Shepherdless pie

 Drizzly (again) ... cold (again, but it is January, so that's reasonable) ... and MORE kale in the fridge from the veg box - but this was DELICIOUS!  Really, let me boast, it was great!

This is what I used:-

olive oil

onion

red pepper

garlic

green beans

brown lentils

red wine

potatoes

bouillon powder

grainy mustard

mixed herbs

chilli flakes

Mushrooms

soya spread/butter

1.  Peel and chop potatoes, put onto boil .. for about 12 minutes, ie. until ready to mash.

2.  Chop onion, sautee in olive oil, after a few minutes add chopped pepper, crushed garlic and chopped green beans.  Stir around.

3.  Add brown lentils, and then about a pint of water.

4.  Sprinkle on bouillon powder (or scrunch in a stock cube) add herbs, a spoonful of mustard and a pinch of chilli flakes.

5.  Simmer a little, add mushrooms and keep simmering until done (about 30 minutes)

6.  Test potatoes, when ready, drain and mash.

7.  Put lentils in an oven proof dish, top with potatoes and bake for 30 minutes (its always ish ...) until the top is golden.

8.  Chop kale, removing tough stems, put into oven proof dish with a spoonful of water - cover with cling film and microwave for 2 minutes.

9.  Scoff

Fish and chips ... Moroccan twist this time

 I am going to have to improve both my presentation and photography skills, because neither of them do this food justice!  Also, I am really beginning to understand the benefits of working in the market - today the spice mix  Ras El-Hanout (top of the house), and the olive oil came from my stall, the hake came from Paul the fish, and the potatoes came from Gary the veg!  It's a good life :)  The cavolo nero came from the organic veg box - because we still enjoy the benefits of seasonal and organic to the door ...

So ....

New potatoes
olive oil
onion
cavolo nero
white wine
hake
ras el-hanout spice mix
seasoning

1.  Wash and parboil new potatoes, relax - nibble olives, drink wine etc etc ... for about 10 minutes
2.  Chop potatoes into bite sized pieces, ready for sautee-ing.
3.  Chop onion, and start to fry gently in olive oil.
4.  Coat fish in spice mix.
5.  Chop cavolo nero, add to onions, on a low heat.
6.  Start to sautee drained potatoes in olive oil, sprinkle with rock salt.
7.  Heat olive oil to fry fish - fry skin side first - for 2-3 minutes each side.
8.  Splash wine into cavolo nero mix and allow to evaporate.

Scoff.  I did half of the hake in spice, and half on its own.  I was really pleased with the result.  The spice gives a lovely aromatic floral interest (it's not hot at all), but the hake was so delicious that I wanted to savour the flavour of that too.

Broccoli and tofu stir fry with noodles

I only stock three of tonight's ingredients at the market (garlic, tofu and chilli) - but I'm sure that everything else could be picked up from the veg stall outside, and the oriental stall inside - so this is a real Tod dinner.  It is quick to make and vegan as well.  Happy days.

Vegetable/peanut oil
onion
garlic
ginger
tofu
green beans
carrot
mushrooms
black bean and garlic sauce
chinese rice wine
soy sauce
ketchup
broccoli
chilli flakes
brown rice noodles


1.  Heat oil in a frying pan and fry tofu on all sides.
2.  While the tofu is doing prepare and chop all veg into smallish pieces.
3.  When the tofu is done take it off the heat, and put on a pan of water to boil for the noodles.
4.  Start the stir fry with the onions in hot oil, followed quickly by garlic and ginger.
5.  Keep veg moving and add the other bits of veg - except the mushrooms, stick them in a bit later.
6.  Toss the veg about a bit, then add a big spoon of black bean sauce, a splosh of rice wine, a splosh of soy sauce and a pinch of chilli flakes.
7.  Add a little water, and keep it all moving so that it steam-fries.
8.  At this point stick the noodles in the water.
9.  About 6ish minutes later the veg will be done, and the noodles will be soft.  Drain the noodles and swish under cold water.
10.  Add the noodles and the tofu back into the veg, toss about a bit.
11. Serve, scoff

This is absolutely on everybody's "do again" list, which is very pleasing, as I am not always totally confident with oriental stuff - and it's entirely seasonal UK veg.

Dhal on toast

National breakfast week - day 2

Make toast
Nuke left over dhal
Put dhal on toast
Splash on ketchup

Scoff

Grilled prawns with vegetable risotto

The weather outside is dreadful, the forecast is something frightful etc etc ... I am really hoping that the predicted torrential rainfall doesn't result in further floods.  But, in the meantime, tried to capture some sunshine with the help of frozen prawns and some tasty seasoning.

olive oil
chopped onions
crushed garlic
italian herbs
green beans
arborio rice
white wine
stock - made from organic vegan bouillon
frozen peas

king prawns

1.  Sautee onions in olive oil, until nearly soft.
2.  Add crushed garlic, a good pinch of herbs and some chopped green beans.  Stir about a bit.
3.  Add a good handful of arborio rice and stir in the pan until every grain has a light coating of oil.
4.  Chuck in a glassful of white wine, simmer.
5.  Add stock, made up from stock powder and hot water, a ladle at a time, letting it simmer and absorb into the rice.
6.  Heat a tiny amount of olive oil on a griddle pan.
7.  When the rice is just before al dente (ie. just under done, should take about 10 minutes from first addition  of stock) chuck in a handful of frozen peas.
8. Griddle the prawns on the hot pan - a couple, or three, minutes per side (from frozen) should do it.  Should you be lucky enough to have fresh prawns it would only take a minute or so each side.
9.  When risotto is done turn off the heat - it will enjoy resting and soaking up the juices for up to about 10 minutes.
10.  Serve risotto, top with prawns and scoff.

Tonight we had a risotto sceptic, and a prawn sceptic ... but clean plates (and seconds) all round.

Bacon and Eggs

As it's National Breakfast week I thought I might start with the classic!  Especially as Monday is the new Sunday with my new working pattern.  No instructions, you all know how to make it - but fried potatoes care of last night's leftovers and eggs care of our own chickens.

Lactose free chicken Korma, and some other curry things

Special request for lactose free chicken korma, plus some other bits and peices, to fit into everyone's dietary requirements meant that this was Friday night's dinner.  It took about 35 minutes.

So, in order of what to do next-ish.

Rice

I cook rice using the adsorption method - so rinse basmati rice and put into an ovenproof pan, cover with water to about 2.5 cms above the surface of the rice - bring to the boil, then stick the lid on and shove into a medium oven, and forget about it until you are ready with everything else.

Start the korma and veg curries at the same time by sautee-ing onion and garlic in two pans.

To the korma pan add a little grated ginger.

For the veg curry, at this point I added some biryani spice, diced root veg (swede, celeriac and carrot), red pepper and mushrooms.  Add stock and let simmer away.

For the korma add bite sized pieces of chicken breast, a handful of ground almonds and a teaspoon of mild madras curry powder.  Turn the chicken over until it starts cooking, then add water and seasoning and simmer for a few minutes.  Then, turn into an oven dish and let it finish in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.

For the dhal, simmer red lentils in water until done - you may need to add more water... then just before serving heat veg oil in a pan and quickly fry the tarka (or spices) - I used onion seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and a sprinkle of chili flakes.  Pour immediately onto dhal and serve.

Let each person help themselves to whatever their dietary whatsits allow them to - vegans just need to avoid the chicken (obvs) ... and enjoy.

Tuscan bean hot

Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil, add some red pepper if you like.  Add whatever root veg you might have (potatoes, swede, celariac and carrot here).  Chuck in some italian herbs and tomato paste.  Add some water/stock and simmer for 10 minutes or so.  Tip in cannelloni and butter beans.  Simmer gently again.  Add in shredded kale.

When kale is cooked - serve, top with grated parmesan or chedder if you fancy.

Yorkshire pudding and lentil casserole

An interesting selection of vegetables left from the freezer and veg box, a glut of eggs from the chickens and a wish for something a bit comforting and wintery resulted in this .... which, as it was made with gluten free flour actually tasted a bit more like a pizza base and top, rather than the intended yorkshire pudding, but was delicious none the less.

6 tiny bantam eggs (or 3 normal sized eggs)
soya milk
GF self raising flour (could use plain and baking powder, or baking powder with SF to get more of a lift)
olive oil
seasoning

1.  Whisk together eggs and soya milk. 

2.  Mix together flour and seasoning.

3.  Pre-heat a baking tray with olive oil.

4.  When oil is hot - mix eggy liquid and flour together and pour into baking tray.

5.  Bake for about 25 minutes.

The casserole

Olive oil

onions

garlic

italian herb seasoning

celeriac

red lentils

peppers

1.  Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil, add italian herbs.

2.  Add small dice of celeriac sautee a little more.

3.  Add a handful of red lentils, and the chopped peppers.  Add water/stock and simmer.  

4.  Stir periodically, add more water/stock if necessary until lentils are done and all veg is soft.

Serve, add cheese if desired, scoff.

Quick chickpea tagine and spicy couscous

Using another product from the stall, because I felt like something a bit spicy for tea - so quick tagine and spiced couscous.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Ginger
Carrot
Red pepper
Chickpeas
Tomato puree
chili
cinnamon
grate of nutmeg
mixed herbs
vegan bouillon
tahini
pomegranate
black pepper

Packet of spiced couscous
Little gem lettuce

1.  Chop onion and sautee in olive oil.
2.  Add grated garlic and ginger.
3.  When soft add peeled chopped carrot and chopped red pepper.
4.  Add drained chickpeas.
5.  Cook for a little while, then add squeeze of tomato puree, chili flakes, herbs, spices and bouillon with some water.  Continue to simmer.  Add tahini after about 5 minutes.  Add chopped kale.
6.  Simmer gently until family get in from work (that'll be about 20 minutes).
7.  Prepare couscous according to packet instructions.
8. Chop salad leaves, bang pomegranate seeds over tagine.
9.  Scoff.

Too be fair, I think I would have prefered not to double spicy - ie.  had plain couscous with the spicy tagine, the double spicy meant I was pleased to have the refreshing lettuce with it.  The spiced couscous, however, would be excellent with roasted vegetables stirred through it.

Baked salmon with tomatoes and capers, braised leeks and celeriac with little roasties.

The veg box presented leeks and celeriac, and we had some great salmon.  So, pulled this little number together.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Cherry tomatoes
Capers
Lemon
Salmon
Leeks
Celeriac
Fennel seeds
White wine
Black pepper

1.  Parboil the chunks of potatoes, drain and roast in olive oil.
2.  Halves tomatoes, add drained, rinsed capers, zest of half a lemon, and its juice.  Put into roasting tin with olive oil.  Plonk salmon on top, cover with foil, and roast for about 25-30 minutes.
3.  Gently sautee chopped leeks and peeled and strips of celeriac, add crushed garlic, a sprinkle of fennel seeds and some white win.  Simmer until celeriac is soft.
Grind of black pepper, and scoff.

Crispy fried fish, tiny roasties and braised peas and lettuce

So, I opened "The Mediterranean Pantry" this week.  One exciting week!!! Lots of lovely stuff for sale, and loads of potential for lots of fun.  Today I invented "Calabrian fish crust mix", for fried fish.  It is delicious, and will be on sale in The Mediterranean Pantry very soon.

So, I took advantage of this and pepped up our traditional Friday night fish and chips ...

Potatoes
Olive oil
White fish
Calabrian fish crust mix
Onion
Garlic
White wine
Petit pois
Little gem lettuce

Instructions, in more or less, chronological order ...

1.  Chop potatoes into 1 inch cubes - parboil (or microwave) - toss in olive oil and roast in a hot oven.

30(ish) minutes later

2.  Chop an onion, sautee in olive oil until soft, add crushed garlic and a good slosh of white wine.
3.  Chop white fish into 1 inch strips (or leave as fillets if you prefer).  Pat dry with kitchen roll.
4.  Coat the fish pieces with Calabrian fish crust mix.
5.  Fry fish, in hot olive oil - a couple of minutes of each side, in batches, drain on kitchen roll, keeping the batches warm as you go.
6.  Add petit pois to the onions with wedges of little gem lettuce.  Stir until lettuce is wilted.
7.  Scoff.

Delicious.