Cauliflower, mushroom and green bean curry

A vegan curry was called for - so a vegan curry was invented.  And very tasty it was too.  One of the people around the table had thirds.

Basmati rice - cooked as you normally would

Curry

1 onion, chopped
Garlic, crushed
Olive oil
urad dhal - 1 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
fennel seeds 1/2 tsp
turmeric 1/2 tsp
1 cauliflower, in florets
Mushrooms, cut into bite sized pieces
Green beans, topped, tailed and halved
1 tin coconut milk
Garam masala - 1 tsp (to taste)

1.  Sautee onions until soft, add seeds and garlic and continue to fry until it has a little colour.
2.  Add cauliflower, mushrooms and beans, and water and put a lid on so the veg soften a little.
3.  After 5 minutes add coconut milk and stir through.  Simmer gently for 15 minutes (ish)
4.  Add garam masala, taste and season, simmer for 5 more minutes - the veg should be soft, but not mush.

Serve, scoff.

Peruvian potatoes

This is an adaptation of a Madhur Jaffries recipe which I have made a few times - it always goes down well.   The cheese sauce tastes very salty when you taste it after first zizzing, but adding the cheese and veg really makes a difference.

The red pepper, mange tout and parsley salad goes really well with it.

Serves 4

1 kg baby potatoes
1 egg yolk
225g feta
250ml milk (soya in this case)
1 green chili
1/2 yellow pepper
olive oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp flour (gluten free today)

Salad

Cos lettuce
Big handful of parsley
Chopped radish
2 spring onions
Mange tout
Red pepper
Salad cress

1.  Put potatoes on to boil.
2.  Zizz together egg yolk, milk and cheese, until it looks like double cream.
3.  Sautee gently the pepper, chopped green chili and garlic until soft - in the olive oil and turmeric.
4.  Add the flour, stir into the vegetables, then add the sauce and simmer, while stirring to thicken.
5.  Tip the sauces back into the blender and zizz again, until smooth.
6.  Make the salad - toss the leaves together, finely slice radish and onion, shred mange tout and cut pepper into rings.  Spinkle cress on top.
7.  Serve - drain potatoes, serve with cheese sauce on top with the salad.

The recipe suggests serve with boiled eggs and olives - but I prefer the salad option.  Next time I think I'll add more turmeric to make the sauce brighter yellow.

Smoked trout salad

The summer seems to have deserted the north - but the lettuces in the trug have still clung on, so despite thunder and lightening, it was time to have sunshine in the kitchen.

New potatoes
Hot smoked trout

Little gem lettuce
Parsley
Sorrel
Olive oil
Lemon juice

Tomatoes
Spring onions
Radishes
Salt
Olive oil
Basil

Carrots
Sesame seeds

So 4 salads ...

1.  start by washing and boiling new potatoes.
2.  Wash and spin lettuce leaves, add fresh parsley leaves and sorrel leaves (not chopped up as a garnish, but as salad leaves).
3.  Drizzle on olive oil and squeeze on the juice of 1/2 a lemon.  Toss gently as you serve.
4.  Chop the tomatoes, radishes and spring onions, drizzle with a little olive oil, tear in a few basil leaves and grind on rock salt.
5.  Peel and grate carrots, mix in a spoonful of sesame seeds,
6.  Flake smoked trout into the potatoes,
7.  Scoff

(Turn the heating up and pretend that summer is here)

Broad bean risotto

Olive oil
Red onion
Celery
Arborio rice
Garlic
White wine
Vegetable stock
Courgette
Broad beans, double skinned,
Salt and pepper
Grated parmesan
Parsley oil

1. Sautee onion and celery in olive oil.
2.  Add rice and turn over in the oil.
3.  Add a splash of white wine.
4.  Add chopped courgette and broad beans.
5.  Add hot stock a ladle at a time and simmer until absorbed.
 6.  When rice is ready turn off the heat and add a handful of grated parmesan.
7.  sit for 5 minutes, and serve with extra parmesan and a drizzle of parsley oil.