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.

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.

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.

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.