buckwheat and mushrooms

Buckwheat is a popular grain in the Slavic countries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. Here it’s paired with dried porcini (cep) mushrooms in a deliciously nutty and flavourful casserole. Soak 55g (2 oz) of porcini mushrooms in 2 cups of warm water for 2 hours. Now preheat your oven to 190ºC…… Continue reading buckwheat and mushrooms

roasted beetroot with preserved lemon and yoghurt

Another wonderful recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s SIMPLE, made by Lorraine. This is equally good as part of a meze appetizer or as a side dish. Preheat your oven to 220°C (430ºF). Scrub clean 1 kg (a little more than 2 lbs) of beetroots and wrap them individually in tin foil. Place them on a baking…… Continue reading roasted beetroot with preserved lemon and yoghurt

muhammara with butter bean mash

Lorraine made this tasty dip from a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe in his cookbook SIMPLE. Muhammara is a spicy Middle Eastern red pepper dip served here on a creamy butterbean mash. For the muhammara, preheat your oven to 220°C (430ºF). Cut 5 red peppers, stems and seeds removed, into quarters. Toss them in 1 tablespoon of…… Continue reading muhammara with butter bean mash

black beans with pork and chorizo

Here’s a hearty and flavoursome stew with Spanish roots. Serve it with crusty bread and a fresh green salad. You can soak the black beans overnight or use the following quick-soak method. Add 1½ cups of black beans and 6 cups of water to a pot or pressure cooker and bring to a boil. Simmer…… Continue reading black beans with pork and chorizo