Kitchen Diaries Challenge 2012

Baked Marmalade Chicken

2012-02-10T21:17:00.000Z

This is a simple and tasty way of injecting flavour, colour and succulence into skinless chicken breasts, which can sometimes look a little like those defective silicone breast implants that keep popping up (out?) on the news at the moment. It helps to start with good organic, or at the least, free-range, chicken breasts, on or off the bone. For two, marinate in a mixture of a heaped tablespoon of good marmalade (preferably homemade), the juice of an orange (preferably Seville, but an ordinary one will be fine), a heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, and two teaspoons of honey. Let the chicken sit for at least an hour, overnight if possible. The acid in the orange helps tenderise the meat and keeps it succulent. Heat an oven to 200C and lift the chicken out of the marinade onto a small baking tin, lined with a bit of parchment (otherwise you will be scrubbing for weeks). Drizzle the chicken with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper, and roast for 20 minutes (25 if on the bone) until just cooked and the juices run clear. Whilst it is roasting, tip the marinade into a pot and reduce over a high heat until it is a thick sticky glaze. Pour this over the chicken in the oven for the final 5 minutes of cooking to produce a golden, burnished, glistening finish. Low fat and really tasty!

Aloo Tikki

2012-02-08T20:52:00.000Z

Oh. My. Goodness. Where have these been all my life? Now, mashed potatoes are delicious, FRIED mashed potatoes are on the way to heaven, and fried mash with Indian spices, dipped in breadcrumbs, is surely Nirvana. Well it is for me. After our duck-fest over the previous 3 days, we were in serious need of some veggie food, and had lots of Riverford veg to use up. I also had some mash lurking in the fridge from Sunday that needed using - probably the equivalent of two large potatoes, mashed. Well, to this, I added a finely chopped spring onion, and a tablespoon of finely chopped coriander, with half a finely chopped hot red chilli. A mini-chopper is very handy for this stage. This is mixed into the mash with a wooden spoon, along with half a teaspoon each of turmeric, ground cumin and garam masala. Season well with salt and pepper. Now, divide the mixture into 4 or 6 equal portions, oil your hands and shape each into dumpy little patties. Dip in breadcrumbs - no egg needed, cos of the light coating of oil left from your hands. Use fresh breadcrumbs or good bought Panko ones, not the orange stuff in a packet! Heat a couple of tablespoons of light oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat, and fry the patties until golden-brown, flip carefully and cook the other side. Serve hot from the pan with a saucy curry (we made a cauliflower, red pepper, pea and tomato curry) and some Naan bread to scoop everything up with. The little Aloo Tikki were sooooooo delicious. The whole lot, including the cauli curry, came in under a fiver, and would have fed 4 - we have leftover curry too.

The lifecycle of roast duck: Quick Cassoulet

2012-02-07T21:24:00.000Z

A proper cassoulet is something you should make once in a lifetime. Freshly soaked and cooked haricot beans, proper confit duck, chunks of braised pork belly, authentic, coarse garlicky Toulouse sausages. It is a wonderful, rich and complex dish, quite fatty, cooked for ages and probably not for the faint-hearted. This version, on the other hand, is simple, quick and healthy, and made perfect TV supper fodder in a bowl. Don't skimp on the quality of the ingredients, though, as simplicity exposes cheap products. So, I started with the remaining 2 roast duck legs from the weekend, skinned and pulled from the bones in large chunks. Then I halved three fresh Toulouse-style sausages - most supermarkets do them these days - mine were from Waitrose. The sausages were browned in a cast iron casserole in a tablespoon of olive oil and a very finely chopped onion and carrot. Next, half a tin or so of good chopped tomatoes were added - I use the Cirio brand. To this was added a clove of garlic, chopped, the duck meat, about 300mls of veg stock and a big jar of good white beans - mine were from the Reflets du France range at Ocado. Drain and rinse them, then chuck into the sauce. Add a handful of chopped parsley and bake, uncovered, at 180 for half-an-hour. Now, blend a tablespoon of parsley with a slice of white bread and sprinkle on top of the casserole. Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes until the crumbs have gone brown and crusty. Let everything settle for a few minutes then scoop into bowls and eat with a spoon! Enough for 2 with leftovers for hubby tomorrow.

The life-span of roast duck: Peking -style Duck Pancakes

2012-02-06T21:14:00.000Z

I got a bargain deal from Ocado of 6 duck legs for a tenner. Sadly, this won't qualify for the under a fiver challenge, but it is still a snip, and I have lots of delicious duck to use up. Yesterday, the crisp roasted legs were served with a sauce made from the pan juices boiled with Vouvray white wine, and the juice and zest of a Seville orange, with just a touch of honey. Scrummy. Tonight, I shredded another couple of cooked legs, including the skin, which was crisped in the oven along with some home-made crepes from the freezer - just as good as the more authentic Chinese pancakes. The shredded duck meat was quickly stir-fried with some hoisin sauce, and all was served with shredded spring onion and cucumber, and a big bowl of stir-fried greens, red pepper, shallot, ginger and garlic. Yum! Quick cassoulet tomorrow with the remaining 2 duck legs.

Herbed Potato Stacks

2012-02-04T21:31:00.000Z

Now pay attention. You will thank me for this recipe for years to come. In a bowl, crush a clove or two of garlic. Chop some fresh herbs very finely - a sprig or two of rosemary and thyme, for example. Or even (whisper it) use dried herbs! Mix the herbs with the garlic, some salt and pepper and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Take four medium potatoes with the skin still on, well washed. Desiree or King Edward's will do. Slice them into thin slices, across their middle. Add to the bowl and toss well, with your hands, so each slice gets coated in herbs and garlic and oil and seasoning. Now, cover a baking sheet with parchment and start to reconstruct the potatoes by laying slices one on top of the other - you will probably get 8 stacks out of four potatoes. Bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes (200C). If the stacks tip over during cooking, use the tip of a knife to nudge them back into place. You will end up with crisp stacks of potato, seasoned all the way through and meltingly tender inside, yet brown and crispy and rustling on the outside. Yummy with anything and on their own too! Because the oil covers each slice, you can make these an hour or so in advance and the spuds won't discolour, then time them to be ready, all hot and fragrant and crisp from the oven. You're welcome!

Baked Salmon with Lemon and Parsley Crust

2012-02-04T21:08:00.000Z

I have made a variation of this for years, but with a breadcrumb topping of olive oil, parsley, garlic and Parmesan. It is delicious, but this version was altogether fresher and lighter and made a welcome change. It is based on a recipe from Lorraine Pascale's latest book, "Home Cooking Made Easy". For two, all you do is blitz a slice of good white bread with about 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, a clove of crushed garlic, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, the finely-grated zest of a lemon, and 15g of melted butter. Season well with salt and pepper. Put 2 fillets of salmon on baking parchment or buttered foil on a baking sheet and pile the crumbs on top. It doesn't matter if some tumbles off, you will just have some extra crisp crumbs to serve along-side. Now bake in a hot oven (200C) for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish and how well done you like it. I don't mind mine a little rosy in the middle, but leave them in up to a further 5 minutes, watching so the crumbs don't burn. Serve straight away with the zested lemon cut to squeeze over at the table. Simple and delicious, served with stems of purple sprouting broccoli and some sauteed potatoes.

Blueberry Pancakes

2012-01-30T05:01:00.000Z

We seem to have ended up with loads of punnets of blueberries in the freezer, so this was a delicious way to use them for breakfast on Sunday, served with Greek yoghurt mixed with orange zest and honey, and sliced fresh oranges, bananas and mango. Much healthier and less sweet than with maple syrup! I used 200g of self-raising flour, plus an extra teaspoon of baking powder, a tablespoon of caster sugar, 1 egg, separated, and a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt, made up with milk to 300mls in a measuring jug. Keep the egg white separate and whisk all the other ingredients together. Whip the egg white until soft peaks form, then fold through the batter with the blueberries (a 150g punnet, straight from the freezer). Don't keep this batter hanging around as the egg white will loose its oomph and the baking powder won't be as effective - it doesn't need to stand. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a mediumish heat, and sizzle a teaspoon or so of butter in it. Spoon in tablespoonfuls of the batter making sure you get a good portion of berries in each one. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface (about 2 minutes) then flip over and cook the other side for another minute. Keep warm in a folded clean tea towel on a plate over a pan of simmering water whilst you make the remaining batches, using more butter each time. This made about 12 pancakes, which were all consumed - greedily - by the two of us with the yoghurt and fruit on the side.

Balm Cocktail

2012-01-29T20:29:00.000Z

My husband is a bit OCD when it comes to cocktails - sorry to get all gendered but he does the typical male thing of collecting just about everything he can - books, cocktail accessories, weird liqueurs and bitters, you name it - and he kept passing this one by because we didn't have something called 'Pimento dram', a very obscure concoction from the Caribbean of rum infused with allspice berries. Anyhow, he read in one of the books from his hero, Dale De Groff, that you can emulate its flavour by mixing Angostura Classic Bitters and Angostura Orange Bitters. So, tonight, we had his rather delicious interpretation of the 1930's cocktail, 'The Balm' - you need 5 parts of Oloroso/Dry Amontillado sherry, mixed; 1.5 parts Cointreau and 2 parts freshly squeezed orange juice; 2 dashes Angostura Classic Bitters and 4 of Angostura Orange Bitters. Shake over ice, strain into a martini glass and serve with an orange twist. It looked a bit muddy, but was a perfect aperitif, and not too alcoholic. We forgot to take a photo but here is one from an interesting blog, Savoystomp.com, where the author worked their way through the absolute classic, The Savoy Cocktail Book, from A to Zee, as the Yanks would say.

Tortelloni Soup

2012-01-23T17:04:00.001Z

This soup, or versions of it, has been doing the food blog rounds this winter, so I thought I'd give it a go. It breathes life into bought tortelloni, and makes a substantial, low fat meal-in-a-bowl, especially with salad and garlic bread. You can go veggie too, varying the pasta fillling and using veg stock. I do think it needs a good stock, though, so I made some chicken stock with yesterdays' roast chicken, about a litre and a half for 4 people. Then I added a tin of chopped tomatoes, a sliced leek and onion, a sliced carrot and a couple of cloves of garlic, crushed or grated. Simmer for 30 minutes or so until the veg is tender, then add a good handful of baby spinach leaves, chopped chard or greens - whatever you have, and simmer for another few minutes to wilt and soften the greens. In a separate pot, boil a 500g pack of tortelloni or ravioli - whatever filling takes your fancy, though I went just for cheese and tomato. Drain and add to the soup along with some shredded leftover chicken if you have any. Dish up with grated parmesan. Depending on the brand and filling of pasta, this falls well under the fiver price barrier and is good and filling - we have loads of leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Coffee Walnut Blondies

2012-01-22T13:58:00.000Z

These are a very 'adult' taste, with strong coffee, dark chocolate and slightly bitter walnuts, in a fudgy, yet crisp sponge. Incredibly quick and simple to make, and I knocked this batch up to take to my friend, Tom von Kaenel this afternoon. Tom is going to be cycling from coast to coast in the USA later this year to raise money for US and UK veterans - check out the Sea2Sea website to read more and find how you can get involved. Anyway, back to the baked goodies! The recipe is, appropriately enough, in US cup measures. You need a stick of butter (about 120g), 1 cup of soft light brown sugar, 1 large egg, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons of espresso or strong coffee powder, 1 cup of plain flour + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup of walnuts, chopped, and 1 cup of dark chocolate, 70% cocoa content if possible (I used Green and Black's Espresso Dark Chocolate to ramp up the coffee-ness). Heat the oven to 170C, grease and line with parchment a 20cm square brownie pan. Now, simply melt the butter, mix with the sugar in a bowl, then add the egg, vanilla and coffee and stir to combine. Then, using a metal spoon, fold the other ingredients in - it will become quite a stiff batter. Try not to overmix. Plop it into the prepared tin and spread out, using a palette knife or back of the spoon. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and just beginning to shrink from the sides of the tin - don't overbake it, you want it a little squidgy inside. Allow to cool a little in the tin, lift out using the paper, and cut into squares - you should get 16 of them or thereabouts.

Keralan Egg Curry with Butternut Squash

2012-01-20T20:59:00.001Z

I know some people are funny about egg curries, but I love them! Eggs go so well with a good curry sauce and are cheap and nutritious. This is definitely an 'under a fiver' candidate. I have no idea of the authenticity of this recipe, but I like it. For 4, you need 6 free-range organic eggs (yes, you can afford it the rest is so cheap), which you boil for 8 minutes, then plunge into cold water to cool. When cold, shell and set aside. Chop a large onion, a red chilli, 4 cloves of garlic and a 'thumb' of peeled ginger in a processor or mini chopper until almost a puree. To this, stir in a teaspoon of garam masala, a teaspoon of ground turmeric, 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds and 2 heaped teaspoons of ground coriander. Fry this paste in a couple of tablespoons of oil over a medium heat for a minute or two. Blend a can of good tomatoes in the processor or chopper until like a 'passata' and add to the paste with about 120ml of water. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 10 minutes until thick. Whilst this is happening, steam some chunks of butternut squash - either one you've prepared or a pack of ready-prepped from the supermarket. When tender, add to the curry sauce along with a 200ml can of coconut milk. Simmer for a few minutes until thick and well combined. Now turn the heat off, add the eggs, halved, a bunch of shopped coriander and a couple of tablespoons of natural yoghurt. Taste for salt. Cover, and let the eggs warm through as you drain your rice and/or tear up your naan breads. Serve and enjoy!

Poached Rhubarb with Ginger Yoghurt and Pistachios

2012-01-16T11:21:00.000Z

This was pretty as a picture and delicious after a rich meal of roast duck. Now, you COULD spend all day chopping crystallised ginger into tiny chunks and adding to Greek Yoghurt and honey, or you could just go buy a tub of Rachel's Greek Yoghurt with Ginger. Guess the option I took. The forced rhubarb was gently roasted with the zest and juice of a blood orange and some sugar, then chilled. Come pudding-time, the rhubarb and yoghurt are gently swirled together and topped off with some chopped pistachios. So simple, so utterly divine, so try some. This would also be perfect after a spicy Middle Eastern or Indian meal.

Roast Duck Legs and Potatoes

2012-01-15T20:16:00.000Z

A really simple recipe, this, from Nigella Lawson (her book, 'Kitchen', if you want to look at the original). You cube some peeled potatoes and place in a roasting dish. I would recommend something non-stick if you don't want to spend the next week removing welded-on starch from the bottom (guess what my husband is doing right now?!). Season well with salt, pepper and some fresh thyme sprigs. Sear the duck legs (1 per person) in a frying pan, skin-side down, until there is some colour and the fat is starting to render. Whilst this is happening, sprinkle the meat-side with salt, pepper and more thyme. Place, skin-side up, on the potatoes and pour any rendered fat over the spuds. Alternatively, just to what I did, season the legs and place, un-seared, on the spuds. They still turned out fine! Now roast for 2 hours at 200C (180C fan oven). Turn the spuds a couple of times during this time, exposing as much of them to the heat as possible. When all is crisp and brown, serve up straight away. We ate this with juicy red cabbage and Bramley apples, and some bright green purple sprouting broccoli, which offset the richness of the meat perfectly. A bottle of Merlot helped it down too! We have a couple of roast legs left over, which will go into a stir-fry tomorrow.

Blood and Sand Cocktails

2012-01-15T19:56:00.000Z

I haven't blogged any cocktails for a while - this isn't because we haven't had any (far from it), but because our recent ones have been classics. This drink is certainly venerable - it is named after a 1922 Rudolph Valentino movie - but it isn't as well known as others from that era. As the great Dale de Groff says in his book "The Craft of the Cocktail", the ingredients sound unappealing - Scotch whisky, sweet Vermouth, cherry brandy, blood orange juice and orange bitters. But, BUT, believe me, they blended into a most sublime drink. Mind you, I have yet to find a drink based on Scotch and Vermouth that I don't like - a Perfect Manhattan is probably my favourite drink ever. So, this consists of 2 parts each of Scotch and Vermouth (we use Grant's and Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth), 1 part of cherry brandy and 1.5 parts of freshly squeezed blood orange juice. Put into a cocktail shaker with a couple of dashes of orange (or Angostura) bitters, add lots of ice, shake well and strain into a Martini glass. Add a twist of orange peel, flamed if you are brave (we aren't) and ...... relax!

Spiced Jerusalem Artichoke and Squash Soup with Parsley Pesto

2012-01-14T13:55:00.000Z

People are really divided by Jerusalem Artichokes - over on the Riverford forum, people either look forward to their arrival, or they chuck them in the compost as soon as they arrive. I am definitely in the former camp. They have 2 downsides - the difficulty of peeling them and the farting - I find husbands are eminently suited to both of these activities. I love them in soups (artichokes, not husbands) and a quick check of my recipe index throws up some real favourites - with carrots, in a Cranks-inspired recipe with Bouillabaise flavours, and also combined with watercress. Today's variation is a blend of roughly equal quantities of leeks, roasted squash and artichokes, flavoured with garlic, cumin seed, ground coriander and a chilli for a little warmth - ideal on a frosty January day for lunch. Make it pretty much the usual way by sweating the leek, garlic and artichokes in a little butter and olive oil until soft, add the chunks of roasted squash (I used a Crown Prince pumpkin, but butternut is fine too) and the spices, about a heaped teaspoon of each, and the chopped chilli. Just cover with veg stock (Marigold is fine, as always) and simmer until tender. Blend and serve as is or with a spoonful of parsley pesto: a bunch of parsley, with the tougher stems removed, a handful of toasted pine nuts, a clove of garlic, all blended quickly in a mini processor with a little oil, salt and pepper. I didn't use Parmesan as I thought its flavour wouldn't go with the spices in the soup, but you can add the cheese to serve with tomato or red pepper soup, and with pasta, of course. This is an 'under a fiver' dish that will feed 4-6 people (maybe the pesto pushes it a little over that cost threshold?).

Mushroom, Spinach and Leek Frittata

2012-01-12T04:04:00.000Z

Definitely qualifies for an 'under a fiver' job this, especially if you have a handful of mushrooms, half a pillow-pack of spinach and a single leek staring at you in the salad drawer of the fridge, saying "Well? What are you going to do with US little lot, then?" when you open the door. (I often hear veg talking to me). The answer was to chop them and saute them for a few minutes in a little butter with some fresh thyme leaves and seasoning, combine with 3 or 4 beaten eggs (depending on how hungry the two of you are - naturally, we went with 4), pour into a parchment-lined round or square cake tin (NOT one with a loose bottom!), top with a little cheese of your choice (we had some creamy Lancashire, also sulking in the depths of the fridge after Christmas), and bake at 170C for 20 minutes until set and probably a bit puffy. Lovely, fresh and frugal, served with some crusty bread.

Christmas Pudding Ice Cream

2012-01-08T12:13:00.000Z

I am embarrassed to even call this a recipe really, but if any of you still have a lump of Christmas Pud lurking in the fridge, then this is a great way to use it up. You simply chop or crumble the pud and mix it with GOOD bought vanilla ice cream - allow it to soften a little. Season with some cinnamon and rum or brandy to taste (not too much booze as this inhibits the freezing), pile it back into the ice cream box or little ramekins if you are feeling precious. Return to the freezer and then serve in scoops or turn out onto a plate if you went down the ramekin route. Delicious! Of course, it helps if you have a really good Crimbo pud to start with - we make our own each year. Perhaps I should finally blog the recipe on here later on?

Chilli Turkey Meatballs

2012-01-08T10:18:00.000Z

I have to say that I prefer meatballs made from turkey rather than beef. As well as being lower fat, they have a better texture and remain soft and tender. They also carry flavours better. So, last night I made a big pot of chilli with them - 500g of turkey mince makes plenty for four people so we stashed half in the freezer. Take said pack of turkey, and mix with 2 slices of bread, turned into breadcrumbs, 1 finely chopped onion, and 1 crushed clove of garlic, an egg, salt, pepper and a chopped red chilli. Form into meatballs, whatever size you like. I go for about a heaped teaspoon, which should yield 40 meatballs. Saute lightly in a little olive oil until browned and drain well on kitchen paper. Pop into a pot of simmering chilli sauce, made from: a sauteed chopped onion, red pepper and more garlic, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon (or to taste) of chilli powder, 3 teaspoons hungarian sweet paprika and 1 teaspoon dried oregano, a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, a can of water and a splodge of tomato puree. Last, but not least, a big can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed. Simmer all of this, with the meatballs, until rich and reduced a little, then serve with carbs of your choice - I like plain rice, but you can pile it into a jacket potato, use taco shells, or mix your cultural influences and have it with pasta. I eschew cheese and soured cream, but don't let me stop you!

Lentil, Bacon and Tomato Soup

2012-01-06T16:05:00.000Z

I know, I know, another lentil soup recipe and it is only the 6 January! But lentils are a traditional thing to eat in France and Italy in the New Year. Supposedly they bring luck, but really, it is because we are all broke and looking for cheap ways to fill hungry tums and warm us up. Well, this soup fits the bill. It is adapted from a recipe in this month's 'Good Food' magazine. It uses store cupboard ingredients to good effect, with some fresh veg to liven it up. You saute a chopped onion and 2 or 3 slices of chopped smoked bacon in a tablespoon of olive oil, until the bacon is crisp and golden. Add a sliced carrot and about 75g of brown or Puy lentils - I had a tin of cooked lentils, so used that instead. Also add about 150g of tinned chopped tomatoes or the equivalent of fresh if you have some in the house, and a clove of garlic, finely chopped. Now add about 800mls of chicken or veg stock, cover, and simmer until the veg and lentils are tender (not long if you've used tinned lentils). Remove the lid, turn up the heat and add a handful of chopped kale, spinach, chard or other green cabbagey stuff, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until tender. Dish up, with a blob of Greek Yoghurt if liked. Another cheap eat, and great for supper in big bowls with cheese on toast and lots of fruit to follow. Leave out the bacon to make it veggie, but you'll lose some of the smokey depth of flavour.

Spiced Roasted Roots

2012-01-06T15:32:00.001Z

One of my most useful stand-by ingredients is Bart Spices Garam Masala Spice Mill which allows you to grind whole spices just like you would black peppercorns. It is perfect for this treatment for roasted root veg. This is a moveable feast, so use whatever root veg you have to hand. Last night, we used carrots, potaotes, parsnips and butternut squash, along with a red onion. Chop them into equal-sized pieces, around an inch or so in size. For 2, we used 1 large spud, 2 medium parsnips, some Chantenay carrots, about a third of a squash and one onion. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of oil with a teaspoon of garam masala, freshly-ground if possible, and two cloves of garlic, crushed. Add some salt and pepper. Mix well, then add the prepared veg and toss around, so they are all covered in the spicy oil. Tip onto a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet, and spread into one layer, then roast at around 170 degrees for about 40 minutes. I don't like them to be too charred so you can increase the temperature if you like them that way. Turn once or twice during cooking. This makes a lovely, easy and cheap side dish and accompanied a quick chicken coconut curry really well. Alternatively, you can tip it all into a pot, cover with stock and then blend into a lovely, spicy veg soup.

Lentil Broth

2012-01-02T21:20:00.000Z

So, we had an excellent piece or organic gammon for New Year, and a happy by-product is the lovely salty ham stock from the poaching. Don't throw this out - make it into a soup with red lentils, carrots, celery, swede, leeks and tinned cannellini beans or butterbeans. Allow to cook for a good hour and a half, and you will end up with a thick, sustaining bowl of goodness - a real taste of my childhood! Ignoring the fact that the gammon cost us fifteen quid, this definitely qualifies as an under a fiver dish. You could make it with veg stock, but you won't get the salty hammy earthiness of this version.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:14:00.000Z

So, here is 2012. Where did 2011 go? There were ups and downs last year, but one constant was our wonderful Riverford veg box delivery, and this will still be a source of major inspiration. At the request of a friend, I will blog a recipe each week that costs less than a fiver - in reality, many of my recipes already do, but I will highlight them where possible.

Also, we will continue with our attempts to keep the fat intake down. I find this tricky in the winter, where so many dishes seem to use cheese and dairy - comfort eating, I suppose. Let me know your tips for avoiding this, whilst still delivering on warmth and comfort. Thanks for staying with me and I love to hear your feedback if you cook any of my recipes - either on here or my Facebook pals. I shall also try to get on Twitter, if I can be ar$ed!

Pheasant Pithiviers

2011-12-27T09:50:00.000Z

Christmas dinner this year was what we no laughingly refer to as 'The Pasty' - my interpretation of Raymond Blanc's Pheasant Pithiviers. I pretty much followed the recipe to the letter, and rather than reproduce it, I have linked to the video from his 'Kitchen Secrets' programme that explains how to make it, about 10.30 in. It took 3 days, but was very nice and looked splendid. Essentially, it is confit pheasant legs mixed with pan-roasted pheasant breasts, chestnuts, onion, garlic, cranberries and mushrooms, then sandwiched between 2 sheets of all-butter puff pastry. This is deep-glazed with salted egg yolk, baked, and served with a delicious Pheasant, Port and Madeira gravy made from the carcase. Made a change from turkey!

Peanut Butter 'Fudge'

2011-12-21T11:49:00.002Z

If you are looking for a last-minute Christmas gift to make, then this is a doddle. It isn't realy fudge, but ends up as a fudgy treat. You need to melt 8oz of unsalted butter and a cup (American measure, sorry) of smooth peanut butter in a pot or microwave. Let the mix cook for a minute or two. Stir in a teaspoon of vanilla essence and a pound of icing sugar. It will go crumbly and stiff and difficult to beat. This is normal! Line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment and press the warm mixture evenly into the base. Cover it with another sheet of parchment and this makes it easier to press down and 'squidge' - technical term there. Allow to set and chill in the fridge for a good couple of hours or overnight. Cut into small pieces - it is rich and sweet. You can drizzle with melted chocolate too if liked. Best eaten with a syringe of insulin by your side and a defibrillator.

Beetroot and Carrot Latkes

2011-12-10T15:21:00.002Z

It is the Jewish festival of lights, Hannuka (or Hanukka, it seems both spellings are used)soon, and Latkes, or potato cakes, are a staple for most people observing the festival. I am not Jewish, but I approve of nicking other cultures' food if it is good! The principle of a latke is to combine grated starchy potato and grated onion with plenty of seasoning, and then fry spoonfuls of the mix, flattened, in oil until brown and crisp. Delicious. I saw a version made with grated carrot and beetroot, and made some last night, along with the pototo variety. Really nice - just make sure they are well seasoned, they need quite a bit of salt and pepper. I also added some beaten egg to bind them (about half an egg to 1 large carrot and beetroot) as they don't have the starch that the potato variety has. Also, I used much less oil than traditional recipes, and finished them off on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes. This ensures they are cooked through, and they go a lovely colour. Served with flakes of smoked mackerel, some watercress, and creme fraiche mixed with grated horseradish, this made a really nice, almost Scandinavian, supper.

Cranberry Tiffin

2011-12-10T15:08:00.000Z

Another baking marathon this weekend, in aid of my friend's charity Sea2Sea (check it out, he's cycling from the West to East Coast of the States to raise money for US and UK veterans). This is an easy one to do and tuck away. If you can open packs and heat a pan of water, you can make this. In a bowl over gently simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the bottom), melt 200g of milk chocolate, 100g dark chocolate, 100g butter, 100g of golden syrup until smooth and amalgamated. Don't rush this stage, keep the heat low, and leave it be, with just a little gentle stirring towards the end. You don't want it to go grainy - oh no! Then, add 200g of rich tea biscuits or shortbread biscuits, broken up (either by hand or by bashing in a plastic bag with a rolling pin) and 170g of dried cranberrries. You can also add around 60g of your choice of nut, such as pistachios, pecans or almonds. Mix gently until everything is coated and then spread into a 20cm sq baking tin, lined with cling film. Allow to set, then dredge with cocoa powder and cut into squares - this should yield 16 medium or 12 large pieces - or cut them into small bite-sized pieces and pack into cellophane bags for a yummy home-made Christmas pressie.

Mushroom Ragout

2011-12-06T23:05:00.000Z

Nice simple veggie supper, this, served with bubble and squeak (a British take on the soft polenta that many recipes call for) and a poached egg. Simply saute a finely chopped onion in a tablespoon of oil and 25g of butter until nice and soft, Add 2 or 3 cloves of chopped garlic and soften for another minute. Turn up the heat and add around 300g (for 2 people) of sliced mushrooms - I use Portobello and chestnut mushrooms - and some salt and pepper. Add around a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves and cook the mushrooms until they are lightly browned. Now add 3 tablespoons of Marsala or Madeira (or sherry), a tablespoon of creme fraiche and a squeeze of lemon, and simmer for a further minute or so. Stir fresh parsley and chives in right at the end and spoon over your choice of starch - bubble and squeak here, but creamy mash, pasta, polenta and rice would all work well. Also nice on toast. I love this soooooo much I could eat it every day.

Roast Chicken Boulangere

2011-12-04T15:01:00.001Z

This is my favourite way to prepare chicken for Sunday lunch - chunks of potatoes and onions on the bottom of the roasting tin, with some chicken stock, and a rack over them with a good free-range chicken above. As the chook roasts, the juices drop onto the veg below and the stock keeps the meat succulent. Served with Chard Gratin and a puree of carrot and swede it makes for a heavenly meal of good things to eat. Especially when followed by apple, pear and pecan crumble with custard. Yum! I like to mix some thyme, lemon zest, garlic and seasoning with some olive oil and slip it between the skin and the breast meat, and then shove the halved lemon inside. Drop the 'spent' shells (such a lovely expression) into the potatoes and onions, as they impart a lovely gentle lemoniness as they cook.

Broccoli and Salmon Pasta Bake

2011-12-04T14:55:00.001Z

Nursing two broken toes has meant a rather less ambitious couple of weeks in the kitchen, hence the quietness on here recently (although I did manage to make 8 Christmas puddings last weekend......). So it is nice to be able to be a little more ambitious in the last day or two as they get better. This adaptation of a BBC Good Food recipe went down well. It is, essentially, raw fillets of boneless, skinless salmon laid on a baking dish, topped with penne and broccoli in a cheese sauce, then baked for 20 minutes until brown and bubbling and the fish cooked through. The sauce also has sun-dried tomatoes, basil and capers added (and anchovies, if liked - I don't). The original recipe uses mascarpone and, lovely though that is, it is too rich for a week-day supper. So I just used ordinary milk and made a bechamel with it instead. You'll find the original recipe on the Good Food website - a nice way to use ubiquitous salmon, and filling and comforting as the nights get colder. You could vary this endlessly - use leeks, spinach, Swiss chard or mushrooms instead of broccoli, and chicken or ham instead of salmon (though I'd probably lightly cook the chicken first).

The Best Chocolate Sauce

2011-11-22T08:03:00.000Z

An extravagant claim, I know. But if you like a chocolate sauce to be as dark, brooding and bitter as Heathcliffe, then this recipe from David Lebovitz is for you. It is also low in fat - hurrah! (erm....we'll just gloss over the sugar, eh?). This makes a large quantity, and it will keep for a week or so in the fridge to anoint chocolate pear pudding (as we did tonight), ice cream, pancakes, banana splits - or just spooned from the bowl......! The recipe calls for corn syrup but I used the much more British ingredient, glorious golden syrup. "Out of the strong came forth sweetness" and all that. Anyway, do yourself a favour, make this, and dive in.

Potato, Leek and Swede Gratin

2011-11-19T12:32:00.000Z

This dish came about as I stared at a leek and the remains of a swede sitting accusingly in the bottom of the fridge, but it was surprisingly good, and easy too. Which is important this week, as I have broken two toes and can't stand around the kitchen easily. So, I needed something that even my husband could do, and he's useless. Sorry, dear heart, but it is true. Anyway, if you can peel veg, and chop them (sort of) then you can make this. For two: a large leek, well washed and sliced, a large potato (King Edward's or Maris Piper), peeled and thinly sliced and about a quarter of a swede, ditto. Heat a quarter of a pint of milk, the same quantity of veg stock (Marigold is fine), a bay leaf, and 25g of butter in a pan. Season well with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg, and add all the veg to the pan. Cover, and simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes until the veg has softened. Pour into a buttered shallow baking dish, removing the bay leaf, and sprinkle with about 50g of cheddar, parmesan, whatever you have in the house (I used a mix of the two). Bake at 180C for 25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed, and the top is crusty brown and bubbling. We baked some tomatoes alongside and ate with a watercress salad and a crusty loaf. It would also be a nice accompaniment to roast chicken or turkey, I imagine.

Nigel Slater's Roasted Peppers with Pasta and Basil

2011-11-19T12:19:00.000Z

We have been getting some wonderful long 'ramiro' peppers from Riverford this Autumn. They are sweeter than traditional 'bell' peppers, and when I saw this recipe on Nigel's recent 'Simple Cooking' series, I knew I had to make it. It is a variation on Piedmontese Peppers, where the halved peppers are stuffed with cherry tomatoes and garlic. You make basil oil by blitzing a lot of fresh basil with olive oil, spoon over the peppers and tomatoes, and bake for 20 minutes or so, until the peppers are soft and juicy. Serve with orechiette pasta, dressed in the remaining basil oil and the juices from the baking tin. A delightful dish. It would work with regular peppers, I'm sure, but do try to get the ramiro ones

Pissaladiere - sort-of!

2011-11-13T14:16:00.001Z

Helping with the nibbles for my friend's party was such fun this weekend. She is a veggie, and a lover of onions (borderline obsessive - sorry, Anu, but it's true!), so I wanted to give her pissaladiere, but without the anchovies. And without the traditional bread crust. Oh, and without the black olives, as there was tapenade to eat too. So not really pissaladiere, then but just an onion tart! Anyway, the key is the onions - 3 big red ones and 2 Spanish onions, all sliced thinly, and gently, gently cooked for an hour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a knob of butter, with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, a dessertspoon of brown sugar, a good dessertspoon of fresh thyme leaves and salt and pepper. It is important to cover the pan and take your time. Let the onions collapse and slowly caramelise for the right texture and intensity of flavour. Allow to cool, and then spread over a sheet of good butter puff pastry, leaving a small border. Bake for 25 minutes or so until the edges have risen, the onions have darkened even more and all is crispy. Will serve four people, or can be cut into smaller squares as a canape.

Spinach Spanikopitas

2011-11-13T10:18:00.000Z

I helped with the nibbles for a friend's party this weekend, and made spinach spanikopitas, which are such fun. Good to eat too! I guess this is one of those recipes where you add whatever flavourings you want - some put Parmesan in, but I don't think that is very Greek. Having said that, I use ricotta, which mixes better with the spinach than the more authentic feta would. Anyway, thaw 250g of frozen spinach (I do this on several changes of kitchen paper, like a sort of spinach nappy, as it soaks up all the liquid as it thaws). Mix with a tub of ricotta, lots of mint (I used about 3 tablespoons, chopped), and an egg. Season really well with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Taste it to get the seasoning right. Now, cut sheets of good filo (preferably something like the french feuille de brique) into long strips, brush with butter and fold in half down the middle. Plop a dessertspoon of the spinach mix at the top and fold over and over itself into a triangle, securing the end with a little butter to hold the final fold down. Repeat. I got about 24 out of this quantity of filling. Lay on a baking sheet (or 2), and brush all over with more butter. Bake at about 180C for 20 minutes until golden and glossy and crisp.

Apple and Calvados Crostata

2011-10-30T23:10:00.000Z

Crostata or galette - whatever you want to call them, they are my favourite way of making a fruit pie or tart. No fiddly lining of flan or pie tins, no baking blind, and an uneven finish is positively encouraged to ensure a fashionably 'rustic' look. I've made others on here before - peach and blueberry, fig and raspberry - this one makes use of some fabulous Bramley cooking apples from Riverford. I cooked 4 of them to a fluffy puree with sugar to taste, and chopped another one in for a bit of texture. To this, I added a big handful of raisins that had been soaked in a good splosh (technical term, there) of Calvados, to emphasise the appliness. When cool, this mixture was piled into the centre of a rough round of sweet shortcrust (200g flour, 100g butter, a tablespoon of sugar and an egg yolk). A sprinkling of ground almonds on the bottom soaks up any extra liquid from the apples. Fold the edges of the pastry up to form a rough border, brush with the left-over egg white and sprinkle with demerara sugar and more ground almonds. Bake on a sheet of parchment at around 180C for about 40 minutes until golden and cooked through. Lovely served warm with a little custard or cream, to which a further splosh of Calvados has been added.

Beetroot, Carrot and Orange Soup

2011-10-28T21:01:00.000+01:00

I have blogged the Beetroot and Carrot soup already, and declared my love for it, but it was taken to new heights by the addition of the zest and juice of an orange. Gosh, it was so wonderful, I could have eaten the entire pot! Anyway, if you like these flavours, they all go together really well - it is simple to make: sweat a chopped onion, some chopped carrots and peeled fresh beetroot (a ration of 2:1 carrot/beetroot) in a tablespoon or so of olive oil until softening. Grate in the zest of a large orange, followed by its juice. Just cover with veg stock (Marilgold is fine) and simmer gently until the veg is tender. Puree with a hand-blender and serve. You can add cream if you like, but we didn't, enjoying the pure, fresh tastes of the veggies and orange.

Sticky Pecan and Raisin Buns

2011-10-21T23:34:00.000+01:00

Gosh, these are good! Puff pastry rolled around brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins, sliced, then baked on a bed of butter, more brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Another contribution to the charity cake sale today, and everyone enjoyed them heated very briefly in the microwave, when they emerged squidgy, fragrant and buttery (the buns, that is, not my colleagues, though they ended up that way after eating them). I broke the low(er) fat regime by sharing one with a colleague. Unfortunately, I also shared a chocolate danish, a slice of the Lemon and Apple Tart, a piece of Apple and Blueberry Cake and half a Raspberry and White Chocolate Brownie through the course of the day. My maths isn't very good, but even I know that adds up to ......errr.....rather a lot of cake :-)

Anyway, make these buns, and they will make you smile all day. based on a recipe by Ina Garten, they can be found on any number of blogs, but here is a link to the Food Network recipe from her show. Follow the advice in the comments boxes - cut back the amount of butter and sugar a wee bit, and I reduced the cinnamon too - 3 teaspoons would be overwhelming. Also, DO NOT let them sit for too long before turning out, as the molten butter and sugar quickly sets rock hard, and you will be chipping them out with a pick-axe.

Apple and Lemon Tart

2011-10-21T23:20:00.000+01:00

I am doing another charity cake sale at work, and I thought I'd celebrate the British apple this time, so I had to make my Apple and Lemon tart. I don't know why I haven't put it on here before - it is so delicious and simple and doesn't require the pastry to be blind-baked. You line a 10" loose-bottomed flan case (metal) with some good sweet shortcrust - bought is fine, but I just knocked some up in the processor with 200g plain flour 100g butter and a tablespoon of icing sugar, bound with an egg yolk and water. Now, peel and grate two large Cox's apples (British please!) and add to the juice and zest of two lemons, 2 eggs, 4 tablespoons caster sugar and 120ml of double cream. Mix well, pour into the pie crust and bake at 170C for 40 minutes. It is like a Tarte au Citron but with the freshness and texture of apple . It is very nice indeed! One tip: it looks a bit like a quiche, so a heavy drenching with icing sugar just before serving helps.

Ina Garten's Italian Wedding Soup

2011-10-18T20:42:00.000+01:00

I have been watching Ina Garten's 'Back to Basics' on the UK Food Network (obsessively, my husband would assert) and saw her make this the other day. It is a famous recipe in the blogosphere, and consists of little chicken meatballs in a good chicken broth with diced carrots, onions, spinach and parsley. Tiny pasta is added, in my case risoni, and it is topped with grated Parmesan. I made the meatballs by mixing a couple of skinned pork sausages (Ina recommends chicken sausages, but it is tricky to find good quality ones), with some minced cooked chicken, some breadcrumbs, garlic, grated Parmesan, an egg and lots of chopped parsley. The little balls are baked in the oven, which keeps the fat down. Meanwhile, cook the carrot and onion in the stock until tender - use good homemade stock, and we got through 2 pints of it for our dinner! - and then add the pasta about 10 minutes before serving. In the final minute, add a handful of chopped spinach, the meatballs and lots of parsley and serve piping hot with Parmesan on top. Delicious!

Balsamic-glazed Pork Steaks

2011-10-17T11:57:00.000+01:00

Can I say right out that I am not a fan of Balsamic Vinegar? Unless it is very good quality (and, therefore, very expensive) stuff from Modena, I tend to find it sharp and overwhelming. This is a good way to use it, however - in small quantities, and tempered with the sweetness of honey. It is dead simple - saute a couple of boneless pork steaks (organic, free-range, outdoor reared, and British, please) in a knob of butter and dash of olive oil. Make sure the meat is well seasoned with salt and pepper, and don't fiddle with it. Let it get a good crust on each side, around 5 minutes for the first side and 4 for the other. Unless your pork is very thick, this will be plenty of time to cook through, yet still be moist and juicy. After about 9 minutes is up, pour in 120ml of white wine, 2 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of runny honey. Stir and baste the meat with the sauce and let it reduce down to a syrupy glaze. Serve straight away with the glaze poured over. It went very nicely with simple boiled rice, some braised fennel and steamed broccoli. Mash would be good too.

Apple Tart 'Facon Maman'

2011-10-10T22:55:00.000+01:00

One of my least favourite jobs in cooking is the baking 'blind' of tart shells. I never have enough patience and end up with mis-shapen, shrunken tarts (insert punchline here). However, Raymond Blanc's method is dead simple, with the apples being baked in the raw shell, after being glazed with butter, sugar and Calvados. About 10 minutes before the tart is done, a simple custard of an egg, cream and a little sugar is poured in. What a lovely, fresh apple, flavour you get in the end, with a nicely crisp crust. The BBC has a recipe - do try it.

Leeks, Cannellini Beans and Chard

2011-10-03T11:58:00.000+01:00

Sometimes, the simplest-sounding things can surprise with new flavours and combinations. This idea, from Riverford's first veggie book, sounded a bit ordinary, but I thought I'd use it to accompany a roasted leg of lamb. It was delicious! By all means, soak and cook your own beans, but I find that good-quality tinned ones are just as good - I use the brilliant Italian brand, Cirio, who steam their beans in the tin. As a consequence, there is barely any liquid in the tin, so no wastage and a much better texture and taste. It consists of a large, thinly-sliced leek and onion, sweated slowly in a knob of butter and dash of olive oil until soft and velvety. Don't let it brown. About 5 minutes before completely done, add a chopped clove of garlic and a teaspoon each of chopped fresh rosemary and thyme. Add a tin of beans, drained and rinsed, and a handful of chopped chard or spinach leaves. Add about 120ml of water or veggie stock, season, cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes until all is tender and amalgamated. Really nice, and would make good soup with extra broth added. As it was, it accompanied roast lamb and gravy perfectly, along with wedges of roasted Gem Squash.

Ina Garten's Apple and Cranberry Cake

2011-10-03T11:41:00.001+01:00

Well folks, did you miss me? I have been on holiday for 2 and a half weeks in lovely Devon and Cornwall, and then back at work for a week, where I was too tired to cook anything other than old favourites. But, I'm back in the culinary saddle, enjoying the wonderful weather and the abundance of produce that turned up in our re-instated Riverford delivery - this week brought marrows, celery, bok choy, tomatoes, cabbages, onions, carrots, muscat grapes, leeks, little gem squashes, watercress........so much inspiration! Whilst we were away, the digital TV revolution hit Oxfordshire, and I finally have freeview and a multitude of different channels. However, despite all this wealth of telly, I seem to be stuck on channel 49, the Food Network, where - joy of joys - they broadcast Ina Garten, the 'Barefoot Contessa'. I have long enjoyed her recipes through the blogs of American foodies, and to be able to see her and watch her cooking is wonderful. So, expect more from her on these pages. First up is this opportunity to use the glut of fabulous apples this Autumn, and also to clear out a bag of frozen cranberries before winter sets in. This is dead simple, and almost the texture of a clafoutis with a little cakiness thrown in. It is a heavily-blogged recipe, so I have linked to the recipe on Epicurious. This would work with loads of other fruit combos - apple and blackberry, naturally, but pear and blueberry would be nice too.

Smoked Haddock and Sweetcorn Chowder

2011-09-06T21:14:00.000+01:00

I love smoked haddock, and one of the best ways to eat it is in the form of the Scottish soup, Cullen Skink, from the village of Cullen on the Moray Firth, near Aberdeen. It can be a bit creamy, though, and I wanted to incorporate more veg than just the usual onion or leek and potato. So, I lightened it and turned it into a chowder tonight, with chunks of potato, red pepper and some tiny fresh corn niblets from a fresh ear of corn - all from Riverford, of course. Just sweat a finely chopped onion or leek in a little butter, add the chopped veg and I like a chopped chilli too. Just cover with an equal quantity of veg stock and milk, and simmer gently until the potato is tender. Add chunks of good, undyed smoked haddock, simmer gently for an further 5 minutes until fish is cooked. Sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley and ladle into bowls. Serve with crusty bread - a hearty, warming complete meal for a dreich night, as Aberdonians would say. And they should know, they have enough of them.

Pasta with Salmon and Courgette Sauce

2011-09-05T20:31:00.000+01:00

I was ticked off today for not doing enough blogging over the last week, so, simple though this dish is, I thought I'd placate my fans and publish it! I had some poached salmon left over from the weekend, so whilst a pan of pasta was cooking, I lightly sauteed a sliced courgette in a little butter with the zest of half a lemon, then added 40ml of Noilly Prat vermouth (or use white wine), the juice of the lemon, a heaped tablespoon of creme fraiche (use half-fat if watching your intake) and the flaked salmon. GENTLY heat through (you don't want to split the cream or make the salmon go 'woolly'), and then drain the pasta, reserving a little cooking water, and toss the pasta in the sauce. Thin with a little cooking water if needed. Grind in lots of black pepper and some chopped parsley, and serve piping hot. Italinas would never dream of adding Parmesan to a fish sauce, neither would I, but don't let me stop you, it's YOUR tea!

Black Pepper Chicken Curry

2011-09-05T20:21:00.000+01:00

As the years go by, I am much more brutal about the worth of a cookbook and whether it merits precious space on my bookshelves. If I have never cooked a successful recipe from a book, then it is OUT! A new book I got last week has already passed the test - 'The Three Sisters Indian Cookbook' is a really good publication with what seems to me to be authentic North Indian home cooking. The Black Pepper Chicken curry I cooked tonight was WONderful! It was a dryish curry, which I partnered with a nice recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for Potato and Chard Curry, and simple boiled basmati. I shan't reproduce the recipe here in full, as it is copyright, but to give an idea,skinless chicken pieces are marinated in lemon juice, ground ginger, turmeric and LOTS of ground black pepper. A paste is made of onion, garlic and fresh ginger. Cloves, cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods are assembled, along with more ground black pepper. The chicken is fried in a wok along with the paste and whole spices and some water to just cover. The dish is simmered under chicken is tender and water has reduced to cover the chicken in the spicy paste. Lots of chopped coriander is stirred through just before serving - delicious! Get the book for some really simple, achievable North Indian food.

Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemon Curd Mascarpone

2011-08-26T17:09:00.001+01:00

Lemon Drizzle Cake is a always a favourite, but if you bake two rounds, drizzle, then sandwich with a deep layer of cool creamy mascarpone mixed with tangy, buttery lemon curd, you are on to a real winner. I made this for a cake sale at work today, and I think I could have made another couple of cakes and it would still have sold. Really, REALLY good, just make it, eat it and ignore the calories! I found this recipe on Waitrose's site. This recommends using home-made lemon curd, which would be perfection, but I didn't have the time. Instead, I used Wilkinson's of Tiptree's bought stuff - it is very good, made with whole egg, butter and Sicilian lemons. Not cheap. But worth it. Also, forgive the picture. I was too knackered to take photos last night, and it disappeared this morning before I thought to ask someone to take a snap, so this pic from Waitrose will have to do.

Courgette Koftas with Tomato and Almond Sauce

2011-08-20T00:48:00.000+01:00

A great recipe for those of you with courgette plants taking over your homes like a Stephen King horror novel. Mildly spiced, or perkily hot, depending on how much chilli you use, this is a recipe from the superb 'Crank's Bible' by Nadine Abensur. She deep-fries the koftas, but I never did that, even before the low-fat purge. Instead, I made small koftas and browned them in shallow oil, draining well on kitchen paper, before reheating in the lovely, grainy sauce. I have linked to the recipe as reproduced in Yumski's blog.

Roasted Sweetcorn Salsa

2011-08-15T21:22:00.000+01:00

Undeterred by a colleague's fond memories of 'fishing' in Cardiff Bay in the 1970s (basically, standing on a pontoon in Barry Docks and scooping dead fish out as they floated past), I have opted for grilled Cornish Sardines for tea tonight. I love them slashed in 2 or 3 places, rubbed with olive oil, sprinkled with lots of crunchy Malvern sea salt and coarsely-ground black pepper, and grilled until the skin is charred and blistered - heavenly! AND I even like the bones. Being oily, sardines need something sharp to take the edge off them, and this sweet and limey salsa does the trick. You brush a couple of ears of corn with oil and grill under a hot element for about 10 minutes, turning from time to time. Allow to cool a little and then, carefully hilding them upright with a cloth, cut downwards with a sharp knife to release the kernels. Then simply mix with a peeled and skinned chopped tomato, a finely-chopped red onion, lots of chopped coriander and plenty of fresh lime. If not watching the calories, add a tablespoon or two of oil as well, and season with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Serve in generous spoonfuls with your grilled sardines (or mackerel, if you are lucky enought to be in the West Country).

The Derby Daiquiri Cocktail

2011-08-14T20:28:00.000+01:00

I haven't blogged many cocktails recently, not because we haven't had any, but they were mostly classics or ones I've mentioned before. This was a nice variation on the usual Daiquiri, but slightly less alcoholic than usual, as you add fresh orange juice to the fresh lime juice and white rum, along with some Gomme syrup. Dangerously quaffable........1 measures of freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 measure of freshly squeezed lime juice and 2 measures of Bacardi, with about 1/2 a measure of Gomme syrup or caster sugar to taste. Shake over lots of crushed ice and pour into a chilled glass, with a sugar-crusted rim if liked (....there's a joke there, but I shall leave it to others). Anyway, yummy, fruity and, as I say, dangerously drinkable.

Roast Pork Loin with Black Eyed Beans

2011-08-14T20:16:00.000+01:00

This is a fabulous recipe from Jamie Oliver, and I knew I had to make it after my boss talked about it last weekend. He came in with a magnificent French-trimmed loin of pork from Hedges, the organic butchers in Oxford's Covered Market and described the recipe to me. It is simplicity itself - in a roasting tin, prepare a bed of lots of sliced red onion, red and green peppers, celery, bay leaves, garlic, chilli (some wonderful fresh ones from Riverford), chorizo, tinned black-eyed beans and tinned tomaotes, along a with a couple of glasses of wine. Nestle the loin of pork on top, cover really well with strong foil, and roast slowly for 3 hours at around 160C. Towards the end, remove the foil and turn up the heat to 220C to allow the skin to crisp and the liquid to reduce. Being French-trimmed, you still have the bones attached, and this helps keep the shape and adds depth to the delicious sauce. To serve, cut through the bones to give each person a tender, melthing chop and serve with generous spoonfuls of the beany vegetables and fresh green veg - runner beans and spinach in our case. I don't think it needs potatoes, but don't let me stop you. Marvellous recipe - thanks Jamie! (Oh, and thanks Graham for alerting me to it)

Courgette Rice Bake

2011-08-12T21:20:00.000+01:00

This is like a quiche without the pastry, the carbs coming instead from some cooked rice. Boil a couple of tablespoons of basmati (or use leftover rice) and drain when just cooked. Meanwhile, saute a small, finely chopped onion in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil until soft. Grate a large courgette and squeeze excess moisture out in kitchen paper. Beat three eggs and grate about 70g of good strong cheddar. Now, combine it all in a bowl with a good amount of seasoning and a shake of Tabasco to give it some poke. Add some finely-chopped fresh herbs too, like parsley, chervil, a little tarragon, basil - soft herbs, whatever you have. Tip into a baking tin, lined with baking parchment, or a reliable non-stick container. Bake at 170C for 25 minutes until golden brown and set. This is plenty for two, with a fresh tomato sauce or salad and some lovely runner beans. You can gussy this up with ham, chorizo, prawns, and vary the spices, favourings etc

Chicken and Re-fried Bean Tortilla Stack

2011-08-08T20:41:00.000+01:00

I have posted a recipe already for a veggie option of this, but it is such a good use of leftovers, and delicious, to boot, so I hope you'll forgive me a little variation. Home-made re-fried beans are so much better than the vile tasting (and smelling) gloop in tins. Just drain and rinse a tin of kidney, pinto or black beans and 'smush' for want of a better expression in a bowl with a potato masher until crushed and almost a puree, with bits of whole bean here and there for texture. Saute an onion and some garlic in a little oil, add a teaspoon of ground cumin, dried oregano and hot chilli powder and cook a while longer. Now stir in the beans and three skinned, chopped tomatoes (I added some chopped pepper too), and cook and stir for 5 minutes or so until amalgamated and thick. Season with salt to taste. Spread on wheat tortillas and layer with shredded cooked chicken and grated cheese, as many layers as you like. The top layer should be sprinkled with water and some grated cheese and the whole thing baked in a medium oven for 20 minutes or so until piping hot and the top layer crisp and golden. Cover with foil if this happens too quickly. Cut in wedges and dig in. Not an elegant dish but good family grub, and largely made from store-cupboard ingredients.

Sweetcorn Dhansak

2011-08-06T12:43:00.000+01:00

This is a nice variation on a Riverford recipe, using some of their lovely fresh sweetcorn and tomatoes delivered yesterday. You can strip the corn kernels off with a sharp knife, if you prefer, but I liked the tactile (aka messy) quality of the corn chunks that you have to pick up and gnaw on. Anyway, nice fresh veggie curry and ever so healthy. This quantity serves 4.

4 sweetcorn cobs, each cut into 3 pieces
200g red lentils
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 good teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander, paprika and turmeric
8 green cardamom pods, bashed
2-3 finely chopped chillies, depending on how hot you like it
4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 tablespoons mango or other fruity chutney
250ml veg stock or water
juice of 1 lemon
handful of coriander leaves, chopped

1.Boil a pan of water. Rinse and drain the lentils, add to the pan and boil for 3-4 minutes then simmer for approx 30-40 minutes until cooked. Drain.
2.Boil the sweetcorn for 10 minutes in salted water and drain. Heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft.
3.Add the spices and chillies to the onions and cook for a further 3 minutes.
4.Add the corn and tomatoes and fry for 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, stock or water, mango chutney and drained lentils, simmer for a further 5 minutes. If needed add a little more water or stock. Add the coriander leaves at the end and serve with rice or naan bread.

I also like some frizzled shallots or onion on top of my lentil curries - just slice thinly and fry quickly in oil until deep golden brown and beginning to go crisp. Drain well and sprinkle over the finished dish. You CAN buy ready-crisped shallots in chinese groceries if you want to save time.

Roasted Cauliflower

2011-08-05T21:12:00.000+01:00

When asked what I was doing for tea tonight by a colleague, I was looked at as if I'd finally gone loopy-la-la when I said I was roasting a cauliflower. But seriously, if you haven't tried this way of cooking it, you will be surprised at how nice it is. The basic recipe is simple: cut said cauli into evenly-sized florets - not too big - and lay in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Now, juice half a lemon, crush a clove of garlic and mix together with a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Spoon over the cauli, making sure each piece has some of the lemony oil on. Season with salt and pepper, and roast in a hot oven (200C) for 20 minutes or so until nice and brown. Have ready a tablespoon or so of freshly grated parmesan, and sprinkle over the florets as they emerge from the oven. Tuck in. A great, light alternative for cauliflower cheese, which is too heavy for this time of year. You can vary the seasoning by adding some of your favourite spices - garam masala, maybe, and also a little smoked paprika is good too. Always use the lemon juice, though, as it really makes the dish.

Aubergine Parmigiana - the skinny version!

2011-08-02T21:05:00.000+01:00

I first had Melanzane Parmigiana in a little cafe in a tiny side street in Ravello, high on the Amalfi coast, many years ago. Perfect town, and perfect food, served just tepid - rich, melting, and unctuous with LOTS of olive oil. Aubergine, as we all know, is like a sponge, and soaks up as much oil as you can throw at it, so making this 'skinny' is a challenge, especially when you throw in the Mozzarella and grated parmesan, so essential to the texture and flavour of the finished dish. The answer lies in gently grilling the aubergine slices, which you lay out on a baking tray and spray with just a little oil from a pump-dispenser. Keep the heat moderate, turn a couple of times, and after 15 minutes or so, you should end up with golden, tender slices of aubergine that will reach full melting softness after being bathed in a rich tomato and basil sauce, layered with sliced mozzarella (NOT the grated stuff please, and you really don't need the 'di Buffola' good stuff which is best eaten cool with a perfectly-ripe tom and fresh basil) and generous sprinklings of grated parmesan, and baked for half-an-hour. Okay, so this will never be REALLY low fat, but it is much lower than traditional recipes, and tasted bloomin' gorgeous, just warm, with lots of spinach, green beans and sugarsnap peas on the side.

Lemon Courgette Pasta

2011-08-01T20:21:00.000+01:00

Influenced by a recipe on the Tesco site, and refined by another online recipe, this is a little corker - filling yet light and summery. For two - boil 200g spaghetti until al dente. Whilst this is happening, slice two courgettes lengthwise into 3 or 4 slices and then cut each slice into long strips. Saute in about 10g of butter until softening and lightly golden - about 7 or 8 minutes over a brisk heat, but don't allow to get too dark in colour. Halfway through, add a crushed clove of garlic, and the zest and juice of a lemon. Grate about 3 tablespoons of parmesan and chop some flat parsley. Drain the pasta, holding back 3 or 4 tablespoons of cooking water. Return the pasta to its pan with the reserved water, and stir in the cooked juicy courgettes and lemon juice, a handful of chopped parsley and 100g or so of ricotta along with 2 tablespoons of parmesan. Stir together well, adding lots of black pepper and a little salt if it needs it. Tip into a dish, sprinkle over the remaining parmesan, and brown under the grill until lovely and golden and bubbling. Allow to settle for a few minutes and dig in! Not the lowest-fat dish we've had of late, but still not too bad.

Thai Beef Salad

2011-07-31T23:20:00.000+01:00

We had a couple of lovely rib eye steaks in the freezer, and had them as an increasingly rare red meat treat this evening. I cut the thawed meat into chunky cubes, removing as much visible fat as possible. Marinade them in a mixture of grated garlic and fresh ginger, a chopped red chilli, the juice of half a lime and a tablespoon of coconut cream, along with half-a-teaspoon each of ground cumin, turmeric and coriander (use the rest in a vegetable stir-fry). Let it sit for at least an hour, overnight if possible. Thread onto skewers - if using wooden ones, make sure you soak them well in warm water. Grill, either on a chargrill or under a hot overhead grill - if the barbie is on, even better. Brush with the marinade and turn until done to your liking. Drizzle over sweet chilli sauce, chopped roasted peanuts and chopped coriander leaf, and serve the remaining half of lime on the side. Serve with a leafy green salad with cucumber and we also had a big dish of stir-fried peppers, tomatoes and sugarsnap peas in a green curry coconut sauce.

Chocolate Pear Cake

2011-07-31T13:56:00.001+01:00

I am tentatively allowing some home-baked goodies back into our diet, on the basis that a little slice of cake made with the best fresh ingredients will ALWAYS be better for you than a processed rice cake or anaemic low-fat commercial biscuit. Since doing the original Nigel Challenge a couple of years ago, I have become a fan of his favourite 'pound cake' recipe, where essentially you have the same weight of butter, sugar and flour - organic, please, for the best flavour. This cake uses 125g each of those ingredients, along with 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 30g of cocoa powder (get the best you can afford), a teaspoon of vanilla essence (again, the good stuff from Madagascar), 2 organic eggs and 100ml of plain yoghurt. Have the butter nice and soft and then chuck it all into the KitchenAid and beat until it goes a pale milk chocolately colour and is soft and creamy. You could just sit on the floor of the kitchen, in the corner, and eat it out of the bowl now. Or resist, and spoon it into a parchment-lined 20cm-square baking tin. Peel and chop 2 ripe pears and press the chunks into the top of the sponge. Bake at 170C for about 45 minutes, during which time the pear will sink beguilingly into the chocolate batter. This will serve 8-10 people, so is really not as bad as you'd think, with about 15g of fat per serve.

Cod Baked in Fresh Tomato and Bay Sauce

2011-07-30T19:51:00.000+01:00

The English tomato season is starting to get into its swing, and I love the acidic freshness a good, ripe English tom brings to proceedings. This simple dish showcases them, and some wonderful fresh cod fillets (sustainably fished, I might add!). Take time to sweat a lovely fresh, yellow onion in a tablespoon of olive oil - we can afford the calories for the flavour it brings. When it is soft, put in 4 or 5 big, ripe, peeled fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped, and a couple of fresh bay leaves. You can add garlic too, if liked, but today I wanted this to be all pure flavours. Simmer for 20 minutes or so until well reduced and jammy (see the picture). Season carefully with salt and pepper. Now, place thick loin fillets of cod (you can use other fish too) on top and cover with a lid or foil. Simmer gently until the cod is pearly white and just cooked. Serve with parslied new potatoes and green beans or sugar snap peas. Apart from the tablespoon of oil, there is no fat in this dish so - healthy, healthy, healthy! You can jazz the sauce up to ring the changes - add olives and capers, or basil, or sliced peppers, mushrooms - you get the picture.

Turkey Bolognese

2011-07-29T21:20:00.000+01:00

I am sure no self-respecting Italian would consider this to be an authentic ragu Bolognese, which is usually made with a blend of pork and beef mince, chicken livers, lots of oil, milk (for a tender creamy sauce), red wine and hours of cooking. Wonderful and rich, but not low fat if made in the tradiotional way. But for a tasty, low-fat sauce for pasta, turkey makes a very acceptable substitute, especially if made with lots of garlic, red and green peppers, fresh oregano and basil - the turkey is like blotting paper, mopping up all the flavours. The other benefit is that it is ready in an hour, and the meat is inherently tender - not always the case with minced beef. Anyway, you all know how to make a Bolognese, you don't need me to tell you, but try it with turkey (good quality, organic British mince, please) and make sure it is well-reduced to avoid wateriness. Yum!

Chicken and Basil Sizzle

2011-07-27T21:09:00.000+01:00

A perfect little stir-fry from Judith Wills' brilliant book 'Top 200 Low Fat Dishes'. Couldn't be simpler. In a dessertspoon of sunflower or groundnut oil, stir-fry some chopped spring onion, chopped red chilli, garlic and ginger (however much or little you want), and then add two thinly-sliced chicken breasts and a sliced red pepper. Stir and toss around the pan for a couple of minutes until chicken just cooked. Now add about 120ml of veg or chicken stock, a splash of fish sauce, the juice of half a lime and a big handful of basil and chopped coriander leaf. Stir for just a few seconds more and then spoon onto rice or noodles and tuck in. Really low-fat, but really tasty. Keep your frying pan or wok on the highest heat possible - the clue is in the word 'sizzle' - don't be afraid of the heat here, it needs to be hot and fast.

Cottage Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Spread

2011-07-24T14:26:00.000+01:00

Delicious little spread or dip, this and so simple. Take half a tub of plain low-fat cottage cheese, plenty of black pepper (the cheese is usually plenty salty, so don't add any more) a squeeze of lemon juice, a small roasted, skinned red pepper (some from a jar is fine but blot as much oil off as possible) and a tablespoon or so of basil leaves. Blend in a processor or mini chopper - try to leave some chunkiness for texture. Now, taste and adjust the seasoning with some Tabasco sauce to spike it up, if liked, and serve as a sandwich spread with lettuce and cucumber or as a dip with crispbreads, tortilla chips, crudites, etc. Yum!

Lemon Blueberry Cake

2011-07-24T13:29:00.002+01:00

Baking has moved to the back burner, so to speak, as a result of our lower fat regime. But a little of what you fancy does you good, and this cake only uses 90g of unsalted butter and 80g of sugar, and it will serve 8-10. So only around 10g fat and 200 cals per slice. Blueberries are bang in season, and seem to be particularly plump and juicy this year, in common with British cherries. This is an easy variation on a lemon drizzle cake, though you can leave the drizzle off to cut the sugar content even further. Best made in a good electric mixer - I love my Kitchen Aid! In said mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light, pale and fluffy. Beat together 125ml of skimmed milk, two large eggs and a half teaspoon of good vanilla essence. Weigh out 160g of plain flour and mix with 2 level teaspoons of baking powder. Grate the zest of a large unwaxed lemon into the flour. Now put half the flour and half the milk/egg mix in with the butter and beat briefly until combined. Add the remaining flour and egg mix and beat again briefly until just combined - try not to overbeat it but keep it light and fluffy. Gently stir in 100g or so of blueberries ( a small punnet) and spoon into a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin. Smooth the top and bake at 170C for about 45 to 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes then cool on a wire rack. If you want the drizzle, mix the juice of the lemon with a heaped tablespoon of caster sugar. When the cake comes out of the tin, spike the top with the skewer and spoon over the gritty lemony sugar. Allow the cake to cool in the tin, when the sugar will form a delicious sharp crust. Allegedly, this keeps for a couple of days......we shall see!

Pork Stir Fry

2011-07-18T20:52:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the media blackout (although Facebook followers were spammed with about 40 old recipes - sorry about that chaps, it weren't me, honest!). A busy week and the weekend away at a friend's wedding were enjoyable, but we fell pretty badly off the low-fat wagon. Still, you can't stay in a lovely B&B with full English breakfast, and then attend a brilliant wedding with canapes, a delicious sit down dinner, as much booze as you could drink, late-evening cheese and crusty bread and home-made truffles AND a chocolate wedding cake and whinge about being on a low-fat regime. So, sod it - relax and have fun, and hop back on the wagon today. A stir-fry with masses of veg- sugarsnap peas, broccoli, carrots, celery, onions, garlic and ginger - hits the spot, along with strips of pork fillet marinated in Five Spice powder. A rich sauce of soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, more garlic and ginger and thickened with cornflour brought it all together nicely. Savoury, filling, healthy, crisp, and low-fat. Mind you, still fantasising about that chocolate cake....and the truffles.......and the cheese.......mmmmmmmnn, cheese.....

Aubergine and Beef Stacks with Lemon Yoghurt Dressing

2011-07-09T20:48:00.001+01:00

I love a well-made moussaka, but it is NOT low-fat! All that olive oil and (usually) fatty lamb, which of course gives flavour but pushes the fat content sky high. Add to that, the rich eggy, yoghurty, cheesy custard topping, and it is a no-go zone. So, this revamped and deconstructed version from the marvellous Australian Women's Weekly 21-Day Wonder Diet is a God-send. It consists of a base of slices of sliced, baked aubergine, courgette and red pepper (very lightly spritzed with olive-oil spray and laid on baking parchment, then baked for around 20 minutes). Meanwhile, dry-fry 250g of lean (5% fat) organic beef in a non-stick pan until browned, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add a very finely chopped onion and clove of garlic, a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a teaspoon of tomato puree, two peeled, chopped tomatoes, and 200mls of beef stock. Cover and simmer gently until the beef is tender and the liquid has reduced. You can add other veg too - I added some sweetcorn and chopped, roasted pepper. Right at the end, add some chopped fresh basil. Now, layer the roasted veg on a warm plate, top with the mince and a spoonful or two of 0% Greek youghuret mixed with lemon juice and sumac (if you have any), and add some salad leaves or watercress on the side. We added a few baby new potatoes for carbs. Delicious - all the flavours of moussaka, and virtually none of the fat. Without the potatoes, this comes in at around 320 cals per portion, which can't be bad! Just make sure you are mean with the oil when roasting the veg.

Pasta Primavera

2011-07-07T21:15:00.000+01:00

Normally, recipes for this dish are very heavy on the butter and/or cream, but it is possible to lighten it up with much less fat, through using chicken or veg stock. Go with whatever veg you have in that is good and seasonal - I went for carrot, broad beans, courgettes, asparagus tips and some peas, with baby spinach folded in at the end. This is a good way to get your five-a-day!.. Sweat a finely diced onion in 10g of butter and a teaspoon of olive oil. Keep the heat gentle and a lid on. Prepare all the other veg, addding first the carrot, then the asparagus and then the courgettes and peas, allowing each to sweat a little in the covered pan to soften before adding th next. Add about 150ml of stock, cover, and simmer gently whilst you boil the pasta. Drain pasta, add baby spinach and mix, and sprinkle with some parmesan. So delicate and summery.

Thai Minced Turkey

2011-07-07T21:09:00.000+01:00

This has to be one of my favourite low fat dishes that I've cooked recently. Turkey breast mince is very low in fat, but can be a bit bland - so, get good organic stuff and mix it with lots of strong flavours - Italian and Thai work very well. In this dish, the turkey is stir-fried with a sliced red onion in a little oil (only about a teaspoon) and then you add chopped garlic, chilli and ginger, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, coriander (all frozen from Waitrose, brilliant time-saver) and some chicken stock. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the turkey is tender. Slake two teaspoons of soy sauce with two tablespoons of dark soy sauce, and stir into the pot. Allow to bubble for a minute, then stir in a big handful of basil leaves. Serve with Jasmine rice or rice noodles. Just yummy.

Rigatoni with Beef Tagliata, Roast Tomatoes, Beans and Light Pesto

2011-07-01T20:44:00.000+01:00

I've always enjoyed the taste of a good steak, but been somewhat put off by a large lump of meat, bleeding onto my plate. The Italians, as with so much in life, have it right, by serving the steak tagliata, or in slices - this makes it easier to eat, and makes the meat stretch further. This was a delicious invention, if I say so myself, and I am sorry I didn't take a pic of the finished dish. Advance prep is best - blanch and skin some broad beans and blanch some fresh sliced green beans, and meanwhile, quarter three ripe tomatoes, spritz with a little olive oil, and roast for 20 minutes. All the veg turned up in the Riverford box today, and were soooo fresh! Make some pesto, either the traditional way, or using my amazing, patented low-fat version. In a mini chopper, blitz 25g basil leaves, a small clove of garlic, a heaped tablespoon of 0% Greek Yoghurt or low-fat cottage cheese, and about 15g of grated fresh parmesan. Cook your pasta (150g for 2) and chargrill your steak, letting it rest for a minute or two while the pasta finishes. 1x150g steak was plenty for us to share. Just before serving, slice the meat across the grain. When done, drain the pasta, return to the hot pot, and throw all the ingredients in, giving it all a good stir, and serve on hot plates with a little extra Parmesan grated over. No idea of the calories really - guessing around 550 a portion? But really low fat, and totally delicious. I will make it again, and take pictures, I promise!

Pasta with Prawns, Broccoli and Lemon Sauce

2011-06-28T20:17:00.000+01:00

A neat little recipe, this, from the latest edition of the BBC Good Food magazine. We don't eat a lot of prawns, and I had a small bag of cooked, peeled prawns lurking in the freezer, needing to be used. But this was certainly a very nice way to eat them and super-quick too. For 2 people, and at around 400 calories per portion, you need: 180g pasta of your choice, around 75g of cooked, peeled prawns (thawed), a small head of broccoli, cut into little florets, the zest and juice of half a lemon, a tablespoonful each of single cream and 0% fat Greek yoghurt, 10g of butter, and seasoning. Whilst the pasta cooks, gather all your ingredients around you. About 2 minutes before the pasta is done, throw in the broccoli and allow to cook for 2 minutes until still bright green and with a little crunch left. Drain the pasta and broccoli, but not too well, so that a few tablespoons of cooking water remain. Return to the hot pot, and quickly, over a low heat, add all the ingredients - try not to let it boil so the yoghurt and cream don't split, but let it get good and hot to heat the prawns. Add some salt and black pepper to taste - I think it needs lots of pepper - and serve presto pronto, as our Delia says, on hot plates. We'll have this again!

Char Siu Pork Fillet

2011-06-26T15:13:00.000+01:00

I have no idea how authentic this is, but I like it! It doesn't have the slightly suspicious red tinge to it that you sometimes get, which I suspect is produced by some sort of colouring. You simply marinade a good-size pork fillet - organic and British, please - in 3 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce, a tablespoon of honey, a tablespoon of soy sauce (I use reduced sodium), 3 cloves of grated garlic, an inch of fresh ginger, peeled and grated, and a teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice powder. Marinade it overnight for a real injection of flavour. Now, roast in a hot oven (on a foil-lined tray, or you'll be scrubbing for weeks) for about 20-25 minutes until just cooked and still juicy, and a deep, caramel, burnished colour. Serve sliced, with stir fried veg and noodles or rice, or even just stuffed hot into a bread roll. I imagine this would do well on a barbecue too. Oh, and low fat, of course!

Borrowdale Brack

2011-06-26T14:08:00.000+01:00

My late Mum, bless her, was NOT a domestic goddess. Mind you, with 7 children, a full-time job, and extra work taken in to do in the evenings, you can hardly blame her! One thing she DID make, though (other than a fantastic 6-tier cream and strawberry sponge for birthdays) was Barm Brack, a moist, fruit-filled teabread from an old Irish recipe, and it was totally delicious. I have discovered lots of variations on this over the years, all based around large quantities of dried fruit steeped in tea then made into a cake. These sorts of breads crop up in a lot of Northern British and Irish recipe books, and this particular one comes from the Lake District, where they know a thing or two about baking. This fits in with our current low-fat regimen, in that there is no fat (other than an egg yolk), and no dairy too, so great if you have to avoid those things. Not low calorie, mind, with all that dried fruit, but a great energy-boost and a healthy treat. Just don't slather it with butter, which we did with Mum's Brack :o(

Being an old Lakeland recipe, there is none of this metric nonsense:
12oz mixed dried fruit of your choice - I used sultanas, currants, raisins and chopped mixed peel
12floz hot strong tea - whatever rocks your boat, but I used proper builders' tea
10oz self-raising flour
4oz soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
1 large egg, beaten
The night before (or early in the morning) soak the fruits in the hot tea. They will soak most of it up and go lovely and plump. Next day or that afterfnoon, simply stir everything else in, tip into a 2lb lightly-greased loaf tin (the two long ends lined with baking parchment) and bake at 150C fan or equivalent for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. This keeps very well, wrapped in greaseproof and foil, and it will keep getting moister as the week progresses. If not on a low-fat regime, give yourself a treat and serve in thick slices spread with good butter with a cup of tea.

You can vary this basic recipe - add chopped candied ginger and dried ginger instead of the mixed spice with maybe a ginger tisane to soak the fruit. All cinnamon and some grated apple to replace the mixed peel. Use Earl Grey and dried figs with some crushed cardamom seeds. Or a fruit tea and dried cranberries. Darjeeling and glace cherries to replace some of the fruit. Experiment!

Asian Rice Salad with Salmon

2011-06-23T20:50:00.000+01:00

A chat with a friend on Facebook inspired me to knock this salad up for lunch tomorrow - it consists of cooked basmati rice (about 100g dry weight for 2), mixed with a dressing of coriander, lime juice and zest, a little olive oil and some sweet chilli sauce (the same as I used to dress the pasta with crab earlier). This was mixed with grated carrot, chopped cucumber, a spring onion and some chopped mint. I had some cooked salmon so that has been popped on the top to be flaked and forked through as we eat it for lunch. Smells divine, and the spoonful I tasted was pretty good too. Season well with salt and pepper - cold rice always needs it. Dunno the cals - probably around the 450 mark because of the salmon, but it is good fat, man! Omegas and all that sh!t.

Spaghetti with Crab, Chilli and Lime

2011-06-23T20:05:00.000+01:00

I have mentioned Judith Wills' marvellous book '200 top low fat recipes' before, and this little gem was taken from it. It took 12 minutes to cook, and comes in at around 450 cals per serve using 100g of pasta each - you could use less if you wanted to reduce the calories further, but I want me dinner! Whilst the pasta is cooking, tip a carton of white crab meat (M&S Orkney white crab meat, 80g) into a bowl and add the zest and juice of a lime, a good handful of chopped coriander, a tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce and a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir together. Drain the pasta, but leave some water clinging, return to the hot pot and fold the crab mix through. Serve on hot plates - no parmesan, please! Enough for 2.

Chicken, Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

2011-06-21T23:23:00.001+01:00

Usually I make cannelloni with lots of bechamel sauce, cheese, olive-oil rich tomato sauce - not a low fat dish! However, I brought this under 450 cals per portion and a perfectly reasonable fat content by using a couple of tablespoons of ricotta, no bechamel but a rich tomato sauce (with not much oil) and some fresh parmesan on top at the end. This used the last of the roast chicken from Sunday, which was blitzed in a processor with the ricotta, some cooked spinach and lots of nutmeg. Use sheets of dried lasagne that have been boiled for 5 minutes, refreshed in cold water and dried. Spread the filling and roll up, then top with tomato sauce, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. You tend to eat much less pasta in this format (and lasagne) than if it was a bowl of the stuff dressed with sauce - probably only about 50g each, hence the lower calories on the bottom line. Not as rich (or a satisfying?) as with a lovely cheesy sauce, but still good to eat.

Udon Noodle Broth with Chicken and Asian Seasoning

2011-06-21T10:22:00.000+01:00

One of the joys of a roast chicken is having the carcase to make proper stock, and subsequently, a hearty veg and noodle-filled soup that is a friend indeed for the low-fat eater. We had a litre of the stock, which was crammed full of new season carrots, onion and spring onion, celery, garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander and shredded left-over chicken. I poured this over some slippery udon noodles and finely shredded greens in a deep bowl, and we tucked in. There were even leftovers for hubby to take to work. Yum. Not sure of the calories, but we made 175g of noodles serve 3 portions, and the chicken and veg and broth itself is fairly low. Even big bowls can't have been more than 400 cals, I reckon and very low fat if the stock is chilled and fat removed from the surface.

Cajun Cod with Broad Bean Succotash

2011-06-18T21:16:00.000+01:00

This was such an excellent low-fat and low calorie dish, and delicious, too - around 350 calories for the lot. Broad beans are bang in season, and we love them. They are a bit of a faff to prepare properly, as they need the tough skin removed to reveal the tender emerald bean - simply blanch in boiling water for a minute, cool under running water, and squeeze from the softened skin. What is succotash, I hear some of you ask? It was originally a Native American dish combining corn and beans, and there are endless variations. Mine consisted of onions and garlic sauteed in a teaspoon of oil and - yes! - about 10g of butter. Add your beans, a tin of good-quality sweetcorn (fresh would be best, but it isn't in season) or some frozen ones, some chopped fresh tomatoes and about 60ml of veg stock. Simmer for a few minutes until all has amalgamated and become tender. Add parsley if you have it, and serve with grilled chicken or, in this case, more of Waitrose's delicious cod loins, sprinkled with Cajun seasoning, for a version of blackened cod. We also had mounds of amazing fresh chard, bursting with flavour. Feeling very virtuous!

Spaghetti Puttanesca

2011-06-17T20:41:00.000+01:00

Now, this is a challenge. Puttanesca needs oil and olives and cheese and plenty of pasta. Something's gotta give! I decided that we needed the carbs and have been good all week, so it is the full 100g portion each of pasta for us tonight, not the measly 75g that most books say - my hubby could put 150g away in one serving. I also used a full tablespoon of oil - this seems quite a shocking amount now, even after just a week. So, 1 tablespoon of oil in which you saute some sliced onion and a couple of cloves of garlic - keeping the lid on during this process creates steam and helps the cooking process. I also added some fresh fennel bulb, very finely sliced, the remains of a tin of tomatoes from last night's chilli, some fresh cherry tomatoes, about 10 olives and some rinsed salted nonpareilles capers. I don't use anchovy in my puttanesca, as I think it makes it smell like cat sick. Simmer until all the veg are tender and the sauce has reduced a little, add some fresh oregano if you have it, and serve up with the pasta and just a little grated parmesan. Dunno how many calories, but this isn't a diet, rather it is a healthy eating regime!

Low-Fat Chilli Con Carne

2011-06-17T18:14:00.000+01:00

Chilli responds very well to the low-fat treatment - use the leanest mince you can get (mine was less than 5% Hereford Beef Mince from Waitrose) and use as little oil as possible in the initial saute. By bulking it out with a red pepper and lots of kidney beans you can keep the calorie count to around 250 per person, 450 with 60g of rice each (dry weight). So, simply saute an onion and couple of cloves of garlic in a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick pan for 5 minutes until beginning to soften and tuen golden. Add a chopped red pepper and 200g of minced beef. Stir until the meat is no longer pink. Now add a teaspoon of chilli powder, or to taste, 3 teaspoons of Hungarian paprika (not the smoked Spanish stuff), 2 teaspoons ground cumin and a teaspoon of dried oregano. Stir in 200mls of beef stock and half a tin of tomatoes, along with a good splodge of puree and a drained rinsed tin of kidney beans - small or large, depending on appetite. Cover, and simmer for a good hour until tender, removing the lid for the last 10 minutes to reduce the liquid a bit. Just before serving, throw in a square of dark chocolate - the higher the cocoa content the better, and allow to melt before stirring through. This transforms things, mellowing and smoothing proceedings and adding a dark gloss to the dish. Enjoy!

Spinach and Chickpea Curry with Garam Masala Roast Potatoes

2011-06-15T20:39:00.000+01:00

Judith Wills wrote a marvellous book, 'Top 200 Low Fat recipes' which is now, sadly, out of print. I have cooked her superb Bouillabaise from there several times, and this simple and cheap little recipe came up trumps too. You blend, in a mini chopper, a small onion, a thumb-sized piece of peeled ginger, and rather a lot of garlic - in my case, an entire head of 'wet' garlic. Add a chopped red chilli, a dessertspoon of turmeric and a heaped teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander. Saute in a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick pan for a couple of minutes, along with another small onion, chopped. Now, add around 250 ml of water and a good teaspoon of tomato puree, and a tin of rinsed chickpeas (I have spoken before of my fondness for the cheap but excellent 'East End' brand). After simmering for 15 minutes, the liquid will have reduced somewhat - don't take it too far, you want some spicy 'gravy'. Throw in around 200g of spinach and allow to wilt in the pan for a few minutes. Now stir in chopped fresh coriander and serve with the potatoes (below) and some 0% fat yoghurt mixed with chopped mint. An amazing 230 calories per extremely cheap and filling portion - this serves two very generously. For the carbs, I chopped 300g of new potatoes, tossed them in a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of Garam Masala ground in a spice mill (Bart's herbs and spices have a Garam Masala mill) and roasted on a non-stick baking sheet for 20 minutes until crisp and brown - this added a further 200 calories per portion - you could reduce this further by just having a little rice or a flat bread. Cheap as chips! (Mmmmmmm - chips.......)

Five-spice Chicken and Ginger

2011-06-14T20:48:00.000+01:00

I love stir-frying, and it fits in nicely with our 'eat healthier' regime at the moment - provided you measure the oil carefully and use reduced-salt soy sauce. Use plenty of garlic, chilli and ginger to boost the flavour. I coated some organic chicken fillets in a little five-spice powder and then sauteed in a non-stick pan with just a teaspoon of oil. Set aside while you fry the veg - today, a wonderful fresh onion, some calabrese broccoli, celery and red pepper, but you can use whatever you have. Add lots of garlic, ginger and chilli - as much as you can take! I used about a dessertspoon of oil in my non-stick wok, and added a splash of water when the veg looked like it needed a bit more welly. Return the chicken to the pan and pour over a mixture of a tablespoon of low-salt soy sauce, a tablespoon Chinese rice wine, 120mls water, a dessertspoon of sweet chilli sauce and a teaspoon of cornflour. Allow to bubble and thicken for a minute and serve with some plain steamed rice - preferably brown basmati, but I only had plain white. Not too much, mind! All in all, this came to around 450 cals with the rice.

Broadbean and Mint Fritters

2011-06-12T23:05:00.000+01:00

The first broadbeans of the season arrived in the Riverford box on Friday. By the time they were podded and skinned, there was just a teacupful of the emerald green beans. They were perfect to mix into a minted batter with chunks of cheddar, and fried in exiguous quantities of olive oil in a non-stick pan. They were then consumed with non-fat Greek yoghurt mixed with sweet chilli sauce. The recipe made enough for four, so we'll have the rest for lunch tomorrow. I don't know what the calories were, but I don't really care, they were scrummy!

Butternut Squash and Cannellini Bean Soup

2011-06-12T14:28:00.001+01:00

We're in the middle of June and I'm making soup! Can't believe it. But it is so chilly and damp that we need something to warm us up, so this was knocked up for lunch today. Simply dice about half a peeled butternut squash, a large onion, and 3 cloves of fresh, new season's garlic. Saute in a tablespoon of olive oil, until onion softens, but doesn't brown. Now, add 750ml of veg stock, some finely-diced chilli (I had a nice, hot little green one) and a good sprig of rosemary. Tip in a drained, rinsed can of cannellini beans (I love the Cirio/Valfrutta brand). Cover and simmer gently for around 15 minutes, until squash is tender, but not breaking up. Add some shredded greens - cabbage, spring greens, broccoli, spinach, whatever you have - and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add lots of fresh chopped parsley and eat. This is enough for 4. If you aren't watching the calorie/fat intake, more oil drizzled over would be nice, and some fresh bread. But we are. So we didn't. Abstemious types like us will only take on board about 180 calories in each big, steaming bowl!

Sumac Cod with Vegetable Couscous Salad

2011-06-11T20:53:00.001+01:00

We are on a bit of a health kick. Resolutely NOT a diet, we don't do those, but we are lightening the food up over the summer. We don't eat very much processed food, but will cut it all out, so no crisps or biscuits, I'm afraid - oh, and less alcohol :o( ........ I shall still bake, but will leave others to eat it! Anyway, low fat, plenty of fruit and veg, some carbs, moderate amounts of protein - this will be the order of the day for a while. The brilliant 'Australian Women's Weekly' have published a book called 'The 21-Day Wonder Diet' (NO, NOT a diet, I insist!) packed full of great recipes, that the Aussies do so well. This first dish from the book was absolutely wonderful - filling, zesty, spicy and fresh. If they are all like this, I should look like Elle MacPherson in no time....well, maybe in about 3 years! LOL.

Anyway, first get a couple of spankingly-fresh cod loins (our are from Waitrose, sustainably fished, of course) and sprinkle each with about half-a-teaspoon of sumac powder. (This is a lovely peppery, lemony spice, if you've never tried it before). Set aside, whilst you reconstitute 90g couscous with its equivalent by volume of hot veg stock. Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a non-stick pan, and saute a finely-chopped small onion, a clove of garlic, a thinly-sliced courgette, and about 8 cherry tomatoes, halved. Stir occasionally, until onions have softened, and then stir in a half-teaspoon of ras-al-hanout, if you have it, or ground cumin if you don't. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in another non-stick saute pan, and, over a medium heat, add the cod. Leave for 4 minutes, without prodding or moving, and then carefully turn over, and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Whilst this is happening, fluff up the soaked couscous, add to the veg and gently fold through, along with some chopped coriander, mint and parsley, or just one of these if that's all you have. Dish up, with lemon wedges to squeeze, and tuck in. Around 420 calories per serve apparently, and scarcely any fat.

Hazelnut Tart with Orange Mascarpone and Strawberries

2011-06-05T14:50:00.001+01:00

A nice variation on strawberry cream tart, this appears in the latest edition of 'Olive' Magazine. The base is a rich shortcrust with ground toasted hazelnuts added, and baked blind. It is filled with a tub of mascarpone mixed with a little sugar, grated orange zest, a little orange juice and 150ml of softly whipped cream - just in case there wasn't enough fat for you already. Topped with healthy sliced strawberries from the local PYO in Binsey, and we have a treat indeed!

Moroccan Aubergine Stew

2011-06-05T14:33:00.001+01:00

One of the best chain restaurants, in my humble opinion, is Giraffe - the food is interesting, mostly cooked on the premises and features some exciting flavours. One of the most delicious things they do is a mezze plate with this stew, along with hummus, baba ganoush, etc. So this is my version, and it is best served cold, with hummus, olives and flatbreads. Just gorgeous. Saute two finely chopped medium onions in 3-4 tablespoons olive oil until soft and golden - don't let them brown. Stir in a diced aubergine - dice it quite small, and saute for a few minutes. It will soak up all the oil, but don't be tempted to add more! Now add 5 - yes, 5 - cloves of grated garlic, a teaspoon of ras al hanout powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, half a teaspoon of chilli flakes, and a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Stir well then add half a tin of chopped tomatoes (or a small tin, if you have one) and a splash of water. Cover and simmer over a low heat until thick and the aubergine is tender and slightly squishy. Chill, and then add chopped coriander leaves. Some Greek yoghurt with cucumber and mint is a nice accompaniment to this too.

Delia's Flaky Fish Pie

2011-06-04T20:54:00.000+01:00

I wonder why this recipe has eluded me until now? It is in my battered and well-thumbed copy of Delia's 'Complete Cookery Course' which is well over 20 years old. Perhaps it is the lack of a photo? Anyway, it is supremely good, using puff pastry rather than mash (I used a sheet of bought puff rather than the home-made flaky in the recipe). I can do no better than point you to the recipe on her website, and use her picture - mine was pretty-much like hers but without the fancy pastry shapes on top - couldn't be arsed.

Butternut and Chard Fritatta

2011-06-03T18:20:00.000+01:00

I had thought I'd seen the last of both these main ingredients in the Riverford veg box, but they turned up again this week - along with lots of other goodies! However, they were splendid in this dish. I roasted the squash with chopped wet garlic and fresh rosemary, then mixed with 4 eggs and the finely-shredded stalks and leaves of Swiss chard which had been sweated in a little olive oil. Cooked in a pan with more oil, browned under the grill, and served with asparagus that had roasted alongside the squash and some warm crusty bread with butter, it was a veggie feast, and I didn't resent them in the end!

Thai-style Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce

2011-05-27T10:48:00.000+01:00

Do you ever have something to eat where you think "I could go on eating this until I burst?". Well, these wonderful meatballs were just like that. I found them on the BBC Good Food site so the simplest thing is to link to their recipe. We served them with a bowl of coconut rice noodles with asparagus and courgette. We will most definitely make this again. It was such a pleasant way to wind down at the end of the day - select a lettuce leaf, add a meatball, stuff with some coriander leaves, sprinkle with lime juice, roll up, dunk in sweet chilli sauce, repeat. Excellent. This would be an easy, relaxed way to feed friends - bung it all on a platter and let people help themselves. Just make plenty!

Strawberry and Blueberry Trifle

2011-05-22T16:59:00.000+01:00

Ah, trifle! For me the single most important rule of a trifle is - NO JELLY! Yuk. But everything else, well, what can one say about Madeira sponge sandwiched with redcurrant jelly, then drenched in sherry, a layer of pureed and chopped strawberries with some just-poached blueberries folded through, then a proper vanilla egg custard (or Bird's, I don't mind!) and a billowy layer of softly-whipped cream, topped with finely-grated chocolate. You want a bowl, don't you? Right now. Then another one......I'm not stopping you.

Italian Potroast Brisket

2011-05-22T16:29:00.000+01:00

Or Stracotto di Manzo, to give it the full Italian glory. This is never going to win prizes for looks, but it tastes wonderful, and leftovers make the best ragu for pasta the next day. This takes the cheap and lean cut of rolled brisket and turns it into a melting, tender treat. Simply brown a boned, rolled joint of brisket in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a knob of butter - do this gently, on all sides, until well-coloured. Add a large chopped onion, and 4 or 5 chopped celery stalks, along with a couple of sliced carrots and 3 cloves of garlic - I used a whole head of 'wet' garlic. Add a jar of passata or a tin of good tomatoes, pureed in a blender, along with half a bottle of good Italian red wine - if you wouldn't drink it, please don't cook with it! A couple of bayleaves and some sprigs of thyme, along with some salt and pepper, and there you have it. Cover the casserole tightly and braise in a lowish oven (130C fan) for three to four hours. Carve and serve with the sauce, which I like to blend beforehand. For the ragu, simply shred or chop the meat and mix with remaining sauce, reheat and stir through chunky rigatoni pasta. It also makes a great lasagne.

Asparagus with Pancetta and Parmesan

2011-05-20T20:35:00.000+01:00

photo courtesy of Nigel Slater/Jonathan Lovekin

We have an abundance - perhaps a superabundance - of asparagus in the house, after Hubby came home from the local pick-your-own with armfuls of the stuff AND more was delivered in the Riverford veg box today. Just as well we love it, but it does challenge me to come up with new ways of eating it. This is a lovely, simple recipe from Nigel and his 'Tender' volume 1. Simply boil some stalks of asparagus until just cooked. Place in a bundle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Meanwhile, saute about 70g cubed pancetta in a knob of butter until crisp and golden and tip the contents of the pan, including the rendered fat, over the asparagus. Don't skip this, it is only a dessertspoon, but gives a lovely savoury depth to the dish. Sprinkle over some grated parmesan and bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Alongside it, I browned a (small!) dish of macaroni cheese, made pokey and perky with good Glastonbury cheddar, lots of mustard and some cayenne pepper. Not a low-fat dinner, but lovely Spring comfort food, all the same.

Pork Burgers with Thyme and Lemon

2011-05-19T20:52:00.000+01:00

OK, it's not easy to make minced pork look sexy, but believe me, these little mouthfuls taste scrummy! This was a blend of two recipes I've cooked from Nigel - the ingredients (more or less) for his Pork and Lemon Polpettine, and the cooking method for his Chicken Patties. This recipe was made so much easier by the use of a mini chopper (pause for 'Carry On' style jokes....) which made light work of 4 spring onions and an entire head of 'wet' garlic - actually very mild. It then minced 70g of pancetta. All of this was added to 500g of pork mince with a good teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves and the grated zest of a lemon. Add salt and pepper - be generous, and mix well until all combined. Your hands are the best utensil for this. Form into little patties or burgers - this amount will make 12 to 16 of them, enough for 4 (I froze half). Saute them for a few minutes until browned, put into a dish and pour over about 200mls of veg stock, and bake at 180C for 15 minutes to finish cooking. This keeps them moist and juicy. Add a little fresh lemon juice to the baking juices, and serve with tagliatelle or new potatoes, and lots of spring greens. Yum!

Rhubarb Pie

2011-05-15T20:21:00.000+01:00

A pie stands or falls (literally) on its pastry crust, and this, if I may say so, is a very good one. Actually, it is a Nigel Slater recipe, and I first used it in his Apple Shortcrust Pie. For a 7inch pie dish, you need 100g each of butter and caster sugar, 175g plain flour and an egg yolk mixed with a couple of teaspoons cold water - keep the egg white. I blitz the sugar and butter in a food processor, then add the flour. Pulse until crumbly (you might need to scrape down the sides of the processor) and add the egg yolk and water. Pulse again to mix, tip out onto a sheet of cling film and knead LIGHTLY and briefly into a dough. Flatten, cover and rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Cut in half, roll out one piece into a disc between sheets of clingfilm and line the pie dish. Fill generously with your chosen fruit - in this case, lots of finely sliced rhubarb mixed with sugar and a tablespoon of cornflour - and then top with the remaining pastry, rolled out. Brush the edges with lightly beaten egg white first to seal the two edges. Now brush the surface with more egg white, sprinkle with a teaspoon of granulated sugar, and bake at 170C (fan) for 40 minutes. If it browns too much cover loosely with foil. Simple, crumbly and delicious.

Baked New Potatoes and Kohlrabi

2011-05-15T09:50:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the news black-out, folks, I have been enjoying myself in sunny Dorset for a week, making the most of the local seafood restaurants and enjoying some of the best fish I've ever eaten - proper wild sea bass, spanking fresh mackerel and the most wonderful hand-dived scallops from Lyme Bay. Anyway, back to land-locked Oxford. The veg box had been delivered and I was immediately greeted with the strange 'Sputnik' vegetable, kohlrabi. A Facebook chat with my chum, Austen, about turnips (as you do) gave me the idea to use the kohlrabi. Simply halve some new potatoes (don't use Jersey Royals for this, they are too nice!) and chop your peeled kohlrabi into similar dimensions. Toss the pieces in a tablespoon of olive oil and some chopped garlic and season well. Put a couple of sprigs of thyme in a parchment-lined roating tin, and add the veg. Bake at 180C for half-an-hour. Now, pour over about 30 g or so of butter and return to the oven for a final 15 minutes - this adds a delicious rich nuttiness to the dish. Sprinkle with fresh parsley (I forgot!) and eat straight away. Any leftovers can be made into a Spanish egg tortilla. This is adapted from Riverford's 'butter baked turnips and potatoes'.

Chickpea, Chorizo and Spinach with Poached Eggs

2011-05-06T21:06:00.000+01:00

Inspired by a recipe from the wonderful Mark Hix, this is a simple, yet full-on flavoured dish for a quick supper. You saute a sliced onion in a tablespoon of olive oil, with about 120g of chopped chorizo - let the onion soften and the sausage render its smoky paprika oil. Add a clove of garlic, crushed, and half a teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander, along with a pinch of cinnamon. Tip in a tin of drained chickpeas (I use the dead cheap but brilliant East End brand) and add 200ml of water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes to amalgamate the flavours and reduce the liquid a bit. Now throw in about 100g of rinsed baby spinach leaves and allow to wilt. Finish with a tablespoon of chopped coriander leaf, and serve with a poached egg per person. With crusty bread to mop up the oily juices, this is ample for 2 people.

Pasta with Tomato, Mascarpone , Asparagus and Basil

2011-05-06T12:45:00.000+01:00

Okay, so you could make this sauce by gently simmering onions, garlic, tomatoes and mascarpone until smooth and tender - or you could go to Marks and Sparks and pick up a tub of their ready-made, which is really very good. Guess which I did? Anyway, once you have your said sauce, tart it up a bit with some fresh pesto and basil leaves stirred through, along with a couple of tablespoons of grated parmesan. Towards the end of the pasta cooking time (I used shells as they hold the sauce nicely) throw in some asparagus, cut on the diagonal into pieces. When all cooked, drain the pasta and asparagus, mix with the sauce, add more parmesan and tuck in. Scrummy, and you'd never guess the sauce was ready-made. Ooops!

One-pot Salmon with Roasted Asparagus and New Potatoes

2011-05-04T20:43:00.002+01:00

picture courtesy of www.bbcgoodfood.com

Could dinner have been any yummier or simpler? I found this on the BBC Good Food site, which is a very reliable pitstop when I run out of ideas. Over 110 people have rated this a 5-star dish and they weren't wrong. I can do no better than link straight to the recipe and pinch their picture. A couple of changes (of course!): I used some lovely fillets of hot-smoked salmon and popped them on top of the roasted veg for just three minutes to gently warm through in the oven. And rather than balsamic at the end, I drizzled over some fresh pesto, which was a gentler finish - sometimes I find balsamic vinegar a bit harsh....unless you've shelled out an arm, leg and kidney for the good stuff from Modena. Anyway, do make this - I know I will again.

Nigella's Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-05-02T17:02:00.001+01:00

ANOTHER cake sale at work tomorrow, so I knocked up a batch of these in no time at all - we pinched 2 to take on a picnic in the lovely spring sunshine. Commercially-made chocolate muffins are always such a disappointment - overly-sweet and unpleasantly chewy with a 'clarty' texture in the mouth. These, however, are light and moist and not too sweet (admittedly, I cut the quantity of sugar down to 125g). I also used a mixture of white and milk choc chunks (Waitrose Essential Cook's range do brilliant ones). This recipe also has the advantage of using oil instead of butter, so not quite as naughty as they might otherwise be. Here is Nigella's recipe:

250g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
2 tablespoons best quality cocoa
175g caster sugar (I used 125g)
150g chocolate chips (plus more for sprinkling later)
250ml milk
90ml vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Here’s How:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) and fill a 12-bun muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Weigh out the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Pour all the liquid ingredients into a measuring jug
3. Mix both together – it will be a runny batter - then spoon into waiting muffin cases. - note: don't over-mix at this stage, better to have the batter a bit lumpy than to beat it, which makes the muffins heavy
4. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top then cook for 20 minutes or until the muffins are risen and springy.

Swiss Chard and Parmesan Tart

2011-05-01T12:33:00.000+01:00

This is adapted from a recipe in Raymond Blanc's new book 'Kitchen Secrets' - a treasure trove of (mostly) accessible recipes from the great chef. His original recipe used just the chard stalks and Comte cheese. I decided to use the chopped leaves as well, and substituted Parmesan and some Cheddar. It was still very delicious! Dead simple too. Line a loose-bottomed metal flan tin with shortcrust. No need to pre-bake. Sweat the finely chopped stems and leaves of a bunch of chard in a good knob of butter until tender and place in the base of the pastry case. Sprinkle a couple of ounces each of grated Parmesan and Cheddar (or other cheese of choice) over. Now, whisk 3 eggs and about 80ml of double cream (or just milk) together, season well and add lots of freshly grated nutmeg. Pour over the cheese and chard, sprinkle a little more Parmesan over, and bake on a pre-heated baking sheet for around 30 minutes (at 170C fan) until the pastry is crisp and golden and the tart has puffed up and browned. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Lovely. Will eat the rest on a picnic tomorrow.