Asparagus mimosa

I have packed almost all of my cookbooks now, as we only have a couple of more weeks before we move into our new home. The last books standing in my bookshelf are the ones I love browsing the most, and two of them happen to be Yotam Ottolenghi's.

Yotam's recipe for asparagus mimosa suits my food philosophy perfectly. I'm all about simple flavours, I'm sure you know that by now. I don't really enjoy fiddly recipes, and I like to celebrate the seasonal produce as it is, embracing the flavours of the ingredients without messing about too much. Sure I enjoy cooking with somewhat exotic ingredients every now and then, but mostly my food is pretty straight forward.

This simple, humble asparagus mimosa is a celebration of pure flavours. The bright green asparagus spears are covered under a blanket of egg with only a couple of other ingredients to boost the flavours. It was a perfect dish on a rainy spring day.

 

Asparagus mimosa

(serves 2-4)

(recipe inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi)

2 bunches asparagus, woody ends cut off

2 eggs (free-range, organic)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

sherry vinegar, optional

1. Hard-boil the eggs (7 minutes). Leave to cool completely before grating or shredding. I have a nifty little grater, one of those mouli-type ones, that I like using for this. Set the eggs aside. 

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and the asparagus. Cook for a few minutes, tossing the spears every now and then. Season with salt and pepper and add a small splash of vinegar, if you wish (this can colour the asparagus slightly, so leave it out if you wish to keep them bright green). Be careful not to over-cook the asparagus, it's quite nice with a bit of crunch served with a soft grated egg.

Spinach Pancake

This is one of those light and easy entrees you might want to consider serving at your next dinner party. There is surprisingly much taste in these little rolls and they are just so simple and quick to prepare!

Recipe from "The Food and Cooking of Finland" by Anja Hill

Spinach pancake

2 eggs
100ml milk
50g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
30g butter
500g frozen or fresh spinach
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
pinch of salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 180C. Beat the eggs and milk together. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in another bowl, add the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Grease a 20cm x 25cm tin and line with baking paper. Pour in the mixture and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until set.

Meanwhile, cook the spinach until wilted, drain well and squeeze out all water. (Chop the spinach if using fresh leaves). Melt the butter in a pan, then add to the spinach. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Spread the spinach across the baked pancake. Roll up like a Swiss roll and cut into thick slices.

Linssilätyt - Lentil Fritters

Rakastan kasvislättyjä; pinaatti- ja porkkanalätyt ovat ikisuosikkejani, mutta vaihtelun vuoksi linssitkin kelpaavat hyvin. Reseptin nappasin uunituoreesta Delicious lehdestä, inspiroivaa luettavaa!

I love veggie fritters; spinach and carrot ones are my all time favourites, but lentils are a welcome change. I got this recipe from the latest Delicious magazine which is always a great source of inspiration!

Linssilätyt

100 g vehnäjauhoja
1 tl leivinjauhetta
ripaus cayennepippuria
1 tl jauhettua korianteria
1 tl jauhettua kuminaa
2 kananmunaa valkuaiset ja keltuaiset eroteltuina
150 ml maitoa
400 g tlk linssejä huuhdottuina ja valutettuina
tuoretta persiljaa
suolaa, mustapippuria

Siivilöi jauhot, leivinjauhe ja mausteet kulhoon. Lisää keltuaiset ja maito ja sekoita tasaiseksi. Lisää linssit ja hienonnettu persilja, mausta suolalla ja pippurilla ja sekoita hyvin. Vatkaa valkuaiset pehmeäksi vaahdoksi ja sekoita varovasti taitellen muun taikinan joukkoon. Kuumenna hieman rasvaa pannulla ja paista taikinasta pieniä lättyjä. Tarjoile jugurttikastikkeen ja tomaattien kera.

Lentil Fritters

100 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 eggs, separated
150 ml milk
400 g lentils, rinsed and drained
some flat-leaf parsley
salt, black pepper

Sift flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl. Whisk in yolks and milk until smooth. Stir in lentils and roughly chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, then gently fold it into the batter. Heat some oil in a pan, spoon small fritters into the pan and cook on both sides until golden. Serve with yoghurt dressing and fresh chopped tomatoes.

Ps. My first attempt to write in both languages... Phew! If there are any old recipes you would like to get translated, please let me know!

Japanilaiset pannukakut eli okonomiyaki

Japanilaisia pannukakkuja meidän on pitänyt tehdä jo pitemmän aikaa. Japanilainen majoneesi ja okonomiyakille tarkoitettu Worcestershire-tyyppinen kastike ovat tärkeä lisuke pannukakuille, mutta tällä kertaa oli tyytyminen kotitekoiseen majoneesiin. Päällyksiin kuuluu myös bonito-hiutaleet ja kuivattu merilevä.

valkokaalta hienoksi leikattuna
vehnäjauhoja
suolaa, pippuria
tuoretta inkivääriä
valkosipulia
dashia
vettä
kalmaria, kanaa, pekonia tai jauhelihaa
kananmunia

Sekoita vehnäjauhoihin dashi, suola, pippuri ja lisää vettä. Taikina saa jäädä paksuhkoksi. Lisää mukaan hienonnettu kaali ja raastetut inkivääri ja valkosipuli.

Jokaiseen pannukakkuun tarvitset perustaikinan lisäksi valitsemasi lisukkeen, meillä se on yleensä kalmaria pieneksi pilkottuna, sekä kananmunan (yksi per pannukakku). Sekoita annos tasaiseksi ja paista pannulla molemmin puolin kunnes kypsä. Tarjoile yllämainittujen päällysten kanssa.