FEBRUARY 2014 | SUPERBOWL SUNDAY

So your health kick is over, or never started. Either way, good for you! It’s Superbowl Sunday.  Yay?! I’ve never really understood the excitement behind the Superbowl as I’m not a massive football fan but I do like the parties and the food. My favorite parts involve eating lots of yummy, greasy bar food favorites like nachos, chili, and pizza and of course, reviewing the game aka the commercials, the half-time show and the puppy bowl like Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets. Mmmm, yes, its Superbowl Sunday.

I try to bring something to the party that I think everyone will enjoy… and secretly hope that they have already filled up on the other tasty dishes, so I get to eat most of mine…cue evil laughter. In light of this glorious day of unabashed American gluttony and sport, I give you two of my favorite party recipes: a smokey chipotle guacamole and a butternut squash & caramelized shallot flat bread. I think they fit nicely into any pre-game feast and are slightly healthier options as they contain real vegetables! Yes, vegetables!

Enjoy!

SMOKEY CHIPOTLE GUACAMOLE

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1. •8 ripe avocados
   

2. •1 pint cherry/grape tomatoes
   

3. •1 bunch coriander/cilantro, roughly chopped, saving the stems for the salsa.
   

4. •1 chipotle pepper or 1 tbs chipotle pepper sauce like Cholula or Tabasco
   

5. •4 limes
   

6. •1 small onion, peeled and roughly quartered
   

7. •2 tsp salt
   

Method:

1. 1.First I make a spicy & smokey chipotle salsa by combining the tomatoes, chipotle pepper, onion, coriander stems, 1 whole segmented lime w/ rind completely removed and 1 tsp of salt in the food processor/ blender. Blend everything until finely chopped.  Set aside.
   

2. 2.In a larger bowl, halve the avocado, removing the stone. Squeeze remaining limes on top of avocado to prevent browning and remaining tsp of salt.
   

3. 3.Add rest of coriander and all the salsa to the avocado mixture, mashing up the avocados with fork (or use your hands, which I think makes the whole event more fun and better guacamole texture)
   

4. ★Take care not to completely puree the avocados as its nice to have a little piece of avocado to pick up on the chip.
   

4. 4.Add more salt, lime or heat to your taste.
   

Serve with tortilla chips or spread on toast for a delicious, spicy treat.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & CARAMELIZED SHALLOT FLATBREAD WITH GOAT CHEESE, SAGE, AND TOASTED HAZELNUTS

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1. •1 small butternut squash peeled and finely diced.
   

2. •1 container of ricotta cheese, drained
   

3. •1 container of goat cheese
   

4. •6 large banana shallots (or 2 medium purple onions)
   

5. •1tbs butter or olive oil
   

6. •Bunch of sage finely chopped
   

7. •Bag of hazelnuts, toasted and crushed.
   

8. •1 large flat bread or pizza crust cut into 6 – 8 portions
   

9. •Salt + pepper
   

Method:

1. 1.Preheat oven to 180c/375f.
   

2. 2.Peel, remove seeds and finely dice butternut squash.  Roast in oven for 10 min or until tender to the bite. Set aside, let cool and season with salt + pepper.
   

3. 3.Thinly slice shallots/onions and place in frying pan on medium heat with butter / oil. Cook shallots/onions until lightly browned and starting to caramelize on bottom of pan. Set aside to cool.
   

4. 4.Toast flat bread and cut into individual slices or serve whole.
   

5. 5.Roast hazelnuts until golden brown and skins start to separate. Once cool, crush.
   

Assembly:

1. i.Spread ricotta cheese on toasted flat bread, then add caramelized shallots, then sprinkle butternut squash and finally crumble goat cheese on top.
   

2. ★Please note, you can either place back in oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese or serve at room temp, both ways are delicious.
   

2. ii.Sprinkle sage and toasted hazelnuts on top and serve.
   

ON PHOEBE’S MIND

Welcome to my blog!

Here, you’ll find my thoughts on food, some of my favorite recipes, things I’m obsessing over, tricks of the trade, tales from the kitchen, and other delightful bits from my travels and adventures. If you have requests for specific recipes, event planning tips, travel recommendations - please reach out to me at phoebe@kemblekitchens.com and I will send them your way.

Cheers,

JANUARY 2014 | CLEANSE

As the greatest month of 2014 (so far at least) fades into the history books, I have a few thoughts and recipes I’d like to share with you.

I lack the ambition and discipline to take that ubiquitous January cleanse that everyone is so fond of. All juice, no carbs, no booze, no dairy…just talking about it makes my stomach growl. I’ll never understand why one chooses this form of self-deprivation and, more importantly, does so during the coldest, darkest, most lethargic month of the year?! I mean, why January? Why not one of those other warm, sunny, be-outside-and-frolic J months? It just sounds terrible. Turns out the universe really wanted me to try it. Fate took control of my destiny and I found myself with a whopper of a cold...aka my first ever January cleanse. Whether the culprit was all those slobbery goodbye kisses from my niece & nephews, or perhaps that warm, damp yoga mat where I feigned zen and took a power nap, the outcome was the same. The cleanse had found me. How romantic.

It wasn’t pretty or fun, but I guess that’s the point. My sunkissed freckles were immediately spooked back into their ghostly palate and my voice took on the melodious tones of an elephant seal.  In my deprivation, I might have whispered a few of Cameron’s lines from Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, “I’m dying,” to my pillows. Typically, they had no sympathy.  This was not how I envisioned my return to London. But it certainly helped rid my system of all those tasty pina coladas and cheeseburgers I shamelessly devoured during the holidays. For the next week, I survived on liters of florescent orange water filled with vitamin C & zinc tablets and mugs of warm, comforting homemade chicken soup. A few weeks later, I am happy to report that I sound (and look) less like a large aquatic animal, my skin is glowing and those skinny jeans fit a little better. 

Homemade chicken broth really is amazing. It envelops you like a warm hug, makes you feel better immediately and is so delicious. Perhaps it is not something you should survive a whole week on, but it is very good for you and is the base to so many recipes.  Remember, the tastier the stock, the tastier the dish. Here’s an easy recipe for homemade chicken stock that is fantastic on its own and one that is spiced up one for an exciting Thai meal.

Enjoy!

HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK

Makes about 6-8 cups

Ingredients:

1. •2 chicken carcasses. Raw or Cooked works. If cooked, remove meat for additional meals and save all the bits/trimmings/ wing tips/bones for the stock.
   

2. •6 carrots, 4 celery stalks, and 2 med onion, all chopped
   

3. •A bunch of fresh herbs, stems and all (I prefer thyme, bay leaf, parsley, rosemary)
   

4. ★Also can add the vegetable /herb trimmings from your roast
   

Method:

1. 1.Chop up vegetables; add chicken carcass/pieces (cooked or raw) and herbs into large pot.
   

2. 2.Pour enough water to fully cover chicken and bring to a heavy boil.
   

3. 3.Cover and simmer at lower temperature for 1-2 hours.  (Can continue to cook broth longer to reduce to a more concentrated stock or soup)
   

4. 4.Set aside to cool. Strain liquid, tossing out everything but the broth. Once cool, skim fat off top.
   

5. ★Note: only season with Salt + Pepper after stock has been made
   

Tips:

1. •Shelf life of three days in the fridge, then freeze. I like to freeze in ice cube trays for easy access for future winning risottos, soup bases and sauces.
   

2. •Add pulled chicken, chopped veggies, rice or noodles for the perfect homemade chicken soup.
   

3. •I like to cook my quinoa and rice in stock for more flavor.
   

SPICY THAI COCONUT SOUP

Serves 4-6 depending on starter or main

Ingredients:

1. •1 can of coconut milk, about 400ml
   

2. •1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, crushed and sliced
   

3. •1 knob grated fresh ginger, about 1 tbs
   

4. •1 piece galangal, sliced about 1 tbs
   

5. •4 limes juiced, keep zest of 1 lime.
   

6. •1 red chili, deseeded and thinly sliced or can use 1 tsp. of favorite chili sauce, I prefer sambal oelek.
   

7. •1 bunch chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
   

8. •4 cups chicken stock
   

9. •Optional: rice noodles, shitake mushrooms, shredded chicken, prawns
   

Method:

1. 1.In large saucepan, bring coconut milk to a boil.
   

2. 2.Reduce heat and add lemon grass, ginger, galangal, zest of 1 lime, chili and simmer to infuse flavors for about 5 - 10 mins.
   

3. 3.Add 4 cups of chicken stock and bring back to a boil.
   

4. 4.Season with salt to your taste.
   

5. 5.Add fresh coriander and squeeze of fresh lime juice (about ½ lime per person) right before serving.
   

Tips:

1. ★Can add more cooked rice, noodles, shitake mushrooms, shrimp or shredded chicken at the end to make it a heartier meal
   

FEBRUARY 2014 | VALENTINE’S DAY

February 14 is upon us…that delightful day of love and tears. Here’s a breakfast staple from my childhood, re-imagined for Valentine’s. Who doesn't love a fried egg on toast? And when combined together, the egg-in-heart makes an easy, delicious breakfast that will make everyone feel special. For those of us with a darker take on the day... if you pierce the center, it bleeds.

EGG-IN-A-HEART (A ROMANTIC VERSION OF EGG-IN-A-HOLE)

Serves 1 (the loneliest number)

Ingredients:

1. •1 piece of sliced bread (I prefer sourdough, whole grain, or rye)
   

2. •1 egg
   

3. •1 tablespoon butter
   

4. •salt & pepper
   

Method:

1. 1.Cut a small heart shape out of the center of the bread.
   

2. 2.Melt butter in frying pan on medium heat.
   

3. 3.Place both sides of bread into melted butter, taking care to coat both sides evenly. (Add more butter if you’d like).
   

4. 4.Crack egg into center of bread and cook on medium heat for about one minute per side for runny yolk or until each side is a golden brown.
   

5. 5.Remove from heat, season with salt & pepper, and serve immediately.
   

Enjoy!

APRIL 2014 | AN INSPIRED SPRING FEAST

A while back, my friends Tess and Emma co-conspired and created one of the best meals I’ve ever had: a smoked salmon and dill tart. They did so without a recipe, guided only by their sense of adventure. The result was simple, beautiful and delicious, three things that are often quite difficult to accomplish when cooking - with or without a recipe.

I love a mad scientist challenge in the test kitchen (not just because i like to wear a lot of white and run around screaming ‘its alive!’) and was inspired by the beautiful spring weather to cook up something tasty for the weekend.  My challenge: to recreate that tart in any recognizable shape or form.

Now sometimes these little experiments don’t always go as well as planned and hopefully, you can laugh about those colossal, albeit tasty, failures  …  in the kitchen, as in life, it’s about the journey not the destination.  

This time I was lucky and I’m happy to report the tart was a success. I even squealed maniacally with delight when it came out of the oven looking like it did and have eaten more of it than I care to admit. I think this just might be the perfect breakfast, lunch or dinner that tastes as good as it looks.

Enjoy and happy cooking!

SMOKED SALMON & DILL TART (WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE AND LEEK)

Adapted from Tess & Emma’s Creation

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1. •300 grams of smoked salmon
   

2. •1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
   

3. •1 large leek, white part only
   

4. •1 tbs butter or olive oil (for sauteeing leek)
   

5. •1 cup cream
   

6. •1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh dill, saving a handful of sprigs for decor
   

7. •4 eggs
   

8. •all butter puff pastry (buy, don’t make…there are great products out there)
   

9. •1/2 tsp salt + pepper optional
   

Method:

1. 1.Preheat oven to 350f/175c
   

2. 2.Wash, dry and thinly slice leek. 
   

3. 3.Add 1 tbs of butter or oil to frying pan and lightly cook leek for about 2 mins, until soft and slight color change occurs
   

4. 4.Remove from heat and set aside
   

5. 5.Grate cheddar cheese, set aside
   

6. 6.Unroll pastry and transfer into your favorite pie shell or baking dish, taking care to trip the edges/ fit into form. 
   

7. 7.Finely chop dill, set aside
   

8. 8.Combine eggs + cream, mixing together completely and lightly season with salt + pepper
   

Assembly:

1. i.Sprinkle 3/4 of the cheese around the pastry
   

2. ii.Spread the leeks on top
   

3. iii.Layer the smoked salmon around the dish completely covering the leeks
   

4. iv.Sprinkle dill all over, 
   

5. v.Pour cream/egg mixture on top, allowing the liquid to seep through all the cracks
   

6. vi.Sprinkle remaining cheese over the dish with few cranks of fresh cracked pepper
   

7. ★Have some fun with design: Grab the remaining wispy dill sprigs and take artistic license with your tart ...the egg mixture will puff up into the delicate leaves creating a lovely design.
   

7. vii.Bake for 30 mins at 175c/350f or until pastry is golden brown and filling has cooked through
   

8. viii.Season with salt & pepper, to your taste. 
   

I recommend serving with a nice green salad and cold glass of rose for the perfect spring meal. 

Enjoy!