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    • February 22, 2013 4:33 PM CST
    • Warm Beetroot and Potato Salad with Dill and Mustard

      Ingredients

      • 500g baby new potatoes or charlotte potatoes
      • 250g cooked beetroot
      • 1 bunch dill, chopped
      • 2 shallots, finely chopped
      • 1 tablespoon creme fraiche
      • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
      • Juice of 1/2 lemon
      • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
      • 1 teaspoon wine vinegar
      • 1 teaspoon honey
      • Good quality olive oil
      • Freshly chopped parsley (optional)

      Method

      • Boil the potatoes until soft, but not mushy or disintegrating (about 10-15 minutes)
      • Chop the beetroot into cubes
      • Chop the dill and shallot.
      • When the potatoes are cooked, chop into cubes roughly the same size as the beetroot
      • Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients, except the olive oil, together to make the dressing.
      • Taste and adjust as necessary.
      • Mix the potatoes, dill, beetroot, shallot, and dressing together well.
      • Top with the chopped parsley, and drizzle with olive oil.

    • February 22, 2013 4:27 PM CST
    • Sweet Potato & Feta Patties

      These have been found all over the world, sometimes mixed with dill, sometimes rolled in a sesame/sunflower seed mix, with chile powder added...

      I think anything you enjoy goes!

    • February 22, 2013 4:20 PM CST
    • Speedy Cabbage Curry

      Ingredients:
      1 inch fresh ginger cut into narrow strips
      1 tsp cumin seeds
      1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
      1/2 tsp turmeric
      1 tsp ground coriander
      1 tsp curry powder
      1 cup coconut milk
      1 cabbage cut into thin strips
      2 tbsp cilantro chopped
      oil
      salt
      lime juice
       
      Method:
      Heat up some oil in a pan and throw ginger, cumin and fenugreek. Stir rapidly for half a minute and then add the turmeric, coriander and curry powder, give a quick stir and spoon in the coconut milk. Stirring, bring it up to a brisk simmer and add the cabbage.
      Now turn up the heat and cook, again stirring, until the cabbage is still crunchy and just done - a matter of minutes. Add salt, lime juice to taste and sprinkle with the cilantro to serve. This goes well with rice.

    • February 22, 2013 4:06 PM CST
    • Tamia Recipe (falafel cake)

      Ingredients:  

      500g chickpeas
      4 cloves garlic
      2 onions
      2 tbsp flour
      1 white bread roll
      1 tsp baking powder
      1 tsp black pepper
      1 tsp salt
      oil
      1 tsp coriander seeds (optional)
      1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
      bunch of fresh coriander (optional)
      1 green pepper (optional)

      Soak chickpeas in water for at least 3 hours.  Cook until tender and mince with garlic, onion, pepper and fresh coriander.  Soak bread in water and mince, add with flour to mixture.  Stir and add salt, pepper, coriander seeds and leave for 15-minutes.  Add baking powder, shape with hands into small saucer shape and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Deep fry. 

    • February 22, 2013 4:01 PM CST
    •  MOROCCAN SPICED OLIVES           
      1 ts Cumin seeds
      1 ts Fennel seeds
      1 ts Coriander seeds
      1/4 ts Cardamom, ground
      1 pn Crushed red pepper flakes
      1 pn Nutmeg, ground
      1 pn Cinnamon
      1 tb Olive oil
      1 Tbsp orange juice
      1 Tbsp lemon juice
      1 1/2 c Green olives, brought to
      3 Garlic cloves, minced

      Heat first 8 ingredients in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat & add olives & toss to coat. Stir in remaining ingredients.
      Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 4 hours or up to 3 weeks. The longer the marinate, the better they taste. Drain & serve at room temperature.

    • February 22, 2013 3:45 PM CST
    • Corn-On-Cob In Coconut Milk

      4 plump fresh ears of corn
      1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
      1 teaspoon minced garlic
      1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
      1 (400 ml) can coconut milk
      1 pinch salt (or to taste)

      or, pinch turmeric

      1 Tbsp cilantro

      juice of 1 lemon

      Directions:


      Shuck the corn, wash, and chop off each end.

      Add the herbs/spices to a saucepan with the coconut milk and simmer the corn gently in it for around 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the corn is tender. Spoon the sauce over the corn and serve speared onto corn forks or toothpicks, or prepare for messy fingers! Spoon up any leftover sauce.

    • February 22, 2013 3:37 PM CST
    • Caponata (An anti-pasti)

      Ingredients:
      ½ cup Raisins
      2 tablespoon Capers
      ¼ cub Black or Green olives, preferably oil cured, chopped
      ¼ cub Basil, chopped
      ¼ cub Oregano, chopped
      1 Eggplant
      ½ teaspoon Salt
      2 Garlic cloves, minced
      5 tablespoons Olive oil
      1 Red bell pepper, chopped
      1 Yellow onion, chopped
      2 Tomatoes, chopped
      ¼ cub Balsamic vinegar
      Salt & pepper

      Preparation:

      Soak raisins in hot water until plump, about 5 minutes. Drain & place in a bowl with the next four ingredients. Set aside.

      Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Sprinkle cut sides with salt & allow to drain in a colander for 20 minutes. Wipe off salt & pat dry. Cut into 1 inch cubes & set aside.

      Saute half the garlic in 3 tb olive oil over medium-low heat until just browned. About 3 minutes. Add eggplant & saute, stirring frequently, until soft & just browned, about 8 minutes.

      Saute remaining garlic in the rest of the oil in a separate pot over medium low heat for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper & onion & saute till onion is golden brown. Do not overcook. Add tomatoes & cook for 2 minutes. Add this mixture to the eggplant.

      Deglaze the pot used for the peppers by returning to stove & raising the heat. Pour in vinegar & quickly swirl. Pour over eggplant mixture. Add raisins plus salt & pepper, mix thoroughly & remove from the heat. Set aside to let flavours blend for at least 30 minutes. Pour over hot polenta to serve.

    • February 22, 2013 12:47 PM CST
    • Portobello Gravy

      1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
      1 medium onion, finely chopped
      2 cloves garlic, minced
      1 1/2 cups chopped cleaned portobello mushrooms, (2 medium)
      2 1/4 cups vegetable broth (see note below)
      3 tablespoons tamari, or reduced-sodium soy sauce
      1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
      1/8 teaspoon crumbled dried sage
      1 tablespoon cornstarch*
      2 tablespoons water
      Freshly ground pepper, to taste

      *I'm thinking you could use file powder in place of cornstarch, if ya wanted. Might add another dimension to it.

      ***************************

      Vegetable Broth

      Ingredients:

      1 onion, chopped
      1 carrot, chopped
      2 stalks celery, chopped
      1 potato, chopped into large chunks
      1/3 cup mushrooms, chopped in half
      3 cloves whole garlic
      3 bay leaves

      1tsp favorite herbs
      1 tbsp soy sauce
      8 cups water
      dash salt and pepper

      Preparation:
      Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour. Strain out the vegetables and remove the bay leaves. This broth can be used as a base for soups, gravies and more.

      Preparation

      Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they begin to release their juices, about 10 minutes.

      Add broth, tamari (or soy sauce), thyme and sage; simmer for 10 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir into the sauce and simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes more. Season with pepper. If you prefer a smooth gravy, pass it through a fine sieve (discard mushrooms and onions). Serve hot.

    • February 21, 2013 5:08 PM CST
    • Aaaalso-

      Stir-Fried Cabbage

      1 tablespoon vegetable oil

      2 cloves garlic, minced

      1 pound shredded cabbage

      1 tablespoon soy sauce

      1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine)


      Directions

      Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook for a few seconds until it begins to brown. Stir in the cabbage until it is coated in oil; cover the wok, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the soy sauce, and cook and stir for another minute. Increase the heat to high, and stir in the Chinese cooking wine. Cook and stir until the cabbage is tender, about 2 minutes more.

    • February 21, 2013 5:00 PM CST
    • Well, this will help to start out with:

      "Want to know the secret to eating a “raw” cabbage salad? You pour boiling water over top of it to lightly soften it. Then run cold water over it immediately after."

      Lemon Tahini Dressing

      • 1/4 cup Tahini
      • 2 garlic cloves
      • 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
      • 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast or a bit more, to taste
      • 2-4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
      • 1 tsp kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
      • 3 tbsp water, or as needed

       

      Directions:

      1. In a food processor, add all ingredients and process until smooth. Makes just under 1 cup.



      dave said:

      Can anyone help me out? A few years ago someone served me stir-fried red cabbage (and I think that was all it had in it, 'cept mebbe some salt or sugar, but I can't find any recipes this simple. Could it be Mexican? Any ideas?

    • February 22, 2013 3:52 PM CST
    • Cheese Pies with Yoghurt Dough


      There are a variety of cheese pies made in Greece. This is one made with Greek strained yoghurt. Please note, the yoghurt is not part of the filling, but is part of the dough itself, which gives it its own special taste. These small pies can be served as a side dish, or as a meze or in a buffet. They may be quite small, but they are actually rather filling and, of course, very tasty! They are also very easy to make.

       
       
      Ingredients
      ½ kg all-purpose flour
      100g Greek strained yoghurt
      150g Feta cheese crumbled
      3 eggs
      200g butter

      2 level teaspoons salt
       
       
      Preparation
       
      Mix the flour with the salt and rub in the butter.

      Beat 2 of the eggs with the yoghurt and add to the flour mixture.

      Mix all the ingredients but don’t knead the dough a lot.

      Make the dough into a ball, cover with cling film and put it in the fridge.

      Let the dough rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
       
      On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about ½ cm.

      Cut the dough into circles of about 7 ½ cm diameter with the help of a cup or a circular cutter.

      Remove the uncut dough, roll it into a ball and put back in the fridge.

      Brush the circles with water and add 1 teaspoon of the crumbled Feta along the central diameter of each.

      Fold the circles into semi-circles with the cheese inside and press the joined edge with a fork.
       
      Beat the remaining egg and brush the cheese pies with it.

      Place the pies in a large, shallow, buttered oven dish.

      Bake them in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes or until they have turned golden brown.

    • February 22, 2013 3:49 PM CST
    • Greek Cheese Pies

      Ingredients

       
      10 sheets filo pastry
      ½ kg full fat anthotiro cheese or 2 cups ricotta cheese
      150g feta cheese
      2 tablespoons melted butter
      1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
      2 free range eggs
      200ml milk
      Preparation
      Open the sheets of filo pastry and leave them out to dry and reach room temperature.
      Once they have dried, crumble the filo pastry into small pieces and put them in a mixing bowl.
      Add crumbled feta and crumbled anthotiro or ricotta and mix them with the filo.
      Beat the eggs thoroughly and add the cinnamon, milk and melted butter to the eggs.
      Add the egg mixture to the filo mixture and mix using your hands.
      Butter a shallow, medium size oven dish and put the mixture in it.
      Level it with your hands.
      Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees C for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

    • February 22, 2013 2:32 PM CST
    • Mexican Potato Soup

      3 bacon strips, cut into small strips

      3 large potatoes, cubed

      5 cups water

      1 cup tomato sauce

      1/4 cup chopped onion

      1 1/2 tsp salt

      10 ounces green chiles, chopped

      1/2 pound sharp cheddar, grated

      **************

      Brown bacon, add potatoes and coat with fat.

      Add water, tomato sauce, onion and salt. Simmer and cook for 1 hour.

      Place chiles and cheese in bowls, ladle soup over them.

    • February 22, 2013 2:26 PM CST
    • Cold Avocado Soup With Bacon And Corn

      or the more traditional recipe:

      4 medium avocados, pitted, quartered, peeled
      2 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
      2/3 cup whole milk
      2 shallots, chopped
      2 tablespoons dry Sherry
      1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
      Sour cream Chopped fresh chives

      Preparation

      Working in batches, blend avocados, chicken broth, 2/3 cup milk, chopped shallots, 2 tablespoons Sherry and 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce in blender until mixture is smooth. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon dollop of sour cream atop soup. Garnish with chives and serve.

    • February 22, 2013 2:20 PM CST
    • Sopa De Elote (Corn Soup)

      Ingredients:

      1 poblano chiles or 1 green bell pepper
      1 medium onion, quartered
      2 garlic cloves
      2 cups corn kernels, fresh (or frozen and thawed)
      6 sprigs epazote, fresh (or dried)
      1 bay leaf
      4 cups chicken broth
      3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
      salt
      pepper
      1 -2 tablespoon pure chile powder
      1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

      *For a silkier soup, add 2 Tbsp butter and 1 cup heavy cream.

      Directions:


      Place a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pepper, onions and garlic. Roast turning occasionally, until nicely browned.

      As they brown, transfer to a plate to cool. The garlic will take 3-4 minutes and the pepper and onions will take 6-8 minutes. If you put them in a ziploc bag and seal it, the process will be accelerated.

      Using plastic gloves, scrape as much skin off the pepper as you can.

      Finely chop the pepper, onions and garlic.

      In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the peppers, onions, garlic, corn 2 sprigs of epazote (or cilantro), the bay leaf and stock or broth. Bring to a simmer.

      Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the corn is soft. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

      Puree the soup in a blender; return it to the pan. Stir in the cilantro and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

      Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish each with a sprig or sprinkling of epazote and a sprinkling of chili powder.

      Serve each with a lime wedge for squeezing into the soup.

    • February 22, 2013 2:13 PM CST
    • Mexican Bolillos (Torta Roll)

      Ingredients:

      4 cups flour
      1 teaspoon salt
      1 teaspoon sugar
      1 package yeast
      2 cups warm water
      1 egg white, whisked

      Preparation:
      Pour water into a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle yeast onto it. In a separate mixing bowl, mix flour, salt and sugar. Add flour mixture to water a little at a time and mix until a dough forms. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel or cloth and leave in a warm place for about an hour.

      Remove dough from bowl, punch it down and knead for about 10 minutes. Divide dough into 10 balls. For oval shaped rolls, roll the balls between your palms for about 5 seconds to make a cylindrical shape, tapering slightly at the ends. Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes.

      Preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush each dough ball with egg whites. Score each roll with two, 2-inch lines along the top, about 1/4 inch deep. Bake for about 30 minutes.

    • February 22, 2013 12:58 PM CST
    • Pasta with Cilantro-Peanut Pesto

      Ingredients
      1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
      1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled, and roughly chopped
      1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
      2 tablespoons vegetable oil
      1 tablespoon sesame oil
      1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
      1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
      zest and juice from one lime (about 2 tsp zest and 2 Tbs juice)
      1/4 cup roasted peanuts (plus more for serving, if desired)
      2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
      3/4 pound (12 oz) linguine or spaghetti, cooked according to box instructions

      Instructions
      In a food processor, combine cilantro (save a bit of cilantro for garnish), garlic, ginger, vegetable and sesame oils, red pepper flakes, lime zest and juice, brown sugar, and peanuts (basically everything except soy sauce). Pulse until a coarse paste forms. Season with soy sauce and pulse to combine. In a large bowl, toss pesto with hot pasta. Roughly chop additional peanuts and sprinkle over pasta along with extra cilantro leaves and lime wedges if desired. Serve immediately. (If you’re prepping and not quite ready to eat yet, I recommend waiting to toss with pasta until right before serving for the best flavor.) Serves 4 main dish or 6-8 small sides.

    • February 21, 2013 5:13 PM CST
    • Jamie Oliver's Date Shake

      method

      This milk shake is a shout-out to all the date producers in California. It's delicious and dead simple.

      Just chuck 20 pitted dates into a liquidizer with a cup of milk and blitz until smooth. Add a small handful of ice cubes and a pinch of ground cinnamon and whiz again.