Tomato Gazpacho
TOMATO GAZPACHO
This is so refreshing, add chilli for a little zing!
Ingredients
8 whole tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and de skinned
8 tsp chopped herbs, basil, parsly, oregano
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot of baby onion, peeled and roughly chopped
Method
- Place all the ingredients in a liquidiser and blend
- Season to taste
- Place into a container and refrigerate, preferably over night to develop the flavours and settle the colour as it will be a light pink from the aeration
Peach and Parma Ham Canape
Seasonal and quality ingredients simply fused!
Makes 12
Ingredients
3 peaches
6 slices Parma ham
12 basil leaves
Method
- Run a knife around the peach stone and split open the peach
- Run the knife around the half that has the stone/pip, twist and remove the stone
- Halve the other half of the peach
- Carefully tear the Parma ham slices in half and fold in the sides to create uniform edge
- Place the Parma ham slice on a board, lengthways away from you
- Then place a piece of peach on top and roll the ham around the peach
- Cover the end with a basil leaf and secure with a bamboo skewer or tooth pick
- Repeat the process until complete
- Drizzle with extra virgin oil and season just before serving
Bircher Muesli
Breakfast with a little thought is worth the effort!
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 pink lady apples, unpeeled, cored and grated
180 g rolled oats
2 cups Full cream Greek yoghurt
200 ml apple juice no added sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/4 cup coconut flakes
4 fresh figs
4 tbsp pistachios, toasted
50 g pomegranate seeds
Method
- Place in a large mixing bowl the apple, oats, yoghurt, apple juice, and cinnamon
- Cover and refrigerate overnight
- Take out the Bircher muesli half an hour before you want serve it
- Add the walnuts and mix through
- Divide the muesli among 4 bowls
- Sprinkle the coconut flakes on top
- Top with a fig cut into quarters but not all the way through
- Garnish with the pistachios and pomegranate seeds
Beetroot Gazpacho
Fresh, zingy, for healthy living and great visual appeal!
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 medium beetroots, grated
½ cucumber, cubed
50 ml cream
Sea salt and black pepper
¼ cucumber, deseeded and diced
4 radishes, diced
Method
- Place the beetroot, cucumber and cream into a liquidizer and blend
- Adding water to adjust the thickness of the gazpacho
- Season with sea salt and pepper, liquidize and check seasoning
- Pour the soup into a jug, cover and refrigerate until needed
- Pour the soup into your serving glasses carefully
- Garnish with the diced cucumber and radish
Wild Rocket Salad
A simple yet gorgeous salad to rustle up for the weekend!
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 handful’s wild rocket, washed and dried
½ red onion
80 g feta cheese
3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
Method
- Place the rocket into your serving bowl
- Slice the onion and scatter over the top
- Crumble the feta over the salad
- Whisk the olive oil and dried oregano in a small mixing bowl
- Dress the salad with a tablespoon
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds
Chicory Salad with Pear and Walnuts
This really is a simple salad that evokes big flavour!
Ingredients for the salad
10 Chicory heart’s, leave peeled away from the core
1 pear, ripe but firm, halved, core removed and finely sliced
100 g walnuts
1 stick celery, finely sliced
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
100 g Roquefort cheese
Ingredients for the dressing
50 g Roquefort cheese
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 pinch black pepper
Method to make the dressing
Pass the Roquefort cheese through a sieve using the back of a spoon
Add the sour cream and combine until smooth
Whisk in the olive oil and white wine vinegar slowly
Season with black pepper and taste, adding more if necessary
Method to assemble the salad
Place the chicory in a large bowl and pour over the dressing
Toss to coat the leaves carefully and then place on a large flat platter
Add the slices of pear and celery on top
Crumble the walnuts, then the Roquefort cheese over the top
Finish with the chives
Stuffed Sweet potatoes
Comfort food, even when they are cold!
Ingredients
4 large, orange fleshed sweet potatoes
3 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped
80 g soft feta
60 g butter
4 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp chives, snipped
Sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Wash the sweet potatoes, scrubbing them well to remove any dirt
- With a fork, prick the sweet potatoes all over and place on a baking tray
- Bake for about 35 – 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted goes into the center easily
- Remove and allow to cool
- Slice the sweet potatoes lengthways down the center
- Scoop out the flesh and place in a mixing bowl
- Add the walnuts, feta, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and season generously
- Mix gently but thoroughly together
- Taste and adjust the seasoning
- Stuff the sweet potatoes back with the mixture
- Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly
- Garnish with fresh chives
Onion Bhaji
A deliciously scrumptious snack that has an incredible balance of spices and fruitiness.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 onions, sliced
20g Vegetable Oil
1 Lemon (Juiced)
2 cloves garlic
1 knob Ginger
Batter
150g Gram flour
250g Water
½ tsp Tumeric
1 ½ tsp Chat Masala
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Chilli powder
½ tsp Cinnamon powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Corriander powder
1 tsp Fenugreek powder
Method
- Place the vegetable oil into a non-stick pan.
- When the oil is hot, add the onions and toss for 2 minutes.
- Then add 1 pinch of all the spices evenly from the batter ingredients.
- Now add all the garlic and ginger and stir together.
- Add the lemon juice and finally stir.
- Now just remove the pan from the stove and allow to cool.
- To make the batter, pass the gram flour through a sieve.
- Then whisk the water and the rest of the spices together with the flour.
- Finally batter the onion in clumps, deep fry for under 2 – 4 minutes at 180c until crisp and golden.
- Before serving add lemon juice
Sweet Curry Sauce
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 knob ginger, finely chopped
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp madras curry powder
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
½ tp cinnamon powder
4 cardamom pods
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp sultanas finely chopped
½ tsp paprika
½ handful fresh chopped coriander
100ml water
Method
- Place oil into a thick-based pan.
- When hot add onions and stir until light brown.
- Now add the ginger and garlic and stir for a further 5 minutes(don’t burn).
- Then add the tomatoes and stir for another 3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients, and slowly stir in the water. Simmer on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Finally add the sour cream, and fresh coriander.
Twice Baked Cheese Soufflé
This is a light and fluffy ball of cheesiness.
Amazeballs!
Ingredients
85g strong cheese
30g butter
30g flour
125ml milk
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 egg yolk
6 egg whites Salt to taste
To line the moulds:
1 handful breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp hazelnuts (optional)
Method
- Transfer to a bowl, whisk in the egg yolk and set aside.
- Remove from the heat, add the cheese and whisk until smooth.
- Return to the heat and bring to the boil, whisking constantly.
- Whisk the milk into this mixture, making sure that you have no lumps.
- Melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux.
- Preheat your oven to 190°C.
- Lightly butter the inside of the ramekins and line with the hazelnuts and breadcrumbs. Set aside and if not using immediately, refrigerate.
- Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Be sure not to take them any further as they will become grainy and spoil your soufflé.
- Season the béchamel well with salt and cayenne pepper.
- With a spatula, mix in a third of the beaten egg whites.
- Gently fold in the remaining two thirds.
- Fill the lined ramekins with the soufflé mixture one third of the way up
- Then place a diced piece of cheese or blue cheese in the centre. (optional)
- Cover with the remaining mixture and smooth the surface with a pallet knife.
- Line a suitable bain-marie with paper. Place the ramekins in the tray and very carefully pour in boiling water to reach two thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
- Place this tray onto the heat and bring back to the boil, then place into the oven and bake for 10 – 12 minutes.
- Once golden and baked, take the moulds out of the water and leave to cool for 1 minute before turning the souffles out onto a tray lined with the breadcrumb.
- When ready to serve, loosen the souffles from the tray
- Place back in a pre heated oven of 190°C for 10 minutes
- Serve immediately