GRILLED FIGS + BLUE CHEESE WRAPPED IN BASTURMA

Summer is a perfect time to eat this luxurious and sensual fruit.  Apart from their delicious taste, figs are so versatile and could be eaten as a fruit or as a savoury item.  As much as I enjoy eating them as they are, I also like to impress my guests by serving them as an entrée.

The combination of the piquant taste of cheese combined with the sweet aroma of figs, further highlighted by the spiciness of basturma (a highly seasoned air-dried beef, traditionally attributed to the Turkish cuisine), delivers an absolutely divine taste to the final dish. 

Each of these ingredients is unique in its flavour and does not require long and heavy cooking to develop the flavours, which is what I like about this recipe.

To serve it to 4 people you need:

8 ripe figs

100 gr of blue cheese crumbled

8 thinly sliced pieces of basturma (available at a deli shop)

6 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

A bunch of rocket or watercress leaves for garnish

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 160C and set it up for grilling.

Place the figs on a cutting board and gently slice cross-ways half way down the fruit, press lightly with your finger to open the figs up and gently push a few pieces of blue cheese into the opening.

Wrap a piece of basturma around each fig and secure with a tooth pick.  If the slices are not long enough, you can cut each piece of basturma in half lengthwise, wrap the basturma around the fig and then secure the slices of basturma with a tooth pick.

 

Add olive oil to the pan and then place the figs into the pan in an upright position.  If they tend to fall onto their side, scrunch a small piece of foil to make a stand for the fig.  Splash balsamic vinegar over the figs and pour the remaining balsamic vinegar into the pan and place under the grill for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

 

Remove from the oven, scatter some rocket or watercress leaves over the plate and sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil, place two figs on top of the rocket or watercress and drizzle the pan juices over the figs and around the plate like a real pro.

Enjoy!!!

CHICKEN "TABAKA" WITH WATERMELON AND BASIL SALSA

Traditionally, this dish has been tied up with Georgian cuisine, however, where we used to live (Odessa, Ukraine) this dish was on the menu of almost every eating establishment, large or small.

We most probably didn’t have all those aromatic spices that were growing on the slopes of the Georgian mountains, however we got the gist of it, i.e. the chicken needs to be pan-fried under heavy weight for the bird to be cooked through and also to achieve the maximum crispiness of the skin.

You might have heard about a recipe called “Chicken under the brick” which is an English interpretation of this quite unusual name, since “Tabaka” and tobacco has the same root.

However, the name is not that important since the final result is delicious juicy meat covered in crispy finger leaking skin.

Here is how I do it

You need:

1.5 kg free range corn fed chicken

Baking or sandwich paper

1 brick wrapped in foil

2 tbsp olive oil for frying

1 lime quartered to serve

1 tsp of fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushed

1 tsp of smoked paprika

For the marinade:

3 tbsp olive oil

5 tbs soy sauce

3 tbsp fish sauce

5 garlic gloves peeled and crushed

3-5 kaffir lime leaves

Juice of half a lime

1 small red chili, lightly chopped, seeds removed

2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly fried and crushed

Method:

In order to get the maximum crispiness of the skin, you need first to spatchcock the chicken, in other words remove the backbone.  It might sound a bit scary but it’s quite easy thing to do. 

Place the bird breast on a chopping board breast side down. Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, starting at the neck, run it all along the bone on both sides all the way down.  Discard the bone. Flip the chicken over and place the palm of your hand firmly over the breastbone until you hear a crack, which is exactly what you need. The chicken is now flat and ready for the next step.  Rinse the cavity under cold water and pat dry.

Prepare the marinade by combining all of the ingredients in a big enough bowl to accommodate the chicken and check for seasoning.  It is quite important that the marinade has strong taste as it needs to penetrate the meat but by all means adjust it to your liking.  Submerge the bird in the marinade and place in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, turn the bird over to get it marinated evenly.

Remove the chicken from the fridge about half an hour before cooking.  Take it out of the marinade, pat dry, rub with olive oil, paprika and fennel seeds.

Pre-heat the pan on medium-high heat and add olive oil.  Once hot, gently lower the chicken skin side down, into the pan, tear off a piece of baking paper to loosely cover the pan so as to avoid splattering, cover it with a big flat plate or lid and place a brick wrapped in foil on top of it.  Cook the chicken on high heat for about 10 minutes, then drop the temperature to medium- low and continue cooking for about 20 minutes.

Then remove the brick, plate and the paper and gently turn the chicken over.  Continue cooking on low heat for another 20 minutes, then insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg and if the juices come out clean, remove the chicken from the pan, cover loosely with foil and rest in warm place for about 10 minutes.  I find that the microwave oven is a perfect place for the job.

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and bring to the table for everyone to see.  Slice at the table and serve with some lime wedges and Watermelon and Basil Salsa on the side.

Enjoy!!!

WATERMELON AND BASIL SALSA

Sweet, savoury and crunchy this watermelon salsa is a perfect accompaniment to any grilled meat or chicken. 

It reminds me of a hot Sydney summer and I love to eat it chilled.  I think it goes especially well with my Chicken Tabaka, the sweetness and crunchiness of the watermelon enhances the crispiness of the chicken skin and the aroma of basil highlights the flavours of the meat.

To make a salsa you need:

600 gm watermelon flesh

Half a cup of tightly packed basil leaves

½ of a red chili, seeds removed

1 small red onion finely chopped

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Cut the watermelon into pieces of similar thickness and then slice them into thin long strips.  Holding it all together, turn the whole lot around by 90 degrees and again slice into thin strips.  You will end up with a very evenly, finely sliced little cubes of watermelon which is what salsa is all about.  

Add finely chopped red onion, chilies and torn basil leaves, pour in the extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Mix the salsa gently and give it a taste.  The saltiness should be in perfect balance with the sweetness, you should also taste some salt and the aroma of the basil leaves.  Adjust the seasoning to your liking and serve as an accompaniment to “Chicken Tabaka” or other grilled meat.

Enjoy!!!

PAN - ROASTED VINE BABY TOMATOES WITH PINE NUTS

In of the SundayLife magazine's publications Adam Liaw (an Australian lawyer and a celebrity chef) shared with us a couple of summer recipes which his family loves to eat around this time of the year.  He also made an interesting comment on how the Asian cuisines are all about seasonal eating, quoting the Japanese saying “All good food has its time” and I couldn’t agree more.  When I was living in Russia 22 years ago, we didn’t have the luxury of fresh fruit and vegetables supplied to us every day of the year, we ate what was in season and enjoyed full flavours developed naturally due to their natural cycle of life.

And that’s why at this time of the year (Australian summer) that I thoroughly enjoy the taste and the variety of tomatoes, especially baby tomatoes on the wine, for their aroma, sweetness and juiciness which make them taste great in salads, roasted or pan-fried.

As much as I enjoy them in my summer salads, they become an excellent side dish to accompany your roast lamb or a beef dish.

My favourite way of wine baby tomatoes is just pan-fried them with a handful of pine nuts and a splash of balsamic vinegar to enhance their sweetness and caramelisation.

Here is how I do it.

You need:

One or two branches of vine baby tomatoes

2 tbsp pine nuts

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

Method:

Place a pan on the stove over medium-high heat and add olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the tomatoes, throw in pine nuts and season with salt and pepper.  Roast tomatoes for about 5 minutes, then give the pan a good shake and continue cooking until the skin on the tomatoes collapses into "wrinkles".  

Splash balsamic vinegar, give another shake and serve alongside your main course.

Enjoy!!!

BBQ SALMON KEBABS

When it comes to choose a method of cooking fish for, I prefer mine cooked on a barbecue. Not only it is a much healthier option, but it also eliminates the fish smell that normally lingers around your home for quite a while after the dinner has been consumed.

Having a South African husband whose love affair with the “braai” (SA term for BBQ) is a national pastime also contributes to what I describe “choosing your weapon”.  We cook our meals on a BBQ pretty much all year round, however in summer, it becomes a blessing not having to slave over the stove in the 35 degree heat.

The following recipe is one of the quickest and easiest way of cooking any fish.  Also, you've got this charred stripes on the flash that are super delicious and flavoursome.

This method of cooking is ideal for a mid-week quick dinner fix or a weekend lunch.

To feed 4 people you need:

4 salmon skinless fillets (approx 150-200 gr each)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon cut into wedges to serve

Method:

Cut about 3cm wide slices across each fillet and place in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and pour over olive oil.  You don’t need much olive oil because salmon is quite an oily fish.

Pre-heat your BBQ to 180C, thread four pieces of fish on each skewer and place them on top of the grill.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side, then turn the skewers over and cook on the other side.

 

Remove onto the serving plate, arrange the sliced lemon wedges around the fish and serve.

Enjoy!!!

ICE-CREAM BALLS ROLLED IN DARK CHOCOLATE|GROUND HAZELNUTS|COFFEE BEANS

Desserts are not normally my thing, especially the ones that involve making dough.  For some inexplicable reason, my brain freezes just at the mere thought of it and refuses to follow the simplest of recipes.  So if we are entertaining some guests who never been to our home before and not aware of my baking phobia, I always rely on the skills of professional bakers and cake makers.

If I do decide to make a dessert myself, I choose the recipe that does not require baking per se things like semifredo, a mousse or even a coulis.  The recipe that I am sharing with you now is equally simple and easy to follow but it tastes delicious and I am sure your guests will love it.  I discovered it while watching Jamie Oliver's "30 minutes Meals".   And for those who ever watched this show, know that his recipes are simple, easy and most importantly, are utterly tasty.

All You need is:

500ml of vanilla ice-cream

70gr of good dark chocolate

100gr of hazelnuts

1 tbsp coffee beans (optional)

  

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C, place the hazelnuts on a roasting tray and roast for about 10 minutes or until the skin darkens, them remove the tray and while the nuts are still hot, place them onto a clean towel and rub vigorously to remove as much skin as possible.

Place the nuts, chocolate pieces and coffee beans into a small blender and grind to a thick breadcrumb consistency.  Empty the bowl onto a dry chopping board or a wide flat plate.

Prepare a dessert plate. Get the ice-cream out of the freezer and with the help of an ice-cream scoop, scoop out a ball of ice-cream and place it right into the chocolate-nut mixture. Working fast, roll it around to get it covered evenly and then place on the dessert plate.  I would make 3 balls per person and if there are leftovers, place them into a plastic container and store them in the freezer for a couple of weeks, if they will last that long without being eaten.

Serve them alongside strawberries macerated in balsamic vinegar and mini biscuits to create different textures and flavours.

You can find the collection of my simple desserts here.

Enjoy!!!

TURKEY BREAST STUFFED WITH SEASONAL VEGETABLES

In my opinion, turkey meat is absolutely underrated.  I have never ever seen any turkey dishes in any establishments in which I have been eating, high or low.  You can, occasionally, find a cold turkey roll pressed between two slices of bread at the sandwich bar but that’s about it.

Yet, it is nutritious, delicious, lean and flavoursome.  Truth be told, I wasn’t using this meat myself until one day my husband decided to go on the 2:5 diet and was advised that turkey meat is leaner then chicken and much more beneficial for his purposes.

So here I was in the poultry aisle of the supermarket facing a dilemma of what to do with the turkey meat.  At the beginning, I was cooking it for my husband only, just simply slicing the breast into strips and letting him BBQ it, so initially twice a week I was cooking two different meals which was not practical at all.  So I decided to make an effort and cook something that the whole family would enjoy without breaking my husband’s strict diet.

So here is my take on turkey breast stuffed with seasonal vegetables

To feed 4 people you need:

2 turkey breasts

3 brown mushrooms

1 red capsicum

1 yellow capsicum

1 red onion finely diced

2 garlic cloves finely sliced

2 tbsp pine nuts

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A sprinkle of smoked paprika 

1 sprig of thyme

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Method:

Place a pan on a stove over medium heat.  Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and when warm, add sliced onions and garlic and sautee until soft and translucent.  While the onions are cooking, finely dice the mushrooms and capsicums into and add to the pan, throw in a spring of thyme and season well.  Cook the vegetables until tender, then add pine nuts and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, place one turkey breast on a chopping board between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and gently pound with a mallet until it is about 2 cm thick (it may be easier to butterfly the breast first, depending on how thick it is.)  When butterflying the breast, make sure that you don’t go all the way through.

Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle some paprika and lemons zest. Spread a thin layer of the stuffing over the breast, leaving about 2cm border around all sides. Tightly roll the breast lengthwise and using a kitchen twine, secure it in few places along the roll.

Put the same pan in which you roasted the vegetables back on a stove on a medium heat, add the remaining oil and butter and gently fry the breast turning it from side to side to get an even lovely brown colour all over.  It will take about 20 minutes to cook the meat through, depending on the thickness.  Squeeze a juice of half a lemon over the rolled breast towards the end of the cooking.

Once cooked, remove the turkey from the pan and place in a warm place to rest for 5 minutes.  Then move to a chopping board, carefully remove the twine and using an extra sharp knife slice on an angle and arrange on a serving plate.  Pour the juices from the turkey back into the pan, add a spoon of lemon juice and a bit of butter and when become hot, pour over the sliced turkey.  Serve and enjoy!!!