Beetroot, horseradish and feta blini

This looked quite impressive, but was set upon as soon as it reached the table - and then people had seconds before I managed to remember to take a pic.

Blini

self raising flour and buckwheat flour (about 2/3 to 1/3)
egg
soya milk
salt
sour cream/ natural yogurt

Mix flours together, whisk in egg, then add soya milk and yogurt.  Mix to thick batter.  Fry in light olive oil - a couple of minutes each side.

Topping

beetroot
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
sour cream
horse radish cream
feta
pine nuts
(smoked salmon)

Chop beetroot and toss in good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Mix a couple of spoons of horseradish into sour cream.  Roast pine nuts til golden (or roast pine nuts until burnt, then get lovely sister in law to roast another batch until golden - this works too).  Lay blini on big platter add beetroot, horse radish cream and crumbled feta.  Fling pine nuts over the top.  Some people might also enjoy adding smoked salmon.

Cauliflower and sprout cheese, pepper and tomato bake and roasty tatoes

Tasty, tasty, tasty!  But... it did take longer than a quick tea... and I didn't start cooking until 7:15 (long stories... work, trains, dogs etc...) and we ate at 9pm.  That was OK though, cos it gave us chance to catch up with professional master chef as well.  The downside of that is that a person might be tempted to compare my presentation of dinner to a masterchef thingy.. well - DON'T.. that is all.

There are 3 elements to the dinner tonight - a greens bake, a red bake and roasted potatoes.

1.  the best thing to do would be start with the potatoes, chop them into bite sized pieces (skin on if it looks nice) and par boil.
2.  Meanwhile, chop and onion and fry gently in olive oil, then after a few minutes add cauliflower florets and prepped and quartered sprouts... I then added a splosh of white wine.  Cover and simmer.  When veg a bit soft, chuck on huge handful of grated cheddar and stick it in t'oven  with 'tatoes.
3.  Red bake - chop red pepper, plum tomatoes add crushed garlic, olive oil and plenty of seasoning - stick in t'oven with t'rest.

Takes about an hour in the oven - then scoff

Vegetable, butterbean hazelnut crumble

Visiting people and a full veg box.  What glee.  So mushroom and pepper hazelnut crumble with roast potatoes and steamed carrots and broccoli.  It was declared "better than my average" - which I took, though back-handed, as a compliment.  Thanks mis-behaving sectagenarian for the elegant presentation of serving implements.

Crumble

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 giant field mushrooms
1 red pepper
garlic
grainy mustard
tin butter beans
white wine
water

Topping

rolled oats
gluten free flour
hazelnuts
olive oil
seasoning

olive oil
potatoes
carrots
broccoli

1.  Sautee onion in olive oil.
2.  Add chopped mushrooms and red pepper, soften slightly.
3.  Add garlic and grainy mustard, drained butterbeans and splash of white wine.
4.  Simmer, don't let it dry out.
5.  Parboil bite sized pieces of potato, drain and cook in olive oil in hot oven.
6.  Mix oats, a little gluten free flour, zizzed up hazelnuts, season and mix with olive oil - enough to make it look like crumble.
7.  Transfer mustardy mixture to oven dish, top with crumble and bake for about 30 minutes.
8. Prepare and steam carrots and broccoli for about 12 minutes.

Minestrone

Surprise lunch out - and stuffed full of cheese 'n onion pie, so only wanted soup for dinner.  Lovely organic veg left from the box though, so a big steaming bowl of minestrone.

olive oil
onion
garlic
carrots
turnip
tomato puree
vegetable bouillon
water
few chili flakes

1.  Sweat finely chopped onion in olive oil.
2. Add finely diced root veg and garlic.
3.  After turning in the oil for a couple of minutes add a big squirt of tomato puree and stock.
4.  Simmer for about 15 minutes.
5.  Add a few chili flakes and the chopped cavolo nero.
6.  Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary, take a few ladles out and whizz, return to the soup.
7. Scoff

veggie curry, tarka dhal and brown rice

You can make this with all sorts of veg, and all sorts of spice mixes.  It takes about 45 minutes, start to finish, but you can leave it in the oven for ages if you're busy - just make sure it's covered.

Brown rice

Bring to boil in a cast iron, the water about an inch above the rice.  When it reaches the boil, put the lid on and stick it in a medium oven.  Forget about it until you are ready to eat.  It'll be done.

Veggie curry

I used:-

olive oil
1 onion
garlic
biryani spice mix
3 carrots
some mushrooms
large turnip
tin of tomatoes

1.  Soften chopped onion in olive oil until a bit soft.
2.  Prepare other veg and chuck it all in.
3. Simmer, taste, add more water if you need it.

Tarka dhal

Red lentils
water
olive oil
spices for frying - eg. fennel, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, garam masala, curry leaves

1.  Boil lentils until gloopy, add more water when you need to.
2.  Two minutes before serving, fry spices in oil, they're ready when they start releasing their aroma.
3.  Chuck onto lentils and savour the sizzling.

Scoff - in this case with a blob of natural yogurt.  Miss the yogurt out, and you have a vegan, gluten free dinner.  Kerching.

Root vegetable cake, kale with blue cheese dressing, roast tomatoes

Saw something similar on Nigel Slater - he grated a load of root vegetables and used it as a crumble on a steak pie... and had loads of root veg from the box, so I thought I'd adapt it and give it a go.

knob of butter
splosh of olive oil
2 onions
garlic
2 potatoes
2 parsnips
2 carrots
1 celeriac
1 tbsp grainy mustard
juice of 1 lemon
grating of nutmeg
lots of black pepper

olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
chopped kale
blue cheese

tomatoes
salt
olive oil

1.  Grate ingredients for the root vegetable cake.
2.  Fry them in olive oil and butter until they're a bit soft.
3.  Add garlic, mustard, nutmeg and seasoning.
4.  Transfer to oven proof dish and bake for about an hour at 180.
5.  Chop tomatoes and chuck into oven, sprinkled with salt and drizzled with olive oil.
6.  10 minutes before serving, sautee onion until a bit soft- toss in choppde kale, add splash of water - cover and steam for about 5 minutes.
7.  Add cheese, recover, let steam and melt.  Stir in.

Sharon fruit and pomegranate chili and ginger jam

Sharon fruit?  Pomegranate?  I really am not a fruit expert.  I know I "should" eat more of it, but it doesn't come naturally to me.  OK, if you eat puddings, chop it up and have a fruit salad, in lots of combinations... but I don't eat pudding more than once a month.  So here I am with 3 sharon fruit and 3 pomegranates, what to do?  Lots of snuffling in the house as well, so a good faff in the kitchen mucking about with stuff kind of a Saturday, so I though chutney... and then I though again.. chili jam!

2 smallish onions, finely chopped
olive oil
3 sharon fruits
2 pomegranates
dried rosemary
gralic, crushed - at elast 4 cloves, more if you like it garlicky
ginger - also crushed - about a thumb sized piece, but to taste
chili flakes (about 1 tsp)
granulated sugar (about 250g)
cider vinegar
splosh of red wine
juice of 1 lime
juice of 2 oranges
water

1. Sautee onion in olive oil.
2.  Add chopped sharon fruit and pomegranate buds (well, whatever they are -- the bobbles, cut pomegranate in half and squeeze the sweet kernels into the pan, squeeze in juice of 1 lime.
3. Sprinkle a little dried rosemary in.  Stir, and gently sautee.
4.  Add garlic, ginger, chili paste, sugar and vinegar.  Simmer.  don't let t dry out.
5.  Taste - I added orange juice and simmered again for a bit.
6.  spoon a bit onto a cold plate, and taste when it cools down a bit.  adjust seasoning to taste.
7.  Put into jars.

Eat with cheese/ cold meats.

Warming kale and mushroom casserole with leek mash

Needed comfort food.  Got comfort food.  It was good for us too.  You don't need the parmesan - I just had some left, it added a nice savoury edge.

The mash
olive oil
1 leek
1/2 celeriac
3 largish potatoes
knob of butter
tablespoon of parmesan

The Casserole

olive oil
1 onion
Crushed garlic
6 big mushrooms
5 tomatoes
red wine
italian herbs
Kale
Tin of chickpeas

1.  Saute leek in olive oil, it can go a little caramelised around the edges.
2.  Peel and chop into 1 inch chunks the celeriac and potatoes.  Boil in salted water until mashable.  Drain, mash, add seasoning, leeks, cheese and butter.  Put into hot oven to crisp up the top.
3.  Saute onion in olive oil, add chopped tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic.  Soften a little - splosh in red wine and add herbs.  Simmer.
4.  Chuck in chopped kale and a little water or stock.  Then tin of drained chickpeas.  There should be enough liquid in the pan to let if cook without catching, but not so that it is swimming in it.
5.  Bung it in the oven with the potato.
6.  Wait 20 minutes.  Take out of oven, scoff.

Delicious, really warming, really filling, does you loads of good.

Pasta puttanesco

It's not authentic, but it is quick and very tasty.  Tonight we had a nightmare with trains so didn't get in through the front door until 9:20.  We were sitting down to eat this at 9:40.  I decided to pep it up with anchovies and miss out the chili this time.

Olive oil
Gluten free pasta
leek, chopped and washed
2 plum tomatoes, diced
handful of olives, roughly chopped
small handful of capers, roughly chopped
crushed garlic
About 6 anchovy fillets, chopped.
Parmesan, freshly ground

1.  Put the pasta on, cook according to packet instructions.
2.  Sautee leek in lots of good olive oil.
3.  Add diced tomatoes.  Stir in and chuck in olives and capers.
4.  About 2 minutes before serving, stir through anchovies - they don't need to cook, just warm through.  I like them to retain little punchy pockets of flavour rather than it be evened out over the whole dish, in this recipe.
5.  Drain pasta,  stir into the sauce.
6.  Serve with big grinding of black pepper ad freshly grated parmesan.

Butter bean and romanesco curry with mixed rice

I love romanesco, but we have had quite a lot of it recently.  Which is not a surprise because it is in season.  However, I didn't fancy doing the "usual" things which are roman cauliflower or a cheese sauce - os I thought I'd bung it in curry.  It was lovely.  The butter beans stayed whole and their gentle flavour came through the spicy sauce.



Rice - red, basmati and wild

Olive oil
1 leek, chopped and washed
1 romanesco, broken into florets
3 carrots, peeled and diced
garlic, crushed
Curry mix .. this one claimed to be for chicken kebabs, but it could have been many - check that you like the sound of the spices
1 tin butter beans, drained
1 carton tomatoes
water

1.  Sautee leek in olive oil until a bit softenned.
2.  Put rice in cast iron casserole, cover with water to an inch over the surface of the rice.  Bring to the boil, then stick in a medium oven and ignore until the curry is ready.
3.  Add the romanesco, carrots, garlic and spice mix to the pan.  Soften for a couple of minutes then add some water and simmer.
4.  Chuck in the butter beans after about 10 minutes.
5.  Add passata and simmer for about another 10 minutes.  Add more water if it looks like it's going dry.
6.  Taste, season and taste
7.  Scoff

Veggie tapas

The new veg box comes tomorrow - which is great.  We have lots of veg left in the fridge - which is great.  The trick is to make nice dinners out of stuff which doesn't always immediately go together without just shouting stew, casserole, curry.... and chucking it in and hoping for the best.

Tonight, carribbean squash, balsamic roasted beetroot, spinach with nutmeg and parmesan, roasted heritage tomatoes, charred chicory .. all brought together with garlicky mustard yogurt dressing.  Yum.

Turn oven to 180C.

4 beetroot
2 red onions
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

1/2 decent sized squash, peeled and chopped into big bite sized pieces, seeds and middle stringy bit scraped out and discarded
carribean seasoning
olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced
2 big handfuls of spinach
olive oil
water
garlic
freshly grated nutmeg
black pepper
parmesan, grated

chicory
olive oil

tomatoes
olive oil
salt

natural yogurt
1 tbsp grainy mustard
crushed garlic
olive oil
lemon juice
seasoning

pine nuts

1.  In a roasting dish - put unpeeled beetroot, quartered red onion, a good splosh of olive oil.  Lid on - in the oven (will take about 90 minutes)
2.  Argue with the squash, battle it into pieces - I aim for about 2-3 cm cubes, but obviously the vegetable doesn't provide those proportions - so my best guideline is pieces which, in polite company, one would cut into two pieces before cramming into one's gob.  Put in roasting tin, sprinkle with carribbean seasoning (or mix of chili and herbs etc), toss about, cover (with foil if no lid).
3.  Have a sit down, ... cup of tea.. watch a soap.. for about 40 minutes
4.  Galvanise yourself, put tomatoes in an oven proof dish with splosh of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt.  Put dish in oven.
5.  Have another little sit down, listen to some nice music - about 20 minutes.
6.  Finely slice an onion and sautee gently in olive oil, after a few minutes chuck is chopped (or if baby spinach, just chuck it in) and washed spinach, allow to wilt for a minute, add a tiny splash of water to allow it all to wilt.
7.  Grate a little nutmeg (be careful with nutmeg, it can get medicinal) into the spinach, squish in garlic, grind in some black pepper, stir around, clamp on lid and steam for a bit.
8.  Check that the veg are ready... by sticking a sharp knife into the beetroot and squash, when they are nearly ready...
9.  Cut chicory into quarters, sear in a hot pan.
10.  Take the beetroot out of the oven, take its lid off, and let it cool down.  When it is cool enough, peel and chop into nice, bite sized pieces, and stir in balsamic vinegar.
11.  Actually, in the middle of step 10 - make the yogurty dressing... mix crushed garlic, grainy mustard, seasoning, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning ... to taste (think of 1 tsp garlic, 2 tsp mustard, 6 tbsp yogurt, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp lemon juice.... but this really is to taste, so try as you go)
12.  Gently toast some pine nuts.  (If I hadn't burnt these, I would have spinckled them elegantly on the spinach).
13.  Present to appreciative crowd, and scoff

Easy "kedgeree"

I don't want to bleat on... but I have had a couple of bad days or so.  On the Sunday before we had this for tea I fell over on ice - people around me insisted it was a heavy frost, not ice, but it WAS ice... it was water, frozen and invisible on the pavement.. and I fell over.  Dramatically!  One minute I was upright, next I was on my back.  Luckily (hmphh) the dog broke my fall ... well the poor thing got squished under my arm for a milli-second as I fell - he did not provide a mattress in my minute of need.  So, I spent a day ouching, a second day unable to sit down for more than 10 minutes (it's always worse the day after with the bruising), then it has got gradually better.  I won't put a picture of it up here - you will be pleased to hear - but the bruise on my bum really was an insult to the underlying pain!

So, easy kedgeree:-

1 onion
oilve oil
1 turnip, peeled and diced
1 leek
rice
veg stock
malaysian fish curry mix (cos I have some, could be another spice mix)
1 pack of "fish pie" mix (cod, salmon, smoked haddock)
garlic
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
handful of frozen peas

1.  Sweat  chopped onion in olive oil.  About 3 minutes.
2.  Add chopped veg - could be a mixture - we had turnip and leek to use up.  About 2 minutes.
3.  Add rice and stir in, so that every grain is separate.  Chuck in the spice mix and tinned tomatoes and some stock/wine and simmer for a bit, don't let it get too dry, but don't swamp it.
4.  When the rice is "al dente" add in fish bits.  Leave them on top of the rice mixture and put on a lid to steam for about 5 minutes.
5.  Chuck in a handful of frozen peas, stir in.
6.  At this point you should be able to turn off the heat, clamp the lid down hard, and let the ricey mixture soak up the residual juice.

SCOFF. gloat

Roast mushrooms, lentil casserole and cabbage

The BEST thing in today's veg box .. 2 lovely field mushrooms ... delish.  So, kinda, sorta, stuffed mushrooms innit? but not quite.. It really is very simply roasted mushrooms with a lentil stew and some cabbage.  It was really, really easy.

onion
red pepper
garlic
olive oil
carrot
puy lentils
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
herbs


1. Start "ragu"/ stew by gently frying onions, and the adding veg... and some wine if you have it.
2. Add lentils or other beans (if they REALLY needed soaking you should have started this yesterday), simmer for a bit, add tomatoes, simmer again until done.
3. Stir fry chard with a sliver of garlic in olive oil.
4.  Steam cabbage.
5.  Grill mushrooms on both sides, with a drizzle of olive oil and a good grind of black pepper.

Turnip, potato and leek pie with greens - gluten free

 Well - I bought some lovely looking turnips (yes, I did write that) and was wondering what to do with them - and I thought I'd try some gluten free pastry - so, a few google moments later and I found this http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/05/30/turnip-leek-pie/ ... so spent the next 30 minutes wandering around the very interesting blog.

The pie, itself looked lovely, so I have adapted it a bit - but in essence I have stolen the leek, turnip, rosemary and cheddar idea - and added potatoes.  The pastry is made with gluten free flour - which makes it more difficult to handle - roll out on greaseproof paper so that you can lift it accross.

In order of what to do - start with the pastry, put it in the fridge while you start the filling, turn on the oven.  When the filling is ready, make the pie, put it in the oven, put tomatoes in at the same time - then prep and steam the vegetables.  It can then all be ready within an hour.

Pastry

About 125g gluten free flour
About 50g soya spread (I was going down the lactose free route, but then decided to add cheese.. could have been butter)
2 tbsp natural yogurt
pinch of salt
cold water - about 2 tbsp


Rub together fat and seasoned flour, turn into pastry with yogurt and cold water.  Wrap in cling film, and put in the fridge to rest.  When ready pull out of the fridge and roll out (treat it gently, it doesn't have the same resilience as wheat flour pastry) on floured (gluten free of course) greaseproof paper.

Filling

Olive oil
Chopped leek (1 big)
Peeled and diced turnip (1 big)
peeled and diced potato (3 medium/big)
garlic
white wine
dried rosemary (a tsp max)
grainy mustard
vegetable stock
cheddar cheese - grated (200g)
egg - beaten (for egg wash - could be milk)

Saute leek in olive oil, when a bit soft add turnip and garlic, and white wine, simmer for a little then add rosemary and potato and enough stock to simmer.   Stir in grainy mustard.  Simmer until veg is "al dente" (about 15 minutes) don't let it dry out but let it reduce away so that you can just transfer mixture to pie dish.  Top with cheese, and then layer over pastry.  Pierce a few times to let out steam and egg wash.

Bake at 180 for about 25 minutes.

I also chucked some cherry tomatoes in at the same time, with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of rock salt - they worked very well.

Steam chopped vegetables - cavolo nero and broccoli in this case.

Really, really nice.  Great to have the treat of a pie, whilst being entirely gluten free.  Left overs in plastic box for lunch tomorrow.  (not sure how well it would freeze) Yum.

Bonfire night casserole with roasted bulgar groats

I have had some criticism about my presentation so I tried a bit harder.  I don't think it's achieved much!  The roasted bulgar groats were in a ring in the middle of the dish, with the lentil casserole as a moat, and the cavolo nero as a free form bonfire on the top.   Whatever! It tasted great.  I have never had roasted bulgar groats and they work really well.

I love cavolo nero, but wanted it to stand as a dish so stirred in a sauce of yogurt and mustard ... it was LOVELY.

So ....

Start with the lentil casserole

olive oil
leek
garlic
squash, peeled etc , in bite sized pieces
puy lentils
mushrooms
(other veg...)
tsp marmite
mixed herbs
black pepper

1. Sautee chopped leek in olive oil for a few mins, on middling heat.  Add other veg, lentils and water... season.  Simmer for about 20 minutes - add water if it's going dry.
2.  Adjust seasoning., make sure there is enough water ... simmer a bit more.
3.  After about 30 minutes lentils should be soft and all other veg cooked.

Meanwhile...

Boil the bulgar groats according to packet instructions (15 mins in boiling water)... draind and serve

Cavolo nero with yogurt mustartd sauce

Cavolo nero (or other green cabbage) - chopped, and steamed
Natural yogurt
Lemon juice (tiny squeeze)
Salt and pepper
Mustard (to taste)

Steam:- on top of the bulgar boiling water- shredded cavolo nero (I LOVE this vegetable) - when it is steamed stir it into the mustard/yogurt mixture.

Mushroom risotto and braised red cabbage

The braised red cabbage thing benefits from being started first, but you also need to leave time for the mushrooms to soak to get the full flavour into the risotto.  So, boil a kettle, chop the onions and start the two dishes at the same time.  The red cabbage dish can be chucked into the oven for up to about 2 hours.  The risotto, when the dried mushrooms have been reconsistuted will take about 30 minutes.


Braised red cabbage

1 onion, chopped
olive oil
1/2 a red cabbage
crushed garlic
fennel seeds
cumin seeds
chopped apple
red wine
seasoning
water

mushroom risotto

onion, chopped
olive oil
garlic
risotto/paella rice
dried mushrooms (shitake in this case)
chestnut mushrooms
vegetable stock
white wine
parsley
parmesan, grated

1.  Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water.
2.  Start the braised cabbage - gently sautee onions and garlic with a tsp fennel seeds and half a tsp cumin seeds.
3.  Add chopped red cabbage and chopped apple.  Chuck in glass of wine and simmer.  Add water (not much, just dont let it go dry) and seasoning.
4. Simmer very gently, or out in lowish oven, for about 40 mins (or longer, let it take its time... stir it and taste it)

Risotto

1.  Sautee chopped onion and garlic in olive oil.
2.  Add rice (a small handful per 2 people), turn over until every grain is coated.  Add slosh of white wine and finely chopped fresh and rehydrated dried mushrooms.
3.  You will have fished the rehydrated mushrooms from hot water - this is the stock, at least to start with - add it ladle by ladle full to the risotto and let it simmer away.
4.  It should take about 20 minutes, stir every now and again, add more water ans seasoning as you think.
5.  Turn off heat and leave to stand for a few minutes to suck up the juice.
6.  Stir in chopped parsley, grated parmesan - freshly ground black pepper - and serve.

YUM.  Seconds of  risotto all round.  red cabbage was lovely, but saving it for salad tomorrow - when it will have softenned a bit and mellowed in flavour for a cold lunch.  Not so keen on cold risotto!

Fish pie with steamed vegetables

onion
bay leaf
soya milk
mixed fish (cod, salmon, smoked haddock)
cornflour
potatoes
olive oil spread
parsley
salt and pepper

green beans
carrots

Fish pie

Poach the fish, in bite sized pieces, in the soya milk flavoured with the onion and bay leaf, for about 7 minutes.
Peel, boil and mash potatoes.  Season well, add butter/olive oil spread and soya milk to taste.
Pull fish from soya milk with a slotted spoon, put into oven dish.  Discard onion and bayleaf.  Thicken sauce with slaked cornflour in soya milk/water, over a lowish heat.  Add loads of chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
Add sauce to fish (shake oven dish to distribute evenly).  Top with mashed potatoes.  Keep any spare sauce to have with the veg for extra luxury.
Bake at 180 for about 25 minutes until golden.

Steam vegetables.

Scoff

Halloween curry fest

Homemade... with all the trimmings

Aloo gobi, channa dhal and sag paneer with rice and raita

Aloo gobi

Mustard seeds
cumin seeds
tarka dhal
chopped onion
garlic
potatoes, big dice
carrots, peeled and diced
mushrooms, quartered
yellow pepper, chopped
romanesco (cauliflower), in florets
turmeric
tin tomatoes
water
chili
garam masala

channa dhal

chopped onion
channa dhal spice mix
olive oil
tin of chickpeas
tin tomatoes

saag paneer

olive oil
gralic
tinned spinach
paneer in bite sized pieces
chili

raita

natural yogurt
garlic
salt
lemon juice
chili flakes

rice
water

Rice - cook to packet instructions - or in my case put in pan, add water to about an inch above the surface of the rice, bring to the boil, cover tightly and transfer to oven .. let it cook itself for 20 minutes plus.

Aloo gobi - heat spices in a little oil until they start to pop.  Add onion and garlic, soften a bit, then add other chopped veg and water, simmer, add tomatoes, simmer.  Keep tasting and adjusting seasoning, probably for about 30 minutes - add water if it's going dry.  Add chili after about 10 minutes and garam masala 5 minutes before end of cooking.

Channa dhal - soften finely chopped onion in olive oil, add tinned shickpeas, channa dhal (or other) seasonning mix (be cautious, add a teaspoon and taste... you can add, but it's hard to take away... if it gets too hot add a little sugar),  Stir in a tin of chopped tomatoes (or tomato puree and water), simmer  Don't add salt until the end of cooking to avoid making the chickpea skins go hard.

Saag paneer (NEVER EVER tell anyone how easy this is).  Tip tin of spinach into pan, add chopped paneer, Heat gently, add garam masala when warmed through.

Raita - mix ingredients, taste, adjust....

This was a fantastic Halloween feast.  Obviously, as I am never knowingly under catered there was enough left for another meal.  Well, truth be told another 8 servings.  We mixed the rice and saag paneer together and the channa dhal and aloo gobi together for a 2 dish supper.

Would be vegan if you omitted raita, or used a soya yogurt.

Autumnal lentil and bean casserole with haloumi

chopped onion
garlic
olive oil
bay leaf
rosemary
carrots
green beans
white wine
tin of green lentils
grainy mustard
tomatoes

anya potatoes

Halloumi

Felt like something quite autumnal, and this really fit the bill.  It was delicious.

As to recipe - usual stuff, soften oniond in olive oil,  Add garlic, a bayleaf and a teaspoon of dried rosemary,  Add chopped veg and white wine, simmer until a bit cooked.  Tip in tin of green lentils and stir in a big spoonful of grainy mustard and some chopped fresh tomatoes.  Simmer again, seasoning as you go and adding water if it gets a bit dry.  It's ready when the veg is soft but lentils still hold their shape.

Boil/steam potatoes.

Fry haloumi in hot dry pan until coloured on both sides.

Scoff.  This was really, really delicious.

Broccoli and leek blue cheese gluten free pasta

Olive oil
2 leeks
1 head of broccoli
some chard leaves
garlic
white wine
about 100g blue cheese (gorgonzola in this case)

gluten free pasta
salt and pepper

Sautee leeks in olive oil.  Add chopped broccoli stalks, and then after a couple of minutes the florets.
Cook pasta according until al dente.
Splosh white wine into veggies.  Simmer.
When veg is nearly done chuck in chunks of blue cheese.
Drain pasta, chuck into veg and season.

It was extremely quick, and extremely tasty.

Spicy fish and "chips"

Oops... was so tasty we scoffed a lot of it before I remembered to take a pic.

"Chips" were really roast potatoes, par-boiled and then roasted in hot olive oil, in a hot oven.

Spicy fish was pollock in a maize meal, cornflour and cold water batter, with a good spoonful of curry goat seasoning - fried in olive oil.

Vegetables were 1 chopped onion, sauteed until soft, in olive oil, garlic, frozen peas and splosh of white wine, then handful of shredded lettuce wilted in.

Tartare sauce was 2 gherkins, some capers, finely chopped and stirred into half and half creme fraiche and natural yogurt, with a squeeze of lemon juice and black pepper.

Delish!

Rosti, tomato and feta casserole with mushroom and leek stuff

Really bad pics at the moment - apologies!

Rosti

6 potatoes
2 onions, 1 red one white

Grate potatoes and onion season well, put into seive and weigh down to drain out water.

Squish into patties.  Fry, when other stuff is nearly ready in olive oil and butter for a couple or 3 minutes each side.

Tomato and feta casserole

5 tomatoes
1/2 red onion
feta
handful of olives

Chop tomatoes roughly, and red onion finely, put in oven proof dish - crumble in feta and chuck in stoned black olives.  Bake, covered with foil for half an hour or so.

Mushroom, leek and pea sauce

olive oil
2 leeks
handful mushrooms
garlic
splash of white wine
handful frozen peas
creme fraiche

Sautee chopped and washed leeks in olive oil, when a little soft add mushrooms and garlic.  Adda  splash of white wine and simmer gently.  When nearly ready to eat chuck in handful of frozen peas, heat through, take off the heat and stir in tbsp creme fraiche.

My favourite bit was the hot sweet tomato with the salty feta and olives, against the fried potato.  Yums.

Rice and lentils, roasted veg, beetroot and kale

All elements of the "recipe" quite simple - but together it was very good, and very nutritious.

Cook rice and lentils, and mix together when cooked.

Peel and chop carrots and parsnips, add wedges of red onion, spritz with lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with caribbean spices.  Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, remove foil and continue to bake until veg is soft and slightly "caught" around the edges.

Bake the beetroot with garlic cloves and olive oil and black pepper - cover with foil.  Peel when hot, chop and splash on balsamic vinegar.

Steam kale for about 12-15 minutes, after grating on fresh nutmeg.

Scoff.  Some garlic yogurt sauce would have been nice if you like that kind of thing.

Tortilla, pepperonata, butter bean casserole and red cabbage slaw

End of the week for the veg box, some red peppers, so an interesting mix for tea.

Tortillas:

Maize meal
Warm water

Mix to a paste - squish into tortillas in specialist tortilla squisher - between sheets of cling film.  Or, in less gadget driven households - roll out, between cling film so that it doesn't stick to the surface - with a rolling pin.

Fry in a little olive oil and butter.  Keep warm in the oven.

Pepperonata:

1 red onion diced
Olive oil
2 red peppers
2 cloves crushed garlic
Tomato puree
water
Chili flakes
salt

Sweat onion in olive oil, add chopped peppers, garlic and tomato puree.  Add a little water so that it stays juicy.  Add chili flakes and salt.  Cover and simmer gently for about 45 minutes.

Butter bean casserole

Half a red onion, diced
Olive oil
Drained tin of chick peas
Splosh of white wine
Grated rind of half a lemon
Dried rosemary
Black pepper
Crushed garlic

Stick everything into cast iron casserole and simmer gently.  Ours went a little dry, should have checked that there was enough liquid and added a little water.  Delish though.

Red cabbage slaw

1/2 red cabbage
1 small red onion
3 carrots
Squeeze of lemon juice
1 tsp mustard
fennel seeds
3 tbsp natural yogurt
black pepper
salt

Grate, mix - taste, adjust seasoning.

Stick everything on the table and let the free for all commence.

Sardine and rice stuffed pappers

1 onion, chopped and sauteed in olive oil
Garlic
Chili flakes
A few mushrooms
Cauliflower
Tin of tomatoes
Tin of pichards
Green beans

2 red peppers

Cook rice according to packet
Roast peppers in a drizzle of olive oil for about 40 minutes
Make rice mixture by mixing sauteed onion, mushrooms, beans, chopped cauliflower and sauteeing until soft, add cooked rice, chili flakes and tin of tomatoes, heat through.
Add in sardines/pilchards and mix through

Cheap, nutritious and tasty.

Penne with smoked salmon, peas and beans - gluten free

Veg box at weekly low - chinese leaves are still in there though!  abandonned!  Not really sure what to do with them.  Fine in salads, but it's cold.. I want a hot dinner.

Anyway:-

Olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
Garlic
Smoked salmon
green beans, chopped
Frozen peas
Spinach
2 tbsp creme fraiche
2 tbsp natural yogurt

Pasta (in this case gluten free penne)

Cook pasta to packet instructions
Sautee onion in olive oil, add green beans
When bearly cooked add frozen peas, chopped spinach and bits of smoked salmon
Drain pasta, mix with veg and salmon, stir in creme fraiche and yogurt

Couldn't be easier

Kholrabi salad with mushroom, spinach and hazelnut pasta

Well, much debate about what to call tonight's dinner - without just listing ingredients!  It is Monday - the veg box arrives on a Tuesday morning.  This is the time when you look at what you have got, and try to find something tasty, which is not just "chuck it in and hope for the best".

So, two dishes, either of which could have stood alone, but actually were delicious together.

Kholrabi, apple and watercress salad

Olive oil
1 lemon
1 kholrabi
2 small apples
2 carrots (mine were yellow, but that's because that was what we got)
1 onion, very finely sliced
cider vinegar
1 small bunch watercress, leaves picked off
salt and pepper

1.  Squeeze half a lemon to catch its juice in a bowl add about as much olive oil - this is to stop the kholrabi and apple oxidising and turning brown - so bear this in mind as you grate the other ingerdients in, and make sure you turn them over in the lemon juice and oil as you prepare the veg.
2.  Grate in kholrabi, apples and carrots.  Finely (as finely as you can) slice onions into half moons. I would have used red onions if I had some, but I didn't so VERY carefully finely sliced a white onion.
3.  Turn over to make sure veg and fruit have a film - you may wish to add more juice/oil - and/or a drop of cider vinegar to make a tangy, tasy mix.
4.  Strip watercress and gently stir in leaves.
5.  Taste, and adjust seasoning.

Mushroom, spinach and hazelnut pasta

Pasta (this is a gluten free version, so it was a corn rice mix penne pasta.. but any shortish pasta would be fine)
olive oil
8 (well, 8ish) mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
splosh of brandy (optional really, but does give a depth of flavour)
big handful of spinach leaves
3 tbsps creme fraiche
75g gorgonzola (or other blue cheese)
water
black pepper
a handful of hazelnuts

1.  Cook pasta in boiling water, according to packet instructions - don't over cook, as it will be heated through with the mushroom mixture.  Drain when cooked.  If a little while before needed, drizzle over a tiny hint of olive oil and stir so that it doesn't stick together.
2.  Chop mushrooms and sautee gently in olive oil (and butter, if you like butter).
3.  Chop spinach leaves into ribbons - not tiny pieces, just so that when they wilt they keep some shape but are not stringy.
4.  Add crushed garlic to mushrooms, stir in.
5.  Add a splosh of brandy - flame it (turn pan slightly into gas flame/ a match) to burn off the harshness of the alcohol but retain the flavour (this step is entirely optional, but does add a depth of flavour otherwise un-achievable)
6.  Add ribbons of spinach and stir/toss until wilted.
7.  Meanwhile roast hazelnuts, briefly, in a dry frying pan - about 2 minutes shaking much of the time.  Once roasted  - either pulse in processor or smash a bit in pestle and mortar.
7.  Chuck in pasta, remove from heat.
8.  Let cool for a minute, add crumbled cheese and creme fraiche.  Stir through until cheese is melted.

Serve - I sprinkled the hazelnuts on the pasta, and served with the salad - and we both had seconds... and thirds.

Mushroom and chickpea curry

Cook rice according to packet.

vegetable oil
1 onion
curry spice mix
garlic
green beans
red pepper
mushrooms
tin of chickpeas
water
Natural yogurt
creme fraiche

1.  Sautee chopped onion, then add spices and garlic.
2.  Add in chopped red pepper and green beans, keep sauteeing for a bit.
3. Chuck in mushrooms, and a little water if it needs to be let down.  Simmer for a few minutes.  Taste - adjust seasoning if necessary - remembering that you will add yogurt and creme fraiche which will cut any heat or harshness a bit.
4.  When vegetables are tender add a tin of chickpeas (drained), heat through.
5.  Turn off heat, allow to cool briefly (it helps the yogurt not to split).
6.  Stir in 2 tbsp natural yogurt and about 1 tbsp creme fraiche.
7. Scoff

Red pepper and spinach risotto, greek inspired beans

Interesting mix of veg in the fridge, but nothing new purchased and this was delicious.

Risotto

olive oil
chopped onion
chopped red pepper
rice
white wine
crushed garlic
vegetable stock
paella seasoning
splash of chili sauce
big pile of spinach, chopped

Beans

Olive oil
Cannelini beans (would have been butter beans if I had any)
2 bay leaves
crushed garlic
tin of tomatoes
mixed herbs
plenty of black pepper

1. Sautee 2 lots of chopped onion in olive oil - 1 for the risotto, one for the beans.
2.  When a little soft add chopped pepper to the risotto base, and tinned (drained) beans to the bean mixture.
3.  Stir around - add rice to the risotto and stir until all grains are covered in a film of oil.  Add a glass of white wine and simmer.  Then add spice mix (paella/pimento and turmeric), herbs and crushed garlic.  Keep adding stock and stirring as rice cooks (about 25 minutes depending on rice).
4.  After starting 2 add 2 bay leaves, a tin of tomatoes and a half cup of water to the beans (chop tomatoes if they are not chopped).  Simmer.  Add water if its getting dry, but let the beans get nice and soft, season when serving.  (Don't add salt too soon, it will make the bean skins tough).
5.  When ricey mixture is nearly done add chopped spinach, put lid on and leave for 5 minutes (turn off heat).  Stir it in to become properly wilted, but not lose its colour.
6.  Season, scoff (with cheese if you fancy).

Potato, tomato and onion bake with steamed veg and a red wine mushroom gravy

Combination of the need for comfort food, lots of lovely stuff in the veg box and an autumnal evening and this found its way onto the table.

Potato, tomato and onion bake

Olive oil
8-10 biggish new potatoes
3 tomatoes
1 onion
Vegetable stock
Clove garlic, crushed
Small handful of grated parmesan
(Chopped fennel tops)

Steamed vegetables - in this case purple sprouting broccoli, carrots, green beans

Red wine mushroom gravy

Olive oil
Chopped onion
mushrooms
red wine crushed garlic
knob of butter

1.  Slice potatoes, onion and tomatoes thinly.  Layer into a casserole, seasoning in between layers.  Pour on veg stock (with or without wine).  Cover in foil and bake in the oven (180C) for about an hour.
2.  Meanwhile, start the gravy - sweat onions in olive oil, when softenned add garlic, herbs, tomato paste if you want, wine, water and seasoning to taste.
3.  Check on potatoes - if they are getting towards cooked (ie.  sharp knife is offered little resistance) sprinkle on grated parmesan (or not if vegan) and stick back in the oven for 20 minutes.
4.  Prepare veg and chop into approximately even sizes and steam for about 12-15 minutes.
5.  Just before serving whisk knob of butter into gravy (leave out if vegan, obv!) - this will make it shiny and unctious.  Drip unattractively into gravy jug (oh, no, that was just me)
6.  Scoff.
7.  Have seconds.
8.  Try to resist thirds.  Fail.

Yummy.

Smoked mackerel fishcakes, golden beets, green beans and leeks'n'stuff

This, sadly, is a REALLY bad picture.  I am sure there's something wrong with that camera.  However, I include it as the beets were truly delicious - kind of sweet and nutty at the same time, and a beautiful texture.

 

So...

 

olive oil

4 baking potatoes

2 smoked haddock

Tarragon

6 golden beets

balsamic vinegar

8 cloves garlic - whole

leek

Courgette

white wine

green beans

egg

corn thins

1.  Wash and prick potatoes - bake at 180C for about an hour and a half.

2.  Top and tail beets to remove furry roots - bake, in skins with drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Chuck whole cloves of garlic in and seal with foil.  Bake for about an hour and a half.

After about an hour....

3.  Chop leeks and courgette, fry gently in olive oil, add splash of white wine and simmer until softish (15 mins tops)

4.  Steam green beans.

5.  Get potatoes and beets out of the oven - when they are cool enough to handle, skin them.

6.  Mash the potatoes, add flaked mackerel and chopped tarragon.

7.  Whisk egg, whizz corn thins into "not breadcrumbs" ie. gluten free

8.  Shape fishcakes, dip in egg then "not breadcrumbs" - then fry on each side for about 4 minutes.

Yum!  Enough for dinner, lunch and an extra lunch.  The garlic is sweet and tender, don't just leave it in the pan, squish it onto the fishcakes/beets.

Caribean vegetable stew, with rice and peas

Veg box had squash, pepper and beans, and I fancied something a bit spicy, so came up with this.

Olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 squash
Handful green beans
1 red pepper
Tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp peanut gravy mix
Cajun seasoning

Big handful of brown rice
Tin kidney beans

Peanuts

Lettuce
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

1.  Put rice in vast iron pot, add drained kidney beans.  Add water to 2 inches above rice and beans.  Stir.  Bring to the boil, cover,  then transfer to an over at 150C.
2.  Sautee onion and garlic until a little softenned.  Then add prepared veggies.  Cook for a few minutes, letting them soften.
3.  Add tin of tomatoes, a tinful of water and the Cajun seasoning and peanut mix.  Simmer away until rice is done - about 30 minutes.
4.  Dry fry peanuts - smash up a bit in a pestle and mortar.
5.  Toss lettuce in a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic.

Scoff.  Delish.

Buy nothing September has not worked out quite so well, and I haven't written everything down - but I am avoiding big food shops.

Gluten free breakfast pancakes with apple and cranberry sauce

Truly rubbish pic, dunno what was wrong with the camera.  These were birthday breakfast pancakes for someone who is giving gluten free a go, to see if it helps with general aches and pains.

Olive oil (for frying, could be any vegetable oil)
Butter
Gluten free flour (Self Raising Doves in this instance)
Soya milk
Egg
Natural yogurt
Pinch of salt

Apple sauce

3 cooking apples
handful dried cranberries
sugar

1.  Put flour into bowl and crack in egg.  Stir in to start the process.
2.  Add pinch of salt and about a cup of soya milk.  Whisk.
3.  Add about 3 tbsp natural yogurt and whisk until flour has been incorporated, and the mixture is smooth.
4.  The texture should be of very lightly whipped double cream - if too thick add some milk, if too liquidy add some flour (easier to add a little mixture to some new flour, mix, then mix this in to the big batch - fewer lumps).
5.  Heat oil and butter in frying pan until just smoking.  Fry pancakes in batches - about 6ish cm across.  You know one side is done when you start getting tiny bubbles at the outer edges creeping in about 1 cm.  Flip and fry on the other side.
6.  Meanwhile peel and chop apples, put in a pan with sugar (to taste) and cranberries.  Add a tbsp water and cover with a cartouche (greaseproof paper scrunched up and wet and plonked over the fruit to seal in moisture).  Stew gently until pancakes are done.

Scoff, with or without maple syrup, sing happy birthday (badly).

Lentil & chard, with squash and tomato risotto

This was DELICIOUS! It is vegan and gluten free.  It took about 40 minutes, but a nice gentle 40 minutes.. once the initial chopping is done, it is all lid on and steam for a bit, and add water to stop it drying out.

So, start with the chard:-

1 onion

Huge armful of chard, preferably free from Mum's garden

Garlic

Olive oil

Wite wine

Puy lentils

Spinach

Fennel fronds

1.  Chop an onion finely and sautee in olive oil for about 4 minutes on a medium heat, add in chopped chard stalks and a clove of crushed garlic.
2.  Add half a glass of white wine (or not, .. water is fine).

3.  Steam/fry until softish for about 8 minutes. Add in chopped spinach stalks.  Cook again for about 2 minutes.

4.  What stalky bits are quite tender add chopped leaves - both spinach and chard.  Add some more water, stir and allow to wilt for 4 ish minutes.  Add chopped fennel at the end.

5.  Meanwhile, boil put lentils in plenty of water for about 25 minutes, until soft.

6.  Drain lentils, mix into mixture, season.  

If you've managed to finish before the risotto is ready, just reheat or eat warm.  

Squash and tomato risotto

Olive oil

1 onion

1 patti pan squash

Garlic

Risotto rice

Paella spice mix (or paprika, saffron and herbs)

6 tomatoes

1 stock cube

White wine

1.  Soften chopped onion in olive oil.

2.  Add chopped squash to softened onion, turn it over a couple of times and add rice and garlic.  Turn  rice over under all grains have a film of oil over them.

3.  Add a glass of white wine.

4.  Stir, add water/stock a bit at a time as it simmers and plops away, stirring now and again.

5.  Grate tomatoes and add pulp.  Gently keep simmering.

6.  It'll probably take about 20 minutes.

As previously stated, utterly delicious.  Gluten free and vegan.  Cheese could have been added to the risotto, but it really doesn't need it.

Oh yes - and £3 - dog food.  Total breach:  £20.59

£2.28

No spend September isn't so easy if your mate has no money either - a tea and soya milk for me, a coke for her - a full £2.28 breach.  I couldn't refuse, as she's a mate who has recently stopped smoking, so anything to keep the peace!  Accumulated total so far:  £9.82.

5th September:  another breach! bread and wine - oops! - and milk, which is allowed, so £7.77 breach:  .£17.59

No spend September

A challenge to stop impulse spending on nothing... spend nothing is September.  There are 3 exceptions:-  petrol, milk and presents (of the birthday, christenning variety NOT the a present to me because it's Tuesday variety).  There are also 2 other things allowed - the regular veg box and loaf, and my season ticket is paid for.

This is the first breach - and it's only the 2nd - but caused by a headache driving up the A1 on a warm afternoon, and needing to stay awake.  £4.54.

3rd September:  it's not cheating if someone else pays... So take-away curry tonight.  £3 on the lads up the road for washing the van.  There was petrol, but that's on the allowable list.  Total breaches so far £7.54.

Mum's garden dinner and pasta

A visit to the folks this weekend and presented with a bumper crop of rainbow chard, patti pan squash and tomatoes.  So - pasta with 2 sauces:- Greek inspired chard, mediterranean squash and tomato casserole.

Greek inspired chard

4 leeks
1 tbsp olive oil
Enormous haul of chard
2 cloves garlic
1 glass dry white wine
small handful black olive
mint, rosemary and thyme
salt and pepper
feta - crumbled over

1.  Clean and chop leeks, saute in olive oil.
2.  Wash chard well, strip leaves from stalks.  Cut stalks into 1 cm pieces, add to leeks.  Saute for a while.  When a bit soft add crushed garlic and white wine.  Put lid on pan and allow to soften for a bit.
3.  After about 10 mins add chopped leaves and stir around.
4.  Add chopped olives and perhaps more water if its dry.  Cover and simmer until soft.
5.  Before serving crumble feta over and season with salt and black pepper.

Mediterranean squash and tomato casserole

1 red onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large(ish) patti pan squash
1 courgette
1 yellow pepper
lots of small (or is large chopped) tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
pich chili flakes
1 glass white wine
chives, parsley

1.  Sautee chopped red onion in olive oil.  Add diced squash.
2.  Chop and add courgette and pepper and wine.
3.  Simmer until softenning slightly, add tomatoes and crushed garlic, stir and cover.
4.  Simmer until soft, add chili flakes, cover and heat through.
5.  Before serving mix in chopped chives and parsley.

Pasta:  cook according to packet instructions, drain, toss in olive oil to stop it sticking.

Scoff - surprising chard "hating" people - because they ALL finished their plates.

Veggie curry, dhal and brown rice

A bit of a day at work.... a bit of a day with family news.  Apparently, when I got home, I was extremely hyper, so this might explain why, instead of making something quick I choose to make something easy - but involving quite a lot of chopping and faffing.  There are many ingredients in this, but it really is very simple (but it does take nearly an hour to make...) .

There are 3 main parts - 1 x veggie curry, 1 x tarka dhal and some rice - yogurt is also very integral - but too easy to be called a recipe/cooking!

Veggie curry:

2 tbsp peanut (or other mild) oil
1 onion, chopped
Garlic (2 cloves, crushed or 1 tbsp paste from a jar)
1 aubergine, diced
1 courgette, diced
spice mix (to taste, I used about 1 and a half tbsp of quite spicy kebab mix)
 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 kholrabi, peeled and diced
1/2 (big) patty pan squash, diced
8 new potatoes
1 tin chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper
water
(1 tsp sugar)

Rice:-

Brown rice
Water
Salt

Dhal:-

Lentils, red in this case...

Tarka:-

Peanut oil - 1 tbsp
Green chili - 1 - stab it to let the flavour out
fennel seeds - 1 tsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
black mustard seeds - 1 tsp
curry leaves (8 ish)
fenugreek leaves (8 ish)

Here I must point out that the veg could have been all sorts of combinations - I had this stuff in the fridge, and I thought it would go together - it did.

Veggie :-

1.  Sautee onion until a bit soft in the oil.
2.  Chuck other veg in as you chop it, and keep stirring it around.  Add water when it looks a bit dry.
3.  Add spice mix - a bit at a time, taste when the ingredients have had a chance to mesh together.
4.  Throw in tin of tomatoes, at least half a tin of water and allow to simmer as everything else cooks.
5.  Taste again - adjust seasoning - add sugar if chili is too hot.
6.  Simmer until veg is nice and tender.

Rice:-

1.  Put rice in heavy bottomed saucepan with close fitting lid.  Add cold water to about 2.5cms above surface of rice
2.  Bring to the boil.  Simmer for 15 (ish) minutes for brown rice.  Turn off heat, plonk on lid and leave for 10 minutes to steam.

Dhal:-

1.  Put lentils in pan, add about twice the volume of water - bring to the boil - simmer until soft (about 20 minutes) - skim the top if and when necessary, add water if not soft.
2.  When cooked, turn off heat and let it cool and thicken a little.  Add tarka 2 minutes before serving.

Tarka:-

1.  Heat oil in frying pan - to a medium heat.  Chuck in a seed or two, listen for the sizzle - a sizzle is what you want - if they pop straight away it's too hot - take it off the heat for 1 minute, then add the seeds and carry on
2.  Add whole spices (fennel seeds etc....), keep them moving.... add the leaves.
3. Chuck into dhal, stir - scoff

Both of us cleared our plates, and agreed that the yogurt really helped bring it together.  All elements nice - as a combination - yum

The best homemade pasta in history

On the veg stall in the market on Friday there was a fabulous selection of mushrooms - field, cep, those little japanesy ones (enoya?), oyster and a few others ... so I bought a big handful.  Then thought they looked so good they needed special treatment, and I fancied playing - so decided to do them with really good olive oil - and fresh tagliatelli.  It was worth it, an hour and a half of playtime, and then the most delicious pasta dish I have had for AGES.


250(ish)g type OO flour
3 large free range eggs

3 big cloves garlic, crushed
lots of good olive oil
handful mixed mushrooms, brushed clean and torn, chopped into bite sized pieces
glug of brandy
black pepper
parsley
freshly grated parmesan

1.  Make pasta - take your time and do it properly.  This was extremely fine sheets cut into wide-ish tagliatelli strips.  Toss in as little flour as possible to keep the strands separate.
2.  Put a large pot of salted water on to boil, and start the sauce.
3.  Heat good glug of good olive oil, when warm (NOT spitting hot) add mushrooms and garlic.  Cook gently for about 5 minutes, adding more oil when the mushrooms have released their water, just to loosen the sauce.  Season thoughtfully.
4.  Cook tagliatelli in water for a brief time (about a minute in this case).
5.  Meanwhile chuck brandy into mushrooms and flame. Once flame has gone turn off heat and stir in chopped parsley.
6.  Drain pasta and chuck into sauce.  Toss, serve with black pepper and freshly grated parmesan.  A little green salad goes well.
7.  Sit back and receive much praise.

Lentil fritters, mushroom "biryani", roast tomatoes and yogurt dressing

Left over dhal and rice.  Excellent!  In 20 minutes flat they became this, which was delicious.  The lentil patties were gently flavoured, the rice as spicy and complex, the roast tomatoes added sweetness and the yogurt sauce was garlicky, minty and had a bit of a chili kick in the background.  An absolutely brilliant combination if I say so myself.  Only one other witness, who agreed with me completely and had seconds of rice and sauce - we were both too full for another fritter.

For the dhal:-

Big handful of red lentils - boiled in water for about 20-30 minutes.  Left to cool - kept in fridge over  night.

Cooked basmati rice.

peanut (or other light) oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
big handful of mushrooms
2 baby aubergines
small handful methi (fenugreek leaves - not essential, coriander or parsley would also be good, but the methi was delicious)
biryani (or whatever) spice mix
olive oil
red chili
juice of a lemon
natural yogurt
small handful mint
seasoning

1.  Chop onion and sweat in peanut oil.  Add chopped mushrooms and aubergines.
2.  Stick vine tomatoes in a pan with a little olive oil in the bottom, add sprinkle of sea salt and put on tightly fitting lid and heat on hob for 15-20 minutes.  Shake occasionally, but resist opening pan and prodding too often.
3.  To softened veg add half of the crushed garlic, the biryani mix and the cooked rice.  Stir and keep on a low heat (you may need to add a little water if it looks a bit dry.
4.  Form lentils into patties, and fry in a hot pan in peanut oil for about 3 minutes on each side.
5.  Mix yogurt, the rest of the garlic, mint, chopped chili, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
6.  Stir chopped fenugreek into rice - leave to stand as you serve out patties and tomatoes, then serve with good spoonful of dressing.
7. Scoff.
8.  Have seconds.

Epiphany

Kitchen fairies is a (currently) imaginary catering empire.  Its name is somewhat cornily a pun on the reclaimed colloquial use of fairy (and if you don't get it I'm not explaining), and on the concept of "wouldn't it be nice if the kitchen fairies had left us something tasty for dinner".   As such, I, as kitchen fairy in chief, have written it using the term "victim" to identify any diners.  This term was meant in a light hearted, tongue in cheek fashion, to indicate that sometimes the diners would be "inflicted" with my experimental concoctions.  

Recently, I have found that this is insulting both to me, and to my diners.  I am, from today, changing the voice for kitchen fairies posts.  I am privileged to cook, on occassion, for people who I love and care about; and they, in their turn are happy, and grateful, to receive my culinary offerings. 

Praise is sometimes offered, criticism is welcome - but there is not a power struggle, there is no victimisation.

Thanks for listening.

Savoury tarte tatin

Half a pack of puff pastry in the fridge, veg from veg box - going away tomorrow, so not that much else... savoury tarte tatin.

olive oil
butter
1 onion
handful green beans
3 carrots
3 largish new potatoes
cumin
chili
rosemary
garlic
apple juice
cider vinegar
pine nuts - toasted
puff pastry

salad - lettuce, tomato, cucumber, olive oil, balsamic vinegar - toss

Heat oven to 180, cook in oven proof frying pan

1.  soften chopped onion in olive oil and butter
2.  Add peeled and chopped carrot, green beans and potatoes.
3.  Chuck in chopped rosemary, season ... then add what you fancy - I had some cumin seeds and some chili, so chucked those in.
4.  When veg are starting to vaguely soften add a glug of cider vinegar and about a glass of apple juice.
5.  Simmer until they are just about soft, add water if the pan goes too dry.
6.  Roll out pastry and plonk on top, tucking edges in in a rustic fashion.  Pierce with a fork to let out steam.
7.  Bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes - turn out and sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top.
8.  Serve, with salad, and chilled wine for adoring praise from gathered victims - well just the one today - but it was so nice we ate enough for 4.

Wimbledon final nectarines and cream cheese on toast

The best Wimbledon final in years, and a sunny day with Prosecco in hand ... me and my victim were getting a little peckish - well we had:-

Wholemeal toast
Spread with cream cheese
Top with sliced nectarine
Grind on black pepper
Pile on shredded lettuce

You can keep your strawberries and cream!  A successful, what have we got? invention.

Mackerel salad "nicoise" and carrot and grapefruit salad

Veg box and some smoked mackerel in the fridge ... and a little bit of sun - so - SALAD.

New potatoes
Green beans
Lettuce
pea shoots
Tomatoes
Red pepper
1/2 cucumber
Handful black olives
Smoked mackerel
3 large carrots
3 spring onions
Mustard seeds
1 grapefruit
1 clove garlic, crushed
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
English mustard

1.  Boil potatoes and steam green beans.
2.  Mix dressing - garlic, tiny teaspoon mustard, olive oil, juice of half a grapefruit, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar - season and taste.
3.  Drain potatoes and beans and chuck on dressing while still warm.
4.  Mix in other chopped salad vegetables - cucumber, lettuce, pea shoots, red pepper, tomatoes and olives.
5.  Flake on smoked mackerel and toss.

Carrot salad

1.  Peel and grate carrots, add chopped spring onions.
2.  Add 2 tbsp onion seeds and juice of half a grapefruit and a big pinch of salt.

Scoff, with lovely victim, and a nice glass of wine.  Summer is here.  We were particularly impressed with the grapefruit in the carrot salad.  Enough left for 2 packed lunches, so that was a bonus too.

Avocado, tomato and feta on toast

Toast bread, slice avocado - lay slices on toast, slice tomatoes, crumble on feta ... add spriggy stuff - peashoots in this case.  Scoff.

Egg on toast

Sometimes you need the simplest of things.  Eggs - toast - done.

Chickpea, sweet potato and chard red thai curry

I have been a bit pre-occupied for a while, so Kitchen Fairies has suffered, as has my diet, a bit.  So, when the opportunity presented itself for me to inflict kitchen fairies on a new victim I was very pleased.  After a full day of work, and with meeting for a proper purpose, as well as scoffing and chatting ... and the new victim being veggie ... made this the perfect tea.  Easy, tasty, quick and forgiving as I had faffing to do as it cooked.   Used veg from the veg box, so rang the changes from peppers and bamboo shoots etc etc.  Predictably was too busy chatting to remember to take pic of actual dinner - but, given that I am incapable of cooking for 2 here are the 5 lunches which have now been stowed in the freezer for another day.

So, my recipe today:-

1 tbsp peanut oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 sweet potato, diced
Handful green beans, chopped
Some mushrooms, chopped
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tin coconut milk
water
Big handful of chard - toughest stems chopped off, leaves chopped into big strips
1/2 tsp sugar (to taste, when I tasted it, it was slightly too hot and sour, you might not need it, you might want more)
To serve:-
Jasmine rice (cooked in rice cooker - cook to packet instructions)

1.  Fry onion gently in peanut oil, for a couple of minutes.  Set rice off cooking (follow packet instructions, or chuck in a rice maker with the right amount of water and ignore 'til done).
2.  Add curry paste, garlic diced sweet potato and mushrooms, stir round for a while.
3.  Add green beans, stir in.
4.  Add chick peas, coconut milk, and water - simmer for a bit (about 15 minutes).  Add water if it looks like it's going dry.
5.  When veg is soft enough to put the tip of the knife in, add chard, allow to soften for 5 minutes .. ish.
6. Squirt of lime, or lemon if you have it.  Scoff

Newest victim claimed to enjoy it.  I hope so, and hope to victimise them more in the future.