Category: Mediterranean Recipes

June 24, 2016 4th of July Cookout, Accompaniments, Barbecue, French Recipes, Garnishes, Italian Recipes, Mediterranean Recipes, Salads, Sauce Recipes, Xanthan Gum Recipes

The Real Secret to Amazing Salad Dressings – Xanthan Gum, The Thickener of the Future

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The Real Secret to Amazing Salad Dressings - Xanthan Gum, The Thickener of the Future
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad / Dressings
 
In today's episode we're looking at a remarkable thickener called xanthan gum. This powder is classified as a hydrocolloid, and is bipolar, but not in a bad way. Bipolar means that it grabs water-based liquids and oil-based liquids simultaneously, creating suspension.
Ingredients
Plain Simple Salad Dressing
  • 240ml Oil (olive, sunflower or peanut)
  • 45ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2.5ml Xanthan gum
  • 10ml Mix dried herbs of your choice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
For the Gourmet Blue Cheese and Anchovy Dressing
  • 160ml Olive oil
  • 60g Anchovies in oil
  • 45ml White wine vinegar
  • 2.5ml Paprika
  • 5ml Crushed garlic
  • 2.5ml Hot English mustard
  • 2.5ml Sugar
  • 2.5ml Himalayan rock salt
  • Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco
  • 100g Strong creamy blue cheese
  • 2.5ml Xanthan gum
Instructions
  1. For the first, and simplest of all dressings, add the lemon juice to the oil.
  2. To this we are only going to add a half teaspoon of xanthan gum. The remarkable thing about this powder is that it works brilliantly with hot or cold liquids.
  3. Add the dried herb mix of your choice.
  4. And then a good dose of roughly ground black pepper and salt.
  5. Zap this all with your stick blender for 60 seconds. You can do this in a regular blender just as well.
  6. And there it is, a perfectly blended salad dressing that will not separate or precipitate, and will keep indefinitely in an airtight container, preferably refrigerated.
  7. Next up is the best salad dressing I have ever tasted... a thick dressing of anchovies, blue cheese, herbs and spices.
  8. Pour the lemon juice and wine vinegar into the olive oil.
  9. Add a half teaspoon of xanthan gum.
  10. Add the anchovy fillets with their oil.
  11. Add the paprika, crushed garlic and hot English mustard.
  12. Break the blue cheese into the mix as well. A strong creamy blue cheese is best for this .... Rosenberg is my favorite.
  13. Then we'll turbo charge this all with a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
  14. Zap the whole lot with your stick blender and again you'll see an instant personality change into a creamy, thick dressing.
  15. This dressing will not separate or precipitate and refrigerator and freezer stable.
  16. To thin this dressing, use the regular pourable dressing we made previously, otherwise use spooned in dollops over your salad.
  17. Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode where we're making the most amazing steak using this same dressing.

 

June 16, 2016 4th of July Cookout, Barbecue, Chicken Recipes, Finger Foods, Main Courses, Mediterranean Recipes, Middle East, Poutry, Spice Mixes

Spicy Moroccan Chicken Kebabs – Moroccan Chicken Kebabs with Ras al Hanout & Lemon

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Spicy Moroccan Chicken Kebabs - Moroccan Chicken Kebabs with Ras al Hanout & Lemon
Author: 
Recipe type: Chicken
Cuisine: Moroccan
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3-6
 
This episode is the third in our short series on using the trademark Moroccan spice blend Ras al Hanout. These spicy chicken kebabs are succulent and tender and simply explode with flavor.
Ingredients
  • 9 Chicken thighs
  • Zest of a large lemon
  • 50g Butter for frying
For the Ras al Hanout Spice Blend (Grind everything until fine in your spice grinder)
  • 7.5ml Ground cumin
  • 7.5ml Ground ginger
  • 7.5ml Turmeric
  • 7.5ml Salt
  • 6.25ml Ground cinnamon
  • 10ml Whole black peppercorns
  • 5ml Ground white pepper
  • 3.75ml Ground coriander seed
  • 7.5ml Chilli powder
  • 7.5ml Whole allspice berries
  • 3.75ml Ground nutmeg
  • 2.5ml Ground cloves
Instructions
  1. To start you need to debone 9 chicken thighs. We have done this before, but here's a quick recap.
  2. Using a short sharp blade lift skin along the spine bone of the thigh.
  3. Cut underneath the oyster to free it from the bone.
  4. Continue to peel the skin back to reveal the hip joint.
  5. Using your chicken shears to cut through the hip joint.
  6. Flip the thigh over and cut away the connecting tissue to free the spine from the thigh.
  7. Slice through the flesh along the thigh bone.
  8. Grab the joint and use the edge of the blade to scrape the flesh down the bone.
  9. Cut around the lower joint to free the bone.
  10. Continue with the remaining thighs.
  11. Place the thighs in a large roasting pan skin side down.
  12. Sprinkle the ras al hanout liberally over the chicken. Don't be shy with the spice, it has to be well spiced.
  13. Turn the thighs over and give the skin a good coating of spice as well.
  14. Turn the thighs again and spice any spots you may have missed.
  15. Sprinkle the grated lemon zest over the thighs and transfer the tray to your refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours.
  16. After marinating, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and cut the thighs into bite-sized cubes.
  17. Pick up any lemon zest from the marinating pan and return it to the cubed chicken.
  18. Thread the chicken cubes onto 8 inch or 20cm skewers. You will need 6 skewers for this quantity of chicken.
  19. Heat a pan over medium high heat and add 50g of butter.
  20. When the butter is bubbling add the kebabs to the pan.
  21. Grill the kebabs for 4 minutes per side, remembering that they have 4 sides.
  22. The chicken will be beautifully charred and crispy with an aroma from heaven.
  23. Remove the kebabs from the pan and serve immediately with the accompaniments of your choice.

 

June 12, 2016 4th of July Cookout, Accompaniments, Barbecue, Curries, Mediterranean Recipes, Middle East, Potato Recipes, Salads, Spice Mixes, Vegetable, Vegetarian Recipes

Moroccan Style Potato Salad using Ras al Hanout – Creamy Middle Eastern Potato Salad

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Moroccan Style Potato Salad using Ras al Hanout - Creamy Middle Eastern Potato Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Potatoes
Cuisine: Moroccan
 
A couple of episodes back I featured Moroccan chicken tagine using the signature Moroccan spice blend Ras al Hanout. Today we're using the same spice blend to make an amazing Moroccan flavored potato salad.
Ingredients
For the Ras al Hanout Spice Blend (Grind everything until fine in your spice grinder)
  • 7.5ml Ground cumin
  • 7.5ml Ground ginger
  • 7.5ml Turmeric
  • 7.5ml Salt
  • 6.25ml Ground cinnamon
  • 10ml Whole black peppercorns
  • 5ml Ground white pepper
  • 3.75ml Ground coriander seed
  • 7.5ml Chilli powder
  • 7.5ml Whole allspice berries
  • 3.75ml Ground nutmeg
  • 2.5ml Ground cloves
For the Recipe
  • 6 Medium potatoes (about 1kg)
  • Handful of garlic chives
  • 150g Caramel condensed milk
  • 150g Tangy mayonnaise
  • 150g Cultured sour cream
  • 1 Medium onion
  • Parsley to garnish
  • 45ml of the Ras al Hanout spice blend
  • 5ml Dried chilli flakes
  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • 30ml Butter
Instructions
  1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-size cubes.
  2. Place these in a medium size pot and pour in enough boiling kettle water to cover.
  3. Place the pot over high heat and cook the potatoes until tender. You can check the tenderness with a skewer.
  4. Drain the potatoes and put them aside.
  5. Dice the onion and chop the chives.
  6. Use your scale to weigh out the caramel condensed milk, mayonnaise and sour cream.
  7. Measure out the Ras al Hanout, dried chilli flakes and butter.
  8. Use the fine grated to grate the zest of one large lemon.
  9. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the butter.
  10. Once the butter is bubbling add the Ras al Hanout and chilli flakes. Stirfry this until very fragrant.... about 30 seconds.
  11. Add the lemon zest and stir this in.
  12. Pour in the caramel, mayonnaise and sour cream and stir this around until everything is well combined. This will take a minute or 2.
  13. Add the onions and chives and stir these in.
  14. Season the sauce with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
  15. Pour the sauce into the potatoes and stir it in until everything is well coated.
  16. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled before serving.
  17. Serve garnished with a generous dose of fresh parsley and enjoy.

 

June 11, 2016 Accompaniments, Bread, Cocktail Snacks, Finger Foods, French Recipes, Mediterranean Recipes, Mother's Day, Starters, Valentine's Recipes

Escargot Melba – Escargot with Garlic, Chilli & Sour Cream on Melba Toast

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Escargot Melba - Escargot with Garlic, Chilli & Sour Cream on Melba Toast
Author: 
Recipe type: Starter / Appetizer
Cuisine: French
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
One of my favorite ingredients are snails, however every restaurant seems to the same boring renditions over and over. This recipe gives a new flavor, texture and presentation to what has become an otherwise boring and mundane dish.
Ingredients
  • 24 Escargot
  • 30g Butter
  • 5ml Granulated garlic
  • 2.5ml Chilli flakes
  • 60ml Sour cream
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 4 Slices square loaf white bread
Instructions
  1. To start, we need to make the curly melba triangles. For this you need regular square loaf white bread.
  2. Working with 2 slices at a time, toast the slices in your toaster until they are well browned, then slice of the edges. Keep the edges on one side.
  3. Use your bread knife to cut the 2 crispy sides apart. The center is very soft and the knife will literally slide through.
  4. Turn each piece over and rub the inside surface on the work surface. The moisture in the untoasted side will cause the excess bread to ball up and rub away onto the counter, leaving you with a beautifully thin wafer of toast.
  5. Cut the wafers from corner to corner to make the triangles.
  6. Repeat this until all of the slices are processed.
  7. Place the melba triangles with the untoasted side facing upward onto a large baking sheet.
  8. Toast the melba in a preheated oven at 200c or 400f for about 90 seconds until the triangles have browned slightly and curled up.
  9. Clear the baking sheet and place any remaining triangles on the sheet along with the toast edges.
  10. Pop the sheet back in the oven for 90 seconds.
  11. Remove this from the oven and put the melba and bread batons aside.
  12. Now onto the snails.... remove the snails from the can and drain them in colander. Rinse the snails thoroughly under running water for 5 full minutes. This removes the terrible rancid brine from the snails.
  13. Measure out the dried chilli flakes, garlic granules, cultured sour cream and butter.
  14. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the butter.
  15. Once the butter is bubbling pour in the snails. Fry the snails gently for 2 minutes.
  16. Add the garlic granules and chilli flakes and continue to fry for a further 60 seconds.
  17. Turn off the gas or remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sour cream.
  18. To serve the escargot, place 3 triangles of melba on each serving plate.
  19. Top each of these with 2 snails.
  20. Dress each triangle with 2 toast batons and serve immediately.

 

June 7, 2016 Chicken Recipes, Curries, Main Courses, Marinades and Rubs, Mediterranean Recipes, Poutry, Spice Mixes

Moroccan Chicken Tagine – Spicy Moroccan Style Chicken Curry – Ras el Hanout

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Moroccan Chicken Tagine - Spicy Moroccan Style Chicken Curry - Ras el Hanout
Author: 
Recipe type: Chicken
Cuisine: Moroccan
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Although this recipe is not entirely authentic, it has all the flavors and aromas of the real thing and is certainly worth a try. The list of spices required may seem a little daunting but please don't let this put you off.
Ingredients
  • 7.5ml Ground cumin
  • 7.5ml Ground ginger
  • 7.5ml Turmeric
  • 7.5ml Salt
  • 6.25ml Ground cinnamon
  • 10ml Whole black peppercorns
  • 5ml Ground white pepper
  • 3.75ml Ground coriander seed
  • 7.5ml Chilli powder
  • 7.5ml Whole allspice berries
  • 3.75ml Ground nutmeg
  • 2.5ml Ground cloves
  • 8-12 Chicken pieces
  • 1 Green pepper
  • 1 Yellow pepper
  • 1 Red pepper
  • 4 Potatoes
  • 2 Onions
  • 3-4 Small lemons
Instructions
  1. Starting with the spice blend or Ras el Hanout. Ras el Hanout is Arabic for head of the shop, or the best spices the shop has to offer.
  2. Place the ground cumin, ground ginger, turmeric, salt, ground cinnamon, black peppercorns, white pepper, ground coriander, chilli powder, allspice berries, ground nutmeg and ground cloves in your spice grinder. Placing the ground ingredients into the grinder along with the ingredients that require grinding really helps the mill achieve a finer result.
  3. Machine the spice blend until nice and fine.
  4. Transfer the spice mixture to a spice shaker.
  5. To continue, seed and cut the peppers into chunky bits.
  6. Cut the onions into thick half-rounds.
  7. Top and tail the lemons and slice them into thin wedges.
  8. Peel and chop the potatoes into chunks.
  9. Pour the chopped peppers, onions and potatoes into a large roasting tin and mix them around.
  10. Traditionally this dish would be baked in a tagine, but a roasting tin does just fine.
  11. Sprinkle generous dose of the ras el hanout over the vegetables. Don't be stingy with the spices, this is a dish that requires a heavy hand, otherwise you will end up with a bland chicken stew.
  12. Place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and give this a large dose of the spice blend.
  13. Scatter the lemon wedges around the pan and your ready to roast.
  14. Roast the chicken at 160c or 320f for 60 minutes.
  15. Remove the pan from the oven. Shuffle the vegetables around the pan and flip the chicken pieces over.
  16. Reseason the chicken and the vegetables with another large dose of the spice blend.
  17. Place the chicken back into the oven and continue to roast for a further 60 minutes.
  18. Remove the pan from the oven, shuffle the vegetables around and flip the chicken over again.
  19. Once again, give the pan a generous dose of the ras el hanout.
  20. Return the pan to the oven, adjust the temperature to 250c or 480f and roast for a final 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken skin is well browned.
  21. Remove the pan from the oven and serve the chicken and vegetables on a bed of couscous and enjoy.

 

April 1, 2016 Curing Meats, Italian Recipes, Mediterranean Recipes, Pork

How to Cure and Dry Age Pancetta – Perfect Charcuterie – Making Pancetta at Home!!!

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How to Cure and Dry Age Pancetta - Perfect Charcuterie - Making Pancetta at Home!!!
Author: 
Recipe type: Pork / Curing
Cuisine: Italian
 
Pancetta, or Italian bacon is awesome, with a strong flavor and outstanding aroma. Traditionally eaten uncooked, it can be thinly sliced and lightly fried, or cut into cubes and used to flavor soups, pastas and stews.
Ingredients
  • 2.25kg Pork Belly, bone in, skin on
  • 5ml Garlic Powder
  • 28g Prague Powder
  • 10g Demarara Sugar
  • 8g Cracked Black Pepper
  • 4g Crushed Juniper Berries
  • 2 Bay Leaves Crushed
  • 2ml Ground Nutmeg
  • 2ml Dried Thyme
  • 20g Coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Lie the belly bone-side up on the work surface. Use a sharp knife to lift and cut away the sternum from the ribs.
  2. Use the knife to lift and work the thin flap of flesh that covers the ends of the ribs.
  3. Flip the belly over and start slicing the ribs away from the belly, using the bones as a guide for the blade. Once it is mostly freed, flip the belly over and cut through the remaining tissue to free the ribs. Wrap these up and keep them for your next barbecue.
  4. Now we want to remove the skin, leaving as much fat behind as possible. Start on a long edge. Work the blade in between the skin and the fatty layer and start peeling the skin back.
  5. Continue until the skin comes free from the belly.
  6. You can save this to make the most amazing pork crackling.
  7. I'm going to make 2 Pancetta, one flat, and one rolled, so I'm cutting the belly in half. I'm left with just over a kilogram of belly, giving me 2 pieces just over 500g each.
  8. For the cure, measure out the Prague powder, Demerara sugar, garlic powder, ground nutmeg, black peppercorns, juniper berries, thyme and bay leaves.
  9. Place the pepper, juniper berries, thyme and bay leaves in your spice grinder and zap these until fine.
  10. Combine these with all of the other curing ingredients.
  11. Sprinkle the curing blend all over the pork belly and press it into the surface of the meat. Transfer the two pieces to vacuum bags and vacpac them good and tight. Date stamp the packets and get them into your refrigerator to cure for a full 7 days.
  12. After the curing time, the belly will be nice and firm and will have taken on the familiar rosy pink cured color. Wash the meat thoroughly under cold running water. Once all of the curing blend has been removed, dry the meat thoroughly using clean dish towels.
  13. To prepare the flat Pancetta, rub a generous dose of coarsely ground black pepper into both sides of the meat. Place this on a stainless steel rack.
  14. To prepare the rolled Pancetta, roll the narrow edge up as tightly as possible, continually crunching it tighter with your fingers as you go.
  15. Tie the roll with butchers twine. Make the ties as firm as possible to ensure that any air trapped in the roll is forced out. 5 or 6 ties will do the trick.
  16. Trim of the ends and transfer this to another stainless rack.
  17. Allow both lots of meat to air-dry at between 13c and 18c, or 55f and 65f, with a humidity between 60 and 70 percent.
  18. The flat Pancetta needs to dry for 5 to 7 days, while the rolled Pancetta will require 14 to 21 days.
  19. After 7 days here is the flat Pancetta. Trim off the edge and dice the off-cut to be used in soups, pastas and stews. The balance I am going to shave thinly on my meat slicer. Whatever you don't slice, vacuum pack and refrigerate until required.

 

March 10, 2016 Curing Meats, Italian Recipes, Mediterranean Recipes, Pork

How to Cure & Age Capicola – Homemade Capicola – Perfect Charcuterie

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How to Cure & Age Capicola - Homemade Capicola - Perfect Charcuterie
Author: 
Recipe type: Curing Meats / Charcuterie
Cuisine: Italian
 
Capicola or cured and dry-aged pork neck is absolutely amazing. The outstanding aroma and robust, rounded flavor, make this one of the most popular Italian cured meats.
Ingredients
  • 2.5kg Pork neck
  • 70g Salt
  • 15g Sugar
  • 15g Prague Powder #2
  • 8g Cracked Black Pepper
  • 4g Crushed Juniper Berries
  • 2 Bay Leaves Crushed
  • 2ml Ground Nutmeg
  • Paprika
Instructions
  1. Measure out the Prague powder, salt, sugar, nutmeg, black pepper corns, bay leaves and juniper berries.
  2. Place the juniper berries, black peppercorns and bay leaves into your spice grinder and process this until fine.
  3. Add the ground spices to the rest of the powders and mix this together thoroughly.
  4. Place the pork neck on your work surface and roll it tightly length-ways. Use butchers twine to tie the roll firmly. This helps the roll keep its shape.
  5. Place the meat in a roasting tin or catch tray and sprinkle the curing mixture evenly over the meat. Pat the powder into the surface of the meat as you go until all of the meat has a coating.
  6. Turn a vacuum packing bag half inside out. Feed the meat into the bag and unfold the bag to close it around the meat. Pop this into your vacuum packer and seal it up good and tight. It is a good idea to give the bag a double seal for security.
  7. Place the vacuum packed meat in your refrigerator for 7 days to cure. You can also seal the meat in a ziplock bag, but then you must massage and flip the meat every day while it is curing.
  8. After the curing time, remove the meat from the bag and rinse it thoroughly under cold running water. Use a clean dish towel to pat the meat dry.
  9. Place the meat on a board and sprinkle liberally with paprika all over and press this into the surface of the meat. Place the meat on a rack and allow this to age for 5 to 6 weeks at a temperature of 14 to 18c, or 57f to 65f, and humidity of 60-70%.
  10. After this time, cut the strings away from the capicola. Cutting the roll open reveals the beautifully colored cured meat with a firm texture and an absolutely amazing aroma.
  11. Slice the meat thinly by hand or machine and you're ready to taste heaven.

 

March 5, 2016 Cocktail Snacks, Finger Foods, Mediterranean Recipes, Middle East, Snack Food, Vegan Recipes, Vegetable, Vegetarian Recipes

How to Make Authentic Falafel – Crispy Fried Garbanzo Bean/Chickpea Fritter Recipe!!!

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How to Make Authentic Falafel - Crispy Fried Garbanzo Bean/Chickpea Fritter Recipe!!!
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegan / Vegetarian
Cuisine: Middle Eastern / Mediterranean
 
In our previous 2 episodes we covered tahini paste and hummus. Today we're making falafel with tahini sauce and hummus.
Ingredients
  • 450g Dry chickpeas / garbanzo beans
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 60ml Parsley
  • 5 Cloves garlic, chopped
  • 25ml All-purpose flour
  • 7.5ml Salt
  • 10ml Ground cumin
  • 5ml Ground coriander
  • 2.5ml Fine black pepper
  • 2.5ml Cayenne pepper
  • 1.25ml Ground cardamom
  • Oil for frying
  • Tahini paste and olive oil to thin
  • Hummus
Instructions
  1. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with twice the depth of water. You cannot use canned chickpeas, the recipe will fail. This recipe can be challenging and as a result, I have included a troubleshooting addendum below. Be sure to read this before starting.
  2. Cover the bowl with cling-wrap and allow this to stand overnight.
  3. The following day, drain the chickpeas and rinse them thoroughly.
  4. Transfer the chickpeas to your food processor along with the chopped onion, parsley, garlic, flour, salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, pepper, cayenne and cardamom.
  5. Process the mixture until it resembles couscous. Place it in a bowl, cover with cling-wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  6. To form the falafel, use a 30ml measuring scoop. Compress the mixture into the scoop and shake the molded shape out into your hand. Gently shape it into a ball and transfer this to a platter.
  7. To make sesame coated falafel, roll the formed ball in sesame seeds scattered across a platter.
  8. Continue until all of the balls are formed.
  9. Half fill a large pan with oil and heat this over medium heat to 160c or 320f.
  10. Carefully drop the falafel into the oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until crispy and golden.
  11. Remove the falafel from the oil and drain and drain on kitchen paper.
  12. Serve the falafel on a bed of hummus. Thin the sesame paste with extra olive oil and pour this over the falafel. Garnish the plate with fresh coriander and serve immediately.
Troubleshooting
  1. If the balls will not hold together:
  2. ) Your chickpeas are too old
  3. ) The mixture has not been processed fine enough
To fix this
  1. ) Return the mixture to your processor and process until it resemble couscous
  2. ) If it still does not hold together, add 2-3 tablespoons of flour and 1-2 eggs and mix this into the mixture thoroughly

 

 

March 4, 2016 Accompaniments, Finger Foods, Garnishes, Mediterranean Recipes, Middle East, Sauce Recipes, Snack Food, Vegan Recipes, Vegetable, Vegetarian Recipes

How to Make Authentic Hummus – Middle Eastern Chickpea Dip – Homemade Hummus Recipe!!!

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How to Make Authentic Hummus - Middle Eastern Chickpea Dip - Homemade Hummus Recipe!!!
Author: 
Recipe type: Dipping Sauce
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
 
In our previous episode we made authentic tahini paste. Today we're going to use this to make authentic hummus.
Ingredients
  • 400g Can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 30ml Tahini paste
  • 1 Clove garlic
  • 2.5ml Salt
  • 45ml Olive oil
  • 25ml Lemon juice
  • Chopped coriander leaf and lemon zest to garnish
Instructions
  1. Thoroughly rinse the canned chickpeas and measure out the tahini paste, salt, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Peal and roughly chop 1 clove of garlic.
  2. Place all of these ingredients into a tall jug and process until smooth using your stick blender. You can also do this in your food processor. If you're using stick blender lift the head of the blender to clear the blades after each pulse to avoid damaging the unit.
  3. Once you're happy with the texture, transfer the thick paste to a bowl. Drizzle this with a little extra olive oil and mix this in. Continue adding oil until you achieve your desired consistency.
  4. Serve dressed with a little chopped coriander, fresh lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil.
  5. Stay tuned for our next episode where we're making authentic falafel, accompanied with sesame sauce and hummus.

 

March 3, 2016 Accompaniments, Mediterranean Recipes, Middle East, Sauce Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetable, Vegetarian Recipes

How to Make Authentic Tahini Paste – Homemade Tahini, Quick & Easy!!!

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How to Make Authentic Tahini Paste - Homemade Tahini, Quick & Easy!!!
Author: 
Recipe type: Sauce
Cuisine: Middle Eastern / Mediterranean
 
Tahini paste originates in the Middle East and has gained wide popularity in almost every country of the world. It is one of the main ingredients in hummus, and can be thinned further to make a pourable sauce.
Ingredients
  • 125ml Hulled sesame seeds
  • 30ml Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Measure the hulled sesame seeds and the extra virgin olive oil. I am going to process this with a stick blender which is ideal for small quantities, however you can do this in a small food processor, or of you have a large processor, double or triple the recipe to do this.
  2. Place the sesame in a pan over medium heat. Stir the seeds continuously to avoid burning. The toasting process will take 5 to 6 minutes. About halfway through, you will notice the seeds starting to clump together as a result of the oil being released.
  3. Towards the end, the seeds will be very fragrant and will have darkened to a golden color.
  4. Place the sesame in a tall jug and pour in 2 thirds of the oil. Process this with your blender until smooth.
  5. You will notice here that the paste is still a little thick, so Add the remaining oil. Process again to combine this.
  6. Pour the paste into a bowl for immediate use, or store it in an air-tight container in your refrigerator for a few months.
  7. Stay tuned for our next episode where we're using this sesame paste to make hummus.

 

February 13, 2016 Baking, Bread, Cheese, Italian Recipes, Main Courses, Mediterranean Recipes, Pizzas, Pork, Valentine's Recipes

Valentines Day Pancetta, Camembert and Preserved Fig Pizza – The Pizza of Love!!!

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Valentines Day Pancetta, Camembert and Preserved Fig Pizza - The Pizza of Love!!!
Author: 
Recipe type: Pizza
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
What life or love be without a little sweet and a little savoury? This pizza gives you both in one. The strongly flavored Pancetta is offset by the sweetness of the preserved figs, and this all melted together with creamy Camembert and mozzarella.
Ingredients
For 2 Large (35cm) Pizzas
  • 1 Batch of Instant Pizza Dough
  • 400g Grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 Round of Camembert cheese
  • 8 Slices of rolled pancetta
  • 2 Preserved figs
  • Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. For the toppings, cut a round of camembert into 8 wedges. Turn the on their side and cut them through the center giving you 16 pieces.
  2. Cut the preserved figs into slices, then cut 8 slices of pancetta.
  3. In addition, grate 400g of mozzarella cheese.
  4. Divide the pizza dough in 2. This is the instant pizza dough we featured a few weeks back and you can see this by clicking the onscreen link.
  5. Press each half into a large disc. Lightly flour the work surface and roll this out to 35cm in diameter, or 14 inches.
  6. Transfer the bases to baking sheets. Dock the bases using the tines of a fork to stop the dough from bubbling up during baking.
  7. Sprinkle a little less than half of the mozzarella onto each base. Arrange 8 wedges of the camembert on each each base, followed by 4 rounds of pancetta and the sliced preserved fig.
  8. Finish it off by sprinkling half of the remaining mozzarella over each one.
  9. Bake the pizza in a preheated oven at 250c or 480f for 15 to 20 minutes until the edges are crispy and golden.
  10. Remove the pizzas from the oven, slice into wedges and serve immediately.

 

February 2, 2016 Cheese, Cocktail Snacks, Finger Foods, Mediterranean Recipes, Pizzas, Pork, Snack Food, Starters

Super Bowl Snacks – Cheese & Pancetta Melts – Quick, Easy & Yummy!!!

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Super Bowl Snacks - Cheese & Pancetta Melts - Quick, Easy & Yummy!!!
Author: 
Recipe type: Finger Foods
Cuisine: Mediterannean
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 16
 
With the Super Bowl just days away, here is a super-quick and super easy way to add some yummy to the occasion. I am using the Vietnamese Baguettes we baked in the previous episode, but you can use store bought as well.
Ingredients
For 16 Snacks
  • 3 Vietnamese baguettes cut into 16 angled slices
  • 1 Round Camembert cheese
  • Paprika to garnish
  • 16 Very thin slices of Pancetta
Instructions
  1. Cut the baguettes at an angle into long ovals. Take a round of Camembert cheese and cut it into 8 wedges. Cut each wedge through the center longitudinally, giving you 16 pieces in all.
  2. Place the wedges of cheese cheesy-side up on the ovals of baguette. Transfer these to a lightly greased baking sheet. The sheet must be greased as this inhibits and spill-over cheese from sticking to the sheet. In addition, you need 16 very thin slices of Pancetta.
  3. Heat the grill in your oven to maximum and melt the cheese over the baguette ovals. Remove theses from the oven and transfer them to serving platters.
  4. Sprinkle the tops with a little paprika. Fold each slice of pancetta into a zig-zag and stand a slice on top of each snack.
  5. Serve these snacks hot or cold and wait for the cheers and applause.

 

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