tuna tataki
Tuna Tataki is simply fresh tuna seared lightly and sliced thinly. I like it with spicy ponzu sauce: light soy, lime juice, rice vinegar, dashi, 7 spices powder and a bit of tabasco for some extra spiciness.
borsch(t)
I was looking for a recipe for a borsch similar to what I had at the very lovely Troikka in Helsinki some months ago. This, sadly, isn’t it. Nice, but not right. Part of the problem is that I couldn’t find fresh beetroot, only vacuum-packed, precooked. I also think that it would be nice if the vegetables were pureed prior to adding back the cubed beetroot.
Stock:
1 kilo stewing beef
1 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 liters water
Soup:
2 carrots, julienned
1 small head cabbage, sliced thinly
8 small cooked beetroots, cubed
1/3 red onion
250gm tomato paste
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons flour
salt, pepper
fresh dill
soured cream
For the stock, cover the beef in water, add a bit of salt and bring to the boil. Skim off the scum that forms and reduce to a simmer. Add the carrot and celery and cook for at least an hour and a half. I actually cooked it for nearly three. When it’s done, put the meat aside and strain the stock.
Add the cabbage and cook for 15 minutes. Add the julienned carrots and onion and cook an additional 15 minutes. Add the cubed beetroot, tomato paste and lemon juice and cook another 15 minutes. Mix the flour with a little water and stir into the soup. Finally add the meat back to the soup and cook until thickened.
Add salt and pepper to taste, serve with dill and soured cream.
balsamic grilled onions
Lovely, lovely, sweet red onions. No one in my family likes onions, so this makes just enough for me, me, me (plus a little extra). Would have been nice with some sliced fennel grilled with the onions, I expect.
1 medium sized red opinion, sliced into thin slices
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 clove minced or crushed garlic
salt and pepper
Heat the vinegar, garlic and rosemary in a sauce pan until hot, but don’t let it boil. Let the mixture stand for 20 minutes. If it seems that a lot of balsamic has evaporated off, add another tablespoon or so. Heat the oil in a small frying pan. Place the onions in a single layer in the pan and coat with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Fry over a medium heat for 4-6 minutes until the onions are soft and slightly browned. Toss with the vinegar mixture.
Especially nice with any sort of pork dish.
ragł alla bolognese
This is my take on the classic ragu of Bologna. Pretty close to the original, with the exception of veal and giblets and other meaty things that make even more incredibly rich than this recipe using cream.
500grams minced beef
2 carrots, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
45 grams pancetta, cubed
wineglass of red wine
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk or cream
salt and ground pepper
1 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons double concentrate tomato paste
olive oil
Brown the pancetta in the olive oil for a couple of minutes, then add the carrots and shallots and cook until limp. Add minced beef and brown. mix together tomato paste, broth and wine and add to the browned beef. Add salt and pepper to taste (a couple of turns of the pepper grinder and a few shakes of salt). Cover and simmer for half an hour or so. Add the milk or cream a little at a time, stir and simmer uncovered a bit longer, maybe 15 minutes or so.
Serve with penne, or preferably, fresh tagliatelle.
Balsamic Chicken
Sadly not terribly photogenic, so there’s no piccie, but was it quick, easy and delicious.
4 skinless chicken breast fillets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
Pound chicken breasts to about 1/4-inch thickness. Dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the chicken until nicely browned and cooked through. Remove chicken to a platter and keep warm. Add vinegar, broth and garlic to the frying pan and cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce is reduced. Stir in the butter to finish. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Plum Chicken
3 large plums (8 oz or so), pitted
1 tblsp butter
1/2 small chopped onion
1/4 cup (scant) brown sugar
2 tblsp sweet chili sauce
1 tblsp soy sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
3 skinless chicken breasts
Puree the plums in a blender or food processor. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onions and cook until soft. Stir in the plums, sugar, chili sauce, lemon juice and soy sauce and cook uncovered until slightly thickened. Place the chicken breasts in an oven pan, lightly salt and pepper them and cover with 1/4 of the sauce. Cook in a hot oven for 15 minutes, turn the chicken over and add another 1/4 of the sauce. Cook another 15 minutes or until cooked through. 5 minutes before the end, add the rest of the sauce.
Ranch dressing
I can’t seem to find Ranch dressing in the shops anymore. Too American, I guess, and never really caught on. Nevermind. I’ve figured out my own, very easy version. The only downside is that it’s quite thin, but is nice and subtle-tasting at least.
Buttermilk is also impossible to find, so I make my own by stirring a tablespoon of lemon juice into half a cup of whole milk and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 a vegetable stock cube
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 and a bit teaspoon dill
Mix or shake well.
[note: another recipe suggests an additional 1/2 cup sour cream which may make it thicker]