enoki and carrot pickle

Enoki mushrooms have a mild fruity flavour and a great crunchy texture. In Japan, pickles (otsukemono) are served with every meal and this sweet pickle (amazuzuke) is a delicious example. Remove the bottom part of a bunch of enoki mushrooms and gently break them apart. Peel and cut 1 or 2 carrots into batons of…… Continue reading enoki and carrot pickle

habanero hot sauce

Named after the Cuban capital Habana, Habanero chillies actually originated in the Amazon. These small, usually red or orange chillies were once considered the hottest in the world. Measuring 100,00-350,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units) they have been overtaken by far hotter chillies (the Carolina Reaper measures up to 2,200,000 SHU). The habanero’s floral aroma and flavour…… Continue reading habanero hot sauce

roasted vegetables with tahini yoghurt sauce

A simple and delicious Middle Eastern twist on roast vegetables. Preheat your oven to 190ºC (375ºF). Wash and cut some cauliflower into florets, some leeks into chunky rounds and some sweet potatoes and carrots into diagonal slices. Put all the vegetables into a bowl along with some whole unpeeled garlic cloves. Season to taste with…… Continue reading roasted vegetables with tahini yoghurt sauce

stewed chicken with shimeji mushrooms + carrot kinpara

This sweet and sour Japanese style stew is easy to make and just delicious. And carrot kinpira, a Japanese way of cooking root vegetables, is an excellent accompaniment. Serve them with rice. Bring some salted water to boil in a small saucepan. Trim the green beans, cut them into shorter lengths and cook them in…… Continue reading stewed chicken with shimeji mushrooms + carrot kinpara

two cooked salads

These two Middle Eastern style salads make an excellent accompaniment for fried halloumi cheese, or grilled meat, chicken or fish. You could also serve them as part of a mezze (appetiser) first course. In this salad the combination of sweet onions and peas is balanced by salty preserved lemon. Heat some olive oil in a…… Continue reading two cooked salads

pork cotoletta + 3 veg

Cotoletta is the Italian version of the ubiquitous Schnitzel. Unlike schnitzel, though, it is not usually breaded with egg but dipped in oil and then breadcrumbs and often grilled, not fried. It’s also often cooked with the bone in. Traditionally veal, I chose pork for this meal and made Italian vegetable accompaniments. The 3 veg I served…… Continue reading pork cotoletta + 3 veg

leek, brussel sprout and stilton tart + roasted beets and carrots

A lovely combination of flavours improved by being encased in Maggie Beer’s sour cream pastry. Make the pastry according to the recipe (it works very well with light sour cream too). Roll the pastry out and cut a circle for the bottom of a springform cake tin and some strips for the sides and line the tin making sure there…… Continue reading leek, brussel sprout and stilton tart + roasted beets and carrots

lamb tagine with dates + carrot salad

Lamb and dates – what a heavenly combination. This recipes comes from THE FOOD OF MOROCCO a journey for food lovers by Tess Mallos. Melt butter in a heavy casserole or tagine and gently cook 1 finely chopped onion until it is translucent. Add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin and ½ a…… Continue reading lamb tagine with dates + carrot salad