BANANA & MANGO FROZEN YOGURT WITH HAZELNUT PRALINE

The idea for this dessert came to me while I was watching Donna Hay cooking banana and mango frozen yogurt.  I was immediately attracted by its simplicity in the making as well as by the minimum number of ingredients required.

Desserts are not my strong point and usually I prefer to use the skills of professional pastry chefs or chocolatiers but this time I decided to have a go.

Banana and Mango frozen yogurt with Hazelnut Praline

You will need for eight people:

6 bananas

3 mangos

1 cup (280 gr) of natural yogurt

8 wanton wrappers

200 grams of dark or milk chocolate buttons (to your taste)

Method:

Cut the bananas into rounds around 2 cm thick, place them in a plastic container and freeze.  Repeat the same with the mangoes.  It will take between 3-4 hours (depending on the temperature of your freezer) to get the fruit frozen.  Once it’s hard, get it out and empty both containers either into a blender or a food processor together with a cup of yogurt and blend until smooth.  You can serve it straight away or put it back into the freezer to harden it.

Donna Hay served it in pre-made ice-cream cones and then stuck them into an ice cream cone holder and it looked great.  However, I came up with a different idea.

I happened to have in a freezer a packet of wanton wrappers (incidentally, I bought them for another of Donna Hay’s recipes) so I took them out to defrost and once they were soft enough to bend, I brushed them with melted butter, sprinkled some brown sugar over and placed them into cup-cake tin moulds (which I also brushed with a tiny bit of butter to prevent them from sticking) lightly pressing the wrappers down into the mould and then put the tray into a 180 degrees pre-heated oven for 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Using tongs, I removed them from the mould to cool.

Hazelnut Praline

You need:

300 gr hazelnuts

1 cup of sugar

¼ cup of water

Method:

Place hazelnuts on a backing tray and toast them in an oven at 180C for about 5 minutes.  Wrap them in a towel while still hot and give them a good rub to remove as much skin as possible.

Line the backing tray with foil.  Put sugar and water in a heavy pan and place on medium-high heat.  When the sugar is dissolved, it will gradually start to turn a golden colour.  Once it becomes golden brown, add hazelnuts, turn the heat down and stir to coat the nuts with caramel.  Keep stirring until the caramel becomes dark brown and then empty the pan into a lined tray to cool.  Once cooled, it becomes one solid sheet - break it into pieces and put in the food processor and pulse.  

I like when there is some texture in the praline so I never process it until it is completely smooth.

TO SERVE

I am not a big fan of very cold desserts so I took my banana and mango yogurt sorbet from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.  You can leave it in the freezer until the last minute, if you prefer.

When you are ready to serve – just scoop the sorbet into the wanton cups and top with a spoonful of praline. 

Then, for extra bit of deliciousness, place the chocolate buttons into a bowl and melt them in the microwave - short cut!!! (be careful not to burn the chocolate, set the timer for 5 seconds and add another 5, if needed), then scoop it into a spoon and holding it up and above the wonton cups, tip the spoon as if you are going to pour it over but instead start quickly flicking your wrist back and forth to allow the chocolate to go all over the cups.  

As with everything creative, there are no rights or wrongs as long as you are enjoying yourself and people around you like your job.

I served this dessert as a finale to my Lazy Summer Lunch meal, but it could, of course, be prepared for any occasion

Enjoy!!!

ROASTED DUCK LEG, FRESH FIGS AND HAZELNUTS ON WATERCRESS AND RADICCIO SALAD

This recipe of duck leg salad is a great escape for those of us who want to impress their guests with fine dining but with minimum effort and maximum result as no cooking, per se, is required.  All you need to do is ask your butcher for roasted duck legs and you can do the rest.  

Duck's meat is gamey and goes beautifully with all sorts of fruits:  pears, figs, oranges.  I chose figs for their luxurious silky texture and exotic flavour.  You've got the bitterness of radicchio and endive leaves, the sweetness of ripe figs, the strong taste of duck meat and the crunch from roasted hazelnuts all harmoniously married with the help of a balsamic vinaigrette.

You need for 8 people:

1 smoked duck leg per person

2 heads of radicchio leaves

2 bunches of watercress leaves

2 small fresh figs per person (quartered)

4 tbsp of hazelnuts

Balsamic vinaigrette:

2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp of Dijon mustard

2 tbsp of pomegranate molasses

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Prepare the duck legs according to the packaging instructions.

Heat the pan and gently roast the hazelnuts until golden brown, let them cool and then roughly chop.  Slice the radicchio cross-wise into thin strips, tear up watercress and place all the leaves into a big bowl.  

Take a small clear jar with a tight lid, place all the ingredients for the dressing inside the jar, place the lid back on and give it a good shake.  Taste the dressing, it should have a strong tangy taste to balance with the other flavours.  Once you are satisfied with the taste, pour the dressing over the salad leaves and toss gently.

Arrange the salad on each plate, place the duck leg on top and scatter around with roasted hazelnuts.

I served this dish as a main course for my Lazy Summer Lunch (link) but because it is quite substantial meal in itself, it could also be served at lunch on its own or as a light dinner meal without addition of any carbs.

Enjoy!!!

LAZY SUMMER LUNCH

Last Sunday we invited my husband’s friends from South Africa, who were visiting relatives in Sydney, for lunch.   Lately, when I am about to have people over, I exercise a great deal of care to find out what their dietary requirements are or whether they have any allergies.  Between wheat intolerance, dairy intolerance, nut allergies and all general food preferences one cannot be too careful.  Turned out that the husband eats everything while the wife is a pescetarian.  Apart from that, there were no further allergies or restrictions in their diet which I should have been concerned about.

Did I mention that it is summer season in Australia at the moment, and as it is quite hot and humid, it is perfect weather to have lunch alfresco?  Our apartment overlooks the ocean and, in good weather, we take all our meals on the balcony enjoying the view and a sea breeze.  To please my guests I covered the table with the tablecloth that my mother-in-law bought for me in Cape Town.  It is very summery, its is made out of thick white linen with red apples hand-painted all over it.

I knew that my menu should cater for the preferences of our guests but I also did not want to serve hot food, rather something refreshing, simple and light.  So here what I came up with:

MENU
Gazpacho soup
Smoked salmon roulade (pescetarian option)

Orange & Fennel salad 

Roasted duck leg salad  with figs and hazelnuts (meat option)

Banana & mango frozen yogurt with hazelnut praline, served in wonton cups

If smoked salmon is not your preferred type of fish, you can easily cook Asian-infused barramundi from one of my previous blogs.  If you wish to splurge a bit more, fresh oysters with balsamic vinaigrette can find a place on your table.

Gazpacho soup

When I decided to make this soup for the very first time (not sure if I can use the word “cook” since there is no cooking involved), the recipe I chose to follow called for fresh tomatoes.  As this fruit in Australia is perpetually quite expensive, $4/kilo and more, and you need to peel them, I decided to cut corners and use canned ones, and I have never looked back.

To feed 8 people you need:

2X400 grams cans of chopped tomatoes (your preferred brand)

2 red capsicums

1 medium cucumber (peeled and seeds scraped)

1 medium Spanish onion

2 cloves of garlic (I adore garlic and use 4 or 5 cloves)

4 tbs of olive oil

1 tbs of red wine vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A drop of two of Tabasco sauce

Handful of basil or parsley leaves (your own preference)

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz, I like mine to be fairly smooth with a bit of texture.  Check the seasoning and adjust to your taste.

If you and your guests are feeling a bit adventurous, add a splash of vodka to the soup.

Serve the soup cold with sprinkles of chopped basil or parsley on top and warm crusty bread on the side.

Smoked salmon roulade

To feed 8 people you need:

8-12 pieces of smoked salmon

A bunch of salad leaves

100 gr of Sicilian olives

2-3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

2 lemons sliced into wedges

2 avocados, scooped and cubed

1/2 cup of chopped dill

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Arrange the leaves on a big serving platter, take a piece of salmon, roll it into a cigar shape and place on top of the salad leaves.  Repeat with the remaining pieces arranging them in the minutes of the clock pattern.  Scoop and cut the avocados into cubes and place them in the centre of the plate, scatter olives and dill around, squeeze lemon wedges between the salmon roulades and drizzle over with extra virgin olive oil and ground black pepper.

Enjoy!!!

HOW TO MAKE ZA'ATAR

Za'atar is a fragrant combination of herbs and spices widely used all across the Middle East.  Traditionally sprinkled over pizza or pita bread, it is also used in many meats and even vegetable dishes.

There is a great amount of recipes of how to make Za’atar on the Internet, however, to my great surprise, none of them are the same.  Each author has his own interpretation of this condiment; hence here is my version of preparing Za'atar:

You need:

1 tbsp of almonds

1 tbsp of pistachio nuts

½ of coriander seeds

1/3 tsp of fennel seeds

1/3 tsp of black peppercorns

½ tsp of smoked paprika

½ tsp of sesame seeds

½ tsp of salt

Method:
Heat almonds and pistachio nuts to release their flavour and then cooled down, crush finely with a mortar and pestle into a fine dust.  Don't worry if you are left with some chunks, they are good for texture and some crunch.  Transfer it to a small airtight container.  If you don't have a mortar and pestle at home or find it is a hard work, just use the blender or an old coffee grinder.

Heat all the seeds together with peppercorns, grind them in the mortar and pestle and add to the jar.  Sprinkle with salt, add paprika and give it a good shake.  

Use this aromatic concoction by sprinkling it over the the salad, on your avo sandwich or as a snack.  Just fill one small dish with olive oil, another - with balsamic vinegar and a spoon of Za'atar in the the third.  Place them in a middle of a table together with a basket of good crusty bread and let your guests help themselves by dipping the bread into oild and vinegar first and then some of Za'atar.

Enjoy!!!

EGGS IN PURGATORY

If you, like me, live in an area over populated by trendy coffee shops with bearded baristas flexing their muscles and exhibiting their tats while fixing your organic coffee latte, and then I bet, you will find one of the most common staples on every menu, Egg Shakshouka.  For those who have never heard about this newest fixation, it is an egg dish served for breakfast all over the Middle East, it is traditionally served in a cast iron pan with pita bread on the side to mop up the eggs and the spicy sauce. 

However, I am calling mine “Eggs in Purgatory”.  Actually, it does not matter what you call it, the principle remains, it is tasty, spicy, satisfactory and an easy to cook at home dish.  And so here is how to cook your Eggs in Purgatory.

To feed 2 people you need:

4 eggs

½ tin of chopped tomatoes

1 small red onion

1 red capsicum (bell pepper) finely chopped

Olive oil

Freshly chopped parsley

¼ tsp of chili flakes

½ tsp of smoked paprika (available in the spice section of your supermarket)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pita or flat bread

1 tsp of Za’atar (click on "Za'atar" if you want to make your own, it is dead easy)

Method:

Chop the red onion very finely.  Heat the oil in a frying pan on a low heat and sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent.   While the onions are cooking, finely chop the capsicum and add it to the pan, cook until soft.  Pour over the tomatoes, add salt, black pepper, paprika and chili flakes and toss everything together and cook for about 5 minutes until all the flavours are well incorporated; taste it and adjust the seasoning. 

While the eggs are cooking, get the bread ready.  If you don’t have any pita or flat bread at home, just toast a slice of normal bread to add a little bit of crunch to it.  I also like to sprinkle it with Za’atar, a typical Middle Eastern spice (you can make your own, it is dead easy) to make it more flavoursome.   

Make four wells in the mixture and carefully crack four eggs.  Don’t worry if the eggs are not perfect, they will taste delicious anyway.  Cook the eggs to your liking, transfer to warm plates, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.  Serve the bread on the side for mopping.

Enjoy!!!

ASIAN SLAW

Despite the presence of Asian ingredients and flavours, I quite often prepare this salad to serve it with grilled steak or roast chicken; the spices are not so strong as to overpower the main dish, rather they add an extra dimension and excitement to the whole meal.  As I explained previously, in my cosmopolitan cooking I don't necessarily adhere to any Asian cuisine in particular but rather enjoy the presence of unusual flavours and ingredients.

Now, that I have cleared that up, let me go back to the preparation of the salad.

To feed 8 people you need:

 ½ head of medium white cabbage

2 red capsicums

A bunch of green onions

1/2 cup of chopped coriander

1 tbsp of sesame seeds (black or white)

Dressing:

4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp of sesame oil

1 tsp of brown sugar

2 tbsp of lime juice (I use the ready made one)

1 tsp of water

2 tbsp of soy sauce

Method:

Pre-heat a small pan on medium high and roast the sesame seeds until golden brown.  If you using black ones, just warm them up to release the flavours.

Get a big salad bowl and using a potato peeler, start shaving off the cabbage discarding the core.  Remove the seeds from the capsicum and repeat the process.  The reason I am using a peeler is not for presentation purposes only but also as the thinner the vegetables, the more flavour they absorb.

Next, slice the green onions diagonally into 2 cm pieces and add them to the bowl together with chopped coriander.  

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing into a small jar with a lid and give it a good shake.  Taste it and adjust the seasoning if needed, aiming for a perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness with just enough of a hint of the clean taste of the lime juice and a hit from the chilies.

This salad is a good accompaniment to a fish dish with similar flavours.  You can find the recipe in the post called "Asian infused barramundi".

Enjoy!!!

ASIAN INFUSED BARRAMUNDI

I love Asian food, Thai and Vietnamese are my favourites.  However, when I cook an "Asian dish" I will not be able to tell you what cuisine I am following exactly.  As the name of my blog suggests, I am a cosmopolitan cook with a strong Eastern European background, however if you raid my pantry, you will find the usual suspects from the Asian food aisle of my local supermarket:  soy and fish sauces, brown sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice, sesame oil and few others items that define my Asian menu.  My main purpose is not to adhere to one particular cuisine but rather use usual flavours to spice up otherwise same old, same old dishes and add some excitement to everyday's meals.




However, one thing I learned while watching cooking shows is that the key to Asian cooking is the importance of balancing the flavours of sweet and sour, salty and pungent and that is my aim.This may sound quite vague to you, but I have a good reason for it being that I can't always be certain on what cuisine I am cooking simply because I find that is not easy to stick to any one in particular.  What I do know is that once I replaced salt and pepper for soy or fish sauce and chilies, I stepped away from continental cooking and was on the verge of entering into the world of aromatic spices, bunches of fresh exotic herbs and delicious flavours.

The recipe of the dish I am about to share with you requires the use of herbs and spices that are easily found in the Asian aisle of your local supermarket or at the fresh vegetables section.

To feed 8 people you need:

3-4 barramundi fillets, about 15-200 gr per person

1 tbs of coriander seeds

1/2 tsp of tumeric (it gives the fish a beautiful saffron colour)

1 small red chili (fresh or flakes)

2 tbs of soy sauce

1 tsp of grated ginger

1 tbs of tamarind paste

2 tbs of olive oil

1 tsp of sesame oil

2 bunches of bok choy washed and trimmed

3 tbs of fish sauce

2 tsp of brown sugar

1/2 cup of coriander leaves finely chopped

I normally buy three fillets for my family of four based on the fact that each person gets one half of the fillet and if someone wants seconds, there’s the third fillet, otherwise some lucky person will get it for lunch the next day.  In other words, it all depends on whether your family members are big or small eaters.

Method:

Heat a pan on top of the stove and warm up the coriander seeds for a few minutes to release their flavour, then crush them in a mortar and pestle.   In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the bok choy, and a taste it. Make sure that the sweetness and sourness are balanced and the salt and hit are in good measure.

Place the fish into the bowl and massage the mixture into it. Leave it to marinate for an hour or, if time allows, even overnight, .

When the time comes to cook the fish, you can either do it on a barbecue or in the oven. Both methods are good but I prefer to do it on the barbecue, one- to get that extra smokey flavour and two- avoid the fish smell in your kitchen.

Option1. Pre-heat your barbecue to 180c. Take a roll of cooking aluminium foil and cut as many pieces as you have fish.  Trim and wash bok choy and place a couple of leaves on each piece, then place a piece of fish on top, spoon a bit of sauce, fold into a parcel securing the edges as you go.

Place on the preheated BBQ and grill for about 10 min.  Open up slightly one of the parcels and pry open the flesh to see if it is cooked.  Bear in mind that the fish will continue cooking after you take it off.

Once cooked, remove the fish and bok choy from the parcels onto warm plates.  For a casual family dinner, I like to place the fish onto a big serving plate and place it in the middle of the table next to a big bowl of Asian style coleslaw (link) for everyone to share.  For a more official occasion, I suggest individual plating. 

Option 2. Pre-heat the oven at 180c, cover an oven tray with the sheet of aluminium foil, lay it with the washed and trimmed bok choy and place the fish on top.  Spoon the dressing and place in the oven for about 10-15 min.  After 10 min, take a fork and pry open the thickest part of the fish.  It should be slightly pink and translucent. Remove from the oven.  Serve as above.  

Serve the fish with the Asian slaw.  Enjoy!!!