WARM BEEF, ROAST CHERRY TOMATOES AND BELL PEPPERS WITH HORSERADISH CREAM

This warm beef salad has a wonderful combination of sweet roasted bell peppers and cherry tomatoes, the peppery taste of watercress and saltiness from capers all tied together by the tangy and strong of a horseradish cream and saltiness from capers. It is very easy to cook and could be served in many ways.

To feed 4 people you need:
500 g piece beef eye fillet, trimmed
2 medium size red capsicums sliced into strips
1 red onion cut into wedges
250 g cherry tomatoes sliced in harl
30ml olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling
2 handfuls of mixed gourmet leaves (watercress works really well in this dish)
1 tbsp capers, rinsed

For horseradish cream:
3 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise
3 tbsp sour cream
1½ tbsp horseradish cream (from a jar)
1 tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 200C.  Rub oil and pepper all over beef fillet and place it in a heavy-based frying pan on high heat for 4-5 minutes to seal on all sides.  Remove and place on a roasting tray. Place capsicums and onion wedges in the same frying pan with a little extra oil and cook for fine minutes until slightly softened, then add to the beef together with cherry tomatoes, drizzle over with olive oil and cook for eight minutes (medium rare).

While the meat is cooking, prepare horseradish cream by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl.

Remove beef and rest it in a warm place, leaving vegetables in the oven for a further 10 minutes until cooked and slightly browned.

To serve:
Scatter the mixed leaves over 4 warm plates and top up with the roasted vegetables. Slice the beef into strips and arrange it over the vegetables, drizzle the horseradish cream over the salad, scatter the capers and serve.

Enjoy!!!

DINNER AT KAISHOKU MICHIBA, TOKIO

“Iron Chef Japan” is one of my all time favourite cooking show that was first broadcast in Australia back in 2002.  This show is not for the faint hearted nor could you really learn any useful tips and tricks that you can then incorporate into your everyday cooking.  This show is rather, a theatrical performance on a great scale, where the produce is sourced from all over the world, where the truffles and black caviar are used in huge quantities without as much as a blink, the serving plates are of exquisite beauty and any challenger who wins over one of Iron Chefs will get fame forever.

I loved this show so much that when we decided to travel to Japan and were mapping our route, my husband suggested that we should try and book dinners at the restaurants owned by the Iron Chefs. After prolonged deliberation and hours of Googling, we made our final selection – we would sample the food of Iron Chef of Japanese cuisine – Rokusaburo Michiba and Iron Chef of French cuisine – Hiroyuki Sakai both situated in Tokyo.

What delights me the most in Japanese cuisine is no matter how big or small, cheap or expensive, plain or elaborate the restaurant happens to be, they all have one thing in common – every dish that is placed in front of you is served on an exquisite hand-made china clay plate or a bowl with other elements cut precisely into small one-bite delicate pieces and artfully arranged around the main ingredient. 

In Japanese culture the presentation of the food is paramount and it seems that every Japanese chef possesses the key knowledge of the principles and elements of design in terms of colours, textures, balance and size.  With great excitement and anticipation we stepped inside the Kaishoku Michiba restaurant, situated in fashionable Ginza district and owned by Rokusaburo Michiba.  “Kaishoku”, in the sense of being unforgettable, having its roots in the basic Japanese culinary arts, is how Michiba describes his own cuisine, calling it his culinary soul.

Sesame tofu served with sweet soy sauce and fragrant wasabi

Grilled whole tomato filled with tripe, whelk, shrimp and mushroom 

Fresh sea urchin served with fragrant pepper leaves, pike conger and yuzu zest

Deep fried aubergine, scallop, shrimp, fish, ginko nuts and okra 

served with thickened bonito broth

Grilled cheeswe aged in miso and sake leaves

A serving plate

A selection of porcelain sake cups

MIDDLE EASTERN DISH OF GROUND MEAT AND TAHINI

Seniyeh is a traditional Middle Eastern dish of ground meat and tahini.  I came across this recipe while leafing through a lovely book called “Taste of Israel. A Mediterranean Feast”, given to my by one of my friends who knows too well my love for this kind of food.

 I liked the combination of ingredients and the simplicity of execution, so I decided to give it a go.

To feed 6 people you need:

1 kg of ground/minced beef, lamb or veal

2 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp finely chopped onion

1 tbsp of plain flour

1 tbsp of vegetable oil

½ tsp of chili flakes

½ tsp of salt

½ tsp of ground black pepper

4 tbsp of tahini paste

2 tbsp of lemon juice

2 tbsp of water

Pine nuts to garnish

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180C.  Combine the meat with the vegetables, flour, oil, chili flakes, salt and pepper and press into a round ovenproof dish around 17-20 cm in diameter.

 Using the fork, beat together the tahini paste, lemon juice and water into a smooth consistency, then spread it over the meat and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and serve immediately.

I served it first to my family and we all absolutely loved it.  It is very warm, feeling and quite rich so the best way to serve is just with a simple green salad and some pickles.

Enjoy!!!

HOW TO COOK HUMMUS

Hummus is one of the staple dishes widely known all across the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa where it is served in many different ways.  However, due to its simplicity, the popularity of hummus is enjoyed all over the world.  It can be made in minutes with the use of just a few ingredients and a food processor.

Humus could be served as a dip or a part of a mezze platter at the start of the meal or as a delicious condiment served alongside grilled or barbecued meat dishes.

The recipe below is a classic way to make hummus.

You need:

400 gr can of chickpeas

3 tbs of Tahina paste

2 tsp of sumac (available at the spice section of any supermarket)

2 tsp of lemon juice

4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

2-3 cloves of garlic (or more if you really like it, like I do)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp of smocked paprika for serving

Method:

Drain the chickpeas but save the liquid.  Place all the ingredients into the food processor and blitz until smooth.  Check the seasoning and adjust according to your taste.  If the paste looks too thick, add the reserved liquid, another spoonful of olive oil and tahina paste.  Blitz again.  

Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.  Pour hummus into a nice bowl then using the back of a spoon create a well in the middle of the paste, pour a few spoons of olive oil into it and sprinkle with paprika and it is ready to serve.

There are no hard rules for flavouring hummus, so once you have mastered the classic recipe, you can have some fun experimenting with different flavours, with whatever takes your fancy and what you can find in your fridge or in the pantry.  You can add roasted peppers or sun-dried tomatoes, spice it up with an addition of chili flakes or cumin seeds.  And most importantly, if you don't have a can of chickpeas in your pantry, you can easily substitute it with a can of canelini beans.

Let your imagination run wild and enjoy the taste!!!