Moroccan Spiced Squash and Feta Empanadas with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Empanadas are little Spanish or Portuguese pasties depending who you speak to. Around here they are most commonly filled with a tuna, tomato and onion mixture. Legend has it that they were bought to Medieval Spain by the Moorish invaders. This is my way of interpreting that and bringing back some of the Moorish flavours.

Here the pastry is traditionally made with Manteca which is a kind of pig fat or lard. Not really my cup of tea but tasty I’m sure.

I used the same spelt flour olive oil pastry that I used for this Fresh Fig & Goat’s Cheese Quiche and this Italian Courgette & Basil Crostata .  It’s so good and much healthier and easier than using butter or lard. The Washer Up has, as you may have read in a previous post, become intolerant to wheat quite recently so will not be taking sandwiches to work as often as he did.

Thankfully he has no reaction to spelt flour so these empanadas are the perfect replacement. You can change the filling to whatever you have or whatever is in season to keep it interesting but this is a lovely mix of sweet, spicy Moroccan flavours with some nice texture from the toasted pine nuts and juicy moscatel raisins. I cook them the day before and they are just as good at room temperature as they are hot. This makes them ideal for packed lunches or picnics.

Moroccan Spiced Squash & Feta Empanadas Recipe

For the pastry:

Makes about 8 empanadas depending on the size. Vegan, Wheat-free

• 250 g wholemeal spelt flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• up to 120 ml cold water

Mix together the flour, salt and herbs in a large bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and use a fork to mash it into the flour so it is evenly distributed.

Slowly add the water bit by bit (you may not need it all) and use the fork to combine it with the flour. When it starts coming together use your hands to bring it together into a ball and knead gently for a few seconds only. If it is too dry add a bit of water, too wet add a bit of flour. Wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge while you make the filling.

For the filling:

Makes a lot of filling. Vegetarian

• 1 small-medium squash/pumpkin unpeeled, cut into chunky wedges
• olive oil, salt, pepper, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground coriander

Preheat the oven to 200C and put the squash wedges on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt & pepper and sprinkle over the ground spices. Toss the wedges in the oil & spices and roast until the squash is very tender. This could take 25 -50 minutes depending on the size of you squash pieces.

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• the zest of half an orange and the juice
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp harissa paste or chilli flakes (optional)
• a handful of Moscatel raisins or sultanas
• a handful of pine nuts (toasted in a dry pan until browned)
• a handful of chopped coriander
• about 100 g Greek feta
• olive oil

Sweat the onion, celery and garlic in some olive oil over a medium heat for 5-8 minutes until softened. add in the turmeric, orange zest, orange juice, raisins and pine nuts and cook the liquid out.

Scrape the squash flesh out of its skin (or peel off the skin) and mash it into the pan with the onions etc. Cook this together until there is very little moisture, add the chopped fresh coriander.

Leave to cool then stir through the crumbled feta until evenly combined. Taste and season with salt & pepper to taste.

To assemble:

Roll the pastry out with a floured rolling-pin on a floured surface, turning it quarters turns as you go to stop it sticking, to a thickness of about 2-3 mm. I used a saucer to cut out most circles but I also used cutters to make smaller ones too. You will need to reroll the off cuts a few times to get the most circles out of the pastry.

Preheat oven to 190C and line a baking tray. Take a good heaped tablespoon of the mixture and put it in the bottom half of one of the pastry circles leaving about a centimetre border clear. Fold the top half of the circle over the filling, and seal the edges together with your fingers. Then use a fork to seal it again. Place on the baking tray and repeat with the rest of the circles. You may have some filling leftover, I did.

Make a few little slits in the top of each then brush the tops all over with olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes depending on the size.

Serve warm or at room temperature. The original Cornish pasties were apparently taken hot out of the oven and put into coat pockets to keep the hands warm on the chilly walk to work or school. Sounds like some people could probably do with that at the moment in some areas. It’s not that bad here and he has heating in the car….

Have a lovely weekend!

Tomato and Saffron Risotto with Basil, Pine Nuts and Parmesan

It’s been a while since I posted a recipe inspired by our trip to Cape Town. This one is a version of the Tomato Risotto I had at Sand at The Plettenberg Hotel in Plettenberg Bay.

Sand is one of the restaurants in the Liz Mcgrath Collection of three hotels overseen by the Grand Chef, Peter Tempelhoff. I have been lucky enough to have eaten at all three. I had an unforgettable passionfruit souffle at The Marine, Hermanus a few years ago that I must remember to have a go at with my next  lot of passionfruit.

I had one of the best meals of my life, a 7 Course Vegetarian Tasting Menu at The Greenhouse , Cellars Hohenort, awarded restaurant of the year and number 1 in South Africa, this year. More of that in a future post, I am still trying to get close to replicating one of the recipes from that memorable meal, but failing miserably at the moment. I can see why he is a multi award-winning Grand Chef.

Above are some pictures of the beautiful meal I had at Sand prepared by the very capable sous-chef , Tronnette. We were presented first of all with some Baked Rosemary & Sea Salt Lavash with Aubergine Puree and a Melon Shot with Cucumber Salsa Bruschetta. For a starter I chose the Double Baked Underberg Cheese Souffle with Chive & Parmesan Veloute which was light, fluffy and creamy, the best  savoury souffle I have ever had. A Tomato & Artichoke Risotto was prepared especially for me (being vegetarian). It had an intense tomato flavour (from the stock I think) that made it particularly special. The dessert was a Madagascan Vanilla Creme Brulee, Coconut Foam, Marshmallow Compresse and Pineapple Almond Biscotti, this was totally amazing!

They very kindly sent me the recipes for both the souffle and the risotto. So, with it being summer here now and with tomatoes being at their cheapest and best at the moment, I had to make the risotto first.  I added some saffron for colour and for that extra Spanish touch and topped it with my favourite tomato friends: basil, pine nuts and parmesan. They were meant for each other.

The first part of this recipe is making a tomato fondue (or sauce) to add into the risotto when it is cooked. You could skip this part if short on time and replace it with some shop-bought tomato pasta/marinara sauce.

Tomato & Saffron Risotto with Basil Pine Nuts & Parmesan

Serves 4, vegetarian, gluten-free. Adapted from Sand at The Plettenberg recipe

For the tomato fondue (sauce)

• 2-4 ripe tomatoes, I used 2 huge Spanish ones that hardly have any seeds
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• salt & pepper

Drop the tomatoes in boiling water for about 20 seconds, drain and remove the skins, seeds and chop the tomato flesh. Cook the onion in olive oil for a few minutes with a pinch of salt then add the garlic & oregano and cook for another minute. add the tomatoes and cook until softened. Add the ketchup, sugar and season with salt & black pepper. Cook until reduced and thickened. Taste and adjust sugar/salt as required. Set aside.

For the Risotto:

• 350 g risotto rice
• 1 litre vegetable stock (I made my own recipe here using lots of tomato to intensify the tomato flavour)
• a big pinch of saffron
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• a pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 150 ml sherry or white wine
• about 120 ml (1/2 cup) tomato fondue/pasta sauce (see recipe above)
• 200 g cherry/baby tomatoes (on the vine if possible)
• olive oil
• salt & black pepper
• 30 gr grated parmesan or manchego (vegetarian) plus shaved for garnish
•  a hand ful of basil leaves juliennned, plus leaves to garnish
•  a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 40 gr toasted pine nuts

Put the veg stock and saffron in pan over a medium low heat to warm up but not boil.

Meanwhile, cook the onion in the olive oil with a pinch of salt over a medium heat for 3 minutes then add the garlic, oregano & chilli flakes and cook for another 2 mins.  Add in the rice stirring to coat in the oil and cook for 2 minutes before adding the sherry/wine and cook until it is dry.

Start by adding 2 ladles of the hot stock to the rice and swirl the pan until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add another ladle of stock, wait for it to be absorbed, swirling  and continue like this until the rice is cooked and you have used all of the stock. If you run out of stock you can add hot water. Then stir in the tomato fondue/sauce.

Stir in the grated parmesan, sliced basil, lemon juice and season with salt & pepper. Remove from the heat and put the lid on.

Preheat a griddle pan (or frying pan if you don’t have one), season the cherry tomatoes in a bowl with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat. Cook them on the griddle pan until you get black marks and they start to soften.

Taste the risotto for seasoning and serve topped with a pile of  cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan, toasted pine nuts and basil leaves.

Buen Provecho!

 Sand at The Plettenberg

Look-out Rocks, 40 Church Street
P. O. Box 719
Plettenberg Bay 6600
South Africa

+27 44 533 2030

reservations8@collectionmcgrath.com

 

Chargrilled Vegetable “Sandwich” with Feta, Basil and Pine Nuts

I’ve been toying with the idea of making a sandwich without the bread for a while. Alli at Pease Pudding recreated a version of this that she had for lunch in a cafe.

She lives in New Zealand and every time I visit her blog it makes me want to visit New Zealand even more. The choice of food apart from everything else is inspiring. One of her latest posts is a breakfast she had in another cafe which was Baba Ghanoush topped with a Poached Egg (heaven), that is definitely next on my list. Maybe for brunch tomorrow, if I can wait that long…. 

Green Vegetable Minestrone with Toasted Pine Nuts

May Day here is known as Dia de la Cruz “Day of the Cross”. It is also Dia de los Verdes “Day of the Greens”. In Alhaurin there are two main churches known as The Greens & The Purples (the colours of the Andalucian flag). For the whole long weekend and Tuesday the Green Church known asVera Cruz have processions, marching bands and let off rockets very early in the morning and very late at night.

Thankfully it stopped raining long enough to get out and take some photos this week.

I can’t pretend to know what it’s all about but they seem to enjoy it and it brings the community (well one half of it anyway) together. Rows of different types of chairs are tied together all along the procession route so no one can steal a precious front row seat.

After the processions everyone congregates at the church.

Everyone is wearing green. Purple is a definite faux-pas. Unless you are our friend Miguel, who was over from England with his girlfriend Lindsey for the Bank Holiday. He decide to rock it in lilac jeans, despite all the funny looks, classic Miguel, hilarious….!!

So in keeping with this green weekend and to atone slightly for the purple jeans incident I have made a Green Vegetable Minestrone. This is my favourite soup that we served at the restaurant. I got it from a Cape Town cookbook my Dad gave to me. It is really fresh tasting and more Springy than a classic Minestrone. You can use whatever green veg you like just make sure you give it loads of fresh basil…

I kept it vegan & gluten-free by using rice vermicelli. You can use any pasta you like but keep it tiny. Freshly shaved parmesan on top is the authentic addition that I replaced with toasted pine nuts. Either way it’s a deliciously healthy bowl of goodness that leaves you feeling all virtuous inside…

Green Vegetable Minestrone with Toasted Pine Nuts

serves 6 , vegan, gluten-free. Adapted from Cape Town Food by Phillippa Cheifitz

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 big Spanish spring onion (or 4 or 5 scallions)
• 1 leek, halved lengthways, rinsed & finely sliced
• 2 stalks celery, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 small cabbage, cored & finely shredded
• 125 gr green beans, 2 cm diagonal slices
• 1 courgette, diced
•  bundle of asparagus, woody ends snapped off, 2cm diagonal slices
• 100 gr frozen peas
• 50 gr rice vermicelli (or other tiny pasta) 
• 150 gr rocket (or spinach/watercress)
• 1+ 1/2 litres veg stock
• salt & black pepper
• a big bunch of basil, leaves torn or sliced when served
• 25 gr pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• shaved parmesan (unless vegan)

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over a medium heat, add in the spring onions, leeks & celery with a pinch of salt and cook until starting to soften about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic & parsley and cook for another minute or two.

Add in the cabbage and cook gently for about 10 minutes (you don’t want it to brown) add a splash of stock if dry. Then add in the rest of the vegetables, except the rocket and basil, and cook for another 5 minutes. Season well with salt & black pepper, pour over the stock, bring to the boil, cover, lower the heat & simmer for about 25 minutes.

Stir in the pasta and rocket and cook until tender about 5 minutes. Check seasoning and add more stock if you want it more soupy than stewy.

Ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle over lots of freshly torn basil, the toasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan (if using). Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin.

I think Los Verdes would approve don’t you?

Green Bean Pilaf with Toasted Almonds, Pine Nuts and Raisins

I’ve decided to go on a detox diet for a month to see if I can lose some weight. It means no meat (obviously), eggs, dairy, wheat, sugar or alcohol for a month. My friend has lent me a Carol Vorderman detox book that has some good recipes in it that I am using as a base to work from. They are all quite basic in the flavour department so I will be amping up the spices to make sure every dish is delicious and full of flavour as well as healthy. I don’t want it to feel like I am on a diet or that I am being deprived and I definitely don’t want the food to be boring in any way.

I started about a week ago and I am definitely noticing a difference. I feel less bloated, lighter and less hungry, which is surprising. This is my breakfast smoothie that I am having every day. It is one or two crushed ice cubes blended with 1 banana, 5 or 6 strawberries, a big slice of pineapple, the juice of half an orange and a handful of oats. It is a lovely way to start the day and keeps me full until lunchtime which is great because I walk/jog 4.5km every morning with the dog.

This was my first vegan gluten-free meal, as you can see there is a little bit of crumbled Feta on the top, but that was the last of it I promise… Well I’m not promising anything really. That’s too much pressure and there is an amazing vegetarian “Scotch Egg” & piccalilli recipe that I am desperate to try. The only thing I am promising is that there will never be a boring, tasteless, bland recipe on this blog so don’t worry. I have plenty of exciting South American, South East Asian, Middle Eastern and Indian recipes up my sleeve that you wouldn’t even know were detox, so here we go…

Green Bean Pilaf with Almonds, Pine Nuts & Raisins

serves 4, vegan & gluten-free without the Feta. Adapted from Carol Vorderman’s Detox Recipes

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 leek, sliced in half lengthways, rinsed & finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 300 gr wholegrain (brown) rice
• 1 litre veg stock
• 225 gr green beans, trimmed & halved
• 30 gr pine nuts
• 30 gr flaked almonds
• 50 gr raisins (I used moscatel they are bigger & juicier)
• a handful of fresh parsley, chopped plus leaves for garnish
• a handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
• salt & black pepper
• greek feta (optional)

Toast the pine nuts and almonds in a dry frying pan, shaking occasionally until browned. Don’t take your eyes off of them or they will burn. Set aside to cool.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, leeks and a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned then add in the garlic and cook for a minute more.

Add the coriander, cumin and rice and cook, stirring for a minute until the grains are glossy. Add the veg stock and the raisins and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid is almost absorbed and the rice is nearly cooked. Add the green beans, salt, pepper,stir, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes until the beans and rice are cooked. Stir through the chopped herbs, taste and serve sprinkled with the toasted almonds, pine nuts, a few parsley leaves and some crumbled feta (if using).

Wholegrain rice provides fibre, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B1 and iron that white rice does not. Leeks and onions are rich in allyl sulphides which are protective against heart disease and cancer as well as providing folate and vitamin C. Pine nuts & almonds provide protein & calcium and are super-rich in heart healthy vitamin E and monounsaturated oils.

All that and it tastes great too, enjoy!!

Greek Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

 I know I’m kind of overloading you with cabbage recipes but I’ve still got half left -they really do go a long way! This recipe is adapted from a Delia Smith recipe (We love Delia!). I have changed it & added a few more flavours to the stuffing including Feta, cumin, oregano, hazelnuts, cinnamon & dried cranberries (because Ididn’t have any raisins). The result is a slightly sweet but savoury delicious filling. This recipe is supposed to be for two people but I ended up with a huge amount of the rice mixture left so I have added on another of my favourite leftover recipes underneath…

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves in Tomato Sauce

Greek Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Fresh Tomato Sauce Recipe

serves 2 plus extra vegetarian, adapted from a Delia Smith recipe

•  about 6 to 8 whole cabbage leaves (Discard any yellow outer leaves)
• 1/4 cabbage finely sliced
• 350gr ripe tomatoes chopped (I chopped 1 large tomato & added a handful of cherry tomatoes)
• 2 small cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried mint
• salt & black pepper
• a drizzle of chilli oil (or olive oil)

For the Stuffing

• 15o ml brown rice 
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 tsp  ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 30 gr pine nuts
• 30 gr hazelnuts  (or pistachios)
• 50 gr dried cranberries ( or raisins)
• 100 gr greek feta
• a handful of fresh mint chopped
• salt & pepper

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook over a medium heat until lightly browned then add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon & oregano, stir to combine.Then add the rice and coat in the spice oil.
2. Pour 300 ml of boiling water into the rice, add salt, stir, put the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Allow the rice to cook for about 30 mins until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. You may have to add more boiling water if the rice is not cooked and all the water has been absorbed.
3. Meanwhile toast the nuts in dry pan until slightly browned. Don’t take your eyes off them or they will burn! Leave to cool.
4. With each of the whole cabbage leaves, make a v shaped cut to get rid of the hard stalky bits, and cook in boiling water for 4 mins. Take the leaves out with a slotted spoon, drain in a colander and rine under cold water. Then add the sliced cabbage to the boiling water for 3 mins. Dry the whole cabbage leaves on a clean tea towel. Drain the sliced cabbage, rinse in cold water and set aside.
5. When the rice is cooked leave to cool slightly before adding the sliced cabbage, nuts, cranberries, crumbled feta & chopped mint. Season well with salt & pepper.

Stuffing Mixture

 6. Lay your first cabbage leaf out on a board and place a heaped tablespoon of the stuffing mixture in the middle. Roll it up like a cigar and tuck the ends under. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage leaves and arrange the cabbage rolls(with the tucked under bits on the base) in a baking dish. Don’t worry if there are a few holes in your leaves it still works look at mine !! 

 

Stuffed, Rolled Cabbage Leaves

 

7. Season with salt & pepper and cover with the chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic, oregano & mint.  Season again and cover with foil or a lid. 

 

Ready To Bake

 

8. Bake in a preheated oven 190 degrees fro 25 to 30 mins, then take of the foil and put back for another 10 mins. 

The Finished Dish

As I said above I had loads of the rice mixture left over so I made some stuffed peppers for lunch today. Just slice the tops off of the peppers and romve all the seeds and membrane.

Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture top with some more crumbled feta and a little dried mint, drizzle with olive oil and bake in a 2oo degree oven for 30 – 35 mins. I served mine with a rocket salad. 

 

 

Enjoy!