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Beluga Black Lentil Salad with Tofu

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Beluga lentils are tiny black variety with nutty, earthy flavour, named after the caviar they resemble. This beluga lentil salad is really simple, satisfying and can be served on its own or as a side dish with your choice of meat. It can also be served on lettuce leaves.

Salad	Dressing
150 g Beluga black lentils 400 ml Water 1 clove Garlic, smashed 1-2 Bay leaf 1 block / 200 g Tofu 1-2 tbsp Olive oil 1 Parsley root, julienned 1 Carrot, julienned 1 Purple onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp Garlic sprout	2 tbsp Raspberry vinegar 1 tbsp Honey 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp Macadamia oil 2 tbsp Olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine the black lentils with the smashed garlic, bay leaf and water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the lentils and discard the garlic and bay leaf. Set aside to cool.
Cut the tofu into 2-inch slices. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry tofu, 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Whisk all the dressing ingredients until well blended.
Add the black lentils, julienned parsley root, carrot, sliced onion, garlic sprout and tofu into a large bowl, then pour on the dressing and toss to mix.

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Red Wine braised Cabbage with Caramelized Chestnuts

Friday, January 04, 2013

This red wine braised cabbage makes a great side dish to roasted poultry, pork or game meats, but you can enjoy it with bulgur or wild rice and caramelized chestnuts for a hearty and healthy meal. Goose fat can be substituted with butter and red wine with grape juice instead.

Red Wine braised Cabbage with Caramelized Chestnuts

adapted from Küchen Göetter

800 g Red cabbage
1 Large onion
1 Large apple
2 tbsp Goose fat
5 tbsp Red wine vinegar
100 ml Red wine
Salt and pepper
200 g Vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts
2 tbsp Caster sugar
1/2 tbsp Butter

Remove any wilted leaves on the outside of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage vertically into 4 parts.Remove the core and cut the cabbage into 5mm slices. Peel and dice the onion. Peel, core and dice the apple.
Melt the goose fat in a large pan over medium heat. Add in onion and stir until translucent. Add in red cabbage and apple. Cook and stir briefly, then add in 4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and red wine. Cover and cook for 40-50 minutes until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Taste and season with the remaining vinegar, salt and pepper.
Melt 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small pan over medium heat until lightly brown and caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat and add in butter and chestnuts. Cook over the low heat and gently stir until chestnuts are well coated with caramel. Fold the caramelized chestnuts into red cabbage.

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Green Beans with Cranberry Pepita Pesto

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Fresh vibrant green beans are a versatile vegetable. They are crunchy, nutritious and can be very tasty too. These delicious, heart-healthy green beans are first blanched in salted water until crispy and tender, then jazzed up with a pesto that’s made with pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.

Happy New Year! May your new year be blessed with peace, love and joy. I wish EVERYONE a safe and joyful 2013! If you make New Year's resolutions (I don't any more), stay firm, and don't give up.

70 g Pepita
50 g Dried cranberries
2 Garlic cloves
3 tbsp Garlic sprouts, chopped
1 tbsp Lemon juice
100 ml Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
500 g Green beans, trimmed

Place the pepita, cranberries, garlic cloves, garlic sprouts and lemon juice into a food processor and process until very finely chopped. While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Blanch green beans in a large pot of well salted boiling water until bright green in colour and tender crisp, roughly 8 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl of cold water to stop from cooking. Arrange the green beans on a serving plate and spoon the pesto over.

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Weizenbrötchen - German Hard Rolls with Poolish

Friday, December 28, 2012

These small crisp bread rolls with a crunchy crust and a soft tender crumb, also known as Weizenbrötchen, or Semmel in German, are the classic German hard rolls. They are eaten frequently for breakfast, or with cold cuts as lunch in Germany. An overnight poolish starter lends a nuttier flavour to bread and the shiny brown crisp crust brought about by the steam created by placing a pot of hot water at the bottom of your oven. You can always freeze them and re-crisp in a 150C/300F oven for 10-12 minutes.

Weizenbrötchen - German Hard Rolls with Poolish

adapted from Plötz Blog

Poolish	Dough
100 g Water 100 g Bread flour 0.1 g Fresh yeast	150 g Bread flour 55 g Water 5 g Fresh yeast 5 g Salt 10 g Sugar 3 g Olive oil

Combine together the poolish ingredients in a mixing bowl. Leave it, covered, at room temperature for 16-20 hours.
Mix the starter, bread flour, water and fresh yeast at low speed for 3 minutes, then increase the speed and mix for 5 more minutes. Add in salt, sugar, and olive oil and continue to knead for another 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and form into a round ball. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Set aside for an hour. Stretch and fold the dough after 30 minutes. Knead the dough thoroughly and divide it into 5 large or 8 small portions. Shape each portion into an oval and place them on the parchment paper lined baking tray. Cover and prove for an hour.
Place a roasting tray at the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 230C/450F. Score the rolls and place in the hot oven. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the roasting tray. Bake 20-25 minutes until they are nicely golden brown and crisp.

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Shredded Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad

Monday, December 24, 2012

Red cabbage, red cabbage, also known as purple cabbage, like blueberries, contains concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols that some experts believe may have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A.
This is a simple and delicious salad that keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator. Finely shred the cabbage into thin strands for the best result.
May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and blessed Christmas and success and health for the New Year 2013!

Shredded Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad

adapted from The New York Times

350 g Red cabbage, cored and finely shredded
250 g Carrots, peeled and finely grated
2 tbsp Finely chopped garlic sprouts
1 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp White wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Small garlic clove, finely minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
6 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Cover the shredded cabbage with cold water, and let sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Drain.
Toss together the red cabbage, carrots, and chopped garlic sprouts.
Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and Dijon mustard. Whisk in the oil. Toss with the vegetables and garlic sprouts. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve. Alternately, allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator, then serve.

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Poppyseed Wholewheat Bread Ring

Thursday, December 20, 2012

This delicious poppyseed filling swirled bread ring, prepared with a tangzhong starter via gelatinization of starch in flour, kneaded in a bread machine, makes a great accompaniment to an afternoon tea break or a holiday brunch.

Dough	Filling
180 g Tangzhong starter 160 ml Buttermilk, lukewarm 50 g Corn oil 1 Large egg 50 g Raw sugar 7 g Sea salt 220 g Bread flour 250 g Wholewheat flour 10 g Instant dried yeast	100 g Butter, softened 80 g Brown sugar 2 Small eggs 200 g Ground poppy 100 ml Milk 2 tbsp Chopped almonds, optional

Place the dough ingredients in the bread pan in the order given above. Select the “Dough” cycle, and press “Start”.
Cream butter and brown sugar together until well combined. Gradually beat in eggs until blended. Stir in ground poppy and milk until well mixed.
When the “Dough” cycle is finished, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it briefly. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 1cm thick rectangle. Evenly spread on the poppy filling. Roll dough up, starting lengthwise to form a Swiss roll. Seal edges well by pinching close and and join the two ends to form a ring.
Place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cut slits 1-inch apart with a scissor or knife. Turn each slice on its side. Cover and let rise in warm place until double in size, about an hour. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Brush the bread ring with some egg wash and sprinkle the chopped almonds over if using. Bake for about 35 minutes until nicely golden brown.

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Poppy Striped Cookies

Monday, December 17, 2012

These delicious shortbread striped cookies are created by alternating stripes of lemon and poppy pieces. For pinwheel variation, stack the two dough rectangles on top of each other, and roll up into a long cylinder as if you're making cinnamon rolls. They're buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, and fun to make.

Poppy Striped Cookies

adapted from Küchen Götter

150 g All purpose flour
100 g Cold butter, cut into small pieces
80 g White sugar
1 tsp Lemon extract
1 Egg
50 g Ground poppy seeds
1 Egg white

Place flour, cold butter, white sugar, lemon extract and egg onto a work surface. Using a large knife and finely chop everything together. Divide the mixture into two.
Quickly shape one half into the light-coloured dough. Mix another half with ground poppy seeds and press the mixture into the dark-coloured dough. Roll each dough into a 12-cm x 35-cm rectangle, about 3-mm thick.
Brush one rectangle evenly with egg white and top with another dough. Cut the stacked dough into four 3-cmx35-cm strips. Brush the strips with egg white and stack one rectangle on top of the other, alternating light and poppy doughs to form a striped pattern. Wrap in plastic film. Chill an hour or until very firm.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Prepare two baking trays with parchment papers. Carefully cut the stack into 1/2-cm thick slices. Place them on the prepared baking trays and bake for about 10 minutes. Cool on trays 5 minutes. Remove and cool cookies completely on wire racks.