Edibletcetera – Fast & Fabulous Food | Quick (Mostly) & Easy Recipes for Busy People who LOVE Good Food…

Recipe: Chicken Braised in White Wine with Tomatoes, Olives & Capers

Posted on October 24, 2015 by edibletcetera

This easy one-dish supper is full of wonderful, robust Mediterranean flavors and is ready in under 30 minutes.

I highly recommend having all the ingredients lined up before you start to make things easier and the end result will taste like you slaved away for hours over the stove.

Serve it with pasta, rice, mashed or baked spuds and a green veg on the side.

It couldn’t be simpler and will become a favorite on those days when you have to whip up something delicious in a hurry.

Just a note – always use good wine in cooking. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it – and on that basis, make sure you pour a glass for yourself while this is simmering away.

Chicken Braised in White Wine with Tomatoes, Olives & Capers

CHICKEN BRAISED IN WHITE WINE with BLACK OLIVES, CAPERS & TOMATOES

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 to 2 1/2 lbs (1 -1.15k) of boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

6 tablespoons of finely chopped shallots or minced red onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

The leaves stripped off a couple of stalks of fresh tarragon and chopped

8 ripe plum tomatoes cut into smallish chunks (a can of organic chopped tomatoes will do in a pinch)

¼ cup (50ml) of red wine or sherry vinegar

¼ cup (50ml measure) of capers, rinsed & drained

½ cup (100ml measure) of pitted Kalamata olives, rinsed & drained

1 cup (200ml) of decent white wine

2 tablespoons of tomato paste/puree

A small handful of chopped fresh parsley leaves to finish

Action:

Pat the chicken dry and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil and butter together in a heavy sauté pan with a lid, then add the chicken and sauté the pieces over a medium-high heat, turning frequently until they’re slightly browned (approx 5 minutes).

Remove the chicken to a plate then add the shallots and garlic to the pan and cook gently until they’re soft. Add everything else – except the chicken – and give it all a really good stir to get all the sticky chicken bits off the bottom of the pan.

Now put the chicken back in the pan, stir again and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat, put the lid on and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked right through.

Scatter with chopped parsley before serving.

Posted in Made in Under 30 mins, Poultry | Leave a comment

BRITISH FOOD – 2015

Posted on October 18, 2015 by edibletcetera

An announcement; unlike previous years’ posts, I’m no longer writing ‘In Defense of British Food….’ because only the most unworldly reader still imagines that British food is indefensible.

With London considered ‘the restaurant capital of the world’ for many years now (not my words, Gourmet Magazine’s), I can safely say that eating very well all over Britain has become commonplace, whether it’s in a Michelin-starred restaurant, a charming 250 year old ‘Gastro-Pub’, or both.

A favorite Gastro-Pub, The Crabmill at Preston Bagot

I’d like to expound the meaning of ‘Gastro-Pub’ since I was met with a few blank stares when I returned from my most recent trip to Blighty.

True, up until about 25 years ago, British pubs weren’t famous for their cuisine unless your idea of dinner was a packet of crisps, a pickled egg or two and perhaps a pickled onion, all washed down with a warm pint of bitter (ale). Also true is that some pubs back then did offer meat pie and chips that were nuked to a sad and soggy end but that was about it.

Nowadays many pubs and country inns have been adapted and partly converted into restaurants, serving delicious, locally-sourced and creatively prepared food. They still maintain an inviting pubby atmosphere but the whole experience has now been elevated to satisfy even the snootiest gastronome, hence the name ‘Gastro-Pub’.

Pan Fried Lamb Kidneys with Apple, Cider and a Mustard Cream Sauce, on Toast

I didn’t visit London this time – I hovered around the North Cotswolds and Yorkshire instead. I’ve written about The Crabmill in Preston Bagot before and it’s become one of my favorite places to eat. Scrubbed oak tables, a real log fire (when it’s cold outside), antique furniture, silver candelabras, vases of lilies, low beams and a flagstone floor, worn smooth over the centuries – and a big plus as far as I’m concerned is that they’re dog friendly – and last but not least, the food is consistently good.

Being a typical carnivorous Brit, I’ve always had a great fondness for offal and the thought of steak and kidney pud steaming on a plate makes me feel rather wistful. However, all wistfulness evaporated when I saw that lamb kidneys featured on the reasonably-priced prix-fixe menu (two courses including wine or beer for £14.95). Pan-fried kidneys with apple, hard cider and a mustard cream sauce, perched on a chunk of toasted brioche, was an impossibly delicious appetizer.

Confit of Chicken, Truffle Roasted Parsnip Root, Tarragon Jus

The confit of free range chicken leg with truffle-roasted parsley root and a tarragon jus that followed was also excellent, although the kidneys got my top vote.

My fellow-diner’s cous-cous with apricot, chili and broccoli salad was unusually good, as were the curried mussels – but the puds were a bit routine; comforting sticky toffee pudding was certainly OK but I’ve had gooey-er.

The Crabmill is part of the ‘LovelyPubs.CO.UK’ group and quite rightly so. I can’t imagine visiting the UK without eating at The Crabmill and whereas it’s really pretty in summer with a charming garden complete with blackberry bushes bursting with fruit, I do recommend going when it’s chilly outside, and grabbing a table near the log fire.

Another favorite dog-friendly inn is The Bell at Alderminster, an award winning Gastro-Pub and part of the beautiful Alscot Estate – and The Bell is as charming and inviting as any old country inn could be.

Vegetarian Burger at The Bell, Alderminster

Crisp Pork Belly over Asian Slaw at The Bell, Alderminster

You could stay at The Bell if you wanted to and the menu is superb, with the same price point as The Crabmill.

Sandwiches are massive, drool-worthy and packed with fresh local produce but I opted for something else I can’t get over here much – crispy pork belly over Asian slaw. It was mouthwatering and the linguini with butternut squash, chestnut mushrooms and borlotti beans was unexpectedly comforting and rich.

Needless to say, the flourless chocolate cake was perfect.

Flourless Chocolate Cake at The Bell, Alderminster

In no particular eating order, the gastronomic highlight of my visit to Leeds was at the award-winning Kerala Indian Restaurant Tharavadu, right in the heart of the city.

Reservations are necessary and its a good job we had one as there were quite a few people trying to wheedle their way in and failing miserably. The acoustics weren’t great and the noise level was off the charts to the point that we asked to be moved to a quieter corner table.

However, once the food arrived the marginally diminished din was forgotten. This was possibly one of the best Indian meals I’ve ever eaten – and I’ve been eating Indian food all my life.

Sadhya Thali at Tharavadu

The spicy soup with tiny little brown shrimp was so utterly fragrant that I would have ordered it again had it not been the starter part of the ‘Sadhya Thali’ that I’d ordered…a huge platter of assorted delicacies.

Honestly, if you love Indian food, it’s worth traveling to Leeds just for this. Memorable and well-priced. Even the wine was decent!

The shop at the entrance to Bettys Tea Room, York

No visit to Yorkshire is complete in my opinion, without a visit to one of Bettys Tea Rooms, as pure Yorkshire as Yorkshire Pudding itself. ‘Lady Betty’ has proclaimed her tea rooms to be the place for ‘The quintessential afternoon tea – an experience to treasure’ and so it is.

There are now two Bettys Tea Rooms in the historic city of York which makes sense as there’s always been a queue (line) for a table that goes halfway around the building, come rain or shine.

I always feel slightly guilty (only slightly) knowing that once seated, my conscience should dictate that I eat and drink up quickly, thus giving another desperate afternoon-tea-hog a shot at a table. However, my appetite usually overcomes my conscience and the desperadoes were all but forgotten with the arrival of the most perfect ‘afternoon cream tea’, consisting of warm, fluffy raisin-studded scones, home-made strawberry jam and of course a dish of the thickest, richest, yellowest clotted cream, ever. Oh and not forgetting the perfect pot of British tea to wash it all down with.

Sadly, tea just doesn’t taste the same over here, even though I bring UK tea bags back with me. I’ve decided it must be something to do with the water.

An afternoon Cream Tea at Bettys in York

Writing this, I’m almost swooning with longing for a scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam. I’ll just finish by saying that there are two schools of thought when it comes to eating a scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam:

Scone, Strawberry Jam & Clotted Cream at Bettys

1) once the scone is split carefully in two, the jam should go on first, followed by the clotted cream, or – 2) the clotted cream should go on first because presumably if the scone is still warm, the cream will melt a little into it’s fluffy heart, just enough to give you a slightly squelchy, buttery bite.

Personally, I couldn’t care less; just give me lots of clotted cream and strawberry jam and I’ll happily experiment with both options all afternoon.

Yorkshire Clotted Cream comes from Yorkshire Cows

Yorkshire Clotted Cream comes from Happy Yorkshire Cows

Posted in Food & Travel | 8 Comments

Recipe: Elk Tenderloin & Stilton Salad

Posted on October 3, 2015 by edibletcetera

I have friends in Colorado who hunt big game; elk to be precise and elk are rather large. For instance, if you were to hit an elk while driving, your vehicle and very probably yourself, could be written off.

Over the past 20 years I’ve been turning my nose up at the generally un-gamey flavor of US wild game; pheasant that tastes like chicken, venison tasting like nothing in particular, and so-on. British game is SO gamey and I really miss it.

So imagine my delight and amazement when thanks to a couple’s unexpected generosity, I was presented with four elk tenderloin steaks, weighing about 6-8 ounces each.

They already had a good amount of coarse black pepper pressed into the meat and were arranged on a plate, surrounding several pieces of uncooked smoked bacon.

“You must cook them in the bacon fat” – and so I did.

This yielded the most tender, deliciously gamey result. Still slightly pink in the middle (the way I like it), I sliced the tenderloin very thinly with my sharpest kitchen blade.

My dog was doing frantic somersaults in anticipation of the well-done end pieces. She now turns her nose up at anything else.

Consequently – and because elk is rather rich/strong-tasting, I’ve been eating small amounts of thinly sliced elk on top of a salad, all week.

It would also have been fabulous served right away with some wild mushroom-infused, buttery mashed potatoes and perhaps some Brussels sprouts, tossed together with a few French chestnuts.

Because I was going to eat it cold, I bought some good British Stilton cheese and along with the huge, ripe home-grown tomatoes that were presented along with the elk – I must say that this turned out to be the nicest US game-topped salad I’ve ever eaten.

Thank you!

Elk Tenderloin & Stilton Salad

ELK TENDERLOIN & STILTON SALAD

(Enough for 4-6)

Ingredients:

8 oz (230g) approx weight, of elk tenderloin

Approx a teaspoon of coarsely-ground black pepper

A couple of rashers of (streaky) smoked bacon

5 oz (141g) of baby arugula (rocket) leaves

2-3 oz (56-85g) of best English Stilton

A dozen or so pitted Kalamata olives, rinsed and drained

Slices of ripe tomato and avocado, quantity based upon how much you like them

Extra-virgin olive oil

Champagne vinegar (any good quality wine or sherry vinegar will do)

More black pepper and sea salt to taste

Action:

Heat a heavy-based skillet or saute pan and when hot, drop in the bacon rashers and cook them until crisp, rendering the fat. Remove the bacon and use it for something else, eat it there and then, or give it to the dog.

Place the tenderloin in the hot bacon fat and give it 3 minutes each side depending on how rare you want it (this yields ‘medium’). After 6 minutes, transfer it to a cutting board, tent with foil and let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the arugula (rocket) leaves in a little extra virgin olive oil and a splash of champagne vinegar.

Slice the tenderloin very thinly with a very sharp knife.

Arrange the arugula and remaining salad ingredients on individual plates, finishing with the crumbled Stilton and sliced tenderloin.

Offer extra sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for people to add themselves.

Note* – the cooked tenderloin has lasted at 5 days so far, well covered in the fridge but then I did start with rather a lot. I just slice it as I need it.

Posted in Made in Under 30 mins, Meat, Salads & Appetizers | Leave a comment

Recipe: Roasted Beets with Almond Skordalia & White Anchovies

Posted on September 26, 2015 by edibletcetera

I came across this unusual recipe recently while in the UK, courtesy of Rick Stein, the British celebrity chef and restaurateur. It sounded so unusually good that I had to try it and I can confirm that the flavors work brilliantly together.

Skordalia is a Greek dish and in this instance it’s made from a base of mashed potatoes with olive oil, wine vinegar and chopped almonds beaten in.

Roasted beets have an earthy sweetness that balance the salty richness of the white anchovies and the skordalia makes a perfect accompaniment. Note – *white anchovies are available from any good supermarket or deli and come in little sealed containers; don’t be tempted to substitute them by opening a can of anchovy fillets in oil instead – they just won’t do here.

Roasted Beets with Almond Skordalia & White Anchovies

RICK STEIN’S ROAST BEETS with ALMOND SKORDALIA & WHITE ANCHOVIES

(Serves 3-4 or 6-8 as an appetizer)

Ingredients:

2.25 lbs (1kilo) of small fresh beetroot (beets), peeled and quartered

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3.5 oz (100g) of *white anchovies

A few tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley

For the Skordalia –

8-12 oz (250-340g) of potatoes, peeled and cut into equal-sized chunks

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons (30ml) of white wine vinegar

4-5 tablespoons (70ml) of olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1- 1.5 oz (20-40g) of blanched almonds, chopped

A couple of tablespoons of the potato boiling water, reserved (optional)

Action:

Preheat the oven to 400F /200C.

Toss the peeled and quartered beets in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange them in a shallow pan and roast for 40-45 minutes or until they’re tender.

Meanwhile, make the Skordalia. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender then drain them, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the water to loosen the Skordalia (if necessary).

Put the potatoes in a large bowl and mash them with the crushed garlic, then alternately add the vinegar and remaining olive oil a spoonful at a time. Beat well after each addition then beat in a good grind of black pepper. Taste to see if you need to add any more salt. Finally stir in the chopped almonds and if the potatoes are too stiff, fold in the reserved water to soften it.

Divide the mashed potato between 3-4 plates, top with roast beets, a few anchovies and a sprinkle of parsley. Serve warm or at room temp.

Posted in Fish & Seafood | 3 Comments

Recipe: Paonia Peach Melba

Posted on September 5, 2015 by edibletcetera

Let’s start with Paonia. Nestled in a sunny sheltered valley, the town of Paonia is part of the western Colorado region that’s famous for it’s orchards and vineyards, thanks to their temperate climate and rich soil.

Paonia peaches are at their absolute best right now and Colorado peaches are some of the juiciest I’ve ever eaten.

In season they’re less than a dollar a pound, so what better way to glorify them than to poach them in a fragrant syrup and serve over vanilla ice cream with a few spoonfuls of fresh raspberry sauce, topped with a blob of whipped cream and a few toasted almonds. Simple and perfect.

And in case you didn’t know, ‘Peach Melba’ got it’s name because some famous French culinary dude called Auguste Escoffier, created it to honor Dame Nellie Melba (an equally famous Australian Soprano) during the latter part of Queen Victoria’s reign – and it’s every bit as good today as it was back then, which is why it’s considered a classic.

Note – if you have room in your freezer, chill the individual serving dishes before assembling.

Paonia Peach Melba

PAONIA PEACH MELBA

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 cup (240ml measure) of sugar

2 cups (480) of water

¹⁄₄ cup (60ml) of lemon juice

The finely pared zest of 1 lemon (no white pith)

Half a vanilla pod, split lengthwise

4 ripe but not-overripe peaches, halved, & pitted

For the raspberry sauce:

3 cups of raspberries or three x 6 oz (170g) cartons

¹⁄₄ cup (60ml measure) of powdered sugar

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

To serve:

Vanilla ice cream, lightly sweetened whipped cream and a few tablespoons of flaked toasted almonds

Action:

In a wide saucepan, bring the sugar, water, lemon juice, zest and vanilla bean to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Add the peach halves to the syrup in one layer and poach them until they’re tender (about 3 mins each side depending on their ripeness) – carefully turning them over once. Remove them from the syrup with a slotted spoon and once they’re cool enough to handle, slip their skins off and return them to the syrup to cool completely ( it can be made ahead to this point – once cooled, cover and chill in the fridge).

For the raspberry sauce, combine the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until you have a puree. Push the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds then set it aside (can also be made ahead and kept covered in the fridge).

To assemble the Peach Melba, start with a good scoop of vanilla ice cream in each serving dish, then remove the peaches (2 halves per person) from the syrup with a slotted spoon and arrange them on top of the ice cream. Follow with raspberry puree then whipped cream and scatter with the toasted almond flakes.

This is very good without the whipped cream but is infinitely better with.

Eat right away.

Posted in Desserts | 1 Comment

Recipe: Baked Feta with Lemon, Herbs & Garlic

Posted on August 29, 2015 by edibletcetera

Barely a recipe, more of an unusual way to serve feta cheese. I got this idea from my sister – thanks sis!

Baked feta is quite unexpectedly soft to the point of being wobbly. You can flavor it with any herbs or spices you like and the great thing is that once it’s cooled down and firmed up again, you’ll have a lovely fragrant cheese whereas before it just smelled of feta; not a bad thing but this is a far better feta!

Serve it hot with crackers or toasts, or perhaps just eat it with a spoon.

Baked Feta with Lemon, Herbs & Garlic

BAKED FETA CHEESE with HERBS, GARLIC & LEMON

(Serves about 6 as an appetizer)

Ingredients:

Approx 8 oz (230g) slab of goat or sheep feta cheese in brine

A clove of garlic, sliced

Two or 3 slices of lemon

A handful of your favorite herbs (I used a bay leaf, thyme and rosemary)

Freshly ground black pepper

Action:

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C)

Take a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to make a sealed parcel with a bit of space at the top. Put a bay leaf, a lemon slice or two, a few shards of garlic and a couple of sprigs of your favorite herbs in the center of the foil.

Lift the feta out of the brine and without patting it dry, plonk it straight on top of the herbs, lemon & garlic. Put the same herbs lemon and garlic on top and give it a really good grind of black pepper, then seal the foil making sure no steam can escape.

Note – feta contains enough salt so there’s no need to add any and the moisture from the brine helps keep the cheese moist.

Bake in the preheated over for 20-25 minutes – unwrap carefully and as it will be a bit floppy, carefully transfer the feta to a plate and serve immediately with whatever you like to serve hot cheese with.

Some olives on the side would be nice. You could also press slices of sun-dried tomatoes (in oil) into the cheese prior to baking, or perhaps fennel seeds, pine nuts, dried chili, etc.

Whatever you use will give you a more fragrant feta once it’s cooled and firmed up again – that is if you have any left over.

Posted in Made in Under 30 mins, Salads & Appetizers, Vegetables / Vegetarian | 2 Comments

‘The LIEBSTER AWARD’ – And The Nominees Are…

Posted on August 23, 2015 by edibletcetera

I am thrilled to report that I’ve been nominated for the above award – an award presented only to qualified bloggers.

Thank you so much, Iris & Your Very Hungry Entourage for your most welcome vote of confidence in nominating me.

For those of you who don’t blog, or do blog but up until now hadn’t a clue what the award was (like me, until I Googled and realized what an honor it is), below are the requirements in order to be considered eligible. Obviously you need to be a blogger, so if blogging is something you’ve been dreaming about, get started and share you passions with the rest of the world – you too could be nominated!

Requirements:

link back the person who nominated you
answer 11 questions designed by the person who nominated you
nominate up to 11 other bloggers for this award, who have less than 500 followers
create 11 questions for new nominees to answer
let the nominees know that they have been nominated by going to their blog and notifying them

So, here goes…below you’ll find my answers to the 11 questions posed by Iris & Her Very Hungry Entourage. Hopefully they won’t disappoint and even more importantly, I hope the reader finds them interesting, informative (despite my not giving away any really dark secrets) and of course, nominee-worthy:

Q. Why did you start blogging?

A. I love cooking, entertaining & feeding people and would host a dinner party every week if that were possible. But these days it isn’t, so with the advent of ‘The Blog’ I saw a great opportunity to combine several of my passions all at once; cooking, writing, photography – and by no means least, eating well! Close friends are grateful as I frequently make more than I can eat on my own and I have a rather small freezer.

Q. Do you have a favorite post? If so, add a link to it.

A. Hmm, that’s a bit like asking me which is my favorite child. But as I have no children I can only imagine what that feels like. Blogs that have generated the most positive response make me happiest – but that might be because I wrote about chocolate, not because I wrote particularly well. On the other hand, I do enjoy writing about eating in the UK: ‘In Defense of British Food – 2014’

Organic Chocolate with Tart Cherries, Almonds & Sea Salt

Q. If you had one food to eat daily, what would it be?

A. Only one?!? If it really must be only one, then I’d choose the one I couldn’t live without; chocolate – of the dark, organic variety. I make my own from scratch and vary it with hazelnut praline, or dried cherries, etc., depending on my mood (which is always for chocolate).

Q. Share a fact not many people know about you.

A. As little girl I was more interested in jet engines than girly things and I never owned nor wanted a doll. My bedroom walls were plastered with pictures of fighter jets, RAF Bombers and the like. I took a flying lesson once but British weather is so unpredictable that I couldn’t commit to a regular course, plus I was 100% career-focused back then. Nowadays I gaze at stars and dream of being an astronaut.

Livarot

Q. Are you a sweet tooth, or is savory more appealing?

A. Despite my shocking confession above, I’m more savory than sweet, particularly if a good French cheese is involved.

Q. If you won the lottery, where would be your first travel stop?

A. I’d head back to the UK and splurge on family & friends. Selfish me would go via Italy first.

Q. Do you consider yourself a cat person or a dog person?

A. I used to be both but can honestly say that during the past 25 years, I’ve become 110% dog!

Q.Where is your favorite place to go on a walk/hike?

A. I live in the Colorado Rockies and am utterly spoiled for choice when it comes to incredible hiking trails. However, if I had to choose, it would probably be the Capital Creek Trail – here’s a pretty picture from last fall:

Capital Peak from the Capital Creek trail

Q. Beach or Mountains?

A. In this I am more consistent than in my food choices. See above 🙂

Q. What are your goals for the blog this year?

A. To never quit writing. I may not always have a fabulous recipe to share but I do hope that people will always want to read what I write.

Q. Bigger reward: Cocktail or Coffee?

A. Without hesitation, Cocktail. Vodka-based, French Champagne, NZ Sauv Blanc or a good Burgundy or Chianti. Coffee is more of an essential and much as I enjoy my first cup of ‘Bulletproof Coffee’ each morning, I consider it necessary in order to make myself approachable, with a functioning brain. A cocktail on the other hand is an absolute treat and therefore my reward for having made it through the day without causing too much of an imbalance in the Universe 😉

And now for the big reveal: here are my fellow-blogging Nominees for this prestigious award ( I confess to being technically challenged and have no idea how to find out if any of them have less than 500 followers):

Cooking With Mr Fitz

The Weekend Artisan

PlatterJoy

The Full Circle Vegans

Feeding Your Beauty

Dancing Tree Kitchen

Below are my 11 questions for the Nominees; questions I mulled over first in my well-caffeinated brain – so go for it guys!

If you could dine with anyone living or otherwise, who would it be – and why?
What was the first thing you every cooked? Delicious or disaster?
What is the one thing you couldn’t live without ( asides from the obvious, air, food, water)
Describe your favorite kind of vacation
Which of your five senses is most important to you – and why?
If you were invited to a grown-up Halloween party, what would your costume be?
What is your all-time favorite movie?
What is your all-time favorite book?
What is your all-time favorite piece of music?
If you had a spirit animal counterpart, what animal would it be?
Hours in the gym or an outdoor activity?

Have fun, guys!

Posted in Etcetera - un-food-related posts | 5 Comments

Recipe: Pasta with Sweet Peppers & Goat Cheese

Posted on August 22, 2015 by edibletcetera

This is surprisingly satisfying and the only thing I thought of adding afterwards that would have made it more so, would have been a few chunks of spicy Italian sausage.

But I didn’t have any sausage so this remains a hearty vegetarian dish. Carnivores, feel free to add sausage or not.

You could speed up the prep time and cheat by using ready-roasted sweet peppers from a jar but I had a bagful of fresh, multi-colored peppers of the mini-variety, so I grilled them until they blistered and blackened, then slipped them out of their skins.

You don’t have to use goat cheese but that’s what I had in the fridge; I love the way goat cheese melts with the heat of the sauce and becomes part of it – unctuous and utterly delicious.

Pasta with Roasted Sweet Peppers & Goat Cheese

PENNE PASTA with ROASTED SWEET PEPPERS & GOAT CHEESE

(4 generous servings)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of olive oil

I medium onion, sliced very thinly

1 lb (450g) of red, yellow and orange peppers, or any combination (but not green – they’re unripe red/yellow/orange peppers)

1 tablespoon of wine or sherry vinegar

14 oz (397g) can of chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon of sugar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A 12 oz (350g) packet of pasta

Soft, fresh goat cheese or grated Parmigiano Reggiano, percorino, whatever you prefer, to serve

Action:

Start by putting the peppers on a rack under the grill / broiler, turning them frequently until they’re nicely blistered and blackened. Transfer them to a seal-able (ziplok) plastic bag to steam for a bit. This helps lift the skins off. Once they’re cool enough to handle and with wet hands, peel the skin away and discard the stalk and seeds. Slice the peppers into strips.

Heat the oil in a saute pan and cook the onion until it’s soft. Add the vinegar and sugar, turn the heat up to evaporate the vinegar a bit then add the chopped canned tomatoes followed by the sliced peppers.

Simmer the sauce uncovered over a low heat while you boil the water for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to instructions and drain but don’t over-drain it. Season the sauce with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste.

Tip the pasta into a large, warm serving bowl and pour the sauce over – toss the pasta and sauce together then top it with big dollops of soft fresh goat cheese, or pass around some grated Parmesan, etc.

Posted in Pasta, Vegetables / Vegetarian | Leave a comment

Recipe: Very Easy Peach & Blueberry Cobbler

Posted on August 15, 2015 by edibletcetera

Apart from heating the cream and allowing time for the lemon zest to perfume it, this dessert can be assembled in about 4 minutes, provided you have a food processor.

The light, fluffy topping will work with lots of fruity combinations; apple and blackberry or raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants (or dried fruits in winter), rhubarb and strawberry with orange zest, apricots, plums, pears, etc.

Some fruit needs more sugar than others so reduce or increase the amount used in the fruit (and sprinkled over the topping) – to taste.

Serve with cream, vanilla ice cream or my personal favorite especially in winter, English custard (aka Creme Anglaise).

Lemon-Scented Peach & Blueberry Cobbler

VERY EASY PEACH & BLUEBERRY COBBLER

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

2 lbs (900g) of fruit – whatever you prefer

2 oz (50g) of sugar plus extra to sprinkle over the topping

For the topping:

6 fl oz (170ml) of cream

The zest of a lemon (no white pith)

A pinch of sea salt

8 oz (225g) of all-purpose/plain flour

3 level teaspoons of baking powder

4 oz (110g) of chilled butter, cut into bits

Action:

In a small pan bring the cream to a boil, immediately turn off the heat and add the lemon zest. Set it aside to cool and once cool, strain and discard the zest.

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).

Wash and chop (if necessary) the fruit, toss it in the sugar and pile it into a buttered baking dish about 8-9 ins across by 2-3 ins deep (23 x 6 cm).

In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and diced butter. Pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs then tip in the cooled cream (lemon zest removed). Pulse again until you have a thick, sticky paste.

Scoop out the dough in large spoonfuls and plonk it on top of the fruit. Sprinkle the topping liberally with sugar (demerara sugar, cinnamon sugar, vanilla sugar – they’re all good).

Bake in the upper part of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the topping is a bit puffed and a lovely golden color.

Best served warm.

Posted in Desserts | 4 Comments

Recipe: Beef Short Ribs with Porcini over Soft Goat Cheese Polenta

Posted on August 8, 2015 by edibletcetera

I used a slow-cooker for this but you don’t have to if you don’t like the idea of waking up the next morning to a mouthwateringly rich, beefy aroma.

If you can get local grass-fed organic beef, then even better. The porcini I picked and dried myself but you can buy them in any good supermarket. The red wine was half a bottle of Malbec that was lingering around the kitchen and I used a soft, mild goat cheese in the polenta, as that’s what I had in the fridge.

Given that our weather has become intermittently autumnal, what better than a hearty bowl of fork-tender beef in a rich sauce served over creamy polenta? Not much.

Beef Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine with Porcini served over Soft Polenta

BEEF SHORT RIBS BRAISED in RED WINE with PORCINI, over SOFT POLENTA

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons of olive oil

3.75 lbs (1.7 kilo) of beef short ribs, preferably organic, grass-fed beef

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (16 tablespoons) of all-purpose/plain flour

1 large stalk of celery, cleaned and finely chopped

2 large carrots, cleaned and finely chopped

3 medium-large shallots, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped

3 tablespoons of tomato paste/puree

1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon of crushed chili flakes

1 bay leaf

2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

a handful of dried porcini along with their soaking liquid (approx 8 fl oz/230ml)

About half a bottle of decent red wine

For the polenta, you’ll need about 2 cups to 4 cups of salted water. Follow the instructions and add the cheese of your choice. I added about 4 oz (120g) of goat cheese plus a knob of butter and lots of black pepper

Chopped flat-leaf parsley to serve

Action:

Preheat the oven to 300F / 150C, unless you’re using a slow cooker, in which case you’ll need a deep saute pan to start with. Otherwise you’ll need a large, heavy ovenproof casserole dish/dutch oven with a lid, preferably cast iron.

Start by pouring boiling water over the dried porcini and allow them to soak for 20-30 minutes. You’ll need at least 8 oz / 230ml of soaking liquid.

Season the flour in a ziplok bag or plastic container with a lid then add the beef ribs one at a time, giving them a good shake to coat with flour. Set them aside.

Meanwhile, in the heavy pan or saute pan, heat the oil and soften the onion, carrot, celery and garlic over a moderately low heat. Make sure they don’t brown.

Push the veg to the side of the pan and lightly brown the ribs, one or two at a time. Take them out of the pan and put them on a large plate or straight into the slow cooker.

Tip the porcini into a paper towel-lined strainer set over a bowl to catch all the liquid, then rinse them and chop them up – add them back to the reserved liquid.

Now add the porcini and their liquid to the pan along with the chili, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil and scrape/de-glaze the pan. Pour in the wine (I’ve used up to a whole bottle with no ill effects so use as much as you want but if you think that’s overdoing it, have some beef broth on hand to make up the liquid).

Put the beef ribs back in the liquid, or of you’re using a slow cooker and they’re already in there, pour everything over them. Put the lid on, and stick in the preheated oven for 5 hours or until the meat is dropping off the bone. Check every hour and turn them over in the liquid, adding water or broth if you think it needs it.

For the slow cooker method, I got this started mid-evening on the high setting and turned the ribs over after 3 hours, checked to make sure there was enough liquid then reduced the heat to low and went to bed.

These taste even better after a day or two in the fridge and they freeze well. Reheat them gently.

For the polenta – start that about 30 minutes before your’e ready to serve as you want it to be soft, not set firm. Polenta does require vigorous stirring so if that sounds like too much work, a big pile of fluffy buttermilk mashed potatoes would be perfect.