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DEVILLED ALMONDS. Traditionally eaten hot, but mighty good cold.
1 heaped cup of raw almonds
1½ tablespoons virgin olive oil
cayenne pepper & salt
Pour boiling water over the almonds, leave them for a few minutes, and tumble dry them with a rough cloth to remove as much skin as possible. Toss the almonds in the oil and fry over medium heat, stirring, until the nuts turn golden. Spread them on kitchen paper and sprinkle with cayenne and salt. Leave them for a minute, then shake the seasoning off.
Variation;
Replace cayenne with garam masala.
DRY DIP- origins are in Palestine, though Za'atar is popular throughout the Middle East. Za'atar varies slightly from region to region.
Also called Zaatar or Za'tar, is a traditional, flavourful mix of dried seeds, herbs, and spices that varies from country to country. Zaatar can be used as an insanely morish coating on bread dunked in olive oil, or it can be used as a seasoning, sprinkled on hot toast, over roast tomatoes and potatoes, and on rice and pasta coated in olive oil. The basic recipe follows. You will need a Pestle and Mortar to pound and grind the ingredients.
2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup coriander seeds
¾ cup walnuts
3 tablespoons ground cumin
1 dessertspoon of cardomom
1 tablespoon powdered cinnamon or smoked or sweet paprika
2 tablespoons dried marjoram or dried thyme or coriander
1 tablespoon sumac powder
A pinch of chilli powder (optional)
The dryer your chickpeas are, the crunchier they'll be when roasted. Preheat the oven to 220C. Put the chickpeas into a plastic bag, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and shake the bag until the chickpeas are evenly coated. Take a flat oven tray; do not line it with parchment or baking paper. Lay your chickpeas in a single layer and roast them for about 25 minutes or until golden, turning them every five minutes to be sure every part of every pea is baking. Remove from the oven; if they are not crunchy, return them to the oven for a short while; test again; when crunchy, remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Next, the walnuts. Preheat oven to 180C. Spread the walnuts, sesame seeds and coriander seeds on a flat tray. Roast for ten minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool. Put all ingredients, except salt and pepper, into a pestle, then pound into a powder with a mortar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the dry dip to small bowls. Fill the same number of bowls with olive oil and another with small chunks of broken bread.
Dip the bread first in the oil, then in the Zaatar. Eat and enjoy.
Note
Another yummy nibble is whole, roasted chickpeas. Spice them up after removing them from the oven, and before they are cold, add sweet or smoked paprika, lemon pepper, sumac, salt, black pepper, cumin, fennel, or saffron. Use crunchie chickpeas in salads and vegetables as a snack, as well as on mashed potatoes and pumpkins.
HUMMUS.
While the exact origin is debated, this dish is firmly rooted in the culinary traditions of the Middle East, with mentions appearing in 13th-century cookbooks from the region.
400g chickpeas (1 can) or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
¼ cup of tahini that has been thoroughly stirred
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 dessertspoon of powdered cumin
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of chilli powder (optional)
cold water
salt & pepper to taste
Garnish;
Olive oil, sweet or smoked paprika. Sumac or chopped parsley.
If you cook your chickpeas, soak them overnight, remove the white foam from the surface and drain. Rinse well, cover the chickpeas with double the water, and remove foam as they cook. Then drain the water, keeping about ¼ cup or cook chickpeas until tender in a pressure cooker. If using canned chickpeas, drain the liquid from the chickpeas but keep the fluid (aquafaba). Aquafaba added to the hummus blend will create a lighter hummus than if you added l until well combined. Combine the drained chickpeas, oil, garlic, and cumin. Transfer the lot to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, adding one tablespoon of water until your preferred consistency. When the blend is creamy and smooth, add chilli powder if you use it. Taste, add pepper and salt, and blend again. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill overnight. Garnish by floating a fine coat of olive oil on the surface, then decorate with separate circles of parsley, sumac and paprika.
Note
For hummus with a difference, replace the chickpeas with black beans, white beans, butterbeans, edamame or cannellini beans. All are nutritious and delicious.
FATTOUSH.
A simple, inexpensive, delicious thick cream typically served in a rolled lettuce leaf on small pieces of toasted, broken pita or savoury biscuits.
2 large cucumbers or equivalent in amount
6 slices of stale bread
1 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 dessertspoon of maple syrup or honey
1 dessertspoon of sumac
½ cup olive oil
salt to taste
1 iceberg lettuce
sprigs of dill
toothpicks
Decrust the bread, soak it in water until soft, then squeeze it dry. Peel and chop one cucumber into bite-sized pieces, then chop the remaining cucumber into chunks. Put everything except the bite-sized cucumber, salt, and lettuce into a blender and purée until smooth, adding one tablespoon of water until a thick, smooth consistency is reached. Chill for at least two hours. Serve by cupping a lettuce or part of a lettuce leaf in your palm, adding a dollop of Pattoush, adding a sprig of dill, leaving part of it sticking out, folding or rolling the lettuce into a small parcel and fastening with a toothpick.
FONDUE, a vegan version of a traditional Swiss Dish.
A communal dish served in a communal pot placed in the centre of a table in a communal pot over a small burner to keep it warm.
Make Cashew Cream:
2 cups raw cashews (not roasted) soaked overnight in filtered water or for three hours in hot, boiled water cups filtered water, and two capsules of Acidophilus Probiotics.
Drain the cashews and transfer them to a high-speed blender with water. Blend until very creamy. Transfer to a jar larger than the amount of cream and stir in the powder from the capsules using a wooden instrument. Cover the jar with plastic film. Leave undisturbed for two days at average room temperature. When bubbles appear, your Cashew cream is cultured.
Ingredients for Fondue:
cashew cream
¾ cup of Nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon of white miso
3-4 fresh garlic bulbs teaspoon of turmeric
1/3 cup of tapioca starch
1 tablespoon of Maple syrup
1 cup of larger-style beer or white wine.
2 tablespoons of coconut oil, flavour free
1 1/2 cups water depending on personal liquidity preference, more may be needed
sea salt to taste added last
Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse till smooth. Pour the fondue batter into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until it thickens. Transfer your Fondue to a fondue set to keep it warm, and immediately start dipping the goodie on the end of the fork into the Fondue. Enjoy.
Serve with
Chunks of bread, dishes of pickled cucumbers, cold, boiled baby potatoes, raw cauliflower pieces and snow peas, grapes, deseeded dates, or thick apple slices. Each guest places one item of choice on the end of a long-handled fork and then dips into the melted cheese. Traditionally, and according to Swiss table lore, they pay a forfeit if one loses the dipping piece in the Fondue!
Note
Fondue can be made two days in advance if it is covered with a plastic film while hot and then refrigerated when cold. Reheat over low heat, constantly stirring. You may have to add a little water. Do not replace cashews with nuts. Cashews, and only cashews lend an incredibly delicious and creamy texture, and nutty sweetness to savoury dishes.
FROG PEARLS.
This is fruit caviar. According to the author's source, French soldiers fought with our ANZAC heroes (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) during WWI. They gave them this recipe to take home to remember their comradeship. Frog pearls, fruit pearls, or fruit caviar are nourishing, yummy, and an excellent point to take. But perhaps a more likely truth is that the fruit "caviar" technique, or spherification, was developed by Ferran Adrià at the El Bulli restaurant in 2003.
3/4 cup fruit puree
1-2 tablespoons of water (may be needed to thin out the puree)
1 teaspoon agar agar powder
1 teaspoon raw sugar
2 cups light, tasteless vegetable oil (not coconut)
The key to success in this recipe is icy oil. So, chill the oil in a tall container or jug in the freezer. Blend the fruit into a puree, then strain to remove any seeds. Transfer the puree to a saucepan on the stovetop. Combine the agar agar powder with a teaspoon of sugar, then incorporate it into the fruit puree. Heat the mixture and bring it to a rapid boil. To activate the agar powder, dissolve it with a whisk and remove big air bubbles as they interfere with the pearls' shape. Then, please remove it from the heat. Work swiftly. Retrieve the cold oil from the freezer and use a teaspoon, squeezy bottle, or pipette to slowly drip the fruit puree agar mixture from approximately half an arm's length above the glass. Upon contact with the cold oil, pearls will form and set as they float to the bottom. When the puree has been used, gently put your pearls into a fine sieve, and gently rinse your pearls in cold water to wash off excess oil. Leave them air dry for about five minutes, then transfer them to a jar, lid it tightly and keep them in the fridge. Keep the oil for future use.
Note
Most fruits, such as raspberries, blackberries, currants, and apples, can make Frog Pearls. However, fruits high in acidity, like lemon, lime, or pineapple, do not work well with agar agar. Use fresh, ripe fruit in season or canned cherries for flavour. Agar Agar is a vegetarian alternative to gelatine sourced from dead animals' bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and skin. It is sourced from seaweed (red algae) and has health benefits. It absorbs toxins from the gut and gastrointestinal tract, safely carrying them out of the body. Acids in citrus fruits do not work well with agar agar. Frog Pearls should be eaten within 3-4 days. Do not freeze.
HERB BOWL- The idea is to take a piece of soft flatbread, spread it with hummus or cashew cream, add the herbs, roll up the bread and eat it.
Take a selection of fresh herbs and tiny chunks of raw vegetables, rinse them, and dry them. Mix them in a bowl without seasoning, then top with edible flowers. Chill for a few hours. On the side, serve with soft, flat bread and hummus or Cashew Cheese (see recipe in this section).
MELBA TOAST.
Named after our own Dame Nellie Melba (1859-1931), an International Opera Diva and the first woman to speak and sing on British radio.
Cut stale bread wafers thin and bake them ever so slowly in the oven until just golden. Serve cold with just about anything. The wafers can be kept in an airtight container for weeks.
MUSHROOM PÂTÉ.
1 ½ cups walnuts
¾ cup olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tightly packed cups of chopped field or shop mushrooms (shiitake are too strong in taste)
½ cup fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
½ cup Barbadillo Amontillado Sherry)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons nutritional (savoury) yeast flakes
2 tablespoons crushed hazelnuts
First, dry-roast the walnuts. Preheat oven to 180c. Spread the raw walnuts on an oven tray and bake for ten minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before use. Heat it using a wide saucepan or frypan before adding the olive oil, then add the oil. This action will heat the oil quickly without burning it. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and onion. Saute until softened. Add mushrooms, then saute until soft and dark and most liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add all ingredients except hazelnuts to a food processor.
Pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until you reach a pâté texture (completely smooth). Pack it into a serving container, level the surface, and bang it on the workbench three times. Finely crush the hazelnuts, sprinkle on top of the pâté, cover with plastic wrap and chill before serving. This Mushroom Pâté lasts a good week if it is kept refrigerated. It will freeze well if covered with plastic wrap.
Note
Please follow this recipe strictly. It has been made many times, and the recipe is exact.
OLIVE TAPENADE. Tapenade is a French Provençal name for an almost smooth, not often chunky spread of olives and capers.
2 cups of best-quality dark olives, pitted
1 cup of best-quality green olives, pitted
½ cup of raisins, soaked in water overnight
3 tablespoons drained capers
3 large cloves of garlic peeled
¾ cup fruity, virgin olive oil
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste
Transfer all ingredients except half the oil and the salt and pepper to a food processor and blend until almost smooth, adding more oil as needed.
Serve with;
Melba toast, baby sweet corn, pita chips, bread.
Note.
If covered with a thin film of oil, sealed with a lid, and refrigerated, the tapenade will remain fresh for about two weeks. Some people add sundried tomatoes to the mix.
WALNUTS AND OLIVES.
3 cups of different olive varieties, green and black, unseeded
1 ½ cups roasted, whole walnuts
¼ cup pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup fruity olive oil
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon chilli powder
Put pomegranate juice, lemon juice, oil, garlic, and chilli in a jar and shake until well combined. Separately mix the olives and walnuts, and then toss with the dressing. Let marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve in small bowls with pita or biscuits.
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