Mung Bean, Beluga lentil and Cremini Mushroom Burger

I am going through a semi vegetarian phase. This phase will probably meet its death at the hands of bacon like my previous phases. All it takes is the smell of bacon sizzling #willpowerfail! My very carnivorous, but very supportive husband was in a mood for burgers and this is what we came up with, with ingredients we had at hand. 

My main grudge against 'vegetarian burgers' is their dryness. This one though, was moist and lovely with a very filling and earthy taste. The mushrooms did the trick. While most recipes call for soy sauce or garlic paste in some variations, we used harissa paste. Magic happens when lentils meet piri-piri peppers, coriander and garlic. And the saltiness from the capers...that deserves an ode to itself. You will have to agree that it is quite a good looking burger too.

Any kind of lentil or beans will do really. It may take a bit of planning with soaking and cooking of the beans and lentils, but if like me, you are the proud owner of a pressure cooker, it takes only 5 minutes for dried lentils and beans to become mush.

You will need ( Makes 8 patties)

1/2 cup of mung beans (washed, soaked and cooked)

1/2 cup of black belugua lentils (washed, soaked and cooked)

1 cup finely chopped brown cremini mushrooms. 

1 egg

1 tablespoon harissa paste.

2 tablespoons chopped capers. 

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic.

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup breadcrumbs/ rasp

Vegetable oil 

16 slices of whole wheat bread of rye bread cut into circles. Or go ahead and buy burger buns.

For garnish:
Sliced cucumbers
Onion sliced in rings
Tomato cut in rings
Ketchup
Mustard

METHOD

In a bowl mix mung beans, black beluga lentils, mushrooms, harissa paste, garlic, chopped capers and salt. give it a good mix with your hands. Add egg and mix again.

With slightly oiled hands, shape the mix into patties. 

Spread bread crumbs on a baking sheet. Gently and lightly coat patties with breadcrumbs.

Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat and put 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Cook patties on each side for 3-5 minutes until they are brown and slightly crisp on the outside. 

To serve, cut slices of bread into circles and toast them. Smear a slice with mustard/ ketchup.  Place a patty on top, garnish with onion, tomato, cucumber, more ketchup and mustard if you will and seal the deal by placing another slice of bread on top. 

The one with rye bread to the left and the one with whole wheat bread  to the right

Creamy Caramel with Pistachios/Flødekarameller med pistacie

Would you believe it! Norway is out of butter. Last I heard, Denmark sent some butter to Norway and now there is no butter in the supermarkets (at least in my Copenhagen neighbourhood) People are trekking from one supermarket to the other in search of butter. Oh Christmas season and the first world problems it brings!
I scored the last block of butter in my neighbourhood Netto. I felt like a grinch stealing someone else's Christmas baking merriment. But my bad conscience dissolved with the first bite of these creamy caramel squares I used the butter for. Mmmm ...
Without further ado, recipe for this caramel, buttery, melting goodness. I used a recipe from Mette Blomsterberg.

You will need:  ( Makes 60)
1/2 litre Cream 38%
250g Sugar
100g Honey (You can also use 100g glucose syrup)
60g Butter
40g Unsalted, whole pistachio kernels

You will also need:
A kitchen thermometer
An 18x18 container
2 tbsp, any neutral oil to oil a baking sheet.

Cook cream, sugar, honey, and butter a thick bottomed saucepan. Let it simmer till the caramel is golden in colour, and has a thick, creamy consistency. Stir occasionally, especially towards the end. Cook it long and slow over medium heat. (Mine took approx. 35 minutes)

The caramel is ready when the mix begins to leave the bottom and sides of the pan and has reached 124C. Use the kitchen thermometer to check temperature. (The 'when the mix leaves the bottom of the pan' sounds vague, but you will know what I mean when you are stirring)

Take pan off the stove, add pistachios.

Pour the caramel into the 18x18cm container lined with an oiled baking sheet. Cover with another oiled baking sheet on top.

Allow it to cool and set overnight. Cut into small bite sized squares once set.

I have been wrapping them in cellophane paper and packing them in little boxes as pre-Christmas visit gifts for friends and family. They love it! A very Merry Christmas to all of you!

Redcurrant Cupcakes.

I love how in Copenhagen we can live in the city but still walk to forests and shrubs where we can pick berries. I  love redcurrants especially their tart sweetness. I picked a bunch of them from some shrubs at Holte yesterday and washed them before I got the "dont wash them if you want to freeze them" advice. We usually toss redcurrants into salads but this time I had small basket full of them- too much for salad, too little to be turned into preserve... so cup-cakes it was. I used lemon zest and lemon juice in the batter which makes perfect love to the tartness of the berries. My kitchen smells so good, I would lick the air if I could.

My cupcakes look a imperfect because I don't own a cupcake mould. In my head, a mould ONLY for cupcakes is a bit overdoing it. But that has not stopped me from wishing for it every birthday and Christmas, but everyone else seems to think it is a silly thing too. Dammit, tangent! Here is how I made them.

INGREDIENTS

·         170g plain flour

·         2 tsp baking powder

·         140g sugar

·         2 eggs, separated

·         8 tbsp sunflower oil

·         6 tbsp milk

·         Juice and zest of ½ lemon

·         170g redcurrants, stripped from stems

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

In a big bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Grate lemon zest over the flour.

In another bowl, mix together sugar, egg yolks, oil, milk and lemon juice.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the cake mixture. Stir in the redcurrants, put batter into cup cake forms and bake for 15-20 minutes.

I plan to eat mine just the way they are or maybe with some sour cream on the side, but that should not stop YOU from adding a frosting or topping of your choice.

Dun Dun Noodles a la Heidi

I don't know why I waited this long to make these Dun-Dun noodles. I have been telling everyone about them ever since our friend Heidi brought it to dinner once. I finally made them a few days ago. They are spicy, garlicky, peanutty, sesamey and all the things nicey. They may or may not cause you to make up your own words! Heidi first tasted these noodles at Mary Chungs restaurant in Cambridge and liked it so much that she wrangled a recipe out. And are we glad she did! She calls it Mary Chungs Dun Dun Noodles. But Heidi has made the recipe her own over time and in its Copenhagen avatar it will forever be known as Heidi's Dun-Dun noodles. These noodles have a complex taste but are surprisingly easy to make (Thank you time saving store bought Chinese sesame paste) 
*Heidi's recipe called for 6-8 cloves of garlic, I reduced the amount since I am not fond of too much raw garlic. You can up or lower the amount according to your taste.

This will serve a party.

4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and loosely chopped

5 cloves garlic

4 T water

1 t salt

3 T hot pepper flakes in oil

3-4 T light soy sauce

3-5 T Siracha hot sauce

1 12 oz jar Chinese Sesame paste

2 T sesame oil

2 T sugar

1-1 1/2 packages noodles

5 scallions, chopped

Optional toppings:

Bean sprouts

Shredded cooked chicken

Puree garlic, ginger, salt and water in food processor. Add pepper flakes, hot sauce, soy sauce, sesame paste, oil and sugar and process until smooth. Taste for sweetness. Add more sugar if it's not as sweet as you'd like.

Prepare the noodles and toss lightly with sesame oil before topping with sesame sauce. Add scallions and toss. Serve with bean sprouts and shredded cold chicken if desired.

I told you it was SO easy.

Beef Rendang : Spicy Beef Stew with Roasted Coconut

OH. MY. GOD. I don't usually use 'Oh My God' to describe satisfaction, but this has OMG stamped all over. The recipe and instructions are from Rasa Malaysia. I have been so busy trawling her archives that I have ignored all other sites bookmarked. She has a book out and I can't wait to buy it as soon as it releases in Europe.

This rendang was so aromatic, you could smell it from our common stairway! The 'curry' boils, simmers and then reduces till it is almost fried in its own sauce. What you are left with is beef so tender and infused with all the taste and aromas of the spices.The taste is a hearty balance of creamy, spicy with just the right hint of tangy and sweet.

The ingredients list may look intimidating, but they are not that hard to find. I didn't have 'kerisik', so I bought some dried coconut flakes and toasted them till brown. And I didn't de-seed my chillies. Seeds are the WHOLE POINT! There is nothing like 'too spicy'. If you disagree, go eat a cucumber. And oh you will need patience! It took me 2.5 hours to cook this batch. I will try cooking it in a pressure cooker next time.

What I love best about Asian cooking is it's versatility. A pinch of this, a pinch of that. If something goes wrong, there is always something else at hand to save it. ( In my case potatoes. I haven't not seen potatoes in any beef rendang recipe but I had a little accident called -too much salt- which the potatoes troubleshot quite effectively)

Ingredients:
700 grams boneless beef short ribs (cut into cubes)
5 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cinnamon stick (about 2-inch long)
3 cloves
3 star anise
3 cardamom pods
1 lemongrass (cut into 4-inch length and pounded)
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons tamarind pulp (soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds )
6 kaffir lime leaves (very finely sliced)
6 tablespoons kerisik ( toasted grated coconut)
1 tablespoon sugar/palm sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Spice Paste:
5 shallots
1 inch galangal
3 lemongrass (white part only)
5 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
10-12 dried chilies (soaked in warm water and seeded)

Method:

1. Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
2. Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry them until aromatic.
3. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar/palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
6. Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up.
7. Add salt to taste. If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste.
8. Serve with steamed rice.

Hanne's Knækbrød / Danish Crisp Bread

If like me, you HAVE TO HAVE a little something with your chai, this knækbrød – Danish crisp bread recipe is just for you. Hanne served it at her birthday party and I asked her for the recipe with my mouth full, without as much as a ‘thank you for the meal’. Pictures don’t do justice it’s really mild but ‘explosion of flavors’ from the seeds taste. Sorry, the ‘explosion of flavours’ is an inside- you-wont-find-it-funny-if-you-weren’t-there joke from when a friend found it to be the only way to describe the taste of this knækbrød. The possibilities are endless. You can eat it smeared with a little butter, a cheese dip or like the Danes like to do- pile it up shrimps, eggs or every imaginable food in the universe. It is so easy to make and stays for up to 15 days (or maybe more... mine got eaten within 10 days) It takes just 3 very easy steps, so it wasn't difficult even though the recipe was in Danish. I used a decilitre cup. If using a US size cup increase the baking powder and salt by half. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup coarse oatmeal / Havregryn

1 cup flax seeds / Hørfrø

1 cup sesame seeds / Sesamfrø

1 cup pumpkin seeds / Græskarkerner

1 cup sunflower seeds / Solsikkefrø

3 1/2 cup rye flour/ Rugmel (You can also use whole-wheat flour)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

2 cups water

1 cup vegetable or olive oil

Step 1: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Knead VERY lightly. 

Step 2: Divide dough into two portions. Lay one portion on a baking sheet the size of your baking tray. Put another baking paper on top of the dough. Roll it into a thin sheet using a rolling pin. Repeat process with the other half of dough.

Step 3: Peel off baking paper on top. Using a knife cut sheet into rectangular or any desired shape.

Step 4: Preheat oven to 175C and bake for 20-25 minutes. And tadah!

Tip: Check at the 10 minute mark. The hand rolled sheets vary in thinness so some bake faster than others.

Aloo Poshto. Potatoes in a Poppy Seed Paste.

I've yet to meet someone that doesn't like potatoes. I usually include a potato dish when having people over. They don't get gushed over but are without fail the first platter that gets emptied. But this one, it gets people talking. Poppy seeds! Opium! No, you will not get a high from it. But hey, it will make you happy in the tummy.

I love Bengali food. Typically it is food from North India that is popular in Copenhagen. Unable to find it in any restaurant, I simply had to recreate it in my kitchen. I have few Bengali friends whose mothers have fed me some really good Bengali food over the years. Mine didn't taste like theirs. I attribute that to the 'touch of hand' factor. Some hands have a mother's magic touch, mine don't. Also, the little poppy seeds are a bitch. As you can see in the picture, my poppy seeds were still more or less whole, they should form a fine paste. I soaked them in water before grinding them with a stone mortar and pestle, but no luck. I then brought out my heavy electronic machinery but still didn't get the desired fine texture. If you are making this - do a better grinding job than I did. And Oh! mustard oil is a must. I cant imagine it tasting the same in any other kind of oil.

I searched through many Bengali food blogs for the recipe, to compare and make sure that I was using an authentic recipe. Unfortunately I cant remember them all, except for this one here 

INGREDIENTS

500 grams baby potatoes, peeled and sliced into halves.

6 heaped tbsp Poppy seeds. Ground to a fine paste

3 Green Chillies. Slit or chopped

2 Dried Red Kashmiri Chillies (optional)
Pinch of turmeric powder
1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/2 tsp onion seeds/ kalonji
Salt
Pinch of Sugar
4 tbsp mustard oil.

METHOD

1. Soak poppy seeds in tepid water for 30 minutes and grind to a fine paste. Keep aside.
2. Heat mustard oil in a deep pan till it smokes. Lower flame/gas to medium.
3. Fry one green chilli and one red chilli. Take out and keep aside for garnish.
4. Add cumin and onion seeds till the seeds pop.
5. Add diced potatoes with a pinch of turmeric powder and fry for 5 to 8 minutes. Saute till they get softer and acquire a light golden brown tinge. Stir intermittently to make sure they don't stick to the sides of the pan.
6. Add slit or chopped green chillies and red chillies.
7. Add the poppy seed paste with a cup of water. Stir gently and coat potatoes evenly.
8. Add salt, pinch of sugar.
9. Cover the pan till potatoes are done. Once done, lift lid and cook uncovered for a till the water dries up.

Its is usually eaten accompanied with some curry or daal, but you can also eat it with chapatis.

Dahi Chicken- Chicken in a Yoghurt And Coriander Sauce

 
( I am still holidaying in Thailand. This is an auto-scheduled post, Woohoo technology!)

Sometimes I get a craving for Indian food so bad and I want it NOW. The food has to be quick, easy and hearty. This curry hits all the right spots. It is a delicious creamy curry with a slight tang from the yoghurt and a hearty flavor from coriander.

All the quantities in the recipe fall under the ‘roughly’ category. I didn’t really weigh them, but you can’t go wrong with this recipe. Simply do the- If it’s heavy on the spices, add some more yoghurt, if it’s too bland, add more spice- dance. But watch out that you don’t overcook it,yoghurt tends to curdle and lump from overcooking instead of giving a creamy texture. Also, use freshly roasted and ground coriander seeds if you can. The difference in taste and aroma between freshly ground and pre powdered is huge.

INGREDIENTS (Serves Two )

• 3 chicken breasts.
• 2 big onions. Chopped.
• 7 big fat garlic cloves
• A thumb of ginger. Approx 25 grams
• 300gm thick natural yoghurt. I used a 2% Greek yoghurt.
• 3 whole cardamoms
• 2 bay leaves.
• Half tsp turmeric powder
• Half tsp chilli powder
• 2 green chillies ( Optional )
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp tsp garam masala
• Handful fresh coriander. Chopped with stalks and all.
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

• Chop onions into cubes. Finely slice ginger. Finely chop garlic. Cube chicken into bite sized pieces.
• Bring a heavy bottomed pan or ‘kadhai’ to heat on medium and add oil. Add whole cardamoms and bay leaves when oil is ready.  Add onion, garlic and ginger when the whole cardamoms start to sizzle. Fry until golden brown and tender. Cook for approx 5 minutes stirring continuously. If the mixture sticks to the bottom of the pan, ease it out by adding some water and stirring.  Add turmeric powder and chilli powder to the mixture and stir for another 3 minutes or until oil starts separating from the mixture.
• Add chicken pieces, give it a good stir, cover and cook on high heat till chicken is done. (Approx 2 minutes) At this point, add half of your fresh, chopped coriander.
• Turn heat down to medium and add yoghurt. Add coriander powder and garam masala. Stir regularly till chicken is cooked through. The curry should be done when you spot some oil droplets floating up to the surface of the curry. Add salt to taste. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with basmati rice or any Indian bread such as Roti or Naan.

Sangria Blanco

It was not summer in Denmark, not on 25th February 2011. But it was my birthday, so I was allowed to pretend that we are at some place warm, on a sunny balcony with chilled drinks. I am tired of serving wine and beer, Denmark’s favourite drink to my guests, so carafes of Sangria Blanco it was. Essential ingredients of sweet white wine aside, there is no fast set recipe for Sangria Blanco. There are versions with berries and various kinds of fruits. I had apples and oranges in my fruit bowl and I used those. And hey you fancy pants! Don’t uncork an expensive bottle of wine. That would be a shameful waste. As for me, I bought a cheap sweet wine in a tetra pack.

INGREDIENTS (Makes little over 2 litres) 

• 2 (750) bottles of sweet Spanish white wine (or a sweet Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1/2 cup (Ideally Spanish brandy, I used Old Monk Rum!)
• 1/2 cup Spanish orange liqueur
• 2 oranges, juiced
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup sliced apples.
• 1/2 cup orange, peeled and sliced.
• 1/2 lemon, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 cups club soda, chilled

DIRECTIONS

• In a cup add sugar, brandy and orange liqueur. Stir till sugar has dissolved well.
• Combine all ingredients, including chopped fruits, lemon and brandy-orange liqueur-sugar mix in carafes.  Stir well.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Add chilled club soda just before serving. Serve in large wine glasses topped with a slice of an orange or lemon, you ‘know to look nice and all.

Salmon Roe Canapés.

This is the kind of food I considered 'posh' when I was a teenager. Now it’s more about how ridiculously easy it is. All we need to do is assemble it and yet they always disappear so fast at cocktail parties. Typically, crème fraiche is used, but I used Greek yoghurt, because of aforementioned holiday in Thailand and the fact that it will involve bikinis. I prefer Greek yogurt over crème fraiche, it adds more substance and flavour. I used a store bought, sesame topped Danish knækbrød (I don't know what it is called in English. Crisp Bread maybe? ) but any type of crisp, mildly salted cracker should work. With looks like that, this canapé is always a winner.

INGREDIENTS

1. 100 grams jar of salmon roe or caviar if you grocery budget is bigger than mine.
2. 100 grams of Greek yoghurt
3. 1 packet of knækbrød or any non brown, non cheese cracker.
4. Few stalks of fresh Dill leaves.

METHOD

• Lay your knækbrød on a tray.
• Using a teaspoon, lay tiny dollops of yoghurt on the crackers. You could also use a plastic cone.
• Using the back of a spoon, gently top the yoghurt with salmon allowing some to drip over the portion of the cracker not covered with yoghurt.
• Stick in spring of dill like the proverbial feather in the cap. 

Say hello to  my dog Picolo, he has a love affair going on with yoghurt.

 

Hummus Topped Cucumber Canapé.

Hello from warm Thailand! I am on a month long holiday and plan to take some cooking lessons while here. In the meanwhile, I have pre scheduled few recipes of the nom noms I served on my birthday. I am not even sure this can be called a canapé because Wikipedia tells me that canapés are served on a bread. Whatever!

Canape or not, this is a light and perfect finger food for cocktail parties. Especially during summer. Being healthy as it is, you can knock back that extra drink without guilt. You will of course need a cucumber sliced into centimetre long rounds. Use the leftover slices of cucumber on your bleary eyes the next day ;)

INGREDIENTS FOR HUMMUS

• 1 can of chickpeas. ( Save the liquid)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

* To make Tahini from scratch- Blend 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup tepid water until smooth.

METHOD

1. Drain chickpeas and blend it with remaining ingredients. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Add the liquid you saved from the chickpea can to get desired consistency if hummus if too dry.
2. Put hummus into a plastic cone/ bag and squeeze over cucumber slices.
3. Garnish with black sesame seeds, parsley leaves or olives.

Chococcino Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

This cake could also be named Possible Death by Salmonella. This recipe should make 22-24 cupcakes but I think I ate about 2 cupcakes worth of batter and ended up with only 20 cupcakes. My kitchen smelled so delicious even as I was mixing the batter, I couldn't help but eat spoonfuls of it. It can also be called The Best Chocolate Cupcake I Have Ever Baked! The kind that made people go OH MY GOD. It was my birthday on the 25th, Friday. I invited people over on Sunday and Saturday. It didn't make sense to bake two cakes, not after I've just managed to squeeze back into my jeans, no sir. So I made cupcakes instead, also known as portion control cakes. They turned out spongy with an intense chocolatey taste with a hint of bitter coffee. Woe me, I don't have cupcake forms, but the batter was thick and it held well in just the cupcake paper shells.  The frosting looked like designer turds, so I poked them with a fork to make them look less turd like.

INGREDIENTS FOR CUPCAKES ( Makes 20)

• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp baking powder.
• 100 grams good-quality cocoa powder
• 125 grams  self-raising flour
• 200 grams golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tbsp milk 
• 4 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in  4 tbsp of boiling water. 

*Tip:  You can substitute half the butter with a neutral vegetable oil. I have made it with 50% butter and 50% canola oil in the past and it tastes just as good with not much difference in the texture.

METHOD

1. Heat oven to 180 C
2. Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a large bowl, then tip in all the other sponge ingredients (Eggs, milk, coffee mixture and sugar)
3. Using an electric whisk, beat everything together until smooth. 
4. Divide the batter into cupcake forms and bake for 15 minutes. Check by inserting a wooden toothpick, it should come out clean.
5. Leave on rack to cool before frosting.

FOR CHOCOLATE BUTTER-CREAM FROSTING

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 2/3 cup powdered caster sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Pinch of salt.
  Beat the ingredients together till well blended and creamy but stiff. If you own a frosting cone, lucky you. I put mine in an improvised plastic bag cone and squeezed. *I added extra tablespoons or half of  sugar, milk and cocoa powder at few points to get desired consistency.

* You can also use this recipe for a layered cake: Grease two, 20 cm cake tins, divide batter into tins. Tap tins to release any trapped air. Bake at 180C for 25 minutes or till a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool. Turn one layer upside down and spread frosting evenly. Top with the other layer and frost top.


* Tip - My frosting is a deep brown because I used caster sugar. You could replace it with regular white confectioners sugar for a lighter brown colour. That will give some contrast and make your cupcakes look prettier.

No Fuss Corn and Spinach Quiche.

This was yet another desperate dish born from the icy cold depths of my freezer. It was another what the hell to eat for dinner day. Thankfully, my freezer is always stocked with frozen spinach and corn. It was a desperate dish but my dinner companion loved it and insisted it go on the blog. So here I am filing the recipe away for future reference. Admittedly, I used a store bought crust mix; it was a life is too short to be kneading dough moment.  But I am sharing a crust recipe the lovely Missus Petersen shared with me. She likes and knows her food, so I am confident that any recipe she recommends is tried and tested. The rest was just something that took its own flow with whatever I had at hand in the kitchen. Without further ado, here is a comforting, desperate meal for hurried days.

Ingredient for crust:

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup butter

1/3 - ½ cup cold water

1 tbsp vinegar

Ingredients for Corn and Spinach filling.

150 grams sweet corn

300 grams frozen spinach (defrosted)

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper.

1 tsp dried herbs (Herbes de Provence or Basil, Thyme, Fennel, whatever you’ve at hand)

1/2 tsp cumin

1 teaspoon dried dill weed.

Salt to taste

2 eggs, beaten.

1/2 cup grated parmesan

 Making the crust: Combine flour, baking powder and salt. With a pastry cutter, work in butter. Combine water and vinegar and stir into the flour mixture. Turn out onto floured board and knead for about 1 minute. Form into a ball, wrap in wax paper and chill. To use, roll out on floured board to fit pie form. (We won’t be pre-baking the crust, so roll it out no more than 1/2 a centimetre thick) Line the sides and bottom of a 9 inch pie form. Keep aside in the fridge.

Making the filling: 

• Pre heat oven to 190 C
• Bring a pan to heat on medium and add oil. Add cumin seeds. Add chopped onion, add garlic and sauté.
• Add spinach and corn when onion is translucent. Stir in all dried herbs, dill weed, pepper, salt. Sauté for no more than 3 minutes and allow it to cool.
• In the meanwhile, break eggs into a bowl and beat along with a pinch of salt.
•  Bring out pie form lined with crust. Sprinkle a thin coat of grated parmesan cheese just to cover the surface. Add in the spinach and corn mixture, pressing gently.
• Pour beaten egg over the pie crust filled with spinach and corn covering evenly
• Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the pie, covering evenly.
• Bake for 30 minutes. We ate ours with a simple tomato and basil salad.