Bistro des Z'Artes - Latest Blog Entries

Rock buns

Sat, 19 May 2012 18:40:00 +0100

Rock buns
Makes 12

Ingredients :
250g flour
2tsp baking powder
30g butter
30g vegetable shortening
50g mixed peel
60g caster sugar
50g sultanas
50g currants
2eggs
5tbsp milk
1tbsp demerara sugar

Method :
Pre- heat the oven to 200C
Rub the butter & shortening into the flour & baking powder until it gets a sandy texture.
Add the mixed peel, currants, sugar & sultanas.
Beat the eggs with the milk & add to the dry ingredients.
Witg 2 spoons roughly dollop the mixture onto greaseproof paper lined baking trays.
Sprinkle with the brown sugar & bake for 15 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack & eat on the day.
Enjoy !!

Pastilla

Sat, 12 May 2012 15:38:00 +0100

Pastilla
Serves 12

Ingredients :
200g onions chopped
60ml olive oil
1tbsp cinnamon
1tsp ground cumin
80g sugar
200g turkey mince
60g sultanas
150g ground almonds
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 pack filo pastry

Method :
Saute the onions in the olive oil until soft.
Add the turkey mince & brown all over.
Put in the cinnamon, sugar, cumin, sultanas & cook gently for 10mins with 1cup of water.
Add the almonds & cook for a further 5 mins. Chill.
Lay out 2 sheets of filo pastry.
Brush each with melted butter.
Lay another sheet on top of each of these & butter again.
Place all the meat mixture in the middle of one of the buttered filo sheets.
Pat it down until it resembles a tortilla.
Fold up & over the sides to make it into a disc.
Turn it over & place onto the other buttered sheets.
Fold up the sides again and butter the outside.
Bake in the oven at 210 until golden & cooked through (10 mins approx).
Dust with icing sugar & serve.

Tomato & Pork Bruschetta

Sun, 06 May 2012 08:32:00 +0100

Serves 10 pax

Ingredients

Sauce

30ml olive oil

2 strips of bacon cut into cubes

half a coruriço

1 onion

50g sugar

2 cloves garlic

1 cup red wine

2 cups chicken stock

1 tin whole peeled tomatoes

salt & pepper

Bruschetta

10 slices stale rustic bread

50ml olive oil

10 slices cured ham

10 wedges of brie

1tspn fresh thyme

1tspm fresh rosemary

Method

Fry off the onion in the olive oil, add in the chopped bacon & chouriço & fry off for a further 10 minutes.

Sprinkle in the sugar & cook out until it caramelises.

Add the chopped garlic & fry for 1 minute so that it does not get nutty or brown.

Pour in red wine & simmer for a minute.

Add the chicken stock & simmer for half an hour.

Open the tin of peeled tomatoes & drain them, keeping the juice.

Cut into each tomato & remove the seeds by hand (that get added to the juice).

Pour all the juice into the sauce & boil down until it is thick.

Chop the tomatoes & add to the reduced sauce.

Season & keep warm.

Toast the stale bread on one side having already rubbed it with olive oil.

Roll up a wedge of brie in each slice of cured ham.

Lay on top of the slices of bread & bake in the oven sprinkled with fresh thyme & rosemary just until the cheese melts.

Arrange the slices on a plate & top with a little of the tomato sauce.

Coconut, chick pea & lime soup

Tue, 01 May 2012 23:55:00 +0100

Coconut, chick pea & lime soup

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients :

1 onion

1 clove garlic

50ml olive oil

1 tspn coriander leaves

1 small tin coconut milk

500ml fresh milk

1 small tin chick peas

1 tspn ground cumin

2 limes (zested & juiced)

Method :

Saute off the chopped onion & garlic in the olive oil until soft, but not coloured.

Add the coconut milk, fresh milk, cumin, coriander & zest of 1 lime.

Bring to a simmer for 2 minutes.

Reserve some of the drained chick peas to decorate the soup after.

Add the rest of the drained chick peas & simmer in the soup for 2 minutes.

Blend well & strain. Correct the seasoning with salt & pepper.

To serve add the rest of the lime zest, the chick peas, a squeeze of lime zest & a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy !

Wishing on a star

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:26:00 +0100

Wishing on a star
Pan roasted chicken breast with star anise & tamarind
Serves 4pax

Ingredients :
4 chicken breasts
1/4 onion
50ml olive oil
4 pce star anise
60 g tamarind paste
100ml beer
100ml cream
200g braised red cabbage
1 rosti cut in 8pieces

Method :
Buy 2 whole chickens & remove the breasts. Keep the wish bone & bake it in the oven with the breasts
Heat up a frying pan.
Saute the chicken breast skin side down in the chopped onion & olive oil.
Turn over when golden & smear the skin with tamarind paste.
Add the beer & place in the oven.
Bake until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.
Take the breasts out of the pan & add the cream. Reduce to the required consistency & keep warm.
Slice the breast & arrange on the plate. Drizzle the sauce around the plate with the whole star anise and add the red cabbage & hot rostis.
Enjoy & make someones wish come true.

Banana & walnut bread

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:56:00 +0100

Banana & walnut bread

INGREDIENTS :

125g butter

180g dark brown sugar

4 medium bananas, mashed

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

A pinch of salt

250g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

3 tablespoons warm milk

125g walnuts

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) mark 4. Butter a 1 kg or 2lb loaf tin or use 12 large muffins cases.
Cream the butter and sugar until smooth and then whisk in the mashed bananas.
Add the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of salt and whisk well.
Sieve in the flour and baking powder and beat until smooth.
Mix the bicarbonate of soda into the milk and stir into the batter.
Toss the walnuts in a little flour before adding to the mixture. This will prevent them from sinking.
Scrape the mixture into the tin and bake for about 50 minutes, until the bread is crusty on the top and a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean.
Cool in the tin, and then turn out onto a cooling rack. Cook the smaller muffins for 20-25 minutes.

Turkey & cranberry pasta bake

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:27:00 +0100

Turkey & cranberry pasta bake
Serves 6

Ingredients :
1 onion
50g butter
1kg turkey breast strips
50g flour
1.5ltr milk
250g penne, fusilli or farfalle
60g frozen cranberries
Grated cheddar cheese to top

Method :
Saute the onions in the butter.
Add the turkey & stir until cooked.
Add the flour & cook for 3 minutes stirring all the time until it has a sandy texture.
Add the milk a little at a time mixing all the time so as there are no lumps.
Simmer for 5 minutes until there is no raw flour flavour.
Add the cooked pasta & the frozen cranberries.
Mix well & put into a roasting dish.
Top with grated cheddar & bake in a hot oven (220C) or 20mins.
Serve with great salad.

Suppli

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:15:00 +0100

Suppli
Serves 6 persons

Ingredients :
Olive oil
60g chopped onion
1clove chopped garlic
1 small tin chopped tomatoes
100g arborio rice
Salt, pepper & sugar
Pinch of oregano
60g of your favourite strong cheese
Flour, egg & breadcrumb to coat

Method :
Fry off half the onion & the garlic in the olive oil until soft.
Add the tin of tomatoes with the same amount of water. Season with salt, pepper, oregano & sugar.
Simmer for 20 minutes, then blend & keep warm.
Fry off the rest of the onion in a little olive oil until soft.
Add the arborio rice & sweat off for a bit.
Bit by bit add the tomato stock, stirring all the time & only adding more when the previuos stock has been absorbed.
When the rice is cooked through spread it out onto a tray so as to cool down and to stop it cooking.
When cool cut the cheese into 1cm cubes & form the risotto around it into a ball.
Pass this through flour, egg wash & breadcrumb.
Deepfry when ready to serve.
This is great with crunchy salad & tomato chutney.

Enjoy !

Key Lime Pie

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 21:46:00 +0000

Key Lime Pie

Makes 1 pie & serves 8

Ingredients :

Crust:
370g of digestive cookies
60ggranulated sugar
180g butter

Filling:
4 egg yolks
1 small can of condensed milk
150mlfresh lime juice
1 lime, grated zest

Method:
To make the crust:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Break up the digestive cookies, place in a food processor and process to crumbs.

Add the melted butter, sugar and pulse until combined.
Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan, forming an even layer on the bottom, sides and edge. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool.
To make the filling:

While the crust is resting, in an electric mixer with the wire whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until fluffy, or 5 to 6 minutes.

Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to whip until thick, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 15 minutes, or until the filling has just set.

Cool on a wire rack, and then refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Enjoy.

Smoked salmon & asparagus filo rolls

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:41:00 +0000

Smoked salmon & asparagus filo rolls
Serves 6 persons

Ingredients :
100g sliced smoked salmon
6 asparagus spears
1 spoon of honeyl
Black pepper
Zest of one lemon
50g butter
1/2 packet of filo pastry

Method :
Blanch the asparagus spears in lots of boiling salted water & refresh immedietely in iced water to keep it green. Roll the asparagus spears in the sliced smoked salmon.
Lay out the six sheets of filo & brush half of each sheet with butter. Fold it onto itself to seal & brush again with butter. Try not to use so much butter as it will be fatty.
Lay onto it the asparagus rolled in the smoked salmon.
Drizzle with the honey & season with the black pepper & lemon zest.
Fold in the ends & brush again with butter.
Roll up & brush with more butter.
Bake in a hot oven (220C) until golden & crispy.
Serves with salad, chutney or just as a snack.

Falaffel

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:28:00 +0000

Falaffel
Serves 6 persons

Ingredients
200g raw chick peas
100g peeled potatoes
30g onion
5g coriander
2g cumin
1g bicarbonate of soda
Salt & pepper
Oil for frying

Method
Soak the chick peas overnight in plenty of cold water.
Pass all the ingredients except the corianer & bicarb through a meat mincer.
Stir all the ingredients with the cumin & bicarb & season well. Use more salt than you would think.
Using 2 spoons form the mix into balls & drop carefully into thenhot oil ( preferably a deep fat fryer).
After 1 minute, turn them over & fry on the other side.
Serve with tahina or garlic mayonnaise.

Cheeky Wellington

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:19:00 +0000

Cheeky Wellington

Serves 4persons

Ingredients :
4 pig cheeks
Thyme & rosemary
1 glass red wine
1 carrot
1/2 leek
2 cloves of garlic
1 small onion
1 cup of beef stock
Salt & pepper to taste
4 sheets of filo pastry
40g butter
80g mushrooms
30g chicken livers

Method:
Put the pig cheeks in a small pot with half the chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, the leek, carrot, herbs, red wine & beef stock.
Simmer gently for 3 hours until very tender.
Leave to cool in the liquid.
Saute the other half chopped onion with 1 clove of garlic & the chicken livers. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the sliced mushrooms & cook until all the liquid has cooked off.
Blend the mushroom mix to a paste.
Leave this to cool.
Lay out a sheet of filo pastry & brush with the melted butter.
Place on a quarter of the cold mushroom mix & spread out.
Place a pig cheek (with no sauce) on the mushroom paste & roll up the filo, tucking in the ends & buttering sides as you go.
When needed bake this in a hot oven ( 200C) until golden & crispy.
To serve heat up the cooking juice from the pig cheek & simmer down until the sauce thickens.
Serve the sauce under the wellington & enjoy.

Roasted pumpkin soup with pepper oil

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 16:46:00 +0000

Roasted pumpkin soup with pepper oil

Serves 6

Ingredients :

800g pumpkin meat

Olive oil

200g butter

2 onions (finely sliced)

400ml milk

4 sprigs rosemary

Salt & pepper (to taste)

1 red pepper

100ml olive oil

20g hazelnuts

20g breadcrumbs

20g nut brown butter

Method :

Cut the pumpkin into cubes & roast in a preheated oven at 180C until soft & caramelised.

Saute off the sliced onions in the butter until translucent.

Add the milk, 600ml water & the sprigs of rosemary, warm gently & infuse for 20 minutes.

Remove the rosemary & add the roasted pumpkin. Simmer for 10 minutes more.

Blend & strain through a fine strainer.

Season.

Roast the pepper, peel, deseed & blend with the olive oil. Strain & keep in the fridge.

Paint the tops of the soup bowls with the nut brown butter. Blend the toasted hazelnuts & breadcrumbs together. Dust the tops of the soup bowls with the hazelnut mixture & shake away excess.

Pour the soup into the bowls & drizzle with the red pepper oil.

Serve very hot with great bread.

Cheese & onion risotto

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 18:10:00 +0000

Cheese & onion risotto
Serves 4 persons

Ingredients :
3 large onions
1 sprig of thyme
1 clove of garlic
300g arborio rice
100g grated chedder cheese
60ml olive oil

Method :

Slice all the onions & saute in half the olive oil with the chopped garlic and thyme.
When well cooked & very soft remove half the onions & keep for later.
Cover the rest of the onion with 1ltr of water & simmer for 20 mins.
Remove the thyme & blend the liquid. Keep this liquid warm & ready to use.
To cook the rice put the rest of the olive oil in a clean pot & add the rice.
Cook for one minute stirring all thr time.
Add e stock a little at a time always stirring.
Depeding on the rice you might need more or less liquid.
When the rice is cooked with just a little bite add the grated cheese & serve immediately.
You can add different flavours depending on your taste.

Salad of sauteed chicken livers with wholegrain mustard

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:53:00 +0000

Serves 8 persons

Ingredients

1 head frisee salad

2 shallots

100ml olive oil

600g fresh chicken livers

80g butter

30g wholegrain mustard

4 slices stale rustic bread

Salt & pepper to taste

1 glass muscatel wine

1/4 glass of cream

Method

Wash & pick the frisee salad & keep on the side.
Clean & cut any sinew or fat from the livers.
Cut the stale bread slices into small cubes, season & sautee until golden & crunchy in half the olive oil. Keep on the side.
In the pan add the rest of the olive oil & the finely sliced shallot. Saute fo a minute.
Add the livers on a very high heat and flash fry.
add the butter and toss quickly with the mustard.
Remove the livers before they overcook & add the muscatel. Reduce until nearly all gone & add the cream. Simmer for a minute & add the livers back in.
Toss the salad with the croutons & lay on the livers with some of the sauce drizzled over.
Serve immediately with freshly baked bread & a great white wine.

Cocotte of pork with winter vegetables

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Cocotte of pork with winter vegetables

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients :

1kg Pork belly (brined)

Brine 25% salt brine

6 cloves

3 juniper berries

Zest of 1 orange

Zest of 1 lemon

3 sprigs of thyme

Sprig of rosemary

3 sprigs of lemon

3 bay leaves

3 cloves of garlic (smashed)

250g salt

300ml brown stock

100g black pudding

300g shallots

400g green cabbage

1kg peeled potatoes

10 cloves garlic

2 sprigs thyme

80ml olive oil

Method :

Put all the ingredients for the brine in a pot together with 1ltr of water & bring to a simmer until all the salt has dissolved.

Leave to cool & pour over the trimmed skinless pork belly.

Leave to marinate for 12 hours. To use place in a bowl of cold water for 1 hour, changing the water every 15 minutes.

Place the pork into a vacuum bag & cook in a water bath for 18 hours at 60C.

Remove from the bath & place in a bowl of ice water to cool.

For the garnish saute the peeled shallots in the olive oil until golden, add the potatoes, herbs & garlic. Season well and place in a hot oven (200C) for 45minutes basting regularly to roast all over.

Steam the green cabbage at the last minute.

For the sauce reduce the brown stock by half and break up the black pudding into it. Blend & keep warm. You can add any of the left over meat juices at the end, being careful not to oversalt the sauce.

To serve, warm up in the same bath, still in the bag for 25 minutes at 60C.

Remove from the bag, trim off excess fat & score the skin side.

Pan fry on all sides for a few minutes to crispen up the fat.

To serve get a large hot platter & arrange the vegetables on the bottom, the thickly sliced pork on top with the sauce poured over.

Enjoy

Winter salad

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:58:00 +0000

Winter salad

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients

1/4 cauliflower

25g onion

50ml olive oil

200ml milk

25g butter

1 pear

1 apple

40ml vinegar

50g garden peas or frozen peas

50g fresh podded or frozen broad beans

1 roasted & peeled beetroot (180C for 1hr)

1 lemon

1tspn hot curry powder

45ml balsamic vinegar (or balsamic reduction)

6 radish

salt & pepper to taste

1 bag washed & picked watercress

1 bag washed & picked rocket

Method.

Sweat the chopped onion a a little of the olive oil. Add the cut up cauliflower & cover with the milk.
Season with salt & pepper & cover to simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain off the milk & puree the cauliflower in a strong blender.
Melt the butter until it goes nut brown.
Add to the cauliflower, mix and keep warm.
Peel & cut the pear & apple into cubes and mix into the vinegar (this needs to be done quickly so as they do not go brown)
Cut the beetroot into small cubes & keep.
Heat the curry powder gently in the remaining oil & keep.
To serve, place a streak of the warm cau
liflwer puree across the plate.
Gently lay on the watercress, then the rocket.
Sprinkle with pear, apple, grated rocket, lemon, zest, peas & broad beans.
Season the salad & drizzle with the curry oil & the balsamic glaze.

Note:

Don't be daunted by the amount of ingredients in this recipe & substitute some if you wish.

Divide the work up with all the fiddly things made long before serving & just assemble everything at the last minute to be crispy & fresh.

Frisee salad with lardons

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:51:00 +0000

Frisee salad with lardons
Serves 4 persons

Ingredients :
200g bacon (cut in cubes)
1 large head frisee salad
4 slices of baquette
A drizzle of olive oil
Salt & paper
80g roquefort (or other blue cheese)
1 shallot (finely sliced)
A splash of great vinegar

Method :
Simmer the bacon 2 minutes, then skin off the fat & cool.
Pat dry the bacon & fry in the pork fat.
Sautee until it is crispy & golden.
Add the baguette (cut into cubes) with the olive oil & saute until golden.
Add the sliced shallot & mix well for a second.
Season & toss all the ingredients in a cold bowl with a little vinegar & serve immediately.

Enjoy !!

Turkey & courgette lasagnha

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:45:00 +0000

Turkey & courgette lasagnha

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients :

2 courgettes

1 onion

4 cloves garlic

1 carrot

1 tsp oregano

2 bay leaves

500g turkey breast mince

1/2glass white wine

100ml olive oil

1 small tin chopped tomatoes

50g flour

1ltr low fat milk

Salt & pepper to taste

Method :

Saute off the chopped onion & garlic in 50ml of the olive oil until transparent.

Add the grated carrot & cook for 2 minutes.

Add the turkey & stir as it cooks to break it up. Bring to a simmer & keep stirring until all the meat has broken up.

Add the bay leaves, oregano, chopped tomatoes & the wine. Simmer for 1 hour.

For the white sauce Add the flour to the other 50ml of the olive oil in a pot & cook until it gets a sandy texture. Add the milk a little at a time (always stirring).

Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.

To assemble take out a lasagnha dish and start with a layer of meat, then finely cut courgette strips. A layer of white sauce, then more courgette. Continue this until the dish is full.

For the last layer top with the last of the white sauce mixed with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Bake in a hot oven at 200C for 30 minutes until bubbling & gratinated.

Serve with a really crispy green salad.

Note

This dish can be even better if you grill the courgettes first which will add a smoky flavour.

Tell the kids the courgette is green pasta.

CJ's Shrimp on the Barbie

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 09:23:00 +0000

CJ's Shrimp on the Barbie

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients

24 Large shrimp, head & all

1cm ginger

1 red chilli

1 spoon chopped coriander

150g butter

1 mango

1 lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Cut the prawns in half length ways. Season on the flesh side.
Melt the butter & blend with the ginger, coriander and chilli.
Brush the shrimps lightly with this mixture.
Grill flesh side down in batches on the bbq until golden.
Remove & place in an oven tray. Bake for 4 minutes at 200C. This will cook through the meat without getting that horrible burnt shell taste through the dish.
Take out the prawns & remove half the heads. Blend the heads with the melted butter & the lime juice. Strain well & add in the cubed mango.
Serve the prawns with this sauce drizzled over the top. It will go great with Vietnamese slaw or simple baked potatoes.

Enjoy