Goat cheese and caramelized figs bruschetta

Ingredients for 1 serving:
2 slices baguette,
2 tbsp fresh goat cheese,
1 fig,
olive oil,
1 tsp butter,
1 tsp Dark Muscovado sugar,
1 tsp vodka or whiskey.

Sprinkle pieces of baguette with olive oil and brown them on the grill.

In a small frying pan or a heavy-bottomed skillet melt the butter with sugar, put sliced figs in caramel and fry them for 1 minute on each side. Then pour the alcohol, wait until it all evaporated, remove from heat.

Put crushed cheese and sliced figs on slightly cooled bread .



Enjoy!

Recipe Index

Entree, breakfasts, fingerfood:
Baked Potato Crêpe With Crème Fraîche and Cold Smoked Salmon
Sandwich with Barbecued Lamb, Watermelon and Tzatziki 

Mains:
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tofu, Nori & Walnut Butter
Roasted Pear, Pork Fillet & Watercress
Pot-Roasted Pork Loin with Bay Leaves & Fino Sherry & Saffron Potatoes
Lamb Cutlets, Minted Pea Purée, Ribbons of Parsnip & Carrot 
Roast Lamb Shanks with a Secret 

Salads and sides:
Scalloped Potato Gratin
Barbecue Lamb Salad with cucumber, capsicum and orange dressing

Cakes:
Chocolate cakes with mango mousse and raspberries
Chocolate cakes with almond mousse and cherries
Double melon mousse cakes
Tangelo Cakes with Rhubarb Cream 
Pistachio and white chocolate cake

Crepes and pancakes:
Crepe rolls with Caramelized Bananas
Baked Potato Crêpe With Crème Fraîche and Cold Smoked Salmon
Mini blinis with horseradish cream and caviar

Baking:
Katmer Pogaça (puff buns with cheese)

Desserts:

Frozen Rhubarb And Banana Charlottes

About Gourmet Recipes

Welcome to Gourmet Recipes, a blog about good food and food photography.



My name is Olga. I'm a New Zealand based food lover and beginner in food photography. I live in Auckland with my beloved husband.

Cooking and photography are my passion. Also I like traveling and taking shots of beautiful places.

I style and photograph all blog pictures and all of them are subject to copyright.

Hope to see you here again, cheers!

If you are interesting in buying my photos, food photography, catering or cake decorating services, please, contact me.

Chocolate cakes with mango mousse and raspberries

 
Cake bases:
100 gr dark chocolate
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 eggs
50 gr. brown sugar
1 tablespoon starch
1 tablespoon self rising flour
pinch of cream of tartar and a pinch of salt.


Preheat oven to 180C. Lay a baking sheet with parchment. Melt the chocolate.

Beat egg yolk with sugar until white. Separately, whip whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt to soft peaks. Mix starch, flour and cocoa and add to the yolks and stir well, then add the melted chocolate. Then add beaten egg white and stir carefully.

Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Cool the cake for 10 minutes, then cool completely on the rack.

Using mold rings cut 6 round bases. Put mold rings on the parchment, then place one cake base in each ring.


Mango mousse:
1 cup mango puree (from fresh or canned mangoes),
3 tbsp sugar (or more depending of mango sweetness),
1 tsp gelatin,
250 ml heavy cream,
pinch of cream of tartar,
1 tsp lime juice,
1 egg white.

about 150 gr fresh raspberries.

Soak gelatin in 2 tbsp of water and set aside.
Whip egg white with cream of tartar and 1 tbsp of sugar to soft peaks.
In a other bowl whip cream with remaining sugar until soft peaks.
Heat gelatin in microwave for 20 seconds and stir well until completely dissolved, then add gelatin to the mango puree. Add whipped egg white and lime juice, stir gentle, then add whipped cream and stir again.

To assemble:
Put raspberries on each chocolate cake then top them with mousse. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Decorate your cakes with raspberries and fresh mint.



Enjoy!

Baked Potato Crêpe With Crème Fraîche and Cold Smoked Salmon

Ingredients (Serves 6)
50 ml cream
50 ml milk
5 whole eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
7 egg whites
1 kg hot potatoes (boiled until tender in salted water and mashed)
40 g flour
25 ml olive oil
125g sliced smoked salmon
50g crème fraîche
chopped chives to garnish
lemon wedges to garnish

Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C. In an electric mixer or blender combine cream, milk, whole eggs, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine egg whites with the mashed potato then add the flour. Transfer to a blender or electric mixer and slowly add cream mixture. Take care not to overwork the batter – you are mixing fats with water so overworking will cause the pancakes to split rather than rise.

Preheat the pan/s in the oven for 4-6 minutes with a teaspoon of olive oil in each. Ladle the batter into the pan/s level with the top of the pan and bake for 12- 18 minutes or until risen, golden brown and firm to the touch.Turn out and serve with sliced smoked salmon and crème fraîche. Scatter with chopped chives, add a wedge of lemon and indulge.



Enjoy!

Katmer Pogaça (puff buns with cheese)

I made those beautiful croissant-like buns with mozzarella, chocolate and strawberries. They are always good and tasty.

Recipe from La mercante di spezie 

For the dough
500 grams flour
200 ml milk
100 ml vegetable oil
5 g dried yeast
1 egg white
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

80 g butter
300 g of fresh cheese (goat cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese)

1 yolk and milk to brush

- Dissolve yeast in warm milk with sugar, pour into bowl with sifted flour and begin kneading the dough. Add oil, egg white and salt, knead, cover bowl with foil and leave in a warm place until dough doubles.

- Divide dough  into 8 equal parts, roll balls, cover and leave for 15 minutes

- Roll out each ball into flat circles about the same size, put them on each other greasing with softened butter well. Use a good quantity of butter, it will puff the buns.

- Turn a stack of circles upside down and begin to roll, you should get a big circle with a diameter of 50-70 cm

- Cut it into 16 parts, as croissants

- Put a  spoonful of cheese or cottage cheese on a wide part of each triangle, fold the edges inward and roll into rolls like croissant

- Lay them on a tray covered with baking paper, grease with the egg yolk stirred with milk.  Leave for 1-1,5 hours

- Bake in preheated oven (180-200C) for 25-30 minutes until well browned.





Enjoy!

Chocolate cakes with almond mousse and cherries

Cake bases:
100 gr dark chocolate
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 eggs
50 gr. brown sugar
1 tablespoon starch
1 tablespoon self rising flour
pinch of cream of tartar and a pinch of salt.

Mousse:
10 fresh large cherries,
100 ml. milk
4 tbsp sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp starch
1 tsp gelatin powder
100 ml. heavy cream + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg white
1 tablespoon Cream fresh or sour cream,
2 tbsp amaretto or a few drops of almond essence.

Cakes:
Preheat oven to 180C. Lay a baking sheet with parchment. Melt the chocolate.

Beat egg yolk with sugar until white. Separately, whip whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt to soft peaks. Mix starch, flour and cocoa and add to the yolks and stir well, then add the melted chocolate. Then add beaten egg white and stir carefully.

Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Cool the cake for 10 minutes, then cool completely on the rack.

Using mold rings cut 8 round bases, then cut each base in half with a very sharp bread knife. You should get 8 bases and 8 tops (or 10 depending on the diameter of your rings). Put mold rings on the parchment, then place one cake base in each ring.

Mousse:
Soak gelatin in 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk egg yolk with milk, add starch and sugar, put on a slow heat and cook stirring, until mixture is thick. Add liqueur or essence. Put mixture into a shallow dish and cover with cling film. Cool to room temperature.

Melt the gelatin 10 seconds in the microwave and stir well until completely dissolved. Add to the cooled mixture and stir thoroughly.

Cut cherries in small pieces.

Beat egg white with a pinch of salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks, add to the mixture. Whip cream with 1 tablespoon sugar to hard peaks, add to the mixture and stir carefully but quickly.

Add chopped cherries, mix gently and lay on prepared forms, leaving room for cake tops. Cover with the remaining cake tops and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Decorate your cakes with melted chocolate and chopped cherries, almond kernels and mint.





Enjoy!

Frozen Rhubarb And Banana Charlottes

Recipe from Tartelette.

Serves 4. The molds used are 3 inches tall and 3 inches across. 

For the Rhubarb "ladyfingers":
12 to 15 rhubarb stalks, cleaned and cut to measure 3 inches
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat your oven to 200F. With a sharp knife and without peeling the stalks, cut them into thin slices (1/8inch thick). Keep the ends and trimmings for later. Set them onto parchment paper lined baking sheets (or silicone ones), and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.
Cut strips of parchment paper to fit inside the molds and carefully line the inside of the mold with the sliced rhubarb easier to do if you lay the mold on its side). Place the rings in the freezer for a couple of hours.

Frozen Banana Mousse:
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 cup pureed bananas
1 cup heavy cream

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of sugar until pale and fluffy. Fold the banana puree into the yolk mixture. Whisk the egg whites until they foam and add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 Tb. at a time and continue to whip until glossy. Fold the whites into the banana mixture. Whip the cream to soft peaks and add to the banana batter. Keep about 1/4 cup of the mousse to use as a sauce for plating if desired. Spoon the mousse into the rhubarb lined rings and freeze overnight.

Caramelized Banana Slices:
Cut 2 bananas into thin slices. In a pan, melt 4 Tb sugar with 4 TB butter, and cook until the sugar is melted. Add the bananas and cook them until barely soft. Remove them from the pan and let cool. It is preferable to do these the day you plate up the whole dessert.

Options for plating:
Cook down the bits and pieces of rhubarb you have left from cutting the slices with some sugar (to taste) until soft and jam-like and let it cool completely. If it becomes too thick the next day, thin it down with a bit of water to use it as a sauce.

To Serve:
Carefully unmold the charlottes from the rings by pushing down gently from one end, peel off the parchment paper. Quickly set the room temperature banana slices on top, use some of the rhubarb jam and leftover mousse for sauces.



Enjoy!

Scalloped Potato Gratin

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Butter
900 gr. (2 pounds) floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 mm (1/8-inch) thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling

Directions
Preheat the oven to 190C (375 F).

In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg.

While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.



Enjoy!

Crepe rolls with Caramelized Bananas

500 ml milk
40 g dark chocolate
2 tbsp cocoa powder
300 ml flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp Golden Syrup (maple syrup)
pinch of salt
oil for greasing

1 large banana
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp sugar.


Mix the milk with eggs, sugar, syrup and salt, add flour and stir well. Melt the butter, in a different bowl melt the chocolate. Divide dough into 2 parts, pour in the first half of the melted butter, stir and set aside. Add the remaining oil and melted chocolate in the second part of the dough. Dissolve cacao powder in 2 tbsp of boiling water and add to the chocolate batter. Stir well until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side.

For Caramelized Bananas:
Cut the banana into thin slices. In a pan, melt 4 Tb sugar with 4 TB butter, and cook until the sugar is melted. Add the bananas and cook them until barely soft. Remove them from the pan and let cool. put the butter and sugar in the

To Serve:
Place one white and one chocolate crepes on each other and roll tightly. Cut the crepe roll onto equal pieces, put them on a serving plate or serving spoons and serve with spoonful of caramelo bananas.



Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tofu, Nori & Walnut Butter

This Japanese-inspired dish may sound strange but the three components – baked sweet potatoes, grilled marinated tofu and whipped butter – add up to a rich dish, which can be served as a first course, or add a salad for a vegetarian meal or light lunch. Carnivores can use chicken breast and the same marinade instead of tofu.

Ingredients
6 small orange sweet potatoes, well washed
600g tofu in blocks
3 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
4 tablespoons sake
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1½ sheets nori
150g butter, softened but not melted
¼ cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
salt to taste
3 tablespoons soy bean oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the kumara on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour until very tender when pierced with a skewer. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, wrap the tofu in 4 layers of paper towels, rest 2 plates on top and set aside for 30 minutes. This will squeeze out some of the moisture so it will be firmer and easier to handle.

Remove the towels and dice the tofu into 3cm cubes. Place in a shallow glass, china or stainless steel dish just big enough to hold it.

Put the honey, soy, sake and garlic in a small saucepan and warm, stirring, until the honey dissolves. Cool then pour over the tofu. Marinate, turning occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Toast the nori by quickly dragging it across a very low gas flame or electric element until fragrant and beginning to shrivel and become crisp. Slice into very thin strips with scissors.

Place 3⁄4 of the nori (reserve the remainder for garnish) and the butter in a food processor and process until well whipped. Stir in the walnuts. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Place in a bowl and reserve.

Remove the tofu from the marinade, discarding the garlic. Grill over low to moderate heat on an oiled grill or barbecue, brushing occasionally with the leftover marinade, for about 3-4 minutes each side until well browned.

Slice each hot kumara in half lengthwise. Serve the tofu on the flesh side of the kumara with the butter and nori garnish on top. Serves 6.



Enjoy!

Roasted Pear, Pork Fillet & Watercress

Ingredients
2 large pears, peeled, halved and core scooped out
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons white wine

6 juniper berries, crushed
2 tablespoons lemon thyme leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 small pork fillets (about 500g), trimmed of any sinew

4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 cup rich chicken stock
1/2 bunch watercress sprigs
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Place the pear halves, cut side down, in a heavy-based roasting dish. Drizzle with honey and pour in wine. Roast 20 minutes or until tender and lightly golden. You may need to add a little liquid (stock or water) throughout cooking if the pears absorb the wine very quickly. Set aside in a warm place or, if not using right away, cool then reheat in the oven just before serving. In the meantime prepare the pork.

Combine juniper berries, thyme, salt, pepper and oil and smear over fillets. Fry in a heavy-based frying pan over a moderate heat, 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked through. Set aside in a warm place to rest for 10 minutes.

Deglaze pan by adding sherry vinegar and chicken stock to pan juices and simmer until reduced by half.

Dress the watercress in the extra virgin olive oil then season with salt and pepper and divide among 4 plates. Add a warm pear, sliced pork fillet and a little sauce from the pan to each plate. Serves 4 as an entrée.



Enjoy!

Pot-Roasted Pork Loin with Bay Leaves & Fino Sherry & Saffron Potatoes

Ingredients
Pot-Roasted Pork
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5kg pork loin, skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
6 fresh bay leaves
1 cup fino sherry
1/2 cup chicken stock
Saffron Potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
pinch of saffron, dry toasted and soaked in 2 tablespoons boiling water for 20 minutes
1kg Agria or other floury potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock

Method
Pot-Roasted Pork
Grind the fennel and coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle until quite fine then rub over the pork. Tie the pork with string to keep it in a round shape. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a casserole and brown the pork, fat side first, until lightly coloured. Remove from the casserole and set aside. Gently sauté the onions and bay leaves in the casserole until the onion is soft. Add the pork and fino sherry. Bring to the boil then add the chicken stock. Bring back to the boil then cover and pot-roast gently for 40 minutes or until the pork is tender, turning over halfway through cooking. Set aside for 20 minutes to rest (in the sauce).

Remove the string from the pork and slice thinly to serve with some of the onion and sherry sauce (you can reduce the sauce slightly if you prefer). Serve with the saffron potatoes and braised vegetables (recipes below). Serves 6.

Saffron Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until soft. Add the saffron, cook for a minute then add the potatoes and cook until they have a little colour (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper then place in a baking dish. Add the stock, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil then bake for another 10 minutes.

Mini blinis with horseradish cream and caviar

You can buy packets of blinis from most good supermarkets or you can easily make them yourself.  Serve them cold if you want to prepare these canapés ahead, but they're even better warm.

Ingredients: 
12 mini blinis (or see recipe below),
6 tbsp Crème Fraîche or sour cream,
3/4 tsp grated lemon zest,
3/4 tsp creamed horseradish,
1-2 tbsp caviar,
Snipped fresh chives for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat the oven according to the package instructions for heating the blini. Combine the Crème Fraîche with the lemon zest and horseradish and set aside.

Place the blinis on a baking sheet and warm through for about 5 minutes or according to the package instruction. Arrange the blinis on a serving platter.

Top each blini with a spoonful of the  horseradish cream and about 1/4 tsp caviar. Sprinkle with snipped chives, if desired, and serve.



For homemade blinis ( about 30 small blinis with a diameter of 5 cm ):

1 teaspoon dried yeast
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, separate the yolks from whites
1 cup regular flour
3 tbsp butter, melted
vegetable oil for frying

Dissolve yeast in warm milk, add sugar, flour and egg yolks, mix well. Leave on for a half-hour in a warm place. Beat whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks. Add the cooled butter in the dough, then carefully add the beaten whites.


Grease frying pan with a bit of oil. Spread the dough with a spoon and fry for 2 minutes on each side.

Lamb Cutlets, Minted Pea Purée, Ribbons of Parsnip & Carrot

There's no need for sauce with the fresh minty flavour of the purée. If you prefer you can add a little stock to the purée to make it softer and more moist. Serve with Chardonnay or a light red wine.

Ingredients
12-18 small lamb cutlets trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 sprigs chopped fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1kg frozen minted peas
3-4 sprigs of mint
2 tablespoons vegetable or chicken stock
3 large carrots
3 parsnips
1 tablespoon butter
300mls chicken stock

Method
Put the lamb cutlets in a shallow bowl and toss with the oil, thyme and salt and pepper. Put aside while you prepare the vegetables.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and tip the peas in with the mint sprigs. Simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Drain well and place in a blender or food processor with the stock. Blend until smooth, season to taste and then return to the pan to keep warm.

Peel the carrots and parsnips and cut into fine ribbons, using a mandolin or a potato peeler. Melt the butter in a pan, toss in the ribbons of carrot and parsnip and add the chicken stock. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until just starting to wilt.

Meanwhile, heat a heavy-based frying pan and sear the cutlets on each side for 3 minutes or until golden and lightly cooked.

Serve the lamb cutlets on the pea purée with the drained ribbons of vegetables to the side.

Serves 6



Enjoy!

Double melon mousse cakes

Beautiful refreshing dessert with a delicate taste and melon aroma. 

For 4-5 desserts depending on the diameter of the mold rings.

For the bases:
120 gr. Anzac biscuits (any oatmeal cookies)
30 gr. butter
1 tablespoon milk

For the mousse:
70 g Water-melon pulp
70 gr. melon pulp (I used rock melon)
6 gr. gelatin
150 gr. cream cheese at room temperature
100 ml. double cream
4 tbsp sugar
2 egg whites

Additional:
12-15 watermelon and melon balls and mint for decoration

1. Put biscuits in a plastic bag and crush with rolling pin (or in a blender). Melt the butter with a spoon of milk and mix with cookie crumbs to obtain a homogeneous mass. Put the mold rings on parchment paper. Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared rings and pat with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate until needed.

2. Soak gelatin in cold water. Put the melon pulp and 1 Tbsp of sugar in a blender and grind well. Repeat with the watermelon pulp. Heat each part of the pulp in the microwave or on the stove almost to a boil. Divide gelatin on two parts and mix one part with  the watermelon mixture and other part with the melon mixture.  Stir well until completely dissolved.

3. Beat the cream cheese lightly, divide into the 2 parts and add to each of the masses. Beat egg whites with 1 tablespoon of sugar to soft peaks. Set aside. Then whip the cream with the remaining spoonful of sugar. Carefully, but quickly mix 1 part of whipped egg whites with Water-melon mass, repeat with the melon mass. Then mix 1 part of whipped cream with Water-melon mass, repeat with the melon mass.

4. Fill the mold rings with melon mouse. Carefully put the watermelon mousse on top of the melon mousse. Put them in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

5. Serve with melon balls and mint leaves.

Enjoy!

Roast Lamb Shanks with a Secret

Step 1 Get them Crispy and brown! (This is where flavor comes from)
4 Lamb Shanks
4 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Red Onion
Pinch of Salt Preheat your oven to 220 ° Celsius
Slice onions in thick rings and lay them at the bottom of a roasting tray. (This is to get your Shanks to stand upright on the tray while they cook).
Sprinkle the shanks with the sugar and salt and the onions will absorb the lovely juices that run out.
Cook until Golden brown roughly half an hour.

Step 2 Finishing touches… 
4 Crispy shanks, lie them down flat in the tray (keep the onions)
4 Cloves of Garlic unpeeled
3 Large Carrots cut into chunky "rustic" pieces
1 Stick of Celery cut into similar sized pieces
2 Bay leaves,
4 Peppercorns,
2 Tbsp Paprika,
½ Tbsp Cinnamon,
2 Tbsp Cumin,
1 Tbsp Nutmeg,
½ Tbsp Salt.
1 Whole Tomato roughly chopped
250 ml's red cooking wine
250 ml's Chicken stock
1 Whole Orange quartered including rind
A little water to cover them completely, tinfoil over and into the oven for 3 hours they go.

Serve with mashed potatoes and mint jelly. Very good with a glass of Pinot Noir.



Enjoy!