appetizer Archives - Sugar et al

Frico Landkass, Cheese And Salmon Tart

29|11|2015

This post is brought to you by Nuffnang and Frico Landkaas.

I think it is safe to say that Holiday entertaining is incomplete without cheese. Cheese is such a versatile ingredient that you could keep it simple, use it in complex dishes or serve it on its own. It’s always a winner! While I am getting slightly better at putting a cheese tray together through the years, this year I am exploring Dutch cheeses/semi hard cheeses for a creative touch to my platter. I am counting on Frico Landkaas to impress my guests. That’s right! Frico Landkaas, the tastiest cheese has landed.

Frico Landkaas comes from the lush, green pastures of Netherlands. It is characterized by its distinct round eyes that is typical of a Swiss style cheese, only Frico Landkaas is creamier. It is a delicious cheese and the best part is that it is pure, 100% natural with no additives and preservatives. The delicate, sweet nuttiness and savoury finish can be combined to create delicious sandwiches, decadent toasties, impressive appetizers and creative cheese and fruit boards.

Frico Landkaas is a semi hard cheese. Semi hard cheeses as the name suggests fall between soft cheeses (like Brie, Camembert) and firm ones (like Cheddar, Parmesan). These are creamy, melt easily and have a nice balance of sweetness and a decent amount of salt without being pungent. So, having the advantage of a longer shelf life (than a soft cheese) yet not being too overpowering (like vintage cheeses), Frico Landkaas will certainly appeal to a wider palate. The silky texture ensures it blends well into different types of recipes and enhances the flavour of the final dish.

My little boys took an instant liking to Frico Landkass. Not all kids enjoy the strong taste of cheddar in their toasties and are not fans of brie or feta either. I am so glad I found the perfect cheese for them. Still, I was curious to use it in a recipe replacing a hard cheese and wanted to see how it would taste and respond to cooking. This quiche like tart is a big favourite in our house and its versatility enables me to play around with whatever protein and vegetables I have at hand. Using Frico Landkaas in the recipe made it even more desirable. It not only tasted delicious but complemented the creamy texture of the quiche as well. A perfectly cooked quiche with a buttery, flaky pastry and a creamy custard dotted with cheese and veggies/meat is one of the greatest pleasures in life.

Frico Landkaas is conveniently located in the Deli section of Woolworths supermarkets all over Australia. Did it occur to you while reading through the post what Landkaas really means? Well, it’s Dutch for ‘Cheese from the land’! I love my ‘kaas’ to come from the hands of experienced craftsmen from a land with a rich cheese making tradition.

How about you? Have you ever tried Dutch cheese?

Cook’s Notes:

If you do not want to make shortcrust pastry from scratch, store bought sheets can be used.
Smoked salmon can be substituted for canned salmon
You could substitute celery with leeks or onions as well, though celery adds an element of crunch to the filling.Frico Cheese and Salmon Tart
Yields a 8 inch round tartFor the Shortcrust Pastry
125 g butter, chilled and chopped into cubes
11/2 cups plain flour
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp cold waterFor the Filling
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
300 g thin celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 can (415 g) red salmon flakes, drained
1 /2 cup Frico Landkass, grated, divided
½ tsp mixed herbs
4 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to season
fresh herbs/salad leaves to serve

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. To make the pastry, place butter and flour together in a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and water and process until dough just comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a round disc. Line a 8 inch fluted tart pan (with a removal base) with the rolled out dough. Trim the edges with a small knife. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Meanwhile heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and celery and cook for 5-10 minutes until it softens. Remove from heat.

Cover pastry base in the tart pan with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove beans and baking paper and bake for a further 10 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool slightly (about 10 minutes) and reduce oven temperature to 170 degrees C.

Spoon the celery over the pastry case. Top with salmon and half the quantity of grated Frico Landkaas. Sprinkle with mixed herbs. Whisk together eggs and cream in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the celery and salmon mixture. Top with the remaining grated Frico Landkass. Bake for 30 minutes or until just set. Serve with fresh salad leaves.

Cauliflower and Cranberry Flatbread with Dukkah

26|08|2014

This post is an entry into the Nuffnang ‘Fresh Recipe’ Network Competition, thanks to BRITA. Check out betterwithbrita.com for inspiration and exclusive recipes by Gary Mehigan’.

Where I grew up, a few decades ago, water was scarce. It was dear. Preserved and valued. Rains were celebrated and rivers worshipped. There were days when one had to go without tap water or make the most of the little that flowed out of the taps. On top of that, tap water was hard and not suited for drinking. Those who could afford a water purifier would get one. The rest would go through the tedious process of boiling gallons of water and storing them in bottles and pitchers for consumption later on.

Basically, at an early age I learnt the importance of having clean, filtered water at home. This experience led me to be grateful for the things that I have today. Running taps…clean, convenient inexpensive filtered water and a great base for cooking delicious food. No, I have never taken water for granted.

Water is vital in cooking. Not just the wonderful soups, curries, smoothies that comes out from our kitchen but also the innumerable ways water is involved in our daily cooking methods. Washing, simmering, soaking and so on. When I think of water as a primary and indispensable ingredient in a recipe, I think of the two-ingredient wonder that my Mother (or for that matter a lot of Indian parents) cooked and fed us often. Roti or flatbreads. Made with wholemeal flour and water and perhaps a solid arm workout. I picture my mother in the wee hours of the morning kneading her way through the elastic dough, adding filtered water, a little at a time from a jug that she filled up as soon as she entered the kitchen. That was first thing she would always do. The dough would then be divided into discs, rolled out, cooked on an open fire and served with curry.

The recipe I am sharing today is one that can be baked and eaten on it’s own. The dough is a like a pizza or Naan bread dough that is topped with crispy cauliflower florets, cranberries, onions, mint and a generous amount of Dukkah to perk up the flavours. Cranberries add a lovely bite and sweetness to the bread and mint gives it a touch of freshness. Dukkah is an Egyptian fragrant, spice and nut blend. It is available in some supermarkets and most farmer’s markets in Australia. It is also very easy to make your own and can be used in a variety of recipes. If you do not have access to Dukkah, you could use cumin or fennel seeds as a substitute. But in that case, add them to the dough instead of a topping. A sprinkling of feta is also great on the flatbreads.

Cauliflower and Cranberry Flatbread with Dukkah
Makes two10 inch by 5inch oval flatbreads

For the dough (makes 2 flatbreads)
1 1/4 cups filtered water
3 cups Plain Flour
2 tsp/7g/1 sachet dried yeast
1/2 tsp castor sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Olive oil, for brushing
Semolina or Polenta, to dust

For the topping
1/2 cup heavy/thickened cream
A quarter of a cauliflower head, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
10-12 small pickling onions, quartered
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp. Dukkah
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
mint leaves, thinly sliced
salt and pepper, for seasoning

Make the dough: Heat the water till it is lukewarm to touch. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the warm water and olive oil. Mix together and use your hands to bring it to a soft dough. Knead it on a floured surface to make it smooth and pliable. Return it to the mixing bowl that has been brushed with oil. Add the dough and turn to coat.
Cover with a damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until dough doubles in size. Punch down dough with your fist. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it gently for a minute. Halve the dough and roll it out to the desired portion and thickness.

Make the flatbread: Preheat oven to 220 degrees C. Place the cream, garlic, cauliflower, onions, cranberries, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. Spread the mixture on the rolled out dough evenly and sprinkle with dukkah. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top and puffed up. Remove from the oven. Garnish with fresh mint and slice into wedges. Serve warm.

Beetroot and Feta Tart

9|07|2014

When I was a little girl, my mother would cook a beetroot stew. I am not sure if there was a recipe or her own creation but I didn’t quite like the look of it. Beetroot was cooked in the pressure cooker with other vegetables and the resulting colour wasn’t very appealing. The potatoes would turn orange, spinach looked black, the onions were lost somewhere and then we would stand facing the mirror with our tongues out after consuming it . Without a doubt it tasted delicious, but that colour! Today, I love beetroot. I love the way it stains my hands and my kitchen counter. I love the way it looks and tastes. I use this root vegetable to pack variety and nutrition into the meals I make for my children. I feel an irresistible urge to take out the camera every time I notice it’s powerful purplish existence in a dish. It has the natural ability to make food look vibrant and attractive.

Beetroot is often paired with goat’s cheese. In tarts, especially. I think it’s an amazing combination but it does pair well with other cheeses as well. I like how it tastes with feta, mascarpone and ricotta. The saltiness and creamy texture of feta is just perfect to balance the sweet, moreish flavour of beetroot. Balsamic vinegar adds a lovely depth to the filling in this tart and thyme makes it aromatic. I adapted the concept of this tart from here but pretty much changed everything from the ingredients to the method of making it.

This is one tart that you would want to make over and over again. There is so much flavour in it. It makes for an impressive starter or a snack. If you are not comfortable making the tart shell, use a premade shell for the sake of the tart. You wont be disappointed. The filling can be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator. The tart is best baked the same day.

Beetroot And Feta Tart
Serves 8-10

2 large beetroot (about 400g), trimmed, peeled and coarsely grated
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 red onions thinly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
150g smooth feta
2 eggs, lightly beaten
150ml thickened cream
Extra thyme springs, to scatter
Fresh herbs, to serve

For the pastry
1 1/3 cups (200g) plain flour
100g chilled unsalted butter, chopped

To make the pastry, place flour, butter and a pinch salt in a food processor and whiz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 1/4 cup (60ml) chilled water, then process until the mixture comes together in a ball. Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Lightly grease a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 5mm thick, then use to line the tart pan. Chill for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, then bake for 5 minutes or until dry and pale golden. Remove from oven and leave aside to cool.

Heat the oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until softened. Add beetroot, vinegar, thyme, brown sugar and 1 cup water, then cook for 12-15 minutes (stirring in between to prevent burning) until thickened and tender. Cool the mixture.

Spread beetroot mixture over the tart base, then crumble over feta cheese. Whisk egg and cream together, then pour into tart case. Scatter with extra thyme. Bake for 35 minutes or until set. Slice and serve with a leafy green salad.

Corn, Carrot and Pea Breakfast Fritters

19|01|2014

Are you noticing quite a few breakfast recipes in this space? I confess, that is one meal I am paying more attention to. That is because the others are turning out to be less of sit down meals and more of quick fix situations. We are outdoors for most of the time our weather allows us. Day times have been warm. Hot rather! But evenings are the perfect excuse to step outside and watch the colourful sunset or lose ourselves to the soothing water views.

I find myself totally drawn to the water front. It kind of refreshes my soul. And that is probably the only time I am ready to sit down and relax. At home, I am constantly doing something. Life with two young kids can be very demanding…I have mentioned it before. I can make it worse for myself by finding a hundred other things to do. I am a cleanliness freak. It’s certainly not a great situation with two little boys running around the house looking for an excuse to begin an adventure. So yes, I think I’ve found another place to unwind. Other than my kitchen!

I’ve been making these fritters frequently because they allow me to add plenty of vegetables. They came together quickly but I still find it easier to make the batter the previous night and fry the fritters at breakfast time. The batter is very much like a pancake batter, only thicker. The choice of herbs and vegetables is entirely yours. For the herbs, I use coriander or parsley or mint…just a random choice. I grow the last two in my garden but I buy coriander leaves. So if that’s at home I usually try and finish that one. Sometimes, I serve sausages or smoked salmon with the fritters but it’s really quite great on its own. Even a salsa or salad is fantastic to go with it. I also like to dollop either sour cream or Greek yoghurt on the fritters. Needless to say, they will make a great snack or even an appetizer.

Corn, Carrot and Pea Breakfast Fritters
Makes 12-14 fritters

11/2 cups self-raising flour (or 11/2 cup plain flour +1 tsp baking powder)
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1/2 cup milk (more, if required)
3/4 cup corn kernels (canned or frozen, drain if using canned)
1 carrot, grated
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 onion, finely chopped
Herbs- Coriander, Parsley, Mint, finely chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg and milk and stir gently to make a smooth batter. Add more milk if required. It should result in a thick but drop-able consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes to rest.

Add the corn, grated carrots, peas, onions and herbs to the batter and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a little of the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Drop 2 tablespoons of batter in the pan for a fritter, fitting in as any fritters in the pan leaving room for spreading. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles have risen to the surface and the fritter is golden underneath. Turn with a spatula and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Repeat in more batches with remaining batter and oil.

Serve fritters with sour cream or greek yoghurt.