Author: bridgete

Categories
-appetizers Fish

Smoked Trout and Caper-Cream Cheese Toasts

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  •  1 tablespoon chopped green onions, plus 1-inch lengths, for garnish
  •  1 tablespoon chopped drained capers
  •  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  •  Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • seaweed sheets or squares
  •  1/2 pound skinless smoked trout fillet

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, chopped green onion, capers and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a sheet of seaweed on each of the pieces of thinly sliced toasted bread, then spread the cream cheese mixture on top and add a portion of smoked trout to each piece. Sprinkle with chopped green ends of green onion to serve.

Categories
Shrimp

Shrimp Cakes

  • 1 lb raw peeled shrimp
  • 3/4 c panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 c diced red bell pepper
  • 3 tblsp sliced chives or green onions
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 4 tblsp oil
  • sour cream and lemon wedges for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Place the shrimp in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped – do not grind into a paste.
  • Transfer the shrimp to a large bowl and add the panko breadcrumbs, red bell pepper, chives, salt, pepper, eggs, and lemon zest. Stir gently to combine. 
  • Form the shrimp mixture into 6 patties.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the shrimp patties in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. 
  • Serve immediately, topped with additional chives and sour cream if desired. Garnish with lemon wedges if desired.
Categories
Vegetarian

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

  • 3/4 c milk
  • 2 tblsp white vinegar
  • 1 c flour
  • 2 tblsp sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tblsp melted butter
  • 1 c blueberries
  • butter for the pan

First mix the vinegar with the milk. This is basically imitation buttermilk. Whisk all the dry ingredients together. Whisk in egg (doesn’t have to be beaten) milk mix and melted butter into the dry ingredients. Add butter to the pan. Pour in some batter and place the blueberries on it evenly spaced. Watch for the bubbles (about 1-2 minutes er side depending on thickness/size) Repeat with all the pancakes (add butter to the pan)

Categories
Salad Vegetarian

Gado Gado

  • cabbage or iceberg lettuce
  • green beans
  • tofu and dusting of flour/oil for deep frying
  • bean sprouts
  • small waxy potatoes
  • cucumber
  • hard boiled eggs
  • fried onions (ready to use)
  • shrimp crackers (kroepoek)

peanut sauce

  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 300 g roasted peanuts
  • 1000 ml coconut milk
  • 10 red chilis
  • 1 tsp shrimp paste
  • 62 g coconut sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp rice flour and a little bit of water

sambal

  • 20 red bird eyes chilies boiled/steamed
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • salt

Peanut Sauce

  1. Process garlic, peanuts/peanut butter, a half part of coconut milk, red chilies, terasi, coconut sugar in a food processor or blender.
  2. In a sauce pot, combine processed mixture with the rest of coconut milk, stir and turn on the stove at low-medium heat. Stir occasionally.
  3. Cook sauce until boiled, the volume reduced and the sauce surface looks a bit oily. Add rice flour mixture. Keep stirring until bubbling about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Sambal

  1. Combine all ingredients and process in a food processor/blender or you can grind them with mortar and pestle.

Use one pot for everything and prepare in advance. First, put oil in the pan and heat well. Cut tofu into squares and dry. Roll in flour to be sure there is no moisture. Deep fry until golden. Set aside. Clean pot.

Fill with water and boil. Add small potatoes for 6 minutes (not too mushy) set aside. Empty pan. Put in eggs and cover with cold water with 2 inches. add salt to avoid cracking (or vinegar) Heat water to rolling boil. Turn off heat but keep the pan on the hot burner, cover and let sit for 12 minutes. Take out eggs and set aside. Add green beans and cook until soft. Set aside. If you would like, add chopped cabbage to hot water without turning on the burner. This only need about 15 seconds.

Assemble everything on the plate cover with peanut sauce. Sprinkle with fried onions.

Categories
Vegetarian

Mushroom & Cheese Souffle

  •  4 tablespoons (56.7 g) unsalted butter, plus softened butter for brushing
  •  1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  •  1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  •  1 1/2 cups milk
  •  3/4 teaspoon salt
  •  1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  •  12 ounces (156 g) shiitake mushrooms, diced and sautéed in butter with 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  •  6 large eggs, separated
  •  8 ounces (235 g) chèvre
  •  1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Step 1   (45 min) Preheat the oven to 375° (190c) and brush seven 1-cup ramekins with butter. Lightly coat the ramekins with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and set them on a sturdy baking sheet.    

Step 2 In a medium saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook over moderately low heat until smooth and very thick, about 2 minutes. Stir in the salt and cayenne. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolks. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the chèvre and mushrooms.   

Step 3 In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar at medium-high speed until frothy. Increase the speed to high and beat until firm peaks form. With a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the soufflé base until no streaks of white remain.    

Step 4 Spoon the soufflé mixture into the ramekins, filling them to 1/2-inch below the rim. Run your thumb inside the rim of each ramekin to help the soufflés rise evenly. Sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano on top and bake in the bottom third of the oven until the soufflés are puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, bake in a 7-cup soufflé at 375° for 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

Categories
Shrimp

Garides Saganaki Shrimp with feta

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 scallions, minced
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1⁄2 cup white wine
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1⁄2 tsp. sugar
  • 1⁄4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
  • 4 medium tomatoes, grated
  • 3 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
  • 16 large shrimp (about ¾ lb.), peeled and deveined
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 oz. feta
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Arrange a rack 4″ from heating element; heat oven to broil. Heat oil in a 10″ skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and scallions; cook, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook for 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add oregano, sugar, chile flakes, and tomatoes; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, 12 minutes. Stir in mint and shrimp, season with salt and pepper; crumble feta over top. Broil until bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Squeeze lemon over top. Garnish with parsley.

Categories
Vegetarian

Butternut Squash tomato ginger and lime dressing

  • 1 medium butternut squash, trimmed, unpeeled, halved lengthways, seeds removed, then cut widthways into 2½ cm wide slices (800g)
  • 45ml olive oil 
  • 6 large plum tomatoes, halved lengthways (500g)
  • 3cm piece of ginger, finely grated (25g)
  • 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 30g dark muscovado sugar
  • coarse sea salt and black pepper 
  • thin sliced red onion

Lime yoghurt:

  • 120g Greek yoghurt
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom 
  • Finely grated zest of ½ lime, plus 1½ tsp lime juice To serve
  • 5g parsley
  • roughly chopped
  • 30g cashew nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
  • 10g crispy shop-bought onions(optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/gas mark 9.

2 Mix the squash with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 2 teaspoons of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Spread out on a large parchment-lined baking tray and roast for 35–40 minutes, until golden-brown. Set aside to cool.

*NOTE: skin stays on. Do not slice the squash pieces too thin or they will come out hollow when roasted

4 Place the ginger, chilli, garlic, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Mix to form a paste.

5 Heat pan on stovetop. Add butter and ginger sace to make liquid and add the halved tomatoes. Cook covered until soft. About 15 minutes. Turn up the heat and cook with cut side down until carmelized. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt

6 Place all the ingredients for the lime yoghurt in a small bowl, with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

7 Spread the squash out on a large platter and arrange the tomatoes in between. Sprinkle sliced red onion. Drizzle over the lime yoghurt, sprinkle with the parsley , cashews and fried onions, if using, and serve.

Categories
Fish

Irish Salmon with creamy Ciboulette sauce

Ingredients

  • 4 x 110g fillets of salmon
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 275ml/½pt water
  • 125ml/4fl.oz white wine
  • 25g/1oz butter

Creamy Chive Sauce

  • 25g/1oz butter
  • 2-4 tsp dry white wine
  • 150ml/¼pt whipping cream
  • 1 small bunch chives – finely chopped

Trim the salmon fillets into neat, even sizes. Just before cooking, sprinkle with the lemon juice and season well.

Pour the wine and water into a baking tin. Place the salmon fillets skin side down into the tin, placing a knob of butter on top of each one. Cover the top of the baking tin tightly with tinfoil and cook for 10-12 minutes at 190°C/gas mark 5. Remove the salmon from the tin and serve immediately with the chive sauce.

To make the sauce, heat the butter in a shallow pan and add the wine, cream and chives. Heat through and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve alongside the salmon.

Tip: Add 2-3 dsp fish stock to the sauce when you add the wine and cream. This will give the dish extra flavour.

Categories
Fish

Fish Cakes

For the tartare-style sauce

  • 125ml mayonnaise
  • 1 rounded tbsp capers, roughly chopped (rinsed and drained if salted)
  • 1 rounded tsp creamed horseradish
  • 1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
  • 1 tsp flatleaf parsley, finely chopped

For the fish cakes

  • 450g skinned Icelandic cod or haddock fillet, from a sustainable source
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 150ml milk
  • 350g Maris Piper potatoes
  • ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp flatleaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp snipped chives
  • 1 egg
  • flour, for shaping
  • 85g fresh white breadcrumbs, preferably a day or two old
  • 3-4 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil, for shallow frying
  • lemon wedges and watercress, to serve
  1. Mix together 125ml mayonnaise, 1 rounded tbsp roughly chopped capers, 1 rounded tsp creamed horseradish, 1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard, 1 small very finley chopped shallot and 1 tsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley. Set aside.
  2. Lay 450g skinned Icelandic cod or haddock fillet and 2 bay leaves in a frying pan. Pour over 150ml milk and 150ml water.
  3. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 4 mins. Take off the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 mins to gently finish cooking the fish.
  4. Meanwhile, peel and chop 350g Maris Piper potatoes into even-sized chunks. Put them in a saucepan and just cover with boiling water. Add a pinch of salt, bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 mins or until tender, but not broken up.
  5. Lift the fish out of the milk with a slotted spoon and put on a plate to cool. Drain the potatoes in a colander and leave for a min or two.
  6. Tip the potatoes back into the hot pan on the lowest heat you can and let them dry out for 1 min, mashing them with a fork and stirring so they don’t stick. You should have a light, dry fluffy mash.
  7. Take off the heat and beat in 1 rounded tbsp of the sauce, then ½ tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley and 1 tbsp snipped chives.
  8. Season well with salt and pepper. The potato should have a good flavour, so taste and adjust to suit.
  9. Drain off liquid from the fish, grind some pepper over it, then flake it into big chunks into the pan of potatoes.
  10. Using your hands, gently lift the fish and potatoes together so they just mix. You’ll only need a couple of turns, or the fish will break up too much. Put to one side and cool.
  11. Beat 1 egg on a large plate and lightly flour a board. Spread 85g fresh white breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Divide the fish cake mixture into four.
  12. On the floured board, and with floured hands, carefully shape into four cakes, about 2.5cm thick. One by one, sit each cake in the egg, and brush over the top and sides so it is completely coated.
  13. Sit the cakes on the crumbs, patting the crumbs on the sides and tops so they are lightly covered. Transfer to a plate, cover and chill for 30 mins (or up to a day ahead).
  14. Heat 3-4 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil in a large frying pan. To test when ready, drop a piece of the dry breadcrumbs in – if it sizzles and quickly turns golden brown, it is ready to use.
  15. Fry the fish cakes over a medium heat for about 5 mins on each side or until crisp and golden. Serve with the rest of the sauce (squeeze in a little lemon to taste), lemon wedges for squeezing over and watercress.
Categories
Desserts

Pasteis de Nata

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 1 stick high-quality unsalted butter, fully softened, divided
  • For the Sugar Syrup:
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
  • 1 lemon, zested in large strips (optional)
  • For the Custard Base:
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  1. Combine flour, salt, and cold water in a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be sticky; adjust with more flour or water to achieve what’s shown in the video.
  2. Transfer dough onto a well floured surface. Dust a little more flour over the top. Knead for a minute or two to form a round. Cover and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Roll dough into a square about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as necessary; dough should still be sticky.
  4. Spread 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the square using a silicone spatula, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Flip the unbuttered side over the middle of the square and fold the opposite end over it like a letter. Straighten the edges as needed.
  5. Turn dough with a bench scraper to unstick it from the counter; dust with flour. Flip and sprinkle more flour on top. Roll dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, carefully stretching edges as needed. Spread another 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the dough. Fold into thirds. Transfer onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until butter is slightly chilled, about 10 minutes.
  6. Sprinkle dough with flour and roll into a square a little over 1/8 inch thick. Spread remaining butter over the dough, leaving a 1- to 1 1/2-inch border on the top edge. Dip your finger in water and lightly moisten the unbuttered edge. Roll dough into a log starting from the bottom edge. Dust with more flour and polish the ends as needed. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
  7. Combine sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a pot. Boil over medium heat, without stirring, until syrup reaches 210 to 215 degrees F (100 degrees C). Remove from heat.
  8. Preheat oven 550 degrees F (288 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
  9. Whisk flour, salt, and cold milk together very thoroughly in a cold pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until milk thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
  10. Whisk egg yolks into the cooled milk. Add the sugar syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Strain custard into a glass measuring cup.
  11. Unwrap the dough and trim any uneven bits on the ends. Score log into 12 even pieces using a knife; cut through.
  12. Place a piece of dough in each muffin cup. Dip your thumb lightly in some cold water. Press thumb into the center of the swirl; push dough against the bottom and up the sides of the cup until it reaches least 1/8 inch past the top. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way with custard.
  13. Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is browned and bubbly, and the tops start to blister and caramelize, about 12 minutes. Cool tarts briefly and serve warm.