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Sesame and Fennel Seed Bread

Thursday, September 16, 2021

This flavour-packed bread is great with yoghurt cheese (labneh), air-dried ham and some olives. An ideal substitute for fennel seeds is anise seeds, as they have a similar flavour. However, the anise seeds are more pungent, so you might want to use slightly less. You can also substitute equal amounts of caraway or dill seeds. It is an excellent sharing bread for serving with soups or salads, and is really easy to make.

Dough	Filling&Topping
300 g All purpose or white bread flour 1/2 tsp Fine sea salt 2/3 tbsp Fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushed in a pestle and mortar 170 ml Lukewarm water 15 g Fresh yeast (or 7 g dried yeast) 1 tsp Sugar 1 tbsp Olive oil	3 tbsp Tahini 1 tbsp Runny honey 25 g Salted butter, melted and cooled to room-temperature 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, soaked in water 2 tsp Caraway seeds, soaked in water 1 tbsp Chopped fresh herbs 1 tbsp Chopped pistachio nuts Labneh with olive oil, to serve

In the bowl of your mixer, add flour, salt, and crushed fennel seeds. Put the warm water in a measuring jug and crumble in the fresh yeast and sugar. Set aside for a few minutes until starting to froth.
Pour the yeast mixture and olive oil into the flour. Mix on a slow speed until it starts to clump together, then increase the speed and knead it until it a smooth and elastic dough forms, about 6-8 minutes. Cover with a cling film and set aside in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
Beat the tahini and honey in a small mixing bowl until light and well-combined. Soak the sesame and caraway seeds together with water in a bowl. Melt the butter and cool to room-temperature.
Turn the dough out onto on a lightly floured work surface, then shape it with a rolling pin into a large rectangle, about 1cm thick.
Spread the tahini mixture over the surface of the bread, then roll up to enclose the filling inside a long sausage shape, making sure it’s an even thickness. Coil the dough into a spiral and tuck the end under the coil.
Transfer to a parchment lined baking tray. Brush all over with melted butter, drain the sesame and caraway seeds and scatter all over the surface of the dough. Cover with cling film and set aside to prove for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220C/430F. Bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle shelf until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool, then serve scattered with the chopped herbs, pistachio nut and labneh.

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Thai Corn Fritters

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Make brunch for your family with these delicious corn fritters. With a light, crunchy crust and fluffy inside, these corn fritters are quick to make and sure to find favour with both the adults and the kids. Thai fish sauce and sweet chilli sauce give these tasty corn fritters a double dose of Asian flavour. Serve them while still warm for brunch or as a snack. You can buy sweet chilli sauce in Asian grocery stores or Amazon or make this typical Thai condiment at home.

Thai Corn Fritters

inspired by this recipe

2 Large eggs
100 g White spelt flour (or plain flour)
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp Coconut sugar
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
285 g Canned corn kernels, drained
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper, freshly milled
2 Spring onions, finely chopped
Lard, to fry
Sweet chilli sauce, to serve
Baby spinach and cherry radishes, to serve, optional

Place the eggs, spelt flour, garlic, coconut sugar, fish sauce, half the corn kernels, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process to a puree. Add the chopped spring onions and the remaining corn kernels and stir well to combine. Heat the lard in a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat.
Working in batches, drop tablespoons of corn batter into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Keep warm while you make the remaining fritters.
Arrange baby spinach and cherry radishes on plates if using and stack the fritters on salad, drizzle with sweet chilli sauce or serve at side as a dipping sauce.

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Creamy Goat Cheese Soup with Dill and Macadamias

Sunday, September 12, 2021

Tangy, earthy goat cheese, fresh dill and toasty macadamia nuts come together in beautiful harmony. Creamy, cheesy and full of flavour, this soup is a lovely combination of tangy, earthy fresh goat cheese, homemade broth and cream. Goat cheese and dill are such a classic culinary combination and compliment each other so well while rich toasty macadamia nuts add extra flavour and crunch to the soup. It makes an elegant appetizer or a light meal when paired with a couple of slices of keto garlic bread.

2 Shallots, minced
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 tbsp Butter
500 ml Vegetable or chicken broth
150 g / 1 roll Soft goat cheese, crumbled
100 g Cream
Sea salt
Freshly milled black pepper
2 tsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dill, for the topping
Macadamia nuts, toasted and roughly chopped, for the topping

Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic clove. In a large saucepan, saute chopped shallots and garlic in butter until tender. Pour in broth and bring it to a boil. Add in crumbled goat cheese and cream. Cook over mild heat until cheese is melted.
Use an immersion stick and process the soup until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Divide the soup into two bowls. Top with chopped dill and chopped toasted macadamias.

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Ground Beef Stuffed Butternut Squash

Friday, September 10, 2021

One of the best things about stuffed winter squash is that you can customize it to your liking. Feel free to make the recipe your own with whatever you have in your pantry. Use any kind of ground meat you like. Chicken or pork would work great in this recipe! I have tried stuffed squashes, like hokkaido, acorn, buttercup and they were very delicious.

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Chicken Under a Brick with Scallion Salsa Verde

Wednesday, September 08, 2021

Chicken under a brick--this is an effective and easy method for getting chicken skin perfectly browned, cracklingly crisp and its interior juicy and tender, thanks to the combination of the high heat and the downward pressure on the cooking meat from the weights above it. The original recipe is thought to be Italian and use a whole chicken that has been spatchcocked.
Back in ancient times, Roman soldiers had to cook for themselves. They invented a way to roast chicken under a clay dome called clibanus or testum. In order to roast small game or fowl, a heavy, glazed terracotta tile was designed to apply significant weight on the meat cooking under the clay dome (stove top or oven in modern time). You can use a clean brick or two, wrapped in foil if necessary, or a heavy cast-iron skillet as the weight. No brick? no cast-iron skillet? No problem. Fill a kettle with water and use that as the weight. And a 5kg dumbbel would work great too.

4 Chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in
Pink salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp Ghee
2 Anchovy fillet, finely chopped
2 tsp Brined capers, drained and finely chopped
1 Garlic clove, finely minced
4 tbsp Parsley, finely chop
1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 Scallions or spring onions, thinly sliced

Prepare a large piece of foil and a heavy skillet aside for weighing down chicken. Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.
Melt ghee in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Arrange chicken thighs in pan skin side down, making sure they don’t overlap. Place foil over chicken, then set skillet on top. Cook chicken until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and flesh is almost completely cooked through, 12-15 minutes. Check halfway through to make sure skin isn’t taking on color too quickly and reducing heat to medium if needed.
Meanwhile, combine anchovy, capers, garlic, parsley, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix in vinegar, mustard, red pepper flakes, and olive oil, then scallions. Taste and season salsa verde with more salt if needed.
Remove top skillet and check chicken. Using a spatula, release chicken skin from pan and turn thighs over. Turn the heat off and let chicken sit to finish cooking through, about 1 minute.
Spoon some scallion salsa verde onto a platter. Top with chicken with skin side up, and spoon more pesto over. Serve immediately.

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Baby Cos and Crouton Salad with Smoky Tahini Dressing

Monday, September 06, 2021

This simple and easy baby cos salad with crispy onion bread croutons and smoky tahini dressing is perfect as an appetizer or even as a light lunch. If you want to get fancy, top the salad with roasted chicken, steak, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, or chickpeas. The salad is also extremely versatile. It calls for baby cos lettuce, but feel free to use your favorite greens.
While this salad may make the meal, but croutons make the salad. These crunchy bite-sized onion bread cubes taste amazing after soaking up the smoky tahini dressing. However, if you have wheat allergy or on a diet that limits carbs, then use gluten-free bread, or low-carb bread to meet your dietary requirements.

Smoky Tahini Dressing	Salad
90-100 g Tahini 80 ml Water 1 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar 1 small clove garlic, zested or finely minced if not using a blender 1 tsp Maple syrup 1/3-1/2 tsp Smoked paprika 1 tsp Celtic sea salt	1 tbsp Sesame oil (or olive oil) 1 slice Crispy fried onion bread, cut into cubes Sea salt 2 Baby cos lettuce, cut into wedges 2 Spring onion, cut into thin rings 1/2 Sweet red pepper, diced 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a bowl, and whisk until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt as necessary. Cover and chill until ready for use.
Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan and toast the cubes of bread until golden and crispy. Remove and drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt.
To serve, place the baby cos wedges, spring onion and diced sweet pepper on a serving plate. Drizzle some of the dressing over. Scatter the croutons over the top and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

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The Difference Between Stovetop and Electric Pressure Cooker

Sunday, September 05, 2021

I, for one, am thrilled that pressure cookers are making a comeback. I recall my mom using it right on top of the stove when I was young, and I had assumed they were an outdated tool. It turns out that not only do they have tons of uses today, but they have been given a modern upgrade.

The traditional cooker is still around, but it has been all but pushed aside in favor of electric options. Is that because these newer cookers do a better job? Are they faster? Or is it just that they are super trendy? Let’s dig in to find out the different between stovetop and electric pressure cookers.

Heat Adjustments: When using an electric pressure cooker, I can easily set it and let the machine do the heavy lifting when it comes to heat settings. It just requires me to choose setting, and then it takes care of adjusting to the correct heat. I can even set it and leave the room while it does the hard work. The stovetop variety does require the home cook to make adjustments manually to ensure that I don’t lose pressure. There is a learning curve involved in getting it just right.
Power: Stovetop models will reach a higher pressure more quickly than their electronic counterpart.
Durability: It is likely that my mom still has that stovetop unit I mentioned because that thing was a champ. They are very sturdy and can last for decades. The electric models may contain plastic components that don’t have a very long life. The aluminum coating may also get scratched by utensils. Though they are newer to the market, some models last only a few years.
Timer: Traditionally, the stovetop variety of cooker does not have a timer included. There are newer models on the market, but most users will need to use a kitchen timer to keep track of cook time. For electronic models, the timing mechanism is included to keep track of cook time.
Size: Electric models are usually stored on a countertop due to their size. The versions that are used right on top of the stove are less bulky and can easily fit in the cupboard with the rest of the pots and pans.

Which Type is Best?

Deciding which type of cooker is right for you depend on your needs. If you are looking for a durable unit that is high in power and can quickly pressurize, then a stovetop model makes sense. They are also good for those who want to keep an eye on the entire cooking process. Kuhn Rikon Duromatic and Zavor DUO models are great options.

They are durable and offer a variety of sizes. For those who are looking for a cooker that adjusts to the appropriate heat and pressurizes without much intervention, then an electric model is a great option.

Those looking for an electric option, AllCookwareFind recommend the Instant Pot Duo Nova or Cuisinart CPC-600. These both allow sautéing and steaming in addition to pressure cooking. They boast built-in timers, are easy to use, and will be a nice addition to any countertop.

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Sour Cream Biscuits with Parsley and Schmaltz

Saturday, September 04, 2021

These sour cream biscuits with parsley are buttery and flaky with a soft, pillowy center. Sour cream adds a rich, tangy flavour, and its acidity helps make the biscuits incredibly tender. However, if you don't have any sour cream on hand, you can also use plain Greek yoghurt or even cream cheese. Rendered chicken fat, aka schmarltz, adds umami-rich, yet not overpowering flavour to the biscuits too. Instead of parsley, you can try scallions, chive, dill, arugula or a mixture of your favourite herbs for these savoury biscuits. The dough should be gently kneaded before being shaped, cut and baked. This allows gluten to develop, giving the biscuits a higher rise, and it also distributes the butter so the biscuits will be flaky instead of dense. The are best served hot or warm, plain or with extra butter or sour cream.

50 g Dark rye flour
250 g White spelt flour
1½ tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Coconut sugar
1 tsp Kala namak rock salt or sea salt
1 tsp Freshly milled black pepper
50 g Schmaltz-Chicken fat, chilled (or butter)
100 g Chilled unsalted butter, diced, plus 2 tbsp melted (for the topping)
20 g Parsley, chopped
180 g Full fat sour cream, plus more for serving
Flaky sea salt

Whisk rye, spelt, coconut sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to combine. Add chilled chicken fat and diced butter and toss to coat. Use your fingertips to rub the chicken fat and butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add chopped parsley and toss to evenly distribute.
Create a well in the center and add in sour cream. Using a fork, mix until incorporated and the mixture just begins to hold together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until the dough comes together. Pat the dough into an 8x4" rectangle, about 1" thick.
Working from a short side, fold dough in thirds as you would a letter. It doesn’t need to overlap perfectly. Pat dough into another 8x4" rectangle, then fold dough in thirds like a letter one more time. Pat dough back into an 8x4" rectangle and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into 4 squares for a total of 8 biscuits.
Place the biscuits on a parchment lined baking tray. Cover with a plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven 220C/425F.
Brush tops gently with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake biscuits until golden brown, 20–22 minutes. Serve warm with sour cream or more butter.