Persian Love Cake with Rose, Cardamom & Figs

With Valentines Day on the horizon I just had to share this recipe… Let’s face it everyone deserves a little ‘sweet’ love!…

There is a lovely fairytale behind this cake…

“Once upon a time, there was a young Persian woman, who was madly in love with a prince. She made him this cake, filled with magical love powers, and he promptly fell in love with her; they lived happily ever after!”…

Have I sold the recipe to you?!…I can’t promise you love, but I can assure you that it is one of the easier recipes for Persian love cake that I have come across (there are many out there!), and it is of course very tasty! I found this recipe in Rukmini Iyer’s cookbook ‘The Roasting Tin Around the World’, it is a very moist cake with a lovely delicate flavour. I particularly like the mascarpone icing – it looks so pretty decorated with rose petals, pistachios and figs (if you can’t get hold of figs, don’t worry it will still taste wonderful!). Because of the mascarpone icing, it should be kept in the fridge (that’s if you don’t eat it straight away!), just make sure you allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Rosewater varies in its strength depending on the brand – I used ‘Holylama Spice Drops Rose Extract’ which is quite intense, so I only needed 2 drops of it, however, if you are using a different brand you may need more. This recipe works well with gluten free flour – I use Dove’s.

170g soft light brown sugar

170g soft unsalted butter

3 large eggs

125g self-raising flour (gluten free if required)

1 teaspoon baking powder

45g ground almonds

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cardamom pods, seeds only

Approx. 1 teaspoon rosewater or 2 drops of ‘Holylama Spice Drops Rose Extract’ (see note above)

For the Icing and Decoration:

250g mascarpone

25g icing sugar

Approx. 1 teaspoon rosewater or 2-3 drops of ‘Holylama Spice Drops Rose Extract’ to taste (see note above)

Dried rose petals

A handful of pistachio nuts, cut into slivers

2 fresh figs, thinly sliced into quarters (optional)

1. Beat the sugar and butter together until soft and fluffy, then whisk in the eggs.
2. Fold in the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, spices and rosewater, then pour the mixture into a lined shallow tin (26cm x 20cm).
3. Bake in a preheated oven, 160’c fan, for 25-30 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a skewer, when inserted, comes out clean.
4. Meanwhile, beat the mascarpone, rosewater (to taste) and icing sugar together.
5. Remove the cake from the oven, let it cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. When it is cold, spread the icing all over the cake using a palette knife, and sprinkle over the rose petals, pistachio slivers and sliced figs.

Well, we’ve made it to the end of the ‘dog days’ of January!

I must admit, my January hasn’t been too gloomy as I’ve already had a weekend away!… If you read my blogs/ restaurant reviews, you will know that since my son, Felix, started York University three years ago, I have developed a soft spot for the wonderful, little city of York and its restaurants. I had been wanting to introduce my sister to its finery since before the pandemic, but with the lockdowns and one thing and another, we had to keep postponing our trip. Finally last weekend, we managed to visit. Naturally, we had dinner at my favourite York restaurant, Meltons, which was as delicious as ever (see my review from last year here) and we discovered the perfect place for cocktails with a fantastic view of York Minster (Sora Sky Bar at Malmaison)! During the day, despite the cold, we enjoyed the beautiful, dry, sunny days which were perfect for strolling around the city walls and side streets. Back in London, I managed to keep to one of my New Year resolutions, to make better use of all the museums and galleries which are on my doorstep. This month I visited the V&A to see ‘Fabergé in London: Romance to Revolution’, which showcases some of the extraordinary works from Carl Fabergé’s enterprise including several of the legendary eggs – it really is worth a visit if you get the opportunity!…

Apart from venturing up north and getting my London culture fix, I have been snuggling down at home with a few of my new Christmas presents – yes, I received at least four new cookbooks for Christmas. I now have an even longer list of new recipes that I want to try! I hope to share some of these with you over the next few months, but firstly this month I’m sharing some dishes which have long been favourites in my family…

Let’s face it, although we have January behind us we still have February to get through and as we know from experience it can bring some of the coldest weather. So in my opinion, February merits a couple of rich, creamy dishes. Plus, being the month of ‘love’, I’ve decided to post recipes that are special enough for a low key Valentine celebration – yet easy enough for a midweek meal. Menu One is ‘Creamy Bolognese Sauce’. I have already shared my ‘Everyday Bolognese Sauce’ with you (recipe here), but I also wanted to share this recipe for a creamier, richer sauce that is also slightly more sophisticated. Menu Two is ‘Deconstructed Chicken, Porcini, Pancetta & Sage Pies’; with their individual pastry lids these pies are as elegant as any pie could be, plus more importantly, the filling is extremely tasty! Menu Three is ‘Medallions of Pork with Prunes & Cognac’,  I have cooked this dish in various forms over the years, but this recipe from Rick Stein is the winner (so far!). Apart from being a wonderful creamy dish of deliciousness, it’s a recipe that is very quick and easy to cook – it’s a win-win! Finally, Menu Four is ‘Winter Pilau with Beetroot, Cauliflower and Coriander Chutney’. The jewel-like colours of this dish certainly give it an air of romance whilst with the ‘zing’ of the flavours, you’ll find yourself falling in love…with the recipe!

Also this month, I’m sharing some new tunes for your kitchen. Music to Cook to…MenuMusic Seventeen’, is a rather mellow mix, perfect for Valentine’s!

Menu One

Creamy Bolognese Sauce with Spaghetti (Serves 4 generously)

There are two Bolognese sauces which I like to cook at home, one of these is what I call ‘Everyday Bolognese Sauce’ (recipe here), which I think is the more traditional, family-style of the two – a good midweek all-rounder. The other recipe is this one for ‘Creamy Bolognese Sauce’, which, with the addition of cream, is richer and more sophisticated. It also makes a great midweek meal but is a little more special! I have been cooking this recipe for over 20 years, it’s from Diane Seed’s cookbook, ‘The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces’ – a great little book if you can still get it!

500g Spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

80g butter

1 onion,

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

100g bacon

50g pork sausage meat

150g pork mince

150g beef mince

180ml white wine

180ml beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato purée

5 tablespoons double cream

Sea salt and black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve

1. Finely chop/mince the onion, carrot, celery stalk and bacon, I like to use a food processor to do this.
2. Heat the oil and 50g of the butter in a deep saucepan, add the minced onion, carrot, celery and bacon, then cook gently for about 10 minutes. Then add the sausage meat, pork and beef mince and the wine. Cook gently for a further 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.
3. Add the tomato paste to the stock, stir to dilute and add to the mince mixture. Season with salt and pepper, stirring well to combine. Cook gently for 1½ hours.
4. Finally stir in the cream, when it has been absorbed by the sauce remove from the heat and keep warm.
5. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the packet instructions.
6. When you are ready to serve, return the sauce to the heat and stir in the remaining 30g butter. Then stir the sauce through the drained pasta. Serve with the Parmesan cheese on the side.

Menu Two

Deconstructed Chicken, Porcini, Pancetta and Sage Pies with Cavolo Nero (Serves 4)

The filling of these pies is very tasty, the dried porcini give it a deliciously robust flavour. The individual pastry lids mean that you can serve up gluten-free options if required, or for a lighter supper, simply serve the chicken mixture with the cavolo nero. The pastry lids would work just as well with any sort of stew or casserole – a great idea for serving up leftovers!…

500g skinless chicken breasts

25g dried porcini

1 chicken stock cube

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 small red onions sliced into half-moons

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

100g smoked pancetta, cubed

20g fresh sage leaves, chopped

150g portabellini mushrooms, roughly chopped

½ tablespoon cornflour

250g créme fraiche

320g Ready rolled puff pastry (gluten-free if required)

1 egg, beaten

400g cavolo nero (or savoy cabbage)

1. Put the porcini in a bowl with the stock cube and 250ml boiling water, leave to rehydrate for 5 minutes, then drain, reserving the liquid; roughly chop and set aside until needed.
2. Season the chicken and place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and cook in a preheated oven, 160’c fan, for 25 minutes or until the juices run clear; chop and set aside until needed.
3. Add the oil to a large frying pan and gently sauté the onions over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Increase the heat and add the pancetta and sage, stirring for 2-3 minutes until the pancetta is golden brown.
4. Add the drained, roughly chopped porcini, cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the reserved porcini liquid and the portabellini mushrooms, then continue to cook for 2 minutes.
5. Mix the cornflour and crème fraiche together and add to the pan. Bring to the boil to thicken, then remove from the heat. Stir in the chopped chicken and set aside until needed.
6. Unroll the pastry and cut out 4 round lids – a small saucer approx.12cm diameter makes a good template. Gently score a pattern into the pastry. Brush a little beaten egg over the top of each lid and place on a baking tray. Cook in a preheated oven, 180’c fan for about 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
7. Meanwhile, cook the cavolo nero, cut out the bitter stem from the leaves and discard and roughly chop the leaves. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drop in the cavolo nero and cook for 3-4 mins until wilted and darker in colour.
8. Just before serving bring the chicken mixture to the boil. Divide the cavolo nero between four plates, then top with the reheated chicken ‘filling’ and an individual pastry lid.

Menu Three

Medallions of Pork with Prunes & Cognac (Serves 4)

As Rick Stein says in his cookbook ‘Secret France’, this is one of those recipes which has been around forever. Indeed, I have cooked it in various forms over the years, but it is this recipe from Stein’s aforementioned cookbook that is the winner (so far!).  Apart from being delicious, it’s a recipe that is very quick and easy to cook, hence its ongoing popularity. It’s great served with ‘My Favourite Mash’ and ‘Sautéed Spinach with Garlic’ (recipes here).

30g butter

2 teaspoons olive oil

700g pork fillet, trimmed of slivery sinew and cut into 1 cm rounds

2 banana shallots, chopped

60ml Cognac or brandy

150ml double cream

250ml chicken stock

2 teaspoons redcurrant jelly

A few fresh thyme sprigs

12 ready-to-eat pitted prunes

Small handful flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Heat half the butter with the oil in a frying pan and brown the pork medallions for 1-2 minutes, then set them aside.
2. Add the remaining butter and gently fry the shallots until softened. Then add the Cognac and cook for a minute or so until the liquid is reduced by half.
3. Add the cream, chicken stock, redcurrant jelly, thyme sprigs and prunes, and cook for a couple of minutes before putting the pork medallions and any of their juices back in the pan. Taste and season with salt and plenty of pepper, then cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the pork is just cooked through.
4. To serve, remove the thyme and sprinkle with the parsley.

Menu Four

Winter Pilau with Beetroot, Cauliflower and Coriander Chutney (Serves 4)

I love the jewel-like colours of this dish – the brightness of the turmeric stained rice, the pomegranate and beetroot with the vivid green of the coriander chutney is beautiful. That’s just the colours… the flavours will really add a ‘zing’ to your day! This recipe is from Meera Sodha’s cookbook, ‘East’.

300g basmati rice

600g cauliflower, broken into bite-size florets

400g raw beetroot peeled and cut into wedges

300g swede, peeled and cut into 1cm x 3cm slices

2½ teaspoons garam masala

Rapeseed oil

Sea salt

1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk

6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2cm ginger, peeled

2 green finger chillies

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 large onion, finely sliced

100g fresh coriander

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon caster sugar

2 handfuls of pomegranate seeds

1. Wash the rice in a few changes of cold water, until the water runs clear then leave to soak in cold water.
2. Put the cauliflower on a baking tray in a single layer and on another baking tray put the beetroot and swede, again in a single layer. In a small bowl, mix the garam masala, 5 tablespoons of rapeseed oil and ¾ teaspoon of salt, then drizzle this mixture over the veg on both trays, tossing to coat. Roast in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 25-30 minutes until tender and caramelised in places (the swede and beetroot may need a little longer).
3. While the vegetables are cooking make the sauce for the rice. Put 300ml of the coconut milk into a blender/processor with the garlic, ginger, one of the chillies, the turmeric and ¾ teaspoon of salt, then blitz until smooth.
4. In a large frying pan with a tight fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil over a medium heat. Fry the onion for 10 minutes then add the coconut sauce and cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the drained rice with 400ml of freshly boiled water, and bring to the boil. Put on the lid, turn the heat down to very low, so that it is barely simmering, and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked through.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and fold through the cooked, roasted vegetables, replace the lid, and leave to one side to steam for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile make the chutney. Put the remaining 100ml of coconut milk in a blender/processor with the coriander, the other chilli, lemon juice, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth and scrape into a serving bowl.
7. Transfer the rice to a platter, sprinkle over the pomegranate seed and serve with the coriander chutney alongside.

Poinsettia Cocktail (Cranberry Champagne Cocktail) – Serves 1

Admittedly the name of this cocktail conjures up Christmas, and yes, I know, Christmas has only just come and gone, but I think that this cocktail is pretty good at any time of the year! And given its beautiful red colour, it is a rather romantic looking cocktail, so I thought that it would be particularly good to share now as Valentine’s Day is on the horizon!…

2 tablespoons Cointreau

4 tablespoons 100% cranberry juice (unsweetened)

Champagne or prosecco to top up – about half a glass

A handful of ice

For the garnish: 1 rosemary sprig and a couple of raspberries

1. Put the Cointreau and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker with the ice and shake for 15 seconds until cold. Strain into a champagne flute.
2. Top off the glass with champagne, garnish and serve!…

Cod with Braised Lentils and Prosciutto (Serves 4)

This week I’m reposting a recipe which I first shared back in October 2020. I think it’s the perfect fish supper for a cold winters day as the lentils make it wonderfully warming and substantial – just what we need in January! The recipe is from J.Sheekey’s cookbook ‘Fish’ – it really is worth investing in this book as it has some delicious, easy recipes. The portion of lentils is very generous and you will probably have leftovers – which are great for lunch the next day as a thick soup – either as they are or if you want them smoother you could blend them. One of the reasons I love this recipe is that it gives me a good lunch the next day! In fact the lentil recipe is so good that I have posted it on my Side Dishes page, as they are great with other dishes, such as sausages.

4 slices of prosciutto

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

4 cod fillets, about 180g each

For the Lentils

250g puy lentils

40ml extra virgin olive oil

100g cubed pancetta

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 leek, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked and chopped

2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and chopped

1 litre chicken stock

30g unsalted butter

½ bunch of parsley, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

1. If you have time and remember, soak the lentils in cold water for an hour before you cook them. The recipe calls for this, but these days most puy lentils (I use ‘Merchant Gourmet’) don’t require soaking, but there is a theory that they are more digestible if soaked?!…
2. Spread the prosciutto out on a baking tray and place in a preheated oven, 160’c fan, for about 20 minutes until crisp – keep an eye on them as you don’t want them to burn!
3. Pour 20ml of the olive oil into a heavy bottomed saucepan and gently cook the cubed pancetta, onion, carrot, leek, celery, garlic, thyme and rosemary for 5 minutes.
4. Add the lentils (drained if you soaked them), stir, then add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until they are soft to toast – not too mushy. The consistency should be sauce like.
5. Heat a frying pan with the sunflower oil. Season the cod and gently cook skin side down for 5 minutes. Turn over and cook for a further 4 minutes.
6. To serve, reheat the lentils and gently stir in the butter and parsley, check the seasoning. Spoon the lentils onto plates, place the cod on top and garnish with the crispy prosciutto – delicious!!

Apple and Almond Puddings (Serves 6)

To get through these ‘dog days’ of January I think we all need to eat delicious, warming desserts and these apple puddings really hit the spot! They are wonderfully light, just make sure you serve them with lashings of cream!… This recipe is from Bill Granger’s cookbook, ‘Bills Open Kitchen’ . (You can substitute the plain flour for gluten-free flour – I use ‘Dove’s’)

150g unsalted butter

150g caster sugar

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

Batter:

175g unsalted butter, cubed (plus extra to grease ramekins)

175g caster sugar

3 eggs

100g ground almonds

100g plain flour (gluten- free if required – see note above)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

(To serve – cream)

*You will need six large 250ml ramekins, greased.

1. For the apples – place a saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the butter and sugar. Stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Add the apple and vanilla and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft and caramelised.
2. To make the batter, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well until combined. Fold in the ground almonds, flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix until combined.
3. Grease six 250ml ovenproof ramekins with butter. Arrange the caramelised apples on the bottom. Divide the batter evenly between the ramekins and smooth over with the back of a spoon. Cook in a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for 25 minutes until lightly golden.
4. Run a knife around the edge of each ramekin then invert onto a serving dish. Serve with cream.