Bread and Butter NYC

Apricot and Rhubarb Crumble

 

Despite the rainy week that we  have all had, here in New York City the sun continues to shine at the homes of my two dear friends Laura and Lela who both hosted such great dinner parties this week. I felt very spoilt but lucky to have home cooked food, great company and interesting conversation ranging from the fall of Jamie Dimon, to the Face Book IPO to discussion on The Color Grey, Madness at home and the workplace, How do I light this tall sparkler? What's in the milk punch? and Which farmers market stall was the best at the green market. I was left feeling rapturous and blessed. 

We finally have some great fruits in the markets especially  a deluge of rhubarb and also an appearance of apricots. I therefore could not resist combining these two for the perfect dessert. Follow the crumble recipe I have used in the past with apricots and raspberries. I substituted walnuts for almonds. 

 Crumble- Use this recipe substituting the fruit below. 

Fruit- 1 1/2 pounds of rhubarb that has been chopped up. About 2 pounds before you wash and chop.

6-8 apricots

1Tbsp of sugar- combine this to the chopped fruit once it has all be chopped up in the bowl. 

Serve with ice-cream or custard. You will be making this time and time again and makes the perfect Summer dinner party dessert.

 

Fish Cakes- Swedish Style by Jamie

It was Mothers day a few days back and my youngest bought me Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes cook book. He gave it with so much love and enthusiasm and insisted we cook a few meals together. This is such a great way to get the kids to eat meals that they would not usually eat. Getting them involved in  choosing a dish, helping to cook it and then set the table and eat with the family is magic. There is something innately comforting about sitting around a table and sharing a meal. Fishcakes was chosen (page 148) and the only change I made was reducing the chili content. I would use half a chili when serving to kids. Jamie used 2 whole chilies enough to blow your head off, if that is what you are looking for. I also love the combination of cod, salmon and tuna. 

Makes 7 fish cakes

2 slices of stale crusty bread- turned into breadcrumbs- place bread in a food processor and whiz until fine.

2 X 5oz salmon fillets, skin off and no bones

1 x 12oz cod or haddock

1 X 8oz tuna steak

1 lemon

small bunch of fresh parsley

1 clove garlic

- Add all the fish to a food processor, grated lemon zest, parsley , salt and pepper and whiz until coarsley mixed.

- Take the fish mixture, place in a bowl and add two heaped tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Take clean hands and form around 6/7 patties. Flatten and then place on the breadcrumbs. Squeeze then flip over. 

 

  - Take a large pan and put a good glug of olive oil. Put on medium heat. Take the garlic , peel then bash the garlic with the base of your hand and add to the pan. When it sizzles, carefully transfer the fishcakes to the pan. I did 2 at a time. Cook for about 5/6mins on each side. Once done place on a plate and keep warm while you make the rest. 

 Tomato Salsa

1/2 red chili- You can use up to two

4 scallions

4/5 large red tomatoes- Or more

red wine vinegar

1/2 english cucumber

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

2 limes

small bunch of basil

- cut the red chili, de-seed and put in the blender. Add the chopped scallions, tomatoes and seasoning. Add a swig of red pepper and then pulse until very finely chopped. Have a taste and adjust if needed by seasoning. 

- Chop the cucumber, de-seed the peppers and finely chop. Add to the tomato puree together with the juice of two limes. Serve with the crabs. This is also a perfect salsa with chips. 

Mushroom and Farro Pie- Perfect For Any Occasion.

 There are pies, then there are great pies and then there are just heavenly pies and this is one of them. This dish will hit all the right spots. Wonderful as a lunch with a green salad, or as a side with a Pork or Beef roast or just on its own. This will work well in the cold heart of winter and on a sunny summers day for a picnic. I got this recipe from Gourmet Comfort page 49 and it is a wonderful mix of flavors. I am a huge fan of farro and will make up any excuse to cook it. Combine it with crunchy spring onions- plenty at the farmers markets, cremini mushrooms- from my favorite Mushroom Man at the farmers market at Abington Square, Ricotta cheeses from Murrays and you have a magical, flavorsome dish. 

3/4 Cup Farro- I used the whole Farro as it takes longer to cook and it is more crunchy then the pearled.

3 cups water

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp Oil

2 garlic cloves minced

9 scallions finely chopped- 1 1/3 cups. 

1 lb cremini mushrooms- chopped

1/4 cup madeira - dry

1 cup whole milk ricotta

1 packet frozen puff pastry- 14/17oz

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water and a pinch of salt

Serves 8 as a main or 10/12 as a side- 400F

- Cover farro with cold water in a bowl and soak for 30mins. Then drain. Bring farro, water- 3 cups and salt to a boil on medium heat and simmer uncovered for 15/20mins. Then drain and put in a bowl.Farro should be crunchy.

- While Farro is cooking, melt the butter with the oil in a heavy skillet. Then cook the garlic and half the scallions stirring frequently. 2/3 mins. Then add the chopped mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook until brown, around 6-8mins. Then add the maderia and cook 1 min. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the farro, let mixture cool completely. 

 - Once the mixture is cooled, add the remaining scallions, ricotta and additional seasoning. 

- Take out the puff pastry and roll out to an 11inch square. You will have two sheets of pastry. Take a baking tray, line it with parchment paper, place one sheet of puff pastry on the sheet, another layer of parchment paper and the second layer of pastry. Cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge for 30mins.  

Then take out one of the squares- the lower one on the baking tray and spread the filling on it leaving a 1" border. Then take some of the egg mixture and spread on the border. Place the second layer on top. Press the edges down and brush the pastry all over with the egg mixture. Take care that you do not let the egg mixture go over the edges of the pastry as it will affect its puffiness. 

 - Cut a few holes in the pastry and then bake for 45mins or thereabouts. My oven is extremely hot so I needed just under 35mins. If the pastry browns quickly, cover with some foil during cooking so it does not burn. Let it cool and then serve. 

Spinach Pancakes - Ottolenghi

I am a huge fan of Ottolenghi and his wonderful approach to food-  use of fresh ingredients, grains, pulses, spices and always an element of uniqueness in his combination of flavors and colors. I was given his latest book "Plenty"- Page 150 by my friend Lela and I simply love this book. It is a treasure chest full of vegetarian recipes. I loved these pancakes as they are a great  addition to any dish but look and taste delicious and a wonderful way to get your kids to eat spinach. There was a lime butter with the pancakes but I left that out and preferred to serve mine with Halibut with roasted tomatoes and fava beans. These would also be perfect with a green salad or some roasted chicken. As with all my cooking the key are the ingredients and with Spring firmly in the air the produce at the farmers market is slowly coming in. The spring onions were sweet and the spinach was crunchy, small and delicious and tasted of pure earthly goodness. 

Serves 4

1/2 pound spinach - 8 cups washed

3/4 cup self raising flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 egg

4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted

pinch salt

1 tsp ground cumin

2/3 cup milk

6 medium green onions, finely chopped

1 green chile finely diced

1 egg white

Olive oil

Seasoning

- Cook the spinach in some water just until it wilts. Then sieve and squeeze until no water remains. Roughly chop and put aside. 

- Put the flour, baking powder, whole egg, melted butter, salt, cumin and milk in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the green onions, chile and spinach and mix well with a fork. Add seasoning.  Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and gently fold into the batter. 

- Pour a small amount of olive oil into a heavy skillet, when it is hot add 1/4 cup of the batter. Cook 2-3 mins each side then turn and cook 1 more min. You can make these as big or small as you want. After each 1/2 pancakes are made, wipe the skillet and repeat the process. Transfer the pancakes to a plate with a paper towel and keep warm. Great also served with home made pesto. Pesto

Chicken Marsala-Viable Mushroom Sauce and Coucous

I have found yet another way of cooking chicken with a difference, the twist being the Marsala wine. This recipe is from Gourmet Italian Kitchen page 52. I have not cooked with Marsala wine since the 1990's when I used to slow cook pears in it or use it in a sauce with juniper berries for pork chops. This recipe bought back those memories and Marsala wine is very much from another time, almost forgotten in its ability to bring out flavors of something very ordinary turning it into something sublime. This was a perfect sauce for chicken escalopes. Perfect for right now!You can also use this sauce for beef dishes, steak or even veal escalopes. It is simple and yet tastes very professional. 

Serves 4-5

1 3/4 cup chicken stock

2Tbsp finely chopped shallot

5 Tbsp unsalted butter

10oz mushrooms trimmed and finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp finely chopped sage

Flour for coating chicken

4 skinless/boneless  chicken escalopes

Olive oil

1/2 cup Marsala wine

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Put oven 200F

- Bring chicken broth to boil and simmer until 3/4 cup remains- about 20mins.

- Cook shallots in a heavy saucepan with olive oil until they brown about 1min. Then add mushrooms,1 tsp sage, 1/4 tsp salt, pepper and cook for 6-8mins. Remove from the heat. 

- Take the chicken escalopes, season then dredge in flour, 1 piece at a time, shaking off excess. 

- Heat 1 Tbsp each of butter and oil over medium/high heat then cook the chicken about 4 mins on one side and 2 on the other. Put on a plate and then place in the warm oven. Wipe the skillet with paper towel and follow above steps until all the pieces of chicken have been cooked.

- Add 1/2 cup Marsala wine to the skillet over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 30seconds. Add the reduced chicken broth, cream and mushrooms, then simmer stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened 6/8mins. Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining 2 Tbsp of wine and 1/2tsp sage. Check for seasoning. Serve the chicken with sauce. I also steamed some yellow beans and served some spinach tagliolni. 

Farro Couscous

I also served some of the above Farro/couscous salad with chopped escarole and sauted mushrooms. It was a perfect meal. The above is a perfect lunchtime pick me up, healthy salad. Throw in some freshly chopped raw or lightly sauted kale and you are good to go. I am currently obsessed with Kale as it is everywhere especially at Lydia's stall at The Green Market on a Sat

 

 

Halibut with Leeks and Fingerling Potato Soup and Spring Onion/Kale Quiche

I have to welcome myself back to my blog, it has been over a month since I last posted. I was away for a while over Spring Break and I wanted to give myself a break from writing. The cooking was still going on but I wanted the freedom from writing for a while. I also got to read "Wait for Me" by Deborahe Mitford- Duchess of Devonshire which is a wonderful Historical look at a great English Family. Read it if you get a chance. And now to our entry into Spring. There is a big seasonal shift that took place while I was away and we now have greens slowly coming onto the market, the Farmers  markets are getting back into swing and my aural senses are doing a small jig! Given that, I wanted to kick this Spring off with one of my favorite dinners this wonderful Halibut soup. I added leeks and fingerling potatoes but you could add spring onions which I did today in my kale and spring onion quiche, and even some collared greens at the end like kale or escarole. This is easy to prepare and is good for a week night quick dinner or a fancy dinner party. Just add any vegetable you want and make sure the Halibut is fresh. 

serves 6

1 1/2 pounds halibut- skinned and cut into large chunks. Use more if you want to.

1 pound cockles- washed and scrubbed. Clams will also do as well. Your preference. 

2/3 leeks- white part only diced

3 shallots finely chopped

3/4 garlic cloves diced finely

8-10 fingerling potatoes- use more if you want. Washed and sliced.

1 cup white wine

2 x 8oz bottles clam juice

Lemon rind

handful of fresh parsley

salt and pepper

Base- Part 1

- Take one finely chopped shallot, warm some olive oil and cook for a few mins until the shallots turn golden. Add the chopped garlic, mix 1 min then add 1/2 cup of the wine and cook for 1 /2 mins. Then add 1, 8oz bottle of clam juice and the cockles. Bring to boil, then simmer , throw in the lemon rind and cover for 8-10mins. Check that all the cockles have opened and throw any that have not. Take pan off the heat. Sieve the liquid, set aside. Take the cockles out of the shells and set aside. Discard the shells and the strained shallots etc. Keep the cockles and the liquid aside but in different bowls. 

Main Broth Part 2- Take the remaining shallot and the chopped leeks and add to a pan with olive oil. Cook for 8-10mins until golden. Add the garlic and cook 1 more min. Then add the potatoes, the 1/2 cup remaining wine and the other 8oz bottle of clam juice and bring to boil and simmer for a few mins, about 5 mins. Then add the halibut and the remaining liquid from the cockles. If you want more liquid, just add more wine. Simmer for about 10mins. Also season at this point. In the last minute throw in the cockles and the chopped parsley. Serve with big chunks of bread. Check for seasoning. 

You could also add fresh garden peas at the same time as the halibut. I also sometimes add saffron to the wine, just before adding the potatoes. 

 

The farmers market had great thin asparagus, simple just wash and add to a pan with olive oil. Sprinkle a good amount of sea salt and you are ready to eat it as is. 

Quiche

I bought some kale and wonderful purple spring onions. I made a quiche but as I used 2 bunches of kale this felt more healthy then the regular quiche of creamy cheesy consistency. Follow my quiche recipe but pan fry in olive oil the onions for a few minutes- 2 bunches- then add the diced kale and cook for about 4-5mins. Then do as the recipe. Make the dough in the morning, that way the tricky part is done. 

 

A snowy morning in Verbier and below my friend Ellen's Fondue Hut from 1650's. It was a gem, and all the interior was original together with all the utensils. This was also at 1700 metres above sea level. 

 

Trifle By Skye Gyngell- Perfect For A Grand Dinner Party

I honestly think Trifle may be the first thing I ever tried to make when I was a young 9/10 year old back in Hounslow. Well no that is not true, the first thing was a chapati- indian flat-bread and then it was trifle from the birds eye boxes. I just loved it. It is a British as Fish and Chips, Steak and Kidney Pie and Sticky Toffee Pudding. I came across Skye Gyngell in a random email and tracked her to her cook book "How I Cook". It is her home cooking book and has simple hearty dishes. It was her recipe for Trifle that caught my attention and bought back my love for an old favorite dessert but one made almost from scratch. Also I think I remember seeing in one of the episodes of Downton Abbey, Trifle being served at one of the family dinners, so I had a big urge to make one myself. I followed her recipe but increased the amounts by 50% as I had a very large bowl to fill and 10 for dinner. I also added 1 tin of Devon Custard as my custard did not quite thicken enough. You cab buy this at Meyers of Keswick here in NY or use any other type of vanilla sauce. I would suggest you keep a tin handy and I always love extra custard. Her sponge is also wonderful and I have baked it just to give to the kids as an after school snack or packed a slice in their lunch boxes. 

Serves 8-10

Sponge

100g unsalted butter

100g self raising flour

100g caster sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt

For the sponge preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 18cm round cake tins, butter the paper slightly and dust with flour. 

Beat the butter and sugar in a blender until pale. Then beat in the eggs slowly. Sift the flour/baking powder over the mixture. Gently fold in then add the salt and the extract. 

- Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake 20mins or so. Once cooked, leave in the tins for 5 mins before turning on a wire rack. 

Custard

150ml double cream

300ml whole milk

8 large eggs

80g caster sugar

75g plain flour

1 vanilla pod- inside removed and add to the cream and milk. I used this instead of the vanilla extract as Skye had suggested.

- Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan and the beans from the split vanilla pod and bring to simmer, then remove from the heat. Beat the egg yolks,sugar and flour together in a large bowl until pale and thick, then slowly pour in the warm creamy milk, whisking as you do.Return the custard to the pan and stir constantly over the lowest heat with a wooden spoon until the custard begins to thicken. Do not let it boil. Once it has thickened immediately pour into a cold bowl where it will continue to thicken. When I made this I stirred for quite a while and it never really thickened to a consistency that would allow me to have whipped cream sitting on it. So I cheated and added a tin of Devon custard. This did the trick. 

Fruit

300g blackberries

300g raspberries

150g caster sugar- I used around 80g

finely grated zest of one orange

- Put all the berries in a pan with the sugar and cook on a medium-low heat for 5 min, or until the fruit begins to soften and bleed. Stir in the orange zest. Set aside to cool. 

To Finish

450ml double cream

50g almonds- toasted and chopped

handful of extra raspberries and blackberries for the top

icing sugar to dust

To assemble the trifle- cut one sponge into slices and use it to line the base of a large, glass serving bowl, cutting smaller pieces to fill the gaps. Spoon over half the fruit, followed by half the custard. Whip the cream until soft peaks form, then spread a layer of cream over the custard. Repeat these layers, finishing with a top layer of cream. Sprinkle the almonds then the fruit. Leave the trifle to stand in the fridge for a few hours then serve with dusted icing sugar. 

The sponge below is one where I made for the children by following the sponge recipe above and then butter and dust a square baking tin- 8" by 8" and pour all the batter in the tin. Follow all the other instructions. This is a wonderful, simple and plain, yummy cake. 

French Beans/Mange Tout With Hazelnut and Orange-By Ottolenghi

Firstly I have to apologise for not posting earlier. I am not sure where the time went.......life and living. I have been cooking like a mad woman, old favorites and then trying new recipes which have been a disaster. My notable failure or shall we say a failed recipe was Walnut Cake by Nadine Redzepi - wife of the world's no 1 chef- Rene. The recipe was published in the latest bon appetit and it was a disaster. I think the publishers were probably so enamoured to have secured a feature on Rene Redzepi that they failed to test his wife's walnut cake. It was heavy, like a burdened soul and it was expensive to make as it called for 7 cups of walnuts. However, my greatest disappointment lay in the fact that David Chang with the other guests loved it and " Rene Redzepi asks Nadine to make another one. everyone nods imploringly" That sold me, of course I had to make it. I am more than happy to take full blame if I have missed a step, cannot follow a recipe or made a bad substitution but in this case the recipe was a total failure. I followed it step by step, my execution was nothing short of diligent and respectful. Shame on bon appetit in  publishing this recipe. Also Being married to a Norwegian I am very familiar that The Scandinavians are some of the best bakers and I am sure Nadine had some other true gems could have been shared instead of this cake. 

Now to a recipe that works beautifully and is cheap and healthy. Fresh, green, in season, medley of simple flavors and different, yes it could only be an Ottolenghi dish. I have been a big fan of Ottolenghi for years and I still ask myself the question, Where is our NY Ottolenghi? Well while we wait for one to open, we can make some of the delicious dishes and I will be doing this over the next few weeks. I made this salad last week for a dinner party and served it with roast beef and a couscous/kale salad. It is important that you cook the french beans for exactly 4 mins and the mangetout for 1min. The result is an earthy and tasty salad. 

Serves 6- But enough for 8/10 people if serving with other sides and a main

400g french beans

400g mangetout

70g un-skinned hazelnuts

1 orange

20g chives

1 garlic clove crushed

3Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp Hazelnut oil

salt and pepper

- Preheat oven to 350F.

- Trim the stalks of the french beans and the mangetout keeping both separate. Boil water in a large pan. A large pan will preserve the color of the french beans. 

- Blanch the french beans for 4 mins. Then take out and put in a dish full of ice cold water. Take the mangetout and boil 1 min. Place the mange tout in iced water too. 

- While the beans are cooking, scatter the hazelnuts in a large roasting tray and roast for 10mins. Leave until cool enough to handle, then rub them in a clean tea-towel to get rid of most of the skin. Chop the nuts up roughly.

- Make the dressing and mix all the ingredients . I used a zester for the orange. Place the french beans and mangetout in a large serving bowl and mix in the dressing. I did this about an hour before the guests came for dinner and it was perfect. Serve at room temperature. The next day I used the left overs with farro. 

Pasta e Fagioli- By Marco Canora

 

 

I love beans especially the barlotti or Tuscan variety. It is worth buying the more expensive kind as the value appears in the flavor when you cook them and mix them with onions and prosciutto. I buy mine at Murrays as they began carrying Rancho Gordo brand. These are divine, large, hearty beans that are from a bygone time when beans were beans.  This is also a wonderful and deceptive way to get the kids to eat them. I changed Marco's recipe a bit by omitting the chunks of bacon and pancetta or prosciutto. I added instead small chopped pieces of prosciutto which gave the dish enough flavor and i left the prosciutto in as opposed to Marco's recipe where he throws it away in the end and uses the slabs in the beginning of the cooking process to extract flavor. My kids would have been searching for the meat in this dish. This dish is also wonderful served as a side to a braised lamb casserole or just with salad.It is important you use chicken stock here, as there will be much more flavor. This was also the first time after cooking beans in this broth like mixture, I felt I had landed in the Tuscan countryside. The dish felt authentic, wholesome, seasonal and local. Love!

Serves 6- or 8 as a side

4-6oz prosciutto cubed- or pancetta whatever you like- You could also use good quality bacon and add more if you have meat eaters. 

Olive oil

2 cups diced white onions

salt and pepper

chopped garlic- 2 Tbsp- I use less

1 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary

1 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped sage

1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 3/4 cups chicken broth

3 cups cooked beans and keep some of the liquid

Pasta- However much you like

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano- 2 Tbsp but I use much more. 

- Cook the bacon, prosciutto or pancetta in a wide pan. When it is done to your liking, remove. Add some olive oil and put on a medium heat, then throw in the onions and cook for about 10mins until they are changed in color and soft. You will smell the difference. Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic- cook for another 2/3 mins then add the chopped herbs. Remember to keep stirring. 

- Cook for 1/2 mins then add the tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium/low and cook 5 more mins. Add the chicken stock and half the beans. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat. 

- Meanwhile puree the remaining of the beans using some of the reserved liquid. You want it to be paste like. Scrape the puree into the cooked bean mixture and simmer another 10mins or so. 

- Season the bean mixture with additional salt and pepper if needed. Make the pasta up and then when ready to serve, add the freshly grated parmesan to the bean mixture and add back the prosciutto. Drizzle with olive oil when serving.

You can also use the beans the next day, just add additional chicken stock to wake the flavor up and to get the right consistency. 

Slow Braised Lamb With Tuscan White Beans and Turnips

Home-cooking. That is ultimately what this blog is about. More of it, keep it easy, fresh, get round the table and eat. It creates comfort and the result is happy people and full bellies. If this can be done in one pot even better. This dish achieves all those things and more as it has beans, white wine and chicken broth, all slowly braising in the oven. It is even tastier the next day. I got this recipe from the NY Times January 4th , 2012. The only change I made was to braise it in the oven instead of on the stove. It is easier and the meat literally falls off the bone. I will make this on these cold winter days and for dinner parties and so will you. 

2/3 cup dried white cannellini /tuscan beans. Soak these overnight

Olive Oil

3 pounds lamb shoulder cut into 2" chunks with bone in. Salt and pepper these

8 small white turnips- 1 1/2 pounds- peeled and quartered

1 cup finely chopped leeks

4 large cloves garlic- chopped finely

grated zest of one lemon

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

Put oven on 300F

-Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Add lamb to the pan and brown. Remove to a platter. Add turnips and brown lightly. Remove turnips then reduce heat to low and add the leaks and garlic. Cook until softened about 5/6 mins. Stir in the lemon zest, rosemary and wine. Return the lamb to the pan and cover. Check on it now and then. Cook in the oven 90mins. 

- While the meat is cooking, drain the beans. Place them in  a large pot of boiling water and simmer until cooked. Takes approx 20-45 mins depending on quality of bean. Once cooked, drain and set aside. I do keep a little on the firmer side as you will be cooking for another 40mins in the oven. 

- After 90mins the lamb should be tender. Remove it, leaving all the liquid in the pot. Add the beans, turnips and 1 1/2 cups chicken stock. season with salt and pepper. Put the lamb back in. Place in the oven, raise temperature to 350F and cook another 40mins. Check may be less or more time.

- Once it is done remove from the oven and serve in bowls with large chucks of crusty bread or on its own. Drizzle some olive oil. Yum yummy Yum.......!