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Bettina's Kitchen Recipes

Crushed Crisped New Potatoes With Sour Cream And Dill

I am a huge potato fan, and these little nuggets of goodness are one of my favourite ways of eating them. So crispy and dolloped with a salty fresh sour cream and dill and chive topping, this is a marriage made in heaven.

Serves
4
Total Time
50 Minutes
Ingredients
1kg Of New Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Toppings
200g Of Plant Yoghurt Or Sour Cream
20g Of Dill Fronds
1 Tablespoon Of Chopped Chives
2 Tablespoons Of Chopped Cornichons
Juice Of 1⁄2 A Lemon
1 Teaspoon Of Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Of Chopped Red Or Green Chillies
Salt & Pepper
To Serve
2 Spring Onions (Finely sliced)
Handful Of Dill Fronds
Method
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4).

Step 2

Cook the new potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water for 15–20 minutes, until soft, then drain well and allow to cool a little.

Step 3

Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and drizzle with a thin layer of olive oil. Add the cooked potatoes and use the palm of your hand to cover and gently smash each one down so they stay intact but split slightly – they should be pretty flat so the surface will crisp up really nicely.

Step 4

Baste the potatoes with 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 20–30 minutes, or until nice and crispy.

Step 5

While the potatoes are roasting, mix all the ingredients for the topping in a bowl and set aside.

Step 6

Once the potatoes are ready, remove from the oven and arrange on a serving platter. Add dollops of topping over the potatoes and sprinkle with the spring onions and dill fronds. These potatoes are fantastic served as canapés or as part of a pick-n-mix dinner.

Roasted Broccoli With Cheesy Polenta & Chives

Cauliflower has had its moment in the limelight in my book, so now I think it’s broccoli’s turn to shine. Poached whole with a zingy dressing over creamy polenta, this dish will impress both your eyes and taste buds.

Serves
4
Total Time
30 Minutes
Ingredients
2 Broccoli Heads
1 Litre Of Water
4 Tablespoons Tamari Or Soy Sauce
2 CM Piece Of Ginger Root (Grated)
2 Tablespoons Of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Of Sesame Seeds
For The Dressing
1⁄2 Small Red Onion
1 Tablespoon Capers
1 Tablespoon Gherkins
1⁄2 Apple
60 ML Of Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
For The Polenta
160g Of Polenta
960 ML Of Water
60 ML Plant Cream
(1 oz) chives, finely snipped
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
salt and pepper, to taste
Method
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4). Line a large baking tray (pan) with baking parchment.

Step 2

Prepare the broccoli by chopping 1 cm (1⁄2 in) from the base of the stem and peeling the rest of the stem. Keep the stem and broccoli head intact. Cut each broccoli head in half through the top and down the stem.

Step 3

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add the tamari/soy sauce and ginger.

Step 4

Once boiled, add the four broccoli halves to the pan, blanch for 5 minutes (be careful not to overcook) and then drain.

Step 5

Lay each broccoli half, flat side down, in the baking tray. Baste with the olive oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Cook in the oven for 10–15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Step 6

While the broccoli is cooking, mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Step 7

For the polenta, bring a saucepan of water (960 ml/32 fl oz/33⁄4 cups) to the boil and add the polenta.

Step 8

Keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken. Once thickened, remove from the heat, add the cream, chives, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper, and mix well.

Step 9

Serve immediately by adding a big dollop of creamy polenta to each plate and placing half a broccoli head on top. Drizzle generously with the dressing.

Chocolate Orange & Amaretto Mousse

Very few ingredients are needed to make this incredibly light and satisfying mousse. It has an added grown-up twist of Amaretto, which can easily be skipped for little ones.

Serves
4
Total Time
30 Minutes
Ingredients
320 ml (11 fl oz/11⁄3 cups) good-quality coconut cream or refrigerated full-fat tinned coconut milk
3 tablespoons runny peanut or almond butter
3 tablespoons cacao powder 2–3 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons Amaretto
zest of 1 orange
For The Caramelised Oranges
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
3 oranges, peeled and cut into slices
1⁄2 vanilla pod (bean), split and the seeds scraped out, or 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
To Serve
Grated dark chocolate, with at least 70% cocoa solids
4 slices of orange (optional)
Method
Step 1

Add the coconut cream and all the other ingredients to a bowl. Use an electric hand-held whisk to mix everything together until fluffy (be careful not to overblend).

Step 2

To make the caramelised oranges, heat the coconut oil in a small to medium saucepan and fry the orange slices before finishing off with the vanilla.

Step 3

To serve, add a couple of caramelised orange slices to the bottom of each serving glass and spoon in the mousse.

Step 4

Top with grated chocolate and an orange slice (if using).

Step 5

Refrigerate before serving or eat immediately.

Celebrate by Bettina Campolucci Bordi, Hardie Grant Books. 2021.

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