Saturday, September 25, 2010

Peanut Butter Hummus

Peanut butter hummus doesn't have an elegant ring to it, but elegant is exactly what this is. Rather than using tahini, which is in effect sesame butter, I use peanut butter. Is it dreadful to say I prefer this? It is gorgeously filling, but without the slight clagginess that tahini can give. I mean, in the right mood I adore the palate-thickening clay of tahini, but a little definitely goes a long way. Although I think this version possesses a certain manilla-tinted chic (despite the kindergarten-appeal of its title) that makes me happy to bring it out to eat with drinks when I have people over, I am even happier to have a batch in the fridge to pick at, spreading it over spelt crispbread or a piece of rye toast, when the mood takes me.

Ingredients
2 x 400g cans chickpeas
1 garlic clove, peeled
3–5 x 15ml tablespoons regular olive oil
6 x 15ml tablespoons (90g) smooth peanut butter
3 x 15ml tablespoons lemon juice, or more as needed
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes or 1 teaspoon pouring salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4–6 x 15ml tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 x 15ml tablespoons peanuts, finely chopped, to serve (optional)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, to serve (optional) bread sticks, mini pittas, crackers, tortilla chips, to serve (optional)


Method
Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Put the garlic clove, chickpeas, 3 tablespoons oil, peanut butter, lemon juice, salt and cumin into a food processor and blitz to a knobbly purée.

Add 4 tablespoons of the Greek yogurt and process again; if the hummus is still very thick add another 1–2 tablespoons yogurt and the same of oil. (This will often depend on the chickpeas, as different sorts make the hummus thicker or not.)

Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice and salt if you feel it needs it.
On serving, mix the chopped peanuts with the paprika and sprinkle on top if you wish, and put an array of bits and pieces to eat with or dip in, as you see fit.

Rose Veal

British Rose Veal (Gordon Ramsey)

Season
Hot Pan
Olive Oil
30seconds each side
Rest Meat

Masala Sauce
Same Pan (we want the flasvour from the meat tats just cooked in it)
Olive Oil
Shalots or Onion (Diced)
Mushrooms
Season
Colour everything
Masala (I think this is a sort of wine or some kind of alcohol)
Rejuice
Chicken Stock
Boil
Tomatos Diced
Tarogon Diced
Shervil (Herb) Diced
Sit the Veal in the sauce while the sauce cooks
Cover the veal a little

Done!

Pancakes and Blueberry Syrup

Blueberry Syurp
Add to a pan:
125 Maple Syrup
200gms Blue Berries

As the maple syrup heats, so do the blueberries, which pop and then become part of the syrup.
When the syrup is warm, you can use it as a sauce over your pancakes
When the syrup is cold, you can use it on toast as it becomes more of a thick jam
Pour into a jug once the syrup is looking great.

Magic Pancake Mix (This is to go into a jar for the pantry, for quick use in the future)
Place into a large jar with a lid:
600gms Plain Flour
50gms baking powder
2 tsp bicarb (Baking Soda)
1 tsp salt
50gms caster sugar
Put the lid on a shake!

In a bowl:
Use 1 cup of the pancake mixture
1 egg per cup of pancake mixture
1 cup of milk
a bit of light whisking
(Does about 15 small pancakes)

In a pan, melt about 1 Tbls of butter (about 15gms)
Add to the pancake mix once melted (this stops the pancakes sticking to the pan)

Heat a big pan for the pancakes
Cook em!

Serve your Pancakes and Blueberry Syrup
Yum!

Pussy Foot Breakfast Drink

1 ltr Orange Juice
1 ltr Grapefruit Juice (Pink)
3 Tbls Lime Juice
3 Tbls Grenideen

Mix!

The Perfect wakeup call!

Go Get em Smoothy

In a blender add:
1 Banana (Chopped and stashed in the freezer)
150mls of Milk
1/2 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp milo or hot chocolate mix
Tbls Honey

Blend!

You can face the day now!

Chocolate Croissants

1 block of chocolate
1 sheet of Puff Pastry

Cut the sheet into 6 squares
Then cut each square diagonally so you have 12 little triangles

Then put a triangle in front of you with the wide part nearest you and the pointy part away from you
Place a square of chocolate in the middle of the flat edge of pastry
Then roll away from you towards the pointed edge
Curl the left and right points back towards you, so it looks like an upside-down smile
Pinch all the edges a bit so when the chocolate melts, its doesn't escape

Place all croissants onto a tinfoil covered baking tray
Slightly whip 1 egg (just so it is mixed)
Then coat each croissant with the egg

Pop the tray into a pre-heated oven of 220, and bake for 15 minutes

Heavenly!

3 Toast Toppings

Topping 1
Dice 1 Tomato
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper







Topping 2

In a bowl:
Add 1 can of drained Chick Peas
Add some olive oil
Add Salt and Pepper
1/2 a Lemon or Lime juice
Mash!




Topping 3
1/2 an Avocado
1/2 a Lemon or Lime juice
Mash!

Toast 3 chunky bits of brusheta bread
Add the toppings

Done!