Chocolate Pavlova Supernova...

Pavlova is a bit of a retro dessert that wont go away. Whilst banana splits and peach melba have been set-aside for future reinvention, unworthy of the dinner table in their age old form, the pavlova has always managed to keep itself en courant.  With toppings, meringue flavours and scented creams to vary, you can take the basic components and create something different and wonderous each time. I was thinking that pavlova is the Madonna of the dessert world....old but attractive, constantly reinvented and a bit of an attention seeker...anyway, I digress...

Created in the 1920s and named after the famed ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, it's billowing white case, topped with thick cream and tart berries is a welcome sight to behold. Also, if you are sparing with the cream (but where's the fun in that?!), it's quite a low fat dessert option. Justification, if you ever required it, to indulge.

This recipe started with the name. Driving along, I thought of Pavlova Supernova and decided I needed to create a Pavlova worthy of such a title. I needed to veer away from the traditional and develop something special. As I would be taking my creation to a chocolate-lovers household, I knew I needed to start there.

Challenge 1 solved - Chocolate meringue base

Then I needed to think through the cream. Options, options...hazelnut cream for a nutty, toblerone inspired cake? Maybe coffee cream with amaretto stirred through for a tiramisu-flavoured pavlova....No, this needed to be sweeter and naughtier. This was not about sophistication but pure, indulgent, calorific pleasure..

Challenge 2 solved - Caramel cream filling

Finally, the topping. No healthy berries for me, something else was required here. Shards of caramel scattered over the top? Maybe crushed peanut brittle spiced with cumin? Crushed, chocolate cookies heaped over the cream., hmmmm, not quite right, and then......

Challenge 3 solved - Crushed Crunchie and Maltesers topping

So, there it was. The three components of my Pavlova Supernova, ready to be created and shared! This recipe is definitely worthy of it's grand title and I think it's suitable evolution of the Pavlova. It's really not hard to make, but it is hard to stop eating (forget calorie counting with this one!). An explosion of chocolate, crispy, creamy naughtiness, coming your way...

Pavlova Supernova

Chocolate Meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 200g caster sugar
• 20g cocoa powder, sieved
• 2 tsp cider/white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp cornflour

Cream

•  1 tin of carnation caramel
• 400ml of double cream

Topping

• 1 bag of Maltesers
• 1 bar of Crunchie

Step 1: Preheat oven to 140°C. Line baking sheet with baking paper. Whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry. Mix sugar and cocoa powder and then whisk, a tablespoon at a time, into the egg whites. Keep whisking until it’s thick and glossy and then fold in the vinegar and cornflour.

Step 2: Spoon mixture onto the baking sheet and spread with the back of a spoon to form a large circle. Bake for about 2 hours or until the meringue is firm and crisp. Cool in the oven for about 2 hours, or until cold (e.g. leave overnight)

Step 3: Whisk the double cream until stiff. Add, a tablespoon at a time, 2/3 of the caramel, whisking after each addition. Spoon the caramel over the meringue, leaving an edge of about 2cm. Take a fork and apply, some of the remaining caramel to the top of the cream to create swirls in the top (think raspberry ripple).

Step 4: Crush the topping ingredients (I use a small food bag and a rolling pin) and scatter generously over the top.

Step 5: Cut into slices and devour!

Top Tips

• Plan to make the meringue the night before (less hassle and you can leave it in the warm oven overnight after cooking time has finished)
• Apply the topping as late as possible (moistness will affect the crispiness of the Maltesers) 
• Have tins of Carnation Caramel on standby - very, very useful for quick desserts (e.g. spread over pastry and top with apples and bake to make a quick tart. spread over a biscuit base, cover with sliced bananas, top with cream and grated chocolate to make a quick banoffee pudding etc....)

Helen x

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Sexy Sides!

Some may say that writing an entry tenuously linking food and, ahem, sex is a blatant attempt to get more people to find my page in google....you may be right but go with me a little.....

I think the way people react to food is a very personal thing. Some people get giddy over chocolate, some weep for cheese and some hanker for a nice, juicy steak over all else. I think I'm still finding my true food love but there are certainly some things that fill my head, heart and tummy with happiness.

There are foods that make me smile (soft piles of marshmallows), some that provide comforting warmth (silky, smooth risottos) and some that make me want to feel the sun on my skin, reach for the wine glass and laugh uncontrollably with loved ones. It's this food that I think of as sexy food.

My requirements for sexy food are quite specific:

1. It must promise pleasure on the plate
2. It's flavours must surprise
3. It's textures must interest
4. It must be light in the mouth and light in the tummy
5. It must inspire thoughts of summer
6. It must take very little effort and not detract from all the fun that will ensue

A hard task! However, I'm not prescriptive on what course this applies to. It could as easily be an elderflower granita for dessert as a whole, roasted sea bream for main. So, here I share a few of the side dishes I consider to meet the bill:

• Roasted red pepper, goats cheese, walnut and honey
• Baked fennel, stuffed with orange and feta breadcrumbs

It was only after a little research that I realised there may be a little bit more in the appeal of these dishes than meets the eye! Both fennel and honey are natural aphrodisiacs, popularised by the Egyptians. Well.... if it was good enough for Cleopatra.....

Red Pepper, Goats Cheese Walnut and Honey Salad (serves 2)

2 long red peppers

2 handfuls of large walnuts

100g soft, crumbly goats cheese

2 tablespoons best honery

seasoning

salad leaves (to serve)

Step 1: Halve and deseed peppers

Step 2: Place peppers on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake in the oven (160c) for 10-15 minutes until softening

Step 3: Sprinkle goats cheese and walnuts over the peppers and roast for 10 minutes (careful the walnuts don't burn)

Step 4: Remove from the oven, season lightly and serve warm drizzled with honey

Baked fennel, stuffed with orange and feta breadcrumbs (serves 2)

 
2 fennel bulbs
olive oil
1 orange
50g feta
100g dried breadcrumbs
seasoning
orange slices (to serve - optional)
 
Step 1: Halve the bulbs and remove the core to create a sort of fennel bowl

 

 
Step 2: Drizzle over oil, season, cover with foil and roast for 15 mins (160c)
 
Step 3: Whislt roasting, zest and juice the orange. Mix zest, half the juice, feta, glug of oil and breadcrumbs together to make a fragrant, mouldable stuffing (if it's too dry, add more juice/oil). Season to taste.
 
Step 4: Remove the foil from the fennel and press the stuffing into the bulb cavity. Roast for 15 minutes until the stuffing is golden and crispy.
 
Step 5: Serve with slices of orange
 
I've reverting to type with my next post.... the waist-expanding delights of Pavlova Supernova!
Helen x

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A-meze-ing Meze

Oooooohh meze!! Virtually the only way you can justifiably try everything on the menu without spending an inordinate amount of money or being perceived as the greediest person at the table.

Authentic meze takes effort. Little dishes must warrant their place at the table with big, gutsy flavours and surprising textures. Ideally they must also complement each other, with a theme of ingredients running through the collection of dishes.

On the face of it, making ten different dishes at home, that each delight and marry together is a little daunting (finding the time to cook one meal can be hard enough!).

So, this is my easy approach to meze, practised with some friends over the weekend. Dishes are generally Helen-invented (i.e. not authentic Greek dishes), but inspired by Mediterranean ingredients and recipes.

I've been quite brief with the method, as the dishes aren't complicated and you can easily tweak things.

Meze Dish 1: Pitta Stuffed with Spiced Lamb

Method
Dry fry 2 tsp cumin seeds and crush in pestle and mortar with a pinch of dried chili flakes. Mix in with 200g lamb mince, a healthy glug of garlic infused olive oil, 1 tbsp sesame seeds and seasoning. Roll into balls and press into patties. Bake in the oven 160c - 180c for 20 minutes (you may need to drain some fat during the cooking time). Serve in toasted pittas with grated carrot.

Meze Dish 2: Hot & Smoky Sweet Potato

Method
Slice 3 large sweet potatoes into wedges. Mix with seasoning, 1 tsp smoked paprika and a good glug of chili oil. Bake in the oven (160c) for 20 minutes until golden.

Meze Dish 3: Sweet and Savoury Nuts

Method
Melt a knob of butter in the microwave. Mix with 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin and ground sea salt (amount depends on your taste and concern about sodium levels!). Stir in 200g chopped nuts and spread mixture on baking try. Roast at 160c for 10 minutes. Remove and leave to cool before serving.

Meze Dish 4: Tasty Tortillas

Apply a paste of your choice (e.g. tomato puree/pesto/harisa/sundried tomato) to 1 tortilla. Top with slices of meat (e.g. chorizo, salami) and grated cheese (e.g. mozzarella). Place another tortilla on top, squeeze together and grill on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden and bubbling on the inside (be careful when you turn them over). Slice and serve warm.

Meze Dish 5: Lentil and Aubergine Salad

Method: Chop 1 aubergine into cubes. Mix with olive oil, 1 tsp ground cumin and seasoning. Roast for 40 minutes until golden. Whilst cooking, boil 150g puy lentils. When cooked, stir though 3 large chopped tomatoes, a handful of chopped coriander, roasted aubergine, 2 tsp cider vinegar and crumbled feta. Season to taste and serve.

Meze Dish 6: Tzatziki and Tortilla Chips

Method: Grate 1/2 cucumber, place in kitchen roll and squeeze out as much fluid as possible. Mix with 2 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt, 1 tsp cider vinegar, seasoning and 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil. Stir, stir, stir and serve with grilled triangles of tortilla.

Hopefully you can see how easy these dishes are! They're great for relaxed evenings with friends indoors or out! You could increase the amounts and easily served as side dishes for BBQs too.

Hope you enjoy - and maybe try?!

Helen

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Greek Tales Part 2: Moussaka Masterclass!

One of the things I really love about foreign towns and cities is the food markets. I’m filled with happiness by the accidental turn off the tourist trail, down a side-street and into a secret world of locals bustling about buying their weekly fresh produce.


Our food markets just don’t seem comparable. Whilst I will happily stroll around our farmers markets, there is something a little clinical (and overpriced) in contrast with the natural European markets. For them it feels like a way of life and for us it seems to be some kind of aspirational statement (which I’ll admit to buying into!).

In Greece, I wandered down a cobbled street on a quest to find our hastily parked car, and tripped into the hubbub of the street vendors. Men and women selling stalls upon stalls of fragrant fruit and vegetables bursting with sunshine and goodness. Glistening, pungent fish were piled high, only centimetres from the pavement with swathes of people pushing past, shopping trolleys overflowing with haggled bargains.

I think the best, comparable quality at home comes from vegetable box schemes. I can’t wait to have a garden where I can grow my own vegetables but until then, my street market happiness comes in a box! The seasonal selection of muddy, knobbly vegetables are so much more exciting than regulation-sized carrots and machine-washed potatoes from the supermarket. If you haven’t tried a veg box scheme before, it’s really fun and they often have good offers for first time purchasers (e.g. your first box free – no catch!). My favourite national suppliers are Riverford Organics and Abel & Cole, though you may be able to find some interesting regional providers too. Cost wise, if you eat a lot of vegetables at home, the price is equivalent to supermarkets. If you’re still on a mission to meet your three let alone five a day target though, it may seem expensive…..

Anyway, enough vegetable chat and onto the main course, the super recipe for Moussaka from the Melenos Lindos hotel. There is a link in my ramblings to be made however, with many of the ingredients in season now (i.e. likely to be in a veg box/on offer in the supermarket).

This moussaka was very different to the versions I’ve tried before. The flavours are more delicate and the whole dish is less ‘saucy’, but it’s all the better for it!

Serves 2

• 200g best lean beef (optional - marinated for 4 hours in olive oil and herbs)
• 2 beef tomatoes (1 finely chopped and 1 sliced)
• 20g Parmesan
• 25g plain flour (+ extra to use as coating)
• 25g cornflour
• 50ml light olive oil (+ extra to use for frying)
• 500ml milk
• 1 aubergine
• ½ finely chopped onion
• 20g feta
• Selection of summer herbs

Step 1: Chop the beef into small pieces. Add to frying pan and brown. Add onion and tomato and cook for five mins on low heat. Put to one side.

Step 2: Remove lengthways 1cm sections of the peel from the aubergine (this will create a striped effect on the outside) and cut into ½ cm thick slices. Drop slices in bowl of cold water and then coat in flour. Lightly fry in hot oil for 2 mins on each side until golden. Remove and sit on kitchen towel to drain excess oil

Step 3: Add cornflour, plain flour and olive oil to large saucepan and create a roux. Keep stirring on low heat to cook out the flour. Gradually add the milk, whisking all the time (the lumps will go – just keeping adding & whisking!). When thickened stir through half of the Parmesan and 2 tbsp of chopped herbs.

Step 4: Use a small bowl to assemble dish. First, create a layer of tomatoes, add a sprinkling of the herbs and Parmesan and then add a layer of aubergine. Repeat with another layer of tomato, herbs, Parmesan and aubergine.

Step 5: Spoon the beef mixture on top and press firmly into dish

Step 6: Spoon béchamel sauce mixture on top, and a sprinkling of herbs and then another covering of sauce (you need to ensure herbs are slightly covered by sauce to prevent them burning)

Step 7: Place in the oven (160c) for 25 mins

Step 8: Sprinkle the feta over the top of the moussaka and return to the oven for another 5 minutes

….and there you have it! I’m looking forward to doubling up the recipe and making it for some friends soon. Also keen to see whether it tastes anywhere near as nice at home as it did when the professionals were involved!!

Next post will be the final Greek instalment, with a selection of meze recipes.

Helen x

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Holiday Memories

Feedahappylife has been on holiday! Not that you'd know it with all the chip & dip posting that's been occuring!

Anyway, I've been off on my travels to Greece, specifically the island of Rhodes, and have returned happy, refreshed and full of lovely memories.

Holidays for me are generally, and perhaps not surprisingly, remembered by the food I indulged in at the time. A childhood trip to France evokes thoughts of beach picnics with sand-covered Boursin and crusty bread. A school trip to Italy brings back unhappy thoughts of over-cooked veal and omelet sandwiches abandoned in a bin in Rome. A trip to Canada remembered by Steamroller Burritos whilst watching the sunset. You get the idea!

During my last few holidays, I've tried to get a little deeper into local food culture by walking round food markets and attending cookery classes during my trip. It's such an enjoyable way to get off the tourist trail, meet local residents and take some unique memories home.

A little searching in Rhodes led me to a cookery course at the Melenos Lindos hotel - a mere 10 minute drive from where I was staying.

I arrived for my class with little knowledge of who I was about to meet and what I was about to cook! Upon being ushered into the kitchen I was delighted to realise I had three chefs all to myself for the ninety minute lesson, where I was to cook Tsatziki, Moussaka and Feta Parcels. I also received a tour of their gardens, where the hotel grew so much of their own produce, and saw fat almonds ripening on trees.

I thought I'd share the lovely recipes with you over the next few blog posts, so you can try them too! I've written the recipe for the Feta Filo parcels below, next I'll post the recipe for the amazing Moussaka mid-week and then I'll conclude at the weekend with a selection of my own mezze recipes (great for indulging in whilst the football is on!).

Feta Filo Parcels (recipe courtesy of Melenos Lindos)

Serves 1

                                

3 sheets of filo pastry

1 large cube of feta (200g)

Zest of 1 lime

Water

Sesame seeds (50g plain and 50g black)

Honey

Olive oil (for frying)

Step 1. Lay out 3 sheets of filo on top of each other, place the feta towards 1 end of the filo and top with half of the lime zest.

                                                

Step 2. Apply water to the edges of the filo and fold sides over the feta and roll over to form a parcel.

                                                

                                                

Step 3. Quickly dip/brush water over the parcel and roll in the sesame seeds

Step 4. Heat enough oil in a pan to fry the parcels. Test the heat by dropping a sesame seed into the oil - it needs to be hot enough to sizzle immediately. Carefully place the parcels into the hot oil and turn after 3 minutes. Both sides should be golden brown before removing the parcels to rest briefly on kitchen roll.

Step 5. Plate up the parcel with remaining zest and honey drizzled over. Eat immediately!

The honey really complements the saltiness of the feta and the lime lifts it all with a summery finish. I shared mine, as I found it quite rich, but think it would make a great vegetarian main with a nice salad.

Hope you enjoy - best moussaka recipe ever coming next!

Helen x

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Chip-Chop!

Wow, wow, wow!! Amazing discovery...

You can make chips from polenta! Very exciting....(for me anyway...)

I've had very mixed results with polenta so far and always seem to default to using it as an alternative to mashed potato. However, you have to add an awful lot of ingredients to it to make it taste of anything and it takes on a cold and gloopy texture very quickly. I had yet to find my 'wow' moment.

There are lots of lovely looking cakes with polenta which I keep meaning to try, but for now it's all about the humble chip! These were enough to make my partner go 'wow' and I never would have expected that from polenta, so they pass the boy test. The are oven cooked rather than fried but only just pass the health test given the amount of parmesan and butter in them! Still, a little treat never did anyone any harm!!

Polenta Chips

Serves 4

375g polenta

150g grated fresh parmesan

salt & pepper

90g butter

olive oil

• Boil 1.5ltrs of water in large saucepan
• Reduce heat and gradually pour in polenta, stirring continuously
• After 5 minutes of stirring on a low heat, your polenta should be thick.
• Remove from heat and add cheese, seasoning and butter. Stir thoroughly to combine
• Pour into a shallow square tin (or a round sandwhich tin and be prepared to cut off the edges)
• Leave to cool for 30 minutes
• Preheat the oven to 200c/GM 6 and lightly oil 2 baking trays
• Slice your cooled polenta into chip like pieces and lay on the baking trays
• Oven bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown
• Remove and eat!

I know I write this all the time, but these are really worth trying!

Hope you like!

Helen x

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Dip-Stick....

The promise of summer has got me thinking about dips.

I love a table laden with crudites, breadsticks, pitta breads and meats. It makes me really happy to have everyone gathering round a table loading plates up with food and chatting. Friends, family, food and happiness - it's what this food blog epitomises for me.

Anyway, such occasions always require dips! Whether creamy or tangy or cheesy, a dip is a essential component of the buffet table spread. Supermarket offerings can be a little depressing....it's either one hundred varieties of hummus or the obligatory four varieties that has been the same for the last ten years...you know the one....

Now, I don't really have an issue with this in it's own right and I'm sure lots of people like it. But once, in a time long ago and a land far away (well, Lincolnshire...), I worked in a food factory in the 'Dips & Deli' division. Having inhaled these products for six weeks day-after-day, I have little desire to consume them now.

I also think after you have made so much effort with other dishes, it's a shame to bring out these when it's easy to make your own. My three favourite dips are Peperonata (a red pepper and tomato salsa like dip), Artichoke and Cumin and Smoky Aubergine. I'll post all these over the next few weeks, but first I'll start with Aubergine (yum, yum!) which comes into season next month.

This Smoky Aubergine dip is very creamy and silky, but I love the kick that the chilli powder adds....

Serves 4

2 aubergines

100ml natural yoghurt

Juice 1/2 lemon

1 garlic clove

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder (or 1 green chilli)

1 tsp ground coriander

olive oil

• Place the aubergines in a very hot oven for 20 mins until they start to collapse
• Halve the aubergines, remove the flesh and place in a bowl to cool (throw away the skin)
• Add the cooled aubergine, yoghurt, lemon juice, garlic, chilli, coriander and a glug of oil to a food processor and blend until smooth
• Season to taste and serve

So easy!! You'll also need some Dip-Sticks to enjoy your homemade efforts. Often I chop grilled pittas into fingers for perfect dipping, however on this occasion I made use of toasted ciabatta, interesting crackers and crispbreads...

These companies do a great range of crackers if you fancy something different (generally available from supermarkets/delis)...

• Mondovino 
• Millers Damsels
• Fudges
• No No

Hope you like.....new Dip recipes will be posted soon!

Helen x

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The life and times of Herman!

A week or so ago, I introduced Herman the German Cake of Friendship to feedahappylife.

To recap, Herman is a cake that takes seven days to make and grows bigger day-by-day.At certain points in Herman's life, he can be split and shared with friends for them to start from day one and grow him too (I hope you're following....think of it as an edible chain letter, or maybe a Cake Cult!).

I had never made the recipe before (mistake one?!) and decided I would try the concept out on three of my friends. Results are below!!

Helen's Herman....

Herman's golden colour looks quite inviting and belies the fact that he yeastily bubbled away for seven days and emitted a funny beer-like smell from the corner of the room. On adding his final ingredients on day seven, it became clear that the quantities were a little bit out (always test recipe first!!!), so I added an extra 250mls milk, and it worked well....

I was left with a moist cake, with a crunchy outing, tasting something like a banana cake without the bananas!

Sarah's Herman....

The ingredients issue also caused a problem for Sarah's Herman at the last stage, with a solid dough forming rather than a silky cake mix. To compensate for this, Sarah added an egg, resulting in a slightly drier version of Herman than mine, which I quite liked but she thought was horrible - clearly not the best use of seven days of her life let alone Herman's!

Kaye's Herman...

You'll note there is no picture of Herman here. This is either because Kaye forgot to take one or because she was slightly ashamed of the end result. Given she got confused about Herman's cake status and cooked him in a bread maker and then added olive oil instead of vegetable oil, I think it's probably the latter! Poor Herman!!!!

Chloe's Herman....

At last Herman has bloomed! Chloe has done little Herman justice with her beautiful icing.

So there you have it! The trials and tribulations of Herman!

I have learnt several things through this process:

1. I have lovely friends who humour my silly, foody ways!
2. Recipes should always be tested before sharing them with others
3. There are many, many cakes that taste nicer than Herman with considerably less effort!!

If you want to try your own Herman (!!), you can download the instructions and, now amended, recipe here

Helenxx

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