Wholegrain Quick Beer Bread with Greek Yoghurt and Honey
Friday, October 06, 2023A quick and simple recipe for wholemeal beer bread made from just a few of pantry ingredients. It does not require yeast or kneading. It's so delicious either plain or buttered. Good with soups, chilli or salads. Makes excellent toast too. Flavour of bread will change, depending on type of beer used. I used Pilsner, if you prefer a more robust, pronounced bread flavour, then use darker beer, like stouts and porters. Feel free to include some spices and herbs to the batter if desired.
Prosciutto-wrapped Pork and Veal Terrine
Wednesday, October 04, 2023Deliciously studded with a mixture of fresh herbs (sage, flat parsley and thyme) and wrapped in flavourful and slightly salted prosciutto, this pork and veal terrine will make any occasion extra-special. I have chosen to omit the nuts in this recipe, but feel free to add a handful of pistachios, pine nuts or macadamias to the mixture. Or try this chicken terrine with pistachios.
Miso Banana Oat Bars
Monday, October 02, 2023Miso gives these oat bars a beautiful, nutty flavour and satisfying salty sweet depth. White or shiro miso is the sweetest and mildest type, but you can use yellow or brown ones to bake these bars too.
They are so quick and easy to make and are perfect as a snack, breakfast, or healthy dessert! Store the cooled bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Boiled Egg Masala Stirfry
Saturday, September 30, 2023The eggs first have been hard-boiled, then fried in ghee (or coconut oil) with spices and herbs until they are evenly golden brown. It's simple, delicious and with minimum fuss.
Kala namak, aka Himalayan "black salt", is a rock salt in the Pakistan / Indian cuisine. It is pinkish grey rather than black and has a very distinctive sulfurous smell and taste similar to hard-boiled eggs. Use regular sea salt if you don't have it.
German Pork Knuckle
Thursday, September 28, 2023Pork Knuckle (Eisbein or Schweinshaxe in German) is a traditional Bavarian dish that's popular not only during the Oktoberfest but all year round. It's usually served with dumplings / Knödeln, Sauerkraut, and of course a beer gravy. I served it with roasted pumpkin since it's in season, and a salad, but you can use other root vegetables. Instead of gravy, we just enjoyed it with a cold top-fermented Weißbier.
If you ever wanted to re-create this typical Oktoberfest dish at home try this recipe, look for the meaty rear pig knuckles that are fresh, not cured and allow it to sit in the fridge for two days to let the skin dry out. Don't rush the process. Use two metal skewers to keep the skin stretched and the prevent from shrinking while it roasts. Without the skewers, the skin contracts as it slow roasts, creating folds in the skin that don’t become crispy.
Simple Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil Bundt Cake
Tuesday, September 26, 2023What better way to celebrate pumpkin season than with this lightly green coloured dessert, studded with uniquely hull-less Styrian pumpkin seeds.
This simple bundt cake features the rich, nutty flavour of pumpkin seed oil from Styria, a province in southeastern Austria. Styrian pumpkin seed oil is made by pressing roasted, hull-less pumpkin seeds from a local variety of pumpkin, the "Styrian oil pumpkin". In addition to its characteristic dark green color, pumpkin seed oil also has a distinctive nutty taste.
Pan Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash and Brown Butter Hazelnuts
Sunday, September 24, 2023This is an elegant meal that is really easy to prepare. Scallops take only 3-4 minutes to cook until caramelized yet succulent. The trick to achieving that golden crust without overcooking the scallops is to heat your cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat for a few minutes until very hot and the scallops should be dry when they hit the pan. Pairing the plump, juicy and perfectly browned sea scallops with creamy butternut squash puree (parsnip puree would be fabulous too) that's roasted with garlic and thyme and brown butter hazelnuts is simply heavenly.
Carnival Squash with Parmesan and Honeycomb
Friday, September 22, 2023A hybrid between sweet dumpling squash and the acorn squash, the carnival squash (or carnival pumpkin) is nutty and sweet in flavour. They are excellent in salads, soups, or roasted as a side dish. The skin of carnival squash is bright, has so many varied patterns and completely safe to consume.
Roasting brings out the best in this squash. And honeycomb and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano are just really special touches that take this autumn squash to the next level. This definitely deserves a place on your dinner table this season.
Peruvian Chicken Kebabs with Ají Verde
Thursday, September 21, 2023Juicy, succulent and bursting with vibrant flavour, these Peruvian chicken skewers are easy to prepare and perfect for grilling outside in the summer. But you can always make it in a grill pan any time you want. Serve them alongside a delicious, creamy ají verde, a spicy Peruvian green sauce.
Ají Verde is made with plenty of cilantro, scallion, lime, ají amarillo (Peruvian yellow chillie), mayonnaise, garlic, cotija cheese and huacatay (Peruvian black mint).
Since I can't find huacatay and ají amarillo, so I replaced some cilantro with fresh mint leaves, and used jalapeño chilli pepper instead. Ají Verde sauce is terrific served alongside roasted chicken or grilled meats, and it's equally good with grilled seafood. You can even use it as a salad dressing.