Chef, teacher and writer Lisa Roukin brings you some alternative Pesach recipes for the festival season…
Appearing on Channel 4 as a finalist on Gordon Ramsey’s ‘The F Word’, Lisa Roukin is also a blogger for the Huffington Post and provides recipes for The Jewish Chronicle and Ocado, the world’s largest online food retailer.
Lisa has recently published her debut cookbook, which features dishes that are nearly all gluten-free and has a minimal use of dairy and refined sugars. The recipes are seasonal, helping you make the most of the best produce available to create nourishing meals. Here she talks about some recipes to see you through Passover (22nd– 30th April).
Shakshuka
‘What the heck is Shakshuka?’ you might be asking. It’s a delicious tomato-y, sometimes spicy, Middle Eastern egg dish that’s become very popular. I love to serve this dish with fresh avocado on the side!
INGREDIENTS
6 large eggs
500ml tomato sauce
50g curly kale, stems removed
1 large onion, sliced thinly
125g shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced, stems removed
4 tbsp sunflower or coconut oil
Sea salt and white pepper
Garlic granulesCracked black pepper
Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan, then sauté the onions for five minutes until soft and translucent. Next, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms; cook for two minutes and at this point you should notice the mushrooms soaking up the oil.
Season well with sea salt, white pepper and garlic granules, cook for further three minutes, then add the curly kale and cook for five minutes, continuously stirring.
Pour in the tomato sauce and cook for 10 minutes on a low heat to reduce the sauce. Remove from the heat, crack the egg into a wine glass, then make a little well in the sauce and pour in the whole egg. Repeat with each egg.
Place the frying pan back on the heat and cook covered for 6-8 minutes until the egg is set and serve straight from the pan with a sprinkle of black pepper.
Salmon with Wasabi Mayonnaise and Pistachio Crust
It used to be seen as a luxury but now salmon is one of the most popular oily fish consumed in the UK. And why not when it’s so versatile, readily available and is in season right now. While many people find the stronger flavours of mackerel or sardines too much, salmon is a fantastic fish to include in your diet for wonderful health benefits.
INGREDIENTS
4 salmon fillets, approximately 550g (with skin)
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp mayonnaise
½ tsp wasabi powder/paste
40g roughly chopped pistachios
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°F, gas mark 6, 200°C (180°C for fan-assisted). Wash and pat dry the salmon fillets, then in a large non-stick frying pan, heat the sunflower and sesame oil and place the salmon fillets in the pan, flesh side down, for 20 seconds. Turn the fillets over onto the skin side and cook for two minutes over a medium high heat. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
Once cooled, season the fillets with salt and cracked black pepper. Mix the mayonnaise with ¼ tsp of wasabi powder or paste. Place the fillets on a greased baking tray or dish, or if your frying pan can go in the oven, then use the same frying pan.
Using a knife, spread the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the top over the four fillets. Press the chopped pistachios onto the top of each fillet covering completely then bake the salmon until cooked through and the nut topping is crisp and golden brown for about 10-12 minutes (cook for 15 minutes if you prefer well cooked).
Using a large spatula, transfer salmon fillets onto a platter.
Raw Blueberry Cheesecake
Cheesecakes are always a good place to start when making raw desserts because the process is so quick and simple. What’s more exciting is that it’s wheat, gluten and dairy free. Made with a vegan crust, this cheesecake is surprisingly delicious – bursting with antioxidants from the blueberries.
INGREDIENTS
CRUST
100g macadamia nuts
150g blanched almonds
50g desiccated coconut
200g dates (pre-soak if hard)
3 tsp lemon juice
1 pinch sea salt
CHEESECAKE LAYER
250g cashews, soaked overnight in water, then rinsed and drained on paper towel until ready to use
60ml coconut oil
60ml agave nectar, maple syrup or honey
Seeds of one vanilla pod
5 tsp lemon juice
100g blueberries (splitting the mixture)
BLUEBERRY CHIA SEED TOPPING
240g blueberries
4 tsp agave nectar
6 tsp chia seeds
2 tsp lemon juice
First, pre-soak the cashews, covered with cold water overnight for eight hours. Line the base and sides of 20cm non-stick spring form tin with parchment paper.
To make the chia seed topping, place the blueberries in the food processor and blend until smooth. Sieve over a bowl to omit the skins and seeds. Add agave nectar, lemon juice, and chia seeds. Mix together then refrigerate for two hours.
For the crust, place the macadamia, blanched almond and coconut into your food processor and pulse until a chunky sandy consistency. Place into a clean bowl. Add the dates, lemon and salt to the food processor, blend until smooth and then add the macadamia nut mixture back into the food processor, and blend until it forms a ball. Place the nut and date mixture into your prepared tin, press down firmly and place in the freezer.
Place all cheesecake filling ingredients (expect blueberries) into your food processor and blend for five minutes until completely smooth.
Remove the crust after 10 minutes from the freezer. Pour about ½ of the filling mixture onto the crust and smooth with a spatula, then place back in the freezer.
Add the blueberries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth, then pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid for about two hours. Next, remove from the freezer and add the chia seed topping. The seeds will have started to congeal together so loosen them slightly, then smooth over the cheesecake and decorate with blueberries and place back in the fridge to set for one hour.
Release the cake from the tin when ready to serve.
To find more recipes like these, visit Myrelationshipwithfood.com.