Plum Crumble with a Hit of Chilli Honey

Tags

baking, chilli, cream, crumble, dessert, fruit, Gran Luchito, honey, oats, plum

Intrigued by the title? I’ll get right to the point. One of the best things I tried at the FBC5 food blogger conference was the Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Honey. I spent quite some time skulking around the Gran Luchito food stand during the breaks, trying to look inconspicuous while eyeing the crackers and cheese, ready to pounce as soon as there was a tiny bit of space among the crowds. I would grab a chunk of cheese, pop it on a cracker, and smother the whole thing with the smoked chilli honey. Then I’d walk away, wait 3 minutes and go back, hoping the lovely girl at the stand had forgotten me. I’m sure she must have been rolling her eyes every time!

May I just say at this point that this is not a sponsored post or anything. I just loved that stuff. It’s made with a special type of rare Mexican chillies. Now, it is actually possible to order it on Amazon, but the postage to Greece for one jar is more than what I paid for a big box with an electrical appliance in it a couple of weeks ago. So, having been lucky enough to snap up a sample of the Smoked Chilli Paste (the base for the honey and the gorgeous Gran Luchito Mayo) I decided to improvise and made my own. It was not the same, but it was still very good. Greek honey is top quality and the paste packs so much amazing smoky flavour that the result was far from disappointing. Ever since trying it in London, I’ve been thinking I would like to add it to a dessert. Don’t ask why, it just stuck in my mind. When I recently found myself with a batch of wonderfully ripe and juicy plums, I had one of those light bulb moments. Macerate them in this honey, cover them with a dark sugar and oat crumble, and bake. It just sounded so right. And it was. So so right. Every once in a while I have some bloody good ideas – if I may say so myself!

In case you are worried, this is not spicy hot. You can’t really tell there is chilli in it. But it gives the fruit a depth and warmth that is hard to explain (wow, depth and warmth… I’m becoming a real food writer… I’ll be saying the flavour “pops” next). But seriously, depth and warmth are the closest I can get to helping you imagine its awesomeness (aaand the writer has left the building).

Ingredients

For the fruity bit

60g clear runny honey (sorry, I forgot to measure in Tbs – I think that’s about 2?)
1/8 tsp Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Paste
500g (7 smallish) ripe plums, cut into quarters
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbs all purpose flour

For the crumbly bit

½ cup (8 Tbs) rolled oats
4 Tbs dark muscovado sugar
4 Tbs white granulated sugar
5 Tbs all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
4 Tbs cold butter, cut into cubes

Instructions

1. Mix the honey and chilli paste in a medium sized bowl and heat in the microwave for 15 seconds or so, just so it liquefies a little.
2. Toss the plum pieces in the honey so they are all coated and set aside for half an hour or so to macerate, mixing once in a while.
3. Preheat oven to 180C (or 160C on fan).
4. In another bowl mix the dry crumble ingredients, then add the butter and rub with your fingers till the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Add the nutmeg and flour to the plums, and mix well. Pour into a pie dish or pyrex dish, and sprinkle the crumble mixture over the top.
6. Bake for approx. 30 minutes, till the top looks crispy and the fruit is bubbling up the sides of the dish.
7. Serve with cream. Or try mixing a little bit of single cream into a tub of mascarpone and using that. You’ll like it (unless there is something seriously wrong with you – sorry).

Note: Obviously if you are lucky enough to get your hands on some Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Honey, you can use that instead of making your own. Or you can just send it to me, I don’t mind.

Other wonderful looking plum crumbly things
Plum Crumble by Orangette (it has ginger in it!)
Plum Crumble Bars by The Cilantropist
Hazelnut Plum Crumb Tart by Smitten Kitchen

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Red Pepper, Feta and Oat Frittata Cake – A Power Breakfast!

Tags

baking, cake, eggs, feta, frittata, low fat, oats, red pepper, vegetables, vegetarian

The other day I was looking through an old stack of magazine cutouts and pages printed from the internet, all containing recipes of course. I have a few of these stacks, waiting to be “sorted out”. They’ve been waiting a while and, let’s be honest, they will continue to do so for a good long time. There are always more pressing matters to attend to, like watching Law & Order.

This recipe jumped out at me. It has 5 main ingredients and can be thrown together in minutes, literally. That coming from me is something, as I can never complete a recipe within the time mentioned. Written in Greek, the page had no reference to a site, meaning it was from my pre-blogging days when recipes were saved just to cook and eat, not to share online! A quick search remedied that and I found that it’s actually from one of the biggest food related sites in Greece called “Nistiko Arkoudi” which means Hungry Bear.

Its title on the site is Oat Cake, but that just confuses things in English (oatcakes being an entirely different thing), and it’s not really a cake as it doesn’t contain flour of any kind! What it is, is a frittata baked in a loaf pan. So it looks like a loaf cake. Anyway, all that is besides the point. This frittata/cake/loaf is very tasty, and very healthy. It is especially good eaten for breakfast or as a snack, as it has loads of protein (eggs and dairy) and good carbs that release energy slowly throughout the day (oats). With the addition of a veggie (red peppers) you couldn’t make it more balanced if you tried! It will keep you full for ages.

I added a bit of freshly cracked black pepper and a pinch of oregano to the mix, as I thought these flavours would suit it, leaving out the salt as I expected the feta to make it salty enough. Next time however I will add half a teaspoon to give it a boost. This of course largely depends on the type and brand of feta used. I might also experiment with other herbs as well, like rosemary for instance. Come to think of it, sumac might be interesting; I’ve heard it goes really well with eggs. One thing is for sure, I will definitely be making this frittata cake again, whatever the combo. Stored in the fridge it will last for at least 5 days, but it’s nicer served warm (I warmed it up on my toaster rack, worked a treat).

Red Pepper, Feta and Oat Frittata Cake

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
4 eggs
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup oats, rolled or quick cooking (I used quick cooking so they would blend better)
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
A pinch of dried oregano

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan). Grease a loaf pan (mine was 23.6×10.3cm – approx. 9”x4”) and sprinkle with a bit of flour. Move the pan around so the flour coats the bottom and sides, then empty it of any excess by tapping the bottom. This is an important step as egg tends to stick to pans.
2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan on medium and add chopped pepper. Gently cook till softened. I added some water when some pieces started to blacken. You could probably soften the pepper in a bowl in the microwave with a tablespoon or two of water.
3. While your peppers are cooking, lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl.
4. Add the feta, oats, seasoning and herbs, and then the peppers (without the liquid from the pan – I used that in a salad). Mix till incorporated and pour into the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean and the frittata cake is starting to turn golden on top.

More eggy goodness in other frittata recipes
Beet Greens and Red Pepper Frittata, by me!
Baby Peas and Cheese Frittata, by Family Fresh Cooking
Kale and Goat Cheese Fritatta Cups, by The Kitchn
The Secret to a Perfect Frittata and Chickpea & Rosemary Frittata, by Stonesoup

Choco Porridge with Honey and Banana – Is it Breakfast? Or is it Dessert?

Tags

breakfast, chocolate, oatmeal, oats, porridge

This is a mini post. The reason is that I had a last minute work thing which ruined my plans for a nice quiet blogging evening. I got home just before 10pm, cold and starving hungry. I then spent half an hour picking meat off the chicken legs I’d made in the slow cooker, and prepping the bones for overnight stock. Dinner was a boring plate of plain chicken and curried yogurt sauce, which sounds exotic but is basically yogurt with curry powder and dried coriander leaves! As you by now know, Mondays are protein only days (Dukan Diet rules) so today has left a lot to be desired in the culinary department. You should have seen me dodging the canape trays swirling round earlier!

Right now all I want to do is curl up on the sofa with my fleece blanket, watch Modern Family, and dream about the yummy breakfast I’m going to make myself tomorrow morning. If this was a normal night I’d be having it for dessert. It’s that good. Creamy, chocolaty gooeyness that is actually good for you! Unbelievable. I got the idea from a fellow foodie over at Licking The Plate Again, who commented on my Applesauce with Pears post that her mum used to put cocoa in her porridge when she was little as a treat. Genius, is all I can say…

Choco Porridge with Honey and Banana

Serves 1 (if I’m the one eating it)

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup milk
2 squares (20g) dark chocolate
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp honey
1/2 banana, sliced
extra splash of milk, optional

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan mix the milk and oats. Warm mixture over medium heat and when it starts heating up add the chocolate.
2. When the chocolate is nearly all melted, add the cinammon and continue cooking over low heat, stirring continuously.
3. When the porridge has absorbed the milk and thickened to your liking, and the oats are soft, transfer to a bowl.
4. Top with the sliced banana and honey, and add another splash of milk if the porridge has thickened a lot.

Note: After trying a chocolate and cinammon ice cream this summer, I have decided these two ingredients were meant for each other. Give them a go!

Other porridge or oatmeal breakfast ideas from around the blogosphere:
A Hot Breakfast: 10 Nourishing Oatmeal & Porridge Recipes to Warm Winter Mornings from The Kitchn
Quinoa Coma by With a Side of Sneakers (this I like to combine with regular porridge. It’s really good!)

Macadamia, Olive Oil & Honey Granola – Clumpy, Crunchy, Crave-Worthy!

Tags

breakfast, granola, honey, macadamia nuts, oats, olive oil

I am a breakfast person. It’s my favourite meal of the day. Maybe it’s because breakfast is the fuel that gets us through the next 15 hours or so. Maybe it’s because breakfast calories “don’t really count” towards our daily intake as we can burn them all off (yes, I will continue to tell myself that, thank you). Or maybe it’s because we can get away with eating anything in the morning! Sweet, savoury, fresh, fried, baked, slow cooked; fruit, veg, sausages, bacon, cookies, porridge, spinach pie, apple pie, cake… literally anything! I draw the line at drinking Coke in the morning, but I know many people do.

Oats are considered one of the best options for breakfast, due to the slow releasing energy they provide, which keeps us going for much longer and helps us avoid snacking. That sounds really cool, slow releasing energy… Makes me feel a bit super-womany! Recently I’ve realized that it’s actually true. Oats and protein rich foods are best in the morning. Carbs are worst. This is my personal opinion and I have no idea if it is backed up by science! My philosophy is that our bodies speak to us and tell us what they need, what they want, what’s wrong. Ok, not always, or we’re not always in a position to understand the language it uses, but if we try I think usually we can get a good idea of what’s best. After being on the Dukan Diet for a couple of months, I came to realize that protein rich breakfasts are what’s best for me. If I have bread, or a pasty (popular in Greece), or fruit or cereal, I’ll be hungry by 10 and will probably get the shakes and a drop in blood pressure (especially if I have coffee as well). Eggs, ham, yogurt, cheese, all keep my energy going for longer, and my mind free of food related thoughts – at least until lunchtime! Oats also do that. I think they are high in carbohydrates so I’m a bit confused as to why, but they are definitely different to any boxed cereals I’ve ever tried.

During winter I love me my porridge. My Grandma used to say if you eat porridge when it’s hot you get itchy (again, no idea what science has to say about that!) so I don’t usually eat it in the summer. Itchiness aside, a hot breakfast in 40 degrees Celsius is not very appealing. A few years ago, I discovered another fabulous way to enjoy oats. Granola! The reason granola came into my life so late is that you can’t get it here in Greece, at least not easily. You definitely couldn’t get it until very recently. So I made my own! And since then I think the only recipe I’ve made twice is this Coconut Cranberry Granola. There are so many variations, so many ways to experiment, so many tasty ingredients to use, I always want to try something different.

Today’s recipe is based on the Coconut Granola by Two Peas & Their Pod. I’ve changed quite a few ingredients but the base is the same, with the same dry to wet ingredient ratio. And it works perfectly. I’ve read many granola recipes and a lot of them mention clumpiness as being a desired but hard to accomplish result. Well, I think the combination of honey with olive oil is great for this. My granola was super clumpy, which is exactly how I love it. It tastes brilliant and it keeps fantastically well in an air tight container or jar. Try it!

Macadamia, Olive Oil & Honey Granola

(adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod Coconut Granola)

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup desiccated (shredded) coconut
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs vanilla extract (that was supposed to be 1 tsp but I messed it up. It turned out great anyway! If you’re using the expensive store bought type stick to a teaspoon. Or sub with coconut extract)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 150C and line a baking sheet with grease proof paper.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients (oats through to salt on ingredient list) in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Combine the honey and olive oil in a small saucepan and heat gently till the honey has completely melted. Whisk till incorporated.
4. Add the vanilla extract to the wet ingredients and stir.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the oats and stir well with a wooden spoon till the dry ingredients are well coated with the honey mixture.
6. Turn mixture out on to the baking sheet and spread it out so it’s in a single layer. Try to press it down firmly (a rubber spatula is good for that) as this helps make it clumpy.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes or until granola is golden. Don’t let it brown as it will turn bitter.
8. Enjoy with Greek yogurt, milk or –my favourite- buttermilk. It’s also great as a topping over porridge (oatmeal).

More granola goodness:

Morning Time Breakfast Granola Cups by Mommie Cooks
Cookbook: The Homemade Pantry and The Nutty Granola Bar by Food In Jars
Low Fat Granola Bars with Mango, Hazelnut & Ginger Recipe by Cookin’ Canuck
Small Batch Honey-Pistachio Granola by Mountain Mama Cooks

Picnic On The Beach Part 2 – Granola Goodness

Tags

coconut, cranberries, granola, nuts, oats, seeds

Next up from my picnic menu favourites is a granola bar recipe. I had been looking for a good granola bar recipe for a while, but most of them seem to have a page long list of ingredients which makes them kind of expensive and kind of a pain. Then, while I was looking for something else among my bookmarked items on my iphone, I came across one I had saved ages ago and then forgotten about (I tend to do that). It’s a really easy recipe by Nigella Lawson, with few but good ingredients that suit each other beautifully. These bars are great to nibble on as a snack, or take with you if you’re running out the door with no time for a proper breakfast. I doubt they’re particularly diet-friendly, but they are definitely healthy (or healthier than my usual snacks!).

When I made these for the picnic I also made a batch of my favourite granola to have over the duration of my cousin’s stay. This is by far the best of all the granolas I have tried to make, with just the right consistency for my taste (sort of clumpy but not very). Again, it’s one of the healthier versions, with olive oil and honey rather than butter, sugar etc. The original recipe by The Cilantropist (inspired by Healthy Green Kitchen and Saveur) involves cooking it at low heat over a long period of time. It’s getting hotter by the day here in Athens, so having the oven on all day doesn’t appeal to me, not to mention the fear of my electricity bill – so I just cook it for about half an hour, or until it looks golden but not brown! The way I like to eat it is with buttermilk. A friend from work whom I will call The Granola Addict once mentioned that this is how she likes hers and I was quite surprised. I’d never even considered it. I knew some people drink buttermilk but for me it was something I put in cakes and nothing more. Well… good job I tried it. It’s delicious. I highly recommend you try it. Here are both recipes.

Granola Bars (recipe by Nigella)
What you’ll need
1 can (400g) sweet condensed milk
250g rolled oats (not quick cooking)
75g shredded coconut
100g dried cranberries
125g mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax – all or any combo)
125g peanuts (original recipe calls for natural unsalted; we can’t get those easily here so I used regular roasted salted peanuts which I rinsed with water and let dry to get rid of the excess salt. I’ll leave them with the salt on next time, I think it will make it taste even more interesting)

What you do

1. Preheat oven to 130C and grease a small baking tin (mine is 18×24.5cm).
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. In a small saucepan heat the condensed milk till it’s quite hot but not boiling.
4. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well till everything is coated with the milk. It’s best if you use a rubber spatula as this won’t stick to the mixture.
5. Transfer the mixture to the tin and spread it out evenly (with the spatula). Press it down well.
6. Bake for about an hour.
7. Remove and let cool for about 10-15 minutes. Then cut into pieces according to your preference. It’s very important that you remember to cut it when it’s still warm, otherwise it gets a bit difficult!
8. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

It keeps fantastically well!

Coconut and Cranberry Granola (original recipe by The Cilantropist)
What you’ll need
3 ½ cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sesame seeds, flax seeds and sunflower seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp all-spice
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1 cup dried cranberries
¼ cup pumpkin seeds

What you do

1. Line two baking trays with grease proof (parchment) paper. Preheat oven to 150C.
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients except the cranberries and pumpkin seeds. I always add these at the end so they don’t go hard or burn while cooking.
3. Warm the oil and honey together in a small saucepan or the microwave. If using the microwave heat in blasts of 30 seconds mixing well in between. You want the mixture to become very runny.
4. Pour the oil and honey over the dry ingredients and mix well so that they are all well coated.
5. Spread the mixture out on the baking trays and distribute evenly. I press it down a bit so it sticks together slightly. This way I can break it up into lovely clumps afterwards.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or as long as it takes to turn a golden colour. Do not let it brown. Once golden it takes only a few seconds to burn, so pay attention!
7. Remove from the oven and let cool. Break it up, add the cranberries and pumpkin seeds, and transfer to an airtight container.

This also keeps very well, although it’ll probably be gone before you need to worry about it!