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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Posh Onion and Fig Tart Tatin served with Parmesan Ice-Cream

I got a little bit carried away with this one....

I rather fell in love with the picture of Italian simplicity below and decided to give the recipe a go..

It was as advertisement from Discover the Origin, a campaign to publicise Italian ingredients, and I thought it looked like a nice, indulgent treat. However, it was a bit of a faff..... The Parmesan ice cream had to be made the day before and I had to trudge around Nottingham to buy figs (Sainsbury's & Tesco's both failed me, though I did discover a rather lovely fruit and veg shop that saved the day!).

After all the faffing, I still found the ice cream to be grainy (sometimes happens with homemade ice cream made without a machine), the figs somewhat redundant and the parma ham a slightly odd addition (clearly, I'm a heathen). My partner quite enjoyed it, which is fine because I wont be making the dish again! So why write about it here you may ask??

We'll, I was rather impressed by the onion tatin. Dark, flavoursome onions, enhanced greatly by the addition of Marsala and thyme and finished simply with ready-made puff pastry. For that reason, I've only included the recipe for the onion tatin below (minus the figs) - however, if anyone wants the entire recipe to better my attempt, drop me an e-mail.

Onion and Thyme Tart Tatin (serves 4)

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 50g butter
• 4 large onions, sliced
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp best balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp Marsala

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180c

Step 2: Sweat onions in butter until golden and soft (about 15 minutes, don't rush this bit!). Add the Marsala and thyme leaves and stir though until absorbed

Step 3: Using the tart tin you intend to bake with, place upside down on the pastry and cut out circles for the tart base. Leave to one side for now.

Step 4: Add the onions to your greased chosen tart tins (I used individual but you can use a large tin if you want to serve in slices).

Step 5: Cover with your pastry circle and gently tuck down the side of the dish

Step 6: Bake for 20 minutes (small tart) 25 minutes (large tart), until pastry is golden brown.

Step 7: Run a knife round the edge and, using a serving plate over the top, flip out to serve

Step 8: Serve warm with salad or vegetables

Hope you enjoy,
Helen x

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Apple, Thyme & Marzipan Tart (heaven and easy!!!)

I can't claim that this was a carefully thought-out creation, it was actually a random mix resulting from my 'moving-house-soon' cupboard and freezer leftovers. The apple and thyme work really well together though and the marzipan adds a lovely sweetness to the whole thing. So it has been a successful experiment.

I've made this twice now in the space of a week and it will definitely become one of my dessert standbys. I always have the ingredients stashed away, so if you drop in for dinner in the new house of feedahappy life soon, this might be served!!

The tart is really simple to make. You can prepare, bake and have it on the table in 25 minutes.

I've made mine as individual tarts, but I quite like the idea of making a giant one and bringing it out to the middle of the table either sliced into generous portions or letting guests attack at will!! Competitive dessert eating may not bring out the best qualities of your friends though!!

On the marzipan front, I had a block in the cupboard, which I rolled to the required shape for this, Ready rolled marzipan will make this easier though, particularly if you're making one large one.

Apple, Thyme and Marzipan Tart (serves 6)

• 3 medium-sized, sweet apples (I used Pink Ladies), sliced thinly
• Block of marzipan
• Sheet of ready rolled puff-pastry
• handful of thyme sprigs
• 2 tbsp apricot jam (optional)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180c

Step 2: Roll out pastry and placed on lightly greased baking sheet

Step 3: Cut into required portions (one sheet should make 6 rectangular tarts)

Step 4: Roll out your marzipan to fit inside the filo rectangles (leaving a 1cm gap between the pastry and marzipan edge)

Step 5: Lay the sliced apples on top of each other to cover the marzipan. Melt the jam in the microwave for 1 minute and brush over the apples (this acts as a glaze)

Step 6: Sprinkle over the thyme leaves

Step 7: Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden

Step 8: Serve warm with cream

Hope you enjoy,
Helen x

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Popeye Pie (or Spinach & Feta Filo pie if you prefer!)

Spinach ends up in my shopping trolley every week. It's cheap, healthy and either served hot or cold it has multiple recipe uses.

It's full of good things to make your body happy! Containing iron, vitamins A and C, thiamin, potassium and folic acid - no wonder it made Popeye grow up big and strong! .

Typically, I serve it wilted with a little butter and nutmeg or in a salad where it's firm leaves can take on warm, spicy chorizo and dense, creamy butter beans. However, I'm sure you can make a spinach salad without my help, so Popeye Pie is a slightly more adventurous way of dealing with it......

This dish is based on the classic Greek recipe Spanakotyropita, however I've taken out the herbs and added onions as I think this improves the final result....(I'm sure a Greek person would chastise me greatly for this..!).

You can serve this in thick wedges, hot or cold, which means it's a great picnic dish or vegetarian main (use vegetarian feta though if you are going down this route). My preference is to serve it as a summery alternative to a Sunday roast, eaten with a pile of basmati rice and crisp green leaves spiked with a lemon dressing. This serves 6, so you can get people round, enjoy the weather, food and their company. Perfect!

Popeye Pie

2 onions (1 red & 1 white)
50g butter
2 cloves crushed garlic (or use puree)
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (fresh if possible)
200g feta
2 eggs
filo pastry (4 sheets required)
salt/pepper

Step 1: Heat oven to 200c/GM6

Step 2: Slice onions and cook on a medium in about 20g of the butter until soft and golden

Step 3: Add the garlic, cook through for about 2 mins and then add the spinach (you'll need to do this a handful at a time until it wilts before adding the next). Put in a bowl to cool

Step 4: Add to your cooled spinach, crumbled feta, beaten eggs, nutmeg and seasoning (it looks funny but will taste great - promise!)

Step 5: Melt the remaining butter (30 seconds in the microwave normally does it..) and use some of this to butter a springform cake tin (normal 'victoria sponge' size - I used a deep one but I think shallow might be better). Next, add 1 sheet of filo so it covers the bottom of the tin but leaves pastry hanging over the side. Butter the filo sheet and turn the tin 90 degrees. Repeat with each remaining sheet (not as complicated as it might read...)

Step 6: Press the spinach filling into the tin and gently pull the sheets over the top to cover it up*. Brush with the remaining butter

Step 7: Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the top is golden. Remove and leave to cool for 5 minutes if serving hot or until fully cold and chill for eating later.

Top Tips

• *Worst case scenario...you may find a gap in the top where the pastry hasn't quite covered the filling. Don't panic! Just get 1 more sheet of filo, scrunch it up, apply to the top and brush with melted butter. Solved!
• Bacon/Pancetta make a great addition to this recipe. Pan fry first and then add to the mix before pressing into the tin.
• You can experiment quite a lot with the fillings too. I've tried pumpkin (roasted, pureed and mixed with 1 egg yolk, Parmesan, nutmeg and fresh white breadcrumbs) and roasted vegetables. Both taste great hot or cold.

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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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Hasty Pastry...

Last week, I continued my efforts to face my pastry fear by making short crust pastry for quiches (Tasty Pastry). I concluded, after much mess and stress, that homemade pastry is not for school nights!



I will definitely continue to perfect this skill (I’ll feel a bit of a cooking fraud otherwise – my inability always on the brink of being revealed), but I’m going to investigate a few cheats that are more fitting for mid-week eating (..hence, Hasty Pastry!)


I’ve played around with two different savoury tarts, both made from just four ingredients each and served in less than twenty minutes. Leaving plenty of time for wine and relaxing……Don’t let the simpleness put you off though, they are really, really yummy!


Ingredients

• 1 pack puff pastry
• 1 jar green pesto
• Tomato Tart only = Handful of cherry tomatoes (about 10 tomatoes per tart)
• Tomato Tart only = Cream cheese (about 1 tsp per tart)
• Asparagus Tart only = Handful of asparagus (about 4 spears per tart)
• Asparagus Tart only = grated cheese (enough to sprinkle over each tart)

First up….the Tomato Tart, which I’ve photographed at each stage to show you how easy it really is…

OK, heat the oven to 180c/GM 4, cut a circle of puff pastry (use a pastry cutter or a plate if you want to make one giant tart) and score a smaller circle into the pastry create a 2cm rim…..

Now, spread your pesto (about 1tsp per small tart – too much and it’ll go soggy) into the inner circle....

....and top with your cherry tomatoes which you’ve sliced in half...

Pop into the oven for 10 -15 minutes until the edges have risen and are lightly browned....

Pop on 1 tsp of your cream cheese and serve!

The asparagus tart is equally simple…prepare the asparagus by throwing away the woody ends (just snap them off, placing stalks in a covered bowl in the microwave with 1 tbsp of water and zap on high for 2 minutes. Cut your pastry into a rectangle and score a smaller rectangle to create a 2cm rim. Spread with pesto as before, place your asparagus on top and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the oven and 10-15 minutes later, you’re done.

 I feel a bit silly posting this as it’s so easy, but I think you need some quick standby dishes and I always have the basic ingredients in. I often serve this as a starter when I’ve not got a lot of time to cook. You can play around with the flavours too , I’ve put some options below but it’s pretty much anything goes!!

• Caramelised onions and goats cheese (sprinkled with thyme)

• Olive tapenade, sundried tomatoes and mozzarella

• Sundried tomato puree, parma ham and dolcelatte• Red pesto, cream cheese and basil

• Quince jam, manchego cheese and parma ham

• Pea puree and pancetta

• Caponata and Parmesan

I’ve got some really good pastry dessert cheats too which I’ll share at some point (Hasty Pastry Puds…mmmm).

Hope you like – if you any cheats of your own, please share via Facebook!

Helen xx

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Tasty Pastry!

I should drop a bombshell now...

I'm not really a great cook. I know I have a food blog and that I spend an awful lot of time thinking about food, cooking food and now writing about it, but I have as many failures as I do successes! My biggest issue is pastry.

Pastry is a bit of a sore point.

I don't understand how something so simple can be so complicated! It's either too dry, or too short, too warm to handle or too wet to roll! Argggh! However, given that I have books dedicated to pastry and you can have a career in just being a pastry chef, maybe it's not so surprising after all!

So, I'm facing my fear and my pastry issues. Pie by pie and tart by tart! Starting now with the humble quiche...

I'm starting with a pretty basic pastry recipe, taken from the tomb of all things good and foody, Nigella's "How to Eat" (I love, love, love this food bible!). Following Nigella, I combined the ingredients below in my blender - I'm quite sure a purist would combine everything on the kitchen surface with their fingertips, but it's a work night and speed and tidiness are more important than pastry rules (such rebellion is, quite clearly, the root of my pastry rubbishness!).

Shortcrust Pastry (according to Nigella)

• 120g plain flour
• 60g butter (cold)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon yoghurt (or lemon juice or creme fraiche)

When it's all combined, you need to chill it for about 30 minutes. Whilst this was happening I prepared a few fillings and the basic eggy-mixture for the quiche:

• 150ml cream
• 150ml milk
• 3 eggs

Pastry cooled, I split it in half and added grated Parmesan to one half and chopped rosemary leaves to the other (this is because I forgot to do it pre-fridge!). This addition was a little experiment on my part to make the pastry a bit more exciting. After which, I rolled it out to fit my little tart tins. Big tip here... To save putting flour all over your surfaces, roll your pastry between two large pieces of cling film. It also makes it easier to lift and keeps it cool.

I added it to my greased tins, pierced with a fork and chilled again for 10 minutes. Then, they were covered with baking paper, filled with baking beans and popped into the oven (160c) from 10 minutes. Another tip.. if you've not got baking beans, you can use uncooked rice or pulses to weigh down the pastry. I've read that you can use old holiday money too as this is a good conductor of heat (obviously the coins and not the notes!).

I then took them out and added my different fillings. To the Parmesan pastry I added a medley of blanched spring vegetables (courgette, pea and broad bean)....

 To the rosemary pastry I added sweet potato and goats cheese......

 and caramelised onions and grated mature cheddar to the other.....

They were topped-up with the eggy mixture and popped into the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Another tip...if you're making a larger quiche it might need a little longer, so pop tin foil around the pastry edge after 20 minutes to stop it browning. Then, they were prised from their little tins and served!

All this took about 90 minutes, which admittedly is quite a lot of effort on a school night! So, whilst I will continue with my adventures in pastry, next week I'll be changing tack and featuring a blog entry called 'Hasty Pastry' where I'll sin and use the ready made version and see what the result is (time gained over taste lost maybe?!).

Next entry will be posted at the weekend and focus on my Friday night dinner with friends featuring a vegetarian food, fit for non-vegetarians too!

Thank you for reading.

Helen x

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