12.5.13 ~ Back to the Blog

Here's trying again to post recipes for description and posterity. Tonight's dinner needs a little explanation, so here goes.

This meal is courtesy of  Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi as my hold number for their cookbook, Jerusalem, recently came up and I want to make the most of my 3 weeks. So here comes either a tasty dinner or a Mediterranean mishap. Recipes reprised courtesy of the internet.

Barley risotto with marinated feta -- books says "everybody loves this, especially the children." Wouldn't that be lovely!

Baby spinach salad with dates and almonds -- dressing is under the spinach. Add pita chips/almonds and toss it all up.

Butternut squash and tahini spread -- full disclosure, we made this for Thanksgiving. Since it's basically hummus all ingredients should be equally delicious a week later...but if not, feel free to skip (it's the lucky strike extra)






Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta
Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
(Serves 4)
1 cup / 200 g pearl barley 2 Tbsp / 30 g unsalted butter 6 Tbsp / 90 ml olive oil (separated) 2 small celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch / 0.5 cm dice 2 small shallots, cut into 1/4-inch / 0.5 cm dice 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 thyme sprigs 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1 bay leaf 4 strips lemon peel 1/4 tsp chile flakes one (14 oz / 400 g) can chopped tomatoes scant 3 cups / 700 ml vegetable stock 1 1/4 cups / 300 ml passata*** (sieved crushed tomatoes) 1 Tbsp caraway seeds 10 1/2 oz / 300 g feta cheese broken into roughly 3/4-inch / 2 cm pieces 1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves salt and black pepper to taste
Rinse the pearl barley well under cold water and leave to drain.
Melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a very large frying pan and cook the celery, shallots, and garlic over gentle heat for 5 minutes until soft. Add the barley, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, lemon peel, chile flakes, tomatoes, stock, passata, and salt. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the risotto does not catch on the bottom of the pan. When ready, the barley should be tender and most of the liquid absorbed.
Meanwhile, toast the caraway seeds in a dry pan for a couple of minutes. Then lightly crush them so that some whole seeds remain. Add them to the feta with the remaining 4 tablespoons /60 ml olive oil and gently mix to combine.
Once the risotto is ready, check the seasoning and then divide it among four shallow bowls. Top each with the marinated feta, including the oil, and a sprinkling of oregano leaves.  

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Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds

1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 1/2 ounces dates (100 grams), preferably Medjool, pitted and quartered lengthwise
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (30 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 small pitas (about 3 1/2 ounces, or 100 grams), roughly torn into 1 1/2 -inch pieces
1/2 cup whole unsalted almonds (75 grams), coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons sumac
1/2 teaspoon chile flakes
5 to 6 ounces baby spinach leaves (150 grams)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Put vinegar, onion and dates in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix well with your hands. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes, then drain any residual vinegar and discard.
 

Meanwhile, heat butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add pita and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring all the time, until pita is golden. Add almonds and continue cooking until pita is crunchy and browned and almonds are toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and mix in sumac, chile flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside to cool.
 

When ready to serve, toss spinach leaves with pita mix in a large mixing bowl. Add dates and red onion, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the lemon juice and another pinch of salt. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

 

4 to 6 servings 

 

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Butternut squash and tahini spread

1 very large butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (net weight 970g)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
70g tahini paste
120g Greek yoghurt
2 small garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp mixed black and white sesame seeds (or just white, if you don't have black)
1½ tsp date syrup
2 tbsp chopped coriander

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Spread the squash out on a medium-sized baking tray, pour over the olive oil and sprinkle on the cinnamon and salt. Mix well, cover the tray tightly with tinfoil and roast for 70 minutes, stirring once during the cooking. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Transfer the cooled squash to the bowl of a food processor, along with the tahini, yoghurt and garlic. Roughly pulse so that everything is combined into a coarse paste – you don't want it too smooth (you can also do this by hand using a fork or masher).

To serve, spread the butternut in a wavy pattern over a flat plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds, a drizzle of syrup and finish with chopped coriander.