Vegetarian
Eggs in red sauce-Shakshuka and Strapatsada
Whether you call them huevos rancheros, shakshuka, menemen or,the very familiar to me, strapatsada, eggs in aromatic red tomato sauce are a popular breakfast and meal across the world. The basic principle is to precook a red sauce, most usually with fresh tomatoes, and then to either poach or scramble the eggs in it.
I have grown up with the Greek strapatsada as a summer dish or an easy dinner, in fact it is one of the first meals I ever cooked. Whilst strapatsada uses subtle flavours such as green peppers, pepper, basil or parsley and scrambles the eggs with feta cheese, shakshuka gains its distinctive flavour from spices such as (at least) cumin and turmeric, and requires that you poach the eggs towards the end of the cooking process.
You can play with this dish endlessly. Add chilli and serve with avocado for a Mexican twist, or use sumac for the scrambled Turkish menemen version. But today I am sharing a version of the dish, closest to shakshuka, which has allowed my Lia’s Kitchen recipe to reach new heights of flavour through the addition of honey mustard and fennel seeds. At the end of this blog entry, in my regular tips section, I give you instructions for a strapatsada in the hope that this will satisfy your Greek cuisine cravings.
Ingredients
Feeds 4 (two eggs each)
- 4 eggs
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 300g cherry tomatoes halved or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 2 fresh bay leaves or one dry
- 1/2 t turmeric
- 1 t cumin seers
- 1/4 t fennel seeds
- 1/2 t dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 T (honey) mustard
- 1 t sugar
- 1T finely chopped coriander
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Preparation
30 minutes chopping and cooking
- Pick a pan wide enough to fit your four eggs when you poach them on top of the sauce.
- Sauté the onion in a couple of tablespoons of oil with a couple of tablespoons of salt and all the spices until translucent.
- Add the mustard and stir fry for a couple more minutes to release all the aromas. Add the tomatoes, another pinch of salt, the sugar.
- Stir, cover and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the juices are almost dry (more time needed for a tin of tomatoes). Break the four eggs carefully on top of the sauce.
- Lower the heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the top of the eggs steam cooks to a light white.
- Sprinkle with the chopped coriander.
- Remove the eggs from heat immediately after you cook to stop the eggs from going firm or serve immediately.
Lia’s Tips:
- It’s not the end of the world if the eggs go firm but this dish is most wonderful with runny poached eggs.
- The more eggs you poach the wider your cooking pot should be.
- Serve on sourdough bread. You will not forget me once you have tried this!
- For a stapatsada include half or one green pepper and fry with the onions; don’t use any of the herbs or spices above, just salt and black pepper, and use parsley or basil to flavour the sauce (basil is traditionally used in some of the Greek islands); once the sauce is cooked scramble the eggs in, remove from heat when the are cooked and add crumbled feta cheese (about 100g) to finish
Mushroom and tarragon tagliatelle
The first time I tasted The Italian Wine Women’s Lini 910 Labrusca Bianco, its citrus notes immediately evoked the flavours of tarragon, garlic and mushroom as a dish match. The next day I put together this simple, quick but extremely tasty recipe that has become one of Lia’s Kitchen favourite pasta dishes this year.
Wild mushrooms make this dish even more special. With oyster mushroom season starting in September, this luxury ingredient can be a surprisingly affordable addition to your autumn menu.
Ingredients
Feeds 4 to 6 people
- 500g chestnut, oyster or wild mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 500g tagliatelle
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3-4 tablespoon dried tarragon
- 100g grated Parmigiano Reggiano, or Bookhams Twineham Grange (vegetarian)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation
- Chop the mushrooms thickly. Peel and chop the garlic. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil and fry the mushrooms for a few minutes adding 2-3 generous pinches of salt.
- Add half the tarragon at the same time and stir well so the heat releases its flavours.
- Add the garlic a few minutes into your cooking (to avoid burning it) and stir well, on medium heat.
- When the mushrooms look close to being cooked (5-10minutes) add the rest of the tarragon.
- Boil the tagliatelle, adding a pinch of salt and a drop of olive oil, until you have pasta al dente.
- Drain the pasta and add to the mushroom mixture whilst the pan is still on the hob. Stir well.
- Remove from hob, add the grated parmesan and a generous amount of freshly grated pepper.
- Pour yourself a glass of Lini Bianco and take a sip after the first bite of your pasta. Divine!
Carrot and chickpea tagine with lemon couscous
Carrot and chickpea tagine with lemon couscous
A dish served at Somersault festival from an outdoor Lia’s Kitchen.
Moroccan is one of those cuisines that combine sweetness, tanginess and aromas beautifully, transforming even the most basic of ingredients into deliciously opulent dishes.
This carrot and chickpea tagine is an ideal dish for outdoor cooking for the masses and can be executed easily in the most basic of outdoor kitchens, as we found out at Somersault festival at the end of July. The non-dairy ingredients not only make it light and healthy but also more suitable for camping and outdoor kitchens without refrigeration.
What makes this dish, apart from the toasting of its aromatic spice mix, is the combination of ginger and onion which are sautéed at the first step of the dish. This pairing is not unique to Moroccan cuisine and I first came across it in Cambodia and then Kerala, where it seems to be the base for so many of the dry dishes that accompany family meals every day.
The accompanying lemon couscous is easy and quick to make. Its tanginess pairs well with the sweet spiciness of the tagine. In shortage of preserved lemons last month I used lemon and lime peel and much of their juice to flavour the couscous.
Ingredients
(Feeds 4-5)
For Tagine
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
1 T grated fresh ginger
¾ t ground cinnamon
½ t ground black pepper
½ t cayenne pepper
¼ t ground cumin
¼ t Ras-el-Hanout or couscous spice mixture
A pinch of smoked paprika
Handful of fresh coriander chopped
5 carrots thickly chopped –whole- (400g)
5 cups precooked chickpeas, drained and washed
2 T honey
Olive oil for frying
Salt for seasoning
1 T lemon or lime juice (optional)
For Cous Cous
4 T turmeric
Peel of half a lemon
2 T lemon juice and up to half a lemon
3 garlic cloves (mashed or finely chopped)
1.5 cup couscous
¼ cup or a handful of chopped coriander
Salt and pepper to season
Instruction
(One hour preparation and cooking time)
Fry the finely chopped onion and grated ginger (and a pinch of salt) in a little olive oil for a couple minutes.
Add the spices and fry for a bit more until translucent.
Add the garlic and fry for a minute or two at low heat -make sure it does not burn.
Add the carrots and stir fry until well coated with the spices.
Add the drained chickpeas and the lemon juice and a few pinches of salt.
Add a bit of warm water (just enough for the ingredients not to stick to the pan).
At the same time add the honey and some more olive oil.
Stir well, cover and simmer on low heat until the carrots are soft but still have a bite (usually twenty minutes).
At the end of the process add the fresh and finely chopped coriander and mix.
Whilst the tagine is cooking boil one and a half cup of water.
Add some olive oil to a hot frying pan and fry the lemon peel and the turmeric.
Add the garlic and some salt and lightly fry but avoid burning.
Add the boiling water, season, mix and then stir in the couscous.
Take off the heat and cover until the couscous rises and doubles in size.
Add the fresh coriander when the couscous is ready.
Try and season to taste.
Lia’s Tips:
For the tagine use a wide and deep frying pan, preferably twenty centimetres. This allows the liquid to evaporate more evenly and quicker speeding up your cooking time. It also means you don’t need as much liquid to cook the carrots.
At the end of the cooking time there will be no sauce for this tagine but the dish should not be really dry. The honey and the added liquid should have formed a thin syrup that keeps the dish moist. If you run out of liquid as the carrots boil make sure you add enough to achieve this.
The dish is vegan but of course there is nothing stopping you from adding a couple of dollops of Greek-style yoghurt or some feta.
You can replace the fresh coriander with a tablespoon of dry coriander in the couscous if you would like.
Serradura with strawberries in port
One of the easiest but tastiest desserts you will ever make. This Portuguese-origin dessert is ingenious and literally means sawdust, named after the finely ground rich tea biscuits used to make its layers. The combination with strawberries in port is a match made in heaven and I discovered it just in time for the strawberry season.
Ingredients
Feeds 4
250g thick cream
7-8 rich tea biscuit ground to fine dust
7 T condensed milk
1 t vanilla essence
220g sliced strawberries
50g caster sugar
1/2 t allspice or pimento berries ground
1 star anice pod
1/2 t vanilla extract
Small handful finely chopped basil , preferably Thai basil.
Enough port to cover the strawberries , about 50Ml
Preparation
Grind biscuits to fine dust in a blender.
Whip cream to soft peaks.
Add vanilla extract and condensed milk, mix and whip again to soft peaks.
Layer four small glasses or containers with biscuit dust, a layer of whipped cream, biscuit and cream. Make layers thin.
Place in the fridge.
Slice and chop the strawberries in half.
Finely chop and basil and add to the strawberries in a bowls or container that has a lid.
Add the sugar, spices and vanilla essence and mix.
Add enough port to the strawberries to just about cover them, mix and set aside.
Cover with lid and place in the fridge for at least an hour.
Lia’s tips:
About four hours is an ideal time to set the strawberries aside. The strawberries get soggier the longer you leave them.
A child’s non alcoholic version is delicious with maple syrup.
The first time around the cream whips really quickly so take care not to make it too stiff.
Gnocchi di sweet patata!
A recipe for my beloved brother who seems to be becoming quite the chef!
Sweet potato is a bulb versatile and easy to cook. It can be the base for sweet and savoury dishes, such as the American sweet potato pie with condensed milk or plain deep fries.
It is a great alternative to the plain and lovely potato because of its complex carbohydrates, which make it more suitable for low carb diets. It is high in vitamin C content and also contains vitamin A, B5, B6 and beta-carotene. In other words it is a winner in terms of health benefits but also taste.
I use it a lot in to make different types mash, salads, breakfast hash and for so many other recipes. Recently I made the best gnocchi in my cooking experience with sweet potato. And I wanted to share it with you. Try it and you might never go back to the original.
Ingredients
Feeds 6-8
1 kg sweet potatoes peeled
450gr all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1 egg
Flour for rolling and dusting gnocchi
Salt to flavour and for boiling water
Optional- a bit of ground nutmeg
Preparation
Making 40min-cooking 3min
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes in large pieces.
Boil the sweet potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes or until they are soft.
Rinse with cold water, leave to drain to get rid of excess water and steam.
Mash with fork or masher.
Make a well in the mash, add 2/3 of the flour, salt and the egg and mix well with a spoon.
If you are adding ground nutmeg add it now.
If the dough looks sticky add the rest of the flour and even more if needed to make the dough firm but soft.
Knead for a few minutes to make a non-sticky dough.
Flour a surface and make four 2cm wide dough tubes.
Cut with a sharp but smooth knife in 3cm long dumplings.
Place on a floured surface to dry a bit.
Bring a large pot of water to boiling point, add gnocchi and cook for maximum 3 minutes.
The gnocchi will float to the surface when it’s ready and at that time you must remove immediately.
Serve with browned butter and melted Roquefort cheese and/or vegetarian ragú carrot sauce.
Lia’s Notes:
- When picking sweet potatoes makes sure they are not bruised.
- I used orange skin and flesh sweet potatoes for this recipe because of the colour they give gnocchi but I think all sweet potatoes would work.
- If your gnocchi dough is sticky before you start the boiling gnocchi they will not hold their shape. Add flour to the dough if it is sticky.
- Do not over boil the gnocchi
- I have not managed to make a good gnocchi without egg but apparently a lot of practice might make it possible.
- For an egg free, vegan version of the gnocchi start with using 300g of flour and only add 75g more if it needs the flour. Try cooking a couple of gnocchi to see if this has worked before adding an egg or scratching your head about what you are going to do with this bloody dough- I have been there!
- You can freeze gnocchi according to many people. I would advise you freeze them flat and once they are frozen move to bags of 1 or 2 portions. I have not tried this so let me know how it goes!
Beetroot Dip
Beetroot …. its colour is vivid, its name is like an eclectic type of music to dance to, its taste earthy but versatile and adaptable. Deeply influenced by Tom Robbins’ novel ‘Jitterbug perfume’ I have developed this strong belief that beets help build physical, emotional and mental resilience, they feed warriors and lovers, they make you stronger, protect and empower you. I am besotted with this root veg!
This September the beetroot at the two farmers’ markets in Cardiff is gigantic, earthy but deliciously sweet. So make sure you grab some from the local stalls either at Roath or Riverside-don’t miss out on its autumnal delight.
Last weekend golden beetroot was the star guest ingredient of a sweet balsamic vinaigrette salad at our art and dining supper club. A few weeks ago, in the first few weeks of September, a beetroot and carrot soup with caraway seeds warmed us up when the weather suddenly turned cold. And only yesterday I concocted a Moorish , colourful beetroot dip, which I urge you to try making without reservation. Enjoy the recipe below.
Ingredients
Enough for at least 8 starter portions
- 500g mixed or red beetroots washed well but not peeled
- 500gr Greek strained yoghurt
- 200gr feta cheese
- 30gr chives
- 2 cloves of garlic, crashed
- 2 t paprika
- 1/2 t cayenne pepper
- 1 T white wine vinegar
- enough olive oil to make dip smooth (about 1/2 cup)
- salt and pepper
Preparation
1hour
- Roast the beetroot in a hot oven until soft for around forty minutes.
- Whilst the beetroot are roasting prepare a paprika and chive yoghurt dip.
- Cream the feta cheese with one-third of the olive oil and the vinegar in a food processor (pulse) or in a deep bowl with a spoon.
- Add the chopped chives , the crashed garlic , the paprika and cayenne pepper . If added to a food processor pulse again.
- Smoothen the cheese base by adding all the Greek yoghurt. Add another third of the olive oil and stir well.
- Remove from the food processor.
- Try a bit of the yoghurt base and adjust seasoning according to taste.
- After the beetroot is roasted and soft enough allow it to cool enough to peel the skin.
- Cream the beetroot in a food processor or chop and mash in a bowl with a fork.
- Add the yoghurt dip and as much oil as needs to make it blend well (you might not need any more).
- Taste and adjust the seasoning of required.
- Serve with carrots, celery or breads.
Kuku the Persian frittata
Yesterday my hungry belly and mind dug up a craving for a Persian frittata we recently tried in Bristol. I was reading about the Persians reaching the coastline of Pelion in ancient times in a book by Kostas Akrivos about Alfons Hochhouser, the Austrian pioneer of Eco tourism in Pelion. Funny how even historic facts turn to recipes in my world.
Kuku is an easy and delicious recipe. You need a large quantity of mixed herbs and eggs but the rest is very easy. It took me about 20 minutes to make. The result is a fragrant, beautiful and tasty dish!
Ingredients
Feeds four
3 cups finely chopped dill, parsley, coriander, chives or fresh onions
6 eggs
1 tsp turmeric
100g dried cranberries and cashews chopped
1 crushed garlic clove
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Knob of butter
Preparation
20 minutes
Preheat the oven for 10 minutes.
Chop equal amounts of all herbs and mix in ball
Beat the eggs.
Add the salt, pepper, garlic and mix.
Add the herbs , cashews and cranberries and mix.
Pick a frying pan that can be placed in the oven and melt the butter.
Pour the mixture in and lower temperature.
Fry for a couple of minutes until the sides start firming up.
Then place in the oven for 5 minutes in high temperature until it firms up.
Remove cool down and eat.
The frittata freezes well.
Caramelised Onion, Leek and Spinach Pie
A favourite pie with a sweat and creamy twist. Makes 12 pieces.
Little Shoes of Aubergine
This is one of these dishes that I loved as a kid as much as I love it now. A true family favourite at many Greek homes around the world. Little Shoes (Papoutsakia) are a Sunday special, a holiday treat and a more indulgent version of the know Imam Bayildi.
Below is a recipe that might convince you that Little Shoes are as easy to make as lasagne, or a pasta bake, if not easier. Little shoes can easily be transformed to a vegetarian version as suggested below. If you are vegan you can remove the béchamel and still have a very tasty special dish. If you use plain wheat free flour for the béchamel you can have a dish for your wheat intolerant friends. This dish can be easily adapted to your taste and needs.
Ingredients
The little shoes
1kg medium sized Aubergines (preferably Tsakoniki akaΤσακώνικη)[1]
The Filling
500gr Quorn mince (or 700gr minced beef for a non-vegetarian version) [2]
3 small onions, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
1 cup of dry white wine
2-3 tomatoes or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 bunch of parsley , finely chopped
The Béchamel
4 cups of milk
1 cup flour
50gr butter
1-2 eggs
Tspn ground nutmeg
1 cup of cheese (graviera or pecorino are preferable)
salt and pepper
Preparation
The Filling
Sauté the onion in a little olive oil with a pinch of salt until nearly translucent.
Add the Quorn or meat mince, season with salt and pepper and stir fry. [3]
For the Quorn mince add a little more oil so that it does not stick to the pan.
For the beef mince keep stirring so that the mince remains separated and evenly browned.
Add the wine and stir for a couple of minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, the garlic and the parsley, stir, cover and cook.
The filling is ready when the mince has absorbed all the liquid but is not dry.
This should take approximately half an hour for quorn and a bit longer for the meat version.
The Aubergines
Wash the aubergines, cut the stalk end off and slice in half lengthwise.
Bring a deep pot of water to the boil, add the aubergines and boil until they are slightly soft (5-10min).
Drain and cool down.
Lay in a baking tray skin down and with a sharp knife cut a cross shape in the fruit’s flesh
Pull open to create enough space for filling.
The Béchamel
Prepare the sauce whilst the sauce is still cooking and use a cooking whip for stirring [4]
Add the milk to the pan and stir in the flour making sure it is well mixed with no lumps [5].
Place on medium heat and bring to the boil stirring more as the temperature rises.
When the sauce starts simmering lower the heat, add the butter and stir continuously.
Add nutmeg, salt and better and a whipped egg.
Continue stirring on low heat until the sauce thickens.
When removed from heat keep stirring, add the grated cheese and mix well.
The baked dish
Add the filling to the aubergines evenly.
Spread the béchamel on top of the filling.
Bake in a preheated medium temperature oven until the béchamel is golden (about half an hour).
Rest and cool down for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes:
[1] 1kg of aubergines should be 5 medium pieces of the tsakoniki, flask variety. You can cook this disk with the normal aubergine but the tsakoniki variety is much nicer with this dish and cooks faster.
[1] 1kg of aubergines should be 5 medium pieces of the tsakoniki, flask variety. You can cook this disk with the normal aubergine but the tsakoniki variety is much nicer with this dish and cooks faster.
[2] 500grof quorn make more filling than 500gr of minced beef so you might be able to fill an extra pepper.
[3] You can add the Quorn mince frozen to the pan. This should take a few more minutes than when your mince is defrosted. Overall cooking with quorn should be faster than with meat at this but also the sauce cooking stages.
[4] I prefer a flexible wire whip when making béchamel and it helps avoid lumps.
[5] I used plain wheat free flour this time which was very easy to mix in the milk and made a very creamy sauce.
Pancake heaven
Shrove Tuesday is now gone but I’d like to think that pancakes can return to Lia’s kitchen before the next one in 2014.
Pancakes don’t always have to be overindulgent naughty treats. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
I hope this post becomes a quick and easy pancake recipe reference and an inspiration for an alternative savoury filling.
This recipe was given to me by Dan Green who, hat’s off to him, makes the best pancakes I have ever had-he flips them and all that! I just followed his instructions to make the batter, made a filling with what we had in the fridge and watched him put the pancakes together skilfully for us.
Aubergine and fenugreek pancake filling ingredients
1 small aubergine, cubed in 2cm pieces
Half an onion finely chopped
Half a tin of chopped tomatoes
Pinch of cinnamon powder
3-4 handful fresh fenugreek leaves roughly chopped
100gr or more grated cheddar
Filling preparation
Stir fry the aubergine, onion and a pinch of salt for five minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cinnamon, stir and cook for five to ten minutes on low heat until soft and cooked.
Season with some salt and pepper (2-3 pinches of salt suggested).
When nearly ready add the fresh fenugreek.
Add the cheese when filling the pancake in the pan and whilst the second side is cooking.
You can optionally add some fresh baby spinach leaves when filling the pancake.
This is enough filling for four small pancakes.
Pancake Batter ingredients
125gr Spelt or whole meal flour
300 ml milk
1 egg
A pinch of salt
Knob of butter from frying
Pancake preparation
Add all ingredients (not the butter) and whisk to mix well.
Let the batter sit in the fridge for 20 minutes or until you prepare your fillings.
Heat a non stick frying pan on high heat.
Melt enough butter to coat the pan’s surface.
Add about a ladle full of batter in your pan.
Lift and swirl until the batter evenly covers all the surface and almost ‘licks’ its sides upwards. [1]
Lower the heat and cook for a minute or until ready-that’s when it’s easy to flip.
Flip and whilst the pancake is cooking fill with preferred filling and cheese , or fruit and chocolate.
Fold in four in the pan.
This amount of batter should give you six small pancakes and plenty for two people.
Enjoy whilst hot!
[1] This should help you flip the pancake easier.
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