Chili garlic prawns with okra gumbo

Caribbean food week:  Day 7

Gumbo is more linked to the Deep South, I believe, but with the chili garlic prawns, I think this should qualify.  Whatever, it was delicious.

Gumbo traditionally is really quite gloopy, with the okra cut to allow the gooey insides to escape.  I don't like the texture of that, so I choose smallish okra and keep them whole.  The flavour is delicious, but the texture much improved (IMHO).

So, start with the potatoes, marinate the prawns, then make the gumbo and finally fry the prawns.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Garlic
Chili flakes
Prawns/Lingoustine
Onions
Thyme
Mushrooms
Red pepper
Okra
Tinned chopped tomatoes

1.  Parboil the potatoes, then roast in olive oil for about 40 minutes.
2.  Marinate the prawns in lemon juice, garlic, chili flakes and olive oil.
3.  Chop onions and crush garlic, saute a little.
4.  Add chopped mushrooms, red pepper, thyme, okra and a tin of chopped tomatoes to the onion, simmer - add water/stock if it's looking dry.  After 15 minutes or so ....
5.  Fry the prawns on each side for a few minutes.
6.  Serve - with a plate for the shells and oodles of kitchen towel.

Jamaican jerk burgers, in pitta with sweetcorn

Caribbean food week: day 6

And it's also national burger day (actually it was National Burger Day on Thursday, but we caught up on Saturday, due to some mis-information).

The main Caribbean bit about this was the spicy burger (or spicy onions on veggie burger for the veggie) - but could have spiced up the sweetcorn and/or added some salsa.

Potatoes
Olive oil

Onions
Garlic
Jerk seasoning
Minced beef

Pitta
Gherkin
Tomatoes

Sweetcorn

1.  Parboil potatoes, then drain and roast in olive oil.
2.  Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil, add jerk seasoning and cook through.
3.  Reserve some of the spicy onions to serve with the veggie burgers, mix the rest through the mince, and form into burgers.  Chill for about 20 minutes.
4.  Boil sweetcorn - you may wish to serve this with spicy butter.
5.  Fry or grill burgers and veggie burgers.
6.  Toast pitta...
7.  Serve with simple salad of mixed tomatoes.
8.  Scoff

Sea bass escovitch, with sweet potatoes

 Caribbean food week:  Day 5

Also Friday - so the tradition in our house is fish from Paul the fish.

The idea is that you pour hot, sweet, spicy sauce over simply cooked fish ... it certainly was hot - look at all that steam.

It was the first time I have cooked anything quite like this, but the overwhelming opinion was definitely - put it on the do again list.

Sweet potato
Olive oil

White balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Lime
Onion
Carrot
Red pepper
Red chili

Sea bass

Green beans

1.  Peel and chop sweet potato into chunks, roast, in olive oil for about 40 minutes.
2.  Thinly slice onion, julienne carrot and red pepper.  Very thinly slice chili.
3.  In a saucepan mix together half a cup of olive oil, and the same of vinegar.  Squirt in the juice of half a lime.  Chuck in vegetables and all ow to simmer for about 10 minutes until the veg are softish.  A bit of crunch from the carrots and peppers is fine, but you want the onion soft.
4.  Steam the green beans.
5.  Brush olive oil onto the sea bass fillets and fry for a few minutes on each side.
6.  Place fish on a serving plate, and cover with the sauce.
7.  Serve, scoff ....

Baked BBQ ribs - potato wedges and coleslaw

Caribbean food week:  day 4

BBQ ribs which are actually baked in the oven - absolutely gorgeous.  Not really ideal for a mid-week dinner as they take 2 1/2 hours.

It was so worth it though, and the veg dodger had seconds of coleslaw.

Spices are available from The Mediterranean Pantry, and the ribs from Mellings butchers - superb.



Rack of ribs - pork for us
1/2 tsp each of:-

all spice
ginger
nutmeg
paprika
salt
black pepper
dried thyme

desert spoon of brown sugar

BBQ sauce

potatoes

carrots
cabbage
onion
salt
olive oil
mayonnaise

1.  Heat the oven to 180.
2.  Mix all the dry ingerdients and rub well into the rack of ribs - massage it is as much as you can.
3.  Wrap in foil.  Make sure that it is well sealed to keep in all the juiciness.
4.  Bake for 2 hours - literally - just chuck it in there and do something else, ignore it for 2 full hours - make sure you get the wedges in after about an hour, though, so that it's ready at the same time.
5.  Potatoes, olive oil, oven .... for the wedges.
6.  Make the coleslaw by finely shredding cabbage, carrot and onion.  Add salt and leave to stand for 10 minutes, then add a glug of olive oil and a blob of mayonnaise - stir, chill until everything else is ready.
7.  After 2 hours, unwrap the pork ... keep it on the foil, as it gets stickier and stickier from now, and foil goes in the bin - sticky trays take ages to clean.  Pop it back in the oven for 5 minutes to dry off the top a little.
8.  Smother the top of the ribs in BBQ sauce, and pop back in the oven for 5 minutes ... to get that gooey glossy coating.  Do this twice for a deepish layer of sticky deliciousness.
9.  Serve, scoff ... remember to have lots of kitchen roll to hand!

Cod fish and ackee, with cornbread waffles

Caribbean Food week:  day 3 - which also happened to be National Waffle Day!

I couldn't find salt fish anywhere, and Paul's fish is so great I thought I would amend the classic saltfish and ackee very slightly and use fresh cod.  I poached it first, so that it would flake gently into the dish, as would be expected of real saltfish.

Also, instead of the classic callaloo, I wilted spinach with some onions.  Callaloo, is available at the Mediterranean Pantry at the moment.

I have a lovely american waffle iron gadget, so waffles are easy and delicious - I don't use it often enough.  If you don't have one, you could do light pancakes instead.

Most of the dish was sourced from Todmorden Market - The Mediterranean Pantry for spices, flour, ackee, The Crumbly Cheese for yogurt, Bracewell's butchers for the eggs, Paul for the fish and Garry for the veg.  Soya milk and baking powder from my cupboard.

GF flour
Cornmeal (or polenta)
Baking powder (1 tsp)
Thyme
Egg
Soya milk
Natural yogurt

Onion
Red pepper
Cod fillets, skinned
Chili
Thyme
Ackee

Onion
Spinach
Nutmeg


1.  Make the waffle batter.  Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another.  Then whisk the two together.
2. Poach the fish in water.
3.  Fry onion and red pepper for about 10 minutes with thyme and chili, then add the fish, then the ackee to heat through.  Don't move it about too much as it could easily turn into mush.
4.  Make waffles.
5. Fry another chopped onion in coconut oil, add spinach and a grating of nutmeg and a splash of water to wilt the spinach.

Jamaican patties, with yam and green beans

Caribbean food week, day 2.

Jamaican patties with yam and green beans.

I made GF pastry for these, which was extra crumbly, so they didn't seal very well, but they were delicious - I also made two versions, a beef one and a vegetarian one from aduki beans.

Yam is interesting, it was sticky when peeled, which I wasn't expecting, and I think I over-cooked it as it was quite dry.



Patties

GF flour
Turmeric
Butter
Water

Coconut oil
Onion
Garlic
Carrot
Red pepper
Caribbean curry powder
Thyme
Chili
Minced beef
Breadcrumbs
Aduki beans

Yam
Cajun seasoning
Green beans

1.  Make the pastry by rubbing in the butter with the seasoned flour and turmeric mixture, add a little water to for the dough, chill for at least 30 minutes.
2.  Boil aduki beans for about 40 minutes.
3.  Make the filling - in coconut oil sweat down grated onion, garlic, carrot and red pepper.  Add the curry powder, thyme and chili.
4.  In another pan fry the minced beef.
5.  Drain the beans, split veg mixture in two - mix one into the beef, and one into the beans.  Add breadcrumbs and cook for a further 10 minutes.  (I only put breadcrumbs in the beef mixture - the beans remained gluten free).
6.  Peel yam, chop into pieces, sprtiz with lemon juice, shake on a little caribbean seasoning and roast - probably for about 45 minutes.
7.  Roll pastry into circles, fill and seal using the prongs of a fork.  Bake for 30 minutes-ish.
8.  Steam beans.
9.  Scoff

Both versions were declared delicious.

Fried chicken, rice and peas and plantain

Caribbean food week - day 1

Fried chicken with rice and peas, and some plantain.  Fried chicken was excellent, rice and peas were excellent - plantain - well it's good for you!

Onion
Garlic
Coconut oil
Ginko peas
Thyme
Coconut milk
Rice (basmati)

chicken thighs
Eggs
Chicken coating mix

Plaintain

Tomatoes
Lettuce
Radish

1.  Gently sautee chopped onion and quite a lot of crushed garlic.
2.  Tip in the tin of peas - do not rinse them!
3.  Add a good pinch of thyme, seasoning and a tin of coconut milk.
4.  Bring to the boil, stir, add rice and water to 1 inch above the surface.  Stir once.
5.  Bring to the boil again, slam on lid, turn heat right down.  The rice will be done when all the liquid has been absorbed.
6.  Whisk eggs lightly, cover each chicken piece.  Coat with seasoning mix.
7.  Fry for a few minutes each side, in batches, keeping warm in between.
8.  Fry plantain for a few minutes each side.
9.  Serve with a simple salad.

A gentle start to Caribbean food week, you could, of course serve with hot sauce for more of a kick.

Kangeroo steaks with cauliflower cheese

Skippy for tea?  Don't mind if I do.  Actually, I wouldn't go mad for it - it is OK, but good steak is better.  Cook as you would lean steak, not forgetting to rest it.

Potatoes
Olive oil

Cauliflower
Soya milk
Cheese (I used 3 - cheddar, a goat's hard cheese and a french softer cheese)
Cornflour
Mustard
Spinach

Kangeroo steaks
Red wine

1.  Cut potatoes into chunks, roast in olive oil in a hot oven for about an hour.
2.  Steam cauliflower.
3.  Make sauce by boiling soya milk, seasoning, and mustard, then melt in the cheese.  Slate cornflour in water, and add to thicken the sauce.
4.  Chuck baby spinach into cauliflower in an oven dish, cover with sauce and bake for about 30 minutes.
5.  Put olive oil on kangeroo steaks, and fry on each side for about 4 minutes - remove to rest.
6.  Deglaze grill pan with red wine, to form a jus.
7.  Serve, scoff ... yum

It's Bacon Lovers Day

And we love bacon.  Not every day, before anyone reports us to the health police - but it's really good.  These gammon steaks were from Bracewell's in Todmorden Indoor Market and they were FABULOUS.

Equally fabulous was the cabbage from Jean from The Crumbly Cheese - OK, you can't buy them from her - this was a delicious gift from her garden ... Jean - your cabbage was amazing!

Also, potatoes and carrots available from Garry outside.

Gravy made with apple and calvados jelly from The Mediterranean Pantry - it was a feast.

1.  Peel and boil potatoes.
2.  Prep and steam carrots and cabbage.
3.  Fry gammon on a medium heat, until it starts to colour on both sides.  Remove and keep warm.
4.  Mash potato, add butter and seasoning.
5.  Add white wine (or cider) to gammon pan to make gravy from the juices, add a spoon of apple jelly until it melts.
6.  Fry eggs for the vegetarian.
7.  Serve, scoff .... groan cos you're too full to leave the table!

Fish and chips

Haddock today from Paul the fish - so old school battered fish, but baked wedges instead of chips.  Onion and green beans instead of mushy peas.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Gluten free flour
Egg
Soya milk
Onion
Green beans



1.  Cut potatoes into wedges, toss in olive oil and roast for 40 ish minutes.
2.  Whisk egg into flour, season and whisk in soya milk to reach a thick, double cream consistency.  Leave to stand while the potatoes roast.
3.  20 minutes in chop onion, put in a pan with a drop of olive oil.  Add chopped beans and a cup of wine or water and simmer.
4.  After 10 minutes - put olive oil and coconut oil in a large frying pan, and heat until hot.
5.  Dredge the fish in the batter, and fry for 3 minutes on each side.  Drain on kitchen paper.
6.  Serve, scoff.

Delicious - the batter is gluten free and lactose free, so we could all enjoy it - it's light, but crisps up well.

Red onion and mushroom tarte tatin

It's funny when you take a snap of your tea that you don't notice the flake of pastry taking the central position!  I think I may need to look at a course on food staging, as my pics are not getting any better.

The high point of the day, though, was getting a distinction in a Diploma in Nutrition.  Excellent news.

But, back to the recipe - it's near the end of the week for the veg box, and supplies are quite limited, so I scrabbled together what was left and made a tarte tatin, with garlic cavolo nero, anya potatoes - and left over steamed veg.  It went down very well.

Olive oil
Red onions
Mushrooms
Pattypan squash
Red wine
Puff pastry
Mustard

Garlic
Cavolo nero

1.  Chop onions, mushrooms and squash and gently fry in olive oil.  After about 10 minutes add a little red wine and a little stock it it's looking dry.
2.  Roll out pastry, brush with a little mustard.
3.  Cover the vegetables with the pastry, tucking the edges into the pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes.
4.  Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and steam the veg.
5.  Finally quickly fry the cavolo nero and finely chopped garlic in olive oil.
6.  Serve, scoff.

Again, an entirely veggie dinner (vegan apart from the pastry), and the meat freaks did not complain, but had seconds.

Stuffed peppers

Stuffed peppers with a potato and green bean salad, with a bit of green salad too.

Easy peasy ... made a tiny bit harder because of the current dietary requirements at Kitchen Fairies HQ ... 1 veggie ...easy red peppers stuffed with mushrooms and onions, then mozarella, tomatoes and basil.  1 meat eater, but cheese and tomato dodger.  1 meat eater and tomato dodger.  1 eats pretty much anything, but shouldn't eat cheese.

So, basically, we all had stuffed peppers, but there was some variety in the fillings.

Potato and green bean salad dressed with garlicky vinaigrette.

Red peppers

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Musihrooms

Minced steak
Chili flakes
Cinnamon

Tomatoes
Mozzarella
Basil

1.  Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil, add mushrooms.
2.  Prepare peppers by cutting in half and scooping out seeds and connective bits.
3.  Boil potatoes, steam green beans.
4.  remove veggie portion of onions mix and stuff into veggie's peppers.
5.  Add steak mince, and a tiny pinch of cinnamon and chili flakes to onion and mushrooms, fry off.
6.  Slice mozzarella and tomatoes, add to veggie's peppers, with a few leaves of fresh basil.
7.  Stuff other peppers with appropriate collections of steak mince, mozarella, tomatoes ... Drizzle them all with olive oil, and put int the oven for 20 minutes or so.
8.  Make dressing for potatoes, add crushed garlic to olive oil and balsamic - drain potatoes, add wo dressing, with beans when still warm.
9.  Serve, scoff

Cashew nut stir fry

Fancied a change, and using ingredients available from me at The Mediterranean Pantry, the veg stalls outside and Oriental foods inside ... ta dah - cashew stir fry from Todmorden market! The end result was so good even the meat freak had thirds, and this was completely vegan.

Rice (basmati because that is what I had, should really have been jasmine or something)
Coconut oil (fries well at a high temperature)
Spring onion
Garlic
Ginger
Chili flakes
Red pepper
Green beans
Carrots
Courgette
Tomato ketchup
Soy sauce
Chinese rice wine
Oyster sauce (vegan)
Cornflour
Chashew nuts
Sesame seeds
Toasted sesame oil.

1.  Prepare all the veg - peel etc and chop into even sized pieces.  The list above is what I used because that's what we had - I would have added beansprouts, pak choi, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, lotus root if I had had any, but this was an English interpretation.
2.  Cook rice by your preferred method - I use abrorption ie.  cover rice in pan with 1 inch of water, bring to the boil, slam on lid, turn heat right down and leave ... but you could also bung it in the microwave.
3.  In a wok/deep frying pan - melt the coconut oil, heat quite high, then add onions, garlic and ginger.  Toss about a bit, then add the rest of the veg and the chili flakes, toss about a bit.  Add wet seasonings and about half a cup of water, simmer for a few minutes.
4.  Slake corflour in water, add to veg, stir in.  Throw in cashew nuts, stir.
5.  Serve, sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle lightly with sesame oil.

Kinda tapas featuring pork and chorizo casserole

Recipes ... very simple ...

Onion
Chorizo
Pork
Cider

Mushrooms
Garlic
Olive oil
Brandy

Plum tomato
Smoked anchovies


Onion
Garlic
Red pepper
Patti pan squash
Sherry
Chickpeas
Paprika
Saffron

1.  Make 2 casseroles, 1 meaty, 1 veggie - by sauteeing onion and gralic in olive oil, in 2 pans.
2.  To the meat one add pork, chopped chorizo and cider.
3.  To the veggie one add paprika, saffron, red pepper, pattipan squash and sherry.  THen add chickpeas.
4.  Chop mushrooms, fry with garlic and brandy.
5.  Chop tomatoes, put anchovies on top.....

oh, yes start the baby potatoes first.

Pistachio and parmesan crusted trout

I'm sure I nicked this from somewhere, but I can't remember where.  Anyway, Paul the fish is back from his holidays and had some lovely looking trout - so I thought I would ring the changes a bit.  Served with steamed veg, heirloom tomato salad and baby roasties.

Trout
Egg
Parmesan
Pistachio kernals
Bread crumbs
Olive oil


1.  Start the potatoes off roasting in olive oil.
2.  Zizz together pistachio kernals and parmesan - mix with breadcrumbs.
3.  Whisk an egg.  Dip fish into egg, then breadcrumb mix.  Set aside to dry, and after 10 minutes repeat the process.
4.  Steam the veg, chop the tomatoes.
5.  Fry the fish on each side for a few minutes.

It was really tasty.

Butter bean cornbread cobbler, with steamed veg and salad

The pic over emphasises the salad - which was just a few leaves with red pesto garlic dressing, left over from yesterday ... I was trying to be arty  tsk.

A hearty veggie dish, with a little spice.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Jerk seasoning
mixed herbs
potatoes
red pepper
mushrooms
courgette
butter beans
stock
dijon mustard

cornmeal
baking powder
eggs
soya milk

carrot
broccoli
green beans

1.  Make a casserole base by sauteeing onion and garlic in olive oil, add spice mix and herbs, then add in vegetables and stock.  I used those listed above, but it's really look in the fridge and see what you have time.
2. Add a tin of drained butter beans, simmer gently for a few minutes.
3.  Make the cornbread by mixing seasoned cornmeal with baking powder, eggs with soya milk, and combining to form a batter.
4.  Make the cobbler by putting vegetable mix into a baking dish, top with the batter, and bake for 25ish minutes.
5.  Steam vegetables.
6. Serve, scoff ...

Even the meat muncher had seconds!

Pitta burgers with salad

Burger night.  100% steak mince for the carnivores and halloumi for the veggie.  All made extra delicious by having a really garlicky pesto salad dressing, mushrooms and heirloom tomato - stuffed into a pitta and served with potato wedges.  So, so good - and all from Todmorden Market.

From The Mediterranean Pantry:

Olive oil
Organic pitta bread
Red tomato pesto
Garlic

From Mellings:
Steak mince

From the Crumbly Cheese:
Halloumi

From Garry the veg:
Potatoes
Tomato
Salad leaves
Mushrooms
Onions

1.  Cut potatoes into wedges, par boil.  When nearly cooked, drain and put into a roasting tin in olive oil.  Roast for 35-40 minutes.
2.  Shape the mince into burgers, chill for a few minutes.
3.  Chop onions and muchrooms, fry in olive oil.
4.  Wash salad leaves. Make dressing by mixing crushed garlic, a spoonful of red pesto and a glug of olive oil.
5.  Fry the burgers for a few minutes on each side - we like ours quite rare, so about 3 minutes each side - rest for a couple of minutes.
6.  Fry the haloumi and push the pita breads down in the toaster.
7.  Chuck everything in the middle of the table and let people assemble their own burgers.

Delicious.

Cod and smoked salmon fishcakes

 Lots of inspiration for tonight's tea - some home grown triumphs ... broad beans and courgette ... some donated glut yellow tomatoes, an irresistible find in a punnet of heirloom tomatoes, podded peas in the organic box, and some cod fillets also from the organic delivery.  So, adding some smoked salmon from the fridge this was a delicious summery treat.

Potatoes
Butter
Cod fillets
Bay leaf
Onion
Egg
Italian breadcrumbs
Courgette
Olive oil
Broad beans
Peas
Heirloom tomatoes
Spring onion
Basil

1.  Peel and dice potatoes, boil to make the mash.
2.  Mash potatoes with butter and seasoning.  Leave to cool.
3.  Poach the cod in water, with a bay leaf and half an onion.  Don't over cook it, a few minutes simmering, then turn off the heat and let it cook gently for 10 minutes.  Remove from the water and leave to cool.
4.  Dice the courgette, put in a pan with crushed garlic and olive oil.
5.  Pod the beans and peas and put in a steamer ready for steaming.
6.  Slice the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, finely diced spring onion and shredded basil.  Drizzle on a little good olive oil.
7.  Now assemble to fish cakes, break the smoked salmon into pieces, skin the cod and gently flake into the potato.  Mix together gently, so that the fish stays mostly in individual pieces.
8.  Chill the fish cakes for a few minutes.
9.  Whisk an egg in one bowl, put breadcrumbs in another.  Coat the fishcakes - fist in egg, then in breadcrumbs.  For a lovely crispy finish I did this twice ... egg, breadcrumbs, 5 minutes to dry, egg, breadcrumbs.
10.  Finally - turn the heat on under the courgettes and the peas and beans and fry the fishcakes in olive oil ... about 4 minutes each side - in batches, keeping them warm in the oven as you finish.
11.  Serve, scoff, smile.

Salt marsh lamb, given a Greekish twist

Todmorden is a fantastic town - and has a fantastic market.  I may be a little biased as it is home to my own micro-empire aka The Mediterranean Pantry, but without a doubt you can easily source the best of ingredients for some lovely meals here.  Incredible Edible helps too, as you can pick fresh herbs for FREE right outside the back door of the market ...

So, Salt Marsh lamb from Bracewell's butchers - amazing quality.
Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic from me.
Feta from the crumbly cheese.
Veggies from Garry outside.
Herbs from Pollination street, and our garden ...

1.  Marinate the lamb in olive oil, lots of crushed garlic, fresh oregano and a splash of white wine.
2.  Chop veg and roast them in olive oil for about 45 minutes.
3.  Boil potatoes, drain when done, toss in olive oil and add chopped chives - crush slightly and put into the oven to crisp up a little.
4.  Fry lamb on each side for a couple of minutes to brown, put into oven dish with remaining marinade, cover with foil and pop in the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
5.  Wash salad leaves and lightly dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
6.  Crumble feta, mix in olive oil and fresh herbs.
7.  Serve, scoff, receive fulsome praise from gathered visitors.

The salt marsh lamb is exceptionally tender and sweet - gorgeous.

Wild boar sausages in red wine

When the end of July feels like the middle of October there's nothing for it but a huge tasty sausage casserole.  Ringing the changes I used smoked pancetta and wild boar sausages.  The sausages had a really firm. close texture and a deeply savoury flavour which was excellent with the red wine and mushroom sauce.  The veggie version was the same casserole, but made with Linda McCartney red onion sausages.  Yum.

I also made a nectarine and cranberry crumble, which went down well, but I forgot to take it's pic.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Pancetta (onit for vegetarian)
Mushrooms
Wild boar sausages (replace with veggie sausages for vegetarian)
Red wine
Tin of tomatoes
Stock

Carrots
Broccoli
Green beans

New potatoes
Chives

1.  Sautee onion, add garlic and chopped pancetta.
2.  Add sausages and brown slightly on all sides.
3.  Chuck in chopped mushrooms, stir about for a bit.
4.  Add a glass of red wine and simmer the alcohol off.
5.  Add tomatoes and stock and simmer for at least 30 minutes - will keep in the oven for much longer.
6.  Meanwhile, wash and quarter new potatoes, boil.
7.  Prepare and steam vegetables.
8.  Drain potatoes, slosh on some olive oil, sprinkle on chopped chives and salt and pepper.
9.  Serve, scoff ...