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!!!

OVEN ROASTED BARRAMUNDI ON A BED OF VEGETABLES MEDLEY

This fish dish is perfect on so many levels: easy, tasty, light, healthy and most important - utterly delicious.

To feed 8 people you need:

8 X 150-200gr barramundi fillets

2 bulbs of fennel (when in season)

1 medium red onion

1/2 of medium size pumpkin

3 tsp of dry oregano

3 tsp of dry thyme

1/2 bulb of garlic

80 ml of extra virgin olive oil

2 red capsicums, deseeded and sliced into strips

8 vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered

2 tbsp capers

5 anchovy fillets

150 gr of black pitted olives of your choice

1 tsp of chili flakes

4 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

2 cup of white wine

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon wedges to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Cut the pumpkin into approx into 3x3cm cubes, then cut the remaining vegetables into a similar size so they will cook evenly.  Separate the garlic cloves, place them on a board and give them a little squeeze with the back of your knife.  Place all the vegetables on a baking tray and mix through the capers, olives, anchovies and herbs, sprinkle chilies, season with salt and pepper, pour over wine and mix all the ingredients together.  Place the tray in the oven and roast for one 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.   The vegetables should be tender and the tomatoes should melt into the sauce.

Remove from the oven, snuggle the fish down into the medley of vegetables, drizzle with the remaining oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place it back into the oven for about 10 minutes or to your liking.

To serve – spoon the medley onto a plate, place a piece of fish on top, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and garnish with a slice of lemon.

VOL AN VENTS WITH TEA SMOCKED SALMON MOUSSE

My husband and I have a couple of friends who are both pescaterian so every time we invite them over, I try to come up with some new fish or seafood recipes.

As our paths and our circle of friends do not cross over the Christmas/New Year activities, we invited them over before the festive season started, to mark the end of the year and to wish each other all the best for the year ahead and I wanted to create the menu that would match the occasion, so I wanted my dinner to be festive with a slight touch of decadence.

At last I settled for the menu that I describe as “Frutti di Mare” which literally means Fruits of the Sea

Menu

Hors-d'oeuvre: Mini vol au vents filled with tea smoked salmon pate

 Entree: Sesame seeds crusted crab cakes served with sweet chili sauce

 Main Course:Roast barramundi with a medley of seasonable vegetables

Orange and red onion salad

Dessert: Chocolate semifreddo with pistachio nuts

Tea smoked salmon mousse

You need (for 8 people):

16 small size vol au vents

2-3 pieces, appx 600gr of fresh salmon (tuna is absolutely fine)

1 tbsp whole egg mayonnaise
1 tbsp. crème fresh

1 tbsp of horseradish cream

1 tsp of capers

1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped

4-5 coriander stalks, washed, roots intact

4-5 sprigs of dill

A drop or two of red Tabasco sauce (optional)

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For smoking:

2 tbsp of white sugar

2 tbsp of jasmine rice

2 tbsp of aromatic tea (jasmine, pekoe)

It is the first time in my life that I had smoked anything by myself and I have to say if you are armed with the proper cookware, it is not a big deal.  A wok is ideal but it has to have a rack and a lid which mine doesn’t, so I opted for a bamboo steamer as long as it is the right size to sit on top of the pan and leaves enough space between them to accommodate the fish without squashing it.  Prepare the salmon by sprinkling it with a mixture of sugar and salt, then place it in the steamer.  Line the bottom of the pan with foil, mix sugar, jasmine rice and any flavoured tea of your liking and pour over the foil, cover loosely with another sheet. Place it on a burner on medium heat and wait till the smoking process kicks in.

Once you can smell and see the smoke rising from the pan, place the steamer on top and smoke salmon for about 8 minutes.  The fish should be of a pale pink colour inside and out, but make sure not to overcook it as the process continues even after you take it off the stove.

Once it has cooled down, flake it, mash with a fork and then mix with all the other ingredients.  Adjust the seasoning to your liking, if the mixture looks too clumpy, add 1 or 2 extra spoons of mayonnaise or crème fresh.

When your guests arrive, warm up the vol au vents in the oven for a couple of minutes, fill up with the dip and garnish with a twig of dill and a slice of lemon.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!!

SESAME CRUSTED CRAB CAKES WITH TARTAR SOUCE

These delicious crab cakes are very easy to prepare and can be served in many ways:  as an entrée to a dinner, finger food at a cocktail party or just as a light lunch or even as a snack.

You need (for 4 people, 2 per person)

1 kg of cooked crab meat

Half a cup of coriander stocks and leaves

Half a cup of chopped spring onions

2 tbsp of whole egg mayonnaise

½ cup of breadcrumbs

1 egg

Splash of Tabasco sauce (optional)

1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

5 tbsp of vegetable oil

For crumbling the cakes:

3-4 tbsp of white flour

3-4 tbsp of breadcrumbs

1-2 eggs lightly beaten

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

2-3 tbsp of sesame seeds

For Tartar source you need:

1 tbsp of whole egg mayonnaise

1 tbsp of horseradish cream

4 small finely chopped gherkin

1 tsp of capers

1 tbsp of water

Freshly ground black paper

1/4 of finely chopped Spanish onion

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

Of course, you can buy fresh crabs, boil them and then pick the meat out.  However, I went the easiest way and bought the cooked crab meat from our local fishmonger. If you do the same, make sure that when you open the packet, that you get rid of any excess liquid that might be in it. Then, combine the first nine ingredients and give it a good mix to achieve consistency, give it a taste and adjust the seasoning.   If the mix seems a bit runny, add more bread crumbs.  Take a table spoon and scoop a crab mixture, roll it into a ball with your hands, then flatten between your palms and place it on a flat tray or big plate.  Continue with the rest of the mixture until you have made 16 patties; refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Then prepare two flat plates and one bowl, scoop 2-3 tbsp of flour onto the first plate, spread sesame seeds onto the second plate and beat two eggs into a bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Take the cakes out of the fridge, heat the frying pan, or two, to speed up the process, pour vegetable oil, take one cake, dip both sides of it into flour first, then into the egg mixture, then press into the sesame seeds and into the pan.  Make sure that the heat is moderate, fry for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown, place on a paper towel to get rid of the excess oil. 

To make the Tartar source:

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and give it a taste, adjust the seasoning to your liking.  If it is too thick, add another spoon of water.

To serve – place two cakes on the plate, add a spoonful of Tartare souse and  garnish with a slice of lemon.  Serve with sweet chili sauce on the side.

Enjoy!!!