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Taboon Bread with Za'atar

Wednesday, September 02, 2020

Taboon bread is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine traditionally baked in a taboon oven. In the old days these ovens were built below the ground, and a key to heating them was hot, smooth stones that were at the bottom of the oven. The bread dough would be placed directly on the stones creating the signature bumps that distinguishes taboon bread from other types. Taboon ovens these days are built above ground, but the hot stones remainded as a way to bake the bread.
While most of us don't have such a clay oven at home, we can still use the conventional oven with a tray of pebbles (or a pizza stone or a cast iron skillet) to bake these Palestinian flatbread.
You can serve this flatbread with yoghurt, olive oil with zaatar (it's pronounced za-ah-tar), hummus, sumac chicken or even use it to make Turkish Lahmacun.
Za'atar, the Middle Eastern spice mixture is a blend of dried herbs (thyme, oregano or marjoram), sumac, cumin and coriander with sesame seeds. You can purchase pre-made za'atar or easily make your own.

Bread	Za'atar
500 g Plain flour (all-purpose flour), plus extra for dusting 7 g Dry active yeast 3/4 tbsp Raw sugar 2 tbsp Za'atar 3/4 tsp Sea salt 320 ml Warm water 2 tbsp Olive oil, plus extra for oiling bowl 3 tbsp Za'atar for topping 2 tbsp Sumac for topping	1 tbsp Dried thyme 1/2 tbsp Dried oregano 1/2 tbsp Dried marjoram 1/2 tbsp Whole cumin seeds, toasted and crushed 1/2 tbsp Cumin powder 1/2 tbsp Whole coriander seeds, toasted and crushed 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted 1 tbsp Sumac 1/2 tsp Salt

Mix all the ingredients for the spice blend together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container. Store the za'atar in a cool, dark place in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
For the dough, sieve the plain flour into a large bowl. Mix in the yeast, raw sugar, za'atar and sea salt. In a separate bowl mix the warm water and olive oil together before adding to the dry ingredients. Mix until you have a soft, sticky dough then cover with a cloth and set aside to prove for 10 minutes.
Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface, and knead the dough for 10 minutes until you have a soft, shiny dough.
Grease a bowl with a bit of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn it round so that its entire surface has a thin coat of olive oil. Cover with cling film and set aside to prove for up to an hour.
Flour your hands and knock back the dough by turning it over three to four times in its bowl. Turn out onto a floured work surface and divide the dough into 4-6 equal pieces and form each piece into a ball. Roll each ball out to form a rough circle approximately 20 cm. Place the bread circle on a lightly floured cloth.
Spray the dough circles lightly with water and sprinkle za'atar and sumac over the surface. Leave to prove again for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 275C/525F or to maximum temperature. The oven needs to be very hot. Place a roasting tray lined with pebbles, a cast iron skillet, or pizza stone on the middle shelf. Leave it to heat up for 20 minutes before baking the flatbreads.
Bake two flatbreads at a time for 5-7 minutes, or until the flatbreads are puffy and brown spots start to develop. Remove the flatbreads from the oven and cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep them soft. Bake the remaining dough circles.

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Stacked Pear Salad

Monday, August 31, 2020

This simple salad has a perfect mix of bitter peppery arugula, creamy, pungent blue cheese and crunchy walnuts dressed in a sweet tangy vinaigrette and nestled in layers of juicy, sweet Conference pears. The star of this Autumn salad is a whole pear that's been sliced and stacked - a fun way to make salads more exciting and tempting. Devour this salad as a light meal or serve it alongside grilled steak or fatty salmon.

	Dressing
2 Conference pears, ripe yet firm 1/2 Lime, juiced 100 g Arugula leaves 80 g Walnut halves, toasted 100 g Gorgonzola, cut into smaller triangles or crumbled	3 tbsp Olive oil 1 tbsp Walnut oil 1 tbsp White balsamic vinegar 1 tsp Maple syrup 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 clove Garlic, finely minced Salt and black pepper to taste

Slice each pear horizontally into 4-5 slices depending on the size, retaining the core and stem. Toss the pears with freshly squeeze lime juice to keep them from browning.
In a bowl or glass jar, mix together olive oil, walnut oil, vinegar, maple syrup / honey, Dijon mustard and minced garlic. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Place arugula, toasted walnuts and blue cheese in a salad bowl. Drizzle some prepared dressing over and gently toss to coat.
Assemble the pears on individual plates, with the arugula salad in between each slice. Drizzle a bit of vinaigrette over the pear and serve.

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Spicy Baked Chicken Quarters

Friday, August 28, 2020

The chicken uses a spice rub of cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, dried thyme, smoked paprika, smoked salt and pepper. They are simple to make and packed with flavour! I prefer using bone-in, skin-on chicken, as they retain moisture and don't dry out in the oven plus the skin gets extra crispy as it bakes. As a matter of fact, I ate all the skin first from 4 quarters after baking...they are just the best. I guess I will have to do a few more rounds of burpees and starjumps to burn the fat off.

4 / 1.2 kg Chicken leg quarters, bone-in, skin-on
2-3 Onions, sliced, optional
60 ml Olive oil
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Dried thyme
2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Smoked paprika
1 tsp Smoked salt (or regular)
1/2 tsp Smoked black pepper (or regular)
Parsley or chives, finely chopped for garnish

Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil.
Wipe the chicken quarters with paper towels and place them onto the baking dish.
In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the rub.
Pour the paste over the chicken quarters and, using your hands, rub it well into the chicken pieces, on all sides. Place the onion slices around the chicken if using.
Bake the chicken quarters until cooked through and juices run clear, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven, garnish with fresh herbs, and serve immediately.

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Zucchini Soup with Scallion and Mascarpone

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Zucchini contains very few calories and have a high water content and significant amout of vitamin C and potassium, which is the key to controlling blood pressure and helps to keep our muscles working properly.
This delicious zucchini soup recipe is the perfect use for the abundant summer squash in your garden or from the farmer market, and a little mascarpone makes it thick and luscious while scallion adds depth and sweetness to the soup too. It can be eaten hot or cold.

2 tbsp Olive oil
2 Scallions, white part, coarsely chopped
1 Garlic clove, sliced
3 (about 450 g) Zucchini, sliced thinly
350 ml Vegetable stock
80 g Mascarpone, plus a little extra to serve
2 Scallions, green part, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
A few mint leaves, chopped
Lemon zest (optional) to serve
Soft boiled eggs (optional) to serve
Sprouts (optional) to serve

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and cook the scallion white part with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook gently for a few minutes then tip in the sliced zucchini and cook gently for 10-15 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil for a few minutes. Use a stick blender to process the soup until completely smooth, then stir in the mascarpone and green part of scallions. Puree again and season.
Spoon into bowls and top with more mascarpone or soft boiled egg or sprout and mint leaves, and some lemon zest, if you like.

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Tomato and Peach Salad With Whipped Goat Cheese

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Sweet ripe peaches and tomatoes team up with creamy whipped goat cheese in this bright colourful summer salad tossed with a simple vinaigrette. It's sweet and savoury, creamy and fruity, works great as a starter, a side or a light summer meal. If you want to make it more filling, add some beans, lentils or crunchy garlic croutons.

2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Sherry vinegar
1 tbsp Whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tsp Lime juice
Sea salt and black pepper
1/2 Small red onion, very thinly sliced
150 g Chavroux mild soft goat cheese
2 tbsp Heavy cream
1/2 tsp Lime zest
Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 Ripe firm peaches, halved, pitted and cut into wedges
1 Handful of basil, chopped

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard and lime juice. Season generously with salt and pepper, stir in the red onion and set aside.
Whip goat cheese in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add the heavy cream and lime zest and whip just until fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed. Season to taste with salt.
Spread the whipped goat cheese on a large serving platter or in shallow bowl, distributing it evenly using the back of a spoon. Add the tomato wedges, peach wedges and chopped basil to the dressing and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place on top of the whipped goat cheese and serve immediately.

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Bacon Gugelhupf with Hazelnuts and Rosemary

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

The combination of toatsed hazelnuts, smoky bacon and woody aromatic rosemary gives this savory "cake/bread" a sophisticated flavour. The cake may look complicated but it's easier than you think. It's highly adaptable, very delicious and perfect to serve with a seasonal salad for a pleasant lunch. If you don't have a bundt pan, then use muffin tin or loaf pan.

100 g Hazelnuts (or any other nuts)
100 g Bacon bits (or ham)
1 tsp Rosemary leaves, chopped (thyme is great too)
300 g Refined spelt flour (or plain flour)
1 tsp Baking powder
1 package / 7 g Active dried yeast
1/3 tsp Black lava salt
1 tsp Honey (or maple syrup)
350 ml Sparkling water, at room-temperature

Coarsely chop the hazelnuts. Place them in a dry heavy skillet. Stir often over medium heat until golden brown and aromatic. Cook the bacon bits in a small pan until crisp. Drain bacon bits on paper towels. Mix together hazelnuts, reserving one tablespoon for the bundt pan, bacon bits and chopped rosemary. Set aside.
Grease a 24-26cm bundt cake pan with butter and sprinkle the reserved chopped hazelnuts all over.
Whisk together spelt flour, baking powder, and dried yeast in a mixing bowl. In another mixing bowl or jar, stir together the salt, honey and sparkling water. Add to the flour mixture. Use a hand mixer to beat everything together. Fold the nut-bacon mixture into the batter until just incorporated. The finished batter is thick but still pourable.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Cover with a plastic film and leave it at a warm place for 30 minutes.
Place a baking tray with boiling water at the bottom of the oven and preheat to 200C/400F. Bake the bread in the middle of hot oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove and set aside for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.