Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower Cake
I love Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes, he does some amazing things with vegetables. He’s able to avoid the usual criticisms of vegetarian food, that it can be a bit rabbit foody and uninteresting.
While a lot of people are vegetarian for health reasons, there are times you still want something rich, unctuous and indulgent.
I’ve filed this under Pure Filth due to the amount of cheese involved. The original recipe calls for just Parmesan cheese. I didn’t have enough, so I used half strong Cheddar. This recipe would probably still work well as a way to use up cheese you have hanging about the fridge. The original recipe recommends that it should be served cold or room temperature (I’ve also eaten it hot, as I couldn’t wait on it cooling and it was yummy). I used a mix of nigella (onion seeds) and sesame seeds on the outside, but you could swap out this for just sesame seeds (I think using just nigella seeds would be too much)
Ingredients
1 Cauliflower
2 red onions
1 Tbsp Olive oil
7 Eggs
1/2 Tsp Rosemary (optional)
15 Grams Basil
120 Grams Plain flour
1/2 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric
Salt and pepper
Melted butter (for greasing)
1 Tbsp Nigella (onion) seeds
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
75 Grams Parmesan (grated)
75 Grams Cheddar cheese (grated)
Method
- Break the cauliflower into florets and simmer in hot water until soft (but not mushy), drain well and allow to cool
- Peel the onions, slice half the first onion into 1/2 cm thick rings and set to one side. Coarsely chop the remaining onions.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions over a medium heat for 10 minutes, allow to cool
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius), and line the base of a 24cm x 24cm spring form cake tin with baking parchment. Brush the sides of the tin with melted butter and sprinkle with the nigella and sesame seeds
- Transfer the cooked onions to a large bowl, add the eggs, herbs, and turmeric and whisk in the flour and baking powder
- Stir in the cheese, and then add the cauliflower and mix until the cauliflower is coated in the batter (be careful not to break up the florets, as you want to keep some texture)
- Add the batter to your prepared cake tin, making sure you spread it to the edges. Top with the onion circles you set aside earlier and bake for 45 minutes
Almondina
After Christmas many of us want a break from big heavy sit down dinners. With cheese and grazing boards becoming popular, almondina are the perfect addition to lend some interest if you’re bored of crackers.
This is also a great recipe to use up any left over nuts or dried fruit. I actually think it’s better to have mix of fruit and nuts.
Ingredients
175 Grams Nuts (I used a mix of almonds, walnuts and pecans, but any mixture will work)
125 Grams Plain flour
25 Grams Brown sugar
125 Grams Dried fruit (I used roughly chopped apricots and dates, if you are using smaller fruit like raisins or sultanas, keep an eye in them during the second bake as they can catch quickly)
1/4 Tsp Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1/2 Tsp Salt
175Ml Milk
Method
- Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius). Grease a loaf pan
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and combine
- Stir in the milk with a wooden spoon and when thoroughly mixed transfer to the loaf tin and bake for 60 minutes
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool
- Wrap in cling film and freeze for 1 hour. This will help you slice the almondina thinly. Do not freeze for longer than this
- Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees (Celsius) and line a baking sheet with parchment
- Take the almondina out of the freezer and remove the cling film
- With a bread knife, slice the loaf into 1/2 cm thick slices and place on the baking sheet for 12-15 mins (until they brown around the edges), before cooling on a wire wrack
- These will last in an airtight container for up to a week
Vanillekipferl (Almond Crescent Cookies)
About a million years ago I lived in Germany, and nobody does Christmas or Christmas confectionery like the Germans.
These rich buttery cookies are the perfect Christmas cookie. I have used pistachios but you could use any type of nut you prefer. These are quite rich, but they aren’t something you’ll be eating everyday. They also make great Christmas gifts.
You could also swap out the vanilla extract for almond essence or pistachio paste if you want to experiment with different flavours.
(Makes 24 cookies)
Ingredients
95 Grams Ground almonds
75 Grams Sugar
270 Grams Plain flour
25 Grams Pistachios (chopped)
225 Grams Butter (chilled and cut into cubes)
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
Method
- Add all the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and combine
- Add the vanilla extract and butter, and rub the butter into the dry mix (you can also use a food processor to do this)
- When the butter has been rubbed into the dry mix, start pressing together to form a dough
- Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 30 minutes
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius), and line a baking sheet with baking parchment
- Take the dough out of the fridge and turn out on a lightly floured surface
- With your hands, roll the the dough into a sausage and divide into 24 equal parts
- Shape each section of dough into a half moon shape with your hands and place on your prepared baking sheet
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies start to brown at the edges
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire wrack
- When cool, dust liberally with icing sugar
- The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days
Christmas Goodies from D Rum Pot
Who doesn’t love a surprise batch of goodies.
The very lovely Debbie from D Rum Pot (check out her delicious Caribbean food on Facebook) dropped off some amazing treats with a Trinidadian flare. Debbie also runs a great Caribbean supper club, and like me can’t wait for restrictions to lift to get back to it.
Yummy spiced sweetbread, rum punch, homemade raspberry sauce, and Caribbean sweets. The diet can start tomorrow!
Cranberry and Orange Shortbread Cookies
I love baking at Christmas, something about the smell of delicious things coming out of the oven adds to my Christmas spirit. It’s also brilliant way to keep little hands busy if you have kids at home.
Shortbread can be fiddly to cut out, but these cookies just need slicing into rounds. What’s even better, you can make the shortbread dough up to 72 hours in advance and let it chill in the fridge and then take the log of dough out to slice and bake them just before you need them. They can be stored in airtight box for up 3 days (they won’t last that long).
I used a food processor to make these, which makes them super quick and easy. If you don’t have one, you can chop the cranberries and mix the butter and flour together using the rubbing in method.
You can also dip or drizzle with dark chocolate if you’re feeling particularly indulgent. However they are still delicious just as they are.
Makes around 30 cookies
Recipes
70 Grams Dried cranberries
100 Grams Sugar
230 Grams Butter (chilled and cut into cubes)
340 Grams Plain flour
1 Orange (zest and juice)
100 Grams Dark chocolate (optional)
Method
- Add the cranberries and about a third of the sugar into a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds, until the cranberries have started to break up (the shouldn’t be too finely sliced)
- Transfer the sugar and cranberry mix to a bowl. Add butter and flour to the food processor and pulse until they look like fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the butter and flour mix to the cranberry mix with the rest of the sugar and the orange zest and mix well
- Start adding the juice of the orange a little at a time (how much you will need will depend on your flour). Get your hands in the bowl and start pressing the mix together to form a dough
- Turn out onto a large sheet of cling film and squeeze into a sausage shape about 4-5cm in diameter. Wrap tightly in the cling film, you can also give it a little roll to help it look a little neater
- Chill for at least 30 minutes (but the dough can live in your fridge for 2-3 days if you want to make ahead of time
- When you are ready to bake, pre heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a cookie sheet with baking parchment. Remove the cling film from the dough and cut into 1cm thick slices and put on the baking parchment (they will spread a little, so allow some space between them)
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, and allow to cool
- If you want to dip or drizzle the cookies in chocolate, make sure they are cool. Break the chocolate into small pieces into a microwave proof bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until melted and then either dip the cookies or drizzle with a spoon
Potato Latkes
Food is one of the best ways to nurture people but also remember those who we loved.
We are in the middle of the Jewish holiday of Hanukah. I’m not Jewish, but my much loved sister in law Bobra Fyne was. She was great at describing the customs surrounding the holiday and was a brilliant story teller (she was one of my favourite people in the world).
She also shared my family’s love of carbs and was an amazing cook, and so I made these as a way to remember her.
This is a simple recipe from Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food. While grating the potato is a bit of a faff the results are delicious served the traditional accompaniments of sour cream or apple sauce. Similar to a potato rosti, they can be served as an appetiser or side dish.
Ingredients
1kg Potatoes
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Salt
Oil for frying
Method
- Peel and grate the potatoes, rinse in cold water to remove the starch.
- Drain in a colander. Depending on the type of potatoes you use, you might need to put the grated potatoes in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Transfer to a large bowl
- Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and add to the potatoes. Mix until combined
- In a large pan, add just enough oil to cover the base and heat over a medium heat
- Add a tablespoon of the potato mixture to the pan at a time and flatten slightly so they cook evenly, (they should be thin enough to make sure you don’t have raw potato in the middle)
- When brown, turn with a spatula and cook until brown on he other side
- Drain on kitchen paper and serve while hot
London – Covent Garden and Dinner at the Ivy
You could visit London twenty times and never see the same thing twice. However, there are some places that draw you back.
Covent Garden and the Seven Dials area are probably thought of as pure tourist areas, but I’m OK with that.
If gorgeous buildings, quaint shops, street performers and bustling nightlife are your thing then you’ll love it.
I visited last week when the area was being decorated for Christmas. Little outdoor pods are popping up everywhere to allow people to enjoy outdoor drinking/dining.
As a birthday treat, my friend Bronagh booked us into the Ivy for dinner. There are several Ivy restaurants in London, but the original is in the heart of theatre land and has always been a favourite haunt of acting luvvies as far back as Noel Coward.
Smaller than I expected, the service was immaculate from the minute you walk through the door until you leave when the lovely coat check lady slips your coat on and artfully arranges your scarf for you.
The gorgeous art deco interior is classy but understated. The lighting is the perfect mix of being flattering to anyone over 30, bright enough to let you celeb spot (you can often catch sight of a Hollywood A lister), and dark enough for people who want to dine ‘discreetly’. It’s the perfect restaurant for people watching.
The food is also excellent, you don’t survive for as long as the Ivy has in a city with so many restaurants if your food isn’t up to scratch.
The Ivy knows its audience, the food is rich and comforting, with dishes like cottage pie and steaks seeming popular. Classic dishes done well, you won’t find infused foams and molecular gastronomy on the menu.
It may not be somewhere most people would visit weekly, but well worth visiting for a treat. There are also fabulous watering holes nearby for pre or post dinner cocktails.
London – Borough Food Market
I have visited London lots of times, but it never fails to show me something new.
I visited recently, and heard great things about Borough Market along the South Bank.
The place is a foodies dream, serving street food from around the world, as well as specialist retailers selling everything from sea urchins to hand made pasta and pastries.
If you’re eating from one of the street food vendors you’ll be spoiled for choice, but seating is limited. The market also has good bathroom facilities.
Some vendors are only there on certain days but the market will definitely have something for everyone.
Pierogis (Polish Dumplings)
I visited Krakow recently, and loved everything about the place. What I really fell in love with were pierogis, served in pretty much every restaurant.
Our food guide told us the it’s really common in Polish homes for members of the family to get together and make huge batches of pierogis, especially at certain times of year, like Christmas.
This weekend I got together with my Krakow travel companions to drink maybe more than we should and make pierogis.
Pierogis are fairly easy to make and we worked in a kind of production line which made it even easier. I would definitely recommend getting your friends together and giving communal cooking a go. By the time you chat, laugh and have a few drinks you can make loads of them. I didn’t have a recipe for these so we used the BBC Good Food recipe and the dumplings tasted exactly like what he had in Poland.
Pierogis freeze well, double up on the recipe and you can pull them out of the freezer for a quick week night dinner. You can also make a sweet version by simply replacing the filling with raw blueberries and serve topped with sour cream.
Ingredients
For the dough
250 Grams Self Raising Flour (sifted)
1 Tsp Salt
3 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
250-300ml Warm Water
For the filling
250 Grams Mashed potatoes (this is a great way to use up left overs, make sure the mashed potatoes are cold before using)
50 Grams Butter
1 Onion (finely chopped)
250 Grams Cottage Cheese
Method
- Add the flour and salt to a bowl, add the oil and then gradually add water and mix until you have a soft dough. Gather into a ball, knead for 5 minutes, wrap in cling film. Chill for 30 minutes
- While the dough is resting, melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onions over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes until they are golden brown
- Mix the potatoes and cottage cheese together and stir in two thirds of the fried onions. Mix until thoroughly combined
- Roll the dough out as thinly as possible (nobody wants a thick doughy dumpling). Use a cookie cutter or class to cut 4-5 cm circles
- Put a teaspoon of the filling in the centre of the circle and lightly wet the edges of of circle. Fold over to create a half moon and press the edges closed tightly
- Heat a large pot of water to just before boiling, add the pierogi, about 6-7 at a time (depending on the size of your pot, just be careful not to overcrowd the pot)
- When the pierogi start to float, lift out with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Keep cooking the pierogi until all the dumplings are cooked.
- Serve on a large plate, and sprinkle the remaining fried onions over the top
Seaneen's Sunnyside Kitchen 