Pasta and fried Zucchini Salad

Are you bored with your usual pasta salad recipes or looking for a fresh new idea? Try this pasta salad from Yotam Ottolenghi.
It is a light salad, perfect for the spring and summer. The pasta is combined with Zucchini, Edamame and an unusual combination of herbs.
Tossed with only a little olive oil and garnished with fresh and juicy Mozzarella this salad makes a great addition to a barbecue or a light lunch.

Pasta and Fried Zucchini Salad

 from Yotam Ottolenghi

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil (I used  less )
• 3 medium zucchini, cut in 1/4 inch slices
• 1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup frozen edamame
• 2 cups basil, coarsely shredded
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 9 oz. strozzapreti or penne pasta
• grated zest of one lemon
• 1 1/2 T. small capers
• 7 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn into chunks

Cooking Directions:

1. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Fry the zucchini in batches in the vegetable oil over medium heat until brown on each side (about 3 minutes per side). Remove to a paper towel to drain and then mix with the vinegar.
3. Blanch the edamame for 3 minutes in boiling water. Drain and rinse with cold water.  
4. Combine half the basil, all of the parsley and the olive oil in a food processor, adding salt and pepper to taste. Process until smooth. Make sure it is salty enough.
5. Combine the pasta, zucchini with vinegar, edamame, basil sauce, lemon zest, capers and mozzarella. Stir in the remaining basil and serve.

Green Couscous

Since it seems that spring has already arrived in Chicago (something very unusual here at this time of the year), the time for stews and heavy soups came to an end...
In order to welcome this early arrival of spring I decided to make this recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi. It is a simple couscous dish with lots of different herbs. The savory component of spring onion and green chile is balanced with sweet caramelized onions. The dish tastes so fresh that it always leaves you wanting more! I made it with Israeli couscous that I cooked for 10 minutes (instead of the smaller version of couscous) and loved it that way.

Green Couscous

(Yotam Ottolenghi)

Ingredients

• 1 cup couscous
• 3/4 cup boiling water or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 
  
• Herb Paste

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped

• 3 scallions, finely sliced
• 1 fresh green chile, such as jalapeno, finely sliced
• 1 1/2 cups arugula leaves, chopped

Directions

1. Place couscous in a large bowl and add boiling water or stock. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion; cook, stirring, until golden and soft. Add salt and cumin; stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Herb Paste

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth, scraping down the sides and adding more oil as necessary.
2. Uncover couscous and stir in herb paste, using a fork to fluff. Add onion mixture, pistachios, scallions, chile, and arugula; gently mix to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Green Pancakes with Lime Butter

These savory pancakes from Yotam Ottolenghi are made with spinach, green onions and chile. They are accompanied by a lime flavored butter but Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche would also taste great. They are perfect to serve as a light lunch with a green salad or at an elegant brunch.

INGREDIENTS

Lime butter
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chile flakes

1/2 lb (about 8 cups) spinach, washed
3/4 cup self-rising flour 
1 tbsp baking powder
1 egg
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
2/3 cup milk
6 medium green onions, finely sliced
2 fresh green chiles, thinly sliced
1 egg white
Olive oil for frying

PREPARATION
To make the lime butter. Put the butter in a medium bowl and beat it with a wooden spoon until it turns soft and creamy. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Tip onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a sausage shape. Twist the ends of the wrap to seal the flavored butter. Chill until firm.

Wilt the spinach in a pan with a splash of water. Drain in a sieve and, when cool, squeeze hard with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Roughly chop and put aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, whole egg, melted butter, salt, cumin and milk in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the green onions, chiles and spinach and mix with a fork. Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and gently fold it into the batter.

Pour a small amount of olive oil into a heavy frying pan and place on medium-high heat. For each pancake, ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan and press down gently. You should get smallish pancakes, about 3 inches in diameter and 3/8 inch thick. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until you get a good golden-green color. Transfer to paper towels and keep warm. Continue making pancakes, adding oil to the pan as needed, until the batter is used up.

To serve, pile up three warm pancakes per person and place a slice of flavored butter on top to melt.

Open Kibbeh

Kibbeh is a middle eastern dish made of bulgur or rice and chopped meat. Usually it looks like a fried croquette and is stuffed with lamb or beef. This however is an open version from Yotam Ottolenghi. When I made it, my kitchen smelled incredible aromatic! You might have thought you were at an Arabian market (not that I have ever been to one, but that's how I imagine it would smell there). Cinnamon, allspice and coriander are used in this dish. The meat mixture is a little spicy because of the chile but also sweet due to the cinnamon and pine nuts.
I assembled the dish the night before and popped it in the oven on the day I wanted to serve it, which worked really well....

• 
  
• Open Kibbeh
• (Yotam Ottolenghi)
• 
  
• 125 g / 4.4 oz fine bulgur wheat
• 90ml / 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 350 g / 12.3 oz minced lamb (I used a mixture of beef and lamb)
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander
• 60 g / 2 oz pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons self-raising flour
• Salt and black pepper
• 50 g / 1.8 oz tahini paste
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sumac

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper. Put the bulgur in a bowl, add 200ml of tap water and set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat four tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the garlic, onion and chilli on medium-high heat until soft, remove from the pan, return it to high heat and add the lamb. Cook for five minutes, stirring, until brown. Return the onion mix to the pan, along with the spices, coriander leaves, salt, pepper and most of the pine nuts and parsley (save some for the end). Cook for a couple of minutes, remove from the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Check the bulgur to see if all the water has been absorbed (strain if not). Add the flour, a tablespoon of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper and, with your hands, work into a pliable mixture that just holds together. Push firmly into the base of the tin so that it is compacted and level. Spread the lamb mix evenly on top and press down. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the meat browns further and is very hot.

Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, 50ml of water and a pinch of salt – you're after a very thick, yet pourable sauce. Remove the kibbeh from the oven, spread the sauce on top, sprinkle with pine nuts and parsley, and return to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, until the tahini is just set and the pine nuts are golden. Remove and leave to cool down. Before serving, sprinkle with the sumac and a drizzle of olive oil. Remove the sides of the tin and carefully cut the kibbeh into slices.

Turkey Cakes with Wasabi Guacamole

When my husband wanted meatballs for dinner the other night, I couldn't help myself and had to look for a healthier version of the classic meatball recipe. I found these little guys - they are made with turkey, lots of herbs and zucchini.
After they come out of the oven they are brushed with sweet chili sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
The meatballs were so juicy and very flavorful! The wasabi guacamole added a very nice zing to the dish and I served them with a simple salad.

Turkey Cakes with Wasabi Guacamole
(from Yotam Ottolenghi)

• 2 courgettes, coarsely grated (net weight 250g)
• Salt and black pepper
• 600 g / 1 pound and 5 oz minced turkey, or chicken
• 2 medium free-range eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons chopped coriander
• 3 tablespoons chopped mint
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 60 g/ 2 oz chopped spring onion
• Sunflower oil, for frying
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• 
  
• For the wasabi guacamole
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled (net weight 300g)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons wasabi paste
• 20 g/ 1oz chopped spring onion
• Salt

• 
  
• Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Put the grated courgette in a sieve, mixed with a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and leave to drain for about 15 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible with your hands, then put the courgette in a large mixing bowl along with the turkey, eggs, cumin, coriander, mint, garlic, three-quarters of the spring onion, a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Mix together well, then shape into 12 patties weighing about 80g each.
• 
  
• Heat two tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large frying pan and fry the patties for four minutes, turning once, until nice and brown on both sides. Transfer to a baking tray and finish off in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
• 
  
• While the turkey cakes are in the oven, make the guacamole: mash the avocado with a fork and mix together with the lime juice, wasabi, chopped spring onion and half a teaspoon of salt. Mix the sweet chilli and mirin in a separate bowl, and brush this over the turkey cakes as soon as they come out of the oven. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and serve with the guacamole on the side.

Zucchini and Hazelnut Salad

I am not really a friend of cooked Zucchini. However, I like them if they have a little crunch, like they do in this salad. The sliced Zucchinis are grilled for a couple of minutes on each side and then marinated in Balsamic Vinegar and Hazelnut Oil. The salad is served with toasted Hazelnuts and shaved Parmesan and makes a perfect appetizer or light salad. If you don't have Hazelnuts you can replace them easily with Pine Nuts.

Zucchini and Hazelnut Salad

(Yotam Ottolenghi)

serves 4

Ingredients

1/3 cup shelled hazelnuts
7 small zucchini (about 1¾ lb [795 g])
4 tbsp [60 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp [5 ml] balsamic vinegar
1¼ cups mixed green and purple basil leaves
3 oz [85 g] top-quality parmigiano-reggiano, broken up or very thinly sliced
2 tsp [10 ml] hazelnut oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 300ºF [150ºC]. Scatter the hazelnuts over a baking sheet and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until nicely browned. Let them cool down before rubbing them between your hands to remove most of the skins (some should remain). Chop the hazelnuts roughly.

Place a ridged griddle pan on a high heat and leave it there until it’s almost red-hot – at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim the ends of the zucchini and cut them on an angle into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Place them in a bowl and toss with half the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Place the slices in the hot grill pan and char-grill for about 2 minutes on each side; turn them over using tongs. You want to get distinct char marks without cooling the zucchini through. Transfer to a mixing bowl, pour over the balsamic vinegar, toss together and set aside.

Once the zucchini have cooled down, add the remaining olive oil, the basil and hazelnuts. Mix lightly, then taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Transfer the salad to a flat plate, incorporating the parmigiano-reggiano, and drizzle over the hazelnut oil.

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a traditional Middle Eastern Dish and usually served for breakfast in a cast iron pan with bread.  Sweet, caramelized onions, peppers and tomatoes flavored with a pinch of cayenne, thyme and roasted cumin are the ingredients of this unbelievable tasty and aromatic dish. I think it is not only perfect for breakfast but also for a brunch, lunch or a light dinner.

SHAKSHUKA
( Yotam Ottolenghi)
serves 4

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 190 ml  light olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 red and 2 yellow peppers, cored and cut into 2cm strips
• 4 teaspoons muscovado sugar
• 2 bayleaves
• 6 sprigs thyme, picked and chopped
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
• 6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon saffron strands
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper
• Up to 250ml water
• 8 free-range eggs

1.In a large saucepan, dry-roast the cumin on high heat for two minutes. Add the oil and sauté the onions for two minutes.

2.Add the peppers, sugar, bayleaves, thyme, parsley and two tablespoons of coriander, and cook on high heat to get a nice colour. Add the tomatoes, saffron, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, adding enough water to keep it the consistency of a pasta sauce.

3.Taste and adjust the seasoning. It should be potent and flavoursome. You can prepare this mix in advance.

4.Place four saucepans on medium heat and divide the mixture between them. Break two eggs into each pan, pouring into gaps in the mixture.

5.Sprinkle with salt, cover and cook very gently for 10-12 minutes, until the egg just sets. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with chunky white bread.

Ricotta Tart

Think of a savory cheesecake, but much lighter and with Mediterranean flavors. This Ricotta Tart is great for lunch with a green salad, or as an appetizer. The crust needs to be baked beforehand so plan ahead. I also followed Yotam's recommendation and added goat cheese to the filling which gave it a nice, slightly sour flavor.

Ricotta Tart
(Yotam Ottolenghi)
6 - 8 servings

• 200 g/7 oz shortcrust pastry (I used the recipe below)
• 30 g/ 1 oz unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 3 eggs
• 2 yolks
• 500 g/ 17.6 oz ricotta
• 20 g/ 2 Tbsp chopped basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 200 g/ 7 oz sundried tomatoes (plus a little of their oil)
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

1.Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3. Roll out the pastry and cut out a circle that is just slightly larger than the base of a 24cm /9,5" spring-form cake tin. Place this inside the tin and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cover with baking paper and baking beans, and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down.

2.Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat, then sauté the onions and four of the garlic cloves, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes or so, until the onions are soft and sweet but haven't taken on any colour. Set aside to cool.

3.Whisk the eggs and yolks in a large mixing bowl, preferably with an electric mixer, until light and airy. Add the ricotta carefully and work just until it is well incorporated. Fold in the onion and garlic mix, basil, salt and pepper, then pour over the pastry and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until just set.

4.While the tart is in the oven, blitz the sundried tomatoes, the picked leaves of three thyme sprigs, the reserved chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and a few tablespoons of the tomato oil – you want a smooth paste. Spread this mix evenly over the top of the tart as it comes out of the oven, top with three whole thyme sprigs, then return to the oven for five minutes. Remove, leave to cool, and serve warmish or cold.

Shortcrust Pastry

150 g / 3.5 oz AP Flour

75 g/ 2.64 oz cold Butter, diced

30 ml/ 1oz Ice Water

Pinch of salt

Mix everything together quickly either with your fingers or with a food processor until a dough forms. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Lemon Poppyseed Cheesecakes

Before I was even able to take a picture of them, the first batch of these little cheesecakes was already gone. They just dissapeared. When I made the second batch nobody was allowed to touch them until I had my picture. These little cheesecakes reminded me of key lime pie a little. The crust was extra crunchy because of the poppyseed and the filling was creamy and full of lemon flavor. They make a light and elegant dessert or you can enjoy them with tea or coffee.

Lemon Cheesecake and Poppy Seed Tartlets Yotam Ottolenghi (makes 24 small cheesecakes) 200 g/ 7 oz cream cheese 60 g/ 2 oz caster sugar 2 small eggs 90 g/ 3.2 oz soured cream Grated zest and juice of 2 small lemons (50ml juice, 1 tbsp zest) Melted butter, for brushing the tins Icing sugar, to finish (optional) For the pastry 170 g/6 oz plain flour 50 g/1.8 oz icing sugar 90 g/ 3.2 oz cold butter, diced Grated zest of ¼ lemon 1 tablespoon poppy seeds ⅛ teaspoon salt 1 egg yolk Roughly 1 tbsp cold water 1.Start with the pastry. Put the flour, sugar, butter, zest, poppy seeds and salt in the bowl of a food processor and work to uniform crumbs. Add the egg yolk and just enough water to bring everything together, collect the pastry into a flat block, wrap in cling-film and chill for at least 30 minutes. 2.Preheat the oven to 160C/335F/gas mark 2½. Brush eight small muffin tins (or shallow tart tins, as before) with butter. Roll out the pastry 2-3mm thick and cut out eight circles to fit the tins. Line the tins with the pastry, rest in the fridge for 20 minutes, then line each pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Remove, take out the beans and leave to cool down. 3.Lower the heat to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Whisk the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and uniform, whisk in the eggs, then the soured cream, lemon zest and juice. Fill the cases to the top and bake for 15 minutes, until just set. Leave to cool, then chill for at least an hour before taking out of the moulds. Dust with icing sugar, if you like.