish (such as cod)

150 g large, peeled shrimp
200 g mussels, no shell (optional)

1 leek, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2-4 tbsp olive oil
 
400g chopped tomatoes
150 ml white wine
1 cube fish stock
0,4 g saffron (to release the full flavour, add the strands to the wine 30 minutes before cooking)
Salt and pepper

Parsley, chopped
 

  1. Sauté the vegetables in a large, deep pan.
  2. Add the tomatoes, wine, fish stock and saffron.
  3. Simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Add the fish
  5. Simmer another 10 minutes (until the fish is done)
  6. Add the shrimp and mussels, re-heat but do not boil.
  7. Serve with parsley on top.

Crunchy Biscotti Crumbs with Cardamom Cream and Berries

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151014 Crunchy Biscotti Crumbs w Cardamom Cream and Berries-8987

This recipe stems from a failed attempt at making Biscotti. The loaf came out too thin but was just so delicious that I wanted to use it for something. Considered a Biscotti cake (will publish this at a later date) or just making crumbs for a dessert – the crumbs won (for now). The Cardamom cream is a wonderful addition to this dish or can also be served with just berries.

Serves 6
Biscotti:
100 g blanched almonds, dry pan roasted and chopped (place for a minute in boiling water, then peel)

1 whole egg
150 ml sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean extract
Zest from 1 lemon (finely grated)
½ tsp salt

1,5 tsp baking powder
150 g plain gluten free flour

Cardamom Cream:
500 ml crème fraiche
2-3 tsp of ground cardamom
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Raspberries (or any other berry you like)
Making the Biscotti:

  1. Oven at 175 C
  2. Mix egg and sugar, add vanilla extract, lemon zest and salt
  3. Combine flour and baking powder, add to egg mixture
  4. Add the prepared almond pieces
  5. Let the dough stand for 10 minutes. Check texture, if too lose to form (sticky) loaves, add more flour
  6. Make 3 long loaves on greased baking parchment. Possibly using a piping bag with large nozzle.
  7. In oven 20 min
  8. While still hot, cut into biscotti slices
  9. Let cool
  10. Store in tightly covered tin.
  11. Create the crumbs either by chopping in small pieces or place in a plastic bag and “hammer” with the back of a knife.

Making the Cardamom Cream:

  1. Combine all the ingredients and whisk until thick, taste for more cardamom or vanilla flavour.
  2. Chill for at least 30 minutes

Serving:

Add the Crumbs, Cream and Raspberries in a bowl (or on a plate) as shown

151014 Crunchy Biscotti Crumbs with Cardamom Cream and Berries-9028

Stuffed Aubergine with Roasted Balsamic Red Pepper Sauce

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151007 Stuffed Augergine w Roasted balsamic Red Pepper Sauce-8992

Serves 4
Stuffed aubergine:
3 small aubergines
1 small courgettes (as “skinny” as possible)
5-6 large mushrooms
3 medium size tomatoes
(Concerning the size of the vegetables above, they should fit into the aubergine you’ll be serving in – see photo).
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parsley, chopped

Red Pepper Sauce:
2 Red Peppers, in pieces
4 medium size tomatoes, in pieces
1 red onion, in pieces
1 garlic clove, crushed
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3-5 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

1 cucumber (or an extra aubergine) to serve the sauce in.

Sauce:

  1. Oven at 200C
  2. Place all vegetables in oven proof shallow dish, drizzle with oil and vinegar. Season.
  3. Rost in oven for 45 min, until soft
  4. Let cool slightly, then, using handheld blender, mix in a saucepan
  5. Reheat and serve

Vegetables:

  1. Oven at 150C
  2. Slice the 2 aubergines lengthwise. Cut crisscross in the flesh, drizzle with oil and sprinkle some salt on top. Bake in oven with skin side down for 40 min. Carve the flesh out of the aubergine taking care not to damage the skin.
  3. Chop the carved out flesh and sauté in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Slice the courgettes and mushrooms. Saute in a pan.
  5. Slice the tomatoes.
  6. Assembly the stuffed aubergines by placing some aubergine flesh in the bottom of the empty aubergine skin, then layer the slices of courgette, mushroom and tomato on top. Bake in 150C oven for about 25 minutes.

Assembly on a plate:

  1. Place the stuffed aubergines on a plate, decorate with some chopped parsley.
  2. From a cucumber (or an aubergine), cut thick slices and remove seeds and some of the flesh, leaving a large hollow ring. Place on the plate.
  3. Spoon some of the sauce into the cucumber ring. Pour the remaining sauce into serving saucer.

Spicy Beef Casserole with Nutty Fruity Quinoa

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151007 Spicy Beef Casserole with Nutty Fruity Quinoa-9063

This fantastic casserole I’ve found in a magazine and now love to cook with very few adjustments. The nutty fruity quinoa goes well with the many spicy flavours of the casserole. Take care with the chili and the red curry paste as to not make it too spicy. I usually remove the seeds of the chili, taste a small piece of the flesh and then decide if I can use all or just part of it. Tasting and adjusting the seasoning is key when making a casserole.

Serves 4
500g lamb or beef, cut into pieces
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 spring onions, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp ginger, freshly grated
1 chili, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 tsp red curry paste
1 dl water
2 tsp gluten free soy sauce
100 g spinach

Nutty Fruity Quinoa:
300 ml multicolored quinoa (mix of red, black and white), washed
600 ml of chicken or vegetable broth
Dried mango, chopped into small pieces
100g of pecans, dry pan roasted and chopped

  1. In a hot pan brown the meat, season with salt and pepper
  2. Add garlic and spring onion , sauté until soft
  3. Add cinnamon, ginger, chili, curry paste, water and soy sauce
  4. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stalk.
  5. Add the spinach, heat until wilted.
  6. Cook the quinoa in the broth according to directions of the package. Add the mango and pecan pices.

Chocolate Cream with Salted Candied Pecans and Raspberry Drizzle

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151007 Salted Candied Pecans with Chocolate Cream-9044

Sweet Drizzle, Salty Pecans and Creamy Chocolate – this is a wonderful dessert with many flavours! The salted pecan brings a great contrast to all the sweetness of this dish, but please serve your guests more pecans with your dessert than this photo shows. The chocolate needs to be prepared at least 12 hours before serving.

Serves 4

Chocolate Cream:
150 ml double cream
150 ml milk
3 egg yolks
150 g dark chocolate, chopped

Raspberry Drizzle:
100 ml sugar
2 tsp water
75 g fresh raspberries
50 ml water

Pecans:
100 g pecan halves, quartered (not as finely chopped as on the photo)
Coarse salt (I use a salt mill)
1-2 tbsp honey

1 Papaya

Chocolate Cream:

  1. On low to medium heat, bring a mixture of cream, milk and eggs up to simmer (do not boil!) while stirring.
  2. Take off heat, add the chocolate and stir until completely smooth.
  3. Pour into small container (so that the chocolate cream will form a layer at least 4 cm high), cover and chill over night.

Raspberry Drizzle:

  1. Melt the sugar with 2 tsp water in a saucepan over low to medium heat until it has caramelized and browned.
  2. Add berries and remaining water. Bring to a boil and let the sugar completely dissolve. Reduce a bit if you want a thicker sauce.
  3. Strain into bowl. Let cool.

Salted Candied Pecans:

Roast the pecans in a dry, hot pan. When starting to brown, add salt and drizzle the honey over. Roast a few more minutes. Cool.

Papaya Swirls:

Peel the papaya. Using the peeler, cut strands of papaya.

 

Assembly:

  1. Using two spoons, form chocolate quenelles and place on serving plates.
  2. Arrange strands of papaya.
  3. Drizzle the sauce.
  4. Add the nuts. (be generous with the nuts, the provide the salty balance against all sweetness)

 

Red Pepper Soup

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0930 Red pepper soup DSC_8820

A mild soup, full of flavour. To be served as a starter, or, with some fresh bread (please see our potato bread), as a lunch.

Serves 4
2 red peppers, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp butter
Ground paprika
200 ml white wine
200 ml Greek yoghurt
salt and pepper

some double cream for decorations

  1. In a pan, fry the peppers and onion in the butter until soft.
  2. Add the ground paprika and wine
  3. Simmer for 10 minutes, add the yoghurt and re-heat
  4. Using a hand held blender, mix the soup into a smooth texture
  5. Season with salt and pepper
  6. Pour into serving plates.
  7. With a spoon, place small droplets of cream in the soup. Use a sharp knife to swiftly cut through the droplets thus creating heart shapes.

Spicy Cod in a Vegetable Garden

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Spicy Cod in a Vegetable Garden-8873

Marinated, Spiced Cod with Cauliflower Quenelle, Steamed vegetables with Basil Sauce and Broccoli Puree. A delicious, easy and light dish that is very fun to arrange on the plate and serve.

Serves 4
Marinated Spiced Cod:
450g cod fillets, skinned and boned and sliced into serving portions

Marinade:
25 ml fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
Finely chopped parsley and coriander, about 100 ml
A pinch of salt
A pinch of ground paprika
A pinch of chili powder

Flaked almonds
Thinly sliced lime

Basil Sauce:
5 g parsley
20 g basil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp rice vinegar
50 g walnuts
1 garlic clove

150 ml olive oil

Cauliflower Quenelle:
One large head of cauliflower, stems and leaves removed, cut into smaller pieces
60g Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Broccoli Puree:
1 medium size heads of broccoli (about 200g) cut into florets
Salt
50 ml single cream
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of nutmeg
1tbsp butter

Vegetables in Napkin Ring:
1 carrot, cut into long strips
1 parsnip, cut into long strips
4 thin, miniature asparagus
1 courgette, cut into long strips
1 small cucumber

  1. Combine all ingredients for the marinade and pour over the fish, refrigerate for a few hours. In order for the marinade to better penetrate, make a few cuts into the fish.
  2. Heat oven to 200C. Place the fish in an ovenproof dish. Season with salt and place the lime slices on top. Sprinkle with flaked almonds. Baked in oven for about 20 minutes.
  3. Place all ingredients for the basil sauce, except the oil, in a blender and process until smooth. While processing, slowly add the oil. Set aside.
  4. Boil the cauliflower in salted water until soft. Drain well (if too much water remains you will have to add more cheese to be able to form the shapes of quenelles). Using a hand held blender, puree the cauliflower in the pan. Add some Parmesan cheese, mix well and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Boil the broccoli florets in salted water. When soft, process into puree with blender. Add some cream, salt, pepper, lemon juice and nut meg and process futher. Lastly add the butter.
  6. Make sure the carrot, parsnip, asparagus and courgette are about the same length. Steam (or microwave) the vegetables until soft but still crunchy (the carrot and parsnip a bit longer than the other). Cut thick slices from the cucumber and remove some of the inside as to create a vegetable napkin holder.

Assembly:

  1. Place a spoonful of sauce on a plate.
  2. Prepare the vegetable napkins by placing the cooked vegetable strips inside the cucumber ring and add to the plate.
  3. Spoon the broccoli puree into a piping bottle/bag. Garnish the plate with some long piped lines and place a slice of fish on top.
  4. Using two spoons, create quenelle shapes from the cauliflower mix.

Passionate Raspberry Cake with Cheesecake Crème

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0930 Passionate Raspberry Pie w Cheese Cke Creme DSC_8860

This cake is very moist and will stay so for days. The Cheesecake Crème is wonderful and there’s usually not any leftovers but if you do have a small batch left, please place in a piping bag, pipe small piles into a tray and place in the freezer. The small frozen Cheesecake treats are great with a cup of coffee (see photo).

0930 Frozen Cheese Cake Creme leftovers DSC_8956

Cheesecake Crème:
150g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
100 ml caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
500 ml crème fraiche

Passionate Raspberry Cake:
150 g butter, at room temperature
150 ml demerara sugar (brown sugar)
3 eggs
3 passion fruits
150 ml Greek yoghurt
150g gluten free plain flour
200 ml gluten free oats
2 teaspoons of baking powder
200 g frozen raspberries, do not thaw

Fresh raspberries for decoration

 

Cheesecake Crème:

  1. Oven at 125 C
  2. Whisk cheese and sugar in a bowl.
  3. Add vanilla extract and eggs
  4. Whisk the crème fraiche until smooth. Add to the other ingredients. Mix well together.
  5. Bake in a greased ovenproof dish for 1 hour.
  6. Let cool. Whisk until smooth. Chill.

Passionate Raspberry Cake:

  1. Oven at 170 C
  2. Whisk butter and sugar
  3. Add the eggs, the seeds from the passion fruits and the yoghurt.
  4. Combine the flour, baking powder and oats.
  5. Add the flour mix to the passion fruit mix and lastly add the frozen raspberries.
  6. Pour into greased cake tin and bake in the oven 50-60 minutes.

Assembly:

  1. Place a spoonful of Cheesecake Crème on one side of the plate and use a pastry brush to create a brush stroke across the plate.
  2. Cut a slice of cake and place on top of one end of the brush stroke.
  3. Decorate with fresh raspberries.

 

Spiced Artichoke Hearts Dip

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Artichoke dipp DSC_8661

To be served as a nibble with crisps. Or really with anything you might like. Can be used as a wonderful spread on canapés, a cold sauce with a tuna steak and in many other ways. Should be stored refrigerated with a tight cling film wrapping.

1 can of artichoke hearts (300 g)
30 ml lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
30 ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
5 large basil leaves
(some chili for a bit of heat)

Crisps or vegetables to go with the dip

  1. In a food processor, pulse all ingredients until smooth.
  2. Chill

Aubergine Rolls with Chanterelles and Pine Nuts

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Stuffed Aubergine Rolls DSC_8334

These Aubergine Rolls are easy to make and can be filled with many different kinds of stuffing. They may be served hot or cold.

Serves 4

2 aubergines
Olive oil to fry in

Chanterells
Pine nuts, toasted (in oven or in a dry pan) for the stuffing
Pine nuts, toasted, for decorations
Crème Fraiche
Salt and pepper

  1. Slice the aubergines quite thin (5 mm)
  2. Fry in oil until golden brown
  3. To absorb some of the oil, place on paper towels
  4. In a separate pan, fry the chanterelles
  5. Add some crème fraiche and let cook for a 1-2 minutes.
  6. Season
  7. Add the pine nuts to the chanterelle mix.
  8. At one end of an aubergine slice, place a small spoonful of chanterelle mix, then roll it up. Do the same for all the slices.
  9. Serve on plates and decorate with pine nuts.

Cauliflower Spiced Rice with Tomato and Cinnamon Chutney

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Cauliflower rice DSC_8795

To get the best result for the rice, make sure you use a large enough frying pan so that the cauliflower can be fried in a thin layer. The chutney recipe is simple but delicious. The cinnamon provides an interesting, different flavour but don’t forget to discard it after about 15 minutes as it will overpower all other flavours otherwise. Can be served with marinated tofu (see previous recipes) or maybe a few pices of grilled halloumi cheese.

“Rice”:
Cauliflower, 1 medium size head (about 1 kilo)
2 red onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp ginger, finely grated
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

150 g Cashews
Chili flakes
1 tbsp honey

Parsley, chopped

  1. In a food processor, blitz the cauliflower crowns (the stalks and hard core removed) into small, grain like pieces.
  2. Using a large pan and some olive oil, fry onion until soft, add garlic and then ginger.
  3. Turn up heat – add the blitzed cauliflower rice and fry over high heat , constantly stirring, until slightly coloured. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. In separate pan, toast the cashews, when done add honey and chili flakes.
  5. Combine all plus the chopped parsley.

Chutney:
12 tomatoes (1 kilo), quartered
1 onion, halved and sliced
50 ml red wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 cinnamon stick
chili flakes

  1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and let simmer on low heat for 40 minutes.
  2. After 15 minutes, discard the cinnamon stick.

This chutney may be served hot or cold.

Grilled Halloumi: IMG_7661