Thursday 16 December 2010

Triple Pumpkin Pasta


Serves 4

1 large butternut squash
pasta of your choice
4 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
toasted pumpkin oil
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
frehsly grated parmesan
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and very finely choppped

1. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Cut into segments.
2. Place the squash segments in a roasting tray, season with pepper and salt and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Place in the oven and roast for 30-45 minutes at gas mark 6-7/ 220 °C until soft.
4. Boil the pasta in salted water.
5. In the meantime, chop the squash into bite-sized chunks.
6. Distribute the pasta and squash evenly into four bowls.
7. Drizzle with a little olive oil and pumpkin oil and sprinkle with fresh rosemary, pumpkin seeds and freshly grated parmesan.

Use any pumpkin variety you fancy apart from the really large ones. They're great for carving and soup but not that tasty otherwise.

Mixed Green Salad with Broad Beans and Beetroot


When I went to the supermarket today, they had ready-washed organic lettuce mix greatly reduced. I don't normally buy those but they looked good and at half price what did I have to lose?

1 bag of organic salad cress, baby spinach and rocket mix
2 pre-cooked beetroot, very thinly sliced
a couple of handfuls of broad beans, fresh in summer, frozen in winter
pepper
salt
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

1. Bring a bit of water to the boil and cook the broad beans, seasoned with pepper and salt, for 5 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.

2. For the dressing, mix pepper, salt, balsamic and olive oil. You probably won't need all of this.

3. Place the beetroot slices, lettuce and broad beans in a wide bowl. Serve dressed or let everyone dress their own bowl of salad.

Monday 13 December 2010

Roasted Pepper Soup


Serves 2-3.

3 peppers, if using mixed peppers no more than one green pepper
8 cherry vine tomatoes
4 small garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 small red chilli, halved and deseeded
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 l vegetable stock

1. Quarter and core the peppers. Season with pepper. Place skin-side up into a roasting tray.
2. Add the garlic, tomatoes and chilli.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.
4. Roast at full whack for about 30 minutes or until the peppers and tomatoes start to brown.
5. Transfer all veg except the garlic into a saucepan.
6. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skin and add to the saucepan.
7. Pour the boiling vegetable stock over the veg.
8. Purée, check seasoning and serve.

Saturday 4 December 2010

Raspberry Ricotta with Rosemary


250 g fresh or frozen raspberries (defrosted)
1 tsp very finely chopped fresh rosemary
zest of a lime
juice of 1/4 lime
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
25 g of shelled unsalted roasted pistachios, chopped
250 g of ricotta


1. Purée the raspberries and stir in maple syrup to taste.
2. Set aside a couple of tablespoons of the puréed rapsberries as well as 1/4 of the pistachios.
3. With a fork blend in the ricotta.
4. Add the rosemary, lime zest, lime juice and the remaining chopped pistachios.
5. Serve drizzled with rapsberry purée and sprinkled with pistachios.

Alternative:
1. Fold in a couple of spoons of whipped cream for a richer flavour.

2. Substitute the ricotta with mascarpone.

Frozen Raspberry Yoghurt


250 raspberries, defrosted in the fridge for 1-2 hours
2 tbsp maple syrup
300 g plain yoghurt
toasted flaked almonds or chopped roasted, unsalted pistachios to sprinkle over the top
mint leaves if at hand


1. Set aside a couple of tablespoons of whole raspberries. Thoroughly defrost in the fridge.

2. With a handheld blender or food processor puree the raspberries.

3. Add maple syrup and yoghurt and mix together with a spoon. Check the taste and add more maple syrup if required.

4. Either freeze for later or serve immediately with the whole raspberries, mint leaves, if used, and sprinkled with almond flakes or pistachios.

Tipp:
Try this with any frozen fruit substituting maple syrup for honey and trying out different herbs.

If using strawberries, served with a twist of freshly ground black pepper.

Monday 22 November 2010

Wild Mushrooms with Beer and Mustard Sauce


500 g mixed wild mushrooms (e. g. chanterelle, pied de mouton (hedgehog fungus), pied bleu, etc.), cleaned and cut into chunks
2 portabello mushrooms, cleaned and cut into chunks
100 g fresh baby spinach, washed and coarsely chopped
150 ml lager
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
200-250 ml soured cream
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp wholemeal flour, dissolved in a little cold water
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
freshly ground nutmeg

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the mushrooms making sure they're all well done - some mushrooms must not be eaten raw or undercooked, for example pied bleu. Season with pepper and salt. When done, remove into a warmed plate and set aside.

2. Add the lager and flour to the pan and bring to the boil. Stir in the soured cream, mustard and add the garlic. Season with pepper and a little nutmeg. Simmer at a very low heat for a couple of minutes to soften the garlic.

3. Return the mushrooms to the pan and add the spinach. When the spinach has wilted, check the seasoning and serve immediately on a bed of rice.

Monday 15 November 2010

Pork with Coriander Oil and Mango


Serves 4.

1-1.25 kg of boneless leg of pork with skin on
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
20 g fresh coriander
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 large mangos, cut into wegdes
1 heaped tsp flour
cold water

1. Make the coriander oil: Place the coriander into a beaker and season with pepper and salt. Add 6 tbsp of olive oil and blend. If it's too thick, add a little more olive oil.

2. Wash the meat and pat it dry. Score the skin in thin strips or in a diamond pattern. Season the meat with pepper and salt, rubbing it into the skin.

3. Rub all over with the coriander oil. Set the remainder aside for basting. Marinate for a few hours in the fridge, if there is time.

4. Place into a roasting tray and place into a preheated oven. Roast at 200 °C/gas mark 6 for a total of 1.5 - 2 hours basting with the remaining coriander oil every now and again. (I use a meat thermometer to check if the meat is cooked.)

5. With about 30 minutes cooking time to go, add the mango wedges to the roasting tray.

6. Once done, remove the meat and the mangoes from the oven and place on a heated plate to rest the meat for 10-15 minutes. Before serving cut off the crackling dividing it into 4 portions. Lastly, trim the excessive fat off the meat.

7. Meanwhile, pour the cooking juices into a saucepan. Dissolve the flower in a little cold water and add to the cooking juices. Bring to the boil, then lower the heeat. Add about 1/3 of the mango wedges to the gravy and blend. Check the seasoning.

Serving suggestion: Serve with herby quinoa.

Variation:
Use a mixture of mango and kaki fruit.

Friday 12 November 2010

Cream of Mushroom Soup



This is a light soup and ideal for a starter.

1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500 g of flat mushrooms, halved and sliced
0.8-1 l vegetable stock
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
herbes de Provence
freshly chopped parsley
soured cream or crème fraîche

1. Heat some olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over a low heat for about 5 miutes stirring regularly to prevent browning.
2. Add the herbes de Provence and continue sautéing for another 3-5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, heat some oil in a frying pan and lightly brown the mushrooms. Season with pepper.
4. Add the mushrooms to the saucepan and pour in the stock.
5. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and purer the soup.
7. To serve add a generous dollop of soured cream or crème fraîche to each serving and sprinkle with the parsley.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Spaghetti with Lemon, Garlic and Chili



This is one of the dishes my other half excels at. Hard to believe but I've never actually prepared this dish myself! We originally found the recipe in a cook book. It soon became a favourite comfort food as it's tasty and quick to prepare. Over time it's evolved by adding chili and rocket. Still comfort food but more sophisticated ;)

Update 8 Feb 2015: Add grated lemon zest from an unwaxed lemon and sautée along with the garlic.

250 g spaghetti
sea salt
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
juice of 2 lemons
1 bulb of garlic, very, very finely julienned or coarsely grated
1/2 - 1 red chili (or more!), finely sliced
a few handfuls of wild rocket, washed and spun
freshly grated parmesan/parmesan shavings(optional)

1. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti until almost al dente. If they're ready to eat at this stage, they'll end up overcooked.

2. Drain the spaghetti and return to the saucepan.

3. Add the olive oil, garlic, chili, lemon juice and stir at low heat for 2 min.

4. Optionally season with freshly ground black pepper. Scatter with a handful of rocket and some parmesan. Serve immediately in warmed plates.

Monday 8 November 2010

Spiced Rice with Tiger Prawns



cooked rice
250 g cooked tiger prawns
1 leek, very finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 carrot, julienenned
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tsp garam masala
freshly ground pepper
sea salt
2 tsp balsamic glaze
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

250 g sweet green peppers
olive oil
freshly ground pepper
sea salt

1x Charmoula

peparing the sweet peppers
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Sauté the peppers until blistered all over.
3. Season with pepper and salt.
4. Remove from the pan and place on paper towel to drain.



1. Sauté the leek, garlic and carrot over a low heat for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garam masala and sauté for a further 2 minutes.
3. Season with pepper and salt.
4. Add the basamic glaze and sauté for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are soft.


5. Add the rice, sweet peppers and and prawns.
6. Put a lid on and heat through for 10 minutes.
7. Serve in preheated plates sprinkled with freshly chopped coriander and charmoula.

Sunday 7 November 2010

Charmoula (Rick Stein)

This is not my own recipe. It's by Rick Stein and I originally found it on the BBC food website but it has since been taken down (January 2016).


2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1½ tsp ground cumin
½ red finger chilli, seeded and chopped roughly
½ tsp saffron strands
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juice only
1½ tsp paprika
1 tsp salt

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Mussels with leek and tomatoes



Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter.

1/2 a quantity of leek and tomato sauce (see below)
1 kg fresh mussels, cleaned and checked

leek and tomato sauce
1 leek, very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
100 ml full-bodied red wine
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
125 g fresh spinach, washed, spun and coarsely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
2-3 tbsp olive oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the leek and garlic over a medium heat until soft but not brown. Season with pepper and salt.
2. Add the red wine and tomatoes and bring to a high simmer. Check the seasoning.
3. Simmer for a couple of minutes until very hot. Then add the spinach mixing it in.
4. Remove half the sauce and set aside.
5. Pour in the mussels and close the lid. Cook for a minute then shake the contents of the saucepan. Cook for another minute, shake the saucepan and check if the mussels have opened.
6. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Saturday 30 October 2010

Stuffed Winter Squash


I love the multicoloured winter squashes as they are gread for soups, roasting, stuffing, pan frying and more.


Serves 4.

2 small winter squashes, washed, halved and cored
3-4 flat mushrooms, chopped
1 large courgette, chopped into little cubes
a handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red onion, quartered and sliced
dried herbes de Provence
1 small red chilli
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
toasted pine nuts

1. Cut the outside of the squash to create a flat surface, then brush a baking tray and the skin of the squash halves with olive oil. Season the squash with pepper and salt and add the tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.


2. Sauté the onions, garlic, chilli and dried herbs in a little olive oil until soft.
3. Push to the side of the pan to prevent them from burning.
4. Add a little more oil if necessary and brown the mushrooms and courgettes.
5. When brown, mix everything together and season with pepper and salt.
6. Spooon the mix into the squash and cover with tin foil.
7. Bake in a hot oven at 200°C/gas mark 6 for about 45 minutes until the squash is soft.

Optionally:
- grate some parmesan over the dish before serving
- after 35 - 40 minutes, crumble some Feta cheese on top and return to the oven to brown the cheese

Carrot and Butter Bean Soup

1-1.25 kg carrots, peeled and chopped
3-4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
1.5-1.8 l of (low salt, organic) veg stock
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
dried herbes de Provence and/or 1 large bay leaf
2 tbsp organic tahini
1 tin organic butter beans, drained and rinsed
pepper
olive oil

1. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft, then add potatoes and carrots. Stir until all the veg is coated in the garlic/onion mix.

2. Add the stock, bring to the boil, season with pepper (I don't add salt) and simmer until the veggies are soft.

3. Add the tahini and blend the soup. Then add the butter beans. Return to a very low heat to heat them through.

Lovely scattered with (toasted) sunflower, sesame or pumpkin seeds.

Also works well without the tahini.

Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut and Ginger

On a recent visit to Germany, my cousin Winni made a wonderful winter (Hokaido) squash soup with coconut milk and fresh ginger. I still haven't got the recipe but I decided to have a go anyway. If my tastebudes remember correctly, it is very similar even though I used a variety of vegetables that needed to be used up. Squash and potatoes on their own would work, too. Carrots, however, give this soup a deeper colour.

3 butternut squash, peeled, cored and cut into smallish chunks
500 g carrots, chopped
250 g sweet potatoes, chopped
500 g potatoes, chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
a thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1.5 - 1.8 l low salt vegetable stock
1 tin of coconut milk (440 ml)
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

optionally:
- soured cream or crème fraîche for serving
- toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Sauté the onions, garlic and chilli until soft but not brown.
2. Add all the vegetables and stir to coat with the onion mix.
3. Add the stock and coconut milk.
4. Add the ginger and season with pepper.
5. Bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are soft.
6. Blend and check the seasoning.
7. If used, place a heaped teaspoon of soured cream or crème fraîche into a plate or bowl and top with soup or scatter soup with toasted pumpkin seed.

Saturday 7 August 2010

Spicy Pepperonata


Normally, a pepperonata isn't that spicy but I felt like adding some chopped chilli and it worked really well. If you don't like chillis, just leave it out. It's still a gorgeous dish.

5 large, pointed red peppers, halved lengthwise and sliced
4-5 garlic cloves, cut into slices
1/2 - 1 red chilli, finely chopped
freshly ground pepper
1 sprig of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme.
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1. Gently heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan and add the garlic, chilli and pepper.

2. Cook over a medium heat for a few of minutes taking care not to brown the ingredients. Once the veggies are simmering, add the balsamic vinegar, thyme and season with pepper. (I do not add salt to give the sweetness of the peppers top billing.)

3. Cover and gently simmer until the veg are soft. Stir from time to time to make sure they're not sticking to the pan are gently cooking in their own juice.

Serve hot or cold.

Tuesday 3 August 2010

FastFeasts: Pasta with Broadbeans, Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella



This is kind of a FastFeast. Getting the broadbeans ready takes a bit of time but they can be done in advance.

Serves 2

1 packet of broad beans
200-250 g of pasta
1 mozzarella, cut into cubes
200g cherry (plum) tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts (toast pine nuts in the oven at full wack for 5-10 mins until golden brown)
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
balsamic glaze

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta per packet instructions. When ready, drain and drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent them from sticking together.

While the pasta is cooking:

1.Pepare the broadbeans.
1.1. Bring about 2-3 cm of water to the boil in a steamer. Meanwhile shell the broadbeans, then steam without seasoning them for 3-5 minutes. (I've found that shop bought broadbeans take longer, so taste one after 3 minutes.)
1.2. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then remove the outer skin to reveal the bright green beans.
1.3. Place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a little olive oil.

2. Cut the tomatoes in halves, dice the mozzarella and and chop the basil.


3. Warm plates.

4. To assemble: Serve pasta and top with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and pine nuts. Season with more freshly ground black pepper if desired. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Serve immediately.

Monday 2 August 2010

Chorizo casserole


2 onions, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 sweet peppers, cut into chunks
150 g chorizo, sliced
1 tin tomatoes, in rich tomato sauce (or use fresh tomatoes - skinned and diced - if you can get hold of really tasty, sweet ones)
100 ml red wine
freshly ground pepper
olive oil
optionally: Spanish paprika or smoked paprika (the latter has a really strong smokey flavour so be careful)

1. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and chilli and fry for 3-4 minutes until soft.
2. Push the onions, etc. to the side of the pan. Add the sliced chorizo and peppers and keep frying over a low-medium heat until both are starting to brown, stirring regularly.
3. Add the wine and tomatoes, season with pepper and paprika (if used), then turn up the heat. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened, then move onto the smallest ring of your hob (or switch off the heat) and leave for at least another 15 minutes to allow the flavours to permeate the whole dish.

Serve hot with crusty bread, rice or potatoes.


Variations:

Optionally add courgette, marrow (as in picture), sun dried/sun blush tomatoes etc. Sauté either with onions and garlic, or brown in a separate pan with a little olive oil and add with the tinned tomatoes.

For larger quantities, it's best to fry the chorizo separately in a non-stick pan without adding oil. Remove when brown leaving some of the oil that's cooked out of the chorizo in the pan to fry the peppers. Both are then added to the onion/chili/garlic mix. From here proceed with step 3.

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Iced Coffee - virtuous or voluptuous

Virtuous Iced Coffee


per person:
2 shots of espresso, chilled and optionally sweetened to taste
ice cubes
semi-skimmed milk

Pour the espresso into a tall glass. Fill the glass with ice cubes and top up with milk.


Voluptuous Iced Coffee



per person:
2 shots of espresso, chilled and optionally sweetened to taste
2-3 scoops of vanilla ice cream
whipped cream, optionally sweetened
sugar, optional

Pour the espresso into a tall glass, add the ice cream and top with whipped cream. Stir with a long spoon to dissolve some of the ice cream into the coffee.

Monday 7 June 2010

Steamed Asparagus



500 g of green asparagus
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
olive oil or butter
freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

1. Snap the asparagus spears to get rid of the woody bits. Wash and place into a steamer. Season with pepper and salt. Steam for about 5-7 minutes turning them using tongs until the spears are al dente.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice. Alternatively use butter.

Asparagus and herb omelette



4 organic eggs, lightly beaten
a good handful of mixed fresh herbs, e. g. basil, chives, coriander, parsley
100 g steamed asparagus, cut into 3 cm long pieces (before adding lime or lemon juice)
1/2 red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Preheat the grill.

2. Beat the eggs and season with pepper and salt.

3. Pour the eggs into the frying pan and cook for a minute before adding the herbs, asparagus and chilli, if used.

3. Cook until the underside of the omelette is golden brown.

4. To finish place the frying pan under the hot grill for a minute or two until the omelette puffs up and is lightly coloured.

Serve hot or cold.

Just can't resist but have to publish a photo of this pretty (and tasty) herb omelette with borage flowers.

Roasted green asparagus with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar



500 g green asparagus
250 g cherry tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
1/2 tsp demerara sugar
extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
balsamic glaze (optional)

1. Clean and wash the asparagus and tomatoes, the dry and place into a large roasting try.

2. Season the asparagus with pepper and salt. Season the tomatoes with pepper and sprinkle with sugar.

3. Drizzle on the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

4. Bake at 220 °C-240 °C for approx. 20 minutes. Optionally drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve immediately.

Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil Oil




3-4 tomatoes, sliced
1 mozzarella, sliced
freshly ground black pepper
home-made basil oil

Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate. Season with pepper and drizzle on the basil oil.

Basil Oil

2 handfuls of fresh basil leaves
1 small garlic clove, crushed
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
100-120 ml extra virgin olive oil

Combine the ingredients using a handheld blender and store in a sterilised jar in the fridge.

Lovely on drizzled on tomatoes and mozzarella, steamed veg, steak, fish, stirred through rice or pasta...

Variation:
Use 100-125 g of wild rocket instead.

Monday 10 May 2010

Bucatini with Steamed Asparagus and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds



I'm crazy about asparagus this time of year. But no Sauce Hollandaise for me. I roast it in the oven, steam it, use it in salads, risottos, omelettes with pasta or eat it on its own...the possibilities are endless.

The following recipe makes a delicious week-day dinner for four.

500 g bucatini pasta
600 g green asparagus, steamed
toasted pumpkin seeds
(organic) toasted pumpkin oil
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
parmesan shavings

1. Cook the pasta as per packet instructions (about 17 min). Drain and drizzle liberally with olive oil.
2. Snap the asparagus spears to get rid of the woody bits. Wash and place into a steamer. Season with pepper and salt. Steam for about 5-7 minutes turning them using tongs until the spears are al dente.
3. Cut the asparagus into 2 cm long sections.
4. Place a portion of pasta onto heated plates and scatter the asparagus over the top.
5. Drizzle some toasted pumpkin oil over each serving and scatter with toasted pumpkin seeds.
6. Season with black pepper (optional) and add the parmesam shavings.
7. Serve immediately.

Tuesday 27 April 2010

Chunky Aubergine and Chickpeas with Fresh Basil



2-3 aubergines, cut into medium-sized cubes
1 tin organic chickpeas in water (without added sugar or salt), drained
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat quite a lot of olive oil in a heavy pan and add the aubergines.

2. Fry until browned all over.

3. Reduce the heat. Season with pepper and salt and add the garlic and chickpeas.

4. Cover and cook over a very low heat until the aubergines are completely tender.

5. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and scatter with torn basil leaves.

Chunky Mushrooms in Red Wine - 2 recipes



500 g of mixed mushrooms (any type you fancy), cut into chunks
1 red pepper, coarsely cut
OR
1 bunch of sping onions, cut into 3 cm long pieces
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
100-150 ml full flavoured red wine
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
olive oil

1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and add the spring onions. Sauté until brown, remove and set aside.

2. Add a bit more olive oil and when hot add the mushrooms. Fry over a highish heat until brown but don't let them draw juice. If they do turn up the heat. Season with pepper and salt and add the garlic.

3. Return the spring onions to the pan and pour in the wine.

4. Turn down the heat and simmer at a low heat for about 10 minutes.


Caramelised Courgettes and Sweet Peppers



2 sweet red peppers, halved, cut widthways and cut into thin strips
2 courgettes, halved lengthways and cut into diagonal slices
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1-2 tbsp fresh marjoram, leaves picked off
freshly ground pepper
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic glaze

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan or saucepan and add the courgettes and peppers.

2. Fry over a high heat, stirring regularly, until the vegetables are browned and lightly caramelised.

3. Turn down the heat. Add the garlic and season with pepper and salt.

4. Keep cooking at a low heat with or without a lid until the vegetables are tender.

5. Sprinkle on the freshly picked marjoram and mix in lightly.

6. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Potato and Tomato Gratin on a Bed of Sage



Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish.

4 medium potatoes
500 g of small vine tomatoes
12 sage leaves (ordinary, purple or a mix of both)
10 g butter
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, season with salt and pepper and cover with boiling water. Boil for about 15-20 minutes until parboiled.

2. Meanwhile slice the tomatoes.

3. Fry the sage leaves in the butter and a teaspoon of olive oil for 2-3 minutes until they start to crisp. Turn off the heat and set aside.

4. Slice the potatoes with their skin on (or peel them first if preferred).

5. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into a roasting tray and spread using a brush.

6. Scatter the sage leaves into the roasting tray.

7. Alternately place potatoes and tomatoes slices into the roasting tray. Season with pepper and salt and drizzle with olive oil.

8. Bake at gas mark 7, 220° C for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.

Serve as a main course with salad/roast asparagus etc. and Greek-style yoghurt or as a side dish.

Roasted Asparagus


It's asparagus season and in the UK, it's all about green asparagus. I just love that stuff and eat it several times a week during its short season.


200 g asparagus per person
extra virgin olive oil
pepper
salt
juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon or lime

1. Bend the asparagus spears until they snap - discard the bottom bit. That way you won't have any woody bits.

2. Wash and carefully pat dry.

3. Place in one layer into a roasting tray. Season with pepper and salt and drizzle with olive oil.

4. Roast in a preheated oven at gas mark 7 for about 20 minutes until the spears are tender and lightly browned.

5. Remove from the oven and drizzle with freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice. Serve either hot or at room temperature.

Wednesday 7 April 2010

Herby Quinoa, Lentils and Peas with Lime Dressing



225 g quinoa
600 ml vegetable stock
150 g puy lentils*
a couple of handfuls of fresh or frozen peas or petits pois
a couple of handfuls of freshly chopped mixed herbs, e. g. basil, parsely, coriander, mint, chives
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt

Dressing:
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
3 tbsp of freshly squeezed lime juice
6 tbps extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the quinoa in a saucepan and add the stock. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa has doubled in size.

2. Boil the lentils in water without adding salt until tender. This will probably also take about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Add pepper and salt to water and simmer the peas for a couple of minutes until defrosted. Fresh peas only take a minute. Drain and set aside.

4. Place the cooked quinoa in a bowl adding 3-4 tablespoons of lentils*. Add the dressing and mix well. Leave to cool

5. When the quinoa and lentil salad has cooled completely, add the peas (to prevent them from cooking further) and freshly chopped herbs.

Serve as a side dish, e.g. with fish, meat or at a BBQ. Also very tasty on its own as a light summer lunch.

*Use the remaining lentils to make a lentil paté.

Lemon Drizzle Cake



I combined 2 recipes and tweaked them a bit to come up with my version. You can find the original recipes here (the main source for my version) and here (for the lemon drizzle topping).

The result is so delicious, I'm wondering what it would taste like as an Orange Drizzle Cake. Definitely will try that out soon. And maybe next time I'll replace some or all of the white flour with wholemeal flour.

225 g softened, unsalted butter
225 g fine, brown sugar
zest of 3 unwaxed lemons
juice of 2 lemons
4 whole eggs
200 g flour
50 g ground almonds
2 level tsp baking powder

Lemon Drizzle Topping:
85 g fine, brown sugar
juice of 1 1/2 lemons

Preparations:
Grease a 26 cm spring tin with butter and sprinkle lightly with flour.

1. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, then add the lemon zest.
2. Beat in the eggs one at the time - don't worry if the mixture splits.
3. Mix the flour and baking powder and add the mixture 1 tablespoon at the time while your mixer is on the lowest setting. Alternatively, mix in by hand using a spatula.
4. Add the ground almonds and lemon juice and combine well.
5. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake at gas mark 4/175° C for 45 minutes.
6. Use a skewer or knitting needle to check if it's done by sticking it into the centre of the cake. If it comes away clean, the cake is ready.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a rack. Using a knive, carefully loosen the outer rim of the cake tin. Release the spring and remove the outer rim. Don't take it off the bottom part of the tin.
8. Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, mix the sugar and lemon juice.
10. Using your skewer or knitting needle, poke holes into the cake and pour the sugar/lemon mixture all over the cake.
11. Leave until completely cold before removing from the tin.

Serve on its own or with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or soured cream sprinkled with some freshly grated lemon zest.

Monday 29 March 2010

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes: The easiest tomato sauce ever


This is so simple and quick to assemble and tastes so delicious. We use it as a tomato "sauce" with pasta, as a side dish with fish and serve it hot or cold.

Basic pasta sauce for two people:

350 g cherry, cherry plum or cherry vine tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper
seasalt
1/2-1 level teaspoon of brown sugar
2-3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
extra virgin olive oil

1. Place half of the garlic in a roasting tray and add the tomatoes on top.
2. Season and sprinkle with the remaining garlic and the sugar.
3. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at full whack for 20-30 minutes or until some of the tomatoes start to brown.
5. Remove vines if used.

Serve with pasta and optionally freshly grated parmesan.



Variations:
1. Add some dried herbs: oregano, basil, herbes de Provence, a bayleaf or similar
2. Add fresh herbs, for example a sprig of thyme, oregano, marjoram
3. Sprinkle with freshly chopped basil before serving.
4. Drizzle with a couple of teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.

Monday 22 March 2010

Nigella Lawson's Roasted Poussin and Sweet Potatoes

I just have to share this youtube video with you as the recipe is so fast, yet so tasty and it would make an impressive main course for a dinner party. We tried it on Saturday and the sweet potatoes sprinkled with cinnamon are just to die for. IMHO, this is not an everyday dish at all. Enjoy!

Fresh Filled Pasta with Spinach, Basil & Pinenuts


Here's an idea to turn filled, fresh shop-bought pasta into something delicious and healthy. This takes only about 5 minutes to prepare as only the pasta needscooking!

1 packet of the filled, fresh pasta of your choice
a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
a small handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
1-2 tbsp toasted pinenuts
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
1 garlic clove (optional)
freshly grated parmesan
balsamic glaze (optional)

1. Boil the pasta in salted boiling water according to packet instructions.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the spinach and basil leaves.
3. If you have pinenuts but they aren't toasted, heat a non-stick pan. When the pan is hot, add the pinenuts and keep moving them around so they brown evenly without burning. Set aside when ready.
4. Drain the pasta, return to the saucepan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with pepper (I don't add any salt at this point but that's a matter of taste).
5. Squeeze a garlic clove over the paste (if used), then add the spinach, basil and pinenuts and toss gently together. The spinach will wilt from the heat of the pasta.
6. Serve on 2 plates and add some freshly grated parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

Zingy Rice Salad


This is a really fast recipe when made with left over rice and tastes of summer even now in March. I'm using firm veggies here as they'll stay firm even if the rice salad is kept for a day. Other than the peppers I used here, courgettes or deseeded cucumber would make good alternatives.

250 g of boiled rice (brown, basmati, long grain...)
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1/2 small red pepper, cut into tiny chunks
1 part lime juice (juice of 1/2-1 lime)
3 parts of extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper
sea salt (if using unsalted rice)
fresh coriander, coarsely chopped (if at hand)

Mix all the ingredients together and if possible leave to marinate for 30 minutes or longer.

Friday 19 March 2010

Jamie Oliver Fish Pie

STOP PRESS: Just found Jamie's recipe on his website - though there he doesn't use spinach.



While having a look for free stuff on iTunes, my other half came across a number of short Jamie Oliver video podcasts aimed at people who are scared of cooking or think that making tasty food takes hours. These little clips are between 7.5 and 9.5 minutes long. Most of them are meat dishes so not that interesting for me but this healthier, quicker version of a traditional fish pie is really yummy. We've had it twice now ;) but I have to say we used half the amount of fish with the amount of veggies below. The idea is to be creative and add whatever veg you fancy.

In many of these recipes he uses a box grater rather than chopping things up with a knife.

750 g fresh fish, mixed or just one type according to taste and pocket (e.g. salmon, cod, smoked haddock, prawns, scallops, pollock, etc. - whatever you fancy, whatever your pocket)
1 carrot, coarsely grated
2 celery sticks, coarsely grated
150 g cheddar (gouda would work just fine IMO), coarsely grated
1/2 red chilli, finely grated
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lemon
pepper
salt
4 tbsp olive oil
1 handful fresh spinach
chopped parseley

potatoes for mashing
butter
milk
pepper
salt
freshly grated nutmeg

1. Grate the veg and cheese with a box grater and transfer to a large oven-proof dish.

2. Chop the fish into inch-sized chunks and add to dish. Top with the spinach leaves and parseley.

3. Squeeze over the lemon juice. Season with pepper and salt and add the oil.

4. Mix it all together with your hands or a large spoon and smooth out.

5. Top with the mash ensuring everything is well covered.

6. Cook in a preheated oven at 200 °C/gas mark 5 for 40 minutes.


Alternatives:
Chop a couple of spring onions.
If no celery is available, you can use a small onion.
Add 1-2 garlic cloves to the mix (garlic press or chopped very finely)

Thursday 25 February 2010

Chocolate Cake


Traditionally this cake would be baked in a bread tin but I think it looks a lot more sumptuous this way.

250 g unsalted butter
250 g sugar
6 eggs
1 lemon, juice of
100 g chopped almonds or crushed flaked almonds
200 g flour
1 sachet/14 g baking powder, mix into flour
pinch of salt
200-250 g chocolate with 70% cocoa
6 tbsp hot water

Icing:
100g chocolate with 70% cocoa
3 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp brandy, rhum or whisky (to taste)

1. Beat butter and sugar untill foamy.
2. Add the eggs and keep beeting until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add the lemon juice and almonds to the mix.
4. Add the flour/baking powder mix a couple of tablespoons at the time.
5. Heat the water in a heavy saucepan, break up the chocolate and dissolve over a low heat. Add to the cake mix. Add a pinch of salt.
6. Grease a 26 cm spring tin and optionally, sprinkle very lightly with flower. Shake the tin to loosen off any excess flour and tip the excess flour into the sink.
7. Pour the cake mix into the baking tin and bake at gas mark 5 for 50-60 minutes. The cake is done when a metal skewer stuck into the middle comes away clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and using a knive carefully loosen it from the rim. Open the spring. Place a cooling rack over the top and using a dish towel or oven gloves, turn the cake upside don. Remove the base of the tin. Place a second cooling rack on the bottom and turn the cake over once more.
9 To make the icing, heat the water in a heavy saucepan, break up the chocolate and dissolve over a low heat until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and stir in the alcohol.
10. Pour over the warm cake spreading it out with a rubber spatula.

Serve with wipped cream.

Easy Apple Cake



This apple cake recipe has been made in my family for as long as I can think. In German we call it a "sunken apple cake" because the apples sink into the cake while it is baked. Eat like the Brits for dessert with a serving of good vanilla ice cream or like the Germans for afternoon "Kaffee and Kuchen" with whipped cream. The only thing I've changed is that I use a good (i. e. unrefined), fine brown sugar instead of the regular white stuff.

190 g unsalted butter
190 g fine, unrefined brown sugar
5 eggs
Juice and finely grated rind of 1 unwaxed lemon
pinch of salt
300 g flour
1 sachet/14 g baking powder, mix into flour
6-7 tbsp milk
500-750 g juicy apples, e.g. Granny Smith, Braeburn (Golden Delicious will turn chewy)
more lemon juice

icing sugar for dusting, optional

1. Beat butter and sugar untill foamy.
2. Add the eggs and salt and keep beeting until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add the lemon juice and rind to the mix.
4. Add the flour/baking powder mix a couple of tablespoons at the time.
5. Grease a 26 cm spring tin and optionally, sprinkle very lightly with flower. Shake the tin to loosen off any excess flour and tip the excess flour into the sink.
6. Pour the cake mix into the baking tin and spread evenly using a rubber spatula.
7. Cut the apples into quarters or eights, depending on size, core and peel them. Score the outside in a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle over some lemon juice to prevent the from oxidising.
8. Place the apples on top of the cake mix pushing them in.
9 Bake at 175° C/gas mark 4 for 40-50 minutes (until a metal skewer stuck into the middle comes away clean).
10. Optionally dust the cake with icing sugar when cold.

Paprika flavoured aubergine slices


I've probably mentioned this elsewhere in this blog but I just LOVE aubergines. Could eat them every day. One of my favourite ways to prepare them is to roast them. And to prevent my taste buds from getting bored, I sprinkled them with Hungarian paprika the other day. Yum!

1-2 aubergines cut into 1 cm thick slices
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
Hungarian paprika, hot or sweet to taste
extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine slices on both sides until lightly browned, batches if necessary.
2. Transfer the aubergine slices into a roasting tray.
3. Season one side with pepper, salt and a generous amount of paprika. You probably won't have to add any more oil but may lightly brush the aubergins with oil to prevent the paprika from burning.
4. Pllace into a preheated oven and cook for 30-45 minutes at gas mark 7 until the aubergines are golden brown and tender.

Honey-roasted leek


2 leeks, cut into diagonal slices
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
runny honey
extra virgin olive oil

1. Season the leek slices with pepper and salt and place them side by side into a roasting tray brushed lightly with oil. Brush the leek with oil as well.
2. Place in a pre-heated oven and roast at gas mark 7 for 20-30 minutes until they're starting to brown.
3. Then brush with the honey and roast for another 5-10 minutes.

Carrot Salad with Kumquats


Last Sunday, we went to the organic food market and café, Earthy. A lovely experience. The cappuccino was just right, not too much milk, no burned coffee taste. Perfect.

Afterwards we wondered around the shop and bought some goodies, organic carrots and kumquats, among them. I wanted to eat the carrots as fresh as possible and while grating them it occurred to me that the kumquats should taste rather nice in a carrot salad. The result was delicious a little unusual but it's definitely a keeper.

1 kg carrots, washed, peeled and coarsely grated
8-10 kumquats, unpeeled, cut lengthways, pips removed and cut into slices
vinaigrette to taste

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Mix the carrots, kumquats and vinaigrette and leave at room temperature for a couple of hours to marinate. Check the seasoning. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, if used.