Red lentil, smoked paprika, buckwheat and thyme soup

Carrot, cashews and coriander with noddles

Empty cupboards spark kitchen forage - noodles with carrots, pan toasted cashew nuts, ginger, garlic, chilli, celery, onion, lots of parsley, coriander, lemon juice and a little soy sauce. Necessity is the mother of invention. 

Tabbouleh salad

"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fattened ox served with hatred" (Proverbs 15:17)

I've made versions of this salad since first eating it as a student in Jerusalem.  Traditionally it is primarily made of parlsey and bulgar wheat.  I often use watercress (no doubt a western abomination) as this is more readily available in the UK than flat leaf parsley.  This version features parsley, fresh mint and watercress.  I've also added spring onions, lemon juice, olive oil, rock salt, chopped tomato's and some kidney beans. Served with natural yogurt, cucumber and veggie burgers (no falafel this evening).

Red cabbage coleslaw

 This coleslaw is made with red cabbage, grated carrot, apple, natural yogurt and seasoned with lemon juice and pepper.  I sometimes add poppy seeds to this version.

Spaghetti, salmon, lemon cream, cracked pepper and flat parsley

Don't judge someone just because they sin differently to you.

Poached salmon with lemon butter, new season asparagus, avocado, tomato and green salad

"Good seasons start with good beginnings" (Sparky Anderson, Baseball coach).

It's asparagus time :)

Mushroom and celery soup, made with thyme and milk.

I'm slightly obsessed with mushrooms at the moment.  Like celery, they have very distinctive and strong tastes but are often drowned in sauces or side lined.  This soup is really simple as it uses only four base ingredients (as above).  You could of course add a small amount of cream, but I like the simplicity of it made with milk for a weekday lunch.

Chilli con carne with crazy rice, yogurt and corn on the cob

When I make chilli con carne I like to serve it with wild rice (or crazy rice as my kids call it).  They decant it from separate bowls but it looks slightly nicer than just slopped on a plate.  That's sour cream and parsley as a garnish. I realise that food photography is a whole different thing to serving up meals for your family.  The lighting is always poor at evening supper and I snap on my smart phone.  I now understand why the great Elizabeth David insisted on only pencil sketches to illustrate her cookery despatches.  I will no doubt go to hell mentioned the great Ms David in the same breathe as this meal attempt. 

Mushroom Stroganoff with minor beef and crazy rice

A stroganoff must contain, to my mind, sour cream.  It is a creamy stew and by this nature quite indulgent.   This version is mainly mushrooms with a small amount of beef (hence minor).  I used to make a mushroom version as a student that seemed a luxury at the time. 

Toasted cheese hath no master

This was my toasted sandwich, made for my lunch.  Husband walks in, just as I was sitting down to enjoy; "Oh, that looks good - is that for me?".  Flattery, it turns out, will get you a toasted sandwich.

Haddock and parsley fish cakes

'Better small fish than an empty dish'.
Fish cakes are easy to do, but it's the time invested isn't it?  If you aren't using leftover potatoes and cooking the fish freshly, it's quite a process that doesn't make for quick family suppers.  If I am boiling or steaming potatoes one evening, I often think if I should cook extra for a pie topping or to make fish cakes the following day.  Traditionally you would use left over potatoes from a previous meal and these sometimes inspire me to knock up some fish cakes using tinned fish.  However, on this occasion I boiled potatoes and baked some haddock from scratch for these.  I also added some chopped parsley, lemon juice and bread crumbs and a raw egg to bind.  The bread crumbs were grated white bread and I added them to the fish cake mixture, but also coated the outside of the cakes in them.  This gave them a nice golden crunch.  I sometimes oven bake fish cakes, but on this occasion, I pan fried in olive oil and added extra lemon juice.  You can make easily with tinned salmon or tuna or use freshly cooked fish.  Taking this photo, I realise how difficult it is to photograph food - it's obviously a whole different genre and food that tastes great doesn't necessarily look/ photograph that well.  I think I should have left the vegetables out of the photo. 

Pears poached in vanilla syrup with Florentines, whipped cream and chocolate.

'Give us the luxuries of life, and we will dispense with its necessities'. John Mötley, US Historian (1814-1829).

 

Ok - so I went a bit Jackson Pollack with my melted chocolate!  This is adapted from a Nigel Slater recipe.  I found a few problems with it that are easily addressed.  Firstly, you need to simmer peeled and cored pears in a water, sugar, syrup with a vanilla pod and leave them to stand for at least an hour until the pears are "butter soft".  It took ages peeling eight pears and I was up early on a Sunday morning which seemed a bit of a faff.  Frank pointed out that you could probably just about get away with using tinned pears if you soaked a vanilla pod with them overnight. Pears must be served chilled so this needs to be done well in advance of serving.   It's easy enough to whip up the cream, adding vanilla essence and this should be done no longer than half an hour before eating.  The photo doesn't show off that there are crushed Florentine biscuits in the cream.  These were great as it made the cream chewy with a nutty flavour and contrasted with the softness of the pears and cream.  You could also use smashed up brandy snaps.  I drizzled the melted chocolate on just before serving, but the cold pears/ cream set it almost immediately.  The whole dish is very rich and I'd use less cream next time.

Slow roasted lamb with spiced rice, salads, yogurt and aubergine chutney

"The king reigns, but does not govern" Jan Zamoyski, Polish Statesman, 1605)

Frank slow roasted lamb in yogurt and cumin and rice and asked me to prepare salads to accompany.  The rice has dry pan roasted pine nuts, sultanas and fried onions in it and was delicious.  I wanted a simple green salad, but it looked a little dull with just lettuce, cucumber and spring onions, so I added some radish shavings and the grated carrot on the side.  The carrot goes well with the rice too.  The aubergine chutney was from Waitrose and the coolness of the Greek yogurt make it a quite essential part of the dish.The photo shows my plate, but diners served themselves.   The king reigns refers to my husband in this instance, but it was a joint effort.  I like the saying that 'while a man may consider himself the head of the family, the woman is the neck, and the neck can turn the head'.   

Pan fried halibut with creamed peas, spring onion and bacon.

Be bold, be brief, be gone...

I love to eat fish, but it is my nemesis;  I often overcook it.   I like to pan fry, so I can keep an eye on it, cook it quickly, plate and go eat.  This dish is from a recipe in a marvellous book from the restaurant, J Sheekey, called simply, ‘Fish’.

Cook some frozen peas, then put aside.  Then chop and fry in olive oil a shallot.  Add a couple of chopped smoked bacon rashes to the pan and once these have cooked, add the peas and a couple of tablespoons of double cream and about 150mls of vegetable stock.  Give it a stir and then add some chopped scallions (spring onions) and some finely shredded lettuce – (I’ve used iceberg or baby gem lettuce before).  Put the lettuce in the pan last, season and give it all a stir. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat some olive oil or butter and pan fry the halibut on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Squeeze on some lemon juice.  Serve the halibut on top of a couple of tablespoons of the creamed peas. 

The smoked bacon give the dish some depth but not too much to detract from the fish.  The crunch of the scallions and lettuce in the peas give texture.  I served this with chipped potato cubes roasted in garlic and rosemary and also roasted some cherry tomatoes on their vine to put on top.  The dish didn’t photography so well, but tasted good. 

 

Lettuce not forget - twenty-one ways to pimp your salad

Dull salads?  Never! ....  here are some ideas to add a little more va va voom to your salad days...

1.    Dollop on some dips, hummus, mayonnaise; guacamole, salsas.

 

2.    Sprinkle on some seeds or nuts (dry roast nuts in a frying pan first) -walnuts, pinenuts, cashews, sunflower seeds.

 

3.    Slice in some fruit - oranges, satsuma, melon, grapefruit, grapes, pear, peaches (fresh or tinned).

 

4.    Add grains - giant cous cous, fusilli pasta, red camargue rice.

 

5.    Add pulses  -kidney beans, chick peas, cannellini, black eyed beans, lentils.

 

6.    Fry up some croutons - slice up squares of bread and fry in olive oil until crispy as a topping.

 

7.    Always olives any other marinated delights – artichoke, gherkins. 

 

8.    Just tomato?  Plate alone, ideally at room temperature, with some balsamic, olive oil and a pinch of sea salt (nobody loves a cold tomato!).

 

9.    Alchemy up some dressing –olive oil with added herbs, lemon juice, mustards, vinegars, garlic, salt, pepper – have a play around, bung ingredients in an empty jam jar and give it a shake.

 

10.  Sneak in some finely sliced cabbage (savoy is my favourite) or scallions (spring onions) for added crunch.

 

11.  Include some fresh herbs -parsley, coriander, dill, chives, basil, mint.

 

12.  Use leftover cold potato as a base for a salad Nicoise (avoid adding boiled egg to salad, unless it is a Nicoise). 

 

13.  Splash some colour with raw spinach or beetroot – slice, grate or oven roast.

 

14.  Introduce cheese -cubed feta, grated Leicester, slithers of parmesan, grilled halloumi, crumbled stilton, slices of mozzarella.

 

15.  Don’t be afraid of vegetables – peas, sweetcorn, chopped green beans.

 

16.  Marinate raw broccoli in olive oil and lemon juice and eat with chopped cherry tomato and some tuna fish.

 

17.  Make a coleslaw with sliced carrots and cabbages (red and white) add raisins, mayo and lemon juice.

 

18.  Crack open a tin of fish - tuna, sardines, mackerel, salmon, anchovies.

 

19.  Mix in some dried fruit such as chopped apricots, dried prunes, figs, raisins.

 

20.  Add some cold meats and go all mezze.

21. Bash up some breadsticks or crackers in a plastic sandwich bag with a rolling pin and sprinkle over your salad for some crunch.

 

 

 

Pork escalope with peanut sauce, sticky rice and green beans

"Come; give us a taste of your quality” Hamlet (to a Player).

 

This one is from memory, very simple and it’s quite nice as it doesn’t use coconut milk.  Finely chop an onion and sweat in oil or butter in a frying pan that has a lid.  Once the onion is slightly cooked, add the pork and seal/ brown the meat for a couple of minutes each side.  In a separate bowl dissolve three table spoons of peanut butter in approx 300ml of chicken stock.    It does actually dissolve and goes a lovely thick consistency.  Then add to the pork, cover the pan and simmer for approx 20 minutes.  I made the sticky rice in the Aga and served the pork and sauce on top in a large dish.  I dislike serving portions to people, particularly adults, preferring to let them help themselves – we’re eating at home here and not in a restaurant.  I sprinkled some chopped coriander on the top and served it with steamed green beans and sweetcorn. The pork and peanut sauce is also good served with noodles.  You could garnish with whole or bashed peanuts.

Fish finger butty with watercress and home-made tartar sauce

As Beatle fans will know; if a Liverpudlian asks you ‘four a fish n’ finger pie’; they may not be referring to lemon sole goujons.

Back to basics this evening; an embellished version of a classic comfort dish.  The secret of a fish finger butty (sandwich) is the bread must be white, soft and spread with real butter.  The fish fingers should be chunky as possible and straight from the oven so they melt the butter and contrast with the bread.  A handful of something green adds some posh and it all starts to get a bit gastro-pub.  I used watercress which was ideal for adding a peppery crunch.  

A homemade tartar sauce lifts the whole thing up a notch and is just a simple variation on mayonnaise.  Add finely chopped shallot or onion, chopped gherkins, capers, fresh parsley and lots of lemon juice and seasoning.  As on this occasion, it can often be pulled together from store cupboard ingredients.  I rarely make my own mayonnaise, and I don’t think that would work for this use either – too buttery.  I only added shallot, lemon juice and chopped watercress to tartar this evening and it was a last minute addition.  Keeping it simple worked just fine.  Serve tartar straight from the fridge as it needs to be cold to contrast with the warm fish.  Kids and husband loved it.  Also served a bowl of peas and chopped watercress mixed in, which everyone ate.

Cob loaf with 20% wholemeal flour

I need more bread proving baskets as all my loaves are starting to look the same.

New Banetton Bread proving basket - simple wholemeal loaf

Baked Polenta with Crimini Mushrooms and Fresh Sage

‘Do not do unto others as they would do to you; their tastes may not be the same’, George Bernard Shaw.  (Painting - Polenta Makers - by Pietro Longhi (1751).

I’ve always been on friendly terms with polenta, but my enthusiasm for bringing it to the supper table as dinner guest hasn’t always been so warmly greeted by my nearest and dearest.  Polenta is a way of life in northern Italian, and has been for generations (see painting of polenta makers from 1751), so surely we can find room in our hearts for a little?

Uncooked, polenta is a grainy, bright yellow maize.  I think it’s beautiful’; it actually sparkles and glitters.  I usually make up the stuff in a sauce pan from the grain, stirred and then bake it and cut it up into shapes to embellish.  The advantage of this is that you can add stock or herbs to the base.  However, it does then become a three part process – make it up on a stove, bake it and then re-bake or fry it for your dish; for something so, well, utility, it can seem a little over laboured.  I bake mine in parchment lined roasting trays.  I’ve never tried to spread it on a cheese cloth like in Pietro Longhi’s painting, but this does look fun.  Once cooled, I’m sure you could build gingerbread style polenta houses with it, as it becomes quite architectural.    Unfortunately, on this occasion, I could only buy pre-cooked slabs of it in the supermarket, which was disappointing, but in hindsight, as I was feeding twelve, a few shortcuts was actually helpful.  It sliced easily into neat rectangles and I placed them on buttered parchment on a baking tray. 

Meanwhile, I fried some mushrooms in butter. We are rather sold short on mushrooms in the UK as there are hundreds of different types of edible types of mushrooms, but only around ten types are grown commercially and therefore make it to our tables.  They are good high source of vitamin B & D and treated gently, have unique, delicate flavours that are lost when they are so often drowned in unimaginative (usually cream) sauce.s  I used firm Crimini mushrooms (they look like button mushrooms, but with a pale brown skin) that retain their shape after frying.  I drained some of the liquid off as I didn’t want them soggy.  I also added some fresh sage to the frying pan.  I then drizzled olive oil over the polenta and put spoonfuls of mushrooms and fresh sage onto the polenta rectangles.  I baked the trays in the oven until the polenta started to brown and sizzle.  It all went and the kids ate it.  I did tell them it was a kind of pizza (true).  Husband was sceptical, but the taste won him over.  I served the polenta with a warm beetroot, orange, feta, cucumber and lettue salad.  What’s the point of having family and friends over for supper if you can’t inflict your taste on them?  My adventures will polenta will continue and I pledge to go mushroom foraging with an expert at some point.