Caldo Verde, Green Kale Soup with Chorizo & Potato.

From Rick Stein’s long Weekends.
This recipe is inspired by a traditional Portuguese dish but with extra heat courtesy of chilli flakes and an abundance of chorizo, perfect for a winter warming meal!

1 onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
100g chorizo or chouriço (sausage), cut into chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
400g potatoes, preferably floury, peeled and cut into 4 chunks each.
1 litres water or Vegetable stock
100g spring greens or kale, finely shredded
1 tsp salt
6 turns black peppermill
Large pinch chilli flakes

Fry the onion, garlic and chorizo or chouriço in the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat until the onions and garlic are soft and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the potatoes and the stock and let this boil until the potatoes are cooked, about 20 minutes.
Pulverize the potatoes in the broth with a potato masher.
Add the kale, bring back to the boil and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the kale is cooked but still a vibrant green.
Season with salt and pepper and serve in warmed bowls with chilli flakes sprinkled on top.
Enjoy!

Better No-Knead Bread Recipe.

Better No-Knead Bread Recipe | Serious Eats:

Today bread!

Let's take a quick look through a time lapse of the dough as it sits overnight.
- 0 Hours: dough is still lumpy. Gluten formation is minimal.
- 4 Hours: Enzymatic action has broken down some proteins, causing the dough to slacken and spread.
- 8 Hours: Yeast has produced quite a bit of carbon dioxide. As these bubbles slowly grow, their stretching causes proteins around their edges to align with each other.
- 12 Hours: Slowly but surely, the bubbles moving through the dough, effectively forming the same gluten that would be formed by manual labor.
- 16 Hours: The yeast have completed their task, both leavening and kneading the dough for you. Thanks guys!

After allowing it to rise at room temperature overnight, I'll stick mine directly into the refrigerator for three days. There's another advantage built into this as well: cold dough is much easier to handle. Gluten gets stiffer as it cools, which means that refrigerated dough will be much simpler to shape into a ball or a long loaf, or whatever shape you wish to bake it in.

After shaping, cover is with a bowl or a flour-coated kitchen towel and let it rise at room temperature for a couple of hours to take the chill off it and leaven for the final time before slashing it with a sharp knife (this allows it to expand faster in the Dutch oven, and makes it look pretty), and baking.

If you want to make your life even easier, get yourself a good gram scale to allow you to easily calculate ingredients without having to dirty up measuring spoons, cups, or bowls. Using a scale and a metal bowl, you can make bread and end up with only a single bowl to wash!

Here's the basic method I use:

To 100 parts flour,
add 1.5 parts salt and
1 part instant yeast.
Whisk those together.
Add 70 parts water, and stir to combine.
Cover, then let rise overnight.
Transfer to the fridge, let ferment for three days, then turn dough out on to a well-floured surface.
Shape dough, sprinkle with flour, and cover with a floured cloth.
Let it rise for at least two hours and up to 4 at room temperature.
Slah, then bake in a preheated 230°C/450°F Dutch Oven for 15 minutes with the lid on.
Remove the lid, and continue baking until it hits around 100°C209°F, 30 minutes or so.
Let it cool.

Today bread!
-
- Better No-Knead Bread Recipe | Serious Eats:
- The Food Lab: The Science of No-Knead Dough | Serious Eats:

- Bread baking in a Dutch oven - Flourish - King Arthur Flour:
'via Blog this'

Cannoli pound cake.

cannoli pound cake – smitten kitchen:





Verdict: a little sweet for my liking.

Next time I will try Orange Ricotta Pound Cake - Baked Bree:

'via Blog this'

Homemade Sauerkraut. Eastern European style.

Homemade Sauerkraut. Eastern European style.
Sauerkraut is row fermented product.



I have:
1400g thinly and long cut raw white cabbage (1 big cabbage)
210g largely grated row carrots
28g sea salt (I use Malden flakes)
7g sugar
1,5 teaspoon caraway seeds
Homemade Sauerkraut red cabbage Russian.

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake.

raspberry buttermilk cake – smitten kitchen
You can just ignore the word “blueberry” up there and swap it up with any which berry you please, like blackberries or raspberry or bits of strawberries or all of the above. This is a good, basic go-to buttermilk cake!

Perfect everyday cake!

Azu, the Tatar meat stew.

Времена года / Four seasons: Azu.: Tested and proved!

Verdict: delicious!

Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes.

Recipe: Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes — Recipes from The Kitchn | The Kitchn:
Extra-fluffy with creamy, custard-like middles - ricotta pancakes are something you need to try tout suite/right now!
Adding ricotta to the batter is truly a genius idea.
Verdict: delicious!



Makes 8 to 10 pancakes
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup milk (not nonfat)
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter, for cooking

If your ricotta seems to have a lot of liquid, set it in a fine mesh strainer to drain off excess liquid about 30 minutes before you start cooking.
If your ricotta seems fairly dry and compact, you can skip this step.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
Combine ricotta, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla in a separate, larger mixing bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta and milk mixture, stirring gently until just combined.

Beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer until stiff. (Alternatively, whisk the egg whites by hand.)
Stir a small scoop of the egg whites into the pancake batter to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites with a spatula.

Heat a griddle over medium-high heat. Melt a small bit of butter in the pan, just enough to coat the surface.
Use a 1/3-cup measure to pour batter onto the hot griddle.
Cook the pancakes for about 3 or 4 minutes, until the undersides are golden and you see a few bubbles popping through the pancakes.
Flip the pancakes and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden.
Repeat with the remaining pancakes.

Serve the pancakes immediately, with maple syrup, fruit jam, lemon curd, or powdered sugar.

Recipe Notes:
In Elizabeth's original recipe, she used 3 large eggs (separated) and just 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour.
If you'd like even more custard-y pancakes, try those amounts!
It's easiest to use a handheld mixer to beat this small amount of whites.
If you only have a stand mixer, start on low speed and gradually increase to the highest speed as the whites start to form bubbles and thicken.
You may need to stop the mixer partway through and stir the whites to make sure they are all getting incorporated.

'via Blog this'

Nigel Slater's lentil soup with ricotta.

Nigel Slater's lentil soup with ricotta | Life and style | The Guardian:

Verdict on the new lentil soup recipe I tried:
- not appetizing in appearance but gustable soup.
The recipe

French Apple Tart.

From Chef Eric Lanlard /French Guy Cooking/!

Verdict on the new French Apple Tart recipe I tried...50/50!
I like idea of the applesauce.
But I prefer apples mixed with the dough not baked in crust, similar TO:
- Времена года / Four seasons: Marie-Hélène's Apple Cake!

The recipe by Chef Eric Lanlard:

Vinegret - Russian salad with beetroot.

Vinegret or Russian vinaigrette is a salad in Russian cuisine.
From book "Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine & beyond" - tried and tested.

Verdict: delicious!






And try to make more Russian from Olia Hercules: Eight delicious, rich and nourishing recipes from Ukraine and beyond | Life and style | The Guardian:
- Stuffed cabbage leaves - tried and tested. Verdict: delicious!

- Ukrainian beetroot broth (borshch) - tried and tested. Verdict: delicious!

Brussels Sprouts Oven-roasted.

20 – 24 small brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, plus more to toss
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
Toss Brussels sprouts with oil, salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until deep golden brown, crisp outside and tender inside.
- 30 to 35 minutes.
The leaves that are loose will be especially brown and crispy.
Transfer to a bowl and serve.
Verdict: delicious!

Optional:
Put the water and salt in a saucepan (it’s really important to add enough salt) and bring to a fast, rolling boil.
Toss in the sprouts, cover for 1 minute, until the water returns to the boil, then uncover and continue to cook for 3-6 minutes (depending on size), until the sprouts are cooked through, but still have a slight bite.
Drain very well.
After - as above: Toss...

Optional:
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
After oven:
Place brussels sprouts in bowl.
Add tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and toss to coat evenly.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then serve.

OR: Rosemary Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
Add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary to Brussels sprouts before roasting.
During the last 5 minutes of roasting, add 1/4 cup pine nuts.
Stir well and continue roasting until Brussels sprouts are tender.
Before serving, toss with 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese.

OR: Cranberry Pecan Brussels Sprouts
During the last 5 minutes of roasting, add 1 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup pecan pieces.
Stir well and continue roasting until Brussels sprouts are tender.

OR: Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad
After roasting, allow Brussels sprouts to cool to room temperature.
Toss with 4 cups baby kale mix, 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese and 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 110 calories (70 from fat), 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 320mg sodium, 10g carbohydrates, (4 g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 4g protein.
/From WHOLE FOODS MARKET./

OR:
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Baked Tofu with Honey-Sesame Glaze - Cookie and Kate:

Pasta with Cavolo nero & garlic cream sauce by Monty Don.

450g cavolo nero
6 plump cloves of mild garlic
300 ml dble cream ( we used creme fraiche cos I actually prefer it)
1 tbs Extra virgin olive oil
50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (+ extra for serving)
Sea salt + pepper

NOTE: I mixed curly kale+cavolo nero+sweet potato.

Strip out the middle rib of the cavolo nero & discard
Blanch in boiling salted water for 5 mins, then drain well
Peel the garlic cloves, prick them with a fork, but leave whole, & put in a pan with the cream & creme fraiche).
Bring to the boil & simmer for 10 mins.
If you want a mild sauce, remove the garlic (I didn't)
Now put the cavolo nero + the cream mixture in the food processor - blend tll you have a pale green sauce with dark green flecks.
Return to the pan to warm through, then add the Parmesan & the oil.
Mix cooked pasta into the sauce to coat it well & serve with extra Parmesan to sprinkle over.

Verdict: delicious!

Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup.

Verdict: delicious!

Ingredients:
SERVINGS 4-6
1 butternut squash
1 large sweet potato
3 medium carrots or 2 large carrots
1 large red onion
2 celery ribs
1 red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube
salt and pepper
1 large fresh parsley sprig

Directions:
Peel the squash, sweet potato, carrots, and onion.
Dice the above ingredients and the red pepper and parsley.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and soften all the above ingredients for a few minutes.
Make up a pint of stock with the stock cube and pour this over the softened vegetables.
Add the salt and pepper to taste, add more water if required.
Put a lid on the pan and simmer until the carrots, sweet potato and squash are all completely cooked.
Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool a bit, then liquidise the whole lot until smooth.
Serve with nice fresh crusty bread.

Moussaka.

Tried, tested, proved.

Bread by Brian.

Tested and Proven - delicious!
Four seasons.: My Bread. Speedy No-Knead Bread.:

Homemade minestrone.

Tested and proved! Verdict: delicious!
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled, sliced
150g streaky bacon, diced
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped.
2 carrots, peeled, diced
2 potatoes, peeled, diced
1 litre beef stock
30g tomato purée
400g canned haricot beans, drained
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
handful chopped fresh parsley
400g tomatoes, chopped
100g spaghetti, broken into 2cm/1in pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the croûtons
1 crusty white bread loaf, cut into thick slices
1 tbsp olive oil
200g mozzarella, torn

Method
Haricot beans.
You need to start this recipe by soaking the beans.
You can do this by covering the beans with twice their volume of cold water, then soaking them overnight.
Alternatively, on the same day, boil them for 10 minutes then leave them to soak for a minimum of 2 hours.
Or you can buy canned haricot beans.
Canned beans just need to be drained and rinsed - then they're ready to use.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, bacon, celery, garlic and carrots for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
Stir in the potatoes and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the stock and bring the mixture to the boil.
Stir in the tomato purée and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add the haricot beans, herbs, chopped tomatoes and spaghetti and continue to cook until the pasta is tender.
Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the croûtons, drizzle the bread with the olive oil.
Heat a griddle pan until hot and fry the bread on one side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown.
Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high.
Remove the bread from the pan and top the uncooked side with the mozzarella.
Place under the grill for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden-brown.
To serve, ladle the soup into 4 soup bowls and top with a croûton.

Recipe from "Something for the Weekend recipes" by BBC food.

Braised Lamb With Flageolet Beans by Delia Smith.

Tested and Proven - delicious Cassoulet /A dish consisting of white beans and various meats/!

Ingredients
900 g lamb neck fillets
225 g cherry tomatoes
salt and freshly milled black pepper
225 g flageolet beans
2 tablespoons oil
2 large onions, peeled, halved and cut into 1 cm rounds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
25g plain flour
1 level dessertspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves plus 4 small fresh thyme sprigs
570 ml supermarket lamb stock or water
3 small bay leaves

Method
You need to start this recipe by soaking the beans.
You can do this by covering the beans with twice their volume of cold water, then soaking them overnight.
Alternatively, on the same day, boil them for 10 minutes then leave them to soak for a minimum of 2 hours.

When you're ready to cook the lamb, pre-heat the oven 140C, trim off any really excess fat and then cut it into rounds about 2 cm thick.
Now place the casserole over direct heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil, then, as soon as it's smoking hot, brown the pieces of meat, a few at a time, wiping them first with kitchen paper so that they're absolutely dry when they hit the fat (don't add more than 6 pieces at a time).

Then as soon as each piece is nicely browned on both sides, remove the fillets to a plate and carry on until all the meat is browned.

Next, add the other tablespoon of oil and, keeping the heat high, brown the onions round the edges, moving them around until they take on a nice dark caramel colour – this will take about 5 minutes – then add the garlic, stir that into the onions and let it cook for another minute or so.

Now sprinkle in the flour and give it all a good stir, allowing the flour to soak into the juices.
Add thyme leaves, then gradually add the stock, stirring all the while as you pour it in.

Next, return the meat to the casserole and season it well with freshly milled black pepper, but no salt at this stage.
After that, drain the beans, discarding their soaking water, and add them to the casserole as well.

Finally, add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves and, as soon as everything has come up to simmering point, place a tight-fitting lid on and transfer the casserole to the centre shelf of the oven to cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Towards the end of that time pour boiling water over the tomatoes and then, after 30 seconds, drain off the water and slip the skins off.
Add these to the casserole, along with a good seasoning of salt, then replace the lid and carry on cooking for a further hour.

Before serving, remove the bay leaves and sprigs of thyme and taste to check the seasoning.

Cassoulet.

Cassoulet: a rich stew originating in southwest France containing beans and various meats (such as sausages, pork and preserved duck or goose).
Cassoulet Recipe - LifeStyle FOOD: Recipe by Rick Stein.
ingredients
500g home-salted belly pork
65g duck or goose fat
1 head garlic, broken into cloves, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1kg dried haricots, blancs beans, soaked overnight
large bouquet garni made from leek, celery, thyme sprigs, bay leaves and arsley stalks
6 good quality Toulouse sausages
4 legs duck confit, cut into two at the joint

1. Cut the piece of belly pork lengthways into three thick slices, then cut each piece across into two.
2.Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
3.Heat 50g of the duck fat in a six-litre flameproof casserole dish.
4.Add the garlic and onion and fry gently until soft but not browned.
5.Add the beans and the pieces of salted belly pork, cover with 1¾ litres/3 pints water and push in the bouquet garni.
6.Bring to the boil, skimming off any scum as it rises to the surface, then cover, transfer to the oven and bake for one hour or until the beans are just tender (this will depend on the age of your beans).
7.Heat the remaining duck fat in a frying pan and brown the sausages all over.
8.Lift them onto a board and slice each one sharply on the diagonal into three pieces.
9.Remove the cassoulet from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
10.Add the sausages and the pieces of duck confit to the casserole and push them down well into the beans.
11.Return the casserole to the oven and bake uncovered for a further 45 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the cassoulet is covered in a dark golden crust.
12.Serve straight from the pot at the table.

Smoked salt, toasted onion and juniper butter by Nigel Slater.

I have not tasted yet!
Uses for this smoky, aromatic butter go well beyond spreading on a loaf.
Melt slices over potatoes served hot from the steamer; use it to sauté salmon steaks or haddock; toss wedges of lightly cooked cabbage in it.
The recipe makes 250g and it freezes well.

onion 1, small
unsalted butter 250g
juniper berries 8
dill 10g
smoked salt

Peel the onion and cut into quarters from root to tip, then slice each piece thinly.
Melt 30g of the butter in a shallow pan, stir in the sliced onion then let it cook over a moderate heat for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the pan and leave to cool.

Place the rest of the butter in a mixing bowl and beat to a soft, lightly whipped consistency with a wooden spoon.
Bash the juniper berries with a heavy weight, such as a pestle, so they release their fragrance then add them to the butter.
Remove the dill fronds from their stems, then chop them finely and add to the butter.

Add the salt to the butter, then the cooled, toasted onions and combine gently, taking care not to overmix.
Serve the butter with the bread.

The butter will keep for several days in the fridge.
You can freeze it, too.
Roll the butter into a fat cylinder shape, then place on a piece of clingfilm, wrap and seal.
Freeze until needed.
Alternatively, and to make defrosting easier, refrigerate the butter until cold enough to slice, then wrap and freeze in individual slices.

Linseed and treacle bread by Nigel Slater.

Tested and Proven - delicious!
I heartily recommend putting a baking stone in the oven to heat up first.
Makes a medium-sized loaf.

rye flour 200g
strong white bread flour 200g
barley flakes 50g
sea salt 1 tsp
black treacle 2 tbsp, lightly heaped
warm water 350ml
fast-acting yeast 1 x 7g sachet
rolled oats/oatmeal 40g
pumpkin seeds 35g
sunflower seeds 25g
golden linseeds 30g
golden sultanas 75g

Warm a deep, wide mixing bowl - the warmth will help your dough rise more quickly.
Combine the flours and barley flakes then lightly crush the sea salt flakes in the palm of your hand and stir them in.

Put the black treacle into a jug then stir in the warm water, dissolving the treacle as you stir.
Tip in the yeast, let it dissolve then pour into the flour and barley.
Using a wooden spoon rather than your hands – the dough is sticky – stir in the rolled oats, pumpkin, sunflower, golden linseeds and sultanas.
Mix for a full minute, so the flour, liquid, seeds and fruits are thoroughly combined.
The texture of the dough should be very moist, poised between that of a bread dough and a cake mixture.

Dust the surface lightly with flour, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for an hour or so.
Any warm, draught-free spot will work.
Check the bowl occasionally to make sure it is warm, but not too hot.

Get the oven hot – it will need to be at 220C/gas mark 8.
If you have one, place a bread or pizza stone, generously floured, in the oven to get hot.
Failing that, a baking sheet will do.
When the oven is up to temperature and the dough has risen to almost twice its original volume, transfer it to the hot baking stone or sheet, reshaping it into a round loaf as you go.
Bake for 35 minutes, until the crust is lightly crisp and the base sounds hollow when tapped.

Transfer the warm loaf to a cooling rack and allow to rest for a good 30 minutes before slicing.
The loaf will keep, wrapped in clingfilm and foil, for 4 or 5 days.



Note:
Barley Flakes:
If barley flakes remind you of oatmeal (rolled oats), it’s because they’re created the same way, by steaming kernels, rolling them, and drying them.
As with barley grits, flakes can be made from whole grain barley or from pearl barley, with only the former considered to be whole grains.
Barley flakes cook faster, because they’ve been lightly steamed and because of their greater surface area.
Substitute flaked barley: the oats will work just fine!

Rolled oats:
- Quaker is one of the best known and most widely distributed brands.
Quite often oatmeal is sold 3 forms and you should use the type labelled as "quick cooking oats" as this is the type that is the same as UK rolled oats.
Avoid "instant oatmeal" as this is made from oats that are too finely ground.
The other form of oatmeal is labelled as "old fashioned oats" or sometimes as "jumbo oats".
These oats are slightly less processed than rolled oats and could be used in the recipes but tend to be more fibrous and chewy.