Chickpea, Sausage and Kale Stew

October 26th, 2009

I cooked this stew in about 20 minutes flat, with a spoonful of yoghurt this was a perfect Saturday lunch, eaten hungrily from the bowl after a morning of gardening. If you’ve some crusty bread, then by all means use it to soak up the smoky juices, otherwise a spoon is all you need.

I often slice open sausages, remove the skin and tear off little chunks, they’re the perfect size for sauces and stews and go crisp and golden in the heat. A decent sprinkling of paprika evokes the spicy smoky flavour of chorizo in it’s absence. Add the usual onion and garlic, a tin of chickpeas and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Wait until this is bubbling ferociously before adding some shredded kale to preserve the vibrant green colour. Then, cook the whole thing for 10 or 15 minutes until the kale is tender and the tomato sauce thickened (you may need to add a little extra water). Simple as that and you’re left with a healthy, hearty pot perfect for a biting October day. For a proper soup, add some vegetable stock to thin it out.
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Courgette and Barley Salad

October 21st, 2009

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I bought a bag of barley last year with high hopes of making hearty soups and comforting stews in the winter months. A year later and there was still half a bag languishing in the back of the cupboard. We’ve still got some courgettes in the fridge, and I decided to try using the cooked barley in a filling, healthy salad. Think of cooked barley like bulghar wheat, it has a chewy, nutty texture that works perfectly with lots of fresh herbs and veggies. I’ve also got it on my list to try as an alternative to arborio rice for a healthier version of a risotto.

This is a simple salad of fried courgettes, mint, spring onion and goats’ cheese, what really makes it is stirring the cheese into the hot barley to create a creamy cheesy sauce. This keeps well and the flavours develop over time, so perfect for making in advance although I would allow it to come to room temperature before serving and sprinkle over a few extra chopped herbs.
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Apple and olive oil cake

October 14th, 2009

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I’ve been lusting after the Ottolenghi Cookbook for a while and I finally got it for my birthday a few weeks ago. A weekend lusting after the cakes and beautiful salads ensued as I littered it with post-it notes for ‘must try’ recipes.

For those of you not familiar with the London restaurant, this book is all about big and beautiful salads, using ingredients in new and delicious ways as well as the most fabulous cakes and pastries – the best of both worlds then…(see this post for 101 Cookbook’s take on Ottolenghi and another recipe). Yotam Ottolenghi also has a regular column in the Guardian on Saturday – Yotam Ottolenghi’s inventive, modern vegetarian recipes.
Everyone who has this book has recommended the apple and olive oil cake so it was top of my to-do list. A light and airy cake packed full of apples, lemon zest and olive oil. The olive oil is not overpowering at all but adds a wonderful complex flavour. And, it just keeps getting better, the whole thing is sandwiched together with luscious maple syrup icing (I used golden syrup) – a delicious butterscotch take on the classic cream cheese icing.

This cake was devoured in a matter of days to a chorus of quiet ‘mmms…’ Need I say more? Make this cake and make it soon.
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Courgette Spaghetti

October 6th, 2009

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I discovered a new blog recently – Smitten Kitchen. It quickly went on my google reader subscribe list and I’m now suitably hooked so I urge you check it out too. This recipe immediatley appealed as it’s another courgette recipe. Although very similar to other courgette pasta, this is a sort of light version. Courgettes are shredded finely, preferably with a mandolin for paper thin strips, but you can do it with a sharp knife too (see the picture below, although I must warn you now, I am particularly anal when it comes to chopping things finely). The idea being that the courgette take the place of some of the pasta, so you have a lighter summery dish. Simply soften a little garlic and chilli in a generous glug of olive oil, throw in the courgette and cook for a minute or so if that (longer if you’re strips are larger). Add some cooked spaghetti, a few torn basil leaves (or chopped parsley) and season well. Serve with grated cheese if you like.

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Roasted Carrot and Bean Salad

October 1st, 2009

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Another 101cookbooks recipe, this one caught my eye as a tasty way to eat carrots (I’ve been leaning towards cakes recently). I had some friends round for dinner and we eat this with roasted trout and artichokes with almonds, breadcrumbs and mint from Jamie Oliver. Unfortunately, there aren’t any pictures but the recipe is here and believe me it was delicious and the carrot salad went perfectly. Just enough bulk to fill you up but light enough that you feel comfortably full.

We eat this at room temperature and I think it definitely needs a good 30mins for the flavours to settle and develop and will no doubt be delicious the day after. What follows is my version, I made a few tweaks to suit what I had at home. Parsley instead of dill and a little ground cumin for warmth.
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Jamaican Veggie Patties

September 28th, 2009

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I had a few odds and ends of vegetables in the fridge, a carrot here, the end of a cabbage there and a handful of new potatoes. I’ve been making a lot of soup recently so I decided to give this recipe from 101cookbooks a go. Sweet little vegetable patties with a little spice and coconut milk. You’ll have to excuse the pastry as I didn’t go all out and make the traditional patty pastry flavoured with turmeric giving it an orange hue. But even without this, these are dangerously moreish. what started the afternoon as a pile of patties, quickly disappeared as everytime I ventured near the kitchen, I took another bite. Hot pepper sauce is obligatory here. Don’t worry, the pastry dilutes the fire and you’re left with a tang that is perfect with the spiced filling. It also goes without saying that you can use whatever combination of vegetables you have on hand.

Recipe

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Carrot and Pecan Cake

September 26th, 2009

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This cake was inspired by the delicious Gails in Hampstead. We went there for a post lunch cake and coffee (and promptly spent £10!). I decided on the carrot cake, a big blousy affair covered in cream cheese icing, moist and absolutely delicious.

It inspired me to make my own, especially as there are usually a few carrots lingering at the bottom of the fridge. This cake is a mish mash of flavours, yoghurt and oil for moistness, chopped dates reduce the amount of sugar needed and add a touch of caramel, a hint of orange and plenty of chopped pecans.

Is it as good as Gails? I think so and I don’t have to pay 4 quid for a slice…
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Potato Bread

September 21st, 2009

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I’ve written about potato bread before (here), but that was almost a year ago and I was inspired to mention it again after baking some this weekend. Since last year, we have (on and off) had a pretty much continuous supply of potato bread, sometimes we use a little rye or spelt flour to give it more character, sometimes we bake it in different shapes. What stays the same is the sourdough like tang and the unbelievable toast it makes. Shop brought bread just doesn’t cut it in comparison.

The idea of making bread yourself can often seem a daunting task. Whilst it does invariably take time, it’s certainly not difficult and it is so satisfying to remove a delicious looking loaf of bread from the oven and the smell is incredible. I usually boil a couple of extra potatoes when I’m making mash or roast potatoes. If I have lots, then I cook enough to make 2 loaves as it freezes excellently.

Then all you do is reserve some of the starchy water the potatoes are cooked in and mash some potatoes into a large bowl containing, flour, salt, yoghurt and yeast; roll your sleeves up and get kneading. Let it rise in a warm place for an hour or two, punch out all the air and let it rise again before baking in a hot oven until golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

As long as your water isn’t too hot (this will kill the yeast and stop it working), and you give it a good knead, there’s not much that go wrong.

Also, check out these tips from baking god Dan Lepard.

Recipe
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Sweetcorn Fritters

September 19th, 2009

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Can you spot the pattern here? At certain times of the year, we seem to be inundated with the vegetable du jour, so after I’ve made my usual recipe, I’m forced to consult my cookery shelf for inspiration. Don’t get me wrong, this is why I love my veg box, it forces me to constantly try new recipes.

At the moment, it’s sweetcorn and tomatoes and rocket from our garden (well, plant pots). Last weeks salsa was definitely a success, but I wanted something new. I found this recipe in Bill’s Sydney Food by Bill Granger. While he is almost unbearably smug on TV, I love the sunny, bright styling of his book and the simplicity of his recipes.

These are fairly simple to make and are bound to impress, sweet and crispy sweetcorn in a batter full of coriander and chilli. I had them for a simple lunch with avocado, rocket and tomatoes and a the obligatory dollop of yoghurt. But, I have a sneaky feeling that they’d work perfectly with a fried egg and beans for brunch. Bill suggests serving them with roasted tomatoes and bacon. If you’re making these for a lots of people, you can cook them in advance and just warm through in the oven.

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Toasted Sweetcorn Salsa

September 16th, 2009

DSC03676This salsa makes the best of late summer ingredients. Fresh sweetcorn, crispy and sweet, flavoursome tomatoes and fruity chillis from our (very small) kitchen garden finished off with some lime and coriander. Try it spooned over nachos complete with plenty of guacamole and soured cream.
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We used it in a mexican inspired (I make no claims of authenticity) brunch. Spoon some salsa onto a warm tortilla, top with some sliced avocado, a dollop of yoghurt and plenty of grated cheese and finish off with a fried egg. Wrap it up and prepare to make a mess as you eat it. I like this kind of brunch as I get the satisfaction of a fried egg (I’m all about eggs at the weekend) while shoe-horning in some vegetables at the same time, especially useful if I overindulged the night before. Eating something a little lighter than a full english also helps me fight the urge to go back to bed and no emerge again for the rest of the day…
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