Readers' recipe swap: Roast | Felicity Cloake. Cook readers never fail to surprise: I expected a volley of roast lamb and ribs of beef this week, but instead I found myself cooking Portuguese sea bream and searching for Syrian pepper. Roasting concentrates flavours, and that rings true for my top two recipes this week, Katherine Hackworthy's sweetly spiced cake is beautifully moist and fluffy, while Cheeku Bhasin's colourful salad made the perfect spring lunch. No horseradish required. The winning recipe: spicy roasted butternut squash salad with tahini and yoghurt dressing I created a delicious spicy, butternut squash salad that I cannot stop eating! It's healthy, moreish and flavourful. Cheeku Bhasin, Mombasa, Kenya cook2jhoom.wordpress.com Serves 4-6 1 medium butternut squash, peeled2 tbsp olive oil1½ tsp cumin powder1½ tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp turmeric½ tsp cinnamon½ tsp ground cardamom1 large onion, sliced into wedges150g mixed salad leaves150g cherry tomatoes, halved 1 pepper, sliced4 tbsp toasted mixed seeds Serves 2 Serves 4.
Cabbage and Carrot Noodles — Recipes for Health. Recipage. Guaranteed Crispy Sweet Potato Fries & Sriracha Mayo Dip. Right here, right now I am going to teach you how to make crispy sweet potato fries. But first … Let’s get one thing straight. A sweet potato french fry is not a real french fry. I like them, I’ll eat them … but they’re not a real french fry. They are french fry substitutes to be eaten when a real french fry can’t be found. Yes, I know. But you loveeeeeeeee sweet potato french fries. I have been eating, making and lusting after french fries for as long as I can remember.
Best way to eat a french fry? But … if you’re on some sort of stupid meal plan, or you’re all out of regular potatoes, or you just feel like having something a little different, why wouldn’t you cook up some Sweet Potato French Fries? Because they’re soggy messes. I’ve oven baked them, par boiled them and deep fried them and they don’t get crispy. Finally, I’ve figured out how to make crispy sweet potato fries and the best part is you can do them in the deep fryer or the oven! Here’s what you need to do … See? Nigel Slater's spinach pie and apple focaccia recipes. A spot of baking.
It is rare that a week goes by without a bit of baking going on in my kitchen. A pie. A loaf. A cake, perhaps. I associate this time of year with the sweeter side of baking. If ever there was time to eat a piece of baking straight from the oven this is it: all the warm, yeasty bonhomie of homemade bread plus the sweet note of baked apple and slightly charred nuts made this as much a cake as a loaf. Focaccia doesn't need hard kneading – in fact it slightly resents rough handling. On a savoury note, I made a vast vegetable pie this week, thick with green vegetables and the salty tang of feta cheese. You could easily take the idea on with other fillings – chard and mushroom, spinach and blue cheese, cabbage and bacon – or you could introduce a sauce of some kind, such as feta, dill and yogurt.
Broad bean, feta and spinach pie Serves 4-6broad beans 250g, shelled weightspinach 500gfeta 400gfilo pastry 6 sheets, about 270gmelted butter for brushingsesame seeds 1 tsp. Mixed vegetables and yoghurt with green chilli oil recipe, plus beef pie | Yotam Ottolenghi. Yotam Ottolenghi's mixed vegetables and yoghurt: A real scene-stealer of a dish. Photograph: Colin Campbell for the Guardian Mixed veg and yoghurt with green chilli oil (V) A few years ago, I had a terrific meal at Hamdi in Istanbul. It's famed for its kebabs, which were indeed exquisite, but it was a glorious mix of fried vegetables in yoghurt that stole the show for me. Serves four. 2 courgettes, cut into 2cm dice1 large aubergine, cut into 2cm dice3 large plum tomatoesSunflower oil, for frying2 red peppers, cut into 2cm pieces150g Greek yoghurt1 big garlic clove, peeled and crushed2 tbsp fresh mint, shredded1½ tsp dried mint1½ tsp lemon juiceSalt and black pepper For the chilli and herb oil1 green chilli, chopped roughly20g parsley5g mint1 tsp ground cumin4 tbsp olive oil Heat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2.
Cut each tomato into six wedges, place on a baking tray and sprinkle with a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Beef pie Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Protein Power Goddess Bowl. Thank you all so much for your votes in Project Food Blog! I am thrilled to say that I got into the final three for the 10th round due tomorrow. I appreciate your tweets, comments, and emails yesterday! It doesn’t look like I will be getting much sleep this weekend… ;) I am a big ball of nerves and excitement right now and I was up until 3am last night working on my post. There isn’t much time to finish it, but at the same time, I am glad it is due tomorrow and doesn’t drag out another week. I have been using my treadmill as a stress relief lately, pounding out a few miles whenever I need to clear my head. I actually think of most of my Project Food Blog ideas when I am running and I often jump off to write things down as I think of them.
I am always amazed at the ability that running has to help me think and get my creative juices flowing. OSGMOM gave me a new Ipod Shuffle for Christmas and it has been fun having music again after 3 months without any. Protein Power Goddess Bowl Mix well. LENTIL, TAMARIND AND DATE DHANSAK. CORSICAN OMELETTE. Kookoo sabzi or herb omelette recipe. The word kookoo actually applies to a range of eggy dishes, which can be made with ingredients as diverse as aubergine and sugar.
This recipe can be prepared in the form of baby patties, or you can make it as one large omelette and cut it into wedges (I nearly always opt for the latter, as I am very cack-handed). They are great as a lunch or light supper option, with some bread and salad, or you can tart them up into a dinner party starter – but in Iran kookoo are most often used as a sandwich filling together with fresh herbs and spicy pickled cucumbers. You can replace the coriander, parsley and fenugreek with a bag of sabzi kookoo dried herb mix, available from Middle Eastern supermarkets. Serves 6 as a snack1 bunch coriander 1 bunch flat-leaf parsleyfew sprigs fenugreek1 small bunch spring onions6 eggs1 dessertspoon flour ½ teaspoon baking powdersalt and pepperolive oil, for frying Trim and soak your herbs and leave to drain a while. Cheese-baked egg-stuffed tomatoes recipe. Cheese-baked egg-stuffed tomatoes. Photograph: Yuki Sugiura This Iraqi-inspired recipe is the stuff of Sunday evening suppers – nourishing, full of the taste of years gone by, but with a hint of the exotic propelling you into the week ahead.
Oh, and most importantly it's real easy. The eggs are settled onto bread for two reasons: it stops them falling over, and it also serves to absorb some of the tomato-y goodness. Dishes served this way are known as tashreeb (which kind of means "drinking bread"), and it is a great way to cook – the bread somehow feels quite sinful, oozing with vegetable "dripping", and what may be a simple vegetable concoction is rendered something more substantial and filling.
It's also a good way to use up not-quite-freshly-baked bread. Serves 4 8 big tomatoesolive oil2 onions, chopped4 garlic cloves, minced (optional)1 teaspoon marjoram½ teaspoon turmericsalt and pepper1 sheet khobez (or 3 pitta)8 eggs100g / 3½oz grated cheese1 teaspoon za'atar. Carrot and mung bean salad, plus red lentil soup with fried tofu and chilli oil recipes | Yotam Ottolenghi.
Carrot and mung bean salad (V) Forget mung beans' reputation as healthy yet bland – used right, they soak up loads of flavour. Serves four. 140g dried green mung beans60ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp caraway seeds1 tsp fennel seeds2 tbsp white wine vinegar2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed½ tsp dried chilli flakes1 tsp salt3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm batons½ tsp sugar20g coriander, choppedGrated zest of 1 lemon140g feta, broken into chunks Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add the beans and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until they are cooked but still retain a bite.
While the beans are cooking, lay the carrots in a pan large enough for them to form a shallow layer on the bottom. Add the carrots to the bean bowl, along with the coriander, and stir gently. Red lentil soup with fried tofu and chilli oil (V) Serves four. Heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil in a medium saucepan. Open kibbeh, plus pearl barley tabouleh with marinaded feta recipes | Yotam Ottolenghi | Food and drink. Open kibbeh. Photograph: Colin Campbell Open kibbeh Kibbeh comes in all forms, but most feature bulgur and meat. Mine is a bit like a pie. Serve warm or at room temperature with a sharp salad like the one on the right.
Serves six. 125g fine bulgur wheat90ml olive oil2 garlic cloves, crushed2 medium onions, finely chopped1 green chilli, finely chopped350g minced lamb1 tsp ground allspice1 tsp ground cinnamon1 tsp ground coriander2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander60g pine nuts3 tbsp roughly chopped parsley2 tbsp self-raising flourSalt and black pepper50g tahini paste2 tsp lemon juice1 tsp sumac Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Heat four tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Check the bulgur to see if all the water has been absorbed (strain if not). Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, 50ml of water and a pinch of salt – you're after a very thick, yet pourable sauce. Pearl barley tabouleh with marinated feta Serves four. The new vegetarian: Root mash with wine-braised shallots | Yotam Ottolenghi. Boozy braised shallots on top of a rich root veg mash – what could be more warming on a cold winter's day? Photograph: Colin Campbell There's nothing more marvellously wintery than orange root veg mash; some butter is all it needs.
Though you could jazz it up with lentils and top with a warming shallot stew. The figures in brackets are the weights after peeling. 80g puy lentils½ celeriac (300g), peeled and cut into chunks2 carrots (300g), peeled and cut into chunks½ kabocha squash (300g), or other type, peeled and cut into chunks2 sweet potatoes (600g), peeled and cut into chunks70g butter, diced2 tbsp maple syrup1½ tsp ground cuminSalt and black pepper For the shallots2 tbsp olive oil600g shallots, peeled400ml red wine200ml vegetable stock2 bay leaves1 tsp whole black peppercorns4 sprigs fresh thyme1 tbsp caster sugarSalt30g butter Put the oil and shallots in a heavy pan and fry, stirring occasionally, for five minutes until well coloured.
Aubergine kuku | Yotam Ottolenghi | Vegetarian. Yotam Ottolenghi's aubergine kuku: a bit like a frittata, only better. Photograph: Colin Campbell A meeting with a passionate Iranian cook has pushed me to make more use of some core ingredients of this wonderful cuisine. Dried barberries (zereshk in Persian) are sold in Middle Eastern and Asian grocers. Their extreme sharpness is often used to create little "surprises" in pilavs, and our salads at Ottolenghi have recently benefited greatly from them. Kuku, which is similar to frittata, is great served at room temperature with a salad on the side. 120ml sunflower oil, plus extra3 medium onions, peeled and sliced3 medium aubergines, peeled5 free-range eggs2 tbsp plain flour1½ tsp baking powder25g chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish1 tsp saffron strands, dissolved in 1 tbsp of hot water3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed½ tsp saltBlack pepper20g dried barberries, rinsed and dried Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Fried cauliflower with tahini recipe | Yotam Ottolenghi | Vegetarian | Food. Fried cauliflower with tahini. Photograph: Colin Campbell for the Guardian On a recent visit to Israel, I was astounded by new uses for tahini, in both simple eateries and upmarket restaurants. Local connoisseurs prefer specific brands, usually Palestinian. In Britain, I would make a real effort to get a good Lebanese variety such as Al Yaman, available from Middle Eastern grocers. No offence, but the Greek brands aren't as good usually. Choose a light-coloured tahini made from hulled sesame seeds. 500ml sunflower oil2 medium cauliflower heads, split into small florets, weighing 1kg in all8 spring onions, each cut into three long segments180g tahini paste2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed15g chopped parsley15g chopped mint, plus more to finish150g Greek yoghurt3 tbsp lemon juice1 tsp pomegranate molasses, plus more to finishMalden sea salt and black pepperRoughly 180ml water Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
. • Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi in London. Butternut squash and tahini spread recipe, plus batata harra | Yotam Ottolenghi. Butternut squash and tahini spread (V) Tara Wigley, who assists me in my recipe testing, emailed me about this one with "I could eat this by the bucket" in the subject field. And she's right – once you start eating it, it is hard to put aside. Once made, and assuming you can keep your mitts off it that long, it will keep in a jar in the fridge for a few days, in which case allow it to come back to room temperature before piling over pitta or fresh bread, just like hummus.
Date syrup is a natural sweetener that has wonderful richness and treacly depth; I drizzle it over semolina porridge. 1 very large butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (net weight 970g) 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp salt70g tahini paste 120g Greek yoghurt 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 tsp mixed black and white sesame seeds (or just white, if you don't have black) 1½ tsp date syrup 2 tbsp chopped coriander Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Batata harra (V) Butternut squash frittata recipe. Vegetable curry recipes | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. It's cold outside, and it'll soon be even colder, so I'm turning to spices to rev up simple, seasonal ingredients into satisfying, warming and comforting dishes. Chillies to keep the chills at bay. Not only do they taste delicious, but their heady aromas lift the spirits and cheer the soul, banishing the winter blues and leaving you feeling perky rather than sluggish, as some heavier, creamier winter dishes can do.
Today's curried recipes can't lay any great claim to authenticity – they're not the faithful academic reconstructions of dishes I've found on my travels. Rather, they're inspired by the herbs and spices I always have in the kitchen, and the understanding that, much as I love cooking, I often haven't got all day. When I look at my spice collection, I get that feeling I got as a kid when contemplating a new box of crayons: what can I create with them next?
A garish mess with little resemblance to any known form, in the case of the crayons. Spinach and egg curry. Mutton, potato and lime curry recipe, plus crushed carrots with yoghurt and pistachios | Yotam Ottolenghi. Mutton, potato and lime curry To all who doubt the practicality of Twitter, the idea of adding coconut cream to this dish came from @NaveenaKottoor. Stewing lamb is a good substitute for mutton, though it won't take as long to cook.
Serve with flatbread. Serves four to six. 1kg mutton meat, cut into 4cm pieces60ml lime juice2½ tsp curry powder½ tsp smoky paprika1 tsp caster sugar3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thinSalt and black pepper18 cardamom pods, lightly broken12 curry leaves½ red chilli, thinly sliced10g ginger, peeled and finely choppedSunflower oil, for frying600g charlotte potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm dice3 red peppers, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces6 spring onions, cut on an angle into 2cm slices75ml coconut cream (optional) Put the mutton in a large bowl with three tablespoons of lime juice, one and a half teaspoons of curry powder, the paprika, sugar, garlic, half a teaspoon of salt and some pepper. Crushed carrots with yoghurt and pistachios (V) Winter Squash Soufflé and Greens Recipe. Healthy Vegetarian Recipes: Lemon Couscous with Chickpeas, Cilantro, Raisins and Almonds.
Butternut Squash and Brie Pizza Recipe. Pesto Pizza with Butternut Squash Recipe. TOMATO CURRY WITH COCONUT RICE.