Archive for Entertaining

Spinach, sun-dried tomato and goat’s cheese roulade

August 4, 2007 at 7:44 am · Filed under Eggs and cheese, Entertaining

This sounds really complicated, but actually it’s a doddle, and looks incredibly impressive. I served it cold when I made it last night, but there’s no reason why it couldn’t be hot. If you can’t get hold of fresh goat’s curd, which is basically just a low fat soft goat’s cheese, any soft (i.e. rindless) goat’s cheese would do.

Serves 2-3

3 large eggs

oil for greasing

300g spinach

8 sun-dried tomato halves (in oil)

100g fresh goat’s curd

salt

1. Grease a small, flat baking tray (or swiss roll tin) and line with a sheet of greaseproof paper, which must be around 4cm bigger in width and length than the actual tray, thus forming a rim round all four sides (this is so the eggy mixture doesn’t just flop off).  Grease the greaseproof paper – a pastry brush is good for this.
2. Place the eggs in a large bowl with a pinch of salt,  and whisk until frothy. You’ll know they’re done when you can pull the whisk out and draw a figure of eight with the trail that the egg makes.

3. Pour the egg mixture onto the prepared tray, and spread out evenly.

4. Bake in the oven, gas mark 4, for around 15-20 minutes, or until just beginning to go golden brown on top.

5. While this is cooking, lightly steam the spinach with a pinch of salt.  Don’t overcook.

6. When the egg mixture is cooked, remove from the oven, and invert the tray onto a large chopping board or work surface. Carefully peel off the greaseproof paper. Don’t worry if quite a lot of it seems to have stuck – as long as it hasn’t got holes in it, you’re ok.

7. Spread the goat’s curd over the egg mixture, covering it completely.

8. Spread the spinach over the goat’s curd, then chop the sun-dried tomatoes, and make a line of them in the middle of the rectangle.

9. Roll up as you would a swiss roll, then chill until you want to serve.

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Butternut bhajis with quick raita

June 29, 2006 at 9:09 am · Filed under Entertaining, Vegan

If you’ve got a load of butternut squash that needs eating, what do you do?  Make bhajis, of course!  I made up this recipe as I went along, but it seemed to turn out ok (as usual my partner drooled over them, but he tends to drool over everything).  I served it with a very quick raita, so quick that it really amounted to cheating, but you could make a nicer one if you’ve got time.  If you’re vegan, the bhajis would be perfectly acceptable on their own.  If you’re not familiar with gram flour, it’s Indian chickpea flour, and you can normally find it in Asian grocery shops or healthfood shops.

Serves 2-3

For the bhajis

1lb butternut squash

1 red onion

2 tbsp fresh coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

5 tbsps gram flour

salt & pepper to taste

sunflower oil for deep frying

1. Peel the butternut, scoop out and discard any seeds, and chop the flesh into large chunks.

2. Boil in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, or until tender.

3. Mash the butternut with a potato masher.

4. Finely chop the onion and coriander, and add to the mashed butternut along with the cumin and seasoning.

5. Add the gram flour.  If the mixture looks very sloppy you might need to add an extra tablespoon or so, but bear in mind that these little bhajis are intended to be quite soft on the inside.

6. Heat 2cm of oil in a large frying pan, and when hot drop dessertspoons of the mixture into the hot oil.  Fry on one side until brown, then flip over with a spatula and do the other side.  You’ll probably need to do several batches.

7. Leave to drain on a double layer of kitchen towel, then put in a pre-heated oven to keep warm.

For the raita

Half a cucumber

3 tbsps Greek yoghurt

1 tsp dried mint

1/2 small onion

salt & pepper to taste

1. Finely chop the onion and cucumber, and mix with the remaining ingredients.

Serve the warm bhajis with the raita over the top.  They are good as a side dish, with rice and curry.

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Courgette and feta filo pie

June 21, 2006 at 9:13 am · Filed under Eggs and cheese, Entertaining

This is a relatively easy dish, but one that's great for entertaining.  I used rice in it, simply because I had some left over from the previous night, but it would probably work ok without it.  The amount of pastry you need entirely depends on the size of the sheets, but reckon on having 3 layers on the bottom and 3 layers on the top.

Serves 3-4

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

3 medium courgettes

2 tbsp fresh dill

2 tbsp flat leaf parsely

75g Greek feta cheese

2 eggs

2 tbsp cooked white rice

salt and pepper to taste

6 sheets filo pastry

50g melted butter

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic, and gently soften in the olive oil in a large frying pan.

2. Slice the courgettes, add them to the pan and continue cooking over a gentle heat until tender.  You might need to put a lid on the pan to prevent burning.

3. When the vegetables are fully cooked at the chopped dill and parsely, and continue cooking for 1 minute.

4. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes.

5. Finely chop the feta and add it to the vegetables along with the eggs, rice and seasoning.

6. Brush the base and sides of a rectangular baking dish with the melted butter, then place one layer of filo pastry on top.  Brush the pastry with more butter, and put another layer on top.  Continue until you have three layers of buttered pastry.

7. Spoon the vegetables into the dish on top of the pastry.

8. Tuck in the edges of the pastry, then place three more layers of buttered pastry on top, taking care to neaten the edges.  Make sure the final layer is well buttered.

9. Cook in the oven at gas mark 5 until the filling is set and the top is nicely browned.

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Layered buckwheat galettes with mushrooms, asparagus and stilton

June 12, 2006 at 1:34 pm · Filed under Entertaining, Pancakes

Buckwheat isn't used much in this country, which is a shame. No relative of wheat (and entirely gluten free), buckwheat is grown extensively in Eastern Europe and Russia. It's also used to make these traditional galettes, or Breton buckwheat crepes. Apparently true galettes are only cooked on one side, but these ones are cooked on both. Unlike ordinary wheat flour pancakes, which can be a bit temperamental, these are virtually fool-proof, and never seem to break or collapse. The batter makes four, although you'll only need three of them. In my experience, leftover pancakes rarely survive for long before being eaten up.

4 rounded tbsp buckwheat flour
pinch salt
1 egg
1/2 pint skimmed milk
1 tsp olive oil
Butter for frying

1. Place the flour and salt in a bowl, and gradually beat in the egg. Don't worry if it's a bit lumpy at this stage.
2. Gradually add the milk, beating continually with a wooden spoon to make a smooth batter.
3. Beat in the olive oil (this will help stop the pancakes sticking).
4. Leave to stand for 1/2 an hour.
5. Heat the butter in a large frying pan, or even better an omelette pan, until brown and bubbling. It's important to get it very hot.
6. Measure out a ladle full of the batter into the pan, and spread across the entire pan. When bubbles start appearing on the surface, turn the pancake over using a spatula (or toss it if you feel adventurous). The other side will only need cooking for a few seconds.
7. Repeat until all the mixture has been used up.

25g dried wild mushrooms (porcini or mixed)
1 clove garlic
1/2 red onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bunches thin asparagus spears
250g chestnut mushrooms
250g button mushrooms
2 tbsp chopped parsely
1 tbsp plain flour
75ml dry white wine
200g half fat creme fraiche
50g stilton
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

1. Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 20 minutes
2. Finely chop the garlic and onion, and soften gently in the olive oil in a large frying pan for 2 minutes.
3. Chop the asparagus and add to the pan. Fry for 5 minutes over a gentle heat.
4. Slice the fresh mushrooms and add them to the pan, together with the drained dried mushrooms. Fry gently until all the vegetables have softened.
5. Add the chopped parsely, then stir in the flour.
6. Gradually add the white wine, followed by the creme fraiche, until the sauce is smooth and thickened.
7. Turn off the heat, then add the grated stilton, nutmeg and seasoning.
8. Place one pancake in the bottom of a large flan dish, and spread half of the mushroom and asparagus it. Top with another pancake and another layer of sauce, and finish with another pancake.
9. Cover with foil and place in the oven, gas mark 5, until heated through.

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