Roasted Carrot Buckwheat Salad with Belgian Endive and Orange Honey Dressing
Thursday, November 11, 2021 |
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This hearty buckwheat salad is packed with flavour as well as nutrients. Belgian endive and roasted walnuts add crunchiness and earthiness while aromatic mint leaves adds just the right amount of zing, freshness, colour and texture. The pleasant bitterness in Belgian endive pairs perfectly with the sweetness of roasted carrots and orange honey dressing. If you don't have buckwheat, simply use your favourite grains or even quinoa instead.
Salad | Dressing |
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- Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Arrange the carrots in a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with ground coriander, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, or until just tender and beginning to caramelise. Set aside to cool.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add buckwheat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until toasted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add in buckwheat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Spread over a tray lined with paper towel to dry.
- To make the dressing, blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the buckwheat, carrots (cut them into smaller pieces if too large), Belgian endive leaves, mint and roasted walnuts in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine.
Giant Chocolate Cookie with Cacao Nibs and Flaky Salt
Monday, November 08, 2021 |
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This incredibly delicious and dangerously addictive oversized chocolate cookie is soft, chewy and loaded with milk chocolate and cacao nibs with crisp edges that’s designed to feed a crowd and perfect for sharing. The combination of sea salt, sweet milk chocolate and bitter cacao nibs create an amazing sweet and salty contrast. To make it even more festive and decadent, serve with a large scoop of your favourite ice cream or chantilly cream.
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- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Stir together spelt flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- With an electric beater, beat the butter, coconut sugar and vanilla sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in flour mixture, beating until just combined, about 1 minute. Fold in chopped chocolate and 2/3 of the cacao nibs.
- Transfer cookie dough to a large sheet of parchment paper. Cover top with another sheet of parchment and roll out dough into a 9-inch round, trimming edge as needed. Remove and discard top layer of parchment and transfer the cookie dough round on parchment paper to a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and remaining cacao nibs, pressing lightly into dough to adhere.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until just set around edges. Remove the cookie from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into wedges.
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Pumpkin Bulgur Spelt Cake with Vanilla Icing
Thursday, November 04, 2021 |
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Light and nutty bulgur adds a pleasant chewiness to this simple coconut syrup butter cake, that is loaded with coarsely grated pumpkin and walnuts. If you want to go nut-free, just leave out the walnuts and replace it with chopped dried dates or figs. The vanilla glaze is optional of course, but I think it adds a fancy festive touch with lemon thyme and pink peppercorns. You can use whatever seasonal touch you prefer.
Cake Batter | Vanilla Icing & Decoration |
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- Place the bulgur in a saucepan. Pour in boiling water, then put the lid on. Set aside for 10 minutes. It should absorb all the water and have a slightly chewy texture.
- Line the base of a round, 18cm springform cake tin with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 160C (fan-forced) / 320F.
- Transfer the cooked burghul wheat to a mixing bowl with the melted butter, coconut syrup, sugar and eggs, then whisk everything together well. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, grated pumpkin and chopped walnuts.
- Whisk togehter the spelt flour, baking soda and ground cardamom. Sift the mixture into the wet mixture and and mix until everything is combined.
- Spoon the thick batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for about 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin before removing and icing.
- For the icing, combine milk, sifted icing sugar and vanilla paste until smooth and spread over the cake. Garnish the cake with lemon thyme and pink peppercorns.
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Persimmon Carpaccio with Parmesan and Pomegranate
Monday, November 01, 2021 |
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Persimmon Carpaccio is easy and simple to make, yet it makes a special and beautiful appetizer for any dinner party. I have paired it with juicy, sweet and tangy pomegranate seeds and golden brown earthy pine nuts for the extra aroma and flavour, but feel free to use walnuts or hazelnuts. Parmesan can be substituted with Feta, or Burrata. You can also drizzle some fig-infused balsamic vinegar over for a richer, more complex sweetness. I didn't peel tomato-shaped fuyu persimmons as the skin is edible, but you might want to peel them if using heart-shaped hachiya persimmons.
Persimmons are high in beta carotine and minerals such as sodium, magnesium, calcium and iron, and studies have found that they also contain high amount of vitamin C and dietary fiber, making them a weight-loss friendly food. Besides that, persimmons also contain flavonoid antioxidants which are thought to boost heart health.
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- Cut and deseed a pomegranate. You need about 70 grams of pomegranate seeds. Store the rest in the fridge for other recipes (for example this one, this one or this one). Place the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Heat, shaking the pan and stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the pine nuts are fragrant and golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Wash and dry the persimmons. Cut them into even thin slices and arrange them in two plates. Combine lemon and orange juice and drizzle over the persimmons. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts over. Top with lemon thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Simple Kibbeh
Friday, October 29, 2021 |
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Kibbeh, or "ball," is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine. Made with lamb or beef, these crunchy croquettes are a flavorful blend of fragrant herbs and spices, filling meat, and hearty bulgur. These spiced bulgur balls are first stuffed with meatballs, then fried, or baked. It's delicious as an appetizer or side dish served with hummus, yoghurt dip or tahini dip.
If you want to make them in airfryer, just spray the prepared kibbeh with olive oil and place in your air fryer basket. Set to 190C/ 375F and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, turning halfway through.
Bulgur Dough | Filling | Tahini Dip |
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- Place bulgur and salt in a large bowl. Add in boiling water and set aside for 15 minutes. Finely chop the onion and herbs. Soften the golden raisins in a bowl of hot water. Drain.
- Mix together the ground beef, bulgur, onions, herbs, salt, pepper, spices, golden raisins and ice cubes. Process the mixture in batches in a food processor to a sticky, smooth, dough-like consistency. Divide the mixture into 18 portions and shape each into a ball. Cover with a plastic film and set aside while you prepare the filling.
- Place all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl. Mix until well combined. Divide the filling into 18 portions.
- Poke a hole in the dough ball, making a pocket for the filling. Add ground meat filling and pinch the top to seal the ball. Coat with sesame seeds if using.
- Combine all tahini dip ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined. Chill until ready for use. In a deep frying pan or deep-fryer, add enough oil and heat to 180C/350F. Fry the kibbeh in batches until golden brown and crunchy, or about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot or warm with tahini dip.
Saffron and Honey Challah with Sesame Seeds
Wednesday, October 27, 2021 |
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The dough is enriched with eggs and oil, while a little honey add a unique sweetness to this traditional Jewish Sabbath bread. A little saffron goes a long way to give this challah bread a yellow hue. Don’t have saffron? You can still make this recipe! Simply leave the saffron out or try adding whatever spices or seasoning you have on hand.
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- Dissolve the yeast in half of the water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until frothy. In a small bowl, mix the saffron with the remaining warm water.
- Place the flour, sesame seeds, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and add 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, oil, saffron water and yeast mixture. Mix on low speed for 5 minutes until a dough forms. Increase the speed and knead until the dough is soft and smooth.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece of dough into a long rope about 22 inches in length.
- Braid the ropes together like braiding hair, squeeze the ends of the ropes together and tuck them under the loaf. Coil the dough into a round and tuck the end under the round. You can also pull the ends toward each other to create a circle.
- Place the challah on a baking try lined with parchment paper. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until puffed, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Whisk the reserved egg white and brush it all over the challah. Sprinkle sesame seeds over and top with vanilla sugar.
- Bake the challah 30 to 35 minutes until nicely golden. Cool the challah on a cooling rack until just barely warm. Slice and enjoy.
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