Best-selling author, chef and culinary wellness expert Bettina Campolucci Bordi headlined this year's Good Life show. In celebration, we're sharing some of our favorite recipes from the sustainable chef.
Make Your Own Tortilla Feast
Serves 4-6
For The Tortillas
20g spinach leaves
180ml water
365g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for frying
Pinch of salt
For The Refried Beans
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Pinch of chilli powder
Pinch of ground cumin
Pinch of coriander seeds
Pinch of sweet paprika
Olive oil, for frying
2x400g tins of pinto beans or black beans (or 1 of each), drained and rinsed
100ml water
For The Sunflower Mince
200g sunflower seeds
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Olive oil, for frying
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato purée (paste)
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
100g cooked rice (prepared according to packet directions)
For The Almond Feta
1 batch Almond Feta (see opposite)
For The Salsa
3 tomatoes, diced
1⁄2 mango (or any sweet fruit), diced
1⁄2 shallot, sliced
1 1⁄2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime, zested and juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste
For The Pea Guacamole
125g frozen peas
1⁄2 ripe avocado
1⁄4 fresh chilli, sliced, or a pinch of chilli flakes
1⁄2 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste
For The Quick Pickled Onions
2 red onions, thinly sliced
4–5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
To Serve
20g coriander leaves
1 lime, chopped into wedges
Baby gem lettuce leaves (optional)
Method
- To make the tortillas, whizz up the spinach leaves and water in a food processor or blender to make a green water.
- Add the flour to a mixing bowl and make a crater in the middle. Add the spinach water, oil and salt to the crater and work everything together slowly to form a ball of dough, adding a little more flour if it is too sticky. Cut the dough into 12 equal parts and roll into little dough balls.
- Place each dough ball on a clean floured surface and roll out as thinly as possible without breaking them. You can either store each tortilla between pieces of greaseproof baking paper to cook later or fry them straightaway.
- To cook the tortillas, heat some olive oil in a frying pan and cook each tortilla until slightly browned on each side. Keep the tortillas warm under a kitchen towel as you make them.
- To make the refried beans, over a medium heat cook the onion, garlic and spices in some olive oil in a saucepan for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the beans and water and turn the heat down to gently simmer.
- Use a potato masher to mash the beans slightly over the heat, retaining some texture and continuing to stir to prevent sticking. Once the beans are ready, place in a serving dish and top with the coriander leaves and lime wedges on the side. 7. To make the sunflower mince, pulse the sunflower seeds in a food processor or blender.
- Over a medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in some olive oil in a saucepan for a few minutes, then add the pulsed sunflower seeds and the remainder of the ingredients (except for the rice). Fry for a few minutes until everything becomes slightly crispy, then add the cooked rice just before serving and mix together.
- To make the salsa, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
- To make the pea guacamole, place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse gently until well mixed but still with some chunky bits.
- For the quick pickled onions, soak the sliced onion in the apple cider vinegar and brown sugar as you [set the table].
- Serve everything in lovely dishes and platters, including the almond feta, and create a spread in the middle of the table for everyone to build their own tortilla. You can use a lettuce leaf to hold the fillings instead of a tortilla, if you wish.
Cook's Tip: If you are storing the tortilla dough before cooking, keep it somewhere cool — ideally in the fridge.
Herbed Crostinis with Leek & Tahini Dip
Serves 4-6
1 baguette, sliced into rounds, or 4-6 slices of sourdough, cut in half
For The Leek and Tahini Dip
3 leeks
3–4 tablespoons olive oil
4 dates, pitted and torn
3–4 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons ground sumac
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper
For The Green Oil
30g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
3 tablespoons olive oil
To Serve
Baby Gem lettuce leaves (optional)
Handful of pine nuts
Olive oil, to drizzle
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then place in a basin of warm water and wash between the layers until fully clean.
- Thinly slice the leeks, green parts and all, and add to a large saucepan with the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Fry the leeks over a high heat for 5 minutes, then turn down to a medium heat for a further 15-20 minutes.
- While the leeks are cooking, put all the ingredients for the green oil in a food processor or blender and whizz until combined. You can also use a hand-held blender for this.
- Take the sliced baguette/sourdough, spread some green oil on each piece and place on a baking tray (pan). When the leeks are ready, add to a food processor or blender, along with the dates, tahini, sumac and lemon juice, and pulse to make a chunky dip.
- Bake the herbed garlic bread in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until nicely crisped. Arrange the bread around the outside of a nice platter and place the dip in the middle. You can also add some baby gem lettuce as a dipping option alongside the bread.
- Top the leek dip with some pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.
Almond Feta
280g blanched almonds
160ml (2⁄3 cup) water
Pinch of salt, plus extra for seasoning
1⁄2 probiotic capsule (optional)
Cook’s Tip: If you would like to age the cheese, transfer the blended almonds to a bowl (not made from metal or it won’t ferment), add the powder from half a probiotic capsule and mix well. Cover with a muslin cloth (cheesecloth) and keep outside the fridge for 24 hours to ferment. After 24 hours, the cheese will be slightly acidic in taste and have a thicker consistency.
Method
- Soften the almonds first by soaking them in a bowl of water for two hours.
- After two hours, drain and rinse the almonds, then tip into a food processor or blender along with water and pinch of salt, and blitz until you have a smooth texture. Once the almonds are blended, either age the cheese (see Cook’s Tip) or flavour with salt. Be generous, as cheese should be salty. If you are ageing the cheese, then flavour with salt after the 24-hour ageing period. Once salted, wrap the cheese mixture in a piece of muslin cloth (cheesecloth), create a tight ball and place in a sieve for steadiness. Place the sieve over a bowl, then add something heavy on top to weigh down the ball and push out any excess liquid. Keep in the fridge overnight.
- The feta cheese will last for up to seven days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Light as a Feather Tiramisu
Serves 6-8
1 Vanilla Sponge Cake Base (see below), baked in a 31x37 cm baking tray as a sheet cake
4 tablespoons aquafaba
350g firm silken tofu (I prefer organic)
3-4 tablespoons maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like this dessert)
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out, or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
60ml brewed strong coffee, cooled down
2 tablespoons Amaretto
160ml whippable plant cream suggested
Toppings
Shavings of dark chocolate, with 70% cocoa solids
Sieved cacao powder
Whole coffee beans.
Method
- First, make the Vanilla Sponge Cake Base and set aside to cool down.
- Meanwhile, whisk the aquafaba in a bowl until it is white, fluffy and forming peaks. This will take around 10 minutes with an electric whisk.
- To make a smooth tiramisu cream, blitz the tofu, maple syrup and vanilla in a food processor or blender.
- Gently fold the aquafaba mixture into the silken tofu mixture, keeping as much air in as possible. Set aside.
- Mix the coffee and Amaretto together in another bowl.
- Once the sponge cake has cooled, cut into slices to fit the glass dish you're using for the tiramis (see also Cook's Tips).
- To assemble, cover the bottom of the dish with one layer of tiramis cream, then add a layer of sponge. Spoon the coffee liquid over the sponge, then keep layering until you have used up all the ingredients, finishing with a layer of whipped cream on top.
- Decorate the tiramisu with your choice of toppings and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Vanilla Sponge Cake Base
120g vegan butter, plus extra for greasing
150g (2⁄3 cup) castor sugar (keeps the cake light and airy)
3 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from tinned chickpeas)
320g (2 1⁄2 cups) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
300ml plant milk (I like oat milk)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 vanilla pod, split and insides scraped out, or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
Pinch of salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas 4).
Grease a 21cm springform cake pan with butter or coconut oil. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk the aquafaba until it is white, fluffy and forming stiff peaks. This will take a good 10 minutes. I find using an electric whisk makes this much easier! Set aside. Add the flour, baking powder, milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and salt to the large bowl of creamed butter and sugar. Mix to incorporate everything well. Gently fold the aquafaba through the mixture, then pour into the prepared cake pan. Bake the cake in the oven for 40–50 minutes. Check if the cake is ready by inserting a skewer into the middle and seeing if it comes out clean (it may need an extra 5–10 minutes). Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once fully cooled, pop the cake out of the pan.
Cook's Tips:
If you don't have a glass serving bowl, make the tiramisu in a glass ovenproof dish or in individual glasses, so you can see the beautiful layers. If you are not vegan, you can use classic lady finger biscuits as your sponge element.
