Cuchifrito with Whole Lemon Salsa Verde
Monday, September 23, 2024Cuchifrito or cochifritos, literally means fried pig, refers to foods in Spanish and Puerto Rican that are usually pork based and fried. In Spain, it means fried pork (usually suckling pig), but in Puerto Rico, it’s used for almost anything fried. They are commnely served with tropical juice or cold beer. Remove the excess liquid from pork belly after baking them. If you don’t get most of the moisture off the meat, it will cause the oil to pop and create a huge mess. I baked the pork belly the night before and let them dry overnight in the fridge. This will make them even more crispy. The salsa can be prepared a day ahead.
Fresh Fig Spiced Oat Cookies
Sunday, September 22, 2024These ain't your average oatmeal cookies. They are made with less sugar, perfectly spiced and chewy, and topped with fanned-out fig slices. These are the less guilty delicious treats you'd be proud to take to any potluck. I prefer to bake with spelt flour, but you can definitely use regular plain flour.
Roasted Pumpkin with Figs and Goat Cheese
Saturday, September 21, 2024An easy, beautiful vegetarian main that can be prepared in an hour - it combines fresh ripe figs and a savoury Asian-inspired spring onion and chilli oil for a delicious and moreish lunch or dinner. I used Hokkaido pumpkin as you don't need to peel off the skin, which is packed with beta-carotene. If you use thick skin pumpkins, you will have to peel them first before roasting.
Bulgur Patties with Garlic Dip
Friday, September 20, 2024These vegetarian patties are chewy, nutty and so flavourful. You could put them in wraps / pita pockets, or as topping for salads. Bulgur is cracked wheat berries that have been partially cooked and then dried. This whole grain is nutty and rich in fiber, it cooks fast and is used a lot in Mediterranean cuisine.
Fig Chutney
Thursday, September 19, 2024Sweet, tangy, sticky, and spicy, this versatile and quick condiment is ready in under an hour and made from figs, shallots, garlic, rosemary and spices. Figs are perfect for chutney because they are sweet enough when fully ripened and go wonderfully with sharp star anise and fiery chilli. To give the chutney an even more intense flavour, I also added some dried figs. Enjoy it alongside pâté crackers and your favourite cheese.
Red Curry Mayo Roasted Chicken Legs
Wednesday, September 18, 2024This is how you take roasted chicken to the next level. First you dry brine the chicken with sea salt and leave it in the fridge for at least 1 hour up to 24 hours, then coat the chicken with red-curry flavoured mayonnaise, which makes chicken extra moist and flavourful, before roasting to perfection. If you don't have or don't want red curry paste, then some herbs of your choice would be great too. Delicious served with crusty bread, vegetables or a green salad. Alternately, place chicken legs on a bed of potatoes, carrots and onions and roast until golden brown and crispy.
Silky Chicken Liver Parfait Tart
Tuesday, September 17, 2024It's easy and totally delicious to turn the luxuriously silky chicken liver parfait into a beautiful tart served with some greens dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, toasted hazelnuts and sweet ripe figs. I used keto pork rind crust, but you can use regular pastry or even a store-bought crust for the recipe. If you are making keto crust, add 1-2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves to the mixture. Instead of macadamia nuts, walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts can be used to make the crust. A side not on prepping the chicken liver. There are sinew and greenish bits on the chicken livers, you will have to remove and discard them before cooking as they will make the parfait taste bitter if left on and the tart will be ruined.
Turkish Adana Kebab
Monday, September 16, 2024Adana kebab is a Turkish dish (from the city of Adana in the south of Turkey) consisting of well-seasoned minced lamb, which is prepared on a skewer and grilled over a charcoal fire. They are usually long and flat. I guess I will have to settle for an approximation of the original and work on flattening them even more next time. Fortunately, those are pretty tasty too even though I cooked them on a grill skillet and therefore lack of a hint of the smokiness from the coals! Traditionally, they are served with lavash (again I used regular flatbread), a type of Turkish flatbread, garlicky yoghurt sauce (I used tzatziki) and red onion salad with lots of parsley and sumac. For the salad, I just mixed red onion slices, roughly chopped tomatoes and chopped parsley with some lemon juice and sumac.
Vanilla Sunflower Seed Chocolate Bites
Sunday, September 15, 2024If you like easy and delicious treats with just a few ingredients, these sunflower seed bites are for you. You can even leave out the chocolate or use a healthier black chocolate for dipping. Mix in other seeds, like pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds to the recipe if you like. They are deliciously crunchy, naturally gluten-free and refined sugar free.
Fig Pavlova
Saturday, September 14, 2024Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert usually with whipped cream and fruit. Created in either Australia or New Zealand in honour of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured Australia and New Zealand in 1926.
I used Greek yoghurt instead of whipped cream and if you don't have or like pistachios, lightly toasted flaked almonds are just as good. You can also tweak the fruits to suit your tastes and the seasons.
When you whip egg whites, be sure to use clean, dry utensils and a clean bowl (metal, glass or ceramic bowls do better job than plastic). Also, the egg whites are best used at room temperature when whisking as they have a better ability to incorporate and hold more air. The white wine vinegar (or lemon juice) helps stabilize the whipped whites, so don't skip it. You might want to add one or two teaspoons of cornstarch to the meringue to help absorb extra moisture if the weather is hot and humid. Last, but not the least, don't add sugar too quickly, or the meringue will collapse. Mine took about 10 minutes. The meringue base can be baked the day before and left to cool in the oven overnight.
85 Recipes that highlight the beloved humble Pumpkin
Friday, September 13, 2024From sweet pumpkin love cake, tart, and muffins, to flavourful salad, stuffed pumpkins, savoury quiche, and warming pumpkin soup, these pumpkin / squash recipes are the ultimate way to use this versatile vegetable. Get creative, go seasonal and savour the tastes of autumn.
Butterhead Lettuce Salad with Burrata and Caper Dressing
Thursday, September 12, 2024With creamy burrata cheese, crunchy homemade croutons or toasted walnuts, and briney caper dressing, this butterhead lettuce salad is a lovely balance of flavours and textures. The simplest, best salad you'll eat! You can use other types of lettuce or a mix of greens, like arugula, mâche or baby spinach. To enhance even more flavour and textue, throw in some crispy bacon bits to your salad.