Smoked mackerel fishcakes, golden beets, green beans and leeks'n'stuff

This, sadly, is a REALLY bad picture.  I am sure there's something wrong with that camera.  However, I include it as the beets were truly delicious - kind of sweet and nutty at the same time, and a beautiful texture.

 

So...

 

olive oil

4 baking potatoes

2 smoked haddock

Tarragon

6 golden beets

balsamic vinegar

8 cloves garlic - whole

leek

Courgette

white wine

green beans

egg

corn thins

1.  Wash and prick potatoes - bake at 180C for about an hour and a half.

2.  Top and tail beets to remove furry roots - bake, in skins with drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Chuck whole cloves of garlic in and seal with foil.  Bake for about an hour and a half.

After about an hour....

3.  Chop leeks and courgette, fry gently in olive oil, add splash of white wine and simmer until softish (15 mins tops)

4.  Steam green beans.

5.  Get potatoes and beets out of the oven - when they are cool enough to handle, skin them.

6.  Mash the potatoes, add flaked mackerel and chopped tarragon.

7.  Whisk egg, whizz corn thins into "not breadcrumbs" ie. gluten free

8.  Shape fishcakes, dip in egg then "not breadcrumbs" - then fry on each side for about 4 minutes.

Yum!  Enough for dinner, lunch and an extra lunch.  The garlic is sweet and tender, don't just leave it in the pan, squish it onto the fishcakes/beets.

Caribean vegetable stew, with rice and peas

Veg box had squash, pepper and beans, and I fancied something a bit spicy, so came up with this.

Olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 squash
Handful green beans
1 red pepper
Tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp peanut gravy mix
Cajun seasoning

Big handful of brown rice
Tin kidney beans

Peanuts

Lettuce
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

1.  Put rice in vast iron pot, add drained kidney beans.  Add water to 2 inches above rice and beans.  Stir.  Bring to the boil, cover,  then transfer to an over at 150C.
2.  Sautee onion and garlic until a little softenned.  Then add prepared veggies.  Cook for a few minutes, letting them soften.
3.  Add tin of tomatoes, a tinful of water and the Cajun seasoning and peanut mix.  Simmer away until rice is done - about 30 minutes.
4.  Dry fry peanuts - smash up a bit in a pestle and mortar.
5.  Toss lettuce in a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic.

Scoff.  Delish.

Buy nothing September has not worked out quite so well, and I haven't written everything down - but I am avoiding big food shops.

Gluten free breakfast pancakes with apple and cranberry sauce

Truly rubbish pic, dunno what was wrong with the camera.  These were birthday breakfast pancakes for someone who is giving gluten free a go, to see if it helps with general aches and pains.

Olive oil (for frying, could be any vegetable oil)
Butter
Gluten free flour (Self Raising Doves in this instance)
Soya milk
Egg
Natural yogurt
Pinch of salt

Apple sauce

3 cooking apples
handful dried cranberries
sugar

1.  Put flour into bowl and crack in egg.  Stir in to start the process.
2.  Add pinch of salt and about a cup of soya milk.  Whisk.
3.  Add about 3 tbsp natural yogurt and whisk until flour has been incorporated, and the mixture is smooth.
4.  The texture should be of very lightly whipped double cream - if too thick add some milk, if too liquidy add some flour (easier to add a little mixture to some new flour, mix, then mix this in to the big batch - fewer lumps).
5.  Heat oil and butter in frying pan until just smoking.  Fry pancakes in batches - about 6ish cm across.  You know one side is done when you start getting tiny bubbles at the outer edges creeping in about 1 cm.  Flip and fry on the other side.
6.  Meanwhile peel and chop apples, put in a pan with sugar (to taste) and cranberries.  Add a tbsp water and cover with a cartouche (greaseproof paper scrunched up and wet and plonked over the fruit to seal in moisture).  Stew gently until pancakes are done.

Scoff, with or without maple syrup, sing happy birthday (badly).

Lentil & chard, with squash and tomato risotto

This was DELICIOUS! It is vegan and gluten free.  It took about 40 minutes, but a nice gentle 40 minutes.. once the initial chopping is done, it is all lid on and steam for a bit, and add water to stop it drying out.

So, start with the chard:-

1 onion

Huge armful of chard, preferably free from Mum's garden

Garlic

Olive oil

Wite wine

Puy lentils

Spinach

Fennel fronds

1.  Chop an onion finely and sautee in olive oil for about 4 minutes on a medium heat, add in chopped chard stalks and a clove of crushed garlic.
2.  Add half a glass of white wine (or not, .. water is fine).

3.  Steam/fry until softish for about 8 minutes. Add in chopped spinach stalks.  Cook again for about 2 minutes.

4.  What stalky bits are quite tender add chopped leaves - both spinach and chard.  Add some more water, stir and allow to wilt for 4 ish minutes.  Add chopped fennel at the end.

5.  Meanwhile, boil put lentils in plenty of water for about 25 minutes, until soft.

6.  Drain lentils, mix into mixture, season.  

If you've managed to finish before the risotto is ready, just reheat or eat warm.  

Squash and tomato risotto

Olive oil

1 onion

1 patti pan squash

Garlic

Risotto rice

Paella spice mix (or paprika, saffron and herbs)

6 tomatoes

1 stock cube

White wine

1.  Soften chopped onion in olive oil.

2.  Add chopped squash to softened onion, turn it over a couple of times and add rice and garlic.  Turn  rice over under all grains have a film of oil over them.

3.  Add a glass of white wine.

4.  Stir, add water/stock a bit at a time as it simmers and plops away, stirring now and again.

5.  Grate tomatoes and add pulp.  Gently keep simmering.

6.  It'll probably take about 20 minutes.

As previously stated, utterly delicious.  Gluten free and vegan.  Cheese could have been added to the risotto, but it really doesn't need it.

Oh yes - and £3 - dog food.  Total breach:  £20.59

£2.28

No spend September isn't so easy if your mate has no money either - a tea and soya milk for me, a coke for her - a full £2.28 breach.  I couldn't refuse, as she's a mate who has recently stopped smoking, so anything to keep the peace!  Accumulated total so far:  £9.82.

5th September:  another breach! bread and wine - oops! - and milk, which is allowed, so £7.77 breach:  .£17.59

No spend September

A challenge to stop impulse spending on nothing... spend nothing is September.  There are 3 exceptions:-  petrol, milk and presents (of the birthday, christenning variety NOT the a present to me because it's Tuesday variety).  There are also 2 other things allowed - the regular veg box and loaf, and my season ticket is paid for.

This is the first breach - and it's only the 2nd - but caused by a headache driving up the A1 on a warm afternoon, and needing to stay awake.  £4.54.

3rd September:  it's not cheating if someone else pays... So take-away curry tonight.  £3 on the lads up the road for washing the van.  There was petrol, but that's on the allowable list.  Total breaches so far £7.54.

Mum's garden dinner and pasta

A visit to the folks this weekend and presented with a bumper crop of rainbow chard, patti pan squash and tomatoes.  So - pasta with 2 sauces:- Greek inspired chard, mediterranean squash and tomato casserole.

Greek inspired chard

4 leeks
1 tbsp olive oil
Enormous haul of chard
2 cloves garlic
1 glass dry white wine
small handful black olive
mint, rosemary and thyme
salt and pepper
feta - crumbled over

1.  Clean and chop leeks, saute in olive oil.
2.  Wash chard well, strip leaves from stalks.  Cut stalks into 1 cm pieces, add to leeks.  Saute for a while.  When a bit soft add crushed garlic and white wine.  Put lid on pan and allow to soften for a bit.
3.  After about 10 mins add chopped leaves and stir around.
4.  Add chopped olives and perhaps more water if its dry.  Cover and simmer until soft.
5.  Before serving crumble feta over and season with salt and black pepper.

Mediterranean squash and tomato casserole

1 red onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large(ish) patti pan squash
1 courgette
1 yellow pepper
lots of small (or is large chopped) tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
pich chili flakes
1 glass white wine
chives, parsley

1.  Sautee chopped red onion in olive oil.  Add diced squash.
2.  Chop and add courgette and pepper and wine.
3.  Simmer until softenning slightly, add tomatoes and crushed garlic, stir and cover.
4.  Simmer until soft, add chili flakes, cover and heat through.
5.  Before serving mix in chopped chives and parsley.

Pasta:  cook according to packet instructions, drain, toss in olive oil to stop it sticking.

Scoff - surprising chard "hating" people - because they ALL finished their plates.

Veggie curry, dhal and brown rice

A bit of a day at work.... a bit of a day with family news.  Apparently, when I got home, I was extremely hyper, so this might explain why, instead of making something quick I choose to make something easy - but involving quite a lot of chopping and faffing.  There are many ingredients in this, but it really is very simple (but it does take nearly an hour to make...) .

There are 3 main parts - 1 x veggie curry, 1 x tarka dhal and some rice - yogurt is also very integral - but too easy to be called a recipe/cooking!

Veggie curry:

2 tbsp peanut (or other mild) oil
1 onion, chopped
Garlic (2 cloves, crushed or 1 tbsp paste from a jar)
1 aubergine, diced
1 courgette, diced
spice mix (to taste, I used about 1 and a half tbsp of quite spicy kebab mix)
 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 kholrabi, peeled and diced
1/2 (big) patty pan squash, diced
8 new potatoes
1 tin chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper
water
(1 tsp sugar)

Rice:-

Brown rice
Water
Salt

Dhal:-

Lentils, red in this case...

Tarka:-

Peanut oil - 1 tbsp
Green chili - 1 - stab it to let the flavour out
fennel seeds - 1 tsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
black mustard seeds - 1 tsp
curry leaves (8 ish)
fenugreek leaves (8 ish)

Here I must point out that the veg could have been all sorts of combinations - I had this stuff in the fridge, and I thought it would go together - it did.

Veggie :-

1.  Sautee onion until a bit soft in the oil.
2.  Chuck other veg in as you chop it, and keep stirring it around.  Add water when it looks a bit dry.
3.  Add spice mix - a bit at a time, taste when the ingredients have had a chance to mesh together.
4.  Throw in tin of tomatoes, at least half a tin of water and allow to simmer as everything else cooks.
5.  Taste again - adjust seasoning - add sugar if chili is too hot.
6.  Simmer until veg is nice and tender.

Rice:-

1.  Put rice in heavy bottomed saucepan with close fitting lid.  Add cold water to about 2.5cms above surface of rice
2.  Bring to the boil.  Simmer for 15 (ish) minutes for brown rice.  Turn off heat, plonk on lid and leave for 10 minutes to steam.

Dhal:-

1.  Put lentils in pan, add about twice the volume of water - bring to the boil - simmer until soft (about 20 minutes) - skim the top if and when necessary, add water if not soft.
2.  When cooked, turn off heat and let it cool and thicken a little.  Add tarka 2 minutes before serving.

Tarka:-

1.  Heat oil in frying pan - to a medium heat.  Chuck in a seed or two, listen for the sizzle - a sizzle is what you want - if they pop straight away it's too hot - take it off the heat for 1 minute, then add the seeds and carry on
2.  Add whole spices (fennel seeds etc....), keep them moving.... add the leaves.
3. Chuck into dhal, stir - scoff

Both of us cleared our plates, and agreed that the yogurt really helped bring it together.  All elements nice - as a combination - yum

The best homemade pasta in history

On the veg stall in the market on Friday there was a fabulous selection of mushrooms - field, cep, those little japanesy ones (enoya?), oyster and a few others ... so I bought a big handful.  Then thought they looked so good they needed special treatment, and I fancied playing - so decided to do them with really good olive oil - and fresh tagliatelli.  It was worth it, an hour and a half of playtime, and then the most delicious pasta dish I have had for AGES.


250(ish)g type OO flour
3 large free range eggs

3 big cloves garlic, crushed
lots of good olive oil
handful mixed mushrooms, brushed clean and torn, chopped into bite sized pieces
glug of brandy
black pepper
parsley
freshly grated parmesan

1.  Make pasta - take your time and do it properly.  This was extremely fine sheets cut into wide-ish tagliatelli strips.  Toss in as little flour as possible to keep the strands separate.
2.  Put a large pot of salted water on to boil, and start the sauce.
3.  Heat good glug of good olive oil, when warm (NOT spitting hot) add mushrooms and garlic.  Cook gently for about 5 minutes, adding more oil when the mushrooms have released their water, just to loosen the sauce.  Season thoughtfully.
4.  Cook tagliatelli in water for a brief time (about a minute in this case).
5.  Meanwhile chuck brandy into mushrooms and flame. Once flame has gone turn off heat and stir in chopped parsley.
6.  Drain pasta and chuck into sauce.  Toss, serve with black pepper and freshly grated parmesan.  A little green salad goes well.
7.  Sit back and receive much praise.

Lentil fritters, mushroom "biryani", roast tomatoes and yogurt dressing

Left over dhal and rice.  Excellent!  In 20 minutes flat they became this, which was delicious.  The lentil patties were gently flavoured, the rice as spicy and complex, the roast tomatoes added sweetness and the yogurt sauce was garlicky, minty and had a bit of a chili kick in the background.  An absolutely brilliant combination if I say so myself.  Only one other witness, who agreed with me completely and had seconds of rice and sauce - we were both too full for another fritter.

For the dhal:-

Big handful of red lentils - boiled in water for about 20-30 minutes.  Left to cool - kept in fridge over  night.

Cooked basmati rice.

peanut (or other light) oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
big handful of mushrooms
2 baby aubergines
small handful methi (fenugreek leaves - not essential, coriander or parsley would also be good, but the methi was delicious)
biryani (or whatever) spice mix
olive oil
red chili
juice of a lemon
natural yogurt
small handful mint
seasoning

1.  Chop onion and sweat in peanut oil.  Add chopped mushrooms and aubergines.
2.  Stick vine tomatoes in a pan with a little olive oil in the bottom, add sprinkle of sea salt and put on tightly fitting lid and heat on hob for 15-20 minutes.  Shake occasionally, but resist opening pan and prodding too often.
3.  To softened veg add half of the crushed garlic, the biryani mix and the cooked rice.  Stir and keep on a low heat (you may need to add a little water if it looks a bit dry.
4.  Form lentils into patties, and fry in a hot pan in peanut oil for about 3 minutes on each side.
5.  Mix yogurt, the rest of the garlic, mint, chopped chili, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
6.  Stir chopped fenugreek into rice - leave to stand as you serve out patties and tomatoes, then serve with good spoonful of dressing.
7. Scoff.
8.  Have seconds.