Inspired by Italy: Butter bean, sun-dried tomato and pesto soup

So, here is the first course of this week's Monday Menu; Butter bean, sun-dried tomato and pesto soup.

Generally I'm loathe to serve soup as a starter as I find by the time I've eaten it, I'm too full to do justice to the remaining dishes. That said, this menu is quite a light affair and I think the soup has it's place both in it's offer of flavour, warmth and substance.

This recipe is easy and quick! You can prepare and serve in less than 10 minutes, which makes the whole '3-course dinner' a more manageable experience, even on a school night!

Butter beans are so versatile and I often use them in dips, stews and salads. In a soup, they add a certain creaminess without the expected fat content. One note on the ingredients to consider.....Using both stock and pesto can make the dish quite salty, so adjust to taste and add any seasoning at the end.

Enjoy cooking,
Helen

Butter Bean, Sun-dried Tomato and Pesto Soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 900ml Vegetable stock
• 2 x 400g Butter beans (drained)
• 4 tbsp Sun-dried tomato puree
• 5 tbsp Green pesto

Step 1: Boil stock and butter beans for 2 minutes

Step 2: Add pesto and tomato puree and simmer for 5 minutes

Step 3: Blend soup to a smooth consistency

Step 4: Season and serve

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The Monday Menu: Inspired by Italy

I love all things Italian....the cities, the countryside, the shops, the passion, the culture, the wine but most of all the food.

From heavy Tuscan stews to light, summer salads, I think the Italian's do it best.

For this menu, I wanted to capture some of those clever flavour combinations in dishes that transitioned us from Summer to Autumn. With the change of temperature, I want more than a selection of antipasti but I'm not yet cocooned enough for dense casseroles. Hence, I've tried to reach a middle ground with this menu.

I also wanted something quite easy. I've got a busy week ahead and need dishes that can be ready in less than 30 minutes and these meet the requirement.

As ever with the Monday Menu, the recipes are designed to be served together but they certainly don't have to be. I'm making extra soup and freezing it, for late-night quick consumption.

Dishes will be posted with the step-by-step photo guides throughout the week and you'll find the shopping list for the whole menu below, to make it easy to get started.

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Inspired by Italy

Starter: Butter bean, sun-dried tomato and pesto soup

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Main: Scallop, fennel and bacon linguine

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Desserts: Baked ricotta cakes with berry sauce

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Shopping List: Inspired by Italy

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Happy cooking,

Helen x

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Lebanese Feasting: Sticky Cardamon Buns

Here's the final recipe from Monday's Lebanese Feasting menu; Sticky Cardamon Buns.

This is my favourite recipe (from Delicious Magazine 2010) of the three in the menu, partly because I have a sweet tooth and partly because the flavours just work so well. As ever, I think making any bread based dish with kneading, rising and resting is a labour of love and 'kneads' (forgive the pun) to be worth the effort. This one certainly pays dividends and offers lots of scope for non-Lebanese variation....

Next time, I'm going to try an apple butter, cinnamon and raisin combination. Closely followed by a Nutella and chopped hazelnut calorie-extravaganza. Yum!

Enjoy cooking,
Helen x


Sticky Cardamon Buns

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter (50g cubed, 50g softened + extra for greasing)
• 450g strong white bread flour (+ extra for dusting)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 7g sachet fast-action yeast
• 25g caster sugar
• 1 medium egg
• 225 ml milk (warmed)
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp unsalted pistachios (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds (roughly crushed)
• 50g sultanas
• 50g currants
• 50g light muscavado sugar

Step 1: Grease large, deep square cake tin (suggest 23cm) with butter

Step 2: Rub flour and butter (50g cubed) together to make fine crumbs and stir in dried yeast

Step 3: Whisk sugar and egg and add to flour mix. Gradually add milk (you may not need it all) and pull mixture together into a soft dough

Step 4: Knead dough (by hand or in a mixer with a dough hook attachment) until it feels smooth and elastic (about 15 minutes). Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour (dough should double in size)

Step 6: Give the dough a gentle punch to release the air and roll out on a floured surface. You're aiming for a rectangle about 25cm by 35cm (rough 3/4 cm thickness). Trim the edges if required to get the right shape.

Step 7: Spread to remaining 50g of softened butter over the pastry and then scatter over the muscavado sugar, raisins, currants and crushed cardamom

Step 8: Roll-up lengthways

Step 9: Slice into 9 evenly sized rounds and place in tin. Leave for 45 minutes in a warm place to rise

Step 10: Preheat the oven to 180c/ GM 6 and bake the buns for 30 minutes or until golden (don't overcook though).

Step 11: Remove from oven. Leave in cake tin, spread honey and scatter pistachios over the top and leave to cool for 10 minutes

Step 12: Remove from the tin and serve (great with mint tea!)

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Lebanese Feasting: Spicy Lamb Tart

Time for the main course element of this week's Monday Menu, Spicy Lamb Tart.

I don't ordinarily have much use for lamb mince, favouring lean beef is ever the need arises for it within a dish. However, the lamb definitely adds the perfect flavour to this tart (recipe adapted from Delicious Magazine 2010).

This dish has layers and layers of flavour from the pomegranate molasses, cinnamon, chillies, allspice and herbs that are added throughout. Whilst that means it does take a little time to get ready, it's not complex and the aromas and taste are definitely worth it.

I bought my pomegranate molasses some time ago from Sainsburys (look for it in the 'World Foods' section). If you buy some for this recipe and have no idea what to do with it afterwards, there are some good recipes here.

This tart will feed 4 people with sides of fragrant rice and a green salad.

Enjoy cooking,
Helen x

Spicy Lamb Tart

Ingredients

• 375g ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 tbsp polenta
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 400g lean lamb mince
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 red chilli (chopped)
• 1 green chilli (sliced)
• 25g pine nuts (toasted)
• 200 ml chicken stock
• Bunch of flat leaf parsley (chopped)
• Bunch of coriander (chopped)
• Handful pomegranate seeds
• Olive oil

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180c/GM 6

Step 2: Sprinkle polenta on a baking tray and lay pastry over the top. Score a border about 3 cm in from the edge and brush with beaten egg (try not to get egg in the scored line). Place in oven for 15 minutes until pastry is light-gold in colour (not brown) and remove.

Step 3:  Whilst pastry is in the oven, soften the onion in a glug of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the lamb and cook through until browned (about 5 minutes). Then add spices, pine nuts, molasses, stock and chopped chilli. Simmer for 10 minutes until stock has reduced and sticky lamb mix remains.

Step 4: Add chopped herbs (reserving some parsley) to the lamb and spread over centre of the golden pastry, laying the sliced chilli on top.

Step 5: Return tart to the oven for 10 minutes more, until pastry is a deep golden colour. Remove and top with pomegranate seeds and remaining parsley.

Step 6: Slice and serve with chosen accompaniments.

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Lebanese Feasting: Home Made Cumin Flat Bread and Coriander Houmous

Today, I'm sharing the starter recipe that forms part of Monday's 'Lebanese Feasting' Menu.

I chose this for a starter as a light option, given the main is lamb and the pudding is sticky buns! I also wanted to try to make flatbreads, something I usually buy.

I like that the flatbreads take minimal kneading and only need 15 minutes to rest, so they are pretty quick to do. Taste wise, the cumin adds something extra than the normal wholemeal variety.

I think it's best to make the houmous first and then you can chill it while you get busy with your flatbreads. The recipe makes 6 large flatbreads and ample houmous to go round! You'll need to get hold of tahini to make your houmous. Tahini is a creamy sesame paste, available from delis and large supermarkets. I found mine near the pulses in Sainsbury’s if it helps!

Hope you enjoy making, next up....Spicy Lamb Tart!

Coriander Houmous

Ingredients

• 400g tin chickpeas (drained)
• 3 tbsp tahini
• bunch coriander (rough chopped)
• 1 lemon (grated and juiced)
• 100ml olive oil
• salt (to taste)

Step 1: Add all ingredients, excluding oil, to a food processor and blend until combined to a rough puree

Step 2: Leaving the food processor on and slowly poor oil into your mix to combine

Step 3: Add water and blend to loosen if required (I needed about 15ml)

Step 4: Add salt and additional lemon to taste

Step 5: Remove from processor and chill


Cumin Flatbread

Ingredients

• 125g wholemeal flour
• 125g white bread flour (+additional for dusting)
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Step 1: Combine all ingredients, excluding oil, and combine with sufficient water to make a dough (likely to be 200-300ml)

Step 2: Knead your dough, either with a mixer and dough hook or by hand, until smooth

Step 3: Knead in 2 tbsp olive oil and leave to rest for 15 minutes

Step 4: Divide into 6 balls and roll out onto a floured surface to a thickness of about 2mm

Step 5: Heat a pan to a high heat and a rolled flatbread. After 2-3 minutes it will start to bubble. Flip over and toast for another 2-3 minutes. Remove, set aside to cool and repeat with the remaining 5 flatbreads

Step 6: Serve with heapings of houmous!

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The Monday Menu: Lebanese Feasting

I'm really excited to present the first of many 'Monday Menus'.

This week, I'm passionate about flavours and fragrance and aim to create dishes with evocative scents and fresh, punchy tastes.

I'm not experienced with Middle Eastern cuisine, so this is a straight-forward menu, with easy to obtain ingredients.

It's designed to be eaten with your hands, so expect and enjoy the messiness (accessorising with low tables and floor cushions optional!).

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Lebanese Feasting

Starter: Home Made Cumin Flat Bread and Coriander Houmous

Main: Spicy Lamb Tart

Dessert: Sticky Cardamon Buns

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Of course, now you'll be needing a shopping list to make sure you've got everything ready before you commence cooking! Click on the link below to find out what you need:

Shopping List: Lebanese Feasting

Recipes will be sent throughout the week. Don't forget to sign-up to e-mail updates to make it all super easy to get the new recipes and step-by-step photo guides sent straight to your inbox.

Happy cooking,

Helen x

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Cut-and-Come-Again Cake: Part 3 - Lemon and Blueberry

The final cake recipe in this series for now (though far from the final cake recipe to feature on feedahappylife!), is this Lemon and Blueberry delight.

This is the moistest recipe of all three of the cut-and-come-again cakes, with soft sponge and juicy blueberries oozing with flavour and bursting with goodness.

The good thing about this is that it uses frozen blueberries, so if you have them on stand-by in the freezer, it's a really quick way to get a impressive cake on the table in less than 45 minutes (or if they're out-of-season and you can't get hold of fresh).

The basic lemon sponge mix lends itself to a variety of additions and you can easily substitute blueberries for whatever other frozen berries may be your preference. I think blackberries would really suit this, served with the compot perhaps in the panacotta recipe featured earlier this month, and some double cream.

Lemon and Blueberry Cake

Ingredients:

• 115g soft butter/margarine
• 170g self-raising flour
• 170g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 6 tbsp milk
• 1tsp baking powder
• 200g frozen blueberries

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180c/GM 4

Step 2: Put all of the cake ingredients (excluding blueberries into a large mixing bowl and beat for 2-3 mins until smooth, glossy and easily falling from your spoon

Step 3: Stir through the blueberries and pour mixture into a lined cake tin (I've done this in loaf tins/round tins/cake tins and it works regardless!)

Step 4: Bake for 30-40 mins until top is browned and a skewer comes out clean

Step 5: Leave to cool in tin for 30 minutes before turning out and slicing.
 
Enjoy!
Helen x

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Chocolate Heaven Cake (piled high with summer berries)

Ooooh! What a delight this cake is!

Sometimes I'll make a cake and it does exactly what I expect. It's comforting or tasty or pretty etc... and serves it's purpose. Then occasionally, I'll play around with a recipe and something really special comes out of it. I can always tell when this happens because it gets consumed very quickly, without thought of greediness or calories or even fullness, because people seem to like it so much!!

This is one of those happy accidents.

A flourless chocolate cake, inspired by the delightful recipe of Sophie Dahl, who I believe was inspired in turn by the Chocolate Nemesis cake at The River Cake (yet to go there to eat but desperate to!!). I've made some feedahappylife alterations with a strawberry cream rather than creme fraiche, slightly less chocolate and the removal of the coffee from the ingredients.

Please, please, please make this at some point!! You wont be disappointed!

Chocolate Heaven Cake (piled high with summer berries)

Ingredients

• 200g best dark chocolate
• 250ml double cream
• 400g frozen berries (defrosted)
• 200g fresh strawberries
• 140g caster sugar
• 4 eggs (separated)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp strawberry conserve

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180c/ GM 4 and butter and line a cake tin (medium size - suggest 20cm - also suggest springform due to delicateness of cooked cake)

Step 2: Use a food processor to create a powder out of the chocolate and caster sugar. Add 120ml of boiling water and stir through. Then add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Step 3: Whisk the egg whites and then fold into the chocolate mixture.

Step 4: Pour into the cake tin and back for 50 minutes (test with a skewer). The top will be cracked.

Step 5: Allow the cake to cool for about 45 minutes and then fridge

Step 6: Before you need to serve, whip your cream until thick and stir through your strawberry conserve. Spoon the cream over the chocolate cake.

Step 7: Drain the frozen berries and mix with the fresh strawberries. Tumble over the cream and pile up in the centre

Step 8: Serve and slice your cake to hungry friends!

Enjoy!
Helen

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Cut-and-Come-Again Cake: Part 2 - Low Fat Banana Cake..

Continuing with the series of cakes, easily baked and ready for weekend visitors, comes this recipe for banana cake.

Not only is this moist and delicious, it's also a great way to use up your brown bananas (I don't like to eat bananas once those brown age spots start to appear) and it's low-fat! Really, there is no excuse not to attempt this!

In place of butter, this cake uses a small amount of low fat margarine and low fat natural yoghurt. This keeps the moistness you needs without any greasiness. You can easily divide the mixture and make muffins if you feel inclined.

For the experimental chefs, some raisins, chopped nuts and mixed spices could be added. Or perhaps a few teaspoons of cocoa powder and chocolate chips.....For me though a banana cake requires little to enhance it's existing yummyness, except perhaps a drizzle of cream and a mug of tea.

You'll just have to try it and see for yourself!

Low Fat Banana Cake

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 200g sugar
• 2 large bananas (mashed)
• 140g low-fat natural yoghurt
• 40g butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g self raising flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180c/ GM 4 and grease/line a small/medium cake tine (I used a 20cm tin)

Step 2: Beat the eggs, sugar, mashed banana, vanilla together until smooth

Step 3: Fold in the flour, cinnamon, yoghurt and bicarbonate

Step 4: Pour the mixture into your cake tine and bake for 50 minutes

Step 5: Leave to cool in pan for 30 minutes, before removing, slicing and serving to giant smiles!

Enjoy!
Helen x

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Cut-and-Come-Again Cake: Part 1 - Apple and Sultana Cake

Nigel Slater, food writer extraordinaire, writes about how his kitchen feels incomplete without a 'cut-and-come-again cake' ready and waiting for visitors. It's a concept I wholeheartedly agree with!

I would hate not to be able to offer freshly baked cake/bread/biscuits to people with a cup of tea/wine when they come a-calling.

My easiest option here is always my fail safe lemon sponge (I say mine - it's a recipe I got years ago. I still have the piece of paper it's written down on and every year it seems to gather more spots of dried on cake batter!). I've written about this cake before on feedahappylife and it's well worth a try.

For fear of friends boredom at rolling this out again and my own desire to experiment, I've been testing out new cake recipes on visitors to the new home of feedahappylife. My next few posts will focus on my own versions of these cut-and-come-again cakes.

This one is a boozy concoction of apple and cognac soaked sultanas (the final taste of alcohol is actually quite mild). The mix creates a firm but moist cake. Good for slicing into thick, welcoming wedges.

Apple and Cognac Soaked Sultana Cake

Ingredients

• 300g apples (grated)
• 1/2 lemon (juiced & zested)
• 100g butter
• 150g sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 185g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 50g chopped walnuts
• 40g sultanas (boiled in 35ml cognac and left to cool)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180c/GM 4 and butter/line a small cake tin (15 - 20cm)

Step 2: Mix the grated apples with the lemon juice and zest. Stir in the sultanas and cognac

Step 3: Cream butter and sugar until light and gradually beat in the egg and vanilla until combined and smooth.

Step 4: Add all dry ingredients and stir to combine

Step 5: Pour into tin and bake for 40 minutes, then turn temperature down to 150c/GM 2 for another 20 minutes

Step 6: Cool in the tin before slicing and serving with a drizzle of cream and a giant spoon!

Enjoy!
Helen x

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Chocolate Brownie.....the dark, rich and easy one....

I have recently embarked upon an indulgent mission to find the perfect chocolate brownie recipe. I started with the previously posted, double layer chocolate brownies. Yummy, but not quite perfect.

I have now decided to start from basic and build-up to perfection! Hence this easy recipe which produces great brownies, quickly! Importantly for me, they have good dose of nuts to add texture and produce the cracked top that all the best brownies should wear.

The flavour is greatly enhanced by the quality of your cocoa powder, so use the best you have. I prefer to use Green and Blacks cocoa powder, which you can get from most supermarkets. Incidentally, they have some lovely recipes on their website if you're a chocolate lover, including:

• White and Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake
• French Truffles
• Rich Chocolate Pots

I'm yet to try, but when I do, you'll know!


Easy Chocolate Brownies (makes about 20)

Ingredients

• 350g butter
• 140g cocoa powder
• 6 eggs
• 675g caster sugar
• 250g plain flour
• 3tsp vanilla essence
• 100g chopped walnuts

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180c/GM 4

Step 2: Line a deep baking tray (about 20cm x 30cm) with greaseproof paper

Step 3: Melt the butter and cocoa in a saucepan

Step 4: Whisk the eggs and then whisk in the sugar, flour and vanilla

Step 5: Add the cocoa mixture and nuts to the eggs. Fold through to combine.

Step 6: Pour into your tin and bake for 45 minutes or until springy to the touch (don't overcook or you'll loose the dense but soft centre)

Step 7: Cut into squares while warm (leave to cool for about 15 minutes first) and serve


Top Tips

• These last several days in the fridge if sealed in an airtight container

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Berry Nice Low Fat Vanilla Panna Cotta

There are times with puddings when you throw any attempts at low-fat out of the window and revel in the sheer naughtiness of what you're eating (my Chocolate Pavlova Supernova is a case in point). Any attempt to swap devilish ingredients for those slightly less hip-scaringly bad would ruin the whole essence of what these dishes are about.

However, there are also times when calorie-consciousness creeps through and, as much as you may want a creamy dessert or sweet, soft cake the guilt factor is too high and they are resisted.

This dessert is perfect for those times (also good for dinner parties which may have featured a heavy main course or a hot summers day). It's light, creamy, fruity and refreshing all at once. Additionally, it's easy to make and low-fat, substituting double cream (a usual feature in a panna cotta recipe), for the far more angelic natural yoghurt. How many reasons do you need to try it out?!

I don't think you need to advertise this as low-fat, because it still manages to taste like a treat and therefore passes the man test where other low-fat, tasteless dishes may give rise to scorn and disdain.

You could easily adjust the compote too to reflect seasonal fruit. A spiced plum compote would be great for Autumn and a cranberry compote super for Christmas.

Berry Nice Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 vanilla pod
• 2 sheets gelatine
• 420g low-fat natural yoghurt
• 300g frozen berries
• 40g icing sugar

Step 1: Place the sheets of gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soften


Step 2: Combine water, gelatine and honey in a heatproof jug. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add both to the jug.

Step 3: Stand jug in a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until gelatine dissolves. Remove jug from water and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Discarding pod when cool.

Step 4: Combine honey mixture and yoghurt in a bowl and then pour into 4 125ml moulds (I used ramekins). Cover and place in fridge for 3 hours/overnight

                                                   

                                                    

Step 5: Combine berries and icing sugar in a saucepan and heat on a low heat for about 5 minutes. Only stir occasionally to ensure fruit keeps its shape. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until required.

Step 6: Remove from mould (see top tips) and serve with berry compote

Top Tips

• To easily remove the panna cotta from the mould either wipe round the outside of the mould with a very hot cloth (if using metal moulds). Or, if using porcelain moulds, stand briefly in a bowl of hot water to loosen the panna cotta from the sides
• When it’s loosened, place your serving plate on top and flip over so the panna cotta drops out in the centre of your dish
• Don’t rush the removing part or you hard work will be ruined!

Hope you enjoy,
Helen x

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