Roast Carrot, Shallot, Butter Bean & Dill Salad

4 large carrots cut into rounds on the diagonal, 4 banana shallots peeled and sliced in half and then lengthwise, 2 tbsp olive oil, big pinch sea salt flakes
For the dressing: juice 1/2 lemon, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp wholegrain mustard, 1/2 tsp maple syrup, pinch sea salt
For the salad: 1 can butter beans drained, 1 bunch dill chopped roughly, 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds

To roast the veg: Pre heat your oven to 180c. Add the carrots, shallots, olive and seasoning to a baking tray and roast for 40-45 minutes until caramelised and soft on the inside.
To make the dressing: Add all the ingredients to a jar and mix to combine.
To serve: Toss together the roast carrots, shallots, butter beans, dill and pumpkin seeds. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine again.

Thai Red Butterbean Curry

Recipes that you find on facebook, sometimes are good, sometimes not. This is very yummy: 

 

1 leek, 1 capsicum, 1 handful of cauliflower florets, 1 drained tin of butter beans,  1 large handful of spinach, 1 tin of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of Pad Thai sauce, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, 1 can of tomato puree

Fry the leek, capsicum and cauliflower for 5 minutes in oil, add the pad thai sauce, curry powder, tomatoes and coconut milk and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the butter beans and simmer for 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat and add the spinach and pop the lid on for 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt. Season it and serve with basmati rice.

Saratele din 3 ingrediente – cu mascarpone

Snacks snacks and more snacks.

Easy and tasty recipe from Savori urbane saratele 

 

300 g flour, 250 g mascarpone, 200 g butter with min. 80% fat

Optional: ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon cumin powder, 1 egg yolk for greasing

 

Mix the butter with the mixer or rub it well with a wooden spoon, add the mascarpone and after it has homogenized, add the flour. You can add the salt and cumin before with the flour because it homogenizes better.

The dough obtained in this way (which is quite sticky) is placed in a transparent film and chilled for an hour in the refrigerator or 15-20 minutes in the freezer

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a floured surface. Roll it out with the rolling pin so that it has a thickness of 3-4 mm.

The dough sheet is cut in the form of long and narrow sticks.

If you wish, it can be smeared with a beaten egg and sprinkled with cumin or poppy seeds.

Bake the sticks for 20 minutes at 180°C (preheated oven, medium to high setting for gas ones). They must be golden. Check if they are cooked and if necessary leave them for another 2-3 minutes.

Spring risotto

Small bunch of mint, leaves picked, 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, Juice of ½ a lemon

6 spring onions, whites finely sliced into rounds, green ends julienned, 1l chicken or vegetable stock, 350g asparagus, woody ends snapped off, 200g frozen peas,
25g butter, plus a large knob to serve, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 bay leaf, 350g risotto rice, 125ml dry white wine or vermouth, Zest and juice of ½ a lemon, 100g broad beans, blanched and peeled, 30g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated, plus extra to serve, 1 tbsp truffle butter or truffle oil (optional), 6 egg yolks

First make the mint oil by blitzing together the mint, oil and lemon juice in a mini chopper.
Fill a bowl with ice and top up with water, then plunge in the green spring onion ends – they should curl up while you make the risotto. In a pan, bring the stock to just below the boil over a medium heat and poach the asparagus spears for 2 mins, then remove with tongs. Chop the stalks into 1.5-2cm wide discs and leave the tips intact. Put the frozen peas into a bowl and pour over a ladle of warm stock to defrost them.
Put a large casserole or deep frying pan over a low heat. Melt the butter into the oil and fry the spring onion whites and bay leaf for 3 mins until soft and fragrant. Turn up the heat to medium-high, add in the rice and coat in the fat, cooking for a few minutes until the rice has absorbed some of the fat and is glossy and slightly translucent at the edges. Pour over the wine or vermouth and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the lemon zest and then a ladleful of the warm stock, and stir, cooking until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to cook the risotto over a low medium heat for 20-25 mins, stirring and adding the stock a ladleful at a time, allowing it to be absorbed completely before you add the next one, and keeping the rice moving to cook it evenly and help it release its starch.
Once the rice is puffed and tender all the way through, with no chalky core (you may not need to use up all the stock), pour over the peas and their stock, and stir them into the risotto. Add the asparagus stalks, tips and broad beans, cooking for a few minutes to heat through. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf and stir in the knob of butter, along with the parmesan, adding some truffle butter or oil, if you like. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly, then spoon into warm bowls and use the back of a spoon to create a shallow well in the rice.
Carefully put the egg yolks in the wells and then top with some of the green spring onion. Spoon over a little of the mint oil and stir everything together to enrich with the egg yolk and crunchy spring onion.

Pastry bagel

Saw an easy recipe on facebook, I had to try it

2 packs of puff pastry, 2-3 tablespoons ketchup, oregano, parsley, grated cheese and 1 egg

Baste with ketchup a pack of puff pastry, sprinkle with oregano, parsley and shredded cheese. Put over the second sheet of puff pastry, press it with a rolling pin and then cut in thin 3-4 cm stripes.
Brush them with the beaten egg and then form bagels.
Put them in the oven for 25 minutes at 180 degrees.
Serve them warm.

Korean Pickled Radish (danmuji)

I went to a Korean BBQ place and tried different things to eat and fell in love with the pickled radish. So I had to try to make it at home.

1 Large Daikon radish (about 600g), 1½ tbsp Salt ((1 tbsp for marinating the radish, ½ tbsp for the broth)), ½ tsp Turmeric powder, ½ cup Sugar, 1½ cup Water, 1 cup Rice vinegar

Peel off a large daikon radish, slice it into half-moon shape thin slices.
Put sliced radish into a large bowl, sprinkle 1 tbsp of salt over the radish. Rub the salt evenly on radish. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
In a small saucepan, add turmeric powder, sugar, salt, and water. Bring to a boil. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat. Add rice vinegar to the saucepan. Set aside.
After the radish strips and slices have been marinated for 30 minutes, drain, rinse with potable water, squeeze out excess water, put radish strips and slices in clean containers.
Pour the turmeric vinegar mixture over the radish.
Let it cool down, cover the lid and keep in the fridge overnight before using.
Homemade picked radish can last in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Santorini Tomato Fritters

I have tried them for the first time on my holiday in Santorini and I was sold. Finally I found the recipe online and the taste is the same.

4 ripe medium tomatoes (600 g), chopped finely, 1 large red onion (300 g), chopped finely, 4 green onions, sliced thinly, 1 cup mint leaves, chopped coarsely,
2 tsps dried greek oregano leaves, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 100 g feta, crumbled,
½ cup (75 g) self-raising flour, ½ cup (75 g) white spelt flour, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1.25 litres (5 cups) vegetable oil, for deep frying, 1 cup (280 g) Greek-style yoghurt, ¼ cup mint leaves, sliced thinly, 60 g baby spinach leaves

Combine tomato, onions, mint, oregano and paprika in a large bowl; season generously. Stand for 30 mins to release juices from vegetables; drain excess liquid.

Add feta, sifted flours and soda to tomato mixture; fold gently until well combined (mixture should hold together and will look quite chunky). Drop ⅓ cup of mixture at a time, leaving space between them, onto a baking-paper-lined oven tray.
Heat oil in a medium heavy-based saucepan to 180 C (or until a cube of bread browns in 15 secs).
Carefully place six of the fritters into the oil at a time, ensuring they don’t stick to the base of the pan. Cook for 1½ mins on each side or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined tray; drain. Repeat cooking in batches until all fritters are cooked.
Mix yoghurt and mint in a small bowl; season to taste.
Serve hot fritters with minted yoghurt and spinach leaves.