Main:Broccoli, ricotta & smoked salmon pie.
Pg: 48 Northern Beaches Cooks
Salad: Beetroot, pear & walnut salad.
Pg: 60 Northern Beaches Cooks
Dessert: Beach road chocolate malt soufflé.
Pg: 157 Northern Beaches Cooks
The Pie:
Well, of course you can imagine the MAV’s face when he could smell the cooking broccoli permeating our home and asked “what are we having for dinner?” and I told him. Always wish I have a camera handy……. BUT, what a surprise this meal was. Even I had doubts because let’s face it cooking broccoli like cauliflower is not inspiring. It.was.delicious!!
So all in all, this was a reasonably successful meal and we enjoyed the pescatarian element.
Until next week.
From my table to yours with love.
Broccoli, Ricotta & Smoked Salmon Pie
Layers of buttered filo pastry alternating with a broccoli and cheese filling and slices of smoked salmon. The broccoli is steamed until soft, then blitzed with ricotta, Jarlsberg, parmesan and parsley until evenly combined and spreadable. Sheets of filo are laid two at a time with melted butter brushed between them, building a base before a third of the filling is spread to the edges, and the layering continues with more pastry, filling and salmon. A scattering of poppy seeds goes over the top before baking, giving a crisp, golden finish over the soft, savoury centre.
Ingredients
Method
- * Preheat oven to 180º c and grease a 29cm x 24cm x 6cm baking tray.* Place broccoli into a microwave safe container and add 2 tbsp water. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 mins or until soft. Drain and cool.* Combine broccoli, ricotta, Jarlsberg, parmesan and parsley and place into the bowl of a food processor. process until broccoli has broken down and ingredients are evenly mixed.* Lay 8 sheets of filo onto the work surface. Take 2 sheets and trim to fit baking dish. Place into the bottom of dish and brush second sheet with melted butter. Repeat the process with remaining pastry and butter. * Spoon over a third of the broccoli cheese mixture, spreading mixture to the edges.* Take another eight sheets of filo, place two sheets over broccoli mixture and brush second sheet with butter. Repeat with remaining pastry and butter.* Spread over half of the remaining broccoli cheese mixture and top with slices of salmon.* Repeat with eight more sheets of filo and spread over remaining broccoli mixture. Lay remaining eight filo sheets on the top, brushing every second sheet with butter.* Brush butter over the top sheet of filo and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake in over 30-40 minutes or until pastry is golden and cooked. Stand in tin for 10 minutes before slicing.
Beetroot, Pear & Walnut Salad
A simple salad that comes together in minutes. Beetroot is cut into wedges and combined with firm pears, peeled and cut the same way so the two sit together evenly. The dressing is nothing more than lime zest and juice, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar, seasoned to taste and poured straight over the fruit. Toasted walnut halves and a bunch of rocket are tossed through at the end, adding crunch and a peppery edge against the sweetness. Using ready-prepared beetroot rather than cooking your own makes it considerably easier.
Ingredients
Method
- Cut beets into wedges. Place in a large bowl with pears. Combine zest, juice, olive oil, balsamic, S & P to taste, in a bowl. Pour over the beetroot and pears. Toss together with the walnuts and rocket.
Beach Road Chocolate Malt Soufflé
A chocolate and malt souffle built on a thick cooked base rather than a simple custard. Milk is scalded, then thickened with a creamed butter, sugar, flour and cornflour mixture and whisked over the heat until it boils. Cocoa and malt are whisked in, followed by an egg yolk, and the base is left to cool completely. Egg whites whipped to stiff peaks with sugar are folded through just before baking. Poured into buttered and sugared ramekins, they need only about eight minutes in a hot oven and should rise around four centimetres.
Ingredients
Method
- * Preheat oven to 190ºC. Butter and sugar 4 ramekins.* Scald milk by heating to just short of boiling (85ºC). Cream butter and sugar. Mix flour and cornflour.* Add flour mix to the creamed sugar and butter, then gradually add to the milk.* Return to the stove and whisk to the boil, remove and whisk in cocoa.* Add malt. When completely blended whisk in the egg yolk. Leave to cool.* Whisk the egg whites and the sugar to stiff peaks and fold into the other ingredients.* Pour into ramekins and bake in the preheated oven for approx 8 mins. They should rise 4cm. Dust with icing sugar.
