March 2018 – Mary's Kitchen

March 31, 2018March 31, 2018

The Queen of Dips – Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic and Chilli Hummus

ROASTED RED PEPPER, GARLIC AND CHILLI HUMMUS

I am dubbing this wonderful dip, “The Queen of Dips” because the simple chickpea has such enormous health benefits and it is such a versatile dip to use with numerous dishes. Not only that, there are a number of ways to reinvent it by adding a few different ingredients. The possibilities of preparation are endless and here I will share a couple of ways to make the unassuming chickpea, (also known as the garbanzo bean), into something quite tasty.

Firstly, for those of you who are “clean eaters” you will no doubt already be familiar with the many health benefits of the chickpea. But let me just list a few of the secret health benefits of this Mediterranean, Middle Eastern gem.

Not only being an excellent source of fiber, they are also high in protein, carbohydrates and contain minerals like selenium, vitamin K, folate, phosphorous, zinc, copper, manganese and choline. They also contain high levels of vitamin B-6, iron and magnesium. These minerals and vitamins each having their own health benefits. Well known health facts are chickpeas can help diabetes, blood pressure, inflammation, digestion, weight management, cholesterol and even cancer.

So let’s get busy in the kitchen and prepare this easy dish so you can impress your family and friends.

INGREDIENTS

1 tin chick peas (reserve the liquid when you strain them), 1 roasted red pepper, 3 garlic cloves chopped, juice of 1 lemon & 1 lime, 1 chopped red chilli, 3 tbsp tahini paste (recipe follows below to make your own), 1/4 cup olive oil, sea salt & ground black pepper.

METHOD

Cut the red pepper in half and place face down on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15/20 mins at 180 degrees or until skin turns dark. Remove from oven and place in a plastic bag for a few minutes. This makes it easy to peel outer skin off. You can also roast your garlic at the same time if you would like to. If you do, place garlic cloves in tin foil with skins on and drizzle with olive oil. You can of course just use fresh chopped garlic. Once you have peeled your red pepper set aside for a moment.

Add the chickpeas to your food processor, the roasted pepper, chopped chilli, chopped or roasted garlic, tahini paste, lemon & lime juice, olive oil, s&p.

Blend well as you want a creamy texture so if you feel it is a little dry, slowly add the chickpea reserve liquid or a bit of water and continue to blend until you get the creamy consistency we are looking for. Place into a bowl, sprinkle with a little paprika and a drizzle of olive oil. You could also top with some roasted pine nuts, walnuts or pecans if you wish (optional).

TAHINI PASTE

This is an expensive commodity to buy in health food stores, so why not make your own. It couldn’t be simpler.

You can make this raw if you have a really powerful blender (raw meaning sesame seeds only) but I tend to mix in a little olive oil and use my nutribullet to blend. You can roast the sesame seeds before hand by dry roasting them in a frying pan or even add a little olive oil.

SIMPLE METHOD

1 cup sesame seeds, 3 to 4 tbsps olive oil (as need to get good consistency)

Place into a blender and mix until it turns into a paste. It’s that simple and you have saved yourself a fortune.

TIPSTERS -There are various methods you can jazz up your Hummus.

1. Roast a whole bulb of garlic with some olive oil in tin foil for 15/20 mins and add entire bulb leaving out roasted red pepper.
2. Caramelise some onions slowly and add them to decorate the top of the Hummus.
3. Roast some Pine Nuts, Walnuts or Pecans and decorate the top.
4. Tahini dressing – 1 tbsp of tahini paste, 1 tsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp water – mix well. Use to dress vegetables, chicken, sweet potatoes.
Basically use your imagination and the world is your oyster. Enjoy!

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Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder

March 18, 2018March 18, 2018

POACHED EGG PERFECTION

HOW TO ACHIEVE A PERFECT POACHED EGG? and WHERE’S THE HOLLANDAISE?

Nothing tastes better on a Sunday morning than perfect poached eggs topped with a velvety hollandaise sauce.

There are many debates on how to achieve the perfect poached egg and hollandaise, so let’s get back to basics and make it simple.

Some B&B owners run hurling into a kitchen when an order for Poached Eggs is placed. Everyone has different idea on how to poach the perfect egg and most shy away from this simple task because they quite often get it wrong. The biggest problem being of course, is overcooking and the hollandaise separating.

We spend money buying special pans which guarantee the perfect poached, but these are quite unnecessary and take away from the natural appearance of how a poached egg should look on the plate.

Follow a few simple instructions will have you making your perfect Sunday brunch fit for a queen.

POACHED EGGS

Firstly, fill a skillet with 1-1/2 inches of water. Bring this water to a boil and then turn down to a simmer (you must never put you soon to be poached eggs into boiling water). Add two tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar. Swirl this around in the pan. If your skillet is large – you can poach 4 eggs at one time. If a smaller skillet is being used – do 2 at a time.

Using fresh free range eggs, break your egg into a small plate, with your whisk gently swirl the water around in your skillet. Slide the egg off the plate into the gently swirling water. Do the same with the remaining eggs. Leave to simmer for anywhere between 3 – 5 mins until the white is opaque and firm. Gently remove eggs with a slotted spoon and lay them on sheets of paper towel to absorb water.

While your eggs are simmering, you now have time to make your Hollandaise Sauce.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp white wine vinegar

2 large egg yolks

125 grams Kerrygold (grass fed butter) – melted

Sea Salt & Pepper

Put your lemon juice and vinegar into a heatproof bowl. Add your two egg yolks and whisk these together. Place your heatproof bowl over a small pan of simmering water, acting like a Bain-Marie. Continue to whisk being very careful at this point not to boil the water in the pan. The egg yolks will thicken and become a lighter yellow colour. You do not want your eggs to scramble so really watch the heat – be patient. Slowly add melted butter and continue to whisk. Sauce will become thick and velvety. Add sea salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

(Quick Fix Tip as we all can get this one wrong sometimes – if your hollandaise separates while whisking, try adding a tbsp. of boiling water and continue to whisk – the velvety texture should return. You can also add one more egg yolk and whisk).

If you are using English Muffins or Crumpets, best to toast and butter these a minute or so before eggs are finished. You can place bacon or ham on top of your Muffin, then place the poached egg and top with a couple of tablespoons of Hollandaise. Voila! A perfect Sunday breakfast.

As Romeo was to Juliet – so is a perfect poached egg with hollandaise. Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder

March 10, 2018March 10, 2018

MARY’S KITCHEN – GOAT’S CHEESE, TOMATO & CHORIZO

GOAT’S CHEESE, TOMATO & CHORIZO

This is my go to appetiser when I really want to impress my dinner guests and with very little fuss, conjure this delightful blend of ingredients up.

This combinations work perfectly and with the addition of some extra virgin olive oil (always buy the best you can afford), some fresh tarragon or dried, a squeeze of lemon and voila, you have a fabulous starter to compliment any dinner party or simply on its own, a light lunch or supper snack.

You will need a lovely crusty French baguette for dipping at the end. The combination of flavours enlightens the taste buds and it will cross your mind to almost lick the plate, but I recommend using the baguette to mop up the remaining juices. (or a gluten free version)

If you have some small oval ear serving dishes, these lend themselves well to this dish.

Assembling will only take moments and the result will be award winning.

Treat your food like a fashion accessory and layer it up. Great colourful results.

GOAT’S CHEESE, TOMATO & CHORIZO

3 – 3/4″ slices of goats cheese per serving (roughly 100 grams – 4 ounces)

1 Large Vine Ripened Tomato

6 slices of chorizo

A drizzle of Olive Oil

A sprinkle of fresh or dried tarragon

A sprinkle of chilli flakes

Squeeze 1/4 whole lemon juice

2 sun dried tomatoes plus 4 cherry tomatoes

Method – slice vine ripened tomato, assemble evenly in the bottom of your dish – place the 3 goats cheese slices – chorizo – drizzle with olive oil and squeeze 1/4 of a lemon. Sprinkle with tarragon, chilli flakes & black pepper.

Top with sun dried tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.

French Baguette for mopping juices. Awesome result!

serving size 1 bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Serve as a starter, light lunch or supper snack.

If you are enjoying my blogs and following me on my Facebook Page – Mary’s Kitchen , please subscribe after reading this blog my entering your email address in the subscription area at the end of this blog. You will them receive notification when I have posted.

Thank you for stopping by.

Mary Joan Calder