Cherry Tomato and Mint Salad
Monday, July 18, 2011A healthy and delicious summer salad with lovely juicy cherry tomatoes, garden fresh mint leaves, and a little of finely diced red onions. Don't overdress this salad....just a little bit salt, black pepper, drizzle of quality olive oil and if desired, a sprinkle of finely grated lemon zest to finish off.
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- Halve the tomatoes and scatter over a large plate. Finely chop the red onion and tear up the mint leaves.
- Throw the onion and mint over the tomatoes. Can be kept, covered, 3-4 hours ahead. Just before serving, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and ground black pepper and finely grate a little lemon zest over the top.
Ricotta and Chive Filled Rye Loaf
Friday, July 15, 2011This is a rustic rye loaf hollowed out and refilled with a mixture of ricotta, cream cheese, chives, and vegetables. Original recipe calls for 150 grams of bacon bits for the filling, I omitted it for the sake of eating healthy and just used more potatoes and ricotta instead.
Recipe adapted from Essen und Trinken
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- Cook the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes until fork tender. Drain. Peel the potatoes while still warm, and push through a passatutto or potato ricer.
- Hard boil the eggs for about 8 minutes. Drain, cover with cold water and leave to cool. Cut the chives into rings with scissors. Deseed the sweet bell peppers and finely dice. Cut the gherkin into fine dices. Peel the eggs and roughly chop them.
- Combine the chive rings, diced bell peppers, gherkin, eggs, ricotta and cream cheese in a large bowl together with mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cut an inch off the top of bread loaf, and hollow out center of loaf.
- Refill the loaf with the prepared cheese mixture. Store the whole loaf in a paper bag and chill for 2-3 hours until the filling is set. Slice and serve.
Red Wine Whole Wheat Spelt Biscotti
Tuesday, July 12, 2011A rather different, but tasty nonetheless biscotti recipe with whole wheat spelt, and chocolate-flavoured red wine. Caraway seeds and black pepper have added a flirtatious spicy twist that compliments a glass of powerful Châteauneuf-du-Pape perfectly.
Recipe adapted from Too Much Food
- 360 g Whole wheat spelt
- 1/2 tbsp Baking powder
- 40 g Caster sugar
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 3/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp Caraway seeds
- 300 ml Chocolate flavoured red wine
- 1/2 Egg white, lightly beaten
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Mix together whole wheat spelt flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, black pepper and caraway seeds in a large bowl.
- Pour in red wine and olive oil. Mix until smooth. Divide dough in half and shape two logs, 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. Brush the tops with egg white.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 93C/200F. Slice each log into 1/2-inch-wide slices with a serrated knife.
- Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes. Turn biscotti over halfway in between. Transfer to rack and cool.
Nobake Cheesecake with Mint and Coconut
Saturday, July 09, 2011This light and delicious NO BAKE cheesecake is perfect for summer. It is made with lower fat cream cheese, whipping cream, Swiss meringue and garnished with a mix of coconut and mint. I have also added a layer of cake roll in between, but other cake leftover or even Oreo cookies would make a great substitute.
Recipe inspired by Food Network
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- Combine the rum and lime juice in a medium, heatproof bowl, and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Allow to soak for 5 minutes, then place the bowl over a small pan of gently simmering water and stir several times to melt the gelatin, about 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the pan and cool the gelatin slightly.
- Beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and light, scraping the bowl and beaters often. Beat in the cream until smooth. Combine the egg whites and sugar in the clean, dry bowl of the electric mixer and heat over simmering water, whisking constantly, until the egg whites are hot and sugar is dissolved. Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk attachment at medium speed until cold and firm.
- Beat 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture into the dissolved gelatin, then beat the gelatin mixture into the remaining cream cheese. Fold in the meringue in several additions.
- Line a 25x13x6 cm /10x5x2 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap and set aside. Pour half of the filling into the prepared loaf pan, then the Swiss rolls and lastly the other half of the mousse. Cover and refrigerate until at least 6 hours or overnight until set.
- Use a vegetable chopper to process the desiccated coconut and mint leaves until well combined. Remove the cake from the form and place it on a serving plate. Sprinkle the coconut-mint mixture all over the cake.
Spaghetti with Olive & Mint Pesto and Radicchio
Wednesday, July 06, 2011This pasta is REALLY simple, fast, and delicious, too, just like most of Italian recipes. It perfectly combines the delicious flavours with balanced nutrition and since the sauce can be prepared ahead of time, this is ideal for those who haven't much time to cook, but are unwilling to compromise on a bottled sauce.
Adapted from Taste
- 120 g Pitted green olives
- 2 Garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 bunch Mint, leaves picked
- 1/2 bunch Flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
- 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan, plus extra shavings to serve
- 100 ml Olive oil
- Freshly mulled black pepper
- 400 g Spaghetti
- Some radicchio, shredded
- Rinse and drain olives, then pulse in a food processor with garlic, herbs, cheese and oil until roughly chopped, not smooth. Season with pepper.
- Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, then return pasta to pan.
- Add the pesto and shredded radicchio. Toss gently to combine. Serve with extra cheese shavings.
Paprika Chicken
Sunday, July 03, 2011This is an easy dish to assemble and so tasty with loaded flavours. I had them with some spinach pasta and some greens for the lunch. It was a pure comfort. The smoked sweet paprika gives this creamy braised chicken dish a distinctive flavour.
Adapted from Taste
- 700 g Chicken drumsticks
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tbsp Corn oil
- 2-3 Shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 clove Garlic, thinly sliced
- 2/3 tbsp Sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/2 can Tomato
- 300 ml Chicken stock
- 90 g Sour cream
- Some chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- Rinse the chicken drumsticks thoroughly and pat them dry with paper towels. Give the drumstick a few cuts with a knife. Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken drumsticks are golden. Remove and drain on paper towel.
- Add sliced shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring, until golden. Add in smoked paprika and cumin seeds. Stir briefly, then add in tomato and stock. Return the chicken drumsticks to the skillet. Bring it to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 10 minutes. Turn the heat off. Stir in sour cream. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
And I want to take this opportunity to thank my beautiful blog friends, Elisabeth at Food and Thrift Finds, Chris at Chris's Gourmet Fashion, Jessica at Cajunlicious and Tina at Flour Trader for passing on their awards to me. THANK YOU, ladies, for thinking of me!
Provençal Tomatoes
Thursday, June 30, 2011These easy-to-prepare juicy tomatoes are stuffed with a spicy mix of chilli peppers, finely chopped garlic, herbs and then a layer of grated Parmesan. They are delicious as a side dish or served on a bed of salad as a light lunch.
Recipe adapted from Essen und Trinken
- 3 Fleshy beefsteak tomatoes
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Small red chilli pepper
©angiesrecipes, cut into rings - 1 Small green chilli pepper, cut into rings
- 3 Thyme sprigs
- 1 Rosemary sprig
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 25 g Fresh grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Balsamic bianco
- 50 g Arugula
- 50 g Radicchio, sliced
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Thinly slice the chilli peppers into rings. Remove leaves from thyme and rosemary sprigs. Discard stem, and chop the leaves.
- Cut the cores from the tomatoes, and cut them in half crosswise. Place the tomato halves in a baking dish. Sprinkle generously with salt and freshly mulled black pepper.
- Place the chilli pepper rings, minced garlic, and chopped herbs on the tomato halves. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over and bake for 15 minutes or until they are tender.
- Whisk together the Balsamic bianco, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. In a large salad bowl, add in arugula and sliced radicchio. Drizzle in the prepared dressing. Toss gently until combined.
- Remove the baked tomatoes from the oven, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Serve on a bed of prepared salad.
Rolled Spelt Cookies
Tuesday, June 28, 2011Those cookies, crispy and chewy, are loaded with spelt flakes, wheat germ, chopped nuts, chocolate and dried fruit. They are so freaking good. Rolled spelt flakes offer an excellent source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin B1 and niacin. They are a delicious and healthy alternative to rolled oats in baked goods, homemade muesli, or even in salads!
Recipe adapted from Better Home Garden
- 50 g Butter, softened
- 80 g Brown sugar
- 70 g Granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 90 g All-purpose flour
- 90 g Rolled spelt
©angiesrecipes - 30 g Wheat germ
- 70 g Dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 50 g Dried cranberries
- 50 g Chopped walnuts, toasted
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugars, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
- Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour. Stir in rolled oats, wheat germ, chocolate, cranberries, and walnuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto baking trays lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Let cookies cool on cookie trays for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Makes about 30 cookies.
Roasted Potatoes with Sea Salt and Thyme
Friday, June 24, 2011Those herb-roasted new potatoes are a tasty accompaniment to any meat dish. They are so easy to make and come out so nicely golden brown, crisp and delicious. A real crowd-pleaser! Turn the potatoes over at half-time to ensure even browning if needed, I left them unattended during cooking. Use other herbs, like rosemary, marjoram or even sage in place of thyme. I will definitely be making these again and again!
Recipe adapted from Ina Garten and Taste Food
- 700 g Small or new potatoes, leaving skin on
- 2-3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1/2 tsp Freshly mulled black pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 4 Thyme sprigs, plus extra for garnish
- Preheat oven to 215C/420F. Cut the potatoes in quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss until the potatoes are well coated. Spread the potatoes out in a single layer on a baking tray. Scatter the thyme sprigs around the potatoes.
- Place baking tray in the middle rack of the oven. Roast the potatoes for an hour until golden brown and crispy. Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.
I'm reposting the Pinotage Spaghetti with Arugula for a dear friend - Monet at Anecdotes and Apple Cores, who has had a really rough and difficult year. Two sweet ladies - Kate at Kate's Kitchen and Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake were really kind to assemble some comfort food recipes for Monet in an effort to support and show some love. I feel blessed to be part of something so special.
Spaghetti Nests
Tuesday, June 21, 2011This is easy to fix and soooooooooo tasty! Linguine can be used in place of spaghetti and the vegetables, like carrots, and peas can be incorporated into the filling. Now open a bottle of Valpolicella Classico and enjoy your pasta!
Recipe adapted from Essen und Trinken
- 200 g Spaghetti
- 3 tbsp Parmesan, grated
- 2 tbsp Breadcrumbs
- 2 Large eggs
- 3 tbsp Whipping cream
- 1 Tomato, diced
- 50 g Prosciutto, diced
- 125 g Fresh Mozzarella cheese, diced
- 3 tbsp Chives, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Tomato sauce to serve
- Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta. Return to same pot and toss with grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs.
- Use a fork to stick into the spaghetti and bring up a heaping forkful. Turn and twist the pasta to form a nest. Repeat until you have 8 nests. Place them on a baking tray lined with paper. At the same time, preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- Stir together the eggs and cream until just blended. Season to taste. Add in diced tomatoes, Prosciutto, Mozzarella, and chopped chives. Divide the mixture and spoon them in the center of each nest. Bake the spaghetti nests on second rack from the bottom of the oven for 15-18 minutes.
Poppy Hamantaschen Cookies
Friday, June 17, 2011Those cookies are traditionally in triangle shape, which represents the three corners of Haman’s hat, filled with poppy seeds or prune filling. The shape may also represent the three Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who inspired Queen Esther. More information can be found here.
Adapted from Smitten's Kitchen
Dough | Poppy Seed Filling |
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- Place the flour, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and egg yolk and process until the mixture forms a ball. Scrape onto a sheet of plastic and wrap it tightly. Chill the dough for an hour or overnight.
- If you can't find ground poppyseeds, use a spice mill or coffee grinder with whole poppyseeds. Heat milk, sugar, lemon zest, ground poppy seeds and chopped dried cherries in a small saucepan over medium heat. On a low simmer, cook until the seeds have absorbed the milk and the mixture has thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice, and butter and cook for 2 minutes more. Turn the heat off and stir in lemon extract. Cool completely.
- Preheat the oven 180C/350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 4mm/1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter or glass to cut 6cm/2.5 inch circles. Put a teaspoon of the filling in the center of each and press up the sides to form a triangle or any desired shape.
- Place them on the prepared trays and brush the tops with the beaten egg for glaze. Return tray to the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes; chilling them again will help them hold their shape while they are baked. Bake until cookies are golden, about 15 minutes. If trays are on different racks, switch them after about 10 minutes.