Archive for » October 6th, 2009«

06
Oct
Lavender, Gin and Honey Ice Cream

Ingredients:

(makes 1 l of ice cream)

5 tablespoons gin

1 level tablespoon dried lavender flowers

6 medium egg yolks

150 ml honey (ideally lavender or other flower honey)

300 ml double (thick) cream

Fresh lavender flowers to garnish (optional)

Method:

1. In a small saucepan, warm the gin slightly, and then pour it over the lavender flowers in a small bowl. Cover tightly with cling film, and leave to infuse for an hour or so.

2. Sieve the lavender-infused gin through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the flowers against the sieve with the back of a spoon to extract all the flavour. Discard the flowers. You should end up with about 3 tablespoons of strongly-flavoured gin. If it is a little under, top it up with some plain gin from the bottle.

3. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with an electric whisk (or a wire, balloon-type whisk) until they are very light and fluffy.

4. Heat the honey in a small saucepan until it reaches the boiling point, then remove from the heat.

5. Pour the hot honey in a thin, steady stream over the egg yolks, whisking continuously. Keep whisking vigorously until the mixture has cooled and the yolks have increased in volume. This should take about 2 – 3 minutes if you’re using an electric whisk, or 5 – 10 minutes by hand.

6. Add the flavoured gin and stir thoroughly to combine.

7. Whip the double cream into soft peaks. Carefully fold it into the egg yolk mixture, blending everything well.

8. Pour the mixture into a bowl or container and freeze for 8 hours. There is no need to remove the ice cream at regular intervals and beat it (as is the case in many freezer ice cream recipes) – simply leave it be. Just before serving, garnish with fresh lavender flowers, if using.

Note: Serve with lavender shortbread cookies. See lemon-Lavender Shortbread recipe posted 12 September ’09.

Category: Desserts  Tags: ,  One Comment
06
Oct
Moroccan Pan-fried Fish

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

* 1 bunch coriander, washed, dried, ends trimmed

* 3 garlic cloves, peeled

* 2 tsp ground cumin

* Pinch of chilli powder

* 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind

* 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice

* 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

* 2 tsp sweet paprika

* 190g (1 cup) couscous

* 250ml (1 cup) boiling water

* 50g (1/3 cup) plain flour

* 4 (about 700g) firm white fish fillets (such as snapper)

* Olive oil spray

* 90g baby spinach leaves

Method:

1. Place the coriander, garlic, cumin, chilli, lemon rind, lemon juice, oil and half the paprika in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

2. Place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Pour over the boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to separate grains.

3. Meanwhile, combine the flour and remaining paprika on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Add the fish and turn to coat. Shake off excess. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil spray and place over medium heat. Add the fish and cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden brown.

4. Place the spinach on a serving platter. Top with the fish and drizzle over the coriander mixture. Serve with couscous.

Note: More options-

* Marinated Moroccan fish: Reduce paprika to 1 teaspoon. Omit flour. Add 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves and 1 small red onion, peeled, chopped, in step 1. Place the fish in a glass dish. Add the coriander mixture and turn to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours to marinate. Continue from step 2.

* Moroccan fish rolls in tomato sauce: Replace the white fish fillets with skinless white fish fillets. Reduce oil to 60ml (1/4 cup). Spread 1 side of the fish with coriander mixture. Roll up to enclose filling. Use toothpicks to secure. Combine 1 x 700g btl tomato pasta sauce and 60ml (1/4 cup) water in a frying pan over medium heat. Add fish and cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through.

* Moroccan fish cakes with sweet chilli sauce: Reduce oil to 1 tablespoon. Chop the fish and add to the food processor in step 1 with 40g (1/4 cup) plain flour and 1 egg. Process until just smooth. Spray a frying pan with olive oil spray and place over medium heat. Spoon four 1-tablespoonful quantities of fish mixture into the pan and use the back of a spoon to flatten. Cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining fish mixture. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Category: African, Mains, Middle Eastern  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
06
Oct
Ethiopian Spicy Green Lentils

Ingredients:

(Serves 3-4.)

300 g green lentils

1 cup corn or groundnut oil

1 tablespoon yellow mustard powder

3 medium limes, juiced

4 green chillies, very finely sliced

3 medium red onions, very finely chopped

1 teaspoon ginger powder

Salt

Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Wash the lentils and boil until cooked (no need to soak).

2. Let the lentils cool, then mash them with the back of a large spoon or in a food processor. The texture should be somewhat coarse.

3. Add the oil, mustard, lime juice, chillies, onions, ginger and seasoning, and mix thoroughly.

4. Refrigerate until chilled, then remove from the fridge and bring back to room temperature. Serve with wholewheat bread, along with lettuce, tomatoes, and fresh white cheese – such as cottage cheese, ricotta, paneer, feta, or labneh.

Category: African, Mains, Vegetarian  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment