Honey-Roasted Pineapple with Pistachios & Coconut Yoghurt Recipe

Funny how things creep up on you.  When I started this blog, a bit over 18 months ago, I had no idea where it would lead to - I certainly never for a moment imagined the friendships and connections that would develop with wonderful people all over the globe.  Likewise, back when it used to take me a whole week (sometimes longer) to be able to actually create a post, I couldn't imagine ever getting to my 100th post - and yet, here we now are - this folks is my 100th post.

Such an occasion of course calls for a celebration of some sort, and this dish seems like a great way to do just that.  Let's face it, there is always something rather celebratory about dessert (even if you eat it every night of the week - which, incidentally, I don't), and exotic ingredients like pineapple, vanilla and pistachio definitely add a touch of decadence and luxury.  At the same time, given that there is absolutely nothing here but fresh fruit, honey, nuts, coconut and yoghurt, this adds up to a totally healthy and guilt-free dessert in my estimation.

Now, before I move on to sharing this recipe with you, I want to tell you something about the honey I used.  Just before Christmas, the Airborne Honey people sent me a couple of samples of their product to review - this little jar of Tawari honey, and also one of Manuka honey.  So, yes I did receive free samples, but let me assure you that I have not been paid for my opinion on this product.  My mother always subscribed to the belief that if you couldn't find anything good to say about someone or something, it was better to say nothing at all.  That was well and truly drummed into me as a children, and to this day I live by that.  So you can be sure that if I had found this product in any way unsatisfactory you wouldn't be reading about it here - I would simply have politely let the people at Airborne know my opinion and refrained from reviewing it.  The fact that you're reading about it here, means that I genuinely thought it was great and no-one has paid me to tell you that.

Airborne Honey has been produced in New Zealand for over 100 years, and they make three substantial claims about their honey - firstly that it is honest (it is labelled as to its floral source, and the packaging details the exact percentage of the pollen source in your jar);  secondly that it is undamaged (unique processing methods and rigorous testing take place to ensure the least amount of heat damage occurs);  and thirdly that it is traceable (every jar contains a batch number which enables the product to be traced back to the hive it came from).  You can read more about this on their website.  Also on the website you can find details of their stockists in New Zealand and importers worldwide, so even though these are uniquely New Zealand in origin you don't have to be living here to get your hands on some of this deliciousness.

I haven't used the Manuka one too much yet, so I'll tell you more about that another day, but I am definitely having a love affair with the Tawari.  I'm personally not fussed on strong honey flavours, but found that, as promised, this has a delicate butterscotch flavour and strikes just the right note drizzled over my yoghurt and granola.  However, in this dish, by the time it had spent 20 or so minutes in the oven with the pineapple it turned into something that tasted more like liquified barley sugars - it was thick and syrupy, and it tasted so insanely good, I kid you not, I truly licked my plate clean (and the dish the pineapple had been roasted in) so as not to miss a single drop of this liquid heaven. I - AM - NOT - EXAGGERATING!

Anyway, I'm sure you've heard enough about honey, so on with the recipe.

Honey-Roasted Pineapple with Pistachios & Coconut Yoghurt Recipe

Adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller (Food for Friends)

Makes 2 heavenly servings

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

2 slices fresh pineapple, cut about 1cm (1/3 inch) thick

1 vanilla bean

1/2 cup warm honey

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup dessicated coconut, lightly toasted

1/2 cup plain Greek-style yoghurt

2 teaspoons palm sugar (or soft brown sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

handful shelled pistachios, roasted and roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (355 degrees F).  Remove skin from pineapple and cut each slice in half crosswise.  Place in a shallow ovenproof dish in a single layer.  Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the warmed honey;  add in the scraped-out vanilla pod and cinnamon;  then pour all of the honey mixture over the pineapple.

Roast in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes;  turn the pineapple slices over and baste with the juices;  then roast for a further 10-15 minutes or until the pineapple is soft.  The juice will be thick, and syrupy.  Leave to cool in the juice.

To make the coconut yoghurt, combine the toasted coconut, yoghurt, palm sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl and mix well.  Taste and adjust the sweetness or vanilla to suit your tastes.  Refrigerate, covered, until you are ready to serve.

Serve pineapple slices on a plate, and drizzle some of the syrupy roasting juices over the top.  Serve a dollop of the coconut yoghurt on the side;  sprinkle on some of the roasted pistachios;  and lastly drizzle more of the juices over everything.

Eat, enjoy, and when you think no-one's watching go ahead and lick the plate!

This post is a contribution to Make it with ... Mondays challenge vanilla - the linky is still open until Monday 24 January, so keep your vanilla posts coming, and don't forget to check out this week's special ingredient which is quinoa.

I'm also linking this to the Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent Blog Hop - which category do you think it would fit into - I think it could go either way.

Scallops with Sweet Potato, Spinach & Vanilla Saffron Sauce Recipe

Here is a recipe which is totally unlike any of the usual fare that you might usually find on my blog, but in exploring the use of vanilla for a "Make it with ... Mondays" entry I wanted to try and use this ingredient in a more savoury application.  I had once seen Jamie Oliver on TV preparing fish with vanilla, and the idea of that combination was intriguing to me.  I set about searching in books and on the internet for recipes with fish and vanilla and didn't manage to turn up anything that was particularly appealing.

Then in an old issue (number 118 to be precise) of Cuisine magazine I came across this recipe for Hapuku with Spinach, Kumara & Saffron Vanilla Butter Sauce.  This was in fact a recipe from Swell restaurant, Waikanae Beach, which had been requested by a reader.  I really liked the idea of this recipe, but some of the steps and techniques involved were a bit "cheffy" for me - let's not forget I am the master of the one-pot-wonder, so I did make several changes to turn this into really a very simple dish.  Furthermore, since I was eating on my own, I decided to splash out on some beautiful scallops instead of the fish.  Using the original recipe as my inspiration, this is what I did to turn this into a beautiful dinner for one.

Scallops with Sweet Potato, Spinach & Vanilla Saffron Sauce Recipe

Inspired by recipe in Issue 118 of Cuisine Magazine

One generous serving (or two small serves)

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

12 scallops

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 vanilla bean *(reserve 1/2 for sauce)

olive oil

1 medium-sized, orange-fleshed sweet potato

olive oil

flaky sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2-3 large handfuls baby spinach leaves

butter

flaky sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1/2 cup fish or chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

2 cloves garlic, peeled (not chopped)

2 bay leaves

pinch saffron threads

1/2 vanilla bean *(see above)

1-1/2 teaspoons cream

2-3 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F).  Peel the sweet potato and cut into smallish cubes.  Line a roasting pan with a sheet of parchment paper, add the sweet potato, drizzle liberally with olive oil, sprinkle over some flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and toss well to make sure all the sweet potato is well coated.  Roast in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until golden and crispy.

Meanwhile, put the lemon juice into a shallow bowl.  Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and set one half aside to use for the sauce.  Scrape the black seeds out of the other half and add them, along with the scraped out bean pod, to the lemon juice.  Add a generous drizzle of olive oil, stir to combine, and add scallops to the mixture.  Leave to marinate for a few minutes while you prepare the sauce.

Put stock and wine into a small saucepan with the whole garlic cloves and bay leaves, set over high heat and allow to reduce by half.  Scrape the seeds out of the reserved 1/2 vanilla bean, and add the seeds and pod to the pan, along with the saffron strands.  Reduce down to about 1-1/2 tablespoons.  Set aside to infuse while you prepare to cook the spinach and scallops.

Set a non-stick pan over high heat, add the scallops to the hot pan and sear on both sides.  These take just a moment or two on each side and care should be taken not to over-cook or they will be rubbery.

In a separate pan, heat a generous knob of butter, add the spinach leaves, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until just wilted - again just a moment or two.

While the spinach and scallops are cooking, finish the sauce.  Strain the sauce into another small pan (discarding the vanilla bean, bay leaves and garlic clove), and add the cream.  Bring to a simmer, then add in the butter a teaspoonful at a time, whisking constantly so that each addition is fully emulsified.

To serve, place the roasted sweet potato on a serving plate, and top with the wilted spinach.

Arrange the seared scallops over the top, and drizzle generously with the sauce.

As I said before, this is definitely not the kind of thing that I normally make - it's a rare thing indeed for a sauce to be made in my house - but I will definitely make it again.  It was utterly delicious, and made a really special treat for "just me", or would be a beautiful dish to serve company for a special occasion.  I found that the scallops didn't really pick up that much flavour from the vanilla in their little marinade, even though you can see plenty of the little black seeds on the flesh of the scallops cooking in the pan.  It may be that I had a little too much lemon juice in the marinade which dominated a little, and I would reduce that next time (maybe even leave it out altogether).  The flavour of the vanilla did definitely come through in the sauce though - not strongly, but certainly unmistakably there - subtle and tantalising. The sauce had a beautiful savouriness to it and is certainly a sauce that I would make again - it would make a beautiful accompaniment to a piece of fish and also worked extremely well with the spinach and sweet potato.

This post is my contribution to Make it with ... Mondays challenge vanilla - the linky is open until Monday 24 January, so keep your vanilla posts coming, and don't forget to check out this week's special ingredient which is quinoa.

I'm also submitting this post to Magazine Mondays and the Hearth & Soul blog hop and to Food on Friday: Scallops, hosted by Carole at Carole's Chatter.

Make it with ..... Mondays # 3

"Make it with ..... Mondays" is definitely gaining some momentum.  I'm overwhelmed by the emails and encouragement that so many of you have shown for this event, and most of all I am beyond excited that already some of you have been inspired to try cooking with an ingredient you've never used before, as was the case with challenge saffron.  Challenge saffron is now over, and you can see all the saffron posts here;  also a reminder that the linky for joining your vanilla posts is still open for another week (closing midday Monday 24 January - NZ time).  So keep those vanilla recipes coming - remember that you can link up as many posts as you like (as long as vanilla is one of the ingredients), and linking up old posts is fine too.

I don't do a lot of baking as you know, but I do make a lot of ice cream, much of which starts out with a vanilla-flavoured base, so I really wanted to explore this wonderful ingredient in some different ways - I ended up making vanilla marinated scallops on a bed of spinach and roasted sweet potato with a vanilla saffron butter sauce, and vanilla roasted pineapple with pistachios and coconut yoghurt.  Both were wonderful dishes, and I found it really exciting to cook something that was completely unlike most of the things I usually make.

Now it's time to turn our attention to this week's special ingredient .....

Quinoa

Quinoa is an ancient grain-like crop that originally came from the Andes Mountains in South America - I say "grain-like", because unlike a true grain it is not a member of the grass family.  In fact quinoa comes from a species of plant known as chenopodium (or goosefoot), which is more closely related to species such as beets and spinach.

Because of its very high protein content (12-18%) compared to other grains, quinoa was of great nutritional importance to the early Andean civilizations - indeed the Incas referred to it as the "mother of all grains" or "chisaya mama".  Unlike other grains, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it a complete source of protein for humans.  It is also high in magnesium and iron, is gluten-free and easy to digest, and is a rich source of dietary fibre and phosphorous.

In its natural state, quinoa has a bitter-tasting coating of saponins which provide a natural deterrent to birds.  Most of the commercially sold quinoa has been processed to remove this unpalatable coating;  if unprocessed remove the saponins by soaking the quinoa in water for several hours, then change the water, resoak, and rinse well.

Quinoa can be cooked much like rice (I like to cook it in some vegetable or chicken stock), and can be used as a great alternative to rice, couscous or pasta.  Once cooked it is light and fluffy in texture, has a slightly nutty flavour, and is slightly chewy to the bite.  You will also find quinoa pasta and quinoa flour in many natural food stores.

So now it's time to get cooking - put your thinking cap on, get creative, and see what you can come up with.  Maybe you'll make a delicious, healthy salad;  an interesting "risotto" or pilaf;  some burgers, muffins, cakes or cookies. I'm sure there are many "unexpected" ways in which you could use this ingredient.  Can't wait to see what you come up with.

There are really only two rules for participating in this event:

1. Your post must feature this week's ingredient.  If, however, over time you have found a good substitute when you come across this ingredient in recipes (maybe because you don't like it, or it's not readily available in your area, or someone in your family has an allergy to it), then, please tell us about it, show us what you use instead and explain to us why, and then of course link up - this is after all a learning experience and it's good to know about alternatives.
2. Your blog post must link back to this post and mention "Make it with ..... Mondays"

That's it - create your post (or feel free to link up an old post if you have one that uses this week's ingredient);  multiple posts are welcome;  then scroll down to the bottom of this page where you will see a small box that says "You are next, click here to enter". Click on that link, and follow the simple instructions - please link directly to your post, not just your blog home page.

Want to join in but don't have a blog?  No problem - just email me your thoughts, ideas and recipes, and I'll include them in a round-up the following week.  To email me just go to the "Contact Me" button on my sidebar.

If you would like to use a badge in your post, simply copy the code in the box beneath the badge below and paste it into your post.  Feel free to also use it in your sidebar if you wish.

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Please link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge quinoa using the linky at the bottom of this page.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 31 January (NZT).

Please go to this page to link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge vanilla.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 24 January (NZT).

Roasted Monkfish with Pink Grapefruit & Fennel Salsa

I apologise outright for the brevity of this post (I know some of you might think that's a good thing), but the need to keep this brief has just dawned on me.  You see normally on the weekends I spend a fair bit of time here in "blogland", churning out a few posts, dabbling in the kitchen without the normal time constraints and pressures of the busy week.

This weekend, however, is going to be different - I am off to Auckland tomorrow for my nephew's wedding.  I've got to tell you that I'm pretty excited about that - a wedding is always a special occasion - but a wedding in the family seems to take on an extra degree of "specialness" (I know that probably isn't a proper word, but I'm sticking to it).  Can't remember the last time we had a wedding in the family - maybe it was one of mine, but perhaps its best we don't go down that road just now.  Anyway, there is something so "hopeful" about the family coming together for such an occasion - friends and family (on both sides begin to gather from all over the country) looking forward with great anticipation to this special day.

So I have been making my own preparations for this occasion:  book plane ticket (tick - did that several weeks ago);  arrange accommodation (tick - get to stay the weekend with my brother and hang out with him and his "soon to be wife" - yes we have another wedding in a month's time);  can't wear yoga clothes to a wedding, so get a new dress (tick - lunch and shopping spree with girlfriend last weekend - highly successful);  get shoes to go with new dress (tick - got lucky with a shoe sale on the way to the supermarket yesterday);  get wedding present - completely torn - they have a wedding register set up at a well known local store or a fund set up at the travel agent for their honeymoon - wedding registers always make me want to go outside of the box, but then the travel fund seems like a good idea - still no idea what to do but will have to make a decision and act today;  as I will be out of internet action for three days, get all essential blog posts (including next week's "Make it with ... Mondays" post) set up for publication by tonight - yikes, how did I not see that coming?!

So, with much to do between now and the time I fly out tomorrow, brief this post must be - though it does appear that, having just explained all that to you, my attempt at brevity has been somewhat lost. Anyways, this is my contribution for the week to I Heart Cooking Clubs, where we are cooking with Giada de Laurentiis, and our theme for the week is "Let's Get Roasted".  I had a browse through Giada's Kitchen looking for inspiration - roast beef didn't particularly appeal (not one of my favourites) and, although the roasted pork loin with roasted garlic vinaigrette appealed a lot (you know after all how I feel about a bit of pork), I decided against it since I am on my own right now (I've mentioned before that my partner is in India for a couple of months - read more about his journey on his blog, Arunachala Kiwi).  In the end, I settled on this recipe for Roasted Halibut with Grapefruit Fennel Salsa - a piece of fish, simply prepared, with a fresh, simple, tangy, crunchy salad makes a perfect dinner for one.  I'm pretty sure we don't actually get halibut in New Zealand, so I used monkfish instead, but any firm-fleshed white fish would do.  I also reduced the original quantity of the salad - as I didn't make any other vegetables or sides this was a perfect quantity for one person, but with some other vegetables would be just right for two.

Roasted Monkfish with Pink Grapefruit & Fennel Salsa

Adapted from recipe in Giada's Kitchen

2 servings

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

2 pieces of firm-fleshed white fish

flaky sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

1 pink-fleshed grapefruit

1 small (or 1/2 large) fennel bulb

handful of black olives

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

red pepper flakes

flaky sea salt

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F).

Place a sheet of parchment paper in the base of a roasting dish, placing the fish on top of the paper.  Drizzle with a hint of olive oil, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and a good grinding of black pepper.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes - this will depend on the thickness of the fish.  While the fish is cooking prepare the salsa. 

Using a zester grate a little of the zest from the grapefruit (about 1/2 teaspoon will be enough) into a medium-sized bowl.  Cut all the peel and pith away from the grapefruit.  Then hold the grapefruit over the bowl containing the zest, and using a sharp knife cut down in between each of the fruit segments and the membranes and let the grapefruit segments fall into the bowl as each one is removed.  Once all the fruit has been removed, squeeze the membrane over the bowl to extract all the juice.

Cut the fennel bulb in half lengthwise, slice it as thinly as possible, and add the fennel to the bowl containing the grapefruit.  Place the olives on a chopping board;  using the bottom of a glass or cup, press on each one to split the olive and prise out the stone.  Chop the olives roughly and add to the fennel and grapefruit.  Add the extra virgin olive oil, chopped parsley, sprinkling of flaky sea salt and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.  Taste and adjust any of these seasonings as necessary.

As soon as the fish is cooked, transfer it to a serving plate, add the grapefruit and fennel salsa and serve immediately.

Verdict:  will definitely make again - fresh, healthy, plenty of flavour, quick and easy to prepare - what more could you want.

Interested in getting to know Giada a bit better?  Then do go and visit my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs and see what they've all been cooking up ....

.... or check out Giada's Kitchen and many of her other titles, available from Amazon, Book Depository UK and Fishpond NZ

       

P.S. Thanks to all those of you who have linked up so far to "Make it with ... Mondays".  There is still time to link up for both challenge saffron (closes Monday 17 January) and challenge vanilla (closes Monday 24 January).  I'd love you to join in if you haven't already done so, and keep watching for next week's special "Make it with ... Mondays" ingredient - we'll be making it with quinoa.

Make it with ..... Mondays # 2

Goodness, a whole week has now flashed past since "Make it with ..... Mondays" kicked off with our very first special ingredient - saffron.  Thank you so much to those of you have already participated, and just a reminder that the linky for joining your saffron posts is still open for another week (closing midday Monday 17 January - NZ time).  So keep those saffron recipes coming - remember that you can link up as many posts as you like (as long as saffron is one of the ingredients), and linking up old posts is fine too.

I've really enjoyed exploring this unique ingredient in some different ways, making a rich, moist Saffron Fruit-and-Nut Bread and a Saffron and Blueberry Champagne Jelly.  I had great hopes of trying a saffron ice cream as well, but didn't quite fit that into my week - still there's another whole week to go, so maybe I will get to that yet.

But for now it's time to turn our attention to this week's special ingredient .....

Vanilla

Vanilla is the flavouring derived from the fruit of a species of tropical orchid, called Vanilla planifolia, and is widely used in both domestic and commercial baking, as well as aromatherapy and perfume manufacture.  The plant grows as a vine and is native to Mexico, although it is now widely grown throughout the tropics, with Madagascar being the largest producer.  European traders discovered vanilla in the early 1500s;  however, any attempts to cultivate the vanilla plant outside of its native lands failed, because of the unique relationship between the vine and the native species of melipona bees which did not exist in the new growing countries.

In the 1841 a young French-owned slave, discovered a method of hand-pollinating the orchid flowers, which is the method still used in commercial operations today.  Each flower lasts only for one day (sometimes less), so plantations have to be inspected daily to look for open flowers, which are then pollinated by hand.  This of course is highly labour intensive, and naturally makes the crop expensive to produce - second only to saffron.

Once the flower has been pollinated, the seed pod begins to form and although it develops fairly quickly it takes about 10 months of maturing on the vine before it is ready for harvesting.  Each bean ripens in its own time, so harvesting is a daily selection process - as labour intensive as the pollination.  The best commercial value lies in each individual bean being hand picked at exactly the right moment.

After harvesting, the beans are then cured, dried and graded.  Grading is mostly on the basis of length (which also correlates to vanillan content).

When buying vanilla beans, look for beans which a moist, plump and pliable, and store them in an airtight container.  You can also readily buy vanilla extract, vanilla paste, vanilla powder, as well as vanilla essence (although this is inferior in quality and is often artificially manufactured).

So now it's time to get cooking - put your thinking cap on, get creative, and see what you can come up with.  Maybe you'll make a rich, luscious vanilla ice cream;  poach or roast some fruit in a thick, fragrant vanilla syrup;  bake a cake or some cookies;  have a go at making your own vanilla extract or vanilla sugar.  Or perhaps you'll go right outside the square - Joanne at Eats Well With Others recently made this Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto - looks wonderful and I definitely want to try this. Maybe there are other "unexpected" ways in which you could use this ingredient.  Can't wait to see what you come up with.

There are really only two rules for participating in this event:

1. Your post must feature this week's ingredient.  If, however, over time you have found a good substitute when you come across this ingredient in recipes (maybe because you don't like it, or it's not readily available in your area, or someone in your family has an allergy to it), then, please tell us about it, show us what you use instead and explain to us why, and then of course link up - this is after all a learning experience and it's good to know about alternatives.
2. Your blog post must link back to this post and mention "Make it with ..... Mondays"

That's it - create your post (or feel free to link up an old post if you have one that uses this week's ingredient);  multiple posts are welcome;  then scroll down to the bottom of this page where you will see a small box that says "You are next, click here to enter". Click on that link, and follow the simple instructions - please link directly to your post, not just your blog home page.

Want to join in but don't have a blog?  No problem - just email me your thoughts, ideas and recipes, and I'll include them in a round-up the following week.  To email me just go to the "Contact Me" button on my sidebar.

If you would like to use a badge in your post, simply copy the code in the box beneath the badge below and paste it into your post.  Feel free to also use it in your sidebar if you wish.

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Lastly, don't forget my giveaway of a free copy of the How to Cook Everything iPhone application (full details here).  All comments here, or email contributions, automatically earn an entry, and every post linked also earns another entry.  If the post you link up also happens to be a Mark Bittman recipe, then you earn an extra entry.

Now go, get cooking .... what are you waiting for?!

Please link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge vanilla on this page.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 24 January (NZT).

Please go to this page to link your posts for "Make it with ..... Mondays" challenge saffron.  The linky will be open until 11.59am Monday 17 January (NZT).

Whole-Wheat Fettucine with Green Beans, Ricotta & Lemon

Have you noticed (how could you not, really?) that over the last week nearly everyone in the blogoshpere is talking about "resolutions", and my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs are no exception.  We continue to cook with Giada de Laurentiis and our theme this week, unsurprisingly, is Resolutions.  Well, I've got to tell you that I resolved many years ago never to make another New Year's resolution - I don't think I've ever heard of anybody who ever actually managed to keep one, so who needs to set themselves up for that kind of failure.  So no resolutions for this girl.  I do however think that this is a valuable time for some reflection - to contemplate the things that you may have changed over the last year that have had a positive affect on your life (and perhaps on others around you), and consider what actions might continue that positive momentum.

A couple of years ago I happened to find myself with time on my hands at Brisbane airport, as I waited for my flight home after a two week yoga workshop on Stradbroke Island.  Having a browse around the book store, as you do, "The Ethics of What We Eat" by Peter Singer & Jim Mason seemed to literally jump off the shelf at me, and I have to say that my attitude to food was irrevocably changed from that moment on.  So much of what I read was a real eye-opener, while other content was more thought-provoking than challenging.  The end result though was that I am no longer able to just unconsciously put anything on my plate without thinking about where it has come from and what the consequences of getting it to my plate may have been.  I don't have all the answers yet (probably never will), but at least I'm thinking about it, and everything I buy for my table now involves a conscious decision to get it there.

I've always liked making things from scratch, and this has become even more important to me.  I think I've developed a lot of skills over the years, and I continue to take on new challenges and learn how to make new things.  Last year I made cheese for the first time, thanks to the inspiration and encouragement of Natashya and Heather at Forging Fromage, and I discovered the joys of making my own ice cream (almost completely eliminating store bought ice cream from my freezer).  I got more consistent about making my own bread, and even started doing the occasional bit of baking.  I learned how to clean a squid, and even cleaned and gutted sardines (but that's for another post).

So I'm not making any sweeping resolutions here - I'm just reinforcing my commitment to continuing to develop my knowledge and understanding, and keep my mind open to constantly learning new skills.  Two things that I do want to do are reduce the amount of white flour and sugar in my diet and begin to use more whole grains - I think there is a whole new world out there for me to discover.  I'm also keen to make more of my own pasta - I eat a lot of pasta, and there is no doubt that a packet of pasta in the pantry is the ultimate convenience food - but I really want to take my time over it more often and develop my pasta-making skills.

With these things in mind, the recipe for Whole-Wheat Linguine with Green Beans, Ricotta and Lemon from Giada's Kitchen, seemed like a great place to start - whole-wheat pasta, green beans and tomatoes are tossed together in a light creamy sauce, which is made by simply combining ricotta with some of the pasta water - result a beautiful, luscious sauce, without a trace of heaviness.  The whole thing is finished off with a sprinkling of lemon zest (of course it does, this is a Giada recipe after all), which really brings a bright, fresh note to this dish.  This dish is truly the work of moments, but since I had a leisurely afternoon to spare yesterday I also opted to make my own whole-wheat fettucine (I used the recipe here for whole-wheat pasta, but halved the quantity which gave enough for two very generous servings) and my own ricotta.

Now you may think that sounds like a lot of effort - but truly, I don't think there would have been more than 30 minutes actual labour involved;  and, since the only other effort required for this dish is trimming a few beans, sauteeing them off with a little chopped garlic, halving some cherry tomatoes, and boiling a pot of water, this is hardly arduous work.

I promise you that making your own pasta and ricotta is deeply rewarding - it's the kind of work where the sense of satisfaction derived from its completion is about three times the actual effort that went in.  By all means, use store-bought pasta and ricotta here if you like - heck, that's what I do a lot of the time and I would never denigrate that - but if you have the time to spare and the inclination I urge you to try making your own.  Either way, do try this dish - deliciously light, fresh and healthy, it is the absolute antithesis of so many rich, heavy pasta dishes.  You can find the original recipe here or on page 112 of Giada's Kitchen - I made no changes (other than to reduce the quantities since I was eating on my own), and nor do I recommend any.

Interested in getting to know Giada a bit better?  Then do go and visit my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs and see what they've all been cooking up ....

.... or check out Giada's Kitchen and many of her other titles, available from Amazon, Book Depository UK and Fishpond NZ

       

I'm also submitting this post to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by Claire at Chez Cayenne - you will be able to see a full round-up of all the submissions there on Friday 14 January.   I'm looking forward to checking out a whole lot of new pasta dishes.

This post is also submitted to the Hearth and Soul and  Decidedly Healthy or Horribly Decadent blog hops.

Saffron & Blueberry Champagne Jelly & a "Making it with ..... Mondays" Update

I want to begin this post by thanking so many of you for your encouragement and enthusiasm for my new blog event "Making it with ..... Mondays", which kicked off this week with challenge saffron.  As I mentioned on Monday when I announced this event, I want this to be about expanding my own culinary knowledge, skills and experience, and I want to encourage you to do the same.  I want you to really explore each week's ingredient;  challenging yourself to use or try an ingredient you don't use very often;  maybe seeking out suitable alternatives, and discussing them in your post, if it's an ingredient that is not readily available to you;  or, maybe trying to come up with more unusual ways to use the ingredient if it's something you use regularly.

So, in order to really help you get the most out of this event and really participate in it fully, I have decided first of all to extend the length of time for which each "linky" will be open from one week to two weeks - so, just to be perfectly clear, there will be a new ingredient challenge announced each week and the linky for that ingredient will be open for two weeks.  I will also add the linky to any further relevant posts I put up during that time, so you don't necessarily have to try and find your way back through two weeks worth of posts to find the right linky.   I thought you might also find it useful to know what's coming up, so that you can really think ahead and maybe work these ingredients into posts you might be preparing for other events - we are all busy people and there is nothing wrong with a post that does double duty.

So, here we go, just to tantalise your tastebuds and stimulate your imaginations, this is the "Make it with ..... Mondays" schedule for the next four weeks:

Week commencing Monday 10 January - we're making it with vanilla
Week commencing Monday 17 January - we're making it with quinoa
Week commencing Monday 24 January - we're making it with paprika

Week commencing Monday 7 February - we're making it with Nutella

Thanks so much to those of you who have already posted up a link for challenge saffron - the link for this will now be open until midday Monday 17 January, and remember that you may link as many posts as you like as long as they include the special ingredient;  the link for challenge vanilla will be open 2.00pm Monday 10 January.

Now, back to challenge saffron.  As I mentioned the other day, I'm no stranger to saffron - I always have it in my pantry - but I have always used it in savoury dishes, such as risottos and pasta dishes.  So this week I've been enjoying exploring the use of this wonderful ingredient in less predictable ways.  Earlier in the week, I made this Saffron Fruit-and-Nut Bread which was a great success - the earthy saffron flavour, combined with the rich, buttery, fruity bread was intriguing and it was great to enjoy saffron in a slightly sweeter incarnation, which got me wanting to explore that a little more.  At the same time I had been playing around with some leftover Prosecco after New Year's Eve and turning it into jelly - which really got me thinking that a saffron jelly might be pretty interesting.  This is what I came up with.

Saffron & Blueberry Champagne Jelly Recipe

Serves 4 - 6

8 sheets of leaf gelatine

bowl of cold water

750ml bottle of Prosecco (or other sparkling wine or champagne)

100g caster sugar

scant pinch of saffron threads (about 10-12 threads)

juice of 1 lemon

fresh blueberries

Put about 125ml of the Prosecco into a small pot, along with the sugar, saffron threads and lemon juice, set over low-medium heat, and stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is hot.  Set aside for about 15 minutes to allow the saffron to infuse - the liquid will turn a deepish golden colour.

Meanwhile put the gelatine sheets into the bowl of cold water - a wide, shallow bowl is best and the quantity of water doesn't matter.  The water won't be going into the jelly, it is purely for soaking the gelatine.

Leave it to soften for about 10 minutes.

Return the pan of champagne and saffron to the heat and bring back up to not-quite-boiling.  Remove the gelatine from the cold water - it will look like this ....

Squeeze out any excess water and add to the pan.  Whisk constantly until the gelatine has completely dissolved.  Remove from the heat, pour through a sieve into a clean bowl (or jug is even better), and allow to cool - reserve the saffron threads which will have gathered in the sieve.

Pour the rest of the Prosecco into the cooled saffron mixture, stir, and leave until it is completely cold and almost at setting point.

At this stage you can choose either to use one single bowl/mould or individual moulds, as I did.  Pour just enough of the liquid jelly to fill the moulds to a depth of about 0.5cm (1/4 inch) and set a ring of blueberries into the jelly - you are looking for just enough of the liquid to hold the blueberries in place but without allowing them to float.  You might also want to put one or two of those reserved saffron strands (tweezers are useful for this) in the middle - refer tasting notes below.  Put this into the fridge to set, keeping the rest of your jelly liquid at room temperature.

Once this has set (10-20 minutes), remove from the fridge, pour another layer of the liquid into the moulds - just enough to now cover the blueberries completely.  Return to the fridge to set - about another 10 minutes.  Remove and now fill the moulds to the desired level.

After the jelly has been completely set, you can unmould by very briefly dipping the mould into a bowl of warm water, place a serving plate over the top of the mould, and invert.

Tasting notes:  Even though I used less saffron than I might ordinarily use in a savoury dish, the flavour was still quite powerful, and initially although I thought it was interesting I can't say it "wowed" me - until I got a spoonful that had a blueberry in it as well!  The whole mouthful of saffron/champagne jelly and blueberry really worked and was a really nice combo.  Interestingly, I served this, as you can see, with some fresh mint leaves and blueberries - when I scooped up a bit of the plain jelly with one of the fresh blueberries on the plate it didn't taste as good as the blueberries which were actually in the jelly.  Also the bit of the jelly right in the middle, where the saffron strands are, didn't really appeal - it was just too intense for my palate - so, this is a pretty touch, but does nothing to enhance the taste, in my opinion.

So the final verdict - yes, I will try this again.  I think next time maybe just one or two less saffron threads, more lemon juice (I can taste the hint of lemon in here and I think a little more would really make this sing);  I would take the time to layer lots more blueberries into this;  and, personally, I wouldn't bother with those saffron strands in the middle.

The real bottom line for me, though, is that I got excited enough to explore an ingredient in a way I hadn't tried before, and I felt inspired to experiment and push my creative boundaries rather than just following a recipe.  Although it wasn't 100% successful, it was at about 85% and I don't mind sharing that, because this is the very essence of what I want "Make it with ..... Mondays" to be all about.  I want to develop the forum, the discussion, the exchange of ideas and knowledge;  so, if you have any suggestions as to how I could have made this better, I would love to hear from you.  When I posted my Saffron Fruit-and-Nut Bread a few days ago, I got a comment from Dan at The Haggis & The Herring telling me he really liked the idea and he would like dates in it - I couldn't agree more, dates would be great, especially with a bit of orange zest and juice, and so now I have another idea for a loaf of bread.  When we exchange these ideas we not only grow as individuals, but we also grow a "community".

If you have your own post using saffron that you would like to link up with "Make it with ..... Mondays" # 1 challenge saffron, you can do that at the bottom of this page, or here.

Also, don't forget about the free copy of the How to Cook Everything iPhone application which I'm giving away - full details here.  All comments and/or posts linked here automatically get an entry.