Sfiha - Arabic mini pizzas ( kosher, gluten-free)

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Sfiha, Arabic mini pizza is a perfect choice for meze table... or picnic. You can even make these on BBQ! 

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Hebron, located on West Bank, is sweating in the sweltering August heat. It's far too hot to be outside: temperatures are well and truly above 40ºc . The air stands still and the dry, hot wind, occasionally making an appearance to lazily blow sand around offers absoutely no relief.

The kitchen in the home of the Palestinian family that's adopted me offers a welcome shade. The mother of the family is clapping her hands excitedly: her own daughters can't stand cooking so she's grateful to finally have landed a daughter who shares her passion. 

There's someone she loves more than me, though: Nigella Lawson. Proudly she displays a technique for chopping up spring onions she picked up from Nigella Lawson herself; using a pair of scissors from Nigella Lawson-collection. 

Huddled around the kitchen table we drink tea and exchange recipes and stories behind them. Laughter echoes in the room and the cigarette smoke slowly slithers its way towards the ceiling. 

Mama Tarawa has invited me over, her only wish being that I teach her to "cook like Nigella". She on the other hand can't contain her confusion upon learning that her new prodigée, born and bred halfway across the world at the Arctic Circle, has never made sfihas. 

"You don't know how to make sfihas"? she repeats, incredulously. "What do you eat back there, then?"

Yeah, well. If I had anything to do with it, that'd be sfiha. 

Sfiha, Arabic mini pizza, is part of pizza family's Levantine branch. As fas as the consistency and flavour go, it's closely related to its Turkish cousins; lahmacun and pide.

Over in the Palestinian territories I've encountered two versions of sfiha: in the other one the the base is topped with a yogurt-based meat mixture but this, I think, is infinitely the superior one. 

Traditionally the meat used for these is lamb, but in case you're having difficulties getting your hands on some, you can just use beef.

In addition to Middle East these treats have found a passionalte following inn Brazil of all the places, too. 

And now, habibi, it's your kitchen's turn!

Makes 15

Sfiha - Arabic mini pizzas:

The base:

7 ½ dl all-purpose-flour (gluten-free if needed)

1 tbsp of dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

5 ½ tbsp oil

2‒2 ½ dl warm water

Topping:

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

500 g ground lamb (or beef)

1 red chilli, finely chopped

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2 tomatos, finely chopped

2 tbsp quatre epices- spice blend or bokharat-mix

1 tsp salt

2 handfuls of finely chopped parsley

1 dl pine nuts, lightly toasted

a couple of tbsp oil for frying

To serve:

lemon wedges

For the base combine the dry ingredients. Then add 4 tbsp of oil and and finally water, continuously mixing until you're left with a smooth, elastic dough that won't stick. Slather rest of the oil on top of the dough, place in a clean bowl, cover and leave in a warm, draft-free place to rise.

In the meanwhile prep the topping. Heat oil in a pan. Sauté garlic and onion over medium heat until onion is soft and translucent. Then add meat, bring the heat up and continue cooking until the meat is properly browned. Add the spices and continue cooking for a couple of more minutes. 

Add the pomegranate molasses and tomatos into the mix. Lower the heat and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes. 

Fold in parsley and pine nuts. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. 

Pre-heat the oven to 225ºc. Leave the tray in the oven and, once the dough has doubled in size, prepare the bases.

Divide the dough in 15 portions and roll into circles of about 15 cm in diameter. Transfer on parchmens (4-5 on each) and leave to rise, covered with a tea towel, for half an hour. 

Top the bases with the topping, leaving about 1 cm edge uncovered. Press the topping onto the base either using your hands or the back of a spoon. 

Transfer the parchments onto the hot tray and bake, until the sfihas are golden brown - depending on the oven 8-10 minutes. 

Drizzle with lemon juice and serve.

Equally delicious served hot or at room temperature, which makes these perfect make-ahead delicacies for picnics or get-togethers with friends!

Any of you familiar with sfihas, Arabic mini pizzas? Or have you already fallen in love with lahmacun or pide?

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

                 

SHARING IS CARING! 

Cheat's treat: Thai chicken, mushroom, coconut and noodle soup (kosher, gluten-free)

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Some of my secrets to weeknight dinners are noodles and rotisserie chicken. Together they make this quick, easy and delicious Thai chicken, mushroom, coconut and noodle soup. 

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Recently I was interviewed for the biggest paper in the country in the search for tips for speeding up cooking those weeknight meals. Seeing how I was (again) in a company so much better than myself (the other person they interviewed is a Michelin-starred chef...) I didn't dare to say everything I was thinking of. 

But we're all friends, right? So I don't mind sharing my #1 secret - you know, just between the two of us. 

You guys ready?

Here it comes. 

Order in. 

That's it: have someone else do the cooking and  order in instead!

Especially this spring my head's been working overtime just trying to stay on top of my body (let alone on top of all the things she's supposed to stay on top of) that it's actually rather disgraceful, how often I've happily outsourced the catering to a variety of home delivery services. And how often my dinner has been a delivery from Pizza Hut (BBQ, Italian crust) is downright shameful. What kind of a food blogger am I?!

But yes, I do cook, too. And I do cook using those tips I was giving out in that interview. One of my favourite shortcuts is using rotisserie chicken (or parts of it). 

That makes a robust salad in no time (such as my recipe for St. Tropez chicken and pasta salad), a spread to make a sandwich or to be served with a jacket potato (my favourite is this chicken and avocado salad) adds body to soups (you've got to try this Mediterranean chicken and roasted pepper soup!). 

Chicken cooked on the bone just has so much more flavour and juiciness than those vacuum-packen, anemic bra-fillers.

Good noodles are another shortcut I'm a big fan of - they only take fraction of the time cooking pasta would. 


This thai chicken, mushroom, coconut and noodle soup combines both of this hacks. Oh, and coconut, which I favour over cream any time. As it comes in a tin, its shelf life is so much more convenient than that of cream. Which is why I always have some at home.

serves 4

Thai chicken, mushroom, coconut & noodle soup:

2 chicken breasts on the bone (or two ready grilled ones from the shop)

1,5 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1,5 tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 red chillis, finely chopped

200 g shiitake mushrooms, sliced 

7,5 dl chicken stock

1 can (400 ml) coconut milk

50 g noodles (for gluten-free soup use mung bean vermicelli or rice noodles)

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce) 

(½ - 1 tbsp brown sugar) 

½ bunch coriander, leaves chopped

½ bunch (Thai) basil, leaves chopped

to serve: lime wedges

rest of the herbs

toasted peanuts (optional)

In case using raw chicken breasts, roast them at 180°c for 45 minutes until cooked through. Baste with the liquid in the bottom of the pan every now and then. Let cool and in the meanwhile prepare the stock.

Measure ginger, garlic and chilli into the pot along with the chicken stock. Bring to boil and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add mushrooms and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. 

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bone and shred the meat into desired chunks. Add into the stock with spring onion and coconut milk. 

Bring to boil and add the noodles. Cook for a couple of minutes until the noodles are done. Add the herbs.

Season with fish sauce. Check the taste and adjust to your liking by adding fish sauce and/ or sugar.

Divide into serving bowls, scatter remaining herbs (and peanuts, if using) on top. Serve with a drizzle of lime juice. 

How about you guys - would you fancy a bowl of my Thai chicken, mushroom, coconut and noodle soup?

And hey - don't forget to share your own tips for surviving the mad weekend dinner rush? What are your secret short-cuts?

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

    

             

SHARING IS CARING!

Go nuts - Asian chicken skewers with satay sauce (glutenfree)

These Asian chicken skewers and nutty satay sauce are so addictive - go on, go nuts!

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I spent the first half of the summer travelling so much that I still haven't finished all of those stories. But a little break from the travel posts might do us both good, non? And in case you thought I'd completely stopped eating, let me correct you straight away. No, I haven't. Quite the opposite, in fact. 

Cooking and shooting for my book has taken most of my time of late, so I've missed out on the glorious BBQ weather that still show no signs of being over. So, better make the most of these days while I still can! Same goes for you - go on, fire up that BBQ because have I got treats for you!

This peanut sauce is one of my long-standing favourites that I usually make a bigger batch of: I seem to have a horrible tendency to lick the bowl dry before the BBQ is even ready. Obviously it's all in the name of quality control - it's not like I'm greedy or anything. Oh, no. 

It's also versatile as heck - try it as a dip for crudites, as a salad dressing (for instance to replace the miso and sesame dressing in this glutenfree mung bean vermicellisalad!), for beef or pork... or with your index finger. It is that good. 

I prefer sugar-free peanutbutter as that allows me to keep pretending I'm all about clean living, but use what ever you like. And in case you haven't gone crazy at the ethnic shops and are issing some of the ingredients for the sauce, worry not. You can replace fish sauce by adding more soy sauce and as for rice vinegar, just add more lime juice. And perhaps some regular white vinegar and a dash of sugar. 

10 skewers/ serves 4

Asian marinated chicken skewers and satay sauce:

450 g chicken

marinade:

1 dl soy sauce

1/2 dl honey

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 red chilli

finely grated zest and juice of a lime (1,5 tbsp juice)

Combine the ingredients. Pat the chicken dry and cut into 1 cm strips. Place in the marinade and leave to marinate at least for half an hour (or several hours, depending on how much time you've got)

Satay-kastike:

1,5 dl (150 g) unsweetened peanut butter

1/4 dl rice vinegar

the finely grated zest and juice of a lime (1,5 tbsp juice)

1,5 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla) 

1 dl coconuut milk

1/2 -1 tsp Sriracha

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

Measure the ingredients into a food processor and blizz until smooth (or whisk them together by hand). Check the taste and adust to your liking by adding me lime juice and/or soy sauce.

Drain the chicken from the marinade. Thread onto 10 skewers (in case using wooden ones, make sure to soak them in water for half an hour to avoid setting them on fire) and grill (either on a BBQ, griddle pan or under a broiler in the oven) for 3-4 minutes per side.

Serve with satay sauce. Enjoy.

Want to hear a secret? I finished them all by myself. In one sitting. I suppose there's no way to pass that one off as quality control...?

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

      

SHARING IS CARING!

Indian lentil balls in tomato and coconut sauce (vegan, glutenfree, kosher)

And it's back to the lentils with this recipe - better make most of that theme year (and my ridiculous stash...)

I first fell in love with lentils through Indian food and dhals are still among my biggest favourites. It was my first ever visit to an Indian restaurant and a very exotic experience by all accounts: me and my friends had travelled through Europe and found ourselves in Berlin. As I saw my (slightly more travelled friend) leave a tip I almost fainted - the worldliness of it all just got too much for a small town girl from Lapland.

India is what inspired this recipe, too... after a couple of mishaps along the way.

The range of soy-based meat substitutes is so extensive these days you'll have a meat-free choice for just about any need. They do make an easy way to cut back on meat, but they're not for everybody. But lentils, too, can provide a surprisingly meaty texture - just try these! 

In case you or your stomach has no problems with soy, check out these recipes of mine.

Serves 4

Indian lentil balls in tomato and coconut sauce:

The sauce:

1 onion

4 large cloves of garlic

1,5 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 red chilli

a couple of tbsp (coconut) oil for frying

1,5 tsp black mustard seeds

3/4 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander

3 tsp Garam Masala

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

400 g passata

1 tin (á 400 ml) coconut milk

salt, pepper

Blizz garlic, onion, ginger and chili into a paste in a food processor. Add a little passata if needed to get a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pot. Add mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add the dry spices. Keep sautéing for a couple of minutes until the scent changes and then add onion paste. Continue cooking for a couple of more minutes and then add passata and cocont milk. Bring to boil, check the taste and season as needed.

Lentil balls

2,5 dl red lentils, soaked in warm water for an hour and drained

1 red chilli, finely chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

stalks of a bunch of coriander, finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato concentrate or passata

(1-2 tsp rice flour)

salt, pepper

to serve: coriander leaves, a dash of fresh lime juice (if desired)

Drain the lentils and blizz them in a food processor. The mixture does not need to be entirely smooth, as then it can become too moist and difficult to shape. Combine with remaining ingredients. Add a little rice flour if needed, but avoid the temptation to add much more as then the balls get hard and floury. If the mixture is difficult to shape, leave it in a fridge for an hour or so as this will help it set.

Using a spoon, form the mixture into 20 balls. Don't let the loose texture or the small size of the balls fool you as the balls will firm up and swell as they're cooked. 

Drop the balls into the sauce, shake the pot a little to make sure they're covered n sauce and simmer, covered, until done - 15-20 minutes.

Once they're done, fold in the chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice and naan bread. For home-made naan bread, check my recipe over here.

My,my. Lately my kitchen seems to have come up with a whole lot of vegetarian recipes - I wonder what's gone into me...? Have you had the chance to try them? Did you find your own favourite?

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

      

SHARING IS CARING!

Amba - tangy Iraqi mango pickle condiment

Middle Eastern food has found its way onto the shelves of every corner shop and into the hearts of everyone I know. And I mean everyone: I can't even remember a picnic that didn't feature several tubs of hummus and tzatziki has actually become a Christmas dinner staple!

While everyone can tell their harissa from hummus and tzatziki from tahina, not many are familiar with the greatness of amba. Like everything else in Middle East, its exact origins are often debated, though it is likely it originated in Iraq. With Iraqi Jews it has become a staple in Israeli street food, too, and you see it being served with shawarma, falafel and sabich (another Iraqi specialty) - a sandwich stuffed with hard-boiled eggs and fried eggplant. 

Another thing that is totally best friends with it is meorav yerushalmi. What is that, you ask? Wait til tomorrow and you'll have it on the blog!

Where harissa has often been dubbed as the ketchup of Middle East, sweet and tangy amba is the mustard. You can leave the mango in cubes for pickle-like consistency or you can whizz it into a dressing. It's equally versatile both ways: use it sandwiches, as a dip, serve with fish or meat... or just lick it straight off the jar.

Southern Asia has their own take on this called achar and why wouldn't it - India is where mangos originally came from. If you want to hear more about just how seriously they take their mangos there, just click here...

Amba is also a convenient in that the mangos don't need to be ripe (which they rarely ever are in these parts of the world...). The exact amount of sugar depends on the ripeness of your mangos (mine weren't ripe). The exact quantity of water depends on whether you want to puree your amba. In case you want to leave them in cubes, just add a little water at a time to make sure it won't burn. 

The longest versions of amba I've seen take days to make. The ultimate shortcut would be to just blizz or dice a ripe mango and combine it with a little bit or harissa and lemon juice. 

Black mustard seeds are available at ethnic or Indian shops. In case you can only get hold of those yellow ones, use them. They lack the kick of the black (look at me- an accidental freestyling champ!) , so you should double the amount given in the recipe. Instead of lemon you can also use lime. 

makes about 3-4 dl of pickle/ paste

Amba - tangy Iraqi mango pickle

a couple of tbsp of oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

2 small garlic cloves minced

1 small red chili, de-seeded and finely chopped

2/3 tsp ground cumin

2/3 tsp fenugreek seeds, ground

2/3 tsp sumac

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tso turmeric

2 mangos, peeled and diced

juice of a lemon

2 tbsp brown sugar

1- 1,5 dl water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp white vinegar (or more lemon or lime juice) 

Heat oil in a pot. Add mustard seeds and wait til they start crackling (keep an eye on them to avoid burning them). Add garlic, chili, spices, chopped up mango and lemon juice. Stir and add sugar. Let it melt and then add water. Simmer over moderate heat, covered, until mango cubes have softened. Check the taste and add salt. 

Puree (if desired) check the taste and adjust the taste with vinegar, sugar or more salt.

And hey, if the sweetness of mango combined with seductive little kick is right up your street, you'll also like this mango, chili and ginger chicken and this crayfish dressing!

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

      

Caring is sharing!

Lamb dhansak and Undurraga Carménère

The recipes of my Meat-free October were well received and brought in a whole lot of new readers. But I must tell you, my old readers couldn't hide their excitement when the month came to an end...

First thing I whipped up was lamb dhansak, one of my favourites in Indian cuisine. It's earthy and comforting but not spicy a such. Dhansaks get their richness from lentils, a superhero packed with nutrients I've come to totally love.

I used a 1,2 kg pack of lamb entrecôte and boom - ended up with enough to feed about eight people. Somewhere along the way clearly forgetting I live alone. Oh well, stews like this are food of love and meant to be shared. So, I took some of mine to the crazy lady living alone downstairs. That's my challenge for you, too: make this and share the love so that at least for one day no-one needs to go lonely. Or hungry.

PS. If you can't get your hands on fenugreek seeds, just skip them. It'll be delicious nonetheless!

Serves 6-8

Lamb dhansak

1,2 kg lamb entrecôte (or another boneless piece of lamb)

oil for frying

3 onions
2 green chillis
1 large tomato
4 large garlic cloves
5 tsp finely chopped ginger
the stalks of large bunch of coriander

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds 
3 tsp fennel seeds

2,5 tsp turmeric
2,5 tsp ground coriander seeds
2,5 tsp ground cumin

1 star anise
300 g dl red lentils 
1 l meat (or vegetable) stock

1 tbsp garam masala
salt, pepper
(sugar)

to serve:

coriander leaves
1 large onion (or a handful of crunchy roasted onion flakes)
1/2 tbsp chilli flakes
Cut the lamb into an inch by inch cubes. Sear, on a hot pan, in batches. Season with salt and pepper.

Grind fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and fennel seeds into powder (using either pestle and mortar or one of those handy spice grinders). Combine with the rest of the spices apart from garam masala. 

Cut the tomato in half and remove the core. Blizz with onions, chilli, garlic, ginger and coriander stalks into a paste. Heat some oil large pot and sauté the paste until it softens and stars changing colour. Then add the spices and stir for a couple of minutes.

Add meat and the star anise. Stir to cover the meat. The pour in the lentils and stock. Bring to boil. Cover  and let simmer over gentle heat for 1,5 - 2 hours until meat is tender. But hey, as is the case with stews, it's really not that fussy. 

Add garam masala, check the taste and season as needed.

Finely slice the onion reserved for serving and fry in a bit of oil until browned, a little crisp around the edges but not burned. Sprinkle on top of dhansak along with the chilli flakes and coriander leaves.

Serve with rice and naan bread. Should you fancy having a go at making your own, look no further - the recipe for that coming on the blog next!

And hey, if food is a way to culinary expeditions around the world, so, too, are wines. Since in this blog the emphasis is on pairing food and wine, you don't often hear me wax lyrical about the intensity of the colour or analyze the soil the grapes grew in. 

But there's an interesting story behind the wine pairing for this recipe.

Carménère is originally from Médoc region in Bordeaux, France and one of the oldest varieties of our continent. In 1867, however, Phylloxera plague destroyed most of the vineyards in Europe and Carménère was thought to be extinct. In 1990's the world was in for a surprise, as DNA tests (I know, right! Very CSI!) proved how a grape that had happily settled in Chile and that everybody thought was Merlot, was actually Carménère!

Carménère takes a while to ripen and produces medium-bodied red with soft tannins. Though it can occasionally have quite a bit berriness in it, they're nothing like juice-like Beaujolaises. Instead, at best they're packed with personality. They tend to have pepperiness, spiciness and earthiness, sometimes to a point of smoky.

Now, with Indian food you'd probably reach for a beer (in addition to that standard lager you might want to try a fruity IPA as well!) and a Riesling from Mosel (Blitz Riesling for one) would not be out of place either. Carménère, however, is a surprisingly good match when it comes to red wines. It's jot certain jamminess that balances the spicier notes of the Indian cuisine and it does work well with the cooling, herby elements such as coriander.

I have a feeling it might work with the Asian flavours and green peppers of this recipe for beef in peanut sauce, too...!

Oh, and if Indian food is right up your alley, try these samosas (gluten-free and vegan!).


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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?