The Corkless Mind

Tag: foodphotography

  • Homemade Labneh

    Homemade Labneh

    labneh 008

    This week I am daydreaming of aimlessly wondering through souks with what I can only imagine the type of scents filling the open air with the heady aromatic array of spices and fragrant rose. And of course wearing long flowy kaftans in the breathtaking beauty of the Middle East. Whilst I don’t have the opportunity to go and explore Morocco or Jerusalem just yet, I can recreate some recipes that I would envision myself there.

    To my excitement, I was recently asked by Faircape Dairies to blog about a few of their products which I have chosen myself. I ended up choosing their gloriously velvety smooth Double Cream Yoghurt that is unsweetened to my delight, and their versatile Amasi(sour milk) which I used in a few recipes as buttermilk and worked out pretty great!

    labneh 011This first recipe is inspired and adapted from one of my food heroes, Yotam Ottolenghi. The Labneh I made is from the cookbook, NOPI. To complement the rich labneh, I made macerated strawberries in a pomegranate molasses and sumac syrup with a dash of freshly cracked black pepper this was just the edge the in-season sweet strawberries needed. I love how extra creamy and decadent the Faircape Double Cream Yoghurt made this labneh. The texture of the yoghurt is such a thick yet smooth consistency that I would happily swop out cream in savoury recipes for this delicious yoghurt. Last night, I made a little throw together with whatever was in the fridge and pantry, and ended up making an incredibly tasty lime chicken pasta dish with this yoghurt as the base for the sauce. My verdict: I love cream very much, but for those days where you need to watch your calorie intake, I will certainly add this double cream yoghurt as a great substitute.

    labneh 009labneh 015Labneh is a thick spreadable cream cheese that is made with usually greek yoghurt, a little salt and lemon juice and left to sit in the fridge to drain off the whey for 24 hours to thicken and turn into labneh. Usually served with plenty of good quality Extra Virgin Olive oil and Za’atar. Like always, this time I’ve put my own twist on Labneh and how I serve it.

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    Homemade Labneh with macerated strawberries.

    Ingredients: 

    • 300g Faircape Double Cream Yoghurt
    • 1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil,plus extra to drizzle at the end.
    • 1/4 teaspoon of smoked sea salt flakes
    • 1 punnet of fresh in season Strawberries or any other fruit that is in season
    • 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses
    • 1/4 cup caster sugar
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1 teaspoon sumac
    • A pinch of freshly cracked black pepper

    Method: 

    To make the labneh, in a small bowl combine the double cream yoghurt and olive oil. Pour into a cheesecloth or light linen cloth, knot tightly and hang over a small jug. Make sure the cloth is not touching the bottom of the jug. Leave to sit for 24 hours or more depending on how thick you want your labneh(I left mine in for 48 hours) however If you want to shorten to the time, constantly go back and squeeze out the excess moisture. This will speed up the process. Transfer to a bowl or plate.

    Slice the strawberries and add to a small saucepan,together with the sugar, water, pomegranate molasses, sumac and black pepper. Cook on a medium heat for 2-5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is macerated. Serve by pouring the syrup and fruit over the labneh. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

     

    **Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. My views on this brand’s product is written in full honesty and without bias. I was not financially compensated for this post but I was however sponsored only the products to produce recipes.**

     

     

     

  • The Ultimate Toasted Sarnie.

    The Ultimate Toasted Sarnie.

    This has to be my go to comfort food it’s quick, easy and oozing with melted goodness. I made three different toasted Sandwiches, a Nutella and Caramelized banana, an oozing egg and cheese toastie, and for the ultimate one a Gorgonzola and Caramelized pear with rocket. All of which were on freshly baked Brioche loaf. 

    Picking a favourite, was a tough task, but somebody had to do it! For me, it’s the Gorgonzola and Caramelized pear with rocket. Simply because of the complimentary contrast in flavour of the earthy Gorgonzola together with the sweet Caramelized pear and peppery crunch of the rocket, for me is a match made in heaven. 


    I toasted the brioche toasties in a non stick pan over high – medium heat, with lots of butter (please no margarine) butter is rather costly, but I prefer to splurge on one or two items a month, and this is it. The melted almost burnt butter imparts a nutty flavour and creamy warmth into the toasted sarnie. For the simple cheese toastie, I added more cheese on top of the bread to create a cheesey crust, this is the ultimate top tip for more crunchy goodness! I used Gorgonzola and a mild soft Mozzarella. Look for a mild flavoured cheese that can melt easily. I usually use a Gouda cheese. Also, grate the cheese finely to make the melting process and time that much quicker. 


    Everyone has their own way of making toasties, which I think could be indicative of their personality, same could be said for style of cooking. 

    A special mention to Ou Meul bakery at Willowbridge (Tygervalley) for especially baking a loaf of Brioche for me. Unfortunately they no longer bake them for their usual menu. If you can’t find any brioche loaves, a normal white loaf or brown, low Gi (if you will) works just as well. I used the brioche because of its sweet buttery soft texture and taste. For me, this is the ultimate and indulgent vehicle for a great toastie.  

    “I don’t believe you can ever really cook unless you love eating” – Nigella Lawson. 

  • Prawn toast and Kimchi 

    Prawn toast and Kimchi 

    Prawn toast and kimchi 
    Inspired by a tapas meal I had a while ago at a Japanese inspired restaurant, we had all ordered a variety of different dim sum, some fried and some steamed. There was one stand out fried dim sum, Prawn toast that was insanely good, till this day I remember how beautifully balanced in umami and how crispy crunchy the dim sum was. In a mission to find out how to recreate this bite sized treat at home, I found a recipe on Good Food Australia that’s incredibly simple and looks amazing too! 


    Last week I made a batch of kimchi, recipe found on Woolworths Taste. This is by far some of the tastiest Kimchi I’ve had in a while and bonus for how quick and easy it is to make, here’s what you need: three hours of your life, cabbage, radish,fish sauce, salt, Sriracha, garlic,ginger, chillis, chili flakes, rice vinegar and sesame seeds, hmmm…leaving anything out?


    What better way to put the kimchi I made to use than as a condiment for these scrumptious prawn toast treats.