Spiced chickpeas.....Mood = Nibbles

I love snacking on things, and most of the time it ends up being something naughty. But i have recently discovered these gorgeous crunchy spiced chickpeas that are super easy to make and taste divine. If you like wasabi peas, or the idea of wasabi peas, then this is something for you to make. You can change up the spices every time you make this so as not to get bored. I used hot spices and it worked a treat.

This calls for dried chickpeas that you have to soak over night. I have a problem with canned food, so i steer away from it. But if you don't have dried chickpeas, by all means use tinned.

Recipe:

300g dried chickpeas
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Smoked paprika
Olive oil
Cumin powder
Parchment paper

Method:

• Soak your chickpeas overnight

• The next day, rinse them to get all the starch off and place them on a baking tray.

• Sprinkle your chickpeas with your selected spices and add oil and salt.

• Place the chickpeas in a hot oven around 200 degrees for about 35-40 minutes turning over every 15 minutes.

• Let them cool down when they have finished to allow them time to harden and become crunchy.

• Store in an air tight container.

Eat when peckish or when you just want to have something tasty at your fingertips....

Just divine!

Greek Moussaka.... Mood = Mini

So as you all know my Husband is Greek and we can never forget that, as his influence is slowly creeping into all my dishes. This is not a disaster though, as Greek cuisine is delicious. So i set out to make something that is very traditional but with a modern style of presentation. I have a thing with presentation, and when i manage get it right, it makes all the difference. For me, moussaka, is fried aubergines, in a spicy tomato and garlic sauce. This is the way we eat it in Middle eastern countries, but in Greece, there is the addition of lamb and bechamel sauce. YUMM!

So i had my husband, his cousin and my business partner over for dinner and as i was feeding 3 Greeks this was a challenge, as a) i have never had moussaka and b)i didn't want to disappoint.

So Christina gave me a few tips on making this and i just followed her instructions adding my own touches here and there. So this is made in 3 steps, but you can multi task and make them all at the same time otherwise you will be here for hours...Well OK, not hours, but for a while...!

Recipe:

500g Minced lamb
5 fresh tomatoes
1 large onions diced
1 Tablespoon Tomato pureé
2 teaspoons of sugar
salt to taste and black pepper
2 medium aubergine sliced in rings
Vegetable oil

Bechamel sauce:

75 g butter
75 g flour
175ml milk (plus extra if you like bechamel thinner)
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

• First slice your aubergines in rings about 1 cm thick.

• Heat enough oil in a pot to be able to fry them. Place them in 2-3 at a time till they have gone golden brown.

• Leave them on a paper towel to soak up any excess fat.

• For the meat sauce, cut your onion into a small dice and using some vegetable oil begin to sauteé it till soft.

• Add your cubed tomatoes and tomato pureé and season with salt, black pepper and sugar.

• Add your mince and begin pan fry it. Usually i would say to brown the meat first and then add the tomatoes but this way, the meat soaks up the tomato sauce while it is browning and make all the difference.

• Let the meat and tomato marinate together till you are ready to assemble.

• For the bechamel, melt the butter, and the add the flour.

• Add the milk after you have combined the above and cooked it off for a minute or two. Begin pouring the milk slowly at first to combine the ingredient and so mot to create lumps, and once you see it start to combine you can add faster. If you want it thinner just add more milk.

• You can now add some salt, pepper and the nutmeg to season it.

• Get a tray,a pie dish, whatever you want to serve this in and begin piling up.

• Begin with aubergine, then meat, then bechamel and then start again. Once it is all assembled place it in a hot oven to brown the to.

And serve.

(I served mine in little pouches of parchment paper and tied with string just for a change from the typical look of how moussaka is served. You can do it too... Great for a dinner party)

So now for the verdict: they all said that it was as if they were eating their mothers Moussaka. How amazing is that. Honestly i felt so good to know that something so traditional was created in my kitchen and loved by all who ate it. This is one to make over and over.

My husband and i just woke up and first thing he said was "Can you please make moussaka again, Please?"

Tandoori Chicken..... Mood = Ethnic

I love Indian food, and the only problem i have with eating this type of cuisine is that i am never sure about the nuts situation in the kitchen. I am allergic to nuts and have read many a horror story about people having anaphylactic shock after eating something that had almond paste in it or a peanut. So i tend to usually eat Indian food at friends houses or i make it myself. I was looking through some great blogs for inspiration and found some wonderful recipes, some of which i followed but changed slightly. The blog that totally got my attention is a beautiful and very helpful blog called Food for 7 stages of life. Have a look over there and you will see where i am coming from. Very authentic, beautiful cooking.

Tandoori chicken is one of my favourite Indian dishes and the colour, is just jewel like. It has such a deep tangerine burnt orange red that just grabs your focus and you just want to devour it. I never knew how to make this happen until i read the recipes and realised that red food colouring was used! How naughty is that! I though it was from the spices and the cooking method, but it turned out to be much simpler then that. The colour really does make a difference psychologically. I am not sure why, but it does.

This dish is simple to assemble but just needs time marinating for up to 24 hours so all the flavours and colours can get right in there. Also it tenderises your meat during marination.

I made mine with my naan recipe that is just to DIE FOR!!!! You have to try it. Naan is just my absolute favourite bread EVER!!!! I could eat it with anything and everything. I also served this with Cumin rice, mango chutney and some Greek Yoghurt. Of course that had to creep in somewhere ..... remember who i am married to.

Recipe:

1 Whole chicken
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons of turmeric
2 teaspoons of cumin powder
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 green chili
1 small knob of ginger
5 Tablespoons of yoghurt
1/4 teaspoon of red food paste
salt

Lemon and salt mix:

• juice of one lemon mixed with 1 teaspoon of salt

• Mix together and rub into chicken.

Method:

• Blend all the ingredients together in a mixer and set aside

• Cut your chicken in half and remove the skin and slice with gashes all the way through to the bone.

• Place the lemon salt mix on the chicken and rub.

• Put in the fridge for about 15 minutes and then rub the blended ingredients.

• Now all you have to do is let this marinate for 24 hours.

• The next day, or if you are impatient like me (i waited 4 hours), put your oven to 250 degrees and place your chicken in a baking tray and cook for about 35-50 minutes depending on your chicken size.

• While your chicken is cooking you can make your naan bread and cumin rice.

• Remove the chicken from the oven and serve

Enjoy with chutney, Naan and cool yoghurt. Simple and perfect. Oh, and don't forget to eat with your hands!!!!

Green tea and raspberry cake.... Mood = Frui-tea

Green is not my favourite colour. But it does make for delicious things! Broccoli, Asparagus, Kale, seaweed, Mint, lettuce.... You get the point. But my all time favourite green thing has to be Matcha powder. Green tea is just so good in cakes, ice cream and desserts. The sugar to bitterness ratio is just perfect. I bought so much green tea powder and have been trying many ways to use it up and this was by far the tastiest yet subtle cake i have made. I found the base recipe of this cake on Piggys cooking journal, and altered the fruit, and the additon of the green tea. I also doubled the cake as that recipe was too small for my cake tin.

It combined raspberry, nectarines and green tea powder. Dense, delicious and decadent.

I made this for my ex boss and his wife and to be honest i was a little nervous, as i have never cooked for him, except at his restaurant. But this is very different as it is so personal and not his recipe. Strangely enough the two desserts i made were two that i had never tried before. Not very clever, but i always do this to myself. 

Anyway, this cake was accompanied by an early grey bruleé which i have to say was so thick and creamy we went into a dessert coma for about 15 minutes. I got a thumbs up which is what counts. YAY!!!!

Recipe:

150g butter
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
150g self raising flour
1/4 t Baking powder
2 T Buttermilk or Yoghurt
1 nectarine
2 T green tea powder
1 handful of raspberries

Method:

• Line small loaf pan and set aside

• Beat your butter and sugar till you get a nice thick pale cream texture, and then slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time.

• Add the Vanilla extract

• Add the green tea and combine.

• Add the yoghurt or buttermilk and then the flour.

• Do not over beat as this will result in a tough and chewy cake.

• Mix well scraping down the sides and pour into your prepared tin.

• Throw some raspberries into the cake but not too many.

• Then slice the nectarines and place them along the top of the cake.

• Add some raspberries around the nectarines and place in the oven at 180 for about 50 -60 minutes.

Let the cake cool down for five minutes and then release from the pan.

Serve with fresh berries on the side.

This cake is a big hit. I have made it several times since that dinner 2 weeks ago. You will love it. And it almost seems healthy. Raspberries, green tea, Yoghurt and nectarines. Sounds like a fruit salad to me!!!!

Mussakhan..... Mood = Passing Down

Mussakhan is just one of those dishes that you cant stop eating once you have started, and you have to eat it with your hands. None of this silly fork and knife business please. The flavour is just more exaggerated when eaten by hand. I eat certain dishes like this because you really have to get into it, i think.

What is Mussakhan...? It is sumac coated chicken and onions that are caramelised and seasoned with pepper, salt, sumac and olive oil and eaten on Persian flat bread. It sis a Palestinian dish. I learnt this from my auntie Lamia. She is amazing. This is her speciality. Every time she comes to visit us, the day before she leaves she makes this for us. And it is just sooooo good. But not good for your flatulence if i have to be honest so be weary... :)

I made my mussakhan very on the spur of the moment, as it just came to me last minute. My mum usually marinates her chicken for a whole day before she cooks it, but i didn't have the time and I was CRAVING this. It has such a villagy feel to it and it literally is a poor mans dish, as the bread is quite filling and so are the onions.

I was just reading that in Ramallah, a place in Palestine, they have just submitted the largest Mussakhan and it has been accepted in the Guinness Book of Records. It is more than 4 Meters long and weighs more than 1,350 kilos. WOW! I would love to have a bite of that....

Recipe:

1 whole chicken
70g- 100g good quality sumac
4 onions, sliced
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Flat bread
Lemon

Method:

• Marinate the chicken with the 1/2 the sumac, lemon and season with salt and pepper.

• Slice your onions and cook them with olive oil, remaining sumac, salt and pepper, till they have just started taking a colour.

• Cook your chicken in the oven till it is ready.

• Slather it over the bread and then wrap it and place it back in the oven till it has warmed through again and then serve.

This is a very simple hearty full of flavour dish that you must must try.

Its sweet and succulent. The sumac really is the star of the show.

Mujadarra.... Mood = Mothers Inspiration

I have been enquiring about recipes that are good for you and that are mouthwatering, and who is the best person to get this information from.... My mother. I love my mother and as much i love her, i lover her food, and her passion for cooking. It is easy for her, it is tantalising and more than anything she makes it accessible for anyone. Mujaddara is a green lentil poor mans dish which is cooked with cracked wheat, and caramelised onions. We serve it with chopped tomatoes, parsley and chili and garlic as a dressing. It is delicious....

I was asking her for some recipes with lentils and she came up with something along the lines of Mujadarra. But with a twist.

I was totally confident with what she was saying as i know that she knows her flavours as did my grandmother and my wonderful auntie, Shahla. So my mothers take on Mujadarra was similar to the original but with a slight twist. Adding rice, rocket and a lemon olive oil dressing . It was simply amazing.

My husband was at a work dinner and i was tired so i stayed at home. I was feeling rather nostalgic and looking through old photographs and diaries that i used to write as a child and decided that tonight was the night for my mothers dish. She is such a wonderful and amazing woman who brought up 5 pretty good kids, who were sometimes very very naughty, who lover her more than life itself. And she still had time to cook at least 5 dishes a day.....

My mother is beautiful and i think that when you have such a pure soul, you project that wonder in anything you do and this dish as with many other that she has given me inspiration for, shows where her heart and mind are. Health, honesty, and nostalgia. Not to forget love. I think you have to cook with love to create genius!

So this dish as with many other middle eastern dishes does not particularly look appealing but has the taste that explodes in your mouth of the earthiness and villagey feel that we were accustomed to. I love lentils and rice for that matter. Mixed with caramelised onions, lemon, and rucola..... well that's another story. Actually it is this story!

Recipe:

350g puy lentils
300g basmati rice
5 onions sliced into half moons
1 bag of rucola
Lemon
olive oil
salt

Method:

* Boil the rice in a pan as you would normally, add salt to season

* Boil the lentils in another pan but ADDING NO salt

* Slice the onions and pan fry them and caramelise them.

* When all the ingredients are ready separately, add them together.

* Add your lemon and olive oil mix and add the rucola.

* Place in a bowl and turn over and serve.

* Eat to your hearts content.

This dish is healthy, savoury and absolutely good for you. Full of protein and vitamin C.

Just my kind of dish.

Spiced Chorizo and potato..... Mood = On my Mind

I love chorizo. It is actually a new thing with me. I have eaten some really bad chorizo in the past and it totally put me off till one day i just bought some that i was looking for. I had read about it in a magazine to be very good quality with a great taste and thought I should just do it!

The mild spicy smoky Paprika flavour of the chorizo is something i love and to combine it with my 'Batata Harra' recipe was on my mind for some time now.... What a great combination. I decided to make it last night as I was feeling a little bit UGHHH! These kinds of dishes really lift me up as they are my comfort food. I don't binge on chocolate or sweet things when i need a fix, but more on spicy, salty foods.

You can find my recipe for batata harra here.

Just add the chopped chorizo 1/2 way through to really get the flavour and colour out. Add coriander and lemon to taste and eat with pita bread. I made a sandwich yesterday. You can use sweet potato as well but for this dish i just used regular potatoes. Its your choice. It will work both ways.

Total Craving Fix!!!!

Spanakopita ......Mood = It's all Greek to me!!!!

I have to admit that i am becoming a bit of a Greek..... My father in law is a fantastic cook and while I was in Greece I was reminded of him from time to time when i saw particular dishes. One in particular is  skanpopiropita spanakotiropita whatever you want to call this dish its juts not easy to pronounce. It literally means, Spinach, cheese and pie.

The thing is, i always take it as a challenge when my husband eats something and it is AMAZING! I always have to make it better! Its just that competitive streak in me i guess. But i just want him to know that he can have it at home, better than he has ever had anywhere. Silly i know but that's just me!!!!

So while we were cruising on the highspeeds to Santorini, my husband had a spankotiropita on the boat and he said and i quote... "this is the best one i have ever tasted"! Immediately my mind went into a frazzle because a) i had never made one, and b) how am i going to make him the most popular Greek dish as soon as we get back to London better then the one he has just had which is apparently also better than his dads?!?!?! I began to sweat! So today that was my challenge.... And may i just say that the result was AMAZING!!!!

So Vefa's Kitchen was at my grasp, and i immediately followed her instructions. I did make a few changes so as to make it my own and it was just great. Very Greek, very cheesy and very good!

It turned out like a dream. Can i say that? ... A DREAM.

I was so impressed as i have only ever eaten Pavlos's dads version and they are pretty damn good. I made mine into little snails to make them a little more portable. They were so so cute ad so so delicious. I think the look of them adds to the taste.

Recipe:

Filo Pastry
One bag of spinach, ready washed
500g feta cheese
1Bunch of dill
1 bunch of chives
1 bunch of parsley
2 eggs
Salt
Pepper
1 t Nutmeg
Knob of  Butter

Method:

• Chop your spinach, and herbs well and add them to a bowl.

• Add the crumbled feta, egg and seasoning and mix well. 

• Place aside and prepare your filo pastry. 

• Get 3 sheets at a time and brush with the melted butter.

• Place a handful of filling near the short edge which should be facing you and begin rolling upwards.

• Take the corners in to secure the roll and continue till you get to the end.

• Turn into a snail shape slowly as they have a tendency to break because filo is like paper. 

•  Repeat and then brush with melted butter.

• Cook at 225 degrees for about 10 minutes or until they have turned golden brown. 

Remove and serve warm.

Spanakotiropita is such a good meal as it has so much packed in to such a small area. I love it, it is easy to make ahead of time. Nice eaten hot, warm or cold. Something to have ready when friends come round.

Prawns with Ouzo...... Mood = An Italian In Greece

In Mykonos, my husbands best friend Fillip insisted we go to an Italian restuarant. To be honest i was not entirely thrilled at the thought. Italian food in Greece. On an Island. It just didnt make sense. I wanted to eat the fresh fish that i had come for, not pizza and pasta. But let me say 1 thing.... I probably had one of the best Italian meals i have had in my life. Unfortunately i didnt not take any pictures during this dinner but will explain it to you. Firstly we had about 6 pizzas to share, mussles with chilli and wine, bresaola with wild rucola, every kind of pasta, nutella and mascarpone calzone and fruit pizza. Also about 6 bottles of wine which kept appearing at the table.

The restaurant we went to was in such a quaint area in Mykonos totally away from everything. It was called Bandana. Somewhere i would most definitely go again and would recommend anyone who happens to be in mykonos to make sure they get there.

My favourite thing at the table was a linguine with prawns and Ouzo. It simply was so fresh and the taste surprised me as i was not looking for it. I recognised it immediately as we have something that is exactly the same in Middle eastern countries called Arak.

I came back to London and decided to try and recreate this dish. So here is my version of it although, it was not as good as the original, but very very close.


Ingredients:

Linguine/fusilli
5 Tomatoes
4 Garlic cloves
Basil
Dill
24 Fresh prawns
Olive oil
200ml Ouzo
1 red chilli deseeded


Method:

* Slice the garlic and place in a pan with the olive oil on a medium heat. You dont want the garlic to get brown, you just literally want to simmer them and release the flavour.

* Cut the tomatoes into cubes and place into the pan adding soem dill and basil, salt and a teaspoon of sugar.

* Add the chilli

* Add the ouzo at this point and let the alcohol evaporate

* When the flavours have combined, add the prawns and let them simmer. Do not cook to quickly or ona high heat as this will turn the prawns rubbery.

* Mix and serve.

This is a very nice summery dish and the flavours are just incredible. So simple and so much impact. Try it to see what i am talking about and let me know your thoughts. I really dont like ouzo or arak but in this type of dish, it was the star of the show.

Beef fillet with Vinsanto Sauce.... Mood = The Sweet life

As all of you are aware, i was in Greece and most of the Cyclades islands for my honeymoon. And during this wonderful trip and time, i had the pleasure of eating one of the most delicious meals. Simple, Perfect.

Fillet of Beef with vinsanto sauce and potatoes. Original dish here


I have been talking about this dish and more importantly about the sauce, to my husband and my mother in law for quite some time now and she requested that i make it for them for Saturday lunch. So i took it upon myself to make the sauce that i tried in Santorini and what happened next was just truly an experience for all taste buds. It was an explosion of goodness in my mouth. Just perfect.

The beef i get is from what i believe to be the best Butcher in London, called Jagos on Elystan street in Chelsea. If you have not been there, make a trip there and see for yourself.

I don't usually by fillet, but for this dish i wanted it to be tender and almost like butter. I am more of a rump or sirloin kinda girl.

I made my famous roast potatoes to accompany the dish. Recipe is below.

Truly something sensational. I was super impressed. i didn't know how it was going to taste. The sauce itself does take some time to cook but it is soooooo worth it. The recipe i have here is for about 4-6 steaks using alot of sauce but if you are being artistic and not having it literally dripping then it will make enough for about 10 steaks.

Roast Potato Recipe:

1kilo of kestral or king Edward potatoes

Sunflower oil

Garlic

Rosemary

Thyme

Flour

salt and pepper

Method:

• Peel, cut and par boil your potatoes. When they have boiled slightly, drain water and place back in the pan. Shake them till they have a light fluff around them. This will help crack them to make them crispy when cooking.

• Sift a little flour on the potatoes, adding salt pepper, whole garlic cloves, fresh thyme and rosemary. Mix well adding a little oil and place in a very hot oven. Turn occasionally and they will crisp and go golden brown. This should take about 45-60 minutes.

• Sprinkle with some salt to drain excess fat off and serve.

Recipe for sauce:

1 garlic clove
4 shallots
1 leek, white part only
1 carrot
4 sprigs of thyme
large knob of butter
400 ml of red wine
350 ml red vinsanto wine
1.2 litres of good beef stock
300g beef trimmings ( i used a sirloin steak that i had chopped into pieces)

Method:

• Chop garlic, leek, shallots and carrots and place them in a pan with melted butter.

• Add the thyme and sauteé till slightly golden

• In another pan add some oil and season the beef trimmings and sear it till it has literally cooked through all over.

• When cooked place them beef in the vegetable pot.

• Add the vinsanto into the pan that had the trimmings in.

• Scrape down the pan using a wooden spoon and scrape away the residue. this will flavour the wine.

• Add this to the vegetables and let it reduce by half.

• Then add 1-2 glasses at a time of wine and keep reducing.

• Add slowly. You DO NOT want to add it all in one go as this will removes all the flavouring that is coating the beef and vegetables. It has to reduce and then add more, reduce then add more. Till all the wine has finished and you are left with a nice reduction.

• When you have reached this point, add the stock and let the sauce simmer for about one hour on a medium heat.

• This will leave such a wonderful flavour.

• When it has reached the flavour and consistency you want, put it through a conical strainer and leave it till you want to use it.

• Serve with sauce at the bottom, potatoes, some rucola and then sliced beef fillet.

Something to remember for a long time.

Ah the sweet life.......