Cool as a Cauliflower

I've been getting more adventurous in the kitchen over the last few weeks.  Nothing especially fancy or difficult - just quite different for us.  Chaz is getting braver in the 'lesbian food' department and I'm taking full advantage.  We'd fallen into a habit of eating roast chicken for every other meal and I wanted to branch out and try something new before we completely od'd and never want to look at one ever again.

So, out came Jerusalem - the latest in my Ottolenghi library - and a load of cauliflowers.  I wasn't aware of just how good cauliflowers are for us - apparently they're the most super of all the supers. Cancer fighting, anti oxidising, digestion helping, I could go on. Better than a blueberry dare I suggest.  Roasted in the oven too, they are incredibly delicious.  Not remotely related to the watery, bland, stinky way we ate them at school.  The creation I want to share is one from said book but I didn't have all the ingredients so adapted it and it was still a sensation. I now make it as I did the first time.   I used toasted pine nuts in the place of the hazelnuts and my dressing is a more simple concoction of olive oil, lemon, maple syrup and salt and pepper.  

Here is the proper Ottolenghi recipe.

Roast Cauliflower and Hazelnut Salad

1 head of cauliflower, broken into small florets (660g) 

3 tbsp olive oil 

Salt and black pepper 

30g hazelnuts

1 large stick of celery, cut on an angle into ½cm slices (70g) 

10g small flat-leaf parsley leaves

50g pomegranate seeds 

¼ tsp ground cinnamon 

¼ tsp ground allspice 

2 tsp sherry vinegar 

1 tsp maple syrup

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

Roast the cauliflower by placing it on a parchment lined backing sheet, drizzle with 1-3 tablespoons of olive oil and toss it together with some salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25-35 minutes until parts of it are turning golden brown. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool down.

Decrease the oven temperature to 325 F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I used the same one as the cauliflower, just switched the paper) and roast for 17 minutes (although depending on your oven, I suggest watching these closely, mine were burnt at 17 minutes, and I took my second try out around 10 minutes).

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, sherry vinegar, maple syrup, cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.

Allow the nuts to cool a little, then coarsely chop them and add to the cauliflower, along with the pomegranate seeds, celery, parsley, and the dressing. Stir, taste, and season with salt and pepper accordingly.

Serve at room temperature.

Summery Chicken Sensation

We went over to our friends Mel and Jay jay's house for dinner last week.  We knew we would be in for a treat as they're both very foodie and brilliant, experimental cooks. Not a 'meat and two veg' kind of household - they use ingredients I've never even heard of and wouldn't dare to introduce into my own cooking.  They're big fans of the Ottolenghi movement, or 'lesbian food' as Chaz insists on calling it.

This salad was especially sensational.  I don't even like fennel and I had thirds.  If you're looking for a light, summery creation, even the fussiest of fuss pots will love this.  

It was created by the chefs at Ottolenghi in Belgravia and is the biggest summer hit there. If you don't like fennel, use a combination of spring onion and rocket instead. 

Serves six.

1 orange

50g honey

½ tsp saffron threads

1 tbsp white-wine vinegar

About 300ml water

1kg skinless chicken breast

4 tbsp olive oil

2 small fennel bulbs, sliced thin

15g picked coriander leaves

15g picked basil leaves, torn

15 picked mint leaves, torn

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 red chilli, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

Salt and black pepper

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Trim and discard 1cm off the top and tail of the orange and cut it into 12 wedges, keeping the skin on but picking out any pips. Place the wedges in a small saucepan along with the honey, saffron, vinegar and just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for about an hour. At the end, you should be left with soft orange pieces and about three tablespoons of thick syrup; add water during the cooking, if needed. Use a food processor to blitz the orange (skin and all) and syrup into a smooth, runny paste; again, add water if needed.

Rub the chicken breasts with half the olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper, and place on a very hot ridged griddle pan. Sear for about two minutes on each side, to get clear char marks all over. Transfer to a roasting tray and roast for 15-20 minutes, until just cooked.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, but still warm, break it up with your hands into quite large pieces. Put these in a large bowl, pour over half the orange paste and stir. (The remaining orange syrup will keep in the fridge for a few days, and makes a good addition to a herb salsa to serve with oily fish.)

Add the remaining ingredients to the salad, including the rest of the oil, and toss gently. Taste, add salt and pepper and, if needed, some more olive oil and lemon juice.

They also served these delicious raw, grated courgettes with a basil and parmesan dressing

Ottolenghi Caramel and Macadamia Cheesecake

I'd quite like to pretend that I'd made this myself.  But I won't. I'll be truthful and admit that it was made by my Mother in Law Suze and delivered to my doorstep.  I've since eaten it for every meal.  Breakfast today, lunch and supper yesterday and I think I'll get a few more out of it today too.  It's an Ottolenghi recipe that I've looked at a million times but have always been put off making by the length of the recipe instructions.  I actually read it through though last night and it's really not as bad as it looks.  I cant explain how delicious it is.  And worth every single second that it takes to make it.

Ingredients

For the cheesecake

400g good quality ricotta cheese, at room temperature

(if it seems too watery, hang it in muslin overnight to drain)

200g good quality cream cheese, at room temperature

120g caster sugar

2/3 vanilla pod

4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten

60ml soured cream

Icing sugar for dusting

For the base

160g dry biscuits, Hobnobs are good.

40g unsalted butter, melted

For the nut topping

150g macadamia nuts

90g caster sugar

For the caramel sauce

65g unsalted butter

160g caster sugar

100ml whipping cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 140ºC/Gas Mark 1. Lightly grease a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.

To make the base, whiz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor (or put them in a plastic bag and bash with a mallet or rolling pin). Mix with the melted butter to a wet, sandy consistency. Transfer to the lined tin and flatten with the back of a tablespoon to create a level base.

To make the cake batter, put the sugar and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Slit the vanilla pod lengthways in half and, using a sharp knife, scrape the seeds out into the bowl. Whisk by hand, or more easily with an electric mixer, until smooth. Gradually add the eggs and soured cream, whisking until smooth. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and place in the oven. Bake for about 60 minutes, until set; a skewer inserted in the centre should come out with a slightly wet crumb attached. Leave to cool at room temperature, then remove the side of the tin. Transfer the cake to a cake board or plate – but you can serve from the tin base if that proves tricky. Now chill the cake for at least a couple of hours.

To prepare the nut topping, scatter the nuts over a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 140ºC/Gas Mark 1 for about 15 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Place the sugar in a saucepan with a very thick base (it is important that the layer of sugar is not more than 3mm high in the pan, so choose a large one). Heat the sugar gently until it turns into a golden-brown caramel. Do not stir it at any stage. Don’t worry if some small bits of sugar don’t totally dissolve. Carefully add the toasted nuts and mix gently with a wooden spoon. When most of the nuts are coated in caramel, pour them on to the lined tray and leave to set. Break bits off and chop them very roughly with a large knife. It’s nice to leave some of the nuts just halved or even whole.

To make the sauce, put the butter and sugar in a thick-bottomed saucepan and stir constantly over a medium heat with a wooden spoon until it becomes a smooth, dark caramel. The butter and sugar will look as if they have split. Don’t worry; just keep on stirring. Once the desired colour is reached, carefully add the cream while stirring vigourously. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

To finish the cake, dust the edges and sides with plenty of icing sugar. Spoon the sauce in the centre, allowing it to spill over a little. Scatter lots of caramelised nuts on top. The cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 3 days.

Christening Feast

We are christening the smallest Cub in a few weeks time and I've been trying to plan the menu for months. I love the idea of creating my own little Ottolenghi style banquet but realistically know that i'm not really going to have the time or energy when it comes down to it.  On top of this - and probably more relevantly - is the fact that I have suddenly lost the ability to cook anything.  Everything I've attempted in the last few weeks has been shocking.  I'm not being modest.  I've managed to curdle shop bought Hollandaise and turned chicken into rubber. I even ruined baked potatoes. Twice.  So I'm slightly lacking in confidence in the culinary department at the moment and need to come up with some very simple but tasty creations.  

Jamie's Parma ham and peaches

Sprouted Kitchen's beetroot and avocado

I've been through every Delia, Jamie and Ottolenghi book in the house a million times and hunted for hours on Pinterest and still am no closer to a decision...

The Spouted Kitchen's butternut salad with cider dressing

Jamie Oliver beetroot salad

Ottolenghi Roast butternut squash with burnt aubergine and pomegranate molasses