Mejadra

I got Ottolenghi and Tamimi's new cookbook Jerusalem the instant it came out. Of course. Ottolenghi and Tamimi both come from Jerusalem, but from different sides. Despite the problems this may have entailed, their friendship and partnership has blossomed and now they are bringing together the fruit of their separate yet interconnected heritages -- and those of the various cultures that have over time been woven into the ethnic and cultural fabric of the ancient city of Jerusalem -- to bring us this wonderful book. Unfortunately, about half of the book's recipes use meat, but luckily there are great sections on pulses, grains and vegetables to test.

The first thing I tried from it was an Arab classic called Mejadra. It looked simple and easy to make, and with lentils, basmati rice and deep fried onions mixed with aromatic spices, it sounded like a safe bet. The bet paid off. I've now got piles of mejadra to finish off as leftovers. It's ridiculously easy to make. The only thing that takes time is frying the onions. Otherwise it's child's play. If you do dairy, go ahead and put a big dollop of greek yogurt on top when serving.

 

Plenty: Socca

This is Socca, a sort of savoury pancake made of chickpea flour, topped with slowly fried onions and gently roasted tomatoes. I've made this three times now, each time as a starter for dinner with friends and family. Each time I've been in a rush to prepare the next course that I haven't been able to snap a photo. It's easy and a real treat. The pancakes have a light savoury flavour, topped with onions and cherry tomatoes sweetened by slow cooking. There are always a couple left over, which I finish off for brunch the next day.

 

Kale speltotto with goat's cheese

Kale this kale that. I've been reading about kale for a good two years or more and finally came across it in my local supermarket. I promptly bought a bunch and came home to dig for a recipe. This is the one I ended up with by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall from his River Cottage Veg Everyday (am currently unable to find a link to the recipe.. maybe later). It's basically a risotto, but made with spelt, hence the name speltotto. I made it from pearl barley however so I guess mine was more of a barlotto! Anyway, it was interesting. I can't say it was my favourite experiment, though my lack of enthusiasm may have something to do with the nausea I've been feeling after meals due to the intake of strong antibiotics. Still, both kale and barley have flavours very much their own -- ones that I'm not quite sure what I think about, put together at least. It did look very pretty though, and smelled great, and that counts for something, surely.

 

Quinoa with courgettes and onions

The third recipe from Fearnley-Whittingstall's veg book. This was also very easy to make, and relatively quick. I love slow-cooked vegetables, especially onions, which are cooked here with courgettes. I have sung the praises of quinoa before, so I'll leave that aside this time. But if you are interested, here is not only a link to the recipe of this beautiful dish, but also 10 facts about quinoa worth delving into. I should mention that I made this as a side dish to the spring onion galette, and that they worked together like bread and butter. (P.S. Vegans, just fry completely in olive oil, leave out the butter)

 

Upside down onion tart

This is the first recipe I tried from River Cottage Veg Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. It is insanely easy and quick to make, with essentially two ingredients; onion and puff pastry. I couldn't get it to look quite as beautiful as it is in the book, where the onions are organized in a beautiful circular order. How the hell do you turn onions without ruining the pattern? I've yet to learn that trick. Who care though, since it still tasted amazing. You can find the recipe here, so bookmark it for your next lazy cooking day.

 

Plenty: Potato tatin

I had a busy start to the month but that hasn't deterred me from trying more new recipes (though I have fallen behind on my blog updates). It feels like I've gone through the whole book, but I'm still ploughing through Plenty. New potatoes are finally in season, so a couple of weeks ago I grasped the opportunity to try this Potato Tatin. I don't need to explain how gorgeous new potatoes are, especially in the early summer. In this recipe they are caramelized with oven-roasted tomatoes, slow-cooked onions, thyme, and goat's cheese. It's really easy to make and tastes divine. Yesterday I bought a big bag of potatoes to make it again this weekend. The perfect summer meal!

 

Risotto with roasted asparagus and mozzarella

Finally a recipe not by Ottolenghi! This risotto with roasted asparagus and mozzarella, however, is also form the Guardian, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. If risottos intimidate you at all, this is an easy one. The list of ingredients is short, and it's easy to prepare. I've made this twice now. The first time I had to make some more vegetable stock - 500ml didn't seem to suffice. However, when I made it today, 500-600ml was perfect. The trick is to keep the heat low, which I didn't do the first time around. Also, tonight I tried adding a big handful of chopped fresh parsley at the end, which worked beautifully. I think it adds a whole new layer to the overall slightly smokey flavour (thanks to the buffalo mozzarella) of this dish. And the generous drizzle of good-quality olive oil at the end is a real plus, so don't leave it out. Enjoy!

 

Plenty: Cucumber salad with smashed garlic and ginger

This recipe for cucumber salad with smashed garlic and ginger is a delectable winner! Thanks to the ginger, this is the most refreshing salad you'll ever eat in your life. I served it to dinner guests last week as a side dish with the caramelised garlic tart. Praises ensured. It's a must for this summer. Don't think, just make.

 

Plenty: Puy lentil galettes

This is another of those Plenty recipes that looked delicious and easy enough but haven't gotten around to preparing until now. The spices and spinach accompanying these Puy lentil galettes do proper justice to these humble yet flavoursome green lentils. It's much lighter and healthier without the pastry, but it does look much more appetising this way, doesn't it.

 

Veggie Shepherd's Pie with sweet potato mash

My brother-in-law made this vegetarian Shepherd's Pie last summer and I have been missing it since. So what the heck, I thought, I might as well go ahead and make it myself, perfect as it is to warm oneself on cold days like this. The recipe is from the BBC GoodFood site, and it's super easy to follow and make. With the broccoli this easily makes a filling and satisfying meal for 4-6 persons. Vegans, leave out the butter from the mash and the cheese topping.

Ottolenghi's roasted butternut squash with cardamom and nigella seeds

This recipe for roasted butternut squash with cardamom and nigella seeds by Ottolenghi was in last weekend's Guardian. I was particularly tempted by the combination of cardamom with the squash, and the dollops of yogurt on top made it sound so fresh despite the intense spices, which also include cumin, coriander, tumeric and cinnamon as well as a green chilli. I'd never even heard of nigella seeds before, so there was an element of novelty there. This dish gave off wonderful aromas from the start. First you fry red onion in butter and olive oil, to which you add the butternut squash cubes. That alone was heavenly. So you can imagine the rising anticipation once it was all roasting in the oven with the spices and stock. Absolutely divine. And very easy to make :) Vegan version: no yogurt. I served it with slow roasted tomatoes tossed together with cous cous.

Plenty: Green couscous

I had a go at Ottolenghi's green couscous last week. I can only be boring and say yet again that Ottolenghi never disappoints. This was delicious. Simple as that. Healthy, hearty, green as a garden patch. I don't think this recipe featured in the Guardian, but you can find a version of it from Ottolenghi's September 15th 2011 blog entry.

Moroccan vegetable couscous

I love this meal for many reasons, not just for its wonderful flavours, but because it reminds me of my childhood. I usually make this with carrots, onions, leek, zucchini or pumpkin, chickpeas, red pepper and raisins. It's a feast of vegetable goodness cooked in with diced tomatoes and spices like cumin, coriander and tumeric.

Spicy red lentil soup

Made a staple dinner tonight: red lentil soup with a whole host of gorgeous spices. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook, so very quick and easy, as well as healthy and delicious!

Plenty: Roasted parsnips and sweet potatoes with caper vinaigrette

To not have cooked properly for a week has been a sad deprivation. It's already November 10th and this is my first blog entry for the month. Sinful. I've been busy meeting friends, attending plays and other events lately, and diverting as they were, I've missed my glorious long evenings at home cooking, reading and listening to music. Tonight, though, I got back on track and made Roasted parsnips and sweet potatoes with caper vinaigrette from Plenty. Do I need to mention what a great success this was? It was heavenly. Again the photo doesn't do any credit to the flavours of this meal. Parsnips, sweet potatoes, red onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes are roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. After about two hours when they're ready the vegetables are covered with the dressing, made with lemon juice, dijon mustard, olive oil, maple syrup (!), capers, salt, and topped with sesame seeds. It's a feast.

Plenty: Very full tart

I've been waiting for the right time to do this. Ottolenghi's Very full tart is easy, but takes a while to prepare since there are lots of vegetables to roasted (red and yellow paprika, aubergine, sweet potato, courgette, cherry tomato, plus onion, fried) on top of baking the tart. It took a little longer too because I made my own shortcrust pastry, since they don't sell ready-made savoury ones in Finland. It was easy enough to make oneself though. So, once the pie crust and vegetables were roasted, they were covered with ricotta and feta, and egg whipped with double cream. Mamma mia. Yes it is a very full and very rich tart. But again, Ottolenghi delivers! The key is precisely in the slow oven-roasting that gives the vegetables a wonderful sweetness. Divine.

Salla's black trumpet and porcini omlette

My friend Salla brought over some wild mushrooms - porcini and black trumpets - she picked in the country and made us an omlette to go with Ottolenghi's other treats. She fried the mushrooms with a red onion, chopped, and whipped the eggs together with some quark and parsley. Wonderfully autumnful! And topped with fresh parsley for a spark of freshness. Kiitos, Salla!

Goodie basket

My neighbours came home today from a three week holiday stint at their country house. I gave them some of the sourdough bread I baked yesterday, but what I got in return by far outweighs what I gave. I got a whole basket full of fresh (and needless to say, organic) vegetables and other goodies straight from their own land. Have I got some great cooking ahead of me this week! The basket contained two enormous zucchinis (weighing 2kg and 1.4kg), beans, carrots, onions, new potatoes, basil, coriander, lettuce, plus blackcurrants and redcurrants, a jar of home-grown and made rhubarb chutney, and a package of organic barley. I am thrilled. And feeling incredibly lucky and thankful to have such generous neighbours. Here's a peek at the contents...

The goodie basket - monster zucchinis peeking out

Zucchini, lettuce, basil

New potatoes, beans, carrots, onion, lettuce

Barley, blackcurrants, redcurrants, rhubarb chutney