Category: Vegetarian

• 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)

•  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.

• 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.

• 4 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp nigella seeds
• 350g waxy potatoes, cut into rough 2.5cm dice
• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets and chunks of stalk slightly larger than the potato
• 1 yellow onion, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tin of plum tomatoes, roughly chopped, or 5 chopped fresh tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted in a dry pan and ground
• ½-1 tsp medium chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2-4 small green chillies, slit along their length
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Juice of ½ a lime
• Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

Heat the oil in a wide, lidded pan over a medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the cumin and nigella seeds and cook for a few seconds util they pop, then add the potatoes and sauté until golden. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and repeat with the cauliflower, then scoop this out into a separate bowl.

Turn the heat down to medium-low, add a little more oil if necessary, and add the onion. Cook until soft and golden but not brown, then stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes. Tip in the tomatoes, ground coriander, chilli and turmeric and cook, stirring regularly, until the oil begins to pool around the side of the pan.

Add the potatoes back in along with the fresh chillies and salt, bring to a simmer, turn down the heat, cover and cook for five minutes. Add the cauliflower and a good splash of water, cover and cook until both are tender, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick, and adding more water if necessary.

Take off the heat, stir in the methi and garam masala and leave for 10 minutes, then stir in the lime juice and fresh coriander before serving

• 250 g haloumi (sheep)
• 4 large peeled and grated thick carrots
• 5 chopped spring onions
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro or parsley
• 1 tbsp roasted ground coriander seeds
• 20g chickpea flour
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• bunch of ruccola
• 4 tbsp lemon sauce (see below)
• pepper and salt

Grate 50g haloumi cheese roughly and stir together with grated carrots. slice the rest of the cheese and set aside. Mix in the rest (up to the oil) of the ingredients and add a bit of salt and pepper, Form into 12 balls and then press them into flat shapes. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes,

Put the oil in the pan and fry the beignets and the sliced haloumi (keep them warm in the oven as you fry them)

To serve, stack the beignets, add ruccola, then fried haloumi, ruccola etc. Finish with lemon sauce.

LEMON SAUCE

• 1/2 clove garlic chopped fine
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp mustard
• juice and small amount of grated zest of 1 lemon
• 90 ml olive oil

Marinara

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 head of garlic, cloves crushed
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 3 oil-packed anchovy fillets (optional)
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
• ¼ cup torn basil leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• Kosher salt

Eggplant and Assembly

• 4 pounds Italian eggplants (about 4 medium), peeled, sliced lengthwise ½–¾ inch thick
• Kosher salt
• 3 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ cups finely grated Parmesan, divided
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 1⅓ cups olive oil
• ½ cup finely chopped basil and parsley, plus basil leaves for serving
• 6 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, grated (about 1⅓ cups)
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

RECIPE PREPARATION

Marinara

• Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large heavy ovenproof pot over medium. Cook garlic, stirring often, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add onion, anchovies (if using), and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, breaking up with your hands, and their juices; add basil and oregano and stir to combine. Swirl 1½ cups water into one tomato can, then the other, to rinse, and add to pot; season with salt. Transfer pot to oven; roast sauce, stirring halfway through, until thick and tomatoes are browned on top and around edges of pot, 2–2½ hours.
• Let sauce cool slightly. Pass through the large holes of a food mill or process in a food processor until mostly smooth. Taste and season with salt.
• Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Eggplant and Assembly

• Lightly season eggplant slices all over with salt; place in a single layer on several layers of paper towels inside a rimmed baking sheet. Top with another layer of paper towels and more slices; repeat as needed. Top with a final layer of paper towels, then another rimmed baking sheet; weigh down with a heavy pot. Let eggplant sit until it has released excess liquid, 45–60 minutes. This step gives the eggplant a creamy texture when baked.
• Meanwhile, pulse panko, oregano, pepper, and ¾ cup Parmesan in a food processor until very finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350°. Place flour in another shallow bowl and eggs in a third shallow bowl. Working one at a time, dredge eggplant slices in flour, then dip in egg, allowing excess to drip off. Coat in breadcrumbs, packing all around, then shaking off excess. Place on wire racks.
• Heat ⅔ cup oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook as many eggplant slices as will comfortably fit in pan, turning once, until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and immediately press with more paper towel to absorb oil. Working in batches, repeat with remaining slices, adding remaining ⅔ cup oil and wiping out skillet as needed. Let cool. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
• Toss chopped herbs, low-moisture mozzarella, and remaining ¾ cup Parmesan in a medium bowl. Spread 1 cup sauce over the bottom of a 13×9″ baking pan; top with a layer of eggplant slices (trim as needed). Drizzle 1 cup sauce over and sprinkle with one-third of cheese mixture. Add another layer of eggplant, followed by 1 cup sauce and half of remaining cheese mixture. Repeat layers with remaining slices, sauce, and cheese mixture. Cover with foil and bake on a rimmed baking sheet until eggplant is custardy, 45–60 minutes.
• Remove from oven and arrange fresh mozzarella over eggplant. Increase oven temperature to 425° and bake, uncovered, until cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, 15–20 minutes longer. Let rest 30 minutes. Top with basil leaves just before slicing.
• Do Ahead: Eggplant Parmesan can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover with foil and chill. Reheat in a 350° oven, uncovering halfway through, until bubbling gently at edges.

Many people find Belgian endives too bitter and need to acquire a taste for them.  Belgian endives lose however some of their bitterness when braised, especially with a sprinkle of sugar.  Cutting off the bottom of the trunk of the Belgian endives will also reduce their bitterness.  Be sure though to cut off this end after braising the Belgian endives.  If you cut them off beforehand the leaves of the Belgian endives will fall apart.

• 1 kilo Belgian endive either whole or cut in half lengthwise
• 2 tbsp olive oil or a little less butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 dash nutmeg
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or white sugar
• 60 ml water (start with a little water and add more if you need it).

Wash the Belgian endives. Remove outer leaves. Cut each Belgian endive in half lengthwise.

Pour the olive oil or the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the Belgian endives, salt and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes turning the Belgian endives over a couple times to get them brown.

Add the nutmeg, minced garlic and sugar. Continue to cook for another minute or so, turning them over once.

Add a little water and continue to cook over until the endives become tender (about 10 to 15 minutes more). Turn them over from time to time to get all sides sauteed but be gentle since endives have a tendency to fall apart (like onions) when cooked.

Mornay Sauce

A Mornay sauce is essentially a bechamel sauce with a combination of cheese melted in.  Some know the bechamel sauce by its less elegant name of white sauce.  Bechamel sauce definitely sounds better, even if it’s basically only milk, flour and butter with a little salt, pepper and nutmeg.  That’s it!

Traditionalists add an egg yolk to give it more creamy consistency (and reduce the amount of flour used). Yet I don’t think it’s necessary.  I also often use olive oil instead of butter to improve its health benefits and make it vegan if I’m going that way.

With a Mornay sauce, at the end you add a combination of grated cheese, usually made up of Gruyère, Emmental, and Parmesan, or any single cheese.  White cheddar or other cheeses can be used if you are feeling less conventional.  A Mornay sauce is a wonderful base for any Mac and Cheese dish!

Roux

• 100 ml olive oil or equivalent in butter
• 60 g all purpose flour (or non-gluten alternative)

Sauce

• 1000 ml milk low fat (or other if you prefer) – See notes
• 100 g cheese grated (Parmesan, Emmental and/or Gruyère)
• 1 pinch nutmeg freshly grated or ground
• white pepper or black pepper if you don’t care it’s not pure white
• 2 dashes salt to taste

• braised belgium endives
• mornay sauce
• 500 g smoked salmon
• 30 gram grated cheese

Roux

• Mix the olive oil and the flour together in a small bowl until you have a grainy paste. This paste is called a “roux” as it will help thicken a sauce as it cooks. Some people like it thicker than others and start with 1/1 olive oil to flour ratio. I use less flour here yet my sauce ends up thick enough, especially if you will add it to a dish that will bake further in the oven.
• Put a sauce pot over a medium flame. Add the roux mixture into the heated pot and stir. Continue until it starts boiling (small bubbles) (2-3 minutes).

Sauce

• Add cold milk (see notes) and whisk the ingredients together making sure it is smooth. Continue stirring from time to time until the milk begins to boil gently (small bubbles on the edges.
• Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
• Reduce heat to low flame and continue heating the mixture in the pot until you reach the thickness that you like. Remember it will thicken further when you add the cheese and even more if you use this sauce in a casserole that will cook more time in the oven.
• Remove the pot from the stove. Add the grated cheese and stir until melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Adjust seasoning and use.

Notes

With a Béchemel sauce or any sauce made from a Béchemel sauce, it is essential to start with cold ingredients (butter and milk) and only add the milk when the roux is hot (slightly boiling). The combination of hot-cold is required to get a smooth consistency. This sauce can be made vegan, gluten-free or more rich if you like.   If you use low fat or nonfat milk you might need to cook a little longer to get the thickness you like OR need to add a little more flour.  

Baked Lof

Put the braised Belgian endives in a colander over a bowl and let drain excess liquid. Keep the liquid for later step.

Use a spatula to remove some of the excess liquid from the Belgian endives (with the little bits remaining) and add it to the Mornay sauce. Mix. Watch not to put too much liquid inside or else the Mornay sauce might become too thin.

Spoon some Mornay sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish so that it is about 2/3 covered. Place each Belgian endive close beside the others. Continue in this way until all Belgian endives are used.

Spread some sauce on top of each layer of rolled Belgian endives. Sprinkle a little of the extra grated cheese on top of each layer and sprinkle with fried smoked salmon. Keep any extra sauce to serve with the mashed potatoes at the table.

Preheat oven to 200°C (375°F). Place the casserole dish(es) in top half of the oven. Cook about 40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

Serve the casserole of chicons au gratin with mashed potatoes and any remaining Mornay sauce.