Summer vegetable spaghetti with feta and black olives

 

End of the veg box again - onions, courgette, lemons and red pepper - added a few green beans, feta and olives and this was the delicious result.  Summery, but also filling, saltiness from feta and olives, sharpness from lemon. Fab. Quick too.

Olive oil

Onion

Garlic

Salt

Courgette

Red pepper

Green beans

Italian herbs

zest and juice of a lemon

spaghetti

black olives

Feta

Basil

1.  Sweat down chopped onion in olive oil, with a pinch of salt, then add crushed garlic.

2.  Add chopped red pepper, courgette and green beans (I would have added spinach if there was any available, so add/substitute with what you have available).  Let them soften for a few minutes.  Add a pinch of italian herbs.

3.  Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water, as per packet instructions.

4.  When pasta is al dente, add a couple of spoons of pasta water to veg and toss in drained pasta, stir.

5.  Add chopped zest and juice of a lemon, black olives, shredded basil and crumbled feta.

6.  Serve, grind on black pepper, scoff, bask in smugness.

Lemon sole with mediterranean vegetables.

We had it with baby roast potatoes, but you could have rice or bread instead. 

Olive oil

Red onion

Red pepper 

Courgette

Fish seasoning

Lemon sole

Lemon pepper

1.  Prep vegetables and toss in olive oil in a baking dish.  Sprinkle on fish seasoning, toss gently and roast for about 20 minutes.

2.  Pop the fish fillets on top, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of lemon pepper.

3.  Roast for a further 15-20 minutes.

4.  Serve, scoff,

so easy, so delicious, so healthy.

Burritos - or something similar

 Tonight we felt a bit of an American vibe, so I thought we would go with burritos.  Probably not terribly authentic, but they tasted good and we were all filled up.

I cheated with microwave rice and shop bought wraps -but why ever not?!

There were two versions - one for the pescatarian and one for the veg dodger.  That's the beauty of things like this, people can pick and mic.

Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Cumin
Red kidney beans
Red onion
Courgette
Red pepper
Fajita spice
Lettuce
Radish
Tomatoes
Avocado
Lime
Red chilli
Cooked rice
Salmon
Steak
Wraps
Sour cream

1.  Chop 2 red onions - one into small dice for the refried beans and one in strips for the spiced vegetables.
2.  Sautee the onions in olive oil, in 2 separate pans.
3.  Crush garlic and add to both pans.  Add a good pinch of cumin to the refried beans pan, and a pinch of fajita spice to the veg pan.
4.  Drain and rinse a tin of red kidney beans and add to the onion and cumin, add a splash of water and heat through.
5.  Chop courgette and red pepper into strips, add to the veg pan and stir fry.
6.  Chop the salad bits and present on a tray, spritz the avocado with lime juice.
7.  Roast the salmon in the oven for 15 minutes.
8.  Remove the beans from the heat and mash them gently, spritz with lime juice.  Keep warm in the oven.
9.  Sprinkle wraps with a little water, wrap in foil and put in the oven to heat through.
10.  Cook the steak - to your preferred level of done - ours was medium rare - 3 minutes on each side, leave to rest for 5 minutes.  Cut into strips.
11.  Serve, with sour cream and hot chilli mayonnaise …. scoff

Beetroot and carrot burgers

Meat free Monday - today we had beetroot and carrot burgers - and the veg dodger had seconds!

This could be made vegan by omitting the cheese - but the melting saltiness is really nice in the middle of the burger.  It could be replaced by a few cashew nuts for a bit of crunch and flavour.

Onion
Beetroots
Carrots
Porridge oats
Olive oil
Cheddar
Garlic
Courgettes
New potatoes

1.  Grate the onion, beetroot and carrots - mix well together.  Add a big handful of porridge oats, plenty of salt and pepper and a good splosh of olive oil.  Mix together again.
2.  Cut cheddar into small cubes.
3.  Put potatoes on to boil.
4.  Finely chop garlic, chop courgettes into cubes.
5.  Make the burgers, packing cheese into the middle - I used rings to pack them onto the pan, but you can shape them by hand by moulding around the cheese, fry them at a medium heat, in olive oil for about 5 minutes on each side.
6.  Fry the courgette and garlic in olive oil in another pan - keep tossing around so that all sides get cooked.
7.  Serve, scoff … have seconds - you'll be surprised how tasty they are.

Feta stuffed courgette, tomato and garlic green beans

Making the most of the lovely summer vegetables … today courgettes and green beans.  The feta added to the courgette adds a lovely salty sharpness.

Olive oil
courgette
red onion
oregano
feta
green beans
cherry tomatoes
garlic
new potatoes







1.  Cut the courgettes in half length ways, scoop out the central flesh with a spoon.  Dice this flesh finely.
2.  Finely chop a red onion, mix with the courgette flesh, a good pinch of oregano and a splosh of olive oil.  Mix well, squishing the courgette and onion together.  Fold in chunks of feta.
3.  Heap the mix back into the courgettes.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 30 minutes.
4.  Top and tail beans, and cut into bite sized pieces.  Splosh a little olive oil into a frying pan - add beans, cherry tomatoes, crushed garlic and a cup of water.  Bring to the simmer and cook for about 15 minutes (add a little more water if it looks like its going dry).  The tomatoes will split - I usually help them along by squishing them with a spatula.
5.  Boil/steam new potatoes.
6.  Serve, scoff  … lovely summery goodness.

Fish curry

Fish on Friday, as usual, but a bit of a change this week.  Lovely haddock from Paul, and a trawl through the veg in the fridge, and we had this delicious, but not very authentic, version of Malaysian fish head curry.  There were no fish heads involved, or any Malaysians for that matter.

Jasmin rice
Peanut oil
Spring onion
Garlic
Curry paste (Malaysian fish head for us, but could have been red thai, or something similar)
Courgette
Mushrooms
Tomato puree
Coconut milk
Haddock (or other white fish)

1.  Cook the rice - I used a rice ball - those things really work - put rice in ball, put into pan of cold water - bring to the boil, boil for about 15 minutes - done!
2.  In a wok, heat peanut oil, then add chopped spring onions, curry paste and crushed garlic.  Stir fry briefly.
3.  Add chopped veg to the wok, and stir fry, then add water/stock and a squirt of tomato puree, simmer until veg a nearly done, stirring occasionally.
4.  Add coconut milk, and taste for seasoning.
5.  Add fish pieces and simmer gently for about 5-6 minutes.
6.  Serve, sprinkling more chopped spring onion on top, scoff.

Cajun trout with roasted vegetables

Fish on Friday again - beautifully fresh trout from Paul the fish on Todmorden market - spices etc from The Mediterranean Pantry and veg available from Garry the veg.  I only wish Todmorden would provide some mediterranean style sunshine to go with this summery dinner.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Red onion
Courgette
Baby plum tomatoes
Mixed herbs
Garlic
Cajun spice
Trout

1.  Chop potatoes into 1" cubes, toss in olive oil and roast for about 50 minutes.
2.  Chop vegetables into even sized pieces, add chopped garlic and mixed herbs, toss in olive oil, and bung into the oven to roast, for about 45 minutes.
3.  Brush the trout with a paste made by mixing a tablespoon of cajun spice with olive oil - fry for a few minutes on each side - skin side first, in a hot pan.
4.  Serve, scoff

Courgette frittata, pesto gnocchi with tomato salad

The veg box often leaves us with challenges at the end of the week - but, as the bantams a re laying again, this challenge of onions, courgettes and cherry tomatoes was easily handled.  Also, had a packet of pesto gnocchi in the fridge, so that was easy too - and quick.


Red onion
Olive oil
Garlic
courgette
pesto gnocchi
eggs
tomatoes

1.  Chop a red onion - some very finely - reserve this for the salad,  sautee the rest with crushed garlic in olive oil.
2.  Add finely sliced courgette to the softened onion.
3.  Whisk together a number of eggs (7 bantam eggs in this case, but depends how hungry you are).  Add to the courgette mixture, cook on the hob for a few minutes (about 3), then finish under the grill/in a medium oven.
4.  Boil the gnocchi until they float, drain.  (You can then toss them in a little melted butter/olive oil if you wish).
5.  Put the salad together, chopped tomatoes, the reserved red onion and a sprinkle of salt.
6.  10 minutes after starting - serve, scoff, carry on with your day.

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.

Sea bass with wilted greens

Sea bass from Paul today.  Delicious delicate sweet flavour.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Red onion
Garlic
Celery
Mixed herbs
Courgette
Green beans
Veg stock
Cavolo nero
Spinach
Sea bass

1.  Par- boil the potatoes, and then roast in olive oil for about 45 minutes.
2.  Sautee chopped onion and celery in olive oil until softened, add crushed garlic and a good pinch of mixed herbs..
3.  Add chopped green beans, soften a bit, then chopped courgette.  Stir around and then add a cup of veg stock.  Simmer for 10 minutes or so, then add roughly shredded cavolo nero.  5 minutes before serving add the spinach and let it wilt down.
4.  Pan fry the fish in olive oil - skin side first in a hot pan - 3 mins on the skin side and 2 minutes on the other side should be enough.
5.  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.

Chickpea burgers

I really need to sort out my photography skills!  The trouble is, my food is not staged, it is, quite literally, my dinner - so I don't want to faff about while it gets cold!  It is also somewhat irritating for anyone else who is eating with me.  Still, must try harder!

This, believe it or not,  is a chickpea burger, aubergine and courgette bake with some new potato chips, and it was very, very tasty.



New potatoes
Chickpeas
Red onion
Roasted red pepper (out of a jar is just as good as home roasting)
olive oil
Egg
Porridge oats
Oregano
Polenta
Mixed herbs
Chili
Aubergine
Courgette
Tomatoes
Basil

1.  Quarter or halve new potatoes (depends on the size), longways, so that they resemble chips. Toss in olive oil and put in a roasting tray in a medium hot oven for 30 minutes (approximately).
2.  Slice aubergines and courgettes, toss them, in a bag, in the polenta with mixed herbs and chili.
3.  Griddle the slices of aubergine and courgette, layer into an oven proof dish.  Top with sliced tomato and torn basil leaves.  Bake for as long as the potatoes are in.
3.  Drain the chickpeas, add finely sliced red onion and a couple of roughly chopped red peppers.  Mash.
4.  Whisk an egg, add to chickpeas with a handful of oats and some chopped oregano, mix to bind.  You could shape into burgers, and put in the fridge - but I just squished the mixture into a food ring, straight into the pan.  Fry in olive oil for 5 minutes on each side.
5.  Everything should be done together, so serve and scoff.

Baked hake with chickpeas, red pepper and courgette with crushed new potatoes

Fish on Friday has become a real tradition. There is no religious background to this, merely a pattern which has formed and is reinforced weekly by the lovely fish sold by Paul the fish on Tod market.

Tonight, a Spanish sort of treatment.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Red pepper
Courgette
Paprika
White wine
Stock
Chickpeas
Oregano
New potatoes
Chives

1.  Gently sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil until a bit soft.
2.  Add chopped red pepper and courgette.
3.  Sprinkle in some smoked paprika, chopped oregano and add some drained chickpeas.
4.  Add a splash of white wine and/or stock and simmer gently for a few minutes.
5.  Transfer to an oven dish, put hake steaks on top (or other fish), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little more paprika.  Bake for about 20 minutes in a medium hot oven.
6.  Meanwhile boil new potatoes.
7.  When the potatoes are done, drain them, splash in a little olive oil and a small handful of chopped chives, crush with a masher.  (They can be crisped up in the oven if you fancy)

Scoff

Courgette frittata with polenta chips, roast asparagus and a tomato and olive "sauce"

 Another mediterranean feast sourced from Todmorden market.  Absolutely delicious flavours of sun and holidays.

All ingredients can be found within feet of each other, from ....

The Mediterranean Pantry
The Crumbly Cheese
Garry outside, for the veg
Local eggs from various stalls (ours were from our own bantams)

Olive oil
Polenta
Parmesan
Fennel seeds
Chili flakes
Onions
Garlic
Courgette
Eggs
Asparagus
Mixed herbs
Cherry tomatoes
Olives
Oregano
Basil
Mixed salad leaves
Balsamic vinegar

1.  Cut the polenta into chip sizes.  Drizzle some olive oil in on a baking tray, and put it in a hot oven to heat up.
2.  Grate the parmesan and add fennel seeds and chili flakes, mix them together.
3.  Toss the polenta chips in the cheese mixture until every one is coated.
4.  Put the chips onto the hot tray, and drizzle with a little more olive oil.  Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden - turn once in the middle.
5.  While they are baking bung the asparagus in an ove dish, drizzle with oil, season and bung that on the bottom shelf of the oven.
6.  Start the frittata by sauteeing onion and garlic in olive oil.  Add sliced courgette and fry gently.
7.  Gently whisk eggs and add a pinch of mixed herbs.  Pour into the pan with the courgettes.  Transfer the pan to the oven and let bake while everything else finishes.
8.  Fry sliced onion and garlic in another pan, add halved cherry tomatoes, oregano and roughly chopped olives.  This will only take a few minutes.  When it's "done" you can turn off the heat - it's nice warm as well as hot.
9.  45(ish) minutes from starting you should be ready to pull everything out of the oven and serve with salad leaves, lightly dressed with olive oil and balsamic glaze.
10.  Receive rapturous applause.

It was almost summer - so a summery dinner

It was a lovely sunny day in Tod - one of the very few we have had this year.  Infact, it seems to have been grey and wet since October with barely a break.  So, in honour of the improved weather, I choose to chuck together a summery type dinner.  It is, however, still Yorkshire, so an actual salad would have been too cold.

Once again, all ingredients available from Tod market ... from me in the Mediterranean Pantry:-



Olive oil
Garlic
Rice
Lentils
Greek salad seasoning
Calabrian fish crust mix

From Garry the veg:-

Onions
Spring onions
Green beans
Cherry tomatoes
Courgettes
Salad leaves

1.  Cook rice (1 cup rice, 2 cups water - bring to boil, lid on, turn right down and leave for 15 minutes).
2.  At the same time boil the lentils.
3.  Sautee spring onions and garlic in olive oil (quite a lot of olive oil), add a pinch of greek salad. seasoning.
4.  Add chopped beans and cherry tomatoes, Stir occassionally until its all cooked through, about 12 minutes.
5.  Meanwhile - put some calabrian fish crust mix in a bag - add sliced courgette.  Shake until all of the pieces are coated.  Fry these in a hot griddle pan, for a couple of minutes on each side.
6.  Finish the rice and lentils by frying onions in olive oil, then fold the rice and drained lentils through.
7.  Serve with salad leaves in a simple dressing (balsamic vinegar and olive oil for us).

Baked trouts with almonds

Welcome back to the 70s!  I seem to be on a roll with this fish baking malarky at the moment, tonight's was trout circa 1973 with the addition of flaked almonds!

Still simple as .....

Olive oil
Potatoes
Celery
Carrots
Courgette
White wine
Garlic
Trout
Flaked almonds

1.  Wash and chop potatoes, par boil and then roast in olive oil, in a hot oven.  The potatoes will take about an hour - the fish 30 minutes tops.
2.  As the potatoes are roasting prepare the veg - peel and chop and toss in crushed garlic and olive oil.  Place in the bottom of another roasting pan.
3.  Lay the fish on top of the veg and drizzle with olive oil, splash a little white wine on the veg so that it helps create some steam.
4.  Bake fish for about 15 minutes, fling on flaked almonds and bake for 15 more minutes.

Scoff.  Absolutely delicious - check the fish after 20 minutes, you don't want it over cooked - the veg being al dente is no bad thing.

Mediterranean hot salad, haloumi and baby baked potatoes

What, officially, is a salad?  You get leaf salads, tossed salads, cold salads, salads with meat, salads with cooked things .... etc etc .  I have decided, for the purposes of today's recipe, that "salad" means a bunch of ingredients prepared separately, and then served together, with a dressing.

Today - we had mediterranean hot salad with some baby baked potatoes.

For the baked potatoes - wash, prick with a fork, and coat with olive oil (pour a tiny blob of oil into your hand, and then cuddle each potato until it has a coating of oil...) ... put into an oven proof dish - microwave for 10 minutes, then transfer to a hot oven to finish baking.

Hot salad, with haloumi

olive oil
red pepper
aubergine
courgette
tomato
black olives
garlic
italian herbs
grainy mustard
spinach
black pepper

1.  Prepare, and then griddle in a hot griddle pan each of ... red pepper, aubergine and courgette.
2.  Place, as they are griddled, into an oven proof dish.
3.  Slice tomatoes, and add them ... probably in the middle of the layers of griddled veg - just add them in as you are ready.
4.  Bung the lot in the oven.
5.  Prepare the dressing:  Crush the garlic, mix with olive oil, mixed herbs and mustard (add chilli or anything else you fancy) ...
6.  Throw the dressing over the veg and griddle the cheese.
7.  Put the cheese on the salad - return to the oven.
8.  Add 3 tablespoons of water to the hot griddle pan, sizzle, add spinach and toss - it'll wilt in no time.
9.  Serve and scoff.

We had thirds!

Pizza - on World Vegetarian Day

The hens have started laying!  Yay!  and we have some of our own potatoes from the allotment, so wanted to do something a bit different.  Also, experimenting with gluten free pizza bases.  A success all round I say.

So, two different sorts of pizza a "fiorentina" of sorts with garlic, potato, spinach and the egg - and a vegatable one with tomato, courgette ribbons, olives and cheddar.



Pizza bases

I used "Isabel's" - and followed the packet instructions (flour mix, water, egg and olive oil), kneeded.

The difference, in cooking, between this and standard pizza dough is that after kneeding you don't prove them, they are rolled out and then they need pre-cooking for 10 minutes, before adding the topping and baking again for 15 minutes.

"Fiorentina"

Garlic
Olive oil
New potato
Spinach
Egg (pekin bantam egg in this case)

1.  Finely chop/crush the garlic and mix with the oil.
2.  Parboil sliced new potato and steam the spinach.
3.  Drain potato, chop spinach.
4.  Spoon and spread garlic oil onto pizza base, layer with potato slices and scatter on the spinach.
5.  Drizzle with a little more garlic oil, season, and put in hot oven for 5 minutes.
6.  After 5 minutes, crack the egg into the center of the pizza, and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Vegetable one

Tomato
Courgette
Lemon juice
Onion
Olive oil
Oregano
Black olives
Grated cheddar

1.  Make ribbons of courgette using a speed peeler.
2.  Finely slice about half an onion.
3.  Mix the courgette and onion together, marinade in lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and a pinch of salt (for about 20 minutes as you faff with other things).  You could chuck the olives, sliced or otherwise into this mix too, or keep them separate to sprinkle over the top.
4.  Grate the cheese.
5.  Slice the tomato and layer over the pizza base.
6.  Drape courgette and onions over the tomatoes.
7.  Cover with grated cheese and a grind of black pepper (optional).
8.  Cook in hot over for about 15 minutes.

The crust was really good, a bit hard on exposed edges perhaps, but not that nasty chewiness or dryness that you often get with GF products.

It was nice cold too!

Courgette and broccoli spaghetti

Courgette, onions and broccoli at the end of the veg box ... so, here goes:-
 1.  Sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic in olive oil.
2.  When a little softenned add diced courgette, and the broccoli stem, diced.
3.  Add a little water, so that it doesn't get too dry, and a few chili flakes, season.
4.  Make pasta (GF spaghetti in this case) according to packet instructions.
5.  5 minutes from serving add small broccoli florets and juice and zest of half a lemon.
6.  Drain pasta, toss together ... turn of black pepper
7.  Scoff - with, or without parmesan.

Delicious and under 20 mins to make.

Veg box fritters with new potatoes - from the allotment.

The photo makes it all look a bit dark - I blame my photographic skills, not my cooking.  These fritters are NOT burnt, they were browned to perfection.

The new potatoes are our first crop from the allotment - very proud!  And, very delicious.

The fritters:

Corn on the cob
Carrot
Courgette
Red onion
Cumin seeds
Fennel seeds
Turmeric
Chili flakes
Salt
Gram flour
Bicarbonate of soda
Rape seed oil

1.  Scrape kernels from sweetcorn (or use tinned/frozen).
2.  Grate peeled carrots, onion and courgette.
3.  Mix all veg together and add salt, let sit for at least 10 minutes to draw out some of the moisture (not to drain off, to activate the bicarb).
4.  Add in spices, mix well.
5.  Add gram flour, bicarb, and mix well.
6.  Fry, gently, in rape seed oil.
7.  Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.

Yogurt sauce

Natural yogurt
Crushed garlic
Lemon juice
Olive oil

1.  Mix ingredient together, and season to taste.

Tomato and basil salad ... yup. tomato, basil and salt.

I would have added a green salad, but no leaves left from the veg box.  However, this was all delish and the yogurt sauce went spectacularly with the fritters.