May 24, 2009

BALSAMIC & HERB LAMB CHOPS, FRENCH FOUGASSE…& PEACH & MIXED FRUIT CRUMBLES!

“Talk of joy: there may be things better than beef stew and baked potatoes and home-made bread – there may be.”

David Grayson

We had a good meal … it was yummy. I was in a mood to cook LOTS, & the lad joined in with his requests! At the meat shop yesterday, while I was trying to find direction in what to buy, he requested for lamb chops … “like you had made earlier Mama”, he said, “and the ‘French fries’ too!” Those refer to Greek Roasted Potatoes that I often make from Kalofagas.

I sometimes do a variation on them … an addition of lots of garlic, & some red chili flakes. I simmer the olive oil with the ingredients to get a deep flavour, & then leave it to cool while the flavours mature. Toss the potato wedges in the oil, & bake till fork tender, about 30 minutes.

The request didn’t end there of course. “If you are making bread Mama, then can you make the one you made with walnuts the other day? I really loved that one.” Back to making French Fougasse, which is indeed delicious & addictive! You can play around with the stuffing as you like. The crumbles, I must admit, were my own calling, & they were also deeply satisfying!!

MARINATED BALSAMIC & HERB LAMB CHOPS
Ingredients:

750gms Lamb Chops (about 10-12)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps roasted garlic paste
Handful fresh herbs, chopped (I use lots of oregano, & some basil & thyme)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsps each phalsa concentrate & plum sauce (or any berry sauce)
Balsamico Glaze to serve (optional)

Method:

Whisk the oil, balsamic vinegar,garlic paste, salt & pepper & half the chopped herbs, & marinate the lamb in it for at least an hour, though overnight is better.
Turn into the cooker & cook under pressure for 20 minutes on medium till lamb is tender.
Allow the steam to die down, then simmer the lamb in the juices, with the berry sauce & remaining herbs. Once the sauce is nice & thick, add the balsamico glaze if using.
Serve with French fougasse (recipe follows), or focaccia, Peter’s Greek Roasted Potatoes @ Kalofagas or a cold sweetcorn-potato salad in buttermilk ranch yogurt dressing, steamed green beans, a Romesco dip…

I’ve been on a positive bread baking high these days. Found some fresh yeast in a store I was visiting, & have timidly begun experimenting. I can say that baking with fresh yeast is a totally satisfying experience. WOW … the first time I made the dough it rose so much, it frightened me.

It’s a bread that I have now to hide from the kids. Made 4 loaves, & 1 was history before I knew it, coz the little mites are having a nibble each time they passed by the cooling racks. This is the second time I’ve made it, on popular request. Helen said the other day that she loves fougasse, & grew up on it. I wasn’t that lucky, but hopefully my kids shall repeat her words one day.

I used a firm cottage cheese within in place of Roquefort. This is a bread worth experimenting with. Use your own fillings. The one in the main picture is one in which I rolled & twisted the dough into a spiral to see if it would hold the filling. It did, & looked rather rustic & moreish. The other loaves are as explained below!!

A fougasse is a lattice-shaped, flattish loaf from the South of France. it can be cooked as a plain bread, or flavoured with cheese, anchovies, herbs, nuts or olives. This Fougasse has been Yeastspotted, & is off to Susan @ Wild Yeast!

FRENCH FOUGASSE
From The Practical Encyclopaedia of Baking, pg 444
Ingredients:
450gms all purpose flour
280ml warm water
20gms fresh yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sea salt (+ a little extra for sprinkling on the cottage cheese if using)
200gms firm cottage cheese, crumble (or 50gms Roquefort cheese)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil for brushing
Method:

Take 4 tbsps of water from the 280ml, & dissolve the fresh yeast into it. Stir the salt & 2 tbsp olive oil into the remaining water.
Make a well with the flour, & pour the dissolved yeast & water mixture into it. Knead to a dough, kneading further on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes, till it gets smooth & elastic.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover the bowl with cling wrap & leave in a warm place for about an hour until doubled.
Punch down & divide into 4 balls of dough (or 2 if you have a big oven)
Roll out to about an 8″ circle, sprinkle with walnuts, & 1/4 of the crumbled cottage cheese. Season lightly with sale & pepper.
Fold over the dough 2-3 times on itself to incorporate the stuffing. Shape each back into a ball.
Flatten each & fold the bottom third up, & top third down to make an oblong.
Roll 2 of these long rectangle shapes & cut 6 slits. Stretch the dough to look like a ladder.
Roll 2 into ovals with a flat base, cut slits diagonally, three on each side. Pull slightly to open the cuts.
Place on oiled baking sheets. Cover with cling wrap & leave to double for 35-40minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220C, brush the loaves with olive oil, & bake for approximately 25-30 minutes till golden brown. Cool on racks.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: A suggested sweet variation is to replace 1 tbsp of water with 1 tbsp of orange flower water, & include 50gms of chopped candied peel, & 25gms of sugar.

With the main meal done, in our home, there’s always room for dessert! Judy mentioned the other day that her peach pie is perfect for any fruit looking like it’s about to rot. Can’t happen to me I thought, but foodie that I am, eating my words is becoming very second nature.

Decided to clear out the fridge. Hmmmm…did she say ‘fruit ready to spoil’? I dug a cartload out. I had a bunch of peaches which were fine, & had been bought for a peach crumble (along with brown sugar). Behind them, came tumbling some more fruit crying to be used – apricots, cherries, mangoes … all ready to crumble. Chopped up everything in a frenzy, with the daughter helping with pitting the cherries … (I spent a good 5 minutes picking the pips out that she kept dropping in ‘by mistake’).

Once everything is chopped, this dessert is a cakewalk. You can find the recipe for Apricot & Cherry Mini Crumbles here, that I made just a couple of days ago from Judy’s @ No Fear Entertaining. The only change from my earlier post is that I used a variety of fruits here, as mentioned above, & brown sugar this time. Once you got all the fruit chopped up, the sugar & flour in, taste the mixture for sweetness. There’s nothing else to this beautiful, addictive dessert … other than a scoop of ice-cream or a dollop of whipped cream of course!!

March 22, 2009

ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER & LAMB PASTA…HHDD & CLICK

“Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art. It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements.”
Marcel Boulestin

This is my first entry for a Hay Hay it’s Donna Day event, & for some reason the event makes me somewhat nervous. I’ve wanted to be part of it for long, but can’t figure out if I meet the bill, or am on the right track. Just one of those things I guess…

The Hay Hay it’s Donna Day food blogging event started back in October 2005 when fellow food blogger Barbara from Winos and Foodies blogged about a Donna Hay recipe entitled “Self-Frosting cupcakes”. Barbara invited bloggers to share their take on this idea, by alternating the spread if they so desired, but not the cupcake batter – this was to remain Donna Hay’s original recipe. Barbara coined the event “Hay Hay it’s Donna Day”, a play on Donna Hay’s surname, obviously, but also after a popular Australian variety show on T.V during the 80’s called “Hey Hey it’s Saturday”. In April 2008, Barbara handed the ropes to Bron, who is now the facilitator and caretaker of Hay Hay it’s Donna Day.

HHDD #26 is being hosted this time by a very talented blogger Soma @ ecurry. Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but I can’t for the love of me figure out whether I’m on the right track or not. Anyway, this delicious ‘Roasted Red bell Pepper & Lamb Pasta’ that I made just the other day, & served with my first ever batch of No Knead Artisan Bread is my entry for HHDD #26.

It’s not often that I use lamb in pasta, my choice for a non-veg pasta is normally chicken. In fact, the only time I use red meat is when I make lasagna, my daughter’s fave pasta, though have now switched over to chicken mince on that front too. Chicken because it cooks faster, because personally I prefer white meat to red, & so does the heart … it’s also easier on Mother Earth. Oh, before I carry on, can I remind you to give your vote by turning the lights off for an hour 8.30pm-9.30pm local time. 8:30PM local time, wherever you live on planet earth. Saturday 28 March 2009 … for Earth Hour. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

Right then, back to the pasta. I love red bell peppers & roast a few whenever I get a good deal. I had some roasted ones in olive oil in the fridge, leftover from my Pitanini sandwich filling. Thought I’d use them for the event Soma’s hosting. This recipe is a twist off the Ragu d’Agnello e Peperoni from The Pasta Bible, & is a light flavourful way to serve pasta. The bay leaves lend beautiful flavour, particularly to the lamb, & to the dish as well. Make sure to tear them & put them in. I tend to put mine into the hot oil to release the flavours. Using the bay leaves made me think ‘WOOD’, which is the theme for this month’s photography event CLICK @ Jugalbandi.

This is my entry, ‘BAY LEAVES’, clicked from a bunch that my sis-in-law sent from Siliguri in West India many many years ago. I have always loved this bunch, & it’s been with me for almost 8 years. I use the leaves off the twigs whenever I need them, which is often, & then store it back carefully.

ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER & LAMB PASTA
adapted from The Pasta Bible, pg 138
Ingredients:
4tbsp olive oil
250gms boneless lamb; cut into bite sized pieces
6-8 garlic cloves; chopped fine
2-3 bay leaves; torn
1/2 a cup of red wine
4 ripe tomatoes; peeled & chopped fine
2 large red bell peppers; chargrilled & chopped fine
1 cup cooked sweetcorn
Handful of fresh oregano leaves
Salt & black pepper

Method:

Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic & bay leaves & saute on simmer till the oil gets fragrant. Add the lamb, season with salt & pepper, & cook over medium to high heat till the pieces are well browned.
Pour in the wine & let it bubble until reduced.
Add the remaining oil, the finely chopped bell roasted red bell pepper, the finely chopped tomatoes, the fresh herbs & the sweetcorn. Mix well.
Cover & simmer for 30-45 minutes until the lamb is fork tender. Stir occasionally & moisten with water if required. Remove the bay leaves once done.
When it’s about 20 minutes to go, put water on the boil for the pasta. Cook pasta, toss it with the lamb & roasted bell pepper mixture & serve immediately. A crusty bread on the side makes the meal sing. Add a salad, a glass of red wine, a bunch of flowers & it’s time to party!

January 8, 2009

GRAB THE GLASSES…THE KEBABS ARE HERE!

Cuisine is the tactile connection we have to breathing history.History and culture offer us a vibrant living society that we taste through cuisine.All cuisine is a reflection of the society from which it emanates … in the end cuisine is the result of culture”

Clifford Wright

When it’s time for celebration, clink glasses or serve these kebabs in them! Another gem of a recipe, adapted from this Shammi kebab recipe from Mallika @ Quick Indian Cooking. These have become a regular on the menu, & you can always find a box in my freezer. Kebabs like this are very handy indeed, & serve well for a delicious snack, or even a dinner in a roll. These are the handiest & quickest dinner wraps in flatbreads/chapatis that I make often, & are greedily devoured with a slathering of dip, & a topping of finely sliced onions, tossed in lime & salt!A Shammi Kebab is a small patty of minced beef, mutton or chicken and ground chickpeas and spices. These are India’s most popular kebabs of Mughal origin. Shami kebabs are an extremely popular snack in India and Pakistan. They are often garnished with lemon juice and/or sliced raw onions, and are usually eaten with chutney made from mint or coriander. They are a nice addition to the main menu at a dinner party. Just one thing to remember…they must be served hot. Run them in the microwave to reheat them if need be, as they taste best when hot, & ‘bestest’, fresh from the pan!!!The recipe is a neat lean lamb mince kebab recipe, that can be prepared much in advance. I usually make a double batch & sneak half into the freezer, & gleefully enjoy the feeling that I have some ready to eat yummies on hand always. At this time too…yes!! I have adapted it in my own small way, & it’s a big hit.Habitually, I now make my garam masala, fresh, each time. I think it’s because I’m totally in love with my stone pestle & mortar I picked up when I visited Mahabalipuram, near Chennai, South India. You can substitute it for ready-made garam masala. Or else, go as per the original recipe, where whole spices are cooked with the mince, & everything is ground together later. Of course I’m envious of all your Cuisine-arts, Kitchen-aids etc, but that’s another story. For the time being, have found my own convenient way around!Shammi Kebabs
adapted from Quick Indian Cooking
Lean goat mince – 1/2 kilo (from shank)
Onions – 2; finely chopped
Ginger – 2′ piece; finely chopped
Chana dal (skinned, split bengal gram) – 1/2 cup; soaked for an hour
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Bay leaves – 2-3
Garam masala – 1 tsp (I grind fresh garam masala)
Green chillies – 2-3; chopped
Fresh coriander leaves – 1 bunch; chopped fine
Ghee – 1 tsp (optional)
Method:

Heat some oil in a pan. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the bay leaves & garam masala.
Add mince & roast well till browned. Add the dry masalas, soaked chana dal, ghee & about 1/4 cup of water. Add salt to taste. Cook till mince cooked & dry. I pressure cook it, on low, for about 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the dal squishes easily between your fingers.
I smoke the mince at this point with a piece of hot coal to get the smoked flavour.
Cool & grind with green chillies in food processor. Adjust seasoning. Add chopped coriander leaves if you like, & make small patties (about 2″ ones) & store in boxes between layers of cling wrap. This just makes it easier to use even small batches if you have frozen the entire lot.
To serve, fry 1-2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan, and lay the patties out in a single layer. Fry on low heat, without overcrowding the pan. Do not disturb too often. Each side will take about 10 minutes to get a nice crust. Serve with onion rings, lime wedges & a green chutney!