A simple and delicious traditional recipe from the state of Styria in Austria. Scarlet runner beans are used and cooked from dried, but they can easily be substituted for butter beans. This basic recipe can easily be enhanced by adding tomatoes, sweetcorn, green beans or boiled egg.
KAFERBOHNEN SALAD
Antiguan Spiced Black Bean Cakes
This is the first recipe from my first ever series where I’m making a bean recipe from every country I have visited so far in my life.
First up and we are off to the sunny Caribbean to enjoy some Antiguan Spiced Black Bean cakes.
Poor mans potatoes, patatas a lo pobre
This classic Spanish dish is utterly delicious and addictive, one of my favourite potato dishes to make. This can be served on it’s own, with a fried egg, jamon or as a side dish to accompany any meat or fish dish.
Serves 2-3 either as a main or a side.
Spicy Southwestern Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas to us
This was a recipe from an old American cook book that I have adapted to suit my taste which is for it to be more spicy and less sweet, this dish is quite addictive and can be served hot or room temperature, serve with rice, pickles, flatbreads, on toast or just on their own with a spoon
Nasu Dengaku – Sweet miso glazed aubergine
This classic Japanese dish such as many classic dishes do has many variations, traditionally made with sweet white miso but can also be made with standard white or red miso with the addition of a little brown sugar, whichever you use you will love this flavourful, umami laden hearty dish.
Miso pickled mushrooms
This recipe is adapted from a book called ‘Ferment pickle dry’, I have made these many times, the recipe is very flexible and adaptable and can be made to suit your taste palate. These are as the book states a crossover between Japanese miso-pickling and European vinegar-pickling. You can eat them as an accompaniment to a cocktail, as part of a Asian inspired feast, an addition to salads or whenever you simply want salty, spicy, sweet, acidic umami party in the mouth and don’t waste the liquid, it’s great to use as a dressing.
Oyster mushroom pakoras
Pakora’s are essentially fritters deep fried in oil, they can be made with one vegetable or a mixture so don’t be afraid to experiment not only with the vegetable but the spices involved in the batter. This is a small batch of batter, perfect for a starter for two, it can easily be doubled, I’ve used large oyster mushrooms here but you could use any mushroom, sliced king oyster, portabella and even whole button mushrooms.
Spicy hot and sour mushroom soup
There are as many version of hot and sour soup across Asia as there are nourishing chicken soup across Europe, once you master the base of this soup you can make it your own using whatever vegetables, meats or fish as you like, here I’ve used white and brown Shimeji mushrooms, also known as beech mushrooms but you can use any mushroom of your choice and make it as spicy or tame as you prefer.
Peperonata Agrodolce
There are many versions of these sweet and sour peppers, rather than olives you could use capers, toasted pine nuts or even some raisins stewed at the same time as the peppers so they soak up the juices and become nice and plump. This is a great side dish to go with grilled fish or indeed with cold meats and crusty bread, I’ve even been known to stir some through some cooked cold pasta for lunch.
Carrot, lentil and miso soup
Autumn through to winter always gets us craving for a bowl of soup, miso is an ingredient we have embraced the past few years and always have some in the fridge, it sits happily there for ages and it’s very good for you. The inspiration here came from a book called ‘Miso Tasty’ by Bonnie Chung and it will teach you every thing you need to know about Miso.