Friday Shortcut Gourmet
Author Archives: Martina
Scallops with Butternut Squash, Venison with Smokey Bean Pure and Daim Cake
Saturday Refined Gourmet
Pulled Pork
Sunday Adventurous Gourmet
Stuffed Dates, Cauliflower Crust Pizza and Fruit Sallad in Cinnamon-Star Anis Syrup
Friday Shortcut Gourmet
Carrot and Ginger soup, Glazed Duck and Raspberry Souffle
Saturday Refined Gourmet
Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash Puré, Balsamic Vinegar and Roasted Pistachio
I love the textures of this starter. The crunchiness from the pistachios and the creaminess from the puré make a beautiful contrast that complement the scallop. Try to find a good quality balsamic vinegar! The older the better!
Serve as part of a menu with:
– Main course: Venison with Smokey Bean Puré and Sauce Poivrade
– Dessert: Daim Cake
Serves 8
500 g butternut squash
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp crème fraiche
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp tabasco
juice of 1/4 lime
8 scallops with their shell
balsamic vinegar, preferably of 10 years of age
2 tbsp pistachios, roasted and roughly chopped
salt and pepper
1. Pre-heat the oven to 225 degrees.
2. Cut the butternut squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Put the squash with the cut side facing down on a tray with baking paper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the squash is soft. Take out and let cool.
3. Carve out the meat from the squash using a spoon and mix with butter, crème fraiche, ginger, tabasco and lime in a food processor until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
4. Remove the scallops from the shells by running a small, sharp knife along the bottom of the shell. Clean the scallops and separate them from the roe. Put the shells in a pot with boiling water and leave for a minute to disinfect. Take out and clean the shells properly.
5. Season the scallops and roe with salt and pepper. Heat a pan with some butter. Sear the scallops and roe about 1 minute on each side.
6. For the plating, place a spoon of the puré in each shell and place a scallop with its roe on top. Drip some balsamic vinegar around the scallop and scatter the chopped pistachios above.
Venison with Smokey Bean Puré and Sauce Poivrade
Venison is a game meat but can be eaten all year round. Be careful not to overcook the meat, as it contains very little amount of fat it can easily become dry. The sauce is a typical game sauce, and works well with other types of game meat! Do not add more juniper berries than in the recipe as they give off plenty of flavour.
Serve as part of a menu with:
– Starter: Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash Puré, Balsamic Vinegar and Roasted Pistachio
– Dessert: Daim Cake
Serves 4
600 g venison loin
For the bean puré:
500 g dried pinto beans, soaked overnight in water
1 l chicken stock
1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 bay leaf
50 g smoked bacon
100 ml double cream
50 g butter
For the sauce poivrade:
1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
40 g tomato paste
1 garlic clove, crushed
200 ml red wine
750 ml veal stock
5 juniper berries, crushed
1 peel of 1/2 orange
5 g crushed black pepper
20 g unsalted butter
2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
olive oil
1 pack button mushrooms
50 g butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
10 g flat parsley, chopped
1. For the bean puré: Assemble the onion, celery, carrot and bay leaf in a muslim cloth, and using a string close it up into a bag, as in the picture. 
Strain the pinto beans and add to a pot together with the muslim cloth, chicken stock and bacon. Cook with lid on until the beans are soft, about 30 minutes.
2. To start making the sauce: In a bit of olive oil, fry the onion, celery, carrot and garlic in a pan, without giving colour, until they have become soft. Add the tomato puré and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook over high heat to reduce to 50%. Add the veal stock, juniper berries, pepper, orange peel and let simmer over low heat for 30 minutes (or longer if possible), to let the flavours evolve. Foam will appear, and this should be removed using a spoon.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 150. Add the red onions to an oven-proof pan, season with salt and pepper and add olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 40 min. Take out and keep warm.
4. Cut the mushrooms in 4 and fry together with the garlic in a pan with butter to give a golden colour. Season with salt and pepper. Add chopped parsley.
5. Once the beans are soft, mix in a blender, adding cream and a bit of the cooking liquid if needed for the right consistency. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve. Add butter, taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Put the oven to 180 degrees. Sear the meat in a hot pan with some butter to give colour, then transfer the meat to the oven for 5 minutes. Take out and let rest wrapped in aluminium foil before carving up pieces (the resting process will allow the meat to tenderise).
7. Once the sauce has simmered for a while, strain it through a fine sieve, reduce it about 70% (the consistency should be that of a thick sauce which covers the back of a spoon). Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add butter while slowly whisking until it has dissolved.
8. For the plating, using a spoon add bean puré to the plate and run the spoon across the plate to create a line. Carve pieces of the meat and plate. Finish off with the garniture and the sauce.
Daim Cake
This cake can be prepared sometime during the week and stored in the freezer to give you one less thing to think about during the day of serving. Daim is originally a swedish chocolate bar but can now be found in most supermarkets in London.
Serve as part of a menu with:
– Starter: Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash Puré, Balsamic Vinegar and Roasted Pistachio
– Main course: Venison with Smokey Bean Puré and Sauce Poivrade
Serves 8
For the meringue:
3 egg whites
150 g caster sugar
150 g almonds, roughly chopped
For the parfait:
3 egg yolks
3 tbsp caster sugar
300 ml whipping cream
5 bars of Daim, roughly chopped
50 g dark chocolate, grated
1. Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees.
2. To make the meringue: Whip the egg whites until hard peak. Gradually add the sugar while continuously whipping. Add the chopped almonds and carefully incorporating it into the meringue.
3. Butter the inside of a cake tin with removable sides. Add the meringue mixture and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Take out and let the meringue cool.
4. To make the parfait: Whip the egg yolks with the sugar until well mixed. In a separate bowl whip the cream until hard peak. Mix the cream with the yolk mixture and the chopped Daim.
5. Pour the parfait over the meringue and cover with cling film. Put the cake in the freezer for minimum 4 hours. Take it out 20 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with grated dark chocolate.
Grilled Chorizo with Roasted Red Pepper and Asian Style Chicken
Friday Shortcut Gourmet
Eggs en Cocotte, Rack of Lamb and Pavlova with Pear Cream
Saturday Refined Gourmet
Pulled Pork
This is a great sunday dish! Prepare it in the morning, put it in the oven and let it cook by itself for the whole day. It gives a great smell in the apartment and tastes just as good the following day, so don’t worry about leftovers.
Serves 6
1 kg pork shoulder, skin removed
1 whole garlic, cloves peeled and halved
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into 8 pieces
1 red chili pepper
3 tbsp smokey ground paprika
6 dl barbecue sauce
salt and pepper
2 avocado
½ lime
1 tbsp coriander
1 ml chili flakes
salt and pepper
1 bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
green sallad
onion jam
cashew nuts
gluten-free tortilla wraps
1. Add the onion, garlic and chili to a casserole.
2. Season the meat with salt, pepper and rub in the ground paprika using your hand, then add it to the casserole.
3. Pour the sauce over the meat and the remaining ingredients. Cook in the oven at 100 degrees for 7 hours. Every once in a while, pour some of the sauce from the casserole over the meat.
4. To make the guacamole put the avocado, lime juice, coriander and chili flakes into a food processor and process until smooth. Keep chilled until use.
5. Before serving, take out and pull the pork meat apart using two forks. Put it into a bowl and add some of the sauce from the casserole. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
6. Serve the pulled pork wrapped in the tortilla together with the guacamole, sallad, coriander, onion jam and nuts.
Dates with blue cheese and parma ham
This nibbling food can quickly be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge until you want to cook it in the oven. Follow with a cauliflower crust pizza and finish off with a fresh fruit sallad with homemade ice-cream.
Serves 6
1 package pitted and dried dates
150 g blue cheese
1 package parma ham
toothpicks
1. Stuff each date with some blue cheese, wrap half a slice of parma ham around the date and secure it with a toothpick.
2. Roast in the oven at 200 degrees for around 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
For a while now I have been trying to figure out the perfect recipe for a cauliflower crusted pizza. This one is a winner. I used a pizza stone, which I highly recommend you to get. It gives the perfect crust and is easy to work with. You can find pizza stones in most kitchenware stores. However, if you do not have the time to purchase or the space in the kitchen, you can do without it. Just put the pizza with the parchment paper on a baking tray.
I have given some options on topping for your pizza, but not the specific amount. You know best how you like your pizza, so experiment! To avoid eating all the topping in the kitchen prepare some dates with blue cheese and parma ham to have available while cooking. Finish off your dinner with a fresh fruit salad with cinnamon-star anis sirup and homemade vanilla ice-cream.
Serves 2
For the crust:
1 medium sized cauliflower
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
20 g shredded parmesan cheese
20 g shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper
For the tomato sauce:
1/2 yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 canned tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp caster sugar
salt and pepper
Optional topping:
mozarella, spiced
parmesan, grated
slices of parma ham
baby asparagus, blanched
green beans, blanched
fresh basil, chiffonade
ruccola
pine nuts, roasted
balsamic vinegar
1. Pre-heat the pizza stone in the oven at 230 C. Make sure to put in the stone when the oven is cold, otherwise the stone may crack. For the best result, heat up the pizza stone for 40 minutes before baking the crust.
2. Wash and dry the cauliflower. Cut off the florets and steam for 7 minutes, or until tender. For the steaming process, place a steaming rack in a pot and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot, not touching the rack. Bring the water to the boil, add the florets and let steam with lid on.
3. Prepare the tomato sauce by frying onion and garlic in oil in a pan until soft. Add the tomato paste and fry for another minute. Pour in the canned tomato and dried basil, and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Pulse the steamed cauliflower florets in a food processor for 30 seconds, until you get a powder. Wrap up the powder in a dish towel and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as possible (this will make the crust hold together better). Put into a bowl, add the remaining ingredients for the pizza crust and mix well.
5. Using your hands, form the dough into a crust on the parchment paper. Slide the crust onto the hot pizza stone and bake in the oven for 11 minutes, or until it starts to turn golden brown. 
6. Taste the tomato sauce and add sugar, salt and peppar. Taste and season more if needed.
7. Once the crust is ready take it out. Add the tomato sauce, mozzarella slices and grated parmesan. Place back into the oven for another 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly golden.
8. Remove the pizza from the oven, add the slices of parma ham, the vegetables, basil, ruccola, pine nuts and balsamic vinegar. Voila!
Fruit sallad with cinnamon-star anis syrup and homemade vanilla ice-cream
This fruit sallad can be prepared a day in advance; letting the fruit lay in the sirup will only enhance the flavours. The vanilla ice-cream can of course be bought already made, but nothing beats this homemade version, and you can prepare it way in advance as it can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 month! This is a great finish to a friday menu starting off with dates with blue cheese and parma ham followed by a cauliflower crust pizza.
Serves 4
For the fruit sallad:
1 dl water
1 dl caster sugar
1 star anis
1 cinnamon stick
1 of each of kiwi, banana, orange, apple, mango and a bunch of grapes
1. Add water, sugar, star anis and cinnamon stick to a pot and bring to the boil. Set aside and let cool.
2. Peel and cut the desired fruits into pieces of similar size, mix with the sirup and refrigerate for minimum two hours.
For the ice-cream:
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out
300 ml full cream milk
3 large egg yolks
85 g caster sugar
285 ml double cream, chilled
1. Put the milk into a pan and add the vanilla pod and seeds. Bring the mixture almost to the boil, then remove from the heat, cover and leave to stand for about 20 minutes.
2. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until well mixed. Sieve the milk mixture to remove the pod and add the milk to the egg and sugar.
3. Cook the mixture over a gentle heat in a bain-marie (put the bowl over a pan of gentle simmering water, but do not allow the bowl to touch the water) stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not allow the mixture to boil! Once thickened, transfer the custard to a clean bowl and allow to cool.
4. With a whisk, stir the cream into the custard. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
5. Freeze the mixture in the ice-cream machine, then transfer to a container and leave in the freezer for minimum 4 hours.
Carrot and Ginger soup
This is a great dish to start of your saturday dinner. The flavours from carrot and ginger go great together. Serve with the glazed duck and finish off with a raspberry soufflé. This soup can also be served as a main course. You can then boil some lentils as well and combine with the cheese and leek mixture.
Serves 8
450 g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
6 dl water
2 packages of concentrated vegetable stock
1 package of concentrated chicken stock
5 dl milk
6 cm leek
100 g feta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
For decoration:
pumpkin seeds, roasted and salted
1. Fry the carrot, ginger and garlic in olive oil in a pan on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
2. Add water, vegetable stock and milk. Let simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the carrot is soft. Mix in a robot coup. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Chop the leek and mix with crumbled feta cheese. Add a scoop to each serving bowl.
4. Add the soup to the bowl and decorate with pumpkin seeds on top.