Polish Sauerkraut Soup

On January 4, 2020 By bumblebee3londonIn Awesome Recipes, Everything!!!2 Comments

He is off travelling for business on Monday.

“I will cook you posniacki, so that you will think of home and me when you are in the US,” I told him as we ate breakfast on this beautiful Saturday morning in January.

“Posniacki?” He looked alarmed. “Are you sure?”

“Of course!”

“Bosnian people? You will cook Bosnian people?” He stared at me incredulously.

“No, silly, sauerkraut soup!”

“Oh, KAPUŚNIAK!” He exclaimed. “Honestly, you’re the limit!”

Anyway, here’s the Polish sauerkraut soup. One problem is we cannot get Polish sauerkraut in central London, only German ones, as most Polish stores are in the suburbs. Still, it didn’t taste too bad as I used homemade beef stock. Here’s my version:

INGREDIENTS:

½ rack of pork ribs
6 slices of thick smoked bacon, roughly chopped
Pork meatballs
1 jar sauerkraut
1 large onion, chopped
2 potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, sliced
2 pints good quality beef stock (if you can’t be bothered to make this, but it fresh from Waitrose or local butcher’s)
Butter
½ tsp majoram
½ tsp caraway seeds
4 bay leaves
1 tsp all-spice
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut ribs into single bones and season with salt and pepper. Fry in butter to seal the taste but not burnt.
Add stock and the spices and simmer until tender (approx. 90 minutes).
Whilst this is simmering, saute the bacon and onion in butter.
Pour the bacon and onion (including the fat) into the pot with ribs.
Add the sauerkraut.
20 minutes before serving, add the potatoes and carrots and simmer on low heat.
Serve piping hot.

(Note: I also added some wild mushrooms in).

Whilst it’s simmering away, have some vodka (chilled in the freezer) to get into the mood.

Note on sauerkraut: Polish ones are different. I will make some soon. Must speak to mama first. But today, I used German ones which are more vinegary – so rinse first if you like a milder taste.

My friendly concierge, who gave me her honest verdict before I served it.

“Gourmet Challenge” Quiche

On October 7, 2018October 8, 2018 By bumblebee3londonIn Awesome Recipes, Everything!!!Leave a comment

When my children were tiny and right up to their teens, we often spend the summer in our family hideaway on the Sierra Tramuntana on the isle of Mallorca. Here, for the blissful weeks of summer, we would live and eat simply. What’s lovely is that over the years, many friends joined us at Melcion and the love grows.

Photo: my father and my son Jack.

One of our favourite family games at Melcion is Gourmet Challenge. The premise of the game is very simple: you have to rustle up a gourmet feast just from the ingredients you can find around the house and the garden.

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The idea is quite simply Waste Not, Want Not. I abhor gratuitous trips to the supermarkets just to pick up one or two missing ingredients – what a waste of petrol, what a waste of time and what a waste of money, because you always end up buying more than what you set out for.

And the best thing about a Gourmet Challenge is you never really know what you’re going to get, and it is fun!

Photo: my little gourmets.

So, on this rainy day, I made a “Gourmet Challenge” Quiche. I found an old bag of spinach in my freezer that had been thawed and refrozen so many times, a leek (slightly off), two tomatoes and half an onion. I had the usual staples in my house – milk, cream, cheese, butter, eggs, garlic. I even made the pastry from scratch!

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F.

For the pastry:

100g unsalted butter, straight out of the fridge
200g flour, sifted
6 tablespoon cold water.

Cut the cold, hard butter into small cubes (save the wrapper for greasing the flan tin). Rub the butter and the flour until they resemble breadcrumbs.

Add the water. Knead the dough, but not excessively, because you are not making bread! Shape into a ball, wrap the dough in beeswax wrap (or cling film, if you don’t have it) and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Grease the flan tin with the butter wrapper. Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll out the dough. Line the greased flan tin with the dough. It doesn’t matter if your dough crumbles – you can see from this photo that mine didn’t come away neatly in one large piece and I had to patch it up!

It is highly recommended that you pre-bake the flan before adding in the filling, but I didn’t. If you wish to do things by the book, here’s how (as my mother would):

Line the pastry with foil and weigh down with baking beads or beans. Place the tin on a baking tray, then pop in the hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove the beans and the foil, then return to the oven for a further 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden.

For the filling:

Here’s the thing: baked cheese tastes good, no matter what. This quiche that I made was especially yummy because I crumbled garlic Boursin into it (such decadence).

3 large, organic eggs
50g grated cheddar
1/4 a garlic Boursin
6 tablespoon creme fraiche
Approximately 50ml cooking cream
Salt and pepper

Mix all together until you have a thick slurry – adjust the volume of cooking cream used. Season generously.

These are the possible vegetable filling for your Gourmet Challenge Quiche (only the first four ingredients are important, the others are up to you):

Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
One red onion, sliced
Half a bunch of thyme
Few rashers of bacon
Frozen spinach, thawed, and water squeezed out
Leeks, sliced

Saute the garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the rest and continue to saute until thoroughly coated with the garlic-olive oil. Pour this into the prepared flan dish and finally, pour in the cream-egg-cheese slurry.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the filling is almost set. Leave to cool slightly, then carefully remove the flan tin. Delicious either hot or cold, and lasts for a couple of days in the fridge….enjoy 🙂

My cookbook, The Ca’n Melcion Cookbook which chronicles the food of those magical summers, is available on Amazon. Click on this link for a free preview.

On July 26, 2018 By bumblebee3londonIn Awesome Recipes, Everything!!!Leave a comment

One of my loveliest memories from my youth is of my parents walking on the coast of our beloved Hampshire, picking samphires from the sea.

“Yukky,” I used to grimace.

“In the war, we used to eat this, and the seaweed called carrageen moss, for the minerals. It saved our health, during the food rationing years,” my mum would say again and again.

On impulse, I decided to forage for samphires but chanced upon lovely beds of glasswort instead, so emerald in the summer sun in Bosham, again, one of the favourite places of my childhood.

Glassworts are also known as sea beans, and you could eat them raw. But the taste is more ‘acceptable’ to the palate not used to the strong taste.

Cooking instructions:

First of all, make sure that there is no pollution in the area where the glasswort grows. Anti-foul from boats are poisonous!

Boil for 10 minutes in a large pan of water (this will remove some of the saltiness.

Blanch immediately in cold water to keep its crispness.

Toss in olive oil and toasted sesame oil.

Top with finely grated ginger and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Serve with avocado to soften the taste.

Note: what I love is the fact that this tastes like the seaweed dish I once fell in love with in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo….and to think, I can pick it in my backyard, literally!

Eat like a King, cheaply, seasonally

On June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 By bumblebee3londonIn Awesome Recipes, Everything!!!Leave a comment

Inspired by Tom Hunt’s article, How to eat like a chef for less than £20 a week, I ventured out to the lively North End Road market to see what bargains I can find:

Despite my son getting his motorbike stolen by yobs in the market (London is becoming increasingly lawless), I was pleasantly surprised to find a whole array for fruits and vegetables on offer, even exotic ones. This place is such a cultural melting pot – it feels as if the world had arrived at the outer fringes of Fulham:

I bought:

Rhubarb £1.50 for 1 kg
Strawberries £2 for a large punnet
Raspberries £1 for a small punnet
Blackcurrants £1 for a small punnet
Red peppers £1 for 4
Large Aubergines £1 for 3
Button mushrooms £1 per bag
Red onions £1 per large bag
Avocados £1 for 4
Rocket leaves £2 for a very large bag
Spinach £2 for a very large bag
Garlic £1 for a bag

I popped into the supermarket:

to buy Brie (on offer) for £1
a loaf of seeded loaf 65p
one tin of chopped tomatoes 50p
Beetroot 60p

Total cost of shopping: £17.25.

Challenge: to feed four adults with big appetites who are spoilt when it comes to food (i.e. steak and truffle mash are common fare).

This is what I rustled up:

Breakfast:

Oat porridge with berries (and some stewed rhubarb for that extra kick)

Lunch:

Brie and rocket sandwich with a large salad bowl

Dinner:

Aubergine and pepper stuffed with garlic mushrooms, onions and aubergine on a bed of creamed spinach.

Dessert:

Stewed rhubarb with leftover strawberries.

Verdict: “Yummy, but not everyday please, Mum!!!!”

So we are back to this (great book, by the way, my all-time favourite, it beats Delia and Nigella hands-down)… but it’s expensive to cook from this book of family favourites.

Conclusion:

I’m still a long way off from being as accomplished as Tom Hunt when it comes to budget cooking 🙂 So here’s my challenge to you: what is the minimum you can spend for a day of healthy and yummy menu for ravenous, growing folks?

Sourdough ciabatta

On June 11, 2018June 11, 2018 By bumblebee3londonIn Awesome Recipes, Everything!!!Leave a comment

There is nothing quite as satisfying as baking bread by hand (fortunately, my family loves bread, in particular, my focaccia). You can find my recipe for a very simple focaccia here.

But today I am going to give you my recipe of sourdough ciabatta. It’s rather different in taste and also in methodology. I prefer the ciabatta, actually, because it’s chewy with that sourdough taste which I love. It’s just sooooo good!

But warning, don’t attempt this if you get freaked out by sticky dough….it difficult to wash off!

First, you have to make the biga, the starter.

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon, dry yeast, but make sure that it is still alive, which means it should get frothy after standing in warm water;
1/4 cup warm water;
3/4 cup water at room temperature;
350g unbleached all-purpose flour.

DIRECTIONS for the biga

Mix the yeast in the warm water and let it stand for about 10-15 minutes. It should get frothy and creamy.

Stir in the flour and the remaining water into the yeast mixture. Use a wooden spoon and stir for about 5 minutes until a sticky dough forms.

Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 24 hours (and more!).

Ingredients

500g biga (what you made above yields that);
1 teaspoon active dry yeast;
5 tablespoons warm milk;
1 cup water at room temperature;
1 tablespoon olive oil
500g unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS for the ciabatta

Mix the yeast and milk together, and let the mixture stand for about 10-15 minutes.

When it is frothy and creamy, mix it with the biga, oil and water.

Add the flour and the salt. Knead in the mixing bowl. Note: the dough will be sticky, but DO NOT add more flour. Then knead in a floured surface for a few minutes.

Put in an oiled bowl, cover with a warm towel and let it rise for 1 hour 30 minutes or thereabouts.

Then knead again until the dough is elastic (it’s OK if it is still a bit sticky).

Divide into four, knead again and let it rise for another 1 hour 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350degrees.

Pull dough into rectangular shapes (shown below).

Bake in a heavy baking try lined with parchment paper.

Bake for about 30 minutes, opening the door after 10 minutes to spray the oven with cold water. Do this a couple of times.

You may wish to add chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes and/or pesto to make a really delicious Italian bread.

Quinoa and dates energy balls

On June 9, 2018June 9, 2018 By bumblebee3londonIn Awesome Recipes, Everything!!!Leave a comment

Quinoa is one of those amazing food that is gluten-free, high in protein and is also one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids. I normally cook a pot and use it as salad base.

Photo: quinoa with sugarsnap peas and garlic roasted courgettes in a light balsamic dressing.

But last week, I decided to make energy balls with my red quinoa.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa (cook according to packet instructions)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds and 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
5 teaspoons honey
10 pitted dates
¼ cup almond butter
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
A handful of raisins
1 tablespoon chia seeds

Method:

Heat the oven to 350°. Mix together the quinoa, oats and sunflower seeds with the honey, coating them evenly. Pour into a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake until brown and crunchy (around 20 minutes), stirring once or twice so that they brown all over. Cool.

Toast the almonds.

Combine the dates, almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Add the almonds, chia seeds, and toasted quinoa and oats. Mix well with your hands and shape into balls (this recipe makes about 24).

Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Note: they are also tasty as granola.

Asian steamed rice cakes

On May 24, 2018May 24, 2018 By bumblebee3londonIn Awesome Recipes, Everything!!!Leave a comment

In the midst of clearing my kitchen out, I came across a full bag of rice flour. So I googled and experimented, coming up with this simple cake that is familiar in South East Asia, especially Malaysia where I used to live. And to be honest, I got nostalgic about this as this is part of Malaysia that is disappearing….not to soon, I hope!

Do watch this video to see what I mean:

To make yeast mixture:

Make sure your yeast is fresh, ie. they make lots of bubbles within 10 minutes. Dissolve 3/4 tsp yeast in 1 TBSP warm water. Leave in a warm place whilst you make the rest of the stuff.

And then, just before use, add 1 TBSP sunflower oil to the mix. Don’t forget!

To make the pandan syrup:

Boil 6 pandan leaves in 150mls water and 100gms sugar for around 10 minutes or until fragrant. Discard the leaves. Make sure you have about 150mls of fluid left.

To make the cake:

140gms rice flour, sieved (make sure there is no lumps!)
150gms water
1/2 tsp salt.

Mix everything together, including the yeast mixture and pandan syrup. Allow to rise in a warm place for 3 hours.

Grease a stainless steel plate. Pour the mixture in. Cover with aluminium foil and steam for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. I love the texture! (note: I added steamed banana slices for variation.)

Serve with Chinese tea.

Kidney beans and ginger cake

On February 20, 2018 By bumblebee3londonIn Awesome Recipes, Everything!!!Leave a comment

I never throw food away because whatever leftovers I have left is a good opportunity to recycle and try new things. I had quite a lot of kidney beans left over from making lobiani, so I decided to try something new and totally different with the kidney beans.

And here it is, a very unusual, moist chocolate and coffee cake (no butter too!):

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon candied ginger, chopped but not too fine

500g cooked red kidney beans

1 tsp instant coffee

1 tbsps pure vanilla extract

6 tbsps cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

6 tbsps coconut oil

3/4 cup raw brown sugar

5 eggs

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place all the ingredients minus the baking soda, baking powder, and eggs in your blender. Blend until the mixture is too thick to blend. Add in the eggs, baking powder, and baking soda, then mix until a smooth and evenly mixed cake batter is achieved. Grease a loaf tin and pour in your batter. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the inside is firm.

Different, chocolatey but you can still taste the beans!!!!!!

Butter-less chocolate banana cake

On February 16, 2018 By bumblebee3londonIn Awesome Recipes, Everything!!!Leave a comment

I love experimenting. Today, feeling hungry, I decided to bake myself an indulgent (but simple) chocolate cake, but horrors, there’s no butter in the fridge.

This is my simple, butter-less, walnut, banana, double chocolate coffee cake ❤

2 eggs
1/3 cup sunflower oil
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp instant coffee
1½ cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mixed everything together, pour into a greased loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven (set at 350deg) until firm but still moist on the inside.

A very simple focaccia

On February 16, 2018 By bumblebee3londonIn Awesome Recipes, Everything!!!1 Comment

I absolutely LOVE focaccia and I think I have indoctrinated my children to love them too. Whenever I bake one, it is almost gone before it cools down.

It’s ideal for picnics too.

This is my very, very simple version, that takes a very short time to make:

THE DOUGH

400 g strong white bread flour
100 g fine ground semolina flour
sea salt
1 sachet dried yeast
½ tablespoon golden caster sugar
300 ml water, lukewarm
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350deg.

Mix all the ingredients together and knead until the dough is bouncy (see my post on bread making). Leave to rise in a warm place (cover with a towel) for about an hour until the dough has almost doubled in size.

THE TOPPING

This is my favourite:

Mixed together halved cherry tomatoes, sliced onions, fresh basil leaves and sea salt in a tablespoon of white wine vinegar.

When the dough has risen, flatten it on a baking tray. Pour the topping evenly over the dough and press the tomatoes and sliced onions into the dough. You may wish to sprinkle some dried oregano on it. I added some fresh moringa leaves for topping…anything goes, that’s how I cook!

Drizzle generously with olive oil and bake in the preheated oven until slightly browned…there is nothing worse than burnt focaccia, so keep a close eye on yours.

Serve dunked in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

raisinghappystrongkids

Tag: food