Slow Roasted Beef with Rainbow Carrots and Truffle Oil

Photo provived by Sadiq's Food Photography Blog (Click here)

Rainbow carrots have just come into season and the varieties usually consist of purple, white and yellow. Originally, carrots used to be purple but after years of agricultural science and lack of imagination from our supermarket suppliers we've become accustom to orange carrots.
Here's a lovely winter salad recipe in which I marry beef, truffle oil and rainbow carrots together.

800g beef shoulder
1kg mixed rainbow carrots
70g hazelnuts
120g watercress, washed
75ml dark truffle oil
Sea salt and crushed pepper corns
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Place beef in a baking tray and pour over 250ml water, then generously rub beef in salt and pepper and drizzle over truffle oil. Cover tray with foil and place in oven set at 160ºC for 2 and half hours.

Peel the carrots, cut the top and tail then slice into 1cm thick long strips. Place carrots in a baking tray and pour over olive oil. Season carrots with a little salt and pepper then place in the oven with beef and roast for 50 minutes.

Roughly chop the hazelnuts in half, place a small pan over a medium heat and lightly toast the hazelnuts.

Once beef is cooked pull apart using 2 forks. To make the salad, you can either make 4-6 individual portions or one large platter. First lay down the watercress followed by carrots and shredded beef and lastly sprinkle over with hazelnuts and serve.

Brunch Salad

In terms of salads this is kind of a naughty one. Salty and sweet but full of different and interesting textures. In fact I may have invented the first new breakfast salad since 5 types of fruit were mixed together. Perfect for a weekend brunch!

200g sliced pancetta
100g baby spinach
50g hazel nuts
100ml maple syrup

Banana Fritter:
450g plain four
2 banana
100g butter
2 eggs
150ml milk
100ml buttermilk
100g grated cheddar
50g caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt


Pickled Onion:
2 large red onions
2 red chillies
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
100ml white wine vinegar
250ml water
100g sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Method:
First make the banana fritters, melt the butter and put aside to cool slightly. Then mash the bananas, in a large bowl add the flour, cheddar, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and roughly mix together. Beat eggs and mashed banana into the butter then pour into the dry mix along with the buttermilk and milk. Using a spoon mix together till just combined, line a baking tray 30x20cm (3cm deep) with parchment paper. Pour the banana mixture into baking tray and even out, bake in pre-heated oven set at 180oC for 45-50 minutes.  Once cooked leave to cool.
To make the picked onions peel the onions and slice into rings, peel garlic and slice along with the chillies. Place all pickle onion ingredients into a small pot and put over a high heat, bring to the boil then remove from heat and leave to cool.
Lay pancetta and hazelnuts on separate baking trays and cook at 180oC for 7 minutes.
Once banana fritter has cooled slice into 2cm cubes, place a fry pan over medium-high heat and spray with oil. Gently toast the banana fritters on all sides in several batches.
To construct the salad you can either make 4-6 individual portions or one large patter. First lay down the spinach followed by slices of onion and chilli. Then evenly distribute the banana fritter and tear pancetta over top. Lastly sprinkle over hazelnuts and drizzle with desired amount of maple syrup.   

Mushrooms and Blueberry Salad

A week ago there was a late harvest of oyster mushrooms thanks to the soggy start to summer. However at the time of writing this I'm sure there wont be much around, you can substitute the oyster mushroom for another exotic verity. Also you probably think I'm completely bonkers for pairing mushrooms with blueberries but you'll find the fruit flavour of the berries contrast the meatiness of the mushrooms. Which makes a delightful combination when tossed with toasted hazelnuts and blue cheese. This salad is also very easy and quick to prepare which is another reason to give it a go!

400g oyster mushrooms
200g blueberries
200g soft blue cheese
50g hazelnuts
100g chard baby red washed
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Cracked black pepper

METHOD:
Roughly chop hazelnuts and place on baking tray, cook in oven at 180oC for 7 minutes. Place a fry pan over high heat and saute mushrooms in batches with olive oil, salt and pepper till slightly golden. To construct salad you can either make individual portions or one large platter, simply layer the chard baby red, blueberries, mushrooms, blue cheese and hazelnuts then serve.

Raspberry, Savoury Oats, Hazelnut and Red Wine Dressing Salad

Ok you're either thinking I've completely lost it and have an IQ of a teaspoon or I'm a mad genius? Either way you're probably right.
This salad is personally the highlight of last weeks menu visual, unusual mix of flavours, texture, low in calories, full of vitamins and fiber. If you're questioning the combination I'll give you a little run down, raspberries go with hazelnuts, rolled oats and red wine. Watercress goes with red wine and the shallots which are in savoury oats, all flavours are perfectly married and balance.
I must also apologize for not writing any recipes this weekend I had a little accident turns out my mac doesnt like drinking gin and tonic. After trying to get the lightweight fixed I had to trade it in for a new mac. An expensive mistake I wont be repeating again, I've spent most the weekend up dating my fancy new toy and not had the time to write my recipe a day. I'll hopefully catch up later in the week.
Also once again I must thank Etienne for these amazing pictures, make's me emotional just looking at them.


150g raspberries
70g watercress washed
70g hazelnuts

SAVOURY OATS:
150g rolled oats
70g grated cheddar
1 egg
100ml milk
Small handful flat parsley
25g butter
1 shallot
Sea salt and pepper to season

200ml red wine
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 bay leave
4 peppercorns
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
70ml vegetable oil
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water

METHOD:
Start with making savoury oats, peel and dice shallot then place butter in a fry pan and place over a medium heat to melt and add shallots, saute till shallots turn translucent and soft. Roughly chop parsley and place in mixing bowl with oats, cheese, good pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Add onions, milk and egg to the bowl and using your hands mix together till evenly combined. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and pour cold water into a small side bowl, wet your hands in the water and start rolling small oat balls and place on baking tray. You should get around 16 balls, bake in pre-heated oven set at 180oC for 15 minutes. In a separate baking tray place hazelnuts and using one end of rolling pin roughly bash the nuts so they break in halves, thirds and quarters bake in the oven with savoury oats for 8 minutes.
Next make the dressing, place red wine, vinegar, bay, whole garlic clove, honey and salt in a sauce pan and put over high heat. Bring dressing to the boil and reduce till the liquid turns to a syrup should take around 15-20 minutes, strain the syrup into a large mixing bowl and discard garlic, bay and peppercorns. Add dijon to syrup and using a whisk beat mustard and syrup together then slowly drizzle in vegetable oil while still beating the dressing with whisk. Once vegetable oil is fully incorporated beat in water followed by very slowly drizzling in olive oil while still beating the dressing. The final result should resemble an elastic jelly like substance.
Now its time to construct the salad, lay out half watercress over a large platter followed by a sprinkling of hazelnuts. Evenly arrange half the raspberries and savoury oat balls over salad then using a spoon drop small amount of dressing over the top and repeat layer. Serve as soon as possible.

Hazelnut and Rosemary Brussels Sprouts with Savory Apple

I know many of you will hate brussels sprouts as much as I hate popular baby names. Probably because your mother or grandmother over boiled these wonderful bitter sprouts, I like to saute brussels in a savoury, nutty and sweet medley which makes them delicious and palatable. This winter lets make the unpopular, Popular!

500g Brussels sprouts 100g hazelnuts

2 apples (red delicious or egrmout russets)

1 brown onion

2 stalks of fresh rosemary

25g butter

125ml cooking white wine or apple cider

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Roughly dice the onion, remove the rosemary from stalk, roughly chop the hazelnuts and rosemary together. In a large cooking pot melt the butter on a medium high heat then add onion, rosemary, and hazelnuts cook on a medium heat till the onion becomes translucent and hazelnuts start to brown. Wash the Brussels sprouts and stir into the pot coating the sprouts with sautéed mixture, add the wine or cider and cover. Peel and grate the apples add to the sprouts, cook for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper before serving.