Bila Orang Tak Selalu Blog, Blog!

OMG I'm on a Blogging ROLLLL!! Never written so many posts in a day!
This time, I'd like to share an interesting- not so simple (why should it be!? Otherwise we wouldn't have anything to do and that beats the purpose!- sheesh)- recipe for Roast Vegetable Tart. It's perfect for times when you feel like a melange of wholesome flavours, creamy, soft vegetables in your mouth, egg and cream and quiche-like substances.
Tried it over at Auntie Laila's (location of my Christmas Chronicles)- Nadia seemed like she liked it. If Nadia likes a recipe, it's worth highlighting.
I stumbled upon this recipe when I was browsing Ottolenghi's blog- eager for some pictures and recollection of my extravagant GBP13.00 salad lunch at Ottolenghi's N1 (Islington) little eatery. To this date, I'm still trying to convince myself that it's worth it. Which it is, to a certain extent. But that story is for another day.
Yotam Ottolenghi's supposedly "Meal for All Seasons" for under a fiver looked interesting; especially this Roast Vegetable Tart.

Serves two

1 large red pepper
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3cm dice
Half a small courgette, cut into 3cm dice
2 small onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
200g shortcrust pastry
3 sprigs of thyme, picked
50g goat's cheese
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large free-range egg
130ml double cream
About 50ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper

• Set the oven to 230C/Gas 8. Use a small serrated knife to cut around the stem of the pepper and lift it out along with the seeds. Shake the pepper to remove all the remaining seeds and discard the stem and seeds.

• Place the pepper in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little oil and put on the top shelf in the oven. Mix the sweet potato in a bowl with two tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper, lay in a medium baking tray and place on the oven shelf beneath the peppers.

• After 12 minutes add the courgette to the sweet potato and stir gently. Return to the oven for another 12 minutes or until both vegetables are cooked but still firm. Leave the pepper in the oven for another 10-12 minutes, or until it is thoroughly brown, then remove and cover with foil until it cools down. Once cool, peel and break roughly into strips.

• While the vegetables are roasting, sauté the onion on the stove top along with the bay leaf, some salt and a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook them on a medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn brown, soft and sweet. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf and set aside.

• Reduce the oven temperature to 160C/Gas 3.

• Lightly grease a 16-18cm tart tin with a removable base. Roll out the pastry to a circle roughly 3mm thick and large enough to line the base and sides of the tin, plus extra to hang over the edge. Carefully line the tart case with the pastry, making sure you don't puncture it. Press the pastry so it covers the base and sides of the tin, with the excess hanging over the edge.

• Line the pastry base with a large sheet of baking parchment (make sure it covers the base and sides) and fill it with ceramic baking beans. Bake blind for 40 minutes. Carefully remove the paper with the beans. Give the case another 10 minutes in the oven so it turns golden brown. Remove and allow to cool a little.

• Now, scatter the base of the tart with the cooked onion and top with the roasted vegetables; try to arrange them evenly, then scatter half the thyme over them. Next, dot the veg with chunks of cheese and then with tomatoes, cut side facing up.

• Whisk the egg and cream in a small bowl, along with some salt and pepper. Carefully and slowly, pour this mix into the tart. Make sure the top layer remains exposed so you can see the vegetables and cheese. Scatter the remaining thyme on top and place in the oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until the filling sets and turns golden. Remove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before breaking off the excess pastry, taking the tart out of the tin and serving.

We skipped the whole paper and beans thing. I don't know how much this procedure does to the flavour of the tart; but mine went perfectly well. Maybe a better quality cream will avoid it being slightly watery. And baking the shortcrust pastry first is extremely essential!

I've never done it before. But like a commenter says, you just need to get the base right and then you can opt for any kind of frosting/ toppings you would like. To be honest, I am not the slightest bit a "baker." My talents (if any) is made for the rapid, fast- paced kitchen with entrees, savoury starters and meat and broth.

After the superlicious experience of biting into my first red velvet muffin at Hummingbird's, I am definitely positive about making my own, or at least for the benefit of "interesteds" out there. Although the red colour, I found, is merely food coloring, I still want to fantasize about it being a lush, more organic, less artificial, raspberry or any red berry mash. As I thought it was. Despite the absence of acidic tastes berries might give.

Voila, a southern red velvet cake batter recipe. Muffin or gateau. And also, a cream cheese frosting, the spouse red velvet should never divorce, according to yours truly ;)

SOUTHERN RED VELVET

Vegetable oil for the pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Crushed pecans, for garnish Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.
Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the pecans.
Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)
Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Yield: enough to frost a 3 layer (9-inch) cake
I reckon I will find some time for this. I might even drop in a berry or two to meddle the texture to add more moist.

To friends, do not take my word for it. That it will turn out well. Will give updates on when it happens.

Not something I usually consider a favourite. In fact, it's not something I've even considered as a "like". Nope. Never. Never been, against it or anything. But I just, just, nah. Atok likes it. He suffers from high-blood pressure. I don't know if it's kambing's fault, the kambing cholosterol's, or the fact that he chain smokes his whole adult life.
But London. The land of new opportunities. The land, where kebabs and spicy doners have pushed aside cottage pie, potato puddings and fish&chips. This land, has a lot to say about kambing.
Amazing is the word indeed. To describe marvellous kambing experiences I've had. To name, Sizzling Bombay. THE BEST spicy lamb doner in town. Situated at an alley off street behind Euston station. It's literally hotness, sends one off his/ her seat! (no, nope, not exaggerating)
There is also the bbq lamb ribs at Chicken Cottage. (ha, i know LAMB ribs at CHICKEN cottage- just a name them Muslim South Indian population thought would match KFC). It's basically just a medium to sell anything halal. Typically considered as the fast-food menu (meat & fries, coleslaw/ salad maybe). So yeah, they've got some good kambing ribs as well.


My latest encounter with Kambing was at Bedah's party at City's Angel Islington Student Hall. It was Syaz's idea. and Syat. Syaz and Syat. Accompanied by lightly boiled juicy broccolis and butter rice, Kambing wasn't challenged as the star of the night!


The recipe, according to Syat was HP Brown Sauce. Syat, famous for her sauce marinades. (rather than the garlic-lemon-ginger-or-lemongrass typicals or herbs or any other traditional methods). But the juice helped enhance the eating experience. A damn good combo with the brocollis. Oven must be really hot. So the outside cooks faster and the inside is medium-rarely done.

Oh and yep, I don't eat red meat. If I can help it ;)