Covid-19 lockdown recipe 2: Mont Blanc with chestnut cream and chickpeas

The lockdown for me is a chance to clean up the pantry, instead of concentrating in stocking up with too much food. I always have a full pantry anyway, one of the advantages of leaving a bit out of town perhaps, but also many bags a quarter full that beg to be finished, or cans of food kept in the emergency kit which need rotating anyway. I found a can of sweet chestnut spread which I bought ages ago, I usually combine it with fresh chestnuts or canned chestnuts (not sweet) but I had none. I have plenty of chickpea cans though, and chickpeas are good for making desserts too! Mont Blanc, or Monte Bianco, is one of my favourite desserts, Mum used to make it a lot when I was a child because we have a chestnut wood in Italy, and the nuts were our staple all winter long. 

Drain the chickpeas and keep the water aside. This can be used to make vegan meringues (recipe here), or vegan fresh pasta (recipe here), or many other recipes. Then rinse the chickpeas under running water and mush them with the nutri-bullet (not as fine like hummus, leave a little 'texture'. Combine with the chestnut spread and some grated dark chocolate (to taste). The chestnut spread is soo sweet that you won't need to add any sugar.

Mix well, then whip 300 ml of cream and add half to the mixture, one spoon at the time.

Vegans can use coconut cream, like in this recipe here!

Fold the cream in slowly, trying to keep the mixture light.

Like this.

Now spoon the mixture over a plate and shape like a mountain.

Cover with the remaining cream,

Top with more grated dark chocolate,

And decorate, if you like. I used my last blueberries and the first Cape Gooseberries from the garden, and some candied Poppies (recipe here).

Refrigerate for a few hours before serving. Delicious, lots of proteins, gluten free and no cooking required, and no guessing that there are chickpeas there!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Covid-19 lockdown recipe 1 - homemade Vegan meat

We are preparing to go to lock-down due to the spread of Covid-19 in New Zealand, this is a sad and difficult situation, and supermarket shelves often are bare of some essentials. So I will try to do a few posts with tips about cooking with ingredients that may actually be available (or am I the only one buying them?), are affordable, and go a looooong way. For example, the other day there was no flour or yeast to be found, except for some specialty flours, like corn or coconut or gluten .... one of my essentials, which I always have at home. Actually, I had these packets pictured above in the pantry already, and it seems that the packaging has recently changed, you can see it here. 

I usually add a little gluten flour to my pizza, focaccia and bread dough, but there is another use for this wonderful product: you can make your own vegan meat at home!!!

Easy to make, low cost and versatile, with a 500g pack (about $7.00, the new packs are 300g, listed at $4.79 in Countdown) you get about 1kg or more of finished product' and can eat for days and days and days. I like to make 'fillets' and strips, suitable for different uses. Put the gluten flour in a bowl and add seasoning (a little salt, or herbs, or what you like, even a little olive oil if you like it 'fatter'. Then add the same amount of water and mix with one hand until you get an elastic dough. Squeeze out any excess water (usually just a little if none) and set aside for 10 minutes. Cut into very thin slices with a serrated knife.

Or use scissor for thinner strips.

Place one slice at the time in a large pot of simmering vegetable broth (use plenty of broth for 500g of gluten flour, as it makes many slices and they will grow while simmering). Cook for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.

When the 'meat' is ready pick up piece by piece and place on a couple of clean cotton tea towels to dry for 10-20 minutes. Now it is ready to use for you favourite recipes (use the remaining stock to make soup, it is perfect for ramen!!!). If you are not using it straight away place in a sealed glass or plastic container and store in the fridge for up to two weeks (or freeze for longer periods). 

When you need a few slices just take out and sauté with a little oil in a skillet. One of my favourite uses is to brown the slices on both sides and then add some lemon juice and soy sauce and put them in a panino, or on top of rice or ramen noodles. For a smoky flavour substitute soy sauce and lemon for liquid smoke, for a mediterranean flavour, sauté in olive oil flavoured with garlic cloves, rosemary and/or sage, then sprinkle with salt (and lemon juice, if you like). Pizzaiola style: olive oil and garlic, then add some tomato paste, a little water to mix, salt and dried oregano. Add to stews and curries, cut into strips for a stir-fry (perhaps with some sesame oil, or chili), use to top bowls of noodles... this Vegan meat, also known as seitan, is super versatile, and also very filling (remember, pure gluten after all, you only need a few slices at time, just like for meat). Enjoy!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Fried paneer with turmeric and cornflowers

My family love paneer, most of our curries have it, and if they don't I often fry some on the side to add to warm roti or chapati breads. For this recipe I added some spices, including a little turmeric, so the blue cornflower petals looked stunning!

Cut the paneer in slices. Heat some vegetable oil in a skillet or frying pan, add a few coriander seeds and a few cumin seeds and then, when the oil is hot, the paneer slices. Fry for 2-3 minutes on one side, then turn, add a pinch of salt and a little turmeric powder and fry on the other side for 1-2 minutes. Turn one last time so the paneer slices are completely coated with turmeric and then turn the element off.  Sprinkle with cornflower petals and serve immediately.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Nasturtium buds in vinegar

When preserving nasturtiums don’t just use the seed pods, the best part are the tiny green buds, the smaller the better although I also add some buds with the orange petals showing (mostly for colour) and also some tiny leaves, which are delicious! The seeds are crunchy so I add some too. Cover with white wine vinegar and keep in a dark place. When you open the jar they really smell like capers! 

 Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Broccolo Romanesco and chickpea salad

Broccolo Romanesco is a beautiful vegetable, but if you cannot find it you can substitute here with a cauliflower. Cut the florets and drop them in salted boiling water, then cook them until soft but not mushy. Cool in cold water and drain, then dress with white wine vinegar or white balsamic (about one tbsp). Drain one can of chick peas (keep the chickpea water - aquafaba, to make vegan meringues or other vegan recipes) and add to the Broccolo. Add olive oil (about 2 tbsp) and salt to taste. To finish add some olives (ascolane olives are the best, otherwise used other marinated olives). Mix well and serve at room temperature.

Photo and Recipe by Alessandra Zecchini ©

How to bake cookies with flowers

Fresh edible flowers make a lovely addition to cookies, I find them quite elegant and delicate. I tried a few and the verbena are very good for shape and colour, the pink ones especially (they remain pink!), the red ones turn deep reed and the white and mauve turned... blue! Calendula and marigold petals keep their yellow and orange hues well, dianthus petals tend to shrink... but all in all I am pleased with my experiments, and the final results. 

Any cookie recipe that doesn't require too long in the oven would work, I just made some simple cookies with butter, self raising flour, sugar, vanilla and eggs, shape into little biscuits and placed them onto a oven tray lined with baking paper (leave some space between the cookies so they can 'spread' while baking). Then I topped each cookie with a small flower or some petals.

It is a good idea to gently press the flowers and petals into position over the cookies with wet fingers.

Finally I lined another sheet of baking paper on top, pressing down gently on the flowers. I put some ramekins on the ends to keep the baking paper down before placing the tray inside the oven, to make sure that the paper didn't lift off while baking.

My cookies took about 12 minutes at 160℃, but it all depends on recipe and size, so you'll just have to regulate yourself.  When ready remove from oven, peel off the top baking paper sheet, add some icing sugar, if you like, and let the cookies cool down completely before removing them from the baking tray.

Enjoy!

 Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Lentils and flowers combo

Another salad with lentils (you can find one here too). The beauty of using flowers is that you can add colour to brown lentil salads, and all other salads. Even just washing the salad leaves and other vegetables from the garden gives me more joy if I can add some petals!

500 g brown lentils

1 leaf bay

water and salt for boiling

extra virgin olive oil

white balsamic vinegar

salt to taste

mixed salad leaves

sliced radishes

tomatoes (cherry or cubed)

fresh herbs (like basil, parsley)

edible flowers

Soak the lentil overnight, then rinse well, add plenty of water, a bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Cook until 'al dente', or as soft as you like (but not mushy). Drain and briefly rinse under cold water. Place in a mixing bowl with the radishes and tomatoes, add extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar (to taste, but make sure that the ratio oil to vinegar is 2 to1), and some salt to taste. Line a serving plate or large shallow bowl with mixed salad leaves (leave a few small ones for the top), spoon the lentils on top, then sprinkle with the remaining salad leaves, herbs and petals (I used verbena, dianthus, and cornflowers).

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Christchurch in Autumn, and foraging fungi

La mia stagione preferita a Christchurch è l'autunno, i colori sono bellissimi e non fa ancora troppo freddo. E poi qui si trovano anche i funghi! Andate in fondo alla pagina per vederli 'in padella'!

Il parco di Hagley è coloratissimo!

Sono tornata a trovare le mie ortensie (cioè, quelle che vado sempre a visitare quando vado a Chch), e sono belle anche d'autunno!

Foto di nozze sul fiume Avon

Questo coniglietto dev'essere sfuggito alla tradizionale caccia al tesoro pasquale (Easter Egg Hunt). Eh sì, in Nuova Zelanda Pasqua è in autunno!

Wow, i ciclamini! Siamo nel parco dell'università di Canterbury e i giardini di Ilam.

Ah i porcini! Piccoli ma cicciottelli! La prima volta che trovai un fungo qui era oltre 20 anni fa. Lo portai a casa dei miei suoceri, c'era tutta la famiglia riunita e tutti sospettosi mi hanno criticato per averlo raccolto, mi hanno osservato con disapprovazione mentre me lo friggevo e mangiavo, e nessuno ha voluto assaggiarlo... si aspettavano tutti che morissi avvelenata. Da allora non ho più avuto il coraggio di raccogliere e portare funghi a casa a Christchurch. Ma questa volta era diverso! 

Ho visto una coppia che camminava al parco e ho capito subito che andavano a funghi. E che lui era italiano. Gli ho promesso di non rivelare dove si trovavano i funghi, e che tanto abitavo ad Auckland, e mi ha dato un po' di quelli che aveva raccolto. Partivo quello stesso giorno quindi avrei potuto metterli in valigia, mentre sarebbe stato inopportuno cucinarli a casa di mia suocera. 

Però una cosa che ho potuto fare a casa di mia suocera è stato un bel 'photoshoot' dei funghi e delle foglie raccolte per strada.

A casa ho pulito bene i funghi con un coltello e una pezza bagnata, poi li ho tagliati a fette, infarinati,

e fritti in olio e aglio, un po' alla volta. scolato su carta assorbente e aggiunto sale. Erano solo 5, in pratica 3 padellate come questa a basta, ma li abbiamo mangiati con gusto!

Amo i funghi! 

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©