Beetroot and blood orange salad with crispy buckwheat

So much of a recipe is all about the "elements" coming together. Skills we have learnt, things we have been given, inspiration we have borrowed all converging on the plate. 

This salad is a classic example of something borrowed, gifted and stolen.

A couple of month ago I went to my second Scarf dinner (pop ups that give young people hand on experience in the hospitality industry) and experienced my first crispy buckwheat in cauliflower dish. The texture was life changing and I had to make it! 

Crispy buckwheat
Ingredients

• 130g raw buckwheat
• 25g butter
• 10 g olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

• Add buckwheat to a bowl and cover with cold water
• Soak for 30 mins
• Drain and shake of excess water
• In a non stick fry pan heat butter and oil over medium heat
• Add buckwheat and stir gently as it toasts about 8 minutes
• When buckwheat is crisp and brown add balsamic vinegar and coat grains
• Take off heat and spread flat on a large tray to cool

I used my cast iron pot for the photo but prefer to use a non stick frypan the other times I've made it

The fermented garlic honey came from an episode of Andy and Ben Eat Australia where they visit The Fermentary in Daylesford which only encouraged my baby steps into fermenting.  The smell of the bubbling honey for any garlic lover is heaven and while I'm not a doctor, with an occasion teaspoon I've had no signs of man flu this winter. 

Garlic honey labneh
Ingredient

• 300g natural yoghurt
• 1/4 cup fermented garlic honey

Method

• Place a fine sieve over a large bowl
• Add the yogurt and cover with plastic wrap
• Let sit in the fridge for about 24 hours
• Place yogurt into a mixing bowl
• Add honey and combine

Salad Ingredients

• 2 small golden beetroot, boiled till tender and quartered
• 1 large beetroot, boiled till tender and diced
• 1 large candy stripe beetroot, boiled till tender and thinly sliced
• 1 blood orange segmented The blood oranges for this post were supplied by Redbelly Citrus
• 1 spring onion sliced on bias (diagonally)
• 3 radishes sliced thinly
• 1-2 tbsp garlic honey
• 1-2 tbsp lime agrumato olive oil (or olive oil with squeeze of lime)

Assembly...no allen key required

Spread a tsunami of labneh across a serving platter (I need a large black plate) or pretty much just put it on the plate 

Artistically arrange the golden beetroots or pretty much just put them on the plate 

Seductively drape the candy stripe beetroot or pretty much just put them on the plate

Joyfully scatter the radishes like confetti or pretty much just put them on the plate

Bestow the crimson sunset blood orange gems or pretty much just put them on the plate

Disseminate the grassy spring onions or pretty much just put them on the plate

Purposefully position the purple empire of beetroot cubes or pretty much just put them on the plate

Adorned with crisp salty jewels of buckwheat or pretty much just put them on the plate 

Delightfully drizzle with garlic honey and lime olive oil or pretty much just put them on the plate 

Find a gallery and display your work of art....Traditionally I find a table  works best.

An earlier version which is less busy and you could whip up with a tinned beetroot if you can't be arsed boiling fresh one. 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2015 - Georgia

Welcome to Georgia the final country in semi final one for Chow Down to Eurovision 2015. 

You will be able to start voting for your favourite dishes so that the top ten will proceed to the final.

But how long till semi final 2 starts, I hear you ask.  Well, One More Day, which also happens to be to 2011 entry from Georgia performed by Eldrine and placing 9th. 

I'm sure a warrior will need a lot of energy!

Walnut and Almond Gozinaki

Ingredients

• 400g walnuts
• 100g almonds
• 150g honey
• 50g sugar
• Icing sugar to dust

Method

• Toast nuts in a fry pan over medium heat
• Chop nuts or put through food processor with slicer attachment about 3mm setting
• Add the honey to a fry pan and stir over love heat for 10 minutes till thickened
• Add the sugar and stir till dissolved
• Let cook for another couple of minutes
• Add the nuts and stir to combine well
• Let cool for a minute because it will be very hot
• Press onto a lined tray with the back of a spoon or wet hands (remember I said VERY HOT!!!!)
• Allow to cool to set
• Slice diagonally to create diamond or odd triangles as I have
• Dust with icing sugar

In 2015 there are two songs call Warrior but sadly we did manage to get a third called worrier!

Nina Sublatti will be the first Warrior before Malta presents their Warrior in semi final two.

Georgia's Warrior is strong and there is no mixed message Nina is a Warrior and if have any doubt she will sing another chorus to let the message hit you right between the eyes.

The video clip shows the "zena type" warrior images and a snake, yes a bloody snake, we all know how much I hate them!

Siri has picked a team when it comes to Warrior....she mustn't have issues with the snake! 

Past Georgia Chow Down to Eurovision:

2014 Chicken with Walnut Sauce

2013 Khachapuri

Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 - Latvia

Labvakar (Good Evening) Saucers, this is Latvia calling.

You may remember from Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 that I had my heart set on making Latvian liverwurst till disaster struck when my old oven broke!

So this year it was definitely going to be liverwurst until it was announced that Latvia would sing Cake to Bake in Copenhagen.

So when you are given inspiration like that naturally you have a Cake to Bake!

If anyone reading this is thinking of entering the Latvian national finals next year, just think liverwurst.

Here's a head start "without you my world is cursed, I'll never forget your tasty liverwurst".
I'm sure it would sound much better in Latvian.

Latvia pulled off a win in 2002 with only their 3rd entry to the contest, I Wanna by Marie N.
Sadly since Intars Busulis with Probka (2009) they have been unable to qualify for the finals.

I've pick this song as today's hit from Eurovision's past as I enjoy the changing rhythms and I love an act that has a BYO projector screen.

 

Latvia also failed to qualify for the final of Chow Down to Eurovision in 2013 so I'm hoping this honey and walnut cake will put them over the line.
 

The glucose was added when I had run out of honey while doing another test batch, AB without knowing said it had more of a honey taste, plus it is so much easier to spread so it stayed.
 

 

Latvian Honey and Walnut Cake

Ingredients

• 200g honey
• 100g glucose
• 2 large eggs
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsps. bi carb soda
• 600ml sour cream
• 250g mascarpone
• 150g caster sugar
• 125g walnut crumbs
• plus extra walnuts and honey to garnish

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• In a mixing bowl combine honey, glucose and eggs
• Sift in flour and bi carb soda
• Fold through till well combined
• Spread thin layers on 5 lined baking trays (or repeat 5 times if you have 1 tray)
• Bake at 180°C for about 3-4 minutes
• They should be golden, risen a little and not crispy
• Lay on a lined wire rack to cool, slowly removing the baking paper while still warm
• Allow to cool completely
• In a mixing bowl beat the sour cream, mascarpone, and caster sugar till smooth
• Place 1 layer of cake onto a board or serving plate
• Cover with a thickish layer of filling and sprinkle with 1/5 of the walnut crumbs
• Repeat with remaining cake and filling
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
• To serve either trim up the edges of the cake or leave it rustic
• Garnish with extra walnuts and a drizzle of honey
• Figs would also be a very welcomed guest artist  

 

 So moist and addictive reminiscent of a caramel chocolate ripple cake (or scallywag cake depending on where you grew up) 

 

This year Latvia will be represented by Aarzemnieki who have a Cake to Bake but hopefully after reading this they will definitely know how.

 

Could 2014 be the year to break the 5 year drought of Latvia not qualifying for the finals?

 

A song about cake has to have a good chance, who doesn't like cake???

 lai jums veicas!

 

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - F.Y.R. Macedonia

Hello this is  Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia calling. For the country with the longest name in the contest we have one of the shortest posts and easiest dishes of the Chow Down to Eurovision 2013.

I first discovered halva while watching Greek Come Dine With Me and then had some tutoring from a Macedonian colleague, she'd advise too pale, too dry, but I think I got it right in the end.
My all time favourite F.Y.R.M entry is 2002 Karolina singing Od Nas Zavisi musically this song is so interesting and I love the complex backing vocals, but really if you can rip off a ball gown to reveal gold chest armour you're OK in my book.

I've also added a special mention for another F.Y.R.M act I love for their theatricality, Toše Proeski with Life from 2004 who was tragically killed in a car accident in 2007.

Halva with walnuts
Ingredients

• 7 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 1 orange zest and juice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 10 cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup sunflower oil (or vegetable)
• 3 1/4 cups coarse semolina
• 200g walnuts chopped coarsely

Optional topping

• 500g Greek yogurt
• 1 pear pealed and chopped
• Pomegranate seeds
• Honey to drizzle

Method

• In a large saucepan add the water, sugar, honey, orange zest and juice, cinnamon and cloves.
• Gently simmer and stir to dissolve sugar and infuse flavours for about 20 minutes the strain.
• In a large boiler add the oils and semolina and mix
• Toast over a high heat to darken the semolina, it should turn a nut brown colour
• Take semolina off the heat and add the walnuts and mix through
• Carefully add the syrup, this will be very dramatic and may spit so caution is advised
• Mix to absorb the liquid
• Spoon halva into an oiled Bundt tin, again carefully as it is super hot
• Let cool in the fridge for a few hours
• Remove from Bundt onto a serving plate
• Rather than filling the hole with a pot plant (you've all seen the movie...it's a cake) I combined the pear and yogurt then topped with pomegranate seeds and honey but this is optional

Gotta love an oozing reveal!

It also make a delicious breakfast while writing and if you cover up the halva you can try and claim you are just having healthy yogurt, it's worth a shot.

Will F.Y.R.M give us some drama again this year as Esma & Lozano sing Pred Da Se Razdeni?

Cо среќа!

That's not how you make porridge...

I cook with the philosophy of Yoda, you'd think Julia Child would be more appropriate but no, Yoda, it is.

So when I was watching an episode of River Cottage where they made a breakfast bar, it did not deter me that I only had 3 of the ingredients required. The peanut butter was substituted for some tahini blended with some pecans and hazelnuts, the honey was golden syrup and so on. The key is never be afraid to cook, it may not arrive as the planned but you have created an original recipe (just pray its edible).
This is the original River Cottage recipe below is a combination of my replacement ingredients and a trip to the shops.

Date and Oat Bar
Ingredients

• 125 grams unsalted butter
• 80 grams brown sugar
• 150 grams total combined weight of peanut butter and tahini (how much of each is up to you)
• 80 grams honey
• zest of 1 lemon and lime
• 300 grams rolled oats (450 grams if you want extra crunchy bars)
• 150 grams chopped dates
• 150 grams mixed seeds, Pepita, linseed, sunflower and black sesame
• 50 grams almond meal
• extra honey and white sesame seeds

Method

• In a large pot melt butter, brown sugar, peanut butter, tahini and honey on low heat.

• Add remaining ingredients and mix well

• Press into a greased pan (i used 18cm x 28cm, but what ever you have is fine)
• Drizzle top with extra honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds
• bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
• Cool completely before cutting.

I store this in the fridge, mostly because is a million degrees at the moment and it is really nice chilled.

If I only had a grain.....

I am lucky enough to share my journey of baking with one of my dearest friends. We are our own appreciation society, regularly scoring our dishes an overly generous 15 out of 10. 

I love it that after we have eaten our latest creations there will be an text the next day, "how much butter in your scones was it again?" "which recipe did you use for the bagels" "was that a stretch or a knead?" The best part to this relationship is there is no competition as to who is better.

The latest adventure was a multi grain loaf, her is amazing, so in the spirit of no competition I thought I better get my grain on.

The Internet has many multi grain loaf recipes but most call for pre-packaged grain mixes. I didn't want to use a pre-done mix so have experimented a couple of times and come up with this recipe.

You can mix up the different grains to suit your tastes, if it turns out bad, blame it on the grain!
(I'm sorry, at least I haven't subjected you to It's graining men...OK now I am truly sorry)

Grain Class of 2012

Top row L-R: black sesame seeds, chia, basil seed, sesame seeds, pepita seeds, rolled oats

Bottom row L-R:  Linseed, Sunflower seeds

 

Multi grain loaf
makes 2

• 1 tbs honey
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 3/4 water
• 14g dried yeast
• good splash of olive oil
• 500g flour (I use 300g strong and 200g wholemeal)
• 15g oats
• 20g pepita
• 30g sunflower seeds
• 50g linseed
• 30g chia
• 5g basil seeds
• 25g sesame
• 25g black sesame 
• 10g salt
• you can vary the grains but a 200g total works well

Method

• Combine hot water and honey in a bowl and stir to disolve
• Add remaining water and yeast to bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to activate.

not a cappucino

• Combine flours, grains and salt in mixing bowl.
• Make a well and add the liquids

If using a mixer add the liquids first, it combines better.



•  Knead till dough is elastic and then put it in an oiled bowl to rest.
• More flour may be needed depending on the day, it should come away from the bowl cleanly but still be a wet dough
• Depending on the weather it should take about an hour to double in size.

• Stretch the dough and then let rest for 30 mins and repeat.
• Divide into 2 loaves and place in greased and floured (I use course semolina) loaf tin. 
• Let rest for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

• Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C for about 45minutes-1 hour.
• Spray top of the bread with water and sprinkle with some extra grains.
• Add a cake tin of water to the bottom of the oven to achieve a crusty loaf.

This bread makes the best banana sandwich ever!!!!!!!

Best breakfast bread with avocado, poached egg and diced bacon sprinkle..well chucked on the top.