Sunday Roast

I've been meaning to blog all week but one thing led to another and now, it's Monday and I'm wondering where the last few days went. With two children, a husband and a household to run, the days just whizz by. This is the first quiet moment I've had in the office (television off and not blaring the Disney channel or some sporting event) and not surprisingly, it's almost midnight before I can post about dinner yesterday evening.

Sunday is our lazy family day when the nanny is off and we're on our own so we always have a very easy breakfast then sit around and try to read the papers then usually have lunch somewhere nearby. I make a simple roast dinner (or something on the grill if it's summertime) and we all go to bed early. Yesterday was no exception.

We had a lemon-rosemary roast chicken with roasted parsnips, carrots, garlic and onions. I also prepared some roasted sweet potatoes my way with a bit of chili to spice it up. There were some leftover roasted red peppers that we made over the weekend and were marinating in olive oil in the fridge so I put those on the table as well. Comfort food for a Sunday evening and just right for the start of autumn.

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Roasted spicy sweet potatoes

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• dried red chili pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• fresh thyme

• Preheat the oven to 2o0C.
• Peel and chop sweet potatoes into large chunks. Drizzle some olive oil in a large roasting tin. Place sweet potatoes into the pan.
• Grind some red chili pepper flakes onto the sweet potatoes.
• Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
• Place the roasting tin in the oven and roast for at least 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven. Add the maple syrup then mix the sweet potatoes, making sure to scrape off those that have stuck to the bottom of the roasting tin.
• Put back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
• Crush some sea salt onto the sweet potatoes and serve hot.
• (Serves three as a side dish or two very hungry adults)

Tofu Dinner

After all the rich meals we had in Paris, we needed to have an Asian food fix.  Luckily, I found some fresh tofu at the supermarket and one evening last week, we had fried tofu and a Thai green curry of chicken with some steamed jasmine rice.  The dish is something my sisters and I used to order at a small Chinese restaurant in Malate off Remedios circle called Empress Garden (I don't think it exists anymore and if it does, somebody please tell me where they moved).  My grandmother's cook Alice (who now works for my mom) then recreated the dish and this recipe is what we now use at home.   The tofu were deliciously crunchy outside and soft inside and turned out to be a good side dish for the spicy green curry.   It's easy to make and doesn't need any fancy ingredients.  Try it and you'll see (or rather eat) what I mean.

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Fried Tofu (from Alice's recipe)

Serves 4 as a side dish 

• 2 squares of fresh firm tofu (about 400 grams)
  
• cornstarch (for dusting tofu)
  
• Panko breadcrumbs (for coating tofu)

• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
  
• 3 Tbsp. chicken stock
  
• 1 Tbsp. white sugar
  
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
  
• 1 scallion (green part only chopped finely)

• Pat the tofu dry then slice the tofu into large squares.  Dust with cornstarch then cover in Panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs.
• Heat some oil in a shallow frying pan.  Slowly pan fry the tofu in batches and brown all sides.  Drain on paper towels.
• At the same time, heat the soy sauce and chicken stock in a small saucepan.  Bring to  a boil then add the sugar and simmer until the sugar dissolves.  Toss in the toasted sesame seeds.   Add the chopped scallions.
• Top the tofu with cilantro leaves and serve with the sauce.

Thai vegetable fried rice

Today was the first overcast day since the beginning of spring so we decided to just get a whole load of weekend papers and sit around at home doing not much at all - no beach, no pool, no lounging on the terrace. As it was a lazy day at home, I was too relaxed to make a complicated meal and ended up just making a quick Thai-style vegetable fried rice with some vegetables from our organic box. It was perfect bowl food for a quiet day at home and dead easy to make as long as you already have some leftover steamed rice, which we did. It's usually better with the pineapple but if you dont have any, skip that part and just make it without which is what I did.

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Quick Thai vegetable fried rice

• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 Tbsp. chopped tomatoes
• 4 Tbsp. chopped carrots
• 4 Tbsp. chopped pineapple (fresh is better but canned is fine as well)
• 2 cups cooked Thai jasmine rice (leftover from the night before is better)
• 4 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tsp. freshly-ground pepper
• fresh coriander/cilantro


• Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Brown the garlic gently then add the rest of the ingredients one at a time, stirring well. Finally, add the rice and the seasoning then garnish with fresh coriander sprigs. Transfer to a bowl and dig in.

Burgers with Beer-battered Onion rings

Sometimes, I get a craving for something specific and most of the time, I can't get the authentic thing here in Marbella. Today it's a hamburger with lots of toppings (cheese, bacon, pickles) and crispy sides (onion rings and thin fries). It must be because I've been reading about the burger invasion going on not only in the U.S. (Laurent Tourondel's successful blt burger and those infamous sliders) but in Paris as well. It seems that the humble burger has suddenly become fashionable and with top ingredients like Kobe beef and grass-fed USDA prime beef ground up for these jaw breaking sandwiches, the gourmet burger has been born.

At home, we use Argentine or Irish Black Angus sirloin from the English Butcher, assorted mustard (Colman's English and Maille grainy Dijon), Heinz Organic ketchup, Hellman's mayonnaise, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes and onions (either sauteed or crispy).

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Beer-battered onion rings

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. coarse salt
• Cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup beer
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. finely-grated lemon zest
• Vegetable oil for frying (about 4 cups) (* I use mild-flavoured olive oil)
• 2 large white onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices, separated into rings
• sea salt, preferably Maldon
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
  
• Combine the flour, salt and a pinch of cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk in buttermilk, beer, egg and lemon zest. Let stand for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200F. Place a baking sheet on middle rack of oven. Heat oil to 380F in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Dip a few slices of onion in batter, turning to coat. Gently drop slices in oil. Cook, turning until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer rings to paper towels, season with salt immediately, then transfer onions to the baking sheet to keep warm. Repeat, with remaining onions. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep oil at a steady temperature).
• Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Zucchini Cakes with dill and Feta

Another Nigel Slater recipe that I already did for our Swiss Day dinner which we've had almost every week since then. It's a new and delicious way to have zucchini (courgettes) and really easy to make. Last night, we had it for dinner with a pan-fried fillet steak and a baked potato.
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Zucchini cakes with dill and Feta
(From Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries)

• zucchini - 3 large ones (about 500 gr)
• salad onions - 4 (or a medium onion)
• olive oil
• garlic - 1clove
• plain flour - 3 Tbsp.
• a large egg
• Feta cheese - 100 gr.
• dill - a small bunch, chopped
• a coarse, fine quality chutney, to serve

• Coarsely grate the zucchini in a colander, sprinkle lightly with salt and leave in the sink for half an our or so. Chop the onions finely and warm them gently with a little oil in a shallow pan. They should soften but not colour. Pat the zucchini dry with kitchen paper or wring them out lightly with your hands. Peel and chop the garlic and stir into the onions with the zucchini. When all is soft and starting to turn pale gold, stir in the flour and continue cooking for a couple of minutes or so, with the occasional stir, to cook the flour. Beat the egg lightly and stir into the onion mixture, then crumble in the cheese and the chopped dill. Season with black pepper and a little salt.

• Heat three tablespoons oil in a shallow pan, drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture in the hot oil and let them cook until they are golden on the underside. Turn carefully - they will be fragile - and cook the other side. Lift the cakes out with a spatula and drain briefly on kitchen paper. Serve with the chutney. Makes about 6. (*I make them slightly smaller and stretch them out to 8) .

Mediterranean lunch with baba ghanoush

We started out bright and early today and set off to do some chores - buy the weekend papers and a few magazines, drop by the bookstore to get a new novel, pick up a few cigars for my husband and last but not least, head to the English Butcher to buy some meat for the weekend. We picked up a few pork chops, some baby-back ribs and the smallest leg of lamb we could find (about 2 kilos) then went back home.

Lunch was a Mediterranean-inspired meal with the leg of lamb marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary and freshly-ground dried chili peppers (pepperoncino) roasted over a bed of thinly-sliced potatoes and served with some lemony-garlicky baba ghanoush.

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Baba Ghanoush

• Preheat oven to 200C.
• Prick a large aubergine (I used three medium-sized ones) all over and place in a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, turning over after the first 20 minutes.
• Let it cool then slice lengthwise in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
• Whirl 1 peeled garlic clove in the food processor and add the eggplant flesh. Process until smooth.
• Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon zest and the juice of 1 lemon.
• Stir in 1/2 tablespoon of tahini (optional, but I like the zing it adds to the aubergines).
• Stir in some parsley and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with warm pita bread, olives and Feta cheese or as we did, as an accompaniment to lamb.
• Enough for 4 as a side dish or dip.

Summer grill - Marinated Lamb chops and Aubergine salad

It's been hot and sticky all week and I've been trying my best to avoid the heat, stay indoors or in the shade. Being pregnant in the summer is a pain with the temperature becoming unbearable and my ankles starting to swell :(

But I still couldn't resist making a variation of a recipe I saw while flipping through the July issue of Living magazine from the infamous Martha Stewart. I had just come from The English Butcher in nearby Benavista where I bought some lamb chops, among other things, so it was perfect timing. The marinade was quick and easy. I decided to accompany our summer grilled lunch with a simple tomato and red onion salad and some grilled aubergines with feta cheese. Here's how it all turned out:

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Grilled Lamb chops

• For the marinade, mix 6 cloves smashed garlic (or minced if you like), 2 shallot thinly-sliced, 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups olive oil, 1/4 cup fresh rosemary and 1/4 cup fresh oregano.
• Take 1 kilo of lamb chops (about 12) and place in a glass or ceramic dish in one layer.
• Marinate at least 4 hours or better yet, overnight in the fridge.
• Remove the lamb chops from the marinade and drain, while you fire up the grill.
• If you want to use the marinade, bring it to a boil in a small saucepan and serve alongside the meat.
• Charcoal-grill the lamb chops for about 5 minutes per side (for medium rare).
• Serve with some rosemary sprigs and the sauce on the side.
• Serves 4.

Aubergines with feta and mint

• Slice two large aubergines into thick coins (about 1/2 inch thick) and drizzle some olive oil.
• In another bowl, mix 200 grams crumbled feta cheese with chopped mint and the juice of half a lemon.
• When the aubergine is done and still hot, lay on a platter and top with the feta mixture.
• Drizzle with some more olive oil and serve lukewarm.

Hummus

During Lent, we avoid meat on Fridays but after several weeks of alternating fish and pizza margheritas, I decided to make hummus and pita chips for a change. It's a welcome alternative to a salad and is a wonderful fiber-filled snack.

Hummus (serves 4 as a snack)

• 1 225 gram can of chickpeas
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• juice from 1 lemon or to taste
• 6 Tbsp. Tahini (sesame paste)
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• paprika or cayenne pepper
• freshly ground black pepper
• salt
• olive oil for drizzling


• Pita bread, split in the middle and quartered
  
  
• Place the sliced pita triangles on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in a 220C oven for 20 minutes.
• Drain the chickpeas and save 1/2 cup of the liquid. Put the chickpeas in a food processor with the liquid and whiz until it makes a smooth paste.
• Add the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Process until very smooth.
• Season with salt and pepper and cayenne or paprika.
• Scoop into a bowl and flatten out with a spatula.
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit more paprika or cayenne.
• Serve with the crispy pita chips or with warm pita bread.