Goan Pork Vindaloo

Posted by Brigita on Apr 6, 2010 in Indian, Mains | 0 comments

Ingredients:

1 Kg Pork non-fat meat

2 Big Onions

Salt as per taste

3 peppercorns

3 cm piece of Cinnamon

few cloves

Vindaloo masala:

1 red Chillie, deseeded and chopped (or 1/2 tsp chilli powder)

1 tsp sweet red paprika

4 Garlic cloves crushed,

1 tbs grated ginger

2 tsp cumin powder,

1 tsp coriander powder,

2 tbs Vinegar

Method:

Wash the Pork pieces well, and then chop them up into 3 cm cubes. Dry well. Add salt and set aside.

Get the masala ready, grind the chillies into a powder, then add vinegar and all the ingredients of the vindaloo masala (spices), then grind all of it in the blender.

Add masala to the pork pieces and mix it up well. Make sure all the pieces of meat are evenly mixed with the masala. Store it overnight in the fridge.

Just before cooking, chop and blend onions, then add them to meat.

Heat the pan with some oil and fry meat on medium heat for 5 mins. Add a few peppercorns, a cinnamon and a cloves to the dish.

After a little while of frying add some water and simmer on a low heat as the meat soaks in the masala and gets cooked (1-2hrs).

The Vindaloo is ready when it turns the fiery red colour.

Note: The Vindaloo always tastes better the next day as the meat gets properly marinated, its not really a very spicy dish but on the tangy side. The longer you store it the better it tastes, just like a pickle!

Avocado, Shrimp & Pink Grapefruit Salad

Posted by Brigita on Apr 6, 2010 in Appetisers, Salads | 0 comments

Ingredients:

medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

3 teaspoon(s) fresh lime juice

60 mls extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon(s) sea salt

1/4 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper

1 large pink grapefruit

1 teaspoon(s) Dijon mustard

1 head(s) (medium) butter lettuce

120 mls arugula

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

Method:

1. Grill the shrimp. Heat a grill to medium. Toss the shrimp with 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and red pepper. Marinate for 15 minutes. Thread shrimp onto skewers; grill until pink and cooked through — about 1 minute each side. Set aside and keep warm.

2. Assemble the salad. Cut the peel from the grapefruit using a sharp knife. Cut out the segments, reserving the juice. Squeeze the juice from the remaining pith and pulp. Strain and measure 3 tablespoons juice. Set remaining juice aside for another use.

3. Whisk the Dijon, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1 teaspoon lime juice, and the reserved grapefruit juice together. Whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Line 2 salad plates with lettuce and arugula. Arrange the shrimp, grapefruit, and avocado on top of the greens. Drizzle with grapefruit vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Lemon Semolina Cake

Posted by Brigita on Apr 5, 2010 in Desserts, Vegetarian | Comments Off

Photography by Ben Dearnley

Ingredients:

(serves 10)

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½  cup semolina
• 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted  OR plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder

Lemon syrup:

• ¼  cup icing sugar
• ½  cup lemon juice, strained
• ½  cup water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 20cm round (base) spring form cake pan.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, lemon rind and sugar on high speed until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating between each addition. Stir in semolina and flour.
3. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
4. Meanwhile, make lemon syrup: mix sugar, lemon juice and ½  cup cold water stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup over baked cake. Stand for 15 minutes. Turn out on to a plate. Serve with lemon or fruity yoghurt.

Notes: Semolina is the heart of the durum wheat kernel, separated during processing. Most good-quality pasta, gnocchi and couscous is made from semolina. It’s also popular for puddings, cakes, porridge, pancakes and desserts. This is Dairy Free recipe!

Tandoori Chicken

Posted by Brigita on Apr 5, 2010 in Indian, Mains | 0 comments

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, juiced

1 1/4 cups plain yogurt

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

2 teaspoons garam masala

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon red sweet paprika

2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method:

Remove skin from chicken pieces, and cut slits into them lengthwise. Place in a shallow dish. sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and lemon juice. Set aside 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, paprika and chili powder. Mix until smooth. Spread yogurt mixture over chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours (the longer the better).

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat, and lightly oil grate.

Cook chicken on grill until no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.

Notes: This dish can also be baked in a hot oven (230 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes (or until done).

This is an authentic recipe for Tandoori chicken. Serve with long grain Basmati rice, cucumber salad, grilled veggies, roasted corn on the cob and finish off the meal with some sweet dessert.

Kachumber (Indian Salad)

Posted by Brigita on Apr 5, 2010 in Indian, Salads, Vegetarian | 0 comments

Ingredients:

2 to 3 large tomatoes, diced

1 large cucumber, peeled and finely diced

1/4th cup red onion, finely diced

1 Green chili, finely chopped

20 sprigs of coriander leaves minced

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4th teaspoon salt

3 to 5 tablespoons lemon juice

Method:

1. Toss the tomatoes, cucumber and onion together.

2. Add the green chili, coriander leaves, sugar, salt, and lemon juice and mix well.

3. Serve chilled.

Note: Serves as a great accompaniment with curries and Indian meats.

Easy Lemon Meringue Pie

Posted by Brigita on Apr 5, 2010 in Desserts, Vegetarian | 0 comments

Ingredients:

400 g sweet short pastry

Filling:

½ custard powder

1 cup sugar

4 tsp grated lemon rind

1 cup lemon juice

1cup water

50 g butter

6 egg yolks

Meringue:

6egg whites

¾ cup sugar

Method:

Roll pastry on a lightly floured board to a 4mm thickness and line the base and sides of 24 cm pie dish. Bake blind at 190 degrees Celsius until slightly golden.

Mix custard powder, sugar, lemon rind in a saucepan. Add water and lemon juice, mix until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thick stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add in butter and egg yolks by constant stirring, then return to heat and cook foe additional minute until thickens.

Pour filling into pastry shell.

Beat egg whites and sugar together until glossy and thick.

Cover the pie with meringue and bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Note: This is my favourite recipe that never fails and is often on the table during lemon season. And it is Dairy Free!

Partridge with Blackberries and Soft Sage Polenta

Posted by Brigita on Apr 5, 2010 in Mains | 0 comments

(Photograph: Linda Nylind)

Ingredients:

(Serves two)

2 partridges, cleaned and gutted

Few sprigs of thyme

2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Splash of olive oil

120g polenta

Small bunch of sage, half roughly chopped and half whole leaf

60g butter, plus a couple of knobs for inside the birds

1 cup milk

Punnet of good blackberries

Tumbler of red wine

1½ tbsp redcurrant jelly

Splash of sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 220C/430F.

Choose a smallish thick-bottomed pan to make the polenta in. If it’s slow-cooking then you need to get it on first. Melt half the butter until just fizzling, then gently fry the chopped sage in it for a minute or two. There will be instructions for the amount of liquid you need to use, so just scale down for the quantity of polenta in this recipe, and where they generally advise water, we will be using half milk and half water.

Once the sage has released its aroma, pour in the milk and water. When steaming, but not boiling, slowly pour in the polenta while whisking it. Turn the heat right down and let the grains cook in the liquid, stirring regularly, which could take anything from 12-30 minutes, depending on the kind of polenta used.

If it starts to go cementy, a hefty splash of milk followed by vigorous whisking will restore the creaminess. Season with salt and pepper. When your polenta is 20 minutes away from being ready, stuff the thyme, garlic and a knob of butter inside each bird, and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Put an oven-proof frying pan on a high heat and melt the rest of the butter with a splash of plain olive oil.

Once hot, put the birds in the pan, breast side down. Brown them well on both breasts, then turn them over and pop them in the oven. After 15 minutes take the pan out, put it over a medium heat on the hob, and remove the birds, resting them breast side down covered with foil on a plate for the five minutes it takes to finish the sauce.

Fry the whole sage leaves in the pan for just a minute, then take them out and put next to the birds. Pour in the wine and a splash of sherry vinegar followed by the blackberries.

Give the berries a good roll around as the wine reduces to a saucy consistency, then stir in the redcurrant jelly until it melts.

Turn the heat off, season the sauce, give your polenta one last taste and consistency check, restoring it to full creamy potential with a splash of milk if necessary and serve on big, warmed plates: first the beautiful soft polenta, bird on top, sauce and berries all around and the sage leaves to finish.

(recipe by Allegra McEvedy is co-founder of the fast-food chain, Leon)