Summer Cocktails for the Hot Days

Hello bloggers,


You will be pleased to know that we have been testing a few cocktail recipes over the weekend (but only because we wanted to blog about it)! The first one we tried out was Pimm's, a British summer classic invented in 1823 by an English farmer. Made of gin with added spices, fruits and herbs, Pimm's is a very refreshing and colourful cocktail to try at home. Simply add slices of seasonal fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, cucumber, strawberries and mint leaves) and a soft drink of your choice (we used lemonade) and serve over ice.

Pimm's

Now that we shared a classic cocktail with you, let's also show you our latest concoction (yes it's been a very rough weekend for us): a mouthwatering drink made with fresh passion fruit, strawberries, mint, passion fruit juice and vodka. For 5 drinks, simply slice a handful of strawberries, scrape the seeds of 3 passion fruits, toss in a few mint leaves and gently crush together using a wooden pestle. You just want to extract the flavours so make sure you don't end up with a paste. Then add 5 shots of vodka (or less depending on how strong you like your drink) and fill the rest of the jug with passion fruit juice. Stir and serve over ice. Enjoy!

Our summer cocktail 

Malfoof - Rolled Cabbage Leaves

Hello food lovers,




Foodscape was asked to participate in a fundraising day at the A.M. Qattan Foundation in London to help raise funds for 'Bait Al Karama' the first international cookery school project launched by 3 fantastic Italian women opening in Nablus, Palestine (more details to come). In order to get my Middle Eastern food repertoire back on track, I recently purchased a cookbook of classical Palestinian cuisine and have been obsessing about it for the past few weeks. It must be nostalgia because as I flip through the pages, each recipe takes me back to my childhood years when my sisters and I used to spend our summers in the scorching hot Jordanian capital. Needless to say all my aunts are excellent cooks and we were fed like queens, daily. 
I didn't particularly enjoy meat when I was younger but I specifically remember loving one dish, Malfoof, literally meaning 'rolled' cabbage leaves with lamb and rice stuffing. This dish is best served with a fresh 'baladi' salad (which comes from 'country' in Arabic and usually refers to locally grown produce) made of chopped cucumbers and tomatoes. Add to this some plain yoghurt on the side and you're set for a full meal.... Well you'll have to cook the Malfoof first which can be long and tedious so I recommend cooking this dish on a weekend. 

Malfoof (serves 5-6 people)

1 large white cabbage (2kgs)

400g minced lamb (or beef, or half of each)

1.5 cup of short grain rice

1 onion (finely chopped)

8 garlic cloves (5 crushed + 3 whole)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp seven spices

1 tsp butter

Salt & pepper

Instructions:

Carefully cut the cabbage heart out using a sharp knife and place in a large pot of boiling water (with a dash of ground cumin) until the leaves become slightly translucent. This should take about 15-20mins depending on the size. The leaves should be soft but be careful not to over cook them as they will break when folding them later. 

While this is cooking, prepare the mince: mix the meat, rice, chopped onion, crushed garlic, butter and spices together. Make sure to clean the rice before mixing it all. Set aside.

Remove the cabbage from the pot and run under cold water for a few seconds. Gently peel the leaves off one by one and cool on a rack (try not to stack them). As you get closer to the core, if the leaves are still too hard, put the cabbage back into the water and cook for another few minutes. 

Folding: on a flat surface, take each cabbage leaf and gently scrape the end bit to get an even thickness. You have to do this with each leaf - otherwise you'll have a hard time folding them because the end bit will break off and you'll end up very frustrated (that's precisely what happened the first time I tried to make it). 

Place 1 tsp of mince at the edge of the leaf. Fold once over, then over from each side, then roll all the way like a cigar. Repeat this step for each leaf. Stack the rolls as tightly as possible in a large pot - make sure to put any bits of left over cabbage at the bottom of the pot so the rolls won't stick to it - and cover  3/4 with water. Toss in the garlic cloves, cover and cook on high heat until it starts to boil, then lower heat and cook for another 30 minutes.

Serve with a Baladi salad (chopped cucumber and tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil) and plain yoghurt on the side. Slice a few lemon wedges and serve all together.

Sahtein! 

Holidays in Buzios - RJ Brazil



The combination of an awesomely beautiful place and deliciously fantastic food can only mean PARADISE, if there is heaven and it’s something along those lines then I want to die now …

Buzios is located in Rio de Janeiro and  it's about 3-4 hours driving from the city. It’s an amazing holiday spot with many beautiful beaches, bars, restaurants, shops etc. We stayed in Joao Fernandez and if you are looking for a tip for your next trip, you don’t need to go any further, we can share all the details with you and I can guarantee this will be a holiday to remember forever…

We rented a big house for 10 people and a little toddler (Mummies although this place doesn’t look child friendly , we managed just fine with a very active 2 year old and no issues with either edges , cliffs or swimming pool , you just have to be aware at all times thou) The house is absolutely beautiful and spacious, highly recommended for a big group , you can check the details on their website : http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p575895149?cid=E_habrownerinquiry_DB_O_20110208_thumbnail_text_LPROP_

It’s the BEST location in Buzios with the most stunning view , its priceless waking up and looking at the sea first thing in the morning...

The view from our house



And of course not to mention the adorable Ezio and his wife (housekeepers) Ezio is in charge of the food and Roseli is in charge of the cleaning, so you can imagine what kind of royalty treatment we had…

Ezio really impressed us with  his cooking and passion for food, every morning  he would wake up and start preparing our menus according to what we wanted to eat on the day , the fish was picked up fresh in the early morning from the fisherman’s market and the house was filled with different aromas every day.

The dishes varied from Brazilian fish stew the famous “Muqueca de Peixe com Frutos do Mar”  to typical Brazilian dishes such as “Feijoada and Arroz Carreteiro” which is a pot of slow cooked black beans with cured meat and sausages served with in this case with fried rice but typically you can serve it with simple steamed rice. Everything was absolutely delicious and there was never any leftover… we always made sure we ate everything and complemented the meal with lovely caipirokas de maracuja (passion fruit cocktails)… what a beautiful way to enjoy life!!!

fresh fish from the market

fresh prawns and squid

Muqueca de Peixe e frutos do Mar seved with rice and farofa (fish stew)

caipiroska de maracuja ( passion fruit coktail )

Typical Brazilian dish - Feijoada

Meat loaf with spinach sauce

Foodscape caters again!

Hello food lovers,


We've been out of touch for a while but we're very pleased to share our latest catering adventures with you. Au menu, a very colourful Mediterranean feast to welcome the warm days of summer ahead of us. Send us your comments and let us know your thoughts! And for all your catering or party food needs, drop us an email on foodscapeblog@gmail.com.

Bresaola & Fig Crostinis

Halloumi Cheese & Roasted Pepper Bites

Aubergine Caviar and Tabouleh Salad

Lamb Meat Balls with a Tahini Dip

Chocolate Ganache with Roasted Pistachios & fresh Raspberries

Goodie Bags - Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lentil & Quinoa Salad

Hello Foodscape Followers!

We've got another salad recipe to feature this week. With only a few weeks to go before bikini season starts, this is a simple, healthy option packed with protein and essential amino acids. We used ingredients that were already in our fridge, however you can try different variations using what you like. Here we used quinoa and green lentils, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, an onion, fresh mint and feta cheese. For the dressing we kept it simple, olive oil and lemon juice as it goes very well with the fresh mint.

Lentil & Quinoa Salad

Ingredients (3-4 people)
1 cup uncooked lentils
1 cup uncooked quinoa
10 cherry tomatoes
1/4 large cucumber
1 small onion
crumbled feta for topping

Dressing: juice of 1 lemon mixed with 4 generous tablespoons olive oil, salt & pepper

Preparation:
1) Cook the lentils in 2 cups of boiling water for about 20 minutes or until soft. Once cooked, drain excess water and set aside to allow to cool.
2) At the same time, separately cook the quinoa in 2 cups of boiling water for about 15 minutes. Once cooked, drain excess water and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
3) While the lentils and quinoa are cooking, finely chop the onion, the mint and the cucumber. Cut the cherry tomatoes in quarters and place all the ingredients in a large bowl.
4) Once the lentils and quinoa have cooled off, add to the ingredients and drizzle with the dressing.
5) Optional: we topped off the salad with crumbled feta to give it extra flavour

Torta de Frango (chicken tart)

Spring time !!!! Does that mean picnics and brunch “al fresco”?

Here is a great tip for a quick and easy homemade delicious chicken tart that you can prepare in just under 40 mins. Once ready, just cut in small pieces - it’s a great snack that you can easily take out on a picnic,  at your friend’s house or serve with other bites. 

This recipe is tasty, practical and it goes down like a treat.  The good thing about this mix is that you can get as creative as you like with the filling: either by adding ingredients of your choice or simply by turning it into a vegetarian snack. 

If you prefer, you can also serve it as a meal with a fresh salad on the side, the combination works beautifully.

Enjoy it

Ingredients :

For the dough:

- 2 eggs

- 2 cups milk

- ½  cup vegetable oil

- 2 cups flour

- 1 tbsp (tablespoons) baking powder

- Salt to taste

- 125gr parmesan cheese (grated)

For the Filling:

-  Shredded chicken

- 3 tomatoes, chopped

- 1 can of peas

- Olives (handful)
- 1 red pepper (optional)

- Mushrooms (handful)

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation 

For the dough:

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth and set aside.

For the Filling:

Heat the olive oil in pan and toss in the shredded chicken (already cooked and seasoned). Stir for a couple of minutes and add the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, peas, onions, olives, mushrooms, etc). Don’t cook it for too long, all you need is to give it a little bit of colour, then set aside.

Mounting:

In an ovenproof baking dish (greased and floured), pour half the dough and cover with all the filling.

Pour the remaining dough on top and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Place in a preheated oven at 180C temperature and cook for 45mins or until golden/brown.

Serve warm or cold

Tip : if you want to serve it as snack bites, make sure the pie cools off before cutting it. 

i-phone Food Journal by Stuart Tarrant

Hello Bloggers and Friends  

Below are some pictures taken by our friend Stuart of his adventures in the kitchen with his family. When we first started the blog, it inspired him to compile a food journal through his phone. How amazing is that roasted tomato tart? Food is beautiful and as you can see from these pictures, you don't need big cameras or fancy equiment to make your dishes look like a work of art. Share your passion for life and share your passion for food, send us your pictures too!



Summer salad & Fettuccine Alfredo

Hello food lovers,

We had the most amazing weather over the past week, quite unusual for this time of the year in London. This has inspired us to make simple, yet very colourful dishes using seasonal ingredients. We had a great time putting this meal together, you'd be surprised how easy it is to make. A simple rocket salad with red fruits and vegetables (pomegranate, tomatoes and radishes) and for the main course, Fettucine Alfredo with Kalamata olives and fresh basil.  

Summer Salad:

Simply mix together thinly sliced radishes, cherry tomatoes and pomegranate seeds on a bed of rocket leaves. Season to your taste, balsamic vinegar and olive oil works very well for this. Another alternative is a dressing I make for Fatouche (a popular Lebanese salad), which is the juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 tsp pomegranate molasses, 3 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp Zaatar and 1/2 tsp sumac. Simply mix the sauce together, add salt and pepper et voila!

Summer Salad

Fettucine Alfredo 

Alfredo sauce: 
Alfredo is probably the easiest sauce you could ever make for a pasta dish but it doesn't come short on calories. So to reduce damage, I usually make it with half fat crème fraiche, a thick French style sour cream. Melt 50g of butter into a saucepan on low heat. Add 200ml of crème fraiche and stir until butter has melted. Add 80g of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and keep stirring until the sauce has slightly thickened and all the parmesan bits have melted (approx 20mins). Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately over pasta of your choice. Optional: add chopped Kalamata olives and fresh basil to give your dish extra flavour.  

Koh Lipe Island by Carla Muguiro

We're very pleased to post our very first 'special report' by Carla Muguiro who recently spent her holidays in Thailand. This is the story she brought us back... (well, we got dried guava with chilli as a bonus, loved it!) Thank you Carla! 

Koh Lipe Island in Thailand is a tiny piece of heaven on earth - it is so small you can walk around it in less than an hour. Without the buzz of cars or roads, the calmness is pure and life is lived strictly around nature’s curfews. 25% of the worlds tropical fish species can be found around the island. We were spoilt rotten when it came to choosing our meals, it was fish paradise.

Mellowmango bar and restaurant provided us with all of our best meals. We waited for the fisherman every night at 6pm to return from his expeditions.  He saved us the best pieces while we went to shower after a hectic day of sunbathing, drinking mango daiquiris and dipping into the sea. Around 9pm we were seated at our favourite table, some nights we were literally dining and the waves would reach our toes underneath the table. Pictured below was our leaving lunch and we made it a big one: the most amazing Prawn Red Curry with rice and Prawn Pad Thai with some prawn fritters for starters (we worried we might never eat prawns again!). To top everything off, I managed to wash the meal down with a choco/banana shake, a really bad habit I picked up on the island - their bananas are small and taste like no other banana I have ever eaten - the shakes were made with crushed ice and since the bananas were already very creamy, no milk was added. 



Pictured above: Prawn Red Curry - Prawn Fritters - Prawn Pad Thai
Banana & Chocolate Shake at Mellowmango's

The island's speciality is Chao-Le Style (Sea Gypsy) and as the saying goes: "an image is worth more than a hundred words", I leave you with these: 

Chao Le Style and prawn obsession at Mellowmango's

The merlin is a typical fish from the area and also a national symbol. The catch must have been amazing that day because it was the only time we saw those two enormous fishes in the trophy-dish pictured below. However, the dish that most impressed us was the shark, the meat was incredibly tender and juicy.The sauce had secret ingredients which included lime but there was another intriguing, intense flavour we couldn't identify. We were told it was all top secret! I guess we'll never find out...



The Merlin and the succulent shark meat, pictured above.

Apple Tempura

Hello bloggers,


Yesterday we decided to cook dinner for Maria who is leaving after being with us for four months.
I wanted to cook Asian food for a change and I was set on the entire menu except for the dessert part. I looked in the numerous cook books that we have but nothing stood out enough - I wanted to make something light, with an Asian influence to complement the rest of the dinner. And then it came to me: why not try something completely new and original... What if I were to make tempura for dessert? So I looked inside my fridge and found beautiful red English apples. That's when I decided to make apple tempura. I had absolutely no idea how it would turn out but I knew it needed something sweet on the side. I originally wanted to make a cinnamon sauce for dipping but once we finished dinner, which included a rice noodle salad with grilled peanuts and coriander, a teriaki halibut with sesame seeds and green vegetables on the side, I was a bit reluctant to make a cinnamon sauce considering it is made of condensed milk, butter and sugar.... I thought I'd better stay away from that for now since we're a few weeks away from bikini season (girls I know you understand my point here), which is why I simply decided to sprinkle icing sugar and ground cinnamon instead.
The result: it was simply delicious, the tempura was fluffy and very crispy - just the way you want it to be. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take the calories out this time, that's why a 10km jog was added to my schedule this morning... Definitely worth every bite!

Apple Tempura

Apple Tempura for 4-5 people
Ingredients
3 apples (medium size)
Icing sugar
Ground cinnamon

Tempura Batter
2 egg yolks
350ml iced water
1 teaspoon cornflower
200g flour

Method:
1) Peel the apples and cut in thin slices - set aside
2) To make the batter, simply mix the eggs with the iced water, then add the corn flour and flour, then mix.
3) Soak your apples in the batter.
4) In a hot pan, deep fry the apples using vegetable oil. Make sure the oil is very hot so the tempura doesn't get soggy. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.
5) Remove from the pan and rest on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
6) Sprinkle with icing sugar and cinnamon to taste.

Felipe's Breakfast

As I mentioned in the previous post, Felipe hosted a breakfast yesterday and I was meant to bring something... but because I woke up with a slight hangover from Alex&Carol’s gathering, I was shattered… almost didn’t make it to breakfast let alone cook something … so it was all down to Felipe to impress his guest and oh yes, he did a great job!

When I arrived everything was beautifully prepared, from fruit salads to baked eggs and fresh homemade brioches (prepared the previous day) and to accompany the meal, Felipe made a very punchy “A la Flip Bloody Mary”. It was delicious however he added garlic to the mix and although I LOVE garlic, it didn’t quite work for me with this drink. And note that if you plan on going out, don’t go near it… or you will be smelling of garlic from a distance!

For me the 'Oeufs en Cocotte' were the winner: they were beautifully cooked and so tasty! Felipe used Julia Child’s recipes for both the eggs and the brioches from the bestselling cook book of all times 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking'. The book is fabulous and has all her recipes, the only downfall is the fact that there are no pictures to go with each recipe, something we find quite essential. 

Thanks Felipe for such a lovely breakfast and if you decide to share the secret on your fabulous brioche, I’m sure our readers will be very pleased!

Oeufs en Cocotte (baked eggs)
from Julia Child – Mastering the art of French cooking

Per ramekin:

1/2 teaspoon butter
1 ramekin 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter and about 1 1/2 inches high
2 tablespoons whipping cream
A pan containing 3/4 inch of simmering water
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter ramekin/s. Break an egg into the ramekin. Pour in a spoonful of cream over the egg and top with a dot of butter.

2. Place in middle level of preheated oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. The eggs are done when they are just set but still tremble slightly in the ramekins. They will set a little more when the ramekins are removed, so they should not be overcooked.

3. Season with salt and pepper and serve. The ramekins may remain in the hot water, out of the oven, for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. To prevent overcooking, remove eggs from oven when slightly underdone.

Coconut Muffins

Hello Bloggers and Friends

 With the weekend approaching and the sky looking so grey, why not a tip for the weekend? Baking ...?

Felipe will be hosting a breakfast on Sunday  and I’m already thinking of what tI can make to bring to his house… Until I figure it out, here is our last Sunday baking session, a beautiful and moist coconut muffin, it’s so easy to make and its perfect for an afternoon tea.

Watch the space for Felipe’s breakfast on Sunday, we have been promised a “Brioche a la Flip”, looking forward to i!

Have a great weekend all!

Makes 12

Ingredients

4 eggs

2 cups of sugar

3 cups of all purpose flour

1 cup orange juice (250ml)

2 tbspoon of grated coconut

50gr butter

1 teaspoon of baking powder

For the covering:

1 small can of coconut milk

1 can of condensed milk

125gr of grated coconut ( fresh works best)  

Preparation

1.Using a food processor whisk the egg whites until snow forms

2.Add the sugar and butter and continue to whisk for another 3 minutes until smooth

3.Add the egg yolks, the flour , the juice and continue beating until forming a homogeneous mass

4.Add the baking powder last and whisk it for 40 seconds to mix it all together  

5.In a muffin tray place the baking cups and add the mix up to ¾

6.Bake at 180 degrees for approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until golden  

Topping:

1.In a bowl mix the coconut milk and condensed milk, add 3 tbspoon of water and the coconut for last

2.Reserve

3.As soon as the muffins are baked, remove them from the oven and pierce the top with a fork to allow the topping to penetrate to make the muffins very moist.

4.Pour the covering onto each muffin while hot and sprinkle some fresh coconut on top

5.Let sit in the refrigerator for approximately 2 hours before serving

3 Course dinner - Catching up with old friends

Preparing a 3 course dinner on a week day after work can be quite hectic , but there are many simple things you can make that can really impress your guests and you can still eat at reasonable time. We love picking up ideas from our cook books and I must say the Jamie Oliver 30 min meals is great , I love how simple and delicious his dishes are !!! This time I picked up the chocolate Ganache from his book  and it was just what I was looking for: quick , tasty and beautiful (you just can’t go wrong with chocolate).
I hadn’t seen Monica and Patricia in a long time and Monica always says how much she misses my food ,so I was on a mission to make something that would remind her of why she missed it , something simple but full of flavor. I went for a pan fried scallops  with chili sauce served with rocket salad, followed by a spicy crusted cod fish served with butter beans and crunchy purple broccolis. Then to finish the meal off, chocolate Ganache … 

Everything went well, the food was delicious but there was one little disaster: I used a super hot chili for the fish crust and for those who can’t take hot spices, I certainly wouldn't recommend it, it was burning hot … so be careful when choosing your chili peppers , make sure you know how hot they are .

pan fried scallops with chili sauce



purple broccolis with garlic




spicy crusted cod with butter beans





chocolate ganache



Pan fried scallops with rocket and chili sauce

Scallops (3 per person)

For the sauce :

1 tblspoon Coriander

1 Lemon

2 Chilies ( red and green)

Olive oil , salt and pepper for seasoning

Rocket leaves for serving

Place the scallops on a paper towel to absorb the moist, meanwhile prepare the sauce: finely chop the coriander and the chili,  add to a small serving bowl, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and drizzle some olive oil on top. Add a little bit of salt and pepper to taste . Once it’s  ready, put aside.

In a hot frying pan , drizzle some olive oil and gently pan fry the scallops, turning only once , leave it until its golden 5-7 min depending on the size

For serving , place a few rocket leaves on a plate and place the scallops on top , drizzling some of the sauce on top , ready to serve

Spicy crusted cod with butter beans

Fish

Fillets of Cod (without skin )

100 g crusty bread

100 g corn flour

½  leek

1 spring onion

½  celery

1 chili

1 onion ( finely chopped)

2 lemon

1 tomatoes

Small bunch of fresh coriander

Using a roasting tray , place the cod and drizzle olive oil , salt and pepper and the juice of 1 lemon , rub and toss the fillets in the flavours ,then put it under the grill in the middle tray of the oven for 5 min while you make the topping

For the topping :

using a food processor :

mix 1 - whiz onions , celery , spring onions and leek . put it aside

mix 2 - repeat process with the chopped bread making the crumbs adding the corn flour in the end . put it aside

in a large frying pan with high heat drizzle some olive oil and add mix 1  gently fry it until golden

In a large mixing bowl add mix 1 and 2 together and the chopped tomatoes,  squeeze the lemon of 1 juice and mix it all together you should get a moist crumb past.

Get the fish out of the oven and spread the mix on top of the fish , drizzle some olive oil and put it back in the oven for another 10 min , until crumbs are golden and crispy

Beans

150gr pancetta

2 tomatoes

1 x 400g tin of butter beans

Some fresh herbs , coriander or parsley

1 finely chopped onion

In a sauce pan drizzle some oil and add the pancetta , with medium heat , toss occasionally until it’s crispy , leave on the side

Using the same pan (fremove the extra oil from  the bacon put aside) fry the onions with a drizzle of olive oil and add the chopped tomatoes, with the onions golden, tip in the beans and their juices and the bacon let it simmer gently to cook the liquid down . sprinkle some coriander on top and ready to serve  

Broccolis

400gr purple broccoli

3 cloves of garlic ( finely sliced )

1 red chili  ( finely sliced)

Seasoning

2 tbsp Cider vinegar

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Juice of half lemon

Put the broccoli into a pan of boiling water cook for a couple of minutes until tender , don’t cook it too much , you want to keep it quite crunchy , once cooked drain the water and place it in a serving platter

For seasoning using a small frying pan add the finely sliced garlic with a drizzle of olive oil , tossing occasionally until golden brown . 

For the sauce , mix olive oil , cider vinegar and the lemon , shake it until it all mix together

On the platter dress the broccoli with the sauce and toss quickly so it spreads through , sprinkle the garlic and chili on top

Ganache

2 x 100G bars of good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa)

A large knob of butter

300ml single cream

2 clementines

Some biscuits for serving

Pour boiling water into a deep cooking pot and place a large bowl on top (bain marie)

smash up the chocolate bars into the bowl and add the butter and cream with a pinch of salt . Finely grate in a zest of 1 clementine, gently stir and leave it to melt

once melted, give the chocolate a good stir and divide them into small serving bowls or espresso cups  , arrange the Clementine and biscuits on a platter and ready to serve