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The Whiff Of Spring. A Recipe
A few days of mild weather and I’m grasping onto the promise of spring.
I’ve been living the life of a country girl for the past few weeks. Bundled up with a brindle haired lurcher with the sweetest temperament, and a moody cat as my companions. Frequently the cat is all sweetness and light, brushing up against my leg and purring softly (I admit to taking my time dosing out her breakfast as she does!), or settling on the back on my chair with her left paw gently resting on my head. Lulled into a false sense of security I never see it coming when she momentarily turns, unprovoked like a feisty Jack Russell and takes to the biting of my ankles. Sometimes even taking to hissing at me. Charming! Thankfully, the dog is a constant joy. My walking partner, as we headed out each morning with the mists rising.
The weather turned last week. As the numbers on the conservatory temperature gauge rose I actually got to walk without being bundled in layers, and numerous scarves wrapped around my neck like a supporting brace. Oh, the freedom.
The lack of sun and too many weeks of living off stodge, I’m now screaming for crispy salads. Piles of green leaves. Yellow and purple beets shining like jewels. Sweet, juicy tomatoes warm from the sun. I began to dream of salads. Picturing the different ways I could prepare them. I do try and eat in season. But I felt a little thrill at the thought of eating fresh, young asparagus and salivated at the idea of roasted beets and blackberries. I had to give in to some out of season cravings.
I have wanted to make this flavoursome dish since I was visiting San Francisco in January. As you know, I am constantly on the look out for new products. Whilst my eyes were scanning the gorgeous floor to roof displays in the uber hip Bi-Rite deli near Dolores Park I noticed a plate of dressed chicory leaves. Fresh boats of gold and green. Scattered amid sautéed greens and smashed garlic were dehydrated capers. I furtively glanced around (I’m not used to finding food samples among rows of honeyed olive oils and baskets of broccoli head) before I scooped up a generously stuffed chicory leaf and took a bite. The nutty oil, the garlicky greens were simply prepared. Simple and delicious. The cool, crisp chicory, with a hint of bitterness, divine. But what brought it all together was the flavours of the crisp, salty capers.
It was a few bites of flavours so good. I had to recreate at the earliest opportunity. It is a breeze to make. Just a little pre preparation involved. And only a few simple ingredients. Lovely as an appetiser or add a green salad and a generous pile of asparagus to make it more substantial as a light dinner.
Caper Berry Salad
Recipe for 4 persons.
Ingredients
1/4 cup capers in brine - drained and well rinsed
2 chicory bulbs
1 bag (200g) Baby spinach leaves
Your favourite extra virgin olive oil - enough for drizzling and a little for sautéing
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2 garlic good sized cloves
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
A generous bunch of baby asparagus
Method
I used the warming cupboard of the Aga to dehydrate the rinsed capers for a few hours. You could use your oven on the lowest setting for several hours for the same results. Remove from the heat when they have transformed into little crispy nuggets of saltiness. Make extra and use them on salads, atop stews and soups or even simply scattered on a halved avocado.
Cut the chicory leaves from the bulb and place on your serving plate.
Add a little EVOO to a pan and drop in your chopped garlic. Fry briefly and then add the spinach. As it is mostly water it will cook down quickly. Stir to ensure the spinach and garlic mingle. Be sure not to let the garlic burn. Leave to cool slightly.
Bash your walnuts into tiny chips.
Divide the spinach among the leaves of chicory. It is a bit of a balancing act! Drop over the walnut pieces. Drizzle with your best oil. Sow the dried capers like seeds, and with a final flourish, season to taste. Serve with a light squeeze of lemon and accompany with baby asparagus. Cooked briefly in olive or walnut oil with as much fresh black pepper as you can stand.
Have you found any interesting and unusual ingredients lately?
The Whiff Of Spring. A Recipe
Caper Berry Salad Recipe for 4 persons.
Author: India Leigh
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Vegan, gluten free, salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup capers in brine -
- drained and well rinsed
- 2 chicory bulbs
- 1 bag (200g) Baby spinach leaves
- Your favourite extra virgin olive oil - enough for drizzling and a little for sautéing
- ¼ cup walnut pieces
- 2 garlic good sized cloves
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- A generous bunch of baby asparagus
Instructions
- I used the warming cupboard of the A
- ga to dehydrate the rinsed capers for a few hours. You could use your oven on the lowest setting for several hours for the same results. Remove from the heat when they have transformed into little crispy nuggets of saltiness. Make extra and use them on salads, atop stews and soups or even simply
- scattered
- on a halved avocado.
- Cut the chicory leaves from the bulb and place on your serving plate.
- Add a little EVOO to a pan and drop in your chopped garlic. Fry briefly and then add the spinach. As it is mostly water it will cook down quickly. Stir to ensure the spinach and garlic mingle. Be sure not to let the garlic burn. Leave to cool slightly.
- Bash your walnuts into tiny chips.
- Divide the spinach among the leaves of chicory. It is a bit of a balancing act! Drop over the walnut pieces. Drizzle with your best oil. Sow the dried capers like seeds, and with a final flourish, season to taste. Serve with a light squeeze of lemon and accompany with baby asparagus. Cooked briefly in olive or walnut oil with as much fresh black pepper as you can stand.
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Vegan Christmas Recipes Retrospective - Part 3
2013
Looking back, day 3. I don’t even remember writing this post. That starter looks nice! What will you be making?
2012
I wish I had £10 for every time I heard Mariah Carey sing ‘All I Want For Christmas’….I’d be stockpiling a small fortune by now! Hey, ho… ho ho!
Did you check out Xmas Part 1 & 2? Hope so..if not, there is always time.. click here for Part 1 and Part 2, right here
To keep with the ‘healthy but feasty’ theme I thought a light , but flavoursome, salad would be a good choice for the Christmas Day starter. Do you agree? I can’t help feeling a little nostalgic at Christmas. Reminiscing about some retro dish from my childhood (it’s all those bloody old Christmas songs filling the airways and catapulting me back to Christmas past). I’ve been recalling the days when a crouton was ‘posh’ food and me ma would serve everything deep fried and breaded, to showcase her culinary mastery. Us little’ns would see a few cubes of oily breadcrumbs on top of the Maryrose sauce and think we’d skipped up to the Upper Classes. Our pinkies would flick up from our cutlery in reverence, and an attempt to eat like stereotypical posh people. (cough) I think I must have had a case of invented memory syndrome because I cannot possibly be old enough to remember when prawn cocktail was in its heyday! So, with that in mind, and looking to what is seasonal I racked my brain for the perfect Christmas starter……and my inspired dish for Christmas day starter is to be……
Balsamic PEAR Salad With Deep Fried Cheese Croutons With Mustard Dressing and Leaves.
Recipe Serves 4
3 large conference pears
2 tbs balsamic glaze
1 tbs vegan butter & 1 tbs sesame oil for frying
salt & pepper
deep fried cheese
vegan hard cheese recipe here to make your own
4 tbs breadcrumbs
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs tapioca flour & water to make paste or use egg replacer
salt & pepper
oil for deep frying
dressing (can be made ahead of time)
3 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil (walnut oil would be lovely too I think)
2 tsp brown rice syrup (or agave, maple or similar)
organic salad leaves to serve
Method
1.carefully peel your pears and cut into quarters lengthwise. 2. heat oil and butter in a pan and fry the pears until they are crackling and starting to caramelise. 3. season and spoon over the balsamic glaze, cook for a further 3-4 minutes. 4. whilst they are cooking away nicely grab all your dressing ingredients and mix them in a jar. Set aside 5. to make the cheese crouton like things (sorry, it’s dark and cold here, not feeling very inspirational to come up with a fitting title) take an apple corer and cut out 3 cones for each person. Roll them in the tapioca paste then roll….gently now….in the breadcrumbs. 6. fry in the oil..careful!…until golden. Drain and them put all your elements together. Finally, get all cheffy and drizzle over the Dijon dressing. Let the feasting fun commence!
I’m hoping to extend the Christmas Feasting series to Part 4 and share some additional desserts and party food….if time allows.
Bruschetta with Raw Garlic Bread - VEGAN Recipe
I threw a potluck at my place yesterday. One of my efforts was a pungent, fresh and tasty bruschetta.
Back in my ‘gluten’ days I used to make this simple dish A LOT. The flavours are so vivid when the tomatoes are fresh from the vine. Room temperature, to bring out their sweet, acid fruitiness. When freshly minced garlic, peppery extra virgin olive oil and basil combine with the tomatoes, and a good pinch of rock salt is rubbed between thumb and fingers to freckle over the top..something magical happens. Inhale deeply whilst gently tumbling the ingredients in a bowl with a spoon or fork. It is a sensual, aromatic feast as the acid ‘cooks’ the garlic and the essential oils from the basil are released into the juices from the tomatoes. The ingredients act like a great boy band…individual, unique but together they ROCK!
I decided to try a recipe for Raw Garlic Bread - Russell James. The recipe is complete genius with surprising ingredients like psyllium husk and almond pulp. The bread is raw, living (‘cooked’ via a dehydrator to keep its enzymes intact..an oven on it’s lowest setting could possibly work) spongy and light. It even has a chewy crust, much like a french baguette. I made two changes to the recipe. Omitting the dates and using one clove of garlic, as the cloves I had were ginormous and the tomatoes were laden with garlic too. It turned out quite perfect! Gluten free, low carb. All praise to Russell for a fabulous recipes. It is one I will used again and again.
The topping is simple. Ripe, succulent tomatoes roughly chopped. Fresh, minced garlic and torn organic basil leaves. Salt to taste. The bread acts like a sponge to the salad and it transforms it. It’s chewy, garlicky, fresh, aromatic and perfectly pert.
The raw bread takes 14 hours to dehydrate but it made 4 small loaves and it freezes. The tomato bruschetta takes mere moments.
Nutritional info according to Science Daily
‘researchers found that tomatoes are the biggest source of dietary lycopene; a powerful antioxidant. Tomatoes also contain other protective mechanisms, such as antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory functions. Research has additionally found a relationship between eating tomatoes and a lower risk of certain cancers as well as other conditions, including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, ultraviolet light-induced skin damage, and cognitive dysfunction’.
Enjoy
x
Simple Raw Zucchini Pasta Salad with Almond Alfredo Sauce
My mum and I had a deal last weekend, whilst I was up visiting her. I make lunch, she pays for it.
She is brilliant. Open to new foods and giving new dishes a try. The funny thing is though, is that she will try it but then defaults back to the handful of meals she has been making since I was wee. Habit is just that I guess….habit. She’s still a bit scardy-cat of attempting to create a ‘vegan’ dish for me. I tell her it’s not big deal. I point out lots of dishes that traditionally don’t contain animal. After many years I think she finally ‘gets’ it. She has sampled so much of my food, she now gets that delicious desserts do not need dairy, sugar or white flour. Entrees are amazing without the use of any animal products. She called me in the week to tell me she’d been telling all her friends about this dish. It is so simple, I’ve a feeling she may give it a go herself. Maybe.
I used a spiralizer but it is just as good turning the zucchini into pasta with a box grater or fine ribbons with a vegetable peeler.
This pasta is light and summery for all you lucky people who are enjoying a proper summer, with sun and heat and everything! It’s filling, gluten free, dairy free and ALIVE! No wheat no worries.
Raw Pasta Salad with garden peas in Almond Alfredo Sauce
Serves 2
2 med-large zucchini (courgette)
2 cups peas
handful of fresh mint
a few basil leaves
‘alfredo’ sauce
1 cup almonds, soaked over night
1/2 cup water
1 clove garlic minced
2 - 3 teaspoons of lemon juice. Please use fresh. None of that bottled malarkey!
1/2 - 1 tsp Himalayan salt
freshly ground black pepper
Use a spiralizer to create curls of veggie ‘pasta’. Alternatively grate it in long strokes or use a good veggie peeler to create ‘tagiatelle’.
Put the almonds into a blender with the water. Then decant into a nut milk bag and squeeze out all the almond ‘cream’. It’s messy and feels wonderful as the silky almond cream oozes out of the bag.
Grate a clove of garlic into the cream. Squeeze over the juice of the lemon, about two teaspoons or one hearty squeeze should do it. Season to taste.
Add in the peas, chopped herbs and the pasta and gently fold the mixture with a spoon. It smells divine. The garlic fragrance lifts into the air as the acid of the lemon marinates the vegetables and softens the zucchini.
A flourish of freshly grated black pepper and an extra sprinkling of fresh mint and you are done.
Serve with a pert green salad and a citrusy summer mocktail.
Simple Raw Zucchini Pasta Salad with Almond Alfredo Sauce
Author: India Leigh
Recipe type: Salad, Raw Food
Cuisine: Vegan, Raw
Ingredients
- Raw Pasta Salad with garden peas in Almond Alfredo Sauce
- Serves 2
- 2 med-large zucchini (courgette)
- 2 cups peas
- handful of fresh mint
- a few basil leaves
- 'alfredo' sauce
- 1 cup almonds, soaked over night
- ½ cup water
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 - 3 teaspoons of lemon juice. Please use fresh. None of that bottled malarkey!
- ½ - 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Use a spiralizer to create curls of veggie 'pasta'. Alternatively grate it in long strokes or use a good veggie peeler to create 'tagiatelle'.
- Put the almonds into a blender with the water. Then decant into a nut milk bag and squeeze out all the almond 'cream'. It's messy and feels wonderful as the silky almond cream oozes out of the bag.
- Grate a clove of garlic into the cream. Squeeze over the juice of the lemon, about two teaspoons or one hearty squeeze should do it. Season to taste.
- Add in the peas, chopped herbs and the pasta and gently fold the mixture with a spoon. It smells divine. The garlic fragrance lifts into the air as the acid of the lemon marinates the vegetables and softens the zucchini.
- A flourish of freshly grated black pepper and an extra sprinkling of fresh mint and you are done.
- Serve with a pert green salad and a citrusy summer mocktail.
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Spying on Janes Adventures in Dinner - RAW appetiser
Poking around in websites, hunting for clues to the identity and make up of a blogger is one of my pass times. People watching, but indoors, without a glass or cup of something in hand, and actually without any ‘real’ people. Well, of course they are real but a high percentage don’t have a profile picture…just proud pictures of supper, donuts with pink frosting, or a close up of a blender, mid-blend. So I try and build stories about people via their recipe listings or their ‘blog roll’ (does only a British person get the irony in that title?). Mostly, the ‘about me’ tab gives a line or two about the food they like, who they eat it with or make it for, and a bit of back story - pet dog, food persuasion, geographical location. I’ve been spying on Janes Adventures In Dinner she’s Canadian, a mom. She’s about food, she’s about photography, she’s about creative crafting, she’s about ‘giving it a go’ and making life a party. It was my mission to steal (borrow) from her. I had to make sure she didn’t suspect a thing.
The brainchild of this assignment is Amanda Formaro. Amanda from Amandas’ Cookin set up The Secret Recipe Club so she could have some fun and connect with fellow bloggers, and it was 1 year old this month. The number of members have shot up. I love the randomness of of it all. Each month you get assigned (secretly) a food blogger to be your target. It’s very random. Last month I made a Swedish Cake. It is ALWAYS an inspiration. It is usually a challenge….being a vegan n’all! But a welcome one. I spied some great looking onion and feta pizza on Jane’s blog. She was waxing lyrical about it. Here is what I did with it. It’s vegan and, as I’ve just taken delivery of a humming (huge) dehydrator…RAW.
Raw Caramelised Onion on Tomato Flax Bread - totally gluten free!
Ingredients
1 large (tennis ball size or a teensy bit bigger) white onion
4 dates (soft ‘Jasmine’ are perfect, if not soak them for 10 mins in a little hot water)
5 tablespoons Tamari (or coconut amino’s or Braggs liquid amino’s if you are soy free)
Method
1. slice onion into rings (about 1/4 cm thick). Pop into a mixing bowl
2. put the dates (drain them if soaked) in a blender with the amino’s and blend to a paste
3. spoon the paste into the bowl and use your hands to mix the paste into the onion rings so they are all gooey and sticky and covered well. It smells good already at this point!
4. spoon onto a paraflex sheet or baking paper and put into the dehydrator for about 6 hours, until soft.
You will not believe how good these taste. So many uses for them. A big spoon of the sweet and sticky ribbons of onion on top of some mash would be spoonable nirvana (not the band).
Flax crackers
Ingredients
1 tomato
2 sticks celery
1/2 c flax seeds - soak in water for 10 mins
1/2 teaspoon pink salt or sea salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Method
1. blend all ingredients but keep back 2 T of the soaked flax seeds and add after the mixture is blended. This makes the chips have another dimension and texture with the bite of the flax seeds dotted around.
2. use a teaspoon to spoon little blobs onto a paraflex sheet, about 1/4 cm thick. Don’t overfill the spoon, it makes for very unruly shapes. Though, admittedly, mine came out in an assortment of sizes and more oval than round. If you have a better way please share it.
3. dehydrate on 115 for 2-3 hours. This is very random and seems to depend on the humidity in your house , if it is raining, if there is cloud cover or if there is an eclipse (exaggerating!), and how much water was in the mix. And I thought using a dehydrator would be an exacting science! When you can lift them off the sheet without squidging them to a brown mess, gently lift them off the paraflex sheet and put them straight onto the mesh for approx 4 hours or until as crispy as a potato chip.
Serve in a bowl. Pile the crackers into the bowl and nestle in a ramekin, spilling over with the gooey, onions. You can also make a little h’ orderves stack with an oily, flavoursome sun-dried tomato and a spoon of the sweet onions between two crackers. The crackers will keep for weeks in an airtight container but let’s face it that would only happen if you forgot you had them. Great for snacking, and AMAZING used as little scoops for cheeszy vegan nacho dip. I like to build a little scoop and then stand up, pop them in my mouth whilst twirling on the spot. Try it. I am sure it improves digestion or something. Probably not best to do this in the office though, unless you get everyone to join in. The Twirling H ‘ordervishes!
Let’s Get Fermenting
As the last days of my latest jaunt to San Francisco were folding down, I was eager to gather as much cooking, or this this case, uncooking, knowledge that I possibly could. I loathe being without any of the food stuffs I love so much in the US. When I arrive, eager off the plane to my beloved California, I rush to the store to purchase my edible loot. Kombucha is up there with my ‘top 5 most craved for prouducts’ that make me want to flash-dance up the street with glee. This visit I was determind to take control, and learn to make it myself. A quick Google search threw me a list of classes and..bingo..I found one across the Bay in Oakland. Raw Bay Area The anticipation of gaining a whole new knowledge skillset got me fizzing…just like my dear old fermented beverage.
Heather Haxo-Phillips runs Raw East Bay. Heather,a raw food chef, not only runs these courses privately, but also teaches for Whole Foods Market and the highly praised Cafe Gratitude. Her years of experience were evident in her course delivery. Executed with professionalism, she commanded rapt attention and stuffed so much information into the class. I felt relieved that we had an info packet to take home with us, so I could fill in the gaps my camera and notebook may not have captured.
A table full of kombucha mothers, or scobys’ as they are known (the mold starter for the fermentation process), kefir grains, nut mylk bags and a range of glossy books on the subject, were available to buy so our experiments in the world of fermentation could begin as soon as we got home. A vital service, as some humans these days have the attention span of a fickle butterfly!
Focus on Fermentation was a demonstration class. I learned all about probiotics, and how to make coconut yogurt, seed cheeses and even a short demo on the art of rolling your own ‘sushi’.
A row of flavoured kimchi.
Heather set one of the delegates to work, massaging cabbage for sauerkraut
.
coconut yogurt - thick and unctuous, topped with a generous, fragrant strawberry. A granola cracker at the bottom offered a lovely crunch.
At the end of the demonstration we were handed a silver platter of about 7 different types of fermented foods. Consuming them delivered all the vim I needed to cycle like fury back to the Bart, and the imminent arrival of my train to deliver me back to San Francisco.
I am very, very keen to begin experimenting. When I’ve come up with a few adapted recipes of my own, you will be the first to know! Mason jars have been sourced. Starters have been ordered. Coconut yogurt and kombucha is on its way!
Have you made any fermented foods? Do you have any tips for me? I’d love for you to share your experiences.
Xmas Feasting - PART 3 - Starter - Balsamic Pear Salad with Deep Fried Cheese Croutons (DAIRY-FREE)
I wish I had £10 for every time I heard Mariah Carey sing ‘All I Want For Christmas’….I’d be stockpiling a small fortune by now! Hey, ho… ho ho!
Did you check out Xmas Part 1 & 2? Hope so..if not, there is always time.. click here for Part 1 and Part 2, right here
To keep with the ‘healthy but feasty’ theme I thought a light , but flavoursome, salad would be a good choice for the Christmas Day starter. Do you agree? I can’t help feeling a little nostalgic at Christmas. Reminiscing about some retro dish from my childhood (it’s all those bloody old Christmas songs filling the airways and catapulting me back to Christmas past). I’ve been recalling the days when a crouton was ‘posh’ food and me ma would serve everything deep fried and breaded, to showcase her culinary mastery. Us little’ns would see a few cubes of oily breadcrumbs on top of the Maryrose sauce and think we’d skipped up to the Upper Classes. Our pinkies would flick up from our cutlery in reverence, and an attempt to eat like stereotypical posh people. (cough) I think I must have had a case of invented memory syndrome because I cannot possibly be old enough to remember when prawn cocktail was in its heyday! So, with that in mind, and looking to what is seasonal I racked my brain for the perfect Christmas starter……and my inspired dish for Christmas day starter is to be……
Balsamic PEAR Salad With Deep Fried Cheese Croutons With Mustard Dressing and Leaves.
Recipe Serves 4
3 large conference pears
2 tbs balsamic glaze
1 tbs vegan butter & 1 tbs sesame oil for frying
salt & pepper
deep fried cheese
vegan hard cheese recipe here to make your own
4 tbs breadcrumbs
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs tapioca flour & water to make paste or use egg replacer
salt & pepper
oil for deep frying
dressing (can be made ahead of time)
3 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil (walnut oil would be lovely too I think)
2 tsp brown rice syrup (or agave, maple or similar)
organic salad leaves to serve
Method
1.carefully peel your pears and cut into quarters lengthwise. 2. heat oil and butter in a pan and fry the pears until they are crackling and starting to caramelise. 3. season and spoon over the balsamic glaze, cook for a further 3-4 minutes. 4. whilst they are cooking away nicely grab all your dressing ingredients and mix them in a jar. Set aside 5. to make the cheese crouton like things (sorry, it’s dark and cold here, not feeling very inspirational to come up with a fitting title) take an apple corer and cut out 3 cones for each person. Roll them in the tapioca paste then roll….gently now….in the breadcrumbs. 6. fry in the oil..careful!…until golden. Drain and them put all your elements together. Finally, get all cheffy and drizzle over the Dijon dressing. Let the feasting fun commence!
I’m hoping to extend the Christmas Feasting series to Part 4 and share some additional desserts and party food….if time allows.
Baked Zucchini Fries with lemon aioli - Gluten free, low fat and crispilicious
Hello! This week I’ve been rushing around, on my bike, on the train, around food festivals, in food markets, around my kitchen experimenting with some delights I will share here soon. Busy, busy! I have also been racking up some time at The Lean Green Bean Its my fifth month with the The Secret Recipe Club and Lindsay’s foodie foray was to be my December assignment. Read about it here to find out what it’s all about (if you can keep a secret).
Lets talk fries….
Crispy garlic Zucchini Fries
These looked so good on Lindsay’s blog I just had to give them a go. There was a teeny bit of tweaking to be done to make these crispy sticks gluten-free and vegan. Traditional recipes of this type use egg to bind the crumb to the object- de-la-legumes so I needed to find the best alternative. I didn’t want to use something out of a box that someone else had produced I wanted to find a vegan ‘egg’ in my cupboards. This website was a big help - all about egg replacements in baking. I used 1 tbs flour (sorghum), 1/2 tsp oil and 2 tbs water to mix to a paste. It worked a treat. Here is what you need for the rest of the recipe
Ingredients
(serves 2)
2 zucchini (courgettes) julienned
2 tbs gluten-free flour (sorghum has a lovely flavour and works perfectly)
1 tbs vegan Parmesan powder or nutritional yeast
1/4 tbs gluten-free bread crumbs
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp paprika (you can also add a pinch of chili powder if you want them fiery)
salt & pepper to taste
method
1.Prepare your station
bowl one - flour & Parmesan
bowl two - egg replacer - (flour, oil and water)
bowl three - breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, baking powder, salt & pepper
2. dip the bald fries into the bowls from 1-3 ensuring they are well covered. 3. gently place on an oiled baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 220 degrees for 20 mins. Give them a little shake halfway through. 4. serve immediately with lemon aioli (blend tofu, lemon juice and garlic powder or minced garlic clove and season to taste)
Did I enjoy them? A picture speaks a thousand words!
I think I actually like them better than sweet potato fries (speaks my fickle heart) as the texture and flavour are very close to white potato fries…only better AND good for you. The spud being a member of the nightshade family is a no-go area for many. This recipe will be sweet music to their ears.
See, this is what happens when you are a member of The Secret Recipe Club, you stumble across edible gems you might otherwise have missed. Bravo Lindsay. I hope your December SRC was as happy-making as mine.
Caponata Polenta Stack
Theresa. She’s a food hunter. She knows what she wants and nothing will stop this girl from finding it. She grabbed her utensils, trudged doggedly through, erm (counting)..1..2..3..well, ALOT of many States, from East to West in her quest to feed the hungry that arrive famished at her door…well,..website. The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine This where she shares her knowledge of everything (well…almost) food. She’s passionate about good local ingredients and loves to cook. This month she was picked from the bunch to be my secret source of sustenance for (drum roll) this months Secret Recipe Club.
If you don’t already know, SRC is a monthly club for international foodies. It fun, fantabulous and free to take part. It’s like a random recipe generator. Nudging you out of your comfort zone and midweek meal melay. I dug and delved and discovered… Caponata. A Sicilian dish overflowing with garden vegetables. Caponata Melanzane (eggplant) (aubergine)..
I set out from the start to simplify the way it was made, and then I complicated it (just a little bit) and I think it was worth it. I decided to stack it. Stack it real good.
Caponata Melanzane with Garlic Polenta Stack
Serves 2-3 If you are going to create the stack and make the polenta sheets then scroll down and prep the polenta first. You can then carry out the other steps whilst it bakes.
Gather
1 large aubergine/eggplant (about 4 cups) - 2cm dice
4 celery stalks (1 1/2 cup) sliced 2 cm on a diagonal
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup olives (chop half of them in half and keep rest whole)
1/4 cup capers
2 skinned tomatoes
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp xylitol, fruit sugar if like me, you prefer sugar free, if not a concern then use sugar…actually, you could probably do without any ‘sweetning’ altogether
1/2 tsp harissa paste (optional..I LOVED the subtle kick)
1 tbs fresh chopped parsley
7 large basil leaves, torn
*some Sicilian recipes add sliced almonds and a shake of cinnamon. Perhaps I will next time.
‘This is how we do it’…
1.grab two pans
2. in one pan, saute in 1 tbs olive oil, the sliced onions with the harissa if you are using (put the lid on top as this helps them to soften and caramelise, rather than burn) will take about 7-10mins
3. grab pan number two and in 1 tbs oil, fry the diced aubergine. Theresa’s recipe suggested the whole ‘sprinkle with salt and leave’ shenanigans for the aubergine, but I have not found it necessary and if I can make life easier I will. Fry until turning golden.
4.remove the onions from their pan and set aside. Saute the celery, adding a little more oil if necessary, until edges start to brown.
5.add the skinned chopped tomatoes and vinegar and simmer for 5 mins
6.add the remaining ingredients (retain a few basil leaves for garnish) and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
7.use the polenta sheets to create the stack, tear the basil leaves and mix into the caponata then spoon it between the garlicky polenta. Serve.
For the Polenta sheets
1 cup polenta
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
preheat oven to 220/400. Prepare an oiled baking tray 10inch by 5 inch
1. slowly pour the polenta into boiling water whilst stirring and add the seasonings and continue to stir until it boils. Reduce heat to a simmer, continue to stir until it thickens.
2.bake for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and score with a knife into 6 equal squares. Pop back into oven for further 10 mins.
I really enjoyed this dish, thank you Food Hunter.
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