Pork'n'beans

At Kitchen Fairies HQ at the moment we have 4 people - all with particular dietary requirements.  1 pescatarian, 2 lactose intolerant, 1 gluten free and 1 "salad dodger" carnivore.  This makes dinner preparation an interesting experience.  Tonight I thought - cowboy dinner - but the pork can't touch the beans, and there was some lovely haddock - so the unifying element for everyone was a hearty veggie beanie sauce!  Also, there was cabbage in the fridge which needed using up, so a side dish of cabbage and cumin was included.

It took about 40 minutes start to finish.

Brown rice

Olive oil
Onion
Carrot
Celery
Garlic
Yellow pepper
Turkish beans
Paprika
Chopped tomatoes

Pork
White wine
Quince jelly
American mustard
Chicken stock

Haddock

Cumin
Cabbage

1.  Start the rice - I use the adsorption method - rice + water to about an inch above the rice, bring to the boil.  Lid on tight and keep hot in the oven while everything else finishes off.  It's quite a forgiving method, and the rice can sit there for quite a while as you sort everything else out.
2.  Now for the veg casserole - sautee chopped onion, carrot and celery in olive oil.  Add crushed garlic and chopped pepper, and a pinch of paprika.  Sautee until veg is a bit soft, but not done - then add a tin of beans (I used turkish beans because we had them - but butter beans or haricot would also work - even good old baked beans!) - and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Simmer.
3.  Fry the pork in olive oil, add a splosh of white wine (or apple juice), a spoonful of quince jelly (or apple jelly) and a squirt of american mustard.  A cup of chicken stock will stop it going too dry.
4.  Pan fry the haddock.
5.  Stir fry shredded cabbage in hot oil and cumin.
6.  Gather troops, serve, scoff.

Chicken and chorizo, spicy wedges, griddled courgette, mixed veg and allotment salad

Summer seems to have abandoned us for now - and given the state of politics, who can blame it? The recent downpours have played havoc with the lettuces in the allotment, so it's salad with everything at the moment.  I'm not complaining about that, they're delicious.

Start with the potatoes, then the veg, then the chorizo and chicken and while that's doing wash and dress the salad.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Cajun seasoning

Onion
Garlic
Broad beans
Carrot
White wine

Courgette
Polenta
Mixed herbs

Chorizo
Chicken breast

Lettuce
Balsamic vinegar

1.  Cut potatoes into wedges, put in a baking dish with olive oil and cajun seasoning, mix until evey wedge is coated - roast for about an hour.
2.  Pod and skin the broad beans, be patiient, this is the faffiest bit.
3.  About 20 minutes to serving.  Finely chop onion, sautee gently with crushed garlic, add broad beans and chopped carrot.
4.  Slice courgettes, put polenta and mixed herbs in a bag - add the courgette slices and shake until all slices are coated.
5.  Add a glass of white wine to the beans and carrots, simmer gently - add water or stock if it gets dry.
6.  Griddle the courgette slices in olive oil, in batches, keep them warm in the oven when done.
7.  10 minutes to serving, chop chorizo and fry, chop chicken breast into bite sized pieces and add to the chorizo.  Keep it moving now and again in the pan until it's cooked.
8.  Dress washed and dried salad leaves - I used garlic oil and balsamic vinegar.
9.  Serve - scoff.

Actually, there was also a veggie, so I fried some haloumi for them too!  Delicious.  There were seconds, and thirds, and possibly even fourths - but no left overs!

All ingredients (except for the wine) available from Todmorden market.  The Mediterranean Pantry, 3 fantastic butchers inside and veg outside.

Salad in a jar

Tonight's dinner was a bunch of lovely salads:-

Salad leaves from the allotment, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and garlic oil
Carrot and sesame seeds
Tomato, onion and basil
Artichoke salad (artichokes, garlic, olives, red pepper, herbs - available from the Mediterranean Pantry)
New potatoes
Quail's eggs (from Chris on Tod market)

And it was all delicious, and there was loads left, so it was packed into a jar for lunch.  The trick is to put the dressing type salads on the bottom, then layer upwards, finishing with the leaves.  Deliciously kept for its second serving.

Fish and chips

Friday is traditional fish day - and this week Paul's haddock was so good I really wanted to do it justice, so decided on some real fish and chips - gluten free, and made extra healthy and tasty with a smidge of of turmeric in the batter.  Gorgeous golden batter, beautiful white fish and altogether delicious.

Olive oil
New potatoes
Haddock
Corn meal
Turmeric
Egg
Soya milk
Peas

1.  Cut new potatoes longways into "chips".  Roast for about an hour.
2.  Make the batter by add a small teaspoon of turmeric to a cup of cornmeal, and whisk together.  The whisk in an egg and a splash of soya milk.  The batter should be thick cream consistency, with no lumps.  Leave to stand.
3.  When the potatoes look about 10 minutes away do the fish - dredge through GF flour, or simply pat dry and then submerge in the batter.  Fry in olive oil for a few minutes each side.
4.  Boil, steam or microwave the frozen peas as everything else is finishing off.

Carrot and sweetcorn fritters, cajun wedges and salad

A glut of carrots required some inventive thinking - and we haven't had fritters for a bit.  I added cumin as it goes really well with carrot, and a mix of cornmeal and buckwheat flour to give the batter some body.   The steamed cabbage doesn't necessarily go, but it is finish up the veg box time  The added salad goes very well.

Olive oil
Potatoes
Cajun seasoning

Carrots
Sweetcorn
Red onion
Cumin
Chives

Cornmeal
Buckwheat flour
Eggs
Soya milk
Natural yogurt

1.  Cut the potatoes into wedges, dust with cajun seasoning and roast in olive oil.
2.  Make the batter by whisking eggs, soya milk (or regular milk) and a big spoonful of yogurt into the flours.  Keep beating until smooth - it should be a bit thicker than double cream in consistency.
3.  Grate carrots, drain sweetcorn and finely chop red onion, mix together.  Mix in a good pinch of cumin seeds, salt and pepper.
4.  Mix together the batter and the veg.
5  Fry blobs of mixture for 2-3 minutes each side, in olive oil.  Fry them in batches to not overcrowd the pan, and keep them warm while you finish them.

Vegetable stroganoff

After a day at the seaside I needed something quick and filling.  Chop, fry, boil and it's done!

Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Smoked paprika
Red pepper
Mushrooms
Frozen peas
White wine (optional)
Stock
Natural yogurt
Tagliatelle (gluten free for us)

1.  Boil pasta according to packet instructions.
2.  Finely chop onion and soften in olive oil.  Add crushed garlic and a pinch of paprika.
3. Chop red pepper and add to the onion, fry for 4-5 minutes, add chopped mushrooms.
4.  Add a little stock and/or white wine and simmer briefly.
5.  Drain the pasta when al dente and add to the vegetables with a big spoonful of natural yogurt.
6.  Toss it together and it's done.

Served with a green salad.

Late night snack

Blue cheese and figs go really well together - so though this is butter some crackers and layer cheese and stuff on top - I have included it in this blog as it is tasty, tasty, tasty.

Fabulous cheese, as ever, from The Crumbly Cheese, Todmorden Indoor Market.








Crackers
Butter
Cheddar
Tomato
Cucumber
Basil
Blue cheese
Figs

Aubergine parmagiana

The classic!

Aubergine
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Chopped tomatoes
Parmesan
Egg

1.  Slice and griddle the aubergine.
2.  Make the tomato sauce by sautee-ing onion and garlic in olive oil, and adding a tin of chopped tomatoes, simmer to thicken.
3.  Layer aubergine and tomatoes in an oven dish, top with just over half of the grated parmesan.
4.  Whisk an egg and pour over the top, sprinkle on the remaining parmesan and bake for 25 minutes or so.
5.  Serve with whatever - here garlic mushrooms (mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, butter, splash of brandy - covered in foil and baked for 25 minutes or so ... ie, with the parmagiana), green salad and new potatoes.

Vegetarian sausages in onion gravy, sauteed turnip and new potatoes - with salads

We went off Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages for the longest time - but then I had a think about why - and it's that they go too dry if baked, and too greasy if fried, so I now bake them for 20 minutes, and finish them off with onions in a frying pan - delicious!

The turnips are ours, from the allotment ... loud fanfare - and we had some cooked new potatoes left, so an easy sautee was the way forward.

Green salad with various of our, home grown, salad leaves - and artichoke salad from The Mediterranean Pantry.

Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages
Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Tomato puree
Bouillon powder
Turnips
Cooked new potatoes
Chives

Salad leaves
Basil infused olive oil
Artichoke salad

1.  Drizzle a little olive oil in an oven dish, pop in sausages and turn over so there is a thin film all over them.  Bake in medium-hot oven for 20 minutes.
2.  Peel and thinly slice turnips, sautee in olive oil.  
3.  Finely chop onion and fry in olive oil.  When the onions are softish add a squitt of tomato puree and a cup of stock, made from the bouillon.  Simmer to reduce a little.  Add the sausages.
4.  The turnips will be nearly done, so add sliced potatoes and chopped chives, toss around and keep cooking until the edges get a little golden.
5.  Drizzle salad leaves with basil infused oil (or other light dressing).
6.  Scoff

Vegan black pudding & grilled polenta sunflower

A delicious Sunday breakfast with none of the animal cruelty!  It was served with some roasted tomatoes, but I enjoyed myself constructing this sunflower, so that's the pic!

Dead easy, and all sourced at Todmorden Market.

Olive oil
Polenta
Vegan black pudding - from Chris - outside, I can't remember the official name - but she can be found next to Paul the fish on a Friday and Saturday.  It's really tasty.

Grill things - eat them.

Spiced halloumi with artichoke salad

Well, I really can't claim it's a recipe, but a collection of things.

Artichoke salad - available from The Mediterranean Pantry, Todmorden Indoor Market.

Halloumi - available from The Crumbly Cheese - dipped in blackenned cajun seasoning and fried.

New potatoes
Beetroot
Spinach
Tomatoes

Pan fried salmon with spinach and hazelnut salad and beetroot

This is actually quite a quick dinner - as long as you bake the beetroot the night before!

Beetroot
Garlic
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

New potatoes

Salmon

Red onion
Hazelnuts
Spinach

1.  The night before, ie. bunged in the oven while that dinner was being made, put scrubbed, but unpeeled beetroot in a baking pan with whole garlic cloves, and a drizzle of olive oil.  Cover tightly with foil.  Roast for an hour or so, until the flesh is soft to a sharp knife.  Leave to cool.
2.  Cut new potatoes into "chips" and place on a baking tray, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake for about 30 minutes.
3.  Peel and chop the beetroot, add balsamic vinegar and toss.
4.  Finely chop a red onion, crush some hazelnuts and sprinkle both onto baby spinach.
5.  Pan fry the salmon, skin side first, in a hot pan - 2-3 minutes each side.
6.  Scoff.

Todmorden tapas

What kind of an idiot sets out to do a whole tapas tea mid-week?  Well, it appears I'm that kind of an idiot.  To be fair, I did pull it together in 30 minutes, but it was quite a busy 30 minutes.

Figs - stuffed with blue cheese - Montagnola, from The Crumbly Cheese is perfect - wrapped in parma ham, with almonds and honey.

Smoked haddock - from Paul the Fish, of course, with chickpeas, red pepper and spinach.

Patatas bravas
Kalamata olives

Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Paprika
Chili flakes
Bouillon powder (or other stock)
Potatoes
Red pepper
Chickpeas
Figs
Blue cheese - montagnola
Parma ham
Almonds
Honey
Chopped tomatoes
Smoked haddock
Spinach

To do it in 30 minutes:-  turn on your oven, and get 3 biggish frying pans at the ready.

1.  Start with gently frying onion and garlic in olive oil in 2 frying pans.
2.  Chop potatoes into bite sized pieces, and fry in olive oil in another pan.  Let them brown a little, then put a lid on to help them cook through a bit more quickly.  Shake every now and again.
3.  Into one of the pans of onion add red pepper, about 1/2 a cup of stock and a little paprika.  When the red pepper has had a couple of minutes, tin in a drained tin of chickpeas, keep on a low heat.
4.  In the other pan add a pinch of chili flakes and a tin of chopped tomatoes, stir and let simmer very gently while everything else cooks.
5.  Cut a cross in the figs to about a cm from the bottom, and stuff with blue cheese, wrap with parma ham and place in an oven dish.  (In our case it was 2 x stuffed with cheese and wrapped, 2 x stuffed with cheese, no ham, for the veggie, and 2 x wrapped in ham but no cheese for the lactose intolerant!).  Add a few almonds and a teaspoon or so of honey.  Bake in a medium oven for 20 minutes.
6.  Place the haddock onto the chickpea mixture, put a lid on top and let it steam for 8-10 minutes.
7.  Add spinach leaves to the chickpeas and fish, put the lid back on for 2 minutes as it wilts.  Stir the mixture together, breaking the fish up slightly.
8.  Serve the potatoes with the spicy tomato sauce, add a dish of olives and some crusty bread... and tah dah!  Tod tapas.

All sourced from Todmorden market.

Mushroom omelette

 Sometimes something really simple is exactly what you want.  I wasn't sure if it wasn't too simple to post, but actually, does everyone know how to make a good omelette?

We had this with sautee potatoes and a simple salad with balsamic and olive oil drizzled on it.






Potatoes
Olive oil

Red onoin
Garlic
Mushrooms
Herbs (fresh chives in our case)
Eggs

Salad

1.  Chop the potatoes into small chunks and fry in olive oil.  Start at quite a high heat, them when they have started to go golden, turn the heat down and put a lid on - this helps the potatoes cook through more quickly.  Keep your eye on them, and toss/turn periodically to allow even cooking.
2.  Over a medium heat fry the chopped onions, after a couple of minutes add the garlic and mushrooms.  Fry until the mushrooms loose their water, and then the pan becomes almost dry again.  Stir in chopped chives, and set aside.
3.  With a fork whisk 3 eggs, add seasoning.  Pour the eggs into the frying pan, in olive oil (or olive oil and butter) at a medium high heat.  When the egg starts to cook pull it into the centre with a wooden spoon, and tilt the pan to allow the raw egg to fill the gaps.  Keep doing this until it's almost cooked.   Tip in mushroom mixture and fold over.  After a minute turn onto a plate.
4.  Scoff.

Butter bean cottage pie, with root veg mash and cumin, emmental cabbage bake

The day started really sunny, but got somewhat cooler.  What I fancied was comfort food, but a little bit different.  So, a bit of a rummage in the fridge and the cupboard...

Once again, all available from Todmorden market

Veg outside
Cheese and butter from The Crumbly Cheese
Butter beans, bits and bobs from The Mediterranean Pantry



Sweet potato
Carrots
Potatoes
Olive oil
Red onion
Garlic
Cajun seasoning
Tomato puree
Bouillon powder
Butter

Cumin seeds
White cabbage
Emmental
Chives

1.  Peel the root veg and boil until mashable.
2.  Sautee red onion and garlic in olive oil.  Add cajun seasoning, butter beans, tomato puree and a cupful of stock made from bouillon powder.  Simmer for a few minutes.
3.  When the veg is soft, mash with butter and plenty of black pepper.
4.  In an oven proof dish, plonk in butter bean mix, and top with the root veg.  Bake for 20 minutes.
5.  In a frying pan add cumin seeds to a tablespoon of olive oil, fry gently until the seeds start to release their aroma.  The add chopped white cabbage and half a mug of water.
6.  Simmer gently until water has reduced, then stir in grated emmental until it melts.  Stir in a small handful of chopped chives.
7.  Serve, scoff ...

Smoked anchovy scrambled eggs

A lovely chap who pops in the shop said that he does scrambled eggs with anchovies!  Well, I had never even thought of that - but I happened to have some extremely good smoked anchovies in the fridge, quite a glut of bantam eggs - and it was time for brunch.  So, I tried this, and it was delicious.

Served with toasted ciabatta roll, and served with a few fresh radishes, cos why not.





Olive oil
Butter
Eggs
Smoked (or otherwise) anchovies
Salt and pepper

1.  In a frying pan melt butter with olive oil.
2.  Over a lowish heat add eggs and whisk while they cook slowly.
3.  Add chopped anchovies.
4.  When the eggs are just about set - serve.

Simple, and stunning.

Seafood paella

Not that much left of the veg box, but some mixed seafood salad in the freezer .. ta-dah .. seafood paella.

Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Saffron
Red pepper
White wine
Paella rice
Stock
Tomatoes
Seafood mix
Frozen peas

1.  Sautee chopped onion and garlic in olive oil, soak saffron strands in a little water.
2.  Add chopped pepper, stir.
3.  Add paella rice, turn around in the oil until every grain is lightly coated, then chuck in a glass of white wine.
4.  Add the saffron and soaking water, and a little stock, simmer until most of the water is absorbed, then add some chopped fresh tomatoes, simmer a little more, adding more stock if necessary.
5.  Chuck in mixed seafood and a handful of frozen peas, cook for 5 more minutes.
6.  Turn off heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
7.  Scoff.