Category: -sides

Categories
-sides Vegetarian

Salsa Verde

  • 1/2 lemon (with peel), seeded, chopped
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  • Fresh lemon juice (optional)

Combine lemon, shallot, and garlic in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Let sit 5 minutes. Stir in oil, parsley, cilantro, and chives. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, if desired.

Categories
-sides Vegetarian

Classic Garlic & Lemon Hummus

  • 1½ cups (246 g) cooked chickpeas
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL) tahini 
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) ice water 

Optional garnish

  • fresh basil
  • ground cumin
  • pomegranate seeds
  1. Add all of the ingredients, except for the water, to a food processor or blender and blend on high until smooth.
  2. While the mixture is blending, in a thin and steady stream, add half of the ice water to the food processor*. If desired, skip this step by simply adding the water in with the ingredients in step #1.
  3. Taste test the hummus. If too thick, add the remaining water. For a creamier consistency, add more olive oil and/or tahini. For more zest, add more lemon juice. Plate, garnish, and serve!

Notes

  • * Adding the water in this way helps to aerate the hummus and make it more ‘fluffy’.

Storage

Categories
-sides Fish Scallops

Tandoori Scallops with chickpeas and pickled cucumber

SCALLOPS

  • 8 large scallops cleaned
  • salt
  • olive oil

TANDOORI SPICE MIX

  • 1 tbsp of paprika
  • 2 tbsp of smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp of ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp of ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tbsp of coarse kosher salt
  • 1/4 tbsp of black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 tbsp of sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp powdered saffron
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp of ground turmeric
  • 1 tbsp of ground fenugreek

YOGHURT, CUCUMBER AND CHICKPEAS

  • 250g of strained natural yoghurt
  • 1/2 cucumber, English
  • 1 tsp moscatel vinegar
  • 150g of tinned chickpeas
  • coriander cress
  • salt
  • pepper

 Mix all of the tandoori spices together in a blender, blitz until combined then set aside somewhere warm to infuse for a minimum of 2 hours

Mix 1 tsp of the spice mix through the yoghurt and season. Place in the fridge until ready to serve

Drain, rinse the chickpeas before mixing with the cucumber

Season the scallops with a generous sprinkling of the tandoori spice and a little salt

Place a pan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil. Once hot, add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove and rest in a warm place for 5 minutes

Dress each plate with swirls of the yoghurt and spoon some of the cucumber and chickpea mix around the plate. Cut the scallops in half, arrange on the plates and garnish with a few leaves of coriander cress. Serve immediately

Categories
-appetizers -sides Vegetarian

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Warm Honey Glaze

  • 1½lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved
  • ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½tsp. kosher salt, plus moreFreshly ground black pepper
  • ¼cup honey
  • ⅓cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • ¾tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 3Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 3scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
  • 1tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Step 1

Place a rimmed baking sheet on bottom rack of oven; preheat to 450°. Toss brussels sprouts and oil in a large bowl; season with salt and black pepper.

Step 2

Carefully remove baking sheet from oven. Using tongs, arrange brussels cut side down on baking sheet. Roast brussels on bottom rack until softened and deeply browned, 20–25 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, bring honey to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until honey is a deep amber color but not burnt (it will be foamy, that’s okay), 3–4 minutes.

Step 4

Remove from heat and add vinegar and red pepper flakes, if using, and whisk until sauce is smooth (it will bubble up quite aggressively when you add the vinegar before settling). Return saucepan to medium heat, add butter and ½ tsp. salt, and cook, whisking constantly, until glaze is glossy, bubbling, and slightly thickened, 3–4 minutes.

Step 5

Transfer brussels sprouts to a large bowl. Add glaze and scallions and toss to combine. Transfer to a platter and top with lemon zest.

Categories
-sides Vegetarian

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

  • 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped 
  • Kosher salt 
  • 1/2 c butter, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 1 c sour cream
  • 3 tbsp. prepared horseradish
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly chopped chives, for garnish
  1. In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, 16 to 18 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes until smooth. 
  2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with milk until warm. Pour mixture over potatoes and stir until creamy. Stir in sour cream and horseradish then season with salt and pepper. Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl and top with a pat of butter. Season with more pepper and garnish with chives before serving.
Categories
-sides

Potatoes au Gratin

  • Softened butter
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • 1kg potatoes, peeled
  • kosher salt
  • pepper
  • 8 to 10 fresh thyme sprigs
  • freshly grated nutmeg, optional
  • 1.5 cups (or more or less) stock
  • 1.5 cups (or more or less) heavy cream
  • 1 heaping cup grated Gruyère cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  1. Preheat oven to 190c (375ºF). Grease an earthenware gratin dish with smashed peeled garlic and butter.
  2. cut potatoes 1/8-inch thick and layer overlapping slices in the prepared pan. Season generously with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves (no need to chop — just pull and scatter). Lightly grate nutmeg over top. Make another layer of potato slices and season again in the same manner.
  3. Cover the potatoes with the stock and cream — you may need more to allow the liquid to get to the top level of the top layer of potatoes. 
  4. Sprinkle the top with the grated cheeses.
  5. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour (see notes above if you need to make this ahead of time), checking after 40 minutes or so to make sure the potatoes are not browning too quickly. If they are browning too quickly, cover the pan with foil and continue baking until the potatoes are tender and the top is nicely browned. You can also turn the temperature down to 350ºF if necessary. I find this consistently takes over an hour for the liquid to thicken up and for the top to be evenly browned. 
Categories
-sides Vegetarian

Crispy Roast Potatoes

  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon (4g) baking soda
  • 4 pounds (about 2 kg) russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters, sixths, or eighths, depending on size
  • 5 tablespoons (75ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • Small handful picked fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Small handful fresh parsley leaves, minced
  1. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F/230°C (or 400°F/200°C if using convection). Heat 2 quarts (2L) water in a large pot over high heat until boiling. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt (about 1 ounce; 25g), baking soda, and potatoes and stir. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until a knife meets little resistance when inserted into a potato chunk, about 10 minutes after returning to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, with rosemary, garlic, and a few grinds of black pepper in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring and shaking pan constantly, until garlic just begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Immediately strain oil through a fine-mesh strainer set in a large bowl. Set garlic/rosemary mixture aside and reserve separately.
  3. When potatoes are cooked, drain carefully and let them rest in the pot for about 30 seconds to allow excess moisture to evaporate. Transfer to bowl with infused oil, season to taste with a little more salt and pepper, and toss to coat, shaking bowl roughly, until a thick layer of mashed potato–like paste has built up on the potato chunks.
  4. Transfer potatoes to a large rimmed baking sheet and separate them, spreading them out evenly. Transfer to oven and roast, without moving, for 20 minutes. Using a thin, flexible metal spatula to release any stuck potatoes, shake pan and turn potatoes. Continue roasting until potatoes are deep brown and crisp all over, turning and shaking them a few times during cooking, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
  5. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and add garlic/rosemary mixture and minced parsley. Toss to coat and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Categories
-sides Vegetarian

Cauliflower Patties

  • 1 large cauliflower (washed & trimmed into bite size pieces)
  • 3 shallots, peeled and chopped
  • 3 small garlic cloves (peeled and finely chopped)
  • 3 large organic eggs
  • 1 handful Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
  • 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded low moisture mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup (or more if needed) unbleached baking flour
  • 1/4 cup (or more if needed) whole milk
  • 1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Light olive oil (for cooking)
  1. Place a large stockpot filled with water to boil on the stove top. Once it comes to a full boil, add the prepared cauliflower and cook until tender, but not too mushy. Drain and rinse with cold water, set aside to cool.
  2. Saute the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft and fragrant; do not brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Break the cooked cauliflower pieces down into very small pieces using your hands or a knife. The cauliflower needs to be solid enough to taste and create texture, but not so large as to not allow the patties to cook properly.
  4. Add the eggs, cooked shallots and garlic to the bowl of cauliflower and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix this well and add some flour and milk to begin creating a batter-like consistency (start with 1/4 cup of each and add more as needed; adjust to get the desired consistency.)
  5. Add the grated cheese, shredded mozzarella and chopped fresh parsley to the mix and blend well until combined. Again, test the thickness here and adjust accordingly adding flour and milk until you are satisfied.
  6. NOTE: The mixture for these patties is a bit of trial and error as it needs to resemble a very thick pancake batter without being too dry or worse, too thin and runny.
  7. Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat and add drizzle of the light olive oil and test the mixture by spooning a small pattie into the skillet and watch how it cooks and holds its shape.
  8. Use your spatula to press and form the pattie in the skillet as it cooks to make sure it maintains shape and cooks through. Adjust your heat and resist the urge to flip too soon, allow the pattie to cook until light golden brown (about 3-4 minutes each side depending on your stove) before you flip them.
  9. Continue forming and cooking the patties, adding more light olive oil as you go. Remove the cooked patties to a large flat platter to cool (do not overlap them until cooled.) Taste the first patties and adjust your salt and pepper seasoning for the remaining batter, if needed.
  10. I love to serve these after letting them cool as they are much more flavorful at room temperature. These are the ideal hostess side dish (plan to make these during the upcoming holidays) that you can make ahead.
  11. Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator and simply deliver them to your host and let them come back to room temperature before serving.
Categories
-sides Vegetarian

Ricotta hotcakes

  • 225g ricotta
  • 3 tbsp parmesan, grated
  • 125ml milk
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 80g self-raising flour
  • 40g butter, for frying
  • For the topping:
  • 150g cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil 
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ½ clove garlic, crushed
  • ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 50g baby spinach leaves
  • 2 tbsp basil leaves, shredded
  • 30g pine nuts, toasted and chopped
  1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Cut the tomatoes in half and toss them in a bowl with half the oil and some salt and pepper. Arrange skin-side down on an oven tray and bake for an hour, until the tomatoes have lost much of their moisture.
  2. About 20 minutes before the tomatoes are ready, start on the hotcakes. Combine the cheeses, milk and egg yolks in a large bowl, stir in the flour and a quarter teaspoon of salt, and mix to a uniform batter. Pour the egg whites into a separate bowl and whisk until foamy but not totally stiff; fold into the ricotta mix.
  3. Heat half the butter in a large, nonstick frying pan. Drop in two to three tablespoons of batter per pancake and use the back of the spoon to help shape them into round pancakes roughly 1cm thick and 10cm in diameter. Cook for a minute or two on each side, until golden. Keep warm and repeat with the remaining batter.
  4. Mix the remaining oil, garlic, vinegar and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the spinach and, using your hands, toss gently. Serve two pancakes per person, topped with the spinach salad and tomatoes, and finished off with a sprinkling of fresh basil and pine nuts. Serve at once.
Categories
-sides Vegetarian

Oyster Sauce Glazed Asparagus and Mushrooms

  • 1 pound asparagus
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or Ponzu sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 ginger slice peeled and minced
  • 1 pinch pepper, to taste
  • Chinese noodles
  1. Cut asparagus into 2-inch long pieces.
  2. Mix oyster sauce, soy sauce, water, cornstarch, and sesame oil until cornstarch is well dissolved. Set this seasoning sauce aside.
  3. Heat skillet to high and put a cup of water by the skillet (for thinning the sauce later if you need to).
  4. Add 1 Tbsp oil in the skillet Add shallots and asparagus. Stir the vegetables around for about 5-7 minutes. You are looking to get some nice browning on the edges.
  5. Remove from pan to a bowl or plate.
  6. Heat another 1 Tbsp oil and add the mushrooms and some pepper. Stir mushrooms around on dry heat without adding any liquid. The mushrooms should shrink up and become browned.
  7. Add asparagus back to skillet. Turn heat down to medium.
  8. Add 1 Tbsp more of oil and add garlic and ginger. Once you can smell the garlic, quickly add seasoning sauce.
  9. Stir to coat all vegetables in sauce. The sauce will reduce rapidly. You can add another tablespoon or two of water if you need to distribute the sauce better.
  10. Cook noodles per recipe and put sauce on top. Serve.