Blue Cheese and Broccoli Mini Quiches with Walnut Pastry

Blue Cheese (Stilton) & Broccoli Mini Quiches with Walnut & Cheese Pastry

These are great make ahead and freeze mini-quiches.  I usually make a huge batch of about 100 or more and pack tightly into boxes of 24 ready for any occasion.  Especially good for drinks parties and the perfect combination of ingredients for that Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers.  

Just use whatever blue cheese you like best... I used Stilton or if you're not a blue-cheese fan then a strong cheddar will do nicely.  You could also buy a block of shortcrust pastry if you're in a hurry but remember to use the all butter kind...I really prefer it for texture and flavour. 

For the pastry. 

3oz / 75g self raising flour

3oz / 75g wholewheat flour     you can use just 6oz of plain flour if you don't have any wholewheat

pinch of salt

half teaspoon of dry mustard powder (optional)

(sieve these ingredients together in a bowl)

3oz/ 75g butter

2oz/ 50 g grated cheddar

Rub the fat into the flour then add

1oz /25g walnuts finely chopped

Bind with enough cold water to make a pliable dough.

refrigerate for half an hour.

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The Filling.

1 head of broccoli stalk removed and cut into small pieces then blanched

3 eggs

half a pint of double cream

6 oz Stilton or another blue cheese of your choice.

1 onion finely diced and sauteed in a little butter

seasoning

grated nutmeg

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Put the Stilton or whatever Blue Cheese you prefer, cream, eggs, sauteed onion into a food processor & blitz until it starts to thicken. Season to taste.

Roll out the pastry thinly & use to line around 24 - 36 well greased mini muffin cases. use a cutter large enough so that the pastry comes up to the top of the holes in the muffin tray

Place some blanched broccoli into each case.

Spoon over the cheese mixture taking care not to overfill.

Give the trays a sharp rap on the table to settle the mixture and add a little more filling if needed.

Grate over some nutmeg

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Bake at 180c for around 15 mins or until lovely & golden . Just test to make sure the underneath of the pastry is cooked through. 

remove onto a cooling rack after around 3 mins .

Cauliflower & Broccoli Tempura with Pickled salad and Sweet Chilli Sauce

Cauliflower & Broccoli Tempura with Pickled Salad & Sweet Chilli Sauce


Here's a great little lunch or starter for 4 people.  You shouldn't ever think that deep fried food is unhealthy. If cooked at the correct temperature the minimum amount of oil is absorbed leaving a fabulously crispy tempura with a slight crunch to the cauliflower & broccoli...  a pure delight.  Of course you can adapt this recipe for most vegetables of your choice.

Try making the salad first and leaving it to 'pickle' for an hour or so if possible. The vegetables then soak up the marinade making a crisp, yet flavoursome dish in itself.

You will need either a deep fat fryer with temperature control or a wok/ deep frying pan and a thermometer. I used Sunflower oil to fry but just use what you have to hand. 


The Salad

1 tsbp soy sauce
1 tbsp Rice Vinegar (or red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar)  
1 tbsp Mirin 
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp wasabi powder or paste
pinch of chilli flakes
1" piece of fresh ginger finely chopped
1 tsp black onion seeds (optional)
1 tsp palm or brown sugar

mix all the above ingredients together

6 radishes thinly sliced
6" piece of cucumber sliced thinly
1   red pepper                "        "
1 red onion                    "        "

place everything in a bowl, toss together with the marinade and refrigerate until needed 


You will need 

1 small Cauliflower broken into florets
1 head of Broccoli     "          "         "
Steam over boiling water for 3 minutes. I recommend that you don't boil the vegetables as you want them to be as dry a possible before frying.   


For the Tempura Batter ( do not make until you're absolutely ready with everything else)  

3 oz/85 gms self raising flour
2 tbsps Cornflour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Wasabi powder or Colmans Mustard powder
1 tsp baking powder
enough fizzy water to produce a double cream consistency ( should cover the back of a spoon without immediately running off it ) 

Sieve together the dry ingredients 
Very quickly combine everything together... do not over mix ...it doesn't matter if there's still a few lumps in it


Now heat up the oven to around 120c/250f  and place a tray lined with paper towel in it .. just to keep the batches of tempura warm whilst the rest is cooking...leave the door slightly ajar so the tempura doesn't go soggy


To Fry

Heat the oil  to 190c/375f

NB ...Fry in small batches...do not overload the pan ... and make sure the oil gets back to temp before adding more tempura

Quickly dip small batches of the vegetables in the batter and fry until beautifully crisp & light brown in colour
remove with a slotted spoon to the lined oven tray to keep warm whilst you cook the rest.



Serve while it's still hot along with the pickled salad and some shop bought sweet chilli sauce and a sprinking of chopped chives or coriander (cilantro) 
  

Quinoa & Mackerel Salad with Broccoli, Pineapple & Red Peppers

Quinoa is a welcome change from rice, pasta or other grains.  There's been quite a lot of research into it's health benefits...I'm not too sure I believe the claims that it's a super food..but it contains beneficial amino acids ...it is also slightly more calorific than rice but benefits from having more protein...great for vegetarians especially.

Here's a little article from the BBC's Jo Lewin who writes for the Good Food Magazine

An introduction to quinoa

Quinoa, pronounced ‘keen-wa’ is a great wheat-free alternative to starchy grains. There are two types: red and creamy white. Both types are slightly bitter when cooked and open up to release little white curls (like a tail) as they soften.

Grown in South America (Peru, Chile and Bolivia) for thousands of years, quinoa formed the staple diet of the Incas and their descendants. In recent years, foodies in the UK and the US have heralded it as a superior alternative to bulgur wheat, couscous and rice. Though it often occupies a similar role to these grains in dishes, quinoa is actually in the same family as beets, chard and spinach.

Nutritional highlights...

The UN named 2013 ‘International Quinoa Year’ in recognition of the crop’s high nutrient content. With twice the protein content of rice or barley, quinoa is also a very good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese. It also possesses good levels of several B vitamins, vitamin E and dietary fibre.

Cooked quinoa seeds become fluffy and creamy, yet maintains a slight crunch. It has a delicate and subtly nutty flavor, versatile for breakfast (as a cereal), lunch (as a salad) or dinner (as a side).

My recipe uses Smoked Mackerel but you could use, salmon, tuna or chicken or if you're a vegetarian leave these out ...you could substitute with some toasted cashew nuts...they would be just perfect.

The recipe:- to serve 4 portions

4 small smoked Mackerel Fillets ( mine were peppered)  skin removed & flaked

120 gms/ 4 oz Quinoa cooked as per packet instructions 

1 small head of broccoli, cut into small florettes and blanched

1 red onion finely chopped

1 red pepper diced

16 radishes sliced

½ small pineapple cut into chunks

4 spring onions sliced...including the green part

small bunch of parsley chopped

the zest & juice of 1 lemon

2 tsps toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp light Olive Oil

2 tsps Horseradish sauce or 1 tsp prepared Wasabi paste

Salt & pepper to taste 

Method

In a jug mix together the sesame oil, zest & juice of the lemon, the olive oil and  Horseradish sauce 

Check for seasoning, add salt & lots of pepper to taste

Place everything else in a large bowl, pour over the dressing, carefully bring everything together

Serve