Craig Cooks

everyday experiments with food

Navigation
You are here: Home / Archives for admin

Lamb and Pistachio Kofte

by Leave a Comment

lamb-kofte

I cooked this yesterday. We didn’t have any currants so I replaced them with some prunes and raisins. This is such an excellent, simple and tasty way to make ‘rissoles’ with a difference. I have to say that I added pureed chillies to my plate. It needed more kick! I have a couple of similar recipes that I’ve made previously – lamb, fruit and nuts are a brilliant combination. I served them with charred zucchini, couscous, yoghurt and a slice of lemon.

Lamb and Pistachio Kofte
 
Save Print
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: European
Ingredients
  • 500 g Lamb, minced
  • 1 Onion (grated)
  • 3 Garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 50 g Currants
  • 50 g Pistachios (shelled and crushed)
  • ½ tsp Sweet paprika
  • ¼ tsp Allspice (ground)
  • ¼ tsp Cinnamon (ground)
  • 1 Handful Parsley (chopped)
  • 1 Handful Mint (chopped)
  • Greek Yoghurt
  • Lemon Juice
  • Tahini
Instructions
  1. Lightly toast pistachios in a dry pan, then crush roughly with a knife or a food processor.
  2. Mix all of the ingredients (apart from the yoghurt, lemon and tahini) together, preferably by hand, for at least 5 minutes until smooth. Form into golf ball-sized patties.
  3. Heat some oil in a pan to medium. Flatten kofte and cook on both sides until golden brown.
  4. Serve with yoghurt mixed with lemon juice and a little garlic and sprinkle with some crushed pistachios. Alternatively, serve with tahini mixed with lemon juice and garlic and a little water and some crushed pistachios. Served with couscous and some grilled zucchini.

Sardine, Caper and Radicchio Pizza

by Leave a Comment

sardine-pizzaPizza night is something of a religious ritual in our house. It happens about once a fortnight on a Saturday or Sunday evening. We almost always make 4 pizzas, since whatever isn’t eaten on the night gets eaten after the next day or two. I can happily spend the better part of a day preparing the toppings.

Last night I made up a couple of new concoctions which went down pretty well.

Sardine Pizza

The pizza based was brushed with garlic oil, then grated gruyere and grana padano cheese were added. Fresh sardine fillets placed skin-side up around the pizza. I then added semi-dried cherry tomatoes -these area great alternative to using a tomato paste. After the pizza came ouyt of the oven I added capers, slices of radicchio, parsley and slices of lemon. Just excellent!

Moroccan Chicken Pizza

This was a bit of a twist on one that I’ve made a few times. Mozzarella, garlic confit, roast chicken, roast sweet potato, roast beetroot, rosemary. Ricotta, toasted pine nuts and pomegranate syrup were added after it was cooked. Very nice. Goats cheese would have worked fine, and perhaps a bit of diced chilli.

chicken-pizzaI have a number of pizza recipes and ideas here.

 

 

Cauliflower, Bacon and Caper Pasta

by Leave a Comment

bacon-and-cauliflower-pasta

Here’s a recipe that I’ve adapted from “The Zuni Cafe Cookbook” by Judy Rodgers.

Cauliflower and Bacon Pasta
 
Save Print
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: European
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup Olive Oil
  • ¼ head Cauliflower
  • 1 Eschallots (sliced thinly)
  • 1 tbsp Capers (chopped)
  • 4 Bacon rashers
  • 6 Garlic cloves
  • 1 Red chilli (diced)
  • 2 tbsp Parsley (chopped)
  • Pasta
  • 4 tbsp Black olives (sliced)
Instructions
  1. Toss bread crumbs in a few teaspoons of olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet and back at 220 C for about 5 minutes.
  2. Fry bacon rashers, dice and put to one side.
  3. Peel and slice eschallots and sauté gently in a little olive oil. Slice cauliflower thinly lengthwise. Keep cauliflower crumbs aside. Place stems and larger floret pieces in pan with eschallots and increase heat to medium. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add a little salt and a little more oil and gently stir. Don’t over-stir as you want the vegetables to crisp. Add capers and bacon swirl the pan. Let the pan sit until the contents go crispy.
  4. Cook the pasta of your choice - penne, spaghetti, orecchiette, fusili or medium shells.
  5. Peel and coarsely chop garlic. Lightly pound fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle.
  6. Add garlic, fennel and chilli to pan with some more oil if needed. Cook for another 3 minutes. Add parsley and olive until warmed through. Toss with pasta and breadcrumbs and top with some grated parmesan cheese.