Viewing entries in
Cuisine

Classic Tiramisu

IMG_4887 The sequence of preparation is like the Nectarine Tiramisu.  However, instead of pouring the flavouring over the ladyfingers, simply dip them in cooled and sweetened espresso.

Pasta and Vegan Cream Sauce

Made from scratch pasta and a vegan cream sauce that doesn't taste like puke! IMG_4830

Start making the pasta with equal parts of semolina and spelt flour.  Add in water, olive oil and a bit of salt and knead until it forms a ball.

IMG_4812

Let is rest for a while; wrapped in cling film or under an inverted bowl.

IMG_4814

Puree soaked walnuts, sauteed onions, peppers and celery along with stewed tomatoes.  I used cashews in this recipe and was slightly disappointed.  It just made the sauce too sweet.  Since the vegetables have already been cooked (sauteed and stewed) the sauce is ready at this point.  Simply warm it if needed.

IMG_4823

Shape the dough into the desired shapes.  I'm a fan of fettuccine.

IMG_4824

Serve with the sauce - a tasty and authentic vegan dish.  It's simple and, although it's a "cream sauce," it stands on it's own rather than merely imitating a dairy version.

IMG_4833

Egg and Cress Sandwich

Trying to find vegetarian food then traveling isn't always the easiest.  When in London I found Egg and Cress sandwiches.  They're the perfect thing to grab on the run. IMG_7689

You can make your own - basically an egg salad with watercress.  Start with fresh and flavourful watercress.  It's fairly easy to grow.  This is from my garden.

IMG_7667

Boil up a few eggs.

IMG_7674

To get nice eggs like this, add eggs to cold water, bring to a boil and let sit covered for 10 minutes.  Then chill in ice water before peeling.

IMG_7676

Rather then tedious chopping, I simply smash them through a German potato grater.  Available from Amazon: Kuchenprofi Potato Grater/Shredder in 18/10 Stainless Steel

IMG_7677

Season and add mayo as you like.  Personally, I hate mayo so I use Ranch salad dressing.  It's got all the seasonings mixed in.  It may need a bit more salt, depending on your tastes.

Lastly, stir in the cress:

IMG_7680

I spread it on made-from-scratch flat ciabatta bread, but the Britts serve it on something lighter.

IMG_7707

 

Concept: Munich

I sketched this last year while on the train from München to Berlin.  It's fitted with a covered placket, french cuffs and a short spread-collar. IMG_3609

Squash Blossom Fritters

Mmmm... fried food. IMG_4766

Prepare mashed potatoes with a nice savoury spice: onion powder, dill, green onion, parsley, smoked paprika and salt.

IMG_4747

Pick full and large flowers that open easily.  This has to be done early in the morning as the flowers tend to wilt in the sun.  Be sure to pick the "male" flowers as they are the easiest to work with.  It's easy to tell the difference - the female flowers have small squashes attached.

IMG_4755

Pipe in the potato mix:

IMG_4757

Coat with a flour-water batter.  I used buckwheat so that it's gluten free.

IMG_4750

Fry ~375F until golden brown.  Buckwheat is a darker grain, so these are fairly brown.

IMG_4761

Drain on kitchen roll (paper towels):

IMG_4764

Serve while still hot - otherwise they go soggy.

IMG_4766

Red White and Blue Chocolate Mousse

Happy Fourth! IMG_4792

Not the traditional eggy mousse, rather a whipped cream and melted white chocolate.  As the chocolate cools, it sets the mousse.  Check out Byron Talbot's youtube channel for inspiration:  http://youtu.be/j3OrIr1WrhE

 

Tiramisu aux Nectarines

It's got a peaches and cream flavour. IMG_4705

Hack up some nectarines.  They have to be nice, ripe and flavourful.

IMG_4664

Make a puree of nectarine with a splash of orange juice and a drop of vanilla extract.

IMG_4666

Lay a base of ladyfingers and soak with the puree.  Top that with a mixture of sweetened mascarpone and whipped cream.  I don't use eggs in my tiramisu.

IMG_4673

I like two layers.  Once it's done, resist the urge to dig in!  It's gotta chill for at least two hours.

IMG_4674

I topped mine with vanilla bean seed.

IMG_4691

Mmmm... yes.

IMG_4714

 

*tiramisù is Italian.  I used the French name... because I can.

Breakfast Wedge

Inspired by the chaps at Sorted Food [http://sortedfood.com/], a vegetarian version of an easy breakfast dish: IMG_6917

Check out their process here: http://youtu.be/D1mPghz6jjw

Naturally, serve it the British way - with (vegetarian) baked beans!  Also served with fresh tomatoes and basil.

IMG_6923

 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Sauteed sweet potato gnocchi served with spinach, basil, tomatoes and balsamic "caviar."  Here's the link to how to make the "caviar" IMG_7583

Boil and rice the yams:

IMG_7565

Add flour, salt and mix:

IMG_7566

Roll, cut and boil the dumplings.  Then pan-fry.

IMG_7576

Chèvre Cheesecake

Goat's cheese cake!  I did reference a recipe for this one... but I ditched it in favour of the order of ingredients: chèvre, 2 egg whites, Greek youghurt, sugar, flour, vanilla, lemon and salt.  The crust is coconut oil, graham cracker crumbs and a whisper of lemon extract. IMG_4265

Baked at 175C for 30 minutes and slowly cooled.

IMG_4241

Served with a blueberry compote, strawberries and a sprig of mint.

IMG_4243

It's also crazy good with a searing chocolate ganache.

IMG_4291

 

Mascarpone and Strawberries [+1 fail, +1 win!]

This was the end result, but it took a while to get here: IMG_7090

I thought I'd make a cannoli filling but serve it in puff pastry cups with fruit.  Everything was fine except I chose a skim milk ricotta... which is tastes and feels, to me, like ground rubber.

IMG_7065

I tried my best to doctor it up.  Adding extra mascarpone and whipping it up.  Nothing worked.

IMG_7067

It looks nice, but the texture is unfit.  The overall texture is "rubbery."

IMG_7073

So, I whipped mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla to make a sublime filling for the strawberries:

IMG_7081

Then, serving it on thin slices of mango, the the textures and flavours were perfect.  It's simple, it's subtly rich, it's sublime.

IMG_7098

Beignet

Happy doughnut day!  Celebrating French style with made from scratch beignet.  These are made from my whole wheat (50%) and molasses bread dough.  Mind = blown. IMG_7854

This one is full of Nutella!

IMG_7864

(not vegan)

 

 

Vişne Nektari

More travels have brought me new flavours. This is a beverage typically found in Turkey. Although I rarely drink sweetened beverages, this is worth the calories. IMG_7821

Start with fresh or frozen tart cherries. They should constitute ~35% by mass for your recipe (I know, I know, just get a kitchen scale and everything works perfectly).

IMG_7804

If you haven't got fresh tart cherries, frozen pie cherries are perfectly fine.

IMG_7805

More math: ~5% should be sugar. Ex: ~250g cherries needs 50g sugar and ~750ml water.  The total mass is ~1kg, but after straining the pulp, the volume yield is a bit less than a litre.

IMG_7807

Blend it up!

IMG_7808

Strain it through progressively smaller sieves. The more pulp that remains the more astringent, or dry, it will be.

IMG_7809

Serve chilled.

IMG_7813

Balsamic Vinegar "Caviar"

Flavourful balsamic bundles, perfect for serving with fresh tomatoes. IMG_7367

Start with a moderate vinegar: IMG_7353

Mix agar agar and vinegar: IMG_7357

Heat until all the agar agar crystals are dissolved: IMG_7355

Fill an irrigation syringe with the hot mixture: Irrigation Syringe available at Amazon.com

IMG_7358

Drop slowly into freezing oil.  Grape seed oil works well: IMG_7359

Strain: IMG_7369

It keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.

Chopped Salad with Carrot Ribbons

IMG_7638 Red bell pepper, carrots, tomatoes, cauliflower and basil. Dressed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt.

I used these peelers to make the carrot ribbon:

Pomegranate Avocado Spread

I'm enjoying some of the best pomegranates at the moment.  This simple spread is the perfect alternative to mayo or butter in sandwiches. IMG_5325

Extract the kernels:

IMG_5362

Whisk an avocado until smooth.  Add a pinch of salt and a bit of lemon - just enough to prevent oxidation:

IMG_5713

The perfect spread:

IMG_5718

Berries in a Basket

Strawberries in a chocolate basket! IMG_7739

Cream, sugar, a couple of grates of nutmeg, and vanilla bean.  Whipped by hand to perfection:

IMG_7714

A few tiny berries:

IMG_7717

Chocolate basket: instructions here

IMG_7722

Pipe in the whip and top with berries:

IMG_7724

Garnished with apple mint.  Outrageously decadent.

IMG_7729

How to make Chocolate Baskets

IMG_7722 Start with chocolate chips in a double boiler - or a heat safe bowl over simmering water:

IMG_7402

When it's melted, remove from the heat and add in a handful of room-temp chips.  This tempers the chocolate.  Otherwise it won't set - it'll be mushy at room temperature.

IMG_7404

Stir until completely smooth and place into a piping (or ziptop) bag.  Using a small opening tip (or cut a small hole in the bag) drizzle the chocolate into an oiled container.  I used a fluted ramekin.

IMG_7406

You can speed up the setting process by freezing it.  Then gently remove it from the container.

Brownie tarte with Strawberries and Mascarpone

A flavourful treat.  As usual, chocolate takes centre stage. IMG_7253

First, bake and cool a pack mix brownie mix.  A tarte pan works well and adds a nice aesthetic.

IMG_7251

A ganache can be easily prepared with a bit of (soy) milk and chocolate.  Unless you routinely need a double boiler, skip the purchase and use a bowl over a saucepan.

IMG_7241

Chocolate: it's a beautiful thing.

IMG_7242

Add to a piping bag for easy working.

IMG_7248

An added treat - a velvety, sweet cheese: mascarpone.

IMG_7064

Top with strawberries, pecans, the ganache and mascarpone.

IMG_7264

Hot Cathead Biscuits

Down home, we call these biscuits "cathead" biscuits.  They're roundish and have pointy bits... like feline noggins. IMG_7557

The classic 3:1:2 recipe: flour:fat (coconut oil):milk (soy)

IMG_7535

They're delightful and vegan.

IMG_7543

Simply add frozen blueberries to boiling syrup (sugar and corn starch) for a fresh and easy compote.  Serve with local honey and imported Irish butter.

IMG_7555

I are most of them for supper... a fat intake of over 70Grams.  Worth it!