No Bother Borek

Not long ago, I decided to try my hand at home-made cheese. My first attempt worked but was not very tasty. As I can't stand waste, I looked for a recipe which would take care of my cheese creation.

That's when I came across Borek.

I always thought anything to do with filo pastry was rather fiddly, as it goes, I was wrong. Now, I won't claim to have made filo from scratch, that would be a step too far, unnecessary too, as commercially bought filo is perfectly acceptable. Please note that a 'proper' borek should be made out of yufka: a large round pastry only slightly different from filo. However, this recipe is for 'No bother borek' and sourcing fresh yufka is not easy.

Borek can be made in several shapes, pies, triangles, small cylinders looking like cigars, or rolled into as a sausage which sometimes wound around itself. I used spinach, dill, chives and parsley but, any greens in season such as cavolo nero will do fine.

Spinach and Feta Borek

Ingredients 

250g spinach
25g dill, chopped
25g chives, chopped
25g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
500g cheese, feta or ricotta -any similar variation will do fine-
2 medium eggs, beaten
1tsp ground nutmeg
400g filo pastry
100g unsalted butter, melted - don't be tempted to skip on the butter-
1tsp nigella seeds optional but these little black seeds make the borek authentic

Method

• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper.
• Put the spinach and herbs in a large bowl. Add the cheese, eggs and nutmeg and season with black pepper and salt. Take your time of mixing the ingredients
• lay 3 sheets of filo on your work station, brush with the butter one at the time and layer together. Put a handful of the feta mixture near one of the short ends of the pastry and roll up. Squeeze the ends of the roll together to seal. Twist the pastry roll into a snail shape and put on the baking tray. Repeat until you run out of mixture.
• Brush the pastries with butter and scatter over the nigella seeds. Bake for 25-30 mins or until golden brown.
• If you fancy more recipes along the same lines
• Try this Greek recipe: Spanakopita
• For those of you who are watching the calories, why not giving Olga Pie a go

Holy Guacamole

You'd have had to live with a 5p plastic bag over your head not to notice that the price of avocado has shot up in the past year. it's a matter of high demand and meagre harvest though a single California Hass Avocado tree can produce 500 fruits (by the way avocados are fruits not veg) this year the harvest was poor and the demand has not dropped on the contrary there has been a spike.

Once reserved for the rich since the not so rich have discovered how good and how tasty avocado is the supply is struggling. Like most people, I have a penchant for this lovely egg shaped fruit. Unlike some, who I won't name, when I mash an avocado on a toast, I do it quietly. There is no point of making a fuss about such thing but....

Since Pebble Soup won a prize for a perfect Come 'n Dine With Me menu which included Guacamole as a starter. I've meant to share the recipe for this delicious and healthy dish. Each family has its own recipe. I do mine using a food processor with the pulse button, it's chunky but the on button would get it to a smooth paste if that's your preference.

I throw in all that can be added, that way it reminds me of my travels in Mexico where we mostly lived on street food. I found a recipe which matches exactly my requirements in The Ideas Kitchen, a Panasonic Kitchen site whose ambassador is one of my favourite chefs, Tom Kitchin. Serendipity.

Mexican Guacamole Recipe

Serves 

  

	2 Avocado
	1 Lime
	1 Tomatoes
	1 Garlic Cloves
	1/2 Red Onion
	1/2 bunch Coriander
	To taste Salt
	To taste Black Pepper
	1/2 Green chili
	1 tbsp Olive Oil

Directions

SHARE

This Mexican Guacamole will have everyone at the table scraping the bowl with their nachos! This delicious dip is perfect with nachos, dolloped atop a chili con carne, or inside yummy tacos and quesadillas!

So easy to make in the food processor! Simply blitz up a couple of ripe avocados, olive oil, red onion, garlic, tomato, lime juice, and some green chili if you like a kick! Season to taste and enjoy!

Steps

1	Peel and de-stone the avocados. Add to the food processor with the olive oil.
2	Squeeze in the juice of the lime.
3	Chop the tomato and add to the food processor.
4	Add the chopped onion, garlic and chili.
5	Season to taste.

For more info and disclaimer :  all words and opinions in this post are my own The post is sponsored by Panasonic. To know more about  Food Processor recipes  click on the link

Spreading the guacamole with CookBlogShare

Beetroot Hummus : One of Your Five a Day

This hummus subtle earthy flavour is the main reason for giving it a go but, it's not the only one.

Beetroot Hummus is also an easy way to incorporate a vegetable in your five a day. It may be lurid pink but it's also smooth and totally yummy. Perfect with pita or veggies.

For this recipe, I boiled the beetroot though normally I bake beets. Baking beetroots brings the flavours out however it also takes slightly longer. A friend of mine microwaves hers and she swears by that method. Either way, you'll need a cook beetroot.

Beetroot Hummus

Ingredients

1 small cooked beetroot
250 g of cooked chickpeas (tin will do)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 or 3 cloves garlic crushed
2 tbsp tahini
virgin olive oil
Salt, pepper and if you feel advanturous a pinch of ground cumin

Method

Nothing could be simpler
In a food processor, whisk the beetroot with the garlic cloves and the lemon
Add the chickpeas, tahini and pulse
Add the oil a little at the time until you have obtained the consistency you need
Season and serve

Another unconventional Hummus Recipe from Pebble Soup

More inspirated healthy recipes with

Lentils and Bacon Salad with a Sauce Ravigote & 6 Specialities from Lyon to Try Out..if You Dare

Lyon and its culinary specialties always make me feel a little nostalgic. Don't get me wrong, I love London and since it has been my home for 3 decades, I feel more like a Londoner than I do a Lyonnaise.

I can't say immigration is easy, a little bit of me stayed behind. The little bit which likes to feel safe and is not referred to my nationality, the colour of my skin or my accent. But then, would I have stayed and I would have resented the insular mentality of a town which is known for giving the cold shoulder to anyone who is new to it.

Lyon's architecture is well known for its imposing buildings with their 18th-century facades, tall windows behind which silk weaving looms worked night and day. The families lived in a "sous-pente" a kind of attic in between storeys. Last time, we went we played the tourists, stayed in a hotel overnight and ate "en terrace" in a "bouchon" cobbled street.

So what can you expect from "la cuisine Lyonnaise"?

La Cervelle de canut: As its name does not indicate, it is not about offal but simply fresh beaten white cheese, embellished with shallots, chives and parsley finely chopped, garlic (optional) not forgetting the fresh cream.

The workers of silk, known as the canuts, enjoyed it during for breakfast, after their long night of work.

Quenelle: Without hesitation, we can say that the quenelle is one of the dishes that have made the gastronomic renown of the city of Lyon. It is a dough made from flour, eggs, and fish in the shape of a roll. The dumpling is poached in the water before cooking and served gratinated with its delicious sauce Nantua. Let yourself be tempted you will not regret it.

Andouillette: Andouillette is one of the dishes based on offal and tripe typically Lyonnais. Made with veal or pork, it is served hot, with white wine, breaded or in a gratin. Since 2015, the "veau rose", which was at the origin of the recipe Lyon, is reauthorize and return to almost all restaurants.

Tablier de sapeur: In fact, the name inspires nothing of gastronomy and yet ... Also part of the family of guts and offal, le tablier is similar to an "escalope of fat-double breaded", it is cooked in a pan, served hot with sauce "gribiche" (mustard based).

The Sabodet or Saucisson Chaud: The Sabodet is a cooked sausage based on minced pork head, it is cooked in water and served in slices with steamed vegetables, mustar, and gherkins.

Tete de Veau: In the Lyonnaise line of offal and tripe. You should dare to taste the head of veal "a la Lyonnaise" with a sauce gribiche or ravigote and served with steamed vegetables or as a salad with pulse

Lentils and Bacon Salad with Sauce Ravigote

I have adapted the tete de veau recipe to the products which can be found in the UK

You'll need grilled bacon.
Cooked Puy lentils, refrigerated for 1/2h to two hours
For the Sauce Ravigote

-2 hard boiled eggs -1 tbs mustard -2 shallots -1 tbs Capers -1 tps pickled gerkin chopped -1 tps fresh herbs (chives, parsley etc..) -6 tps oil (you may need a little more) -2 tbsp vinegar -salt pepper

Method

Peel the shallots and cut into thin slices.
Peel the hard boiled eggs.
Crumble the egg yolks and chop the whites.
Cut the capers in 2.
Chop the gerkins
Mix the egg yolks, mustard and vinegar in a bowl. salt and pepper.
Add a little oil and whisk all.
Then add the shallots, the herbs, the egg whites, the capers and the gherkins. Stir the mixture. Keep in a cool place for 15 min.
Add the sauce to the lentils and bacon and serve cold.

I've added this post to July Inheritance Recipes this month hosted by the lovely Coffee and Vanilla as it is part of my growing up food culture

Spiced Cod Falafel with Harissa Mayonnaise from "Fress" by Emma Spitzer

More Harissa but moreover, a recipe from a very talented Master Chef finalist, Emma Spitzer. 

Emma Spitzer was born and raised in Brighton to Jewish parents of Polish and Russian descent. "She’s definitely someone who cooks from the heart, and I love that” said John Torode. Her style is big, bold flavours with many different ingredients coming together on one plate. She creates a fusion of Middle-Eastern and Eastern European flavours 

As Masterchef returned to our screens, we hear from all the contestants that this is a program which changed their life. It's certainly the case for Tony Rodd (same series as Emma) who I interviewed recently for the Greenwich Visitor as Tony is opening a restaurant in Blackheath soon.

As for Emma, she has been teaching cookery classes and demonstrating at food festivals, running sell-out supper clubs and catering for private dining events and her debut cookbook, "Fress" is out today. So this recipe is a bit of a scoop.

Emma Spitzer creates a fusion of Middle-Eastern and Eastern European flavours with this contemporary Jewish cookbook. “Fress” is a Yiddish word meaning “to eat copiously and without restraint”’s debut cookbook. Spitzer’s style of cooking is unfussy and uncomplicated, extracting the maximum flavour from the humblest of ingredients without spending hours in the kitchen. Her food has a strong Jewish identity.

Her melting pot of inspiration embraces Poland and Russia, Jewish recipes learned from her mother, travels in Israel, Egypt, Jordan and North Africa, as well as Algerian recipes shared by her mother-in-law. Emma describes it to everyone in the know as Ashkenazi meets Sephardi.

In my opinion, "Fress" is a happy book or in the author's words “Fress is the realisation of a dream to bring classic, Jewish dishes into the modern day, in a book where the recipes are both accessible and exciting for the home cook to create.” 

Chapters

* Small plates for sharing 

* Soups 

* Big plates with meat and fish 

* Big plates with veg 

* Dressings, pickles and sauces *

* Sides and salads *

* Sweets and baking *

Spiced Cod Falafel with Harissa Mayonnaise

Falafel is ubiquitous across the Middle East and there are numerous ways

to make them, but the humble chickpea is always the staple ingredient.

Accompanied with a nice runny Tahini Dressing, perhaps a dash

of chilli sauce and hot chips in doughy warm pitta bread, they are simply

heavenly. This is how you will find them served across falafel bars throughout

Israel. When you add some succulent white fish as the main ingredient, it

lightens them into more of a fishcake texture. They work beautifully with

a harissa mayonnaise, perfect for a starter or light supper.

Makes about 20 falafel

Ingredients

• 200g dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight
• table salt
• 800g skinless cod loin (or any similar
• white fish fillet, such as coley, hake or
• haddock), chopped into large pieces
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• large handful of coriander, stalks and
• leaves finely chopped
• small handful of dill, stalks and leaves
• finely chopped
• small handful of flat leaf parsley, stalks
• and leaves finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground sumac
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 80g sesame seeds
• 2 eggs
• 100g panko breadcrumbs, I use ordinary breadcrumbs
• freshly ground black pepper
• sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• sea salt flakes
• lemon wedges, for squeezing
• 
  
• For the harissa mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Harissa
• 3–4 tablespoons mayonnaise

Method

Drain the chickpeas, rinse and place in a large saucepan. 

Cover with plenty of fresh salted water and bring to the boil. Continue to cook for at least 2 hours or until soft, then drain and leave to cool.

Cut the cod into chunks and add to a food processor along with the cooled

chickpeas, onion, garlic and herbs. 

Pulse in short bursts so as not to ruin the delicate nature of the fish – a meat grinder works really well here, if you have one. 

Transfer to a bowl, add the spices, 1 teaspoon table salt (or 2 teaspoons

coarse sea salt), a few twists of black pepper and the sesame seeds and stir

through. 

Cover and pop the mixture into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Wet your hands and roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and spread the breadcrumbs out on a plate. Dip each falafel in turn into the beaten egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs.

Preheat the oven to 110°C/90°C fan/Gas Mark ¼.

Heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep-fat fryer or large saucepan to around

150°C (don’t fill the pan more than halfway). 

Deep-fry the falafel, in batches, for about 5–6 minutes until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper, then keep the cooked falafel warm in the oven while you fry the rest.

Meanwhile, mix the harissa with the mayonnaise, adding more or less of

each depending on how hot you want it.

Season the falafel with sea salt flakes and serve immediately accompanied

by the Harissa Mayonnaise and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

As Emma's family meals reminds me very much of my maternal grandfather's, I link this recipe to Inheritance Recipes, hosted here this month in collaboration with Coffee 'n Vanilla

I am also linking this recipe to COOK BLOG SHARE, 

Caramelised onion in Puff - Mid-Week Dinner Idea

 Imagine you have a friend who has a favourite vegetable  As a host your first reaction would be to cook that very vegetable to please your friend wouldn't it?

Now imagine that the vegetable is an onion. Yes, you see the problem now and that is the conundrum which I faced when my friend came on one of her rare visits from Toronto.

So I called on Higgidy Pie because I know that Camilla Stephens always has an answer. To be perfectly honest, I was really looking for an onion tart recipe when I can across these Sticky Onions in the Higgidy Cookbook.

This recipe is a little marvel, it's quick, the sweetness of the caramel is counterbalanced by the pastry, it looks gorgeous and it makes for a quick mid-week idea or an accompaniment for fish, other vegetables etc...

Sticky Onions

ideally you'll need 4 small tartlet tins however you can get away with ramekins

Ingredients

2 Onions

80g caster sugar

Fresh Thyme leave stripped (but I used dried)

A little olive oil

200g puff pastry

salt pepper

Method

Preheat oven at 220C gas mark 7

Peel the onion and slice in half 

Make the caramel in a saucepan by heating the sugar and pouring 80ml of water over the sugar, make sure the saucepan is squeaky clean, sugar is fussy. When the water is completely dissolved, turn the heat down and then watch your pan like a hawk. The caramel colour will appear suddenly. All this time there was NO stirring.

Now you need to work quickly, pour the caramel in the tins, sprinkle the thyme and place half the onion, large face down on the top. Bake for 25 minutes

Roll out the pastry to 3 mm thick, cut out 4 circles large enough for your tins. After 25 minutes get the onions out of the oven, let them cool long enough to handle. Place the pasty on the top of each dome. Return to the oven

Cook for another 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and quickly turn the tins over.

To clean the pan, fill with cold water and return to the stove, bring to boil, tackle the residue.

With time this has become a favourite at Pebble Soup HQ and for this recipe, I am adding it to November 17 Inheritance Recipes challenge co-hosted with Coffee and Vanilla

Irish Confit Salmon with tomato, onion and cucumber salad, dressed with lemon and coriander oil

It's St Patrick's day and I have few reasons to bring you a fine recipe prepared by a country top chef using the best of Irish products.

First and foremost, two of his brothers fell in love whilst visiting Ireland, so now his side of the family has an Irish contingent. On each of my visit, I've found the Irish hospitality amazing. On the first wedding, the father of the bride pointed out the similarities between French and Irish: a strong sense of family and a love for a good party. That leads me to the second reason.

and then, in this dish, an original recipe by Aktar Islam of Lasan Restaurant, the salmon is cured then confit, creating a melt-in-the-mouth consistency that also captures the vibrant flavour of Irish salmon. To cure and to confit are two techniques which are at first a little scary but they are incredibly simple as long as you use a good thermometer and follow the instructions.

Happy St Patrick's day

Irish Confit Salmon with tomato, onion and cucumber salad, 

dressed with lemon and coriander oil

Serves 4 

Ingredients 

 4 x 100g fillets of Irish salmon

½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chopped dill

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

1 tsp cracked coriander seed

Zest ½ a lemon

500ml olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

For the salad:

Handful of mixed leaves – rocket, watercress, baby leaf spinach and red chard

Selection of tomatoes, quartered

½ red onion, finely sliced 

½ cucumber, in strips 

1 tbsp coriander oil

Pinch cracked black pepper

Pinch chat massala

Salt to taste

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

To cure the salmon:

Mix the salt, sugar, lemon zest and dill together and rub over the salmon fillet. Wrap the fillets with cling film and leave in fridge for 30 minutes. Wash the salmon under cold water and pat dry with kitchen towel and wrap in fresh clingfilm and place in the fridge.

For the salad:

Using a peeler make thin cucumber strips, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 20 minutes.  Wash the cucumber under cold water and leave to drain on a colander and pat dry. Make the coriander oil by taking a handful of coriander and blitz with 50 ml of olive oil. 

To confit the salmon:

Warm olive oil in a pan, use a thermometer; keep the temperature to 60°C.  Place the salmon fillets in oil along with peppercorn, coriander seed and garlic. At this point the temperature will drop, regulate the temperature and maintain it at 45°C and leave the fillets in the oil for 15 minutes.  Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

To serve:

For each portion; take a handful of mixed leaves, tomatoes, onion and cucumber; drizzle with coriander oil and lemon juice.  Sprinkle over with chat massala, salt and cracked pepper. Finally, flake the salmon over the salad and serve. 

Useful links related to the post 

Which Thermometer

Irish board Bord Bia which provide me with the right to reproduce this recipe, no sample nor money was exchanged words are my own

Tzatziki : a Last Fling with Summer

Cucumber doesn't often feature on Pebble Soup as he has a strong dislike of the stuff. he is not alone, many people do. In the words of a friend, cucumber is a funny thing. Having no medical training what so ever, I'll keep my conclusions for myself.

I, on the other end, like cucumber very much and it's always a joy when I get to eat some, in this case lovingly prepared by the very same friend. Tzatziki is part of a meze of Greek starters. Greek yoghurt is best but live yoghurt with a spoon of cream does the trick too.

You need to know that Tzatziki is at its best after a couple of hours in the fridge. Refrigeration time allows the liquid to be absorbed. Individual portions are, in my opinion, better than a large bowl

Baked Potato Topped with Hummus

Sometimes a picture is so evocative that there is very little need for words. I am a fan of baked potatoes with their various fillings. This one was taken not very long ago in a small cafe.

Ingredient

2 tbsp hummus
1 red pepper grilled and cut in thin slices
5 to 6 olives
sesame seeds
nigella seeds (optional)

Method
The golden rule of the baked potato is to prick the skin, then bake at 200C for 1hr – 1hr 20mins.
Prepare your fillings in advance, and YES, you are allowed to use commercial hummus.
When cooked split open and go to the filling station 
Enjoy.

Quelle Quiche! Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

Quiche, is very much part of French cuisine, with Quiche Lorraine (bacon and grated cheese) being the traditional quiche. But that French tarte made it across Europe and though the base is always the same. Shortcrust pastry with a baked egg custard, the fillings vary according to the seasons and the countries.

Did you know that in France if, someone is referred to as, "A quiche" as in, for example, "Quelle quiche!"  that would be describing somebody clumsy or stupid or both!

Savoury Swirls

I never cared much for Sweet Swirls or Pains aux raisins to give them their French name. Though, in Lyon, for some unknown reason, these viennoiseries are called Pain Russes. Nobody knows why.

Having said that, the savoury version, like that of croissants see croissant crown is very handy for picnic and parties. They are cheap to make and can feed a crowd.

 Savoury Swirls

Ingredients

• 375g pack ready rolled puff pastry, thawed if frozen
• 6 tbsp ready made pasta sauce (not too chunky)
• 100g wafer thin ham
• 100g mature cheddar grated
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tsp dried oregano or mixed herbs
• This is optional but I found the swirls nicer if they have a little bite: so hot sauce or 1 chilli
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  

Method:
The only difficulty with this recipe is how to roll the swirl properly and even this is not too tricky. It needs to be rolled starting with the shorter end.
Preheated oven 200C

1. unroll the puff pastry, and roll it out so that it reaches 30 x40
2. spread the pasta sauce and the hot sauce or chilli if used
3. ham and cheddar spread equally on the top
4. mixed herbs next
5. Starting from the small side roll the pastry very tight and put it in the fridge for 10 minutes
6. with a sharp knife cut 12 equal slices, lay them flat on a greaseproof paper on a tray, brush them with the egg
7. Bake for 15 minutes in oven

I link this recipe with Credit Crunch as it's a "batch recipe, freeze for later" moreover it's a very thrifty recipe. This month the linky is hosted by Sarah From Pen to Plate The challenge was developed by Developed by Helen over at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla of Fab Food 4 All.