ASPARAGUS SALAD

I have been disappeared for the last few weeks so my days were quite busy. I've been  taking a lots of photo shots as the weather became a bit more sunny, so it's time to go out with my new camera. Shooting here, shooting there. But I've been struggling in the wind. And wind is always blowing here, always! So if You have any idea how I can come across with taking photos in wind, just leave a message here below. But I'm delighted with my new baby, my real fav is the live view function. It's new to me, and I really enjoy the challenges I face to. And if You are wondering what is going to happen to my hundreds of photos, they're going to light soon. Very soon. 

Back to asparagus, I have to tell you I have preferred the white one so far. But the things are changing and the freshly picked, british green one tastes better now. When it's in season I usually prepare just a quick and healthy salad, and it's really gorgeous. It's been completed in15 minutes also including the peeling. (I usually not just cut the bottom but peel it in the upper section.)

Ingredients for  3-4:

250-300 gr asparagus

4 hard boiled eggs

two big handful of fresh baby spincah

2 ciabattas or 4 slices toasted breads

8-10 baby vine tomatoes

a couple of spring onions or quarter of leek

some olive oil

salt

for the dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

one drop runny honey

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

salt

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Lay some baking parchment on a baking tray. Dice ciabatta and put on the tray. Bake in the oven until golden and crispy. (If You use bread, just toast them for a few minutes, then dice on a board. ) Set aside and leave to cool. 
2. Wash spinach and dry carefully with a sheet of kitchen towel.
3. Heat a frying pan on medium. Clean the asparagus, cut the end of stalks and discard them. Cut into 3-4 cm sticks.  Pour some olive oil into the pan, add the asparagus sticks, some salt and fry for a few minutes until golden. Set aside and keep warm until served. 
4. Take a quite big bowl for the salad. Place the spinach leaves, add the roughly chopped  tomatoes, finely sliced leek or onion, toasted bread and finally asparagus sticks. Carefully mix them then place the quartered hard boiled eggs on the top. 
5. For the dressing mix all the ingredientes into a small jar. Stir well and set aside until served. Pour over the salad just right before serving. 

POPPY SEED AND LEMON CURD ROLLED CAKE

When I saw this rolled cake  on a lovely site a couple of weeks ago, it was a love at first sight.
Specially the form of the cake was impressive, and then I just wanted to challenge my skills if I was able to bake such an amazing rolled cake. The first two time was a total disaster. At the very fist time I rolled the cake before cooled to room temperature, just as I usually do with a simple roulade. But this cake can not be rolled warm, otherwise fall apart as has been cooled. At my second trial I substituted oil with butter. Please, never do this! It doesn't work! So my suggestion is: strictly  follow the recipe!
The recipe is based on Vintage Cakes book, by Julie Richardson  but I applied several changes according to my taste not just in terms of the batter but the frosting as well. (:-) this time it really works
Poppy seed and lemon are hand-in-hand, so after I decided the key flavor of the cake itself lemon filling was obvious. I just made a very simple lemon curd (homemade of course:-) and mixed with  mascarpone, garnished with some lovely passion fruit and violet.

Ingredients:

for the cake (for a 35 X 26 cm rectangle tin):

6 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
2 tbsp lukewarm  water
160 gr granulated sugar
100 gr plain flour
50 gr ground poppy seed
1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

for the filling:

1 large egg
1-2 tbsp granulated sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp butter (diced)
1 lemon zest
1 lemon juice

300 gr mascarpone

2 passion fruits and some violet for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. 
2. To make the cake sift the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seed in a large bowl, then mix well with a spoon. 
3. Melt the coconut oil in microwave oven on low heat.
4. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment whip the egg yolks with half of sugar until pale and fluffy. Then add the water, vanilla, oil and whisk on medium for a few minutes. Set aside. 
5. In a clean bowl of stand mixer whip the egg whites on high until frothy. Add the remaining sugar spoon by spoon and reduce speed to medium whipping until the whites just form a soft peak. Return the mixer to high and continue whipping until the whites begin to hold shiny peaks. 
6. With a rubber spatula fold the flour mixture into the yolks mixture. Mix well. 
7.  Then fold the third of whites to the batter. Try to homogenize. Add the remaining whites folding carefully. 
8. Pour the batter into a pan, previously lined with a baking parchment.
9. Smooth the top of batter, and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the skewer comes out clean. 
10. Cool the cake completely to room temperature on a wire rack.

Make the frosting:

1. Wash the lemon carefully. Put the egg, sugar, butter, lemon juice, finely grated lemon zest into a stainless steel bowl. 
2. Place the bowl over a pan with simmering water on low temperature (au bain marie). The bottom of bowl can not reach the water. Mix with wire whisk continuosly until the mixture gets thick and silky. Never allow to boil! 
3. Remove the bowl from the pan and leave to cool, stirring occasionally. 

Assembling:

1.  Lift the cake out from the pan with baking parchment to a board. To cut the cake, you have to half it  accurately. Use a string to measure the short side of the cake, half the string and mark the cake using the folded string. Cut it precisely, otherwise the cake will be leaning at th end.
2. Cut through the underlying parchment paper with a pair of scissors in the same place where you cut before with a knife. Now You have two halves to be moved independently. 
3. Leave the cakes close to each other as they were baked and spread over the two third of filling. 
4. And now You can roll the cake carefully: using the paper as a help try to form the cake into a roll meanwhile removing the paper. Be careful, as at the begging of the roll the cake has to take a big bow and scratches can occur. But later you can hide it with the frosting. 
5. Take the next half, put some frosting to edge, stick together the fitting edges, then wrap it around the roll. 
6. Take the remaining frosting and cover the side of the cake. Leave the top plain, just garnish with some passion fruit to show off the nice spiral.
7. Keep in the fridge before serving to set well. 

RHUBARB AND ELDERFLOWER SEMI FREDDO

Who follow me on Fbook they probably know that recently I changed my camera. The reason of that was very simple: I was not satisfied with the color of that any more. Most of the food photos I find on food sharing sites and  enjoyable to me have  shiny, alive color and I always felt it was totally eliminated from my pics. I had a 5D camera, which is a well structured, reliable one. But cameras and electronics had  a significant progress in the past 2-3 years, my camera was behind the newer models nowadays. So me and my husband decided to be faithful to our favourite camera brand but upgrade our photography equipment to 6D.
So it's my pleasure to show all of You the first photos I have taken with my new partner! I'm totally satisfied with it, most of the functions are a bit different than in the previous, though.  I'm sure I need some time to get familiar with this as far as I can.

And what could have been the very first subject of my learning process? Rhubarb of course with it's lovely ruby color and simply  because it's in season right now....

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

400 gr rhubarb
6 tbsp granulated sugar
3 medium eggs
3 tbsp elderflower cordial
1 teaspoon vanilla paste

1. Clean rhubarb stalks, then cut into 2 cm long sticks.
2. Put in a pan, add 3 tbsp sugar, vanilla paste and heat on medium stirring occasionally until tender. It takes about 5-8 minutes, then mash with a fork and set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Pour the egg yolks in a bowl, add 1 tbsp sugar and whisk well with a wire whisk.
4. Put the egg whites into the bowl of stand mixer. Start to whisk on medium until has become bubbly, then add gradually the remaining sugar spoon by spoon. Switch to high speed and whisk until stands up in well defined peaks. 
5. Gently fold in the egg yolks. Add the cordial to the cooled rhubarb mixture, and fold in the egg whites. Carefully try to homogenize with a wooden spoon.
6. Pour the mixture into a plastic or enamel bowl, smooth the top with a spoon or spatula. 
7. Put into the freezer for a night. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.
8. Garnish with some roughly chopped pistachios or candied flowers. 

COURGETTE SALAD WITH FETA AND WILD GARLIC DRESSING

Wild garlic is a real present of wooden. The very first sign of spring has arrived, and it's full with lots of flavor and  vitamin. To be honest I'm not aware at all where I could find some fresh bunch of that in my near, so this surprise arrived from Hungary with me in my luggage in safe. It was not alone, as my favorite white asparagus and a special hungarian pasta was accompanied by.
So if anyone knows about the best places of wild garlic to be harvested near to Lincolnshire in UK, please let me know asap! Thanks in advance!

Ingredients:

Serves 2

1 baby courgette

half red onion

50 gr feta cheese

for the dressing

50 ml extra virgin olive oil

half lemon juice

half teaspoon runny honey

salt

5 pieces wild garlic leaves, finely chopped

1. Wash courgettes, and slice finely. Arrange in a circle on a plate. 
2. Mix all the ingredients of dressing in a jar. Cover and shake well. 
3. Spoon the dressing over courgette, tear some feta over the top, garnish with finely sliced red onion. 
4. Cool in fridge at least 30 minutes (better for an hour) before serving. 

RHUBARB STRUDEL

As I have mentioned in my previous post I got a huge bunch of forced rhubarb from Yorkshire.
It was not difficult at all to figure out what to bake with that. I baked clafoutis, strudel, and made  custard-rhubarb creme pots. All of them were amazing, as rhubarb itself is also amazing.
These photos are the last ones I had taken with my Canon 5D camera, as I sold it.
And meanwhile I'm waiting for my new baby-still on way-, I share the latest photos with all of You!

Ingredients:

270 gr filo pastry
2 stalks of fresh rhubarb
80 gr melted butter
2 tbsp plain flour
4 tbsp granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste, or one vanilla pod

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Prepare a baking tray and brush with some melted butter.
2. Cut rhubarb stalks into 2 cm long sticks. Place in a bowl, and mix with vanilla, flour and sugar. Set aside. 
3. Spread out filo pastry and place one sheet on baking tray. Wrap all the rest of sheets into a wet kitchen towel until used. Brush the upper side of filo pastry with melted butter and place on next sheet. Repeat process with all 6 sheets.
4. Spoon the rhubarb mixture along the sheet excluded the edges cc 1 cm. Roll up longest side first, into a parcel, seam-side down. 
5. Brush all over the top with the remaining melted butter then pierce with a fork to get the steam out in the oven. 
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden. 
7. Leave to cool to room temperature and dust with some icing sugar. You can serve with vanilla ice cream, too. 

RHUBARB CLAFOUTIS

Is there anybody who doesn't like rhubarb? Until recently I haven't known quite well how many varieties of rhubarb have. I knew just the one that can be bought on market, which is  usually very sour and very green. If You peel the lovely red stalks the color turns into green, and You can bake whatever the color of that is not very appetizing, specially not on  photos. Did You know that rhubarb is often associated with strawberry in sweets just  to mask the green color?
This year I decided to discover the amazing forced rhubarb produced in Yorkshire.
I inquired right in advance when it's in season, which type is the best one, and a couple of days ago I received my order: a huge, ruby red bunch of rhubarb stalks freshly picked in Yorkshire. First of all I tasted raw: it was not sour at all. Then I baked a pie. It was lovely red after baking! I didn't need at all to add strawberry to have a nice color, it was ruby red itself! And then I baked a clafoutis. The best clafoutis I've ever eaten. The recipe was inspired by Marie at The English Kitchen, I didn't modify at all because it was perfect overall.

Ingredients:

400 gr rhubarb (cc 4 long stalks)
25 gr butter
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 tbsp honey

50 gr almond (usually ground, I used sliced)
100 gr granulated sugar
2 tbsp plain four
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
250 ml double cream 

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Cut the stalks to 2 cm long pieces, arrange on the bottom of an oven proof dish. Pour over honey and vanilla paste then mix well with a spoon. Dot with diced butter and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile prepare the batter: mix  flour, almond, sugar, eggs and egg yolks. Add cream gradually while stirring with a wire whisk until it gets smooth. Remove the dish from the oven, pour the batter over the roasted rhubarb. Bake for 20-25 minute, or until golden. 
3. Serve with icing sugar or plain. 

MINT CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB

Traditional Ester lunch is usually served at my Mum. She always cooks lovely, tender ham, deviled eggs, salad, but never ever bakes lamb. It's simply not a traditional meal in my home. But, since I have had my own family and I bacame a Mum, I have tried to establish our tradition for Easter and Christmas period. So it happend almost 5 years ago when I baked lamb. It was amazing! I try different recipes year by year, and this rack was an other fantastic part of our current Easter menu.  Sometimes I bake lamb with rosemary but in my opinion lamb goes better with mint than with the previous herb, so in the future I'm going to insist on mint. It 's really delicious, isn't it?

Ingredients:

Serves 3

kb 750 gr rib of lamb
salt
pepper
some olive oil

3 tbsp mustard
50 gr breadcrumbs
a good handful fresh mint
1 lemon rind
1 garlic cloves

for garnish: 
small handful fresh mint
some olive oil

1. Remove the most fat of the back of the rack. (If You prefer French-trim the bones by cutting the fat out around each bones. ) Season the meat with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with some olive oil.
2. Heat a pan on medium for a few minutes. When it's hot enough put the meat and fry for 6 minutes on each side.
3. Meanwhile preheat oven to 190 C. If the meat has been fried leave to cool to room temperature.
4. Prepare the crust: mix breadcumbs with finely chopped mint, finely grated lemon zest, and mashed garlic. Brush the skin of lamb with mustard, and then with a spoon try to cover the mustard coat with minted crust, gently press to adhere.
5. Take a roasting pan, lightly drizzle with some olive oil. Place tre meat  crusted  side up. Bake for 15-20 minutes to get a medium. If you prefer well done, bake for 5 minutes more.
6. Leave the meat on a warm place to have a rest at least 5 minutes before serving.
7. Mix the finely chopped mint leaves with olive oil, set aside.Serve with fresh green salad, potato gratin, or spinach and the mint-olive oil mixture.