Chorizo and Potato Empanadas

I love food trucks. I love street food. I love the vibe. I love that most street food it lovingly made by passionate people. I love people who love street food. I love making street food (even though it's made in my kitchen and served by me and usually eaten at the dinner table). Give me good street food over fine dining any day of the week.

Chorizo and Potato Empanadas

slightly adapted from here

Makes about 24

For the Filling:

4 medium waxy potatoes (I used Dutch Cream), peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon salt

2 chorizo sausages, cases removed, meat crumbled

1 red onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup chicken stock

12 green olives, pitted and chopped

½ cup sultanas, chopped

For the Pastry:

1½ cups plain flour

1 cup masa harina

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

115g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing the tray

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for the egg wash

Make the Filling:

Put the potatoes in a large pan, cover with cold water, add the salt and bring to the boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

Put the chorizo in a large frying pan and cook over medium heat until crispy. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes, until the onions are soft. Pour in the stock and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, olives and sultanas.  Mix and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set aside to cool.

Make the Pastry:

Put the flour, masa harina, baking powder, salt and butter in a bowl and use your hand to bring it together into a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Make the Empanadas:

Brush a large baking tray lightly with melted butter.  Set aside.

Lightly flour a work surface, divide the dough into to portions and roll one portion out until its about 3mm thick. Use a 10cm cookie cutter to cut 10 circles out of the dough. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Put a heaped tablespoon of filling onto 1 half of each circle of dough, leaving a 1cm border. Brush the edges with egg wash and fold the dough over, creating a semi-circle shape. Press firmly to seal the edges and crimp with the tines of a fork. Place them on the prepared baking tray and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Brush the empanadas with egg wash , prick the tops with a fork and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Zucchini, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Galette

A buttery, flaky crust filled with creamy cheese and bright veggies.  What more to do need to ring in Spring... apart from a nice crisp white, may be.

Zucchini, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Galette

For the Pastry:

1½ cup "00" flour

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

115g cold, unsalted butter, diced

5 - 6 tablespoons iced water

For the Egg Wash:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

For the Filling:

300g zucchini sliced into 1cm pieces (You can use any zucchini you like.  If you're lucky enough to get some baby zucchini with flowers, detach the flowers and reserve them. Cut the zucchni in half lengthwise.)

300g asparagus, tender ends only

180g soft goat cheese

¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

1 egg

2 small red chillies

Handful basil leaves, divided

½ cup Parmesan cheese, divided

Make the Pastry:

Put the flour, Parmesan and salt into a large bowl.  Add the butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until the some of the butter is fully incorporated and some is in pea-size pieces (a rubble).  Add 4 tablespoons of the water and use your hands to bring the dough together.  Add more water if needed. Don't over work the dough.  Tip t out onto a piece of plastic film, wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Make the Egg Wash:

Combine the egg and water in a bowl and whisk together.  Set aside.

Make the Filling:

Preheat the oven to 210C. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.  Set aside.

Spread the asparagus and zucchini over the prepared baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.  Set aside.

Combine the goat cheese, zest and egg in a bowl and mix until combined. Set aside.

Make the Galette:

Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.  Set aside.

Roll the pastry out to a 30cm round on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer it to the prepared baking sheet.

Spread the goat cheese mixture over the dough, leaving a 2cm border around the edges.  Sprinkle with half the Parmesan, then arrange the roasted zucchini, asparagus, chillies, half the basil and the reserved zucchini flowers if using, evenly over the top. 

Fold the edges of the dough into the centre. Brush the exposed edges of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan over the lot.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is golden and filling is hot. Scatter the remaining fresh basil over.

Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Raw Vegan Caramel Slice

I'm at a stage in my life where I just accept that I'm going to eat two pieces of caramel slice for my lunch and there's no point in arguing with myself about it.

Raw Vegan Caramel Slice

slightly adapted from here

For the Base:

120g blanched, sliced almonds

25g desiccated coconut

6 medjool dates, pitted

60ml melted coconut oil, cooled

For the Filling:

20 medjool dates, pitted

240g almond butter

125ml maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Topping:

60g coconut oil

80ml maple syrup

35 raw cacao powder

Make the Base:

Line a 20cm square cake pan with baking paper.  Set aside.

Place the almonds, coconut, dates and oil into a food processor and blitz to moist crumbs.  Scrape into the prepared pan and press firmly, making it as even as possible.  Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Make the Filling:

Put all of the filling ingredients into a food processor and blitz until as smooth as possible. Spread evenly over the chilled base and return to the freezer for another 15 minutes.

Make the Topping:

Put all the topping ingredients into a heatproof bowl and suspend the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.  Stir until melted and smooth, then pour over the filling.  Smooth out to the edges and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cutting.  Use a hot knife to slice.

Muffuletta

This is picnic GOLD.  I don't like picnics, but if you served this to me on a blanket, in a park, under a shady tree, on a warm, sunny day, with a glass of good red and chased the bugs away... I might be converted.

Muffuletta

slightly adapted from here

For the Giardiniera:

1 teaspoon olive oil

200g cauliflower florets, finely chopped

1 small carrot, finely chopped

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon fresh thyme 

3 tablespoons water

100g green olives, finely chopped (I used pimento stuffed olives)

50g black olives, finely chopped

2 tablespoons pickled red chillies, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Sandwich:

1 Sicilian Loaf (recipe here or store bought)

100g thinly sliced Italian salami (I used mild sopressa)

150g thinly sliced provolone cheese

100g thinly sliced mortadella

Make the Giardiniera:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the cauliflower, carrot, oregano, thyme and water.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, until softened.  Leave to cool.

Add the olives, chillies and parsley and mix.  Finally, add the vinegar and salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Make the Sandwich:

Cut off the top of the loaf and scrape the insides out, leaving about a 1 thick shell.  Spoon enough of the giardiniera in to cover the bottom.  Next, add a layer of salami, then a layer of provolone, then a layer of mortadella.  Repeat the layers one more time and finish with the remaining giardiniera and put with the lid (top of the loaf) on.  Place the entire thing back into the pan the loaf was cooked in (or one the fit snugly around a bough loaf), cover with a piece of baking paper and weight it down with a plate.  Put a heavy can or pot on top of the plate and place the lot into the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 150C.  Remove the can/pot and plate from the top of the muffuletta and place the pan onto a baking tray and slide it into the oven.  Warm the muffuletta for about 15 minutes.

Potato Chip Tortilla with Sriracha Mayo

I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to food.  I like making things from scratch, using fresh, unprocessed ingredients wherever possible.  I enjoy simple food cooked the way it's been cooked for generations... An "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kinda thing. Having said that, I also like to try new and innovative things when they catch my eye (this does not include freak shakes or deep fried Mars bars). Which brings me to this glorious creation.  I've made my fair share of Spanish omelettes over the years using the traditional method of peeling and thinly slicing potatoes.  Drying them and frying them in copious amounts of olive oil. Draining them, mixing them with the eggs and crossing my fingers and toes, hoping that by the end the potatoes are soft and the eggs are set, but not overcooked. But that's the way I used to do it.  This new method is hands down much quicker and easier and just as delicious. It's the only way I'll be making my Spanish Omelettes from this day forward. And if it's good enough for Ferran Adrià, it's good enough for me.

Potato Chip Tortilla with Sriracha Mayo

ever so slightly adapted from here

Serves 6

For the Mayo:

¼ cup good quality mayonaise

2 tablespoons sriracha 

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

For the Omelette:

10 eggs

100ml pouring cream

250g salted potato chips

1 tablespoon olive oil

Coriander leaves, for garnish

Sriracha, for garnish

Make the Mayo:

Put all the mayo ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Make the Omelette

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl, add the cream and whisk until combined.  Tip in the chips and mix gently.  Set aside for 10 minutes stirring now and then.  The chips will soften and settle in the egg mixture.

Put a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add the oil.  I used a 20cm pan which was perfect.  Once the oil is hot, add the omelette mixture and tamp it down with a spatula, pressing it gently onto the base and into the sides of the pan, making leveling the top.  Cook for 5 minutes, loosening the sides with your spatula as it sets.

Remove the pan from the heat, place a large plate over the pan and deftly tip the pan over so that the tortilla ends up on the plate, cooked side up.  Gently side the tortilla back into the pan, uncooked side down and return it to the heat to cook for another 5 minutes.  Turn the tortilla out onto the plate and set aside for 5 minutes before serving with dollops of the Sriracha Mayo, a drizzle of Sriracha and a scattering of coriander leaves.

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Snackage... Seriously good, snackage.

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

slightly adapted from here

Makes 16

For the Base:

150g raw cashews

Pinch salt

100 rolled oats

15 medjool dates, pitted

20g cacao powder

For the Filling:

150g natural peanut butter (I use Mayvers Dark Roasted Smooth Peanut Butter)

For the Topping:

150ml coconut oil, melted and cooled

80ml maple syrup

20g cacao powder

Make the Base:

Line a 20cm x 20cm cake pan with baking paper.  Set aside.

Blitz the cashews, salt and oats in a food processor until they become a fine meal.  Add the dates and cacao powder and blitz again until the mixture comes together.  Add a splash of water if the mixture seems too dry.  Press the mixture into the prepared pan and stick it in the freezer for an hour.

Fill:

Once the base is chilled, spread with peanut butter.

Top:

Put the oil, maple and cacao powder in a bowl and whisk until combined.  Pour the topping over the peanut butter layer.  Chill in the refrigerator until firm before cutting.

Cacao and Pumpkin Seed Energy Balls

When it's miles from dinner and you really need a snack... energy balls.  When you skipped breakfast and then worked out but lunch is still an hour away... energy balls.  When you're sitting in the car waiting for your kids to get off the school bus... energy balls.  When dinner was light and the worms start to bite... energy balls.  When you're at the movies and you're kids won't share their popcorn... energy balls.  That's pretty much my life right there.

Cacao and Pumpkin Seed Energy Balls

slightly adapted from here

Makes about 24

80g pumpkin seeds

20g puffed brown rice

50g pecans, toasted

80g Medjool dates, pitted

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 heaped teaspoon cacao powder

Pinch of sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons Manuka honey

Juice of 1 orange

Put half of the pumpkin seeds in a food processor and blitz until they are a fine dust.  Tip them onto a plate and set aside.

Place the remaining pumpkin seeds and puffed rice in the processor with the pecans and dates and blitz until finely chopped.  Add the turmeric, cinnamon, cacao powder and a pinch of sea salt.  Blitz again.  Add the vanilla, honey and enough orange juice to make a sticky mixture that clumps together around the blade.  

Take tablespoons of the mixture and roll into balls.  Drop them into the ground pumpkin seeds and shake the plate to coat.

Spinach and Polenta Bites with Hot Smoked Salmon

Last week I was hanging by the pool with my hands full of Spicy Chicken and Kimchi Steamed Buns
and beer.  This week I'm swanning around in my floaty dress popping corks and handing around little bites of spinach and salmon.  I'm a veritable hostess with the mostess, oh yes.



Spinach and Polenta Bites with Hot Smoked Salmon
adapted from here
Makes about 24

For the Bites:
2 tablespoons olive oil, for frying
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
300g baby spinach, shredded
2 tablespoons finely shredded parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
120g polenta (not quick cooking)
30g butter, for frying
Sea salt and freshly ground back pepper

For the Sauce:
1/4 cup crème fraîche
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Squeeze of lemon juice

To Serve:
Hot smoked salmon, (I used one that was sprinkled with crushed black pepper)

Make the Bites:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan.  Add the garlic, spring onions and red onion and cook on medium-low heat until softened, but not browned.  Add the spinach, parsley and dill and cook until the spinach has just wilted.  Sprinkle in the polenta and mix.  Add 1/4 cup of water and season with salt and pepper.  Stir over medium-low heat until the polenta softens and starts to stick to the spinach.   Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Once cool, take teaspoon-size portions and roll them into balls.  Press the balls into patties, making sure you compact the mixture tightly so they don't fall apart during frying.  Place the bites onto a baking paper lined baking tray.

Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper and heat the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the bites and cook until golden on one side.  Turn the bites over and cook until the second side is golden.  Remove them to the baking paper lined baking tray to cool.

Make the Sauce:
Mix the crème fraîche, Worcestershire sauce and lemon zest in a small bowl.  Add a squeeze of lemon juice (just enough to add zing, but not too much as the sauce will become too thin).

To Serve:
Dollop the top of each bit with a generous amount of the sauce and top with a small portion of hot smoked salmon.