Category Archives: Starter

Guacamole Ceviche with Bell Pepper Puree

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160928-ceviche-w-avocado-and-pepper-puree-9777

Serve as a fresh starter or a light main course. If you can’t find sushi grade salmon (or don’t like raw fish ceviche), then please use smoked salmon.

Avocado Puree:
2 avocados, mashed (I like to use a potato masher for this in order to leave the avocado a bit chunky)
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 tomato, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
A few drops of tabasco

Ceviche:
Fresh salmon (Salma salmon is a great sushi grade salmon to use)
Marinade:
Juice of 2 limes
1 small red chili, chopped
1-2 tomatoes, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
Cilantro/coriander leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper

Pepper Puree:
2 red bell peppers, steamed, skins removed
½ tsp sugar or a few drops of agave
2 yellow bell peppers, steamed, skins removed
½ tsp sugar or a few drops of agave

Decoration:
½ red bell pepper, very finely diced (fine brunoise)
½ yellow bell pepper, very finely diced (fine brunoise)
Coriander leaves

1. Make the marinade.
2. Slice the salmon thinly and add the marinade. Set aside for 30-60 minutes.
3. Combine all ingredients for the avocado puree. Cover with plastic and chill in the fridge.
4. Steam or grill (in the oven) the red peppers until softened. Remove the skins. Add the sweetener and mix into a puree.
5. Do the same for the yellow peppers.
6. Dice the peppers for decoration.
7. On a plate, spoon the red and the yellow purees next to each other, sprinkle the diced peppers on the opposite color.
8. Using a ring mold, first spoon the avocado puree on the bottom, then add a thick layer of salmon.

Mackerel Pate

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160907 Mackerel Pate-1441

Making a pate can be quite cumbersome. This is a shot-cut version. A very nice and salty appetiser. Dairy free. Can be served on toast, on cucumber slices or on crips bread (I have included a link to a precious recipe for this).

Ingredients:
100 g smoked mackerel
75 ml mayonnaise
3 tsp Dijon mustard
50 ml finely chopped gherkins
Salt and pepper
Parsley

Recipe for Gluten free crips bread

1. Place mackerel, mayonnaise and mustard in mixer and blend until smooth.
2. Add the chopped gherkins. Season.
3. Using a piping bag (with a nozzle large enough to accommodate the gherkin pieces), pipe onto gluten free crisp bread. Decorate with parsley.

Artichoke and Zaatar Dips

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160831 Dip It-1301

Delicious dips! Perfect as a filling afternoon snack or as a fun appetizer. If you like the citrus flavoured Zaatar, please have a look at the Zaatar spiced quinoa that I posted a few weeks ago. The Artichoke Dip is a true classic and the Zaatar Dip goes especially well with the apple sticks.

Ingredients:
Cut up carrot and apple sticks

Artichoke Dip:
400 g canned artichoke hearts
100 ml pine nuts
1 crushed garlic clove
1 large bunch of basil
100 ml grated parmesan cheese (can be substituted with ½ – 1 tbsp nutritional yeast and some more artichoke hearts)
100 ml olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Spicy Zaatar Dip:
Juice from 1 lemon
400 g canned cannellini beans
2 tbsp zaatar
1 tbsp chili flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt

1. Blend the dips in a food processor until smooth.
2. Drizzle some oil over the Spicy Zaatar Dip.
3. Serve with apple and carrot sticks.

Marinated Haricots Verts in a Salad

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160810 Marinated Haricots Verts-1580

Sometimes cooking is all about letting the ingredients speak for itself without too many alterations. Pure, simple and delicious! This is a classic green bean salad.

350 g haricots verts
80 g parmesan shavings
Chopped walnuts
1 small pear, sliced
Rocket salad (or fresh baby spinach leaves)

Vinaigrette:
3 tbsp olive oil
1,5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Dash of salt
Black pepper

1. Whisk/shake the vinaigrette.
2. Blanch the haricot verts 1-2 minutes in boiling water (with some salt added to it).
3. Marinate the beans in the vinaigrette for 20 minutes.
4. Distribute the salad items on a large plate. Add the haricots verts and drizzle any remaining vinaigrette on top.

Aubergine Bites

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160803 Aubergine Bites-1330

This dish can be made into small appetizer bites, or, served as a large “pizza”. If you want to make it vegetarian, substitute the anchovies with sliced shiitake mushroom marinated in 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp tamari soy sauce, 1 tsp olive oil, dash of salt.

Either you buy a ready-made puff pastry (Schaer sells frozen “Millefoglie”) or you use this recipe to make your own, simplified version:

350 g gluten free, non self-rising flour (about 600 ml)
150 g butter
½ tsp salt
150 ml sour cream
1 tbsp cold water
Process flour, salt and butter in mixer until crumbly dough. Add the sour cream and mix, then add the water. Refrigerate 30 minutes for easier handling.

100 g parmesan cheese, grated

2 aubergines
Olive oil

5 onions, sliced
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
100 g canned fillets of anchovies, cut into slivers (or your own, marinated shiitake mushrooms)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
50 g chopped black olives
50 g chopped marinated, sundried tomatoes

1. Make (or buy) the puff pastry.
2. Slice the aubergine, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven at 215 C for 25 minutes, turning once. When done, cut each slice into slivers
3. Slice the onion thinly, sauté with the garlic in some olive oil until soft. Add the salt, sugar and thyme and gently fry the onion another 10 minutes.
4. Roll the dough out to about 1 cm thickness. With a cookie cutter, make small rounds of the dough. On each round, sprinkle some parmesan, add some caramelized onion and aubergines. Finish by topping with a small sliver of anchovy. Lightly drizzle with red wine vinegar. OR, just cover an oven tray with the dough (on baking parchment) and spread the toppings over the dough base. After it is baked, cut into squares.
5. Bake in oven at 225C for 20 minutes.
6. When baked, decorate with olives and tomatoes.

Jerked Salmon with Tomato Quinoa and Apple Lemon Sauce

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160720 Jerked Salmon w Tomatoe Quinoa and Apple Sauce-1542

This dish can also be served as a finger food in small pieces on top of spinach leaves with small dots of sauce on top. Here I’m serving the dish as a main course with a Tomato Quinoa. Smoked salmon is very rich which is why I’m suggesting quite small servings. The allspice and the cayenne pepper is what gives the dominating taste of jerk spice rub but, for the rest, feel free to experiment.

Serves 4

300-400 g smoked salmon. In one thick piece, not sliced.

Jerk spices:
½ tsp dried cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ginger
¼ ground cloves
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of salt

1 tsp honey
2 tsp lime zest
(optional – 1 garlic clove, crushed)

Tomato Quinoa:
200 ml quinoa
1 vegetable stock cube
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Olive oil
6 tbsp tomato puree

Sauce:
1 small apple
1 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp Greek yoghurt

Black pepper or chili flakes, to decorate
Spinach

1. Boil the quinoa, with the stock cube, according to manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Sautee the onion and garlic in some olive oil for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree and, while stirring, fry for another minute.
3. Add the cooked quinoa and stir, still over heat, another few minutes.
4. Combine the dry jerk ingredients. Add the honey and lime. Mix well.
5. Cut the salmon into serving portions. With your fingers, rub the spice onto the salmon, all over. Fry briefly over high heat, 45 seconds each side.
6. Mix the apple and lemon juice with a stick blender. Strain to remove some of the liquid. Add the yoghurt and stir.
7. Place some spinach leaves on the plate together with the salmon, quinoa and sauce. Decorate with some chili flakes or black pepper.

Veggie Bake with Mango Dip

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1606 Veggie Bake w Mango Dip-1314

I love the indian veggie bakes. These are often made with just onions but, inspired by a recipe I found in a newspaper, here I also include cauliflower and turned out absolutely delicious! Also, they are baked, not deep fried, which I think is a lot tastier for this recipe. The sweet dip is the perfect match for the veggie bake with all its spices/flavours. Serve as a pre-dinner snack with a bowl of the sauce to dip in, as a starter or as part of a main course.

400 g cauliflower, finely chopped (no large chunks)
2 medium leeks, finely chopped
Olive oil

Coating:
200 ml quinoa- or buckwheat flour
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground turmeric
Pinch of salt
150 ml water
2 tbsp hot mango chutney
1,5 tbsp tomato puree
olive oil

Sauce:
150 g Greek yoghurt
½ large ripe mango
1,5 tbsp mango chutney, hot
6-8 fresh mint leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
Dash of salt

Oven at 200 C
1. Sauce: Mix the ingredients together with a hand held blender. Chill in refrigerator.
2. Chop and fry the cauliflower and leeks until soft.
3. Mix the coating until smooth.
4. Combine the coating and veggies well.
5. Drizzle oil on baking tray. Drop the mix from a spoon and flatten each pile slightly. Drizzle some more oil on top.
6. Bake for 25 minutes turning once. Please note that if the veggie piles are difficult to turn you need to leave them a bit longer.

Crushed Potatoes with Greens and Beans

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A delicious way of preparing potato. Use yellow tomatoes for the dressing, the taste will be the same with red tomatoes but the colour so much more beautiful when it is all just yellow.

Serves 4

12 boiled new potatoes
Fresh thyme
Coarse salt
Olive oil

100 g fresh spinach
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced (best to use a mandolin)
Mixed beans (kidney-, butter-, chickpeas…)

Dressing:
2 large, yellow tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
A dash of salt

1. Set the oven at 215C
2. Take each boiled potato and, with a spoon, slightly press down the middle crushing the potato slightly. Put some thyme and salt on top.
3. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil and place the potatoes on top. Pour some additional oil over the potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Cut up the avocado and fennel and place in a bowl together with the beans and the spinach.
5. Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a blender. Save some dressing for decorating the plate with and toss the rest with the greens in the bowl.

Veggie Rolls

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160601 Veggie Rolls-2984

Such a great appetizer! Healthy, fresh and very tasty. Perfect finger food. Just make sure the stuffing is cut into small pieces and won’t poke holes into the rice paper. I do not deep fry my rolls but eat them fresh or bake them in the oven.

Makes about 12 rolls.

1 carrot
1/3 fennel bulb
1 small red pepper
½ courgette (zucchini)
1 stalk lemon grass
½ red chili, seeds removed
1-2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce

Bean sprouts
Rice paper for spring rolls
Sweet chili sauce (either make you own – see this link, a great sauce but NOT low food map – or buy the Go-Tan brand which IS low fodmap)

1. Remove the outer layers of the lemon grass and cut the inside finely
2. Finely chop the red chili
3. Cut all remaining vegetables (except for the bean sprouts) into fine sticks and gently fry in a little oil.
4. Season with ginger and soy sauce and taste.
5. Add the bean sprouts and quickly stir fry for another minute.
6. Soak the rice paper in hot water for a maximum of 10 seconds. Take out and place flat on a plastic cutting board or ceramic plate (the rice paper might stick if using a wood cutting board)
7. Place a line of vegetables on the rice paper and into a roll. Start them roll by folding a small piece over the ingredients, then fold in the sides to lock the filling in, lastly, roll the remainder of the paper.
8. The rolls are ready to eat as they are, or you may want to brush (or spray) them with oil and bake them slightly in the oven (about 10 minutes on 180C)
9. Serve with the sweet chili sauce

Preppy Salad (Avocado Puree, Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad)

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160419 Preppy Salad-2700

A “Preppy Salad” in pink and green – beautiful, fresh and tasty. Perfect for lunch or as a starter. Of course, the Serrano ham can be exchanged for something else, preferably something a bit salty.

Raspberry vinaigrette:
150 ml fresh raspberries
50 ml red wine vinegar
50 ml water
Salt and black pepper
100 ml olive oil

In a blender, combine all ingredients except for the olive oil. When the mix is smooth, slowly pour in the oil while mixing. This will make sure that the oil blends well into the dressing.

Salad:
Selected green leaves, shredded
Radishes, finely sliced or spiraled (using a spiralizer)
Cucumber, sliced or spiraled
Serrano ham
Red onion, finely chopped
Whole toasted walnuts and a few raspberries for decoration

Toss the mixed salad leaves with some of the vinaigrette.

Avocado Puree:
½ a large avocado PER PERSON
1 tbsp lemon juice per avocado
Salt and pepper

In a mixer, process the avocado with the juice

Assembly
1. On a serving plate, splash some vinaigrette
2. Place a large spoonful of puree on the plate and spread it out with the back of a spoon until about 0.5 cm thick
3. Place the salad leaves on top of the puree and then the remaining salad ingredients. Decorate with raspberries and the toasted walnuts.

Asian Octopus Foam Starter

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1606 Asian Octopus Soup -1710
I was served this amazing soup in a Spanish tapas bar and loved the lemon grass flavour together with the octopus. The recipe below is a recreation of that dish.
Unfortunatly, when recreating this, I did not have my ISI Whipper nearby but if you have one, then just strain the soup, pour it into the canister, charge with 1 cream charger and discharge into the soup bowl. Add the octopus and chopped chili. Creating a foam of the soup gives another, very interesting, texture to this soup.

Serves 2 as a main course

½ medium sized potato
300 ml water
2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
½ stalk of lemon grass, chopped
½ small chili, chopped, seeds removed
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp lime juice
100 ml whipping cream/double cream.
Red and/or green chili, finely chopped for decoration
200 g octopus, finely sliced or in bite size pieces

1. Boil the potato with the kaffir lime, chili and the lemon grass in the water.
2. Puree using an immersion blender.
3. Add the salt and pepper, lime juice and cream.
4. Heat and then whisk to create a bit of a foam.
5. Heat the octopus in the soup or in a separate pan (depending if it is pre-cooked or raw).
6. Place in serving bowls and decorate with the chopped chili.

Nacho Cheese Sauce – Dairy Free

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1604 Dairy Free Nacho Cheese-2396

A spicy dip to be served with nachos, cucumber or any other vegetable. Dairy free, gluten free and low fodmap. Quick and easy to make. Can be served directly, still a bit warm from the boiled vegetables, or cold.

4 medium sized potatoes
2 medium sized carrots

100 ml water
75 ml almond milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
100 ml nutritional yeast
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp black pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
75 grams roasted, marinated red pepper (I like the Sacla brand) or roast your own with olive oil and salt

1. Boil the potatoes and carrots until soft. Place in a food processor.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
3. Taste. Add some smoked paprika, lemon juice and salt as required. Remember, cheese is quite salty so if you want to imitate the nacho cheese sauce you may need more salt.

Serve with Nachos

Campari Mango and Orange Juice Spheres

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160316 Campari Juice-2331
Molecular Cooking has long intrigued me and I have just begun exploring this technique. I’d like to share one of the easiest recipes I have so far come across, almost fail-safe…

It may look like an egg yolk but it is actually a drink inside a thin membrane of jelly. A fun way to serve the pre dinner cocktail!

The technique used is called Frozen Reverse Spherification. This is the equipment I used t create this:

160316 Campari Juice Equipment-2342

For the Spheres:
200 g mango, pureed in a mixer
100 ml orange juice
3 tbsp Campari
4 g of “Gluco” (Calcium Gluconolactate – two types of salt)
Silicone moulds to freeze the semi spheres in.

Bath:
1 liter of water
5 g of algine (sodium alginate – extracted from brown algae)
A slotted spoon to fish out the spheres without any accompanying liquid.

Clean Bath:
1 liter of clean water in a wide bowl.

1. Combine all ingredients for the Campari mix and pour into the silicone moulds. Place overnight in freezer with some cling film on top.
2. Using an immersion blender, thoroughly mix the Bath until the algine is completely dissolved. This will take some time. Pour in a wide bowl and cover with cling film. Set in refrigerator overnight to let the air bubbles in the mix escape.
3. Next day, heat the Bath and the Clean Bath to around 50 C (easiest done in a microwave oven).
4. Drop one Campari Sphere at the time into the Bath, swirl around so it is coated all around (don’t let them float nor sink) and let stay in bath for 4 minutes (if you let them stay in longer the membrane will become thicker). You can do several pieces at the same time as long as they do not touch each other.
5. Using a slotted spoon, fish out the spheres and transfer to Clean Bath to rinse off.
6. Then place on a plate to thaw completely before serving.
7. You should end up with perfect semispheres of Campari and Mango/Orange Juice. They will have a thin layer of jelly around them that will pop in your mouth (they should be eaten whole) with the liquid (the drink) seeping out.
8. Fun and delicious!

Nutty Bite Sized Pies

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160224 Nutty Bite Size Pies-1644
This recipe provides a great base for a lot of different toppings. By adding some cinnamon you can even make it as a base for a dessert, maybe cheesecake?
Here I’ve made it with two different toppings. You might recognize some of the ideas from an earlier recipe “Nutty Guacamole Pie”.

300 g toasted (blanched) almonds
1 red apple
1 large sweet potato
2 carrots
50 ml lemon juice
Salt

1. Mix all in a blender.
2. Spread into pie tin, bake at 175 C for 40 minutes
3. Set aside. Can be refrigerated for later use.
4. When cool, cut into bite size squares.

Topping 1. Red pepper hummus
200 g chickpeas
4 tbsp lemon juice
100 g roasted marinated bell pepper (drained)
2 tbsp Tahini
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika powder
A few drops of Tabasco
Salt
Up to 50 ml olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients (except olive oil) in a blender.
2. Run until smooth.
3. Slowly incorporate the olive oil
4. Set aside

Topping 2. Avocado crunch mix.
1 celery stalk, chopped
½ apple, cut into fine cubes
1 avocado, mashed
3 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Garnish:
Roasted macadamias or hazelnuts, halved
Rocket salad
Cherry tomatoes, halved

Assembly:
1. Cut base into bite sized portions.
2. Spread with one of the toppings.
3. Garnish.