Hot and Sour Vegetable Noodle Soup

A friend gave me a bag of lovely crisp sugar snap peas during the week, and it was a toss-up between this or a coconutty laksa.  I wanted something spicy and cleansing, so went down the hot and sour route.  Use whatever veg you have to hand - in my case, some red pepper, mushrooms, beansprouts, onions and the said sugar snaps.  The ingredients here are for 2 people but just double for 4.  Prep the veg for a stir-fry and leave to one side.  Cook some noodles - entirely up to you what variety, but I went for medium rice noodles - one 'nest' per person.  Now prepare your broth: make up 700ml of veg stock using Marigold powder and bring to a boil in a pot.  Add a good thumb-size piece of peeled grated ginger, a grated clove of garlic and one finely-sliced hot red or green chilli.  Now add a tablespoon of tamari or light soy sauce, a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar and a teaspoon of brown sugar.  Add plenty of ground black pepper, or a little Szechuan pepper if you have it - careful, it'll blow yer socks off! Finely-chop around a tablespoonful of fresh coriander and slice a lime into 'cheeks' and keep to one side.   Keep this broth base simmering as you heat a tablespoon of light oil (I like rape-seed) in a wok and quickly stir-fry the veg, keeping them crisp and colourful.   In big, warm bowls, divide the noodles on the bottom, top with the cooked veg and pour over the simmering stock, to which you have added the coriander.  Serve right away, with the lime to squeeze over to enhance the 'sour' element, and perhaps some Tabasco sauce to add extra heat at the table.  Delicious, warming, reviving and incredibly healthy.

Spiced Coconut Greens

Based on a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe, this was a lovely accompaniment to Thai-chicken in romaine lettuce leaf wraps.  I stir-fried a shredded leek with some grated garlic and ginger for a few moments, then stirred in a quarter-teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli flakes.  I then tipped in a big handful of shredded kale, a 160ml tin of coconut milk and 100ml of veg stock, and half a tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.  This was stirred over a high heat for 3 or 4 minutes, then the juice of half a lime was added, with some salt and pepper.  This would work with spinach or chard, but the bitter chewy nature of wonderfully fresh green kale was most welcome.  This served 2 but would easily be doubled for more, or doubled and served with rice as a main course.  I think it qualifies for under a fiver.

Leek Beetroot and Potato Soup

I'm back in the blogging saddle again after a spot of bother with Google Blogger.  And a great soup to start us off with.  It is absurd to get excited over something as simple as a leek, but when two beautiful specimens turned up in the veg box, it made my heart sing!  After trimming and thoroughly washing one, I partnered it in a soup with onions, beetroot and potato.  Made the usual way, I sweated said leek with a chopped onion in a tablespoon of rape seed oil and around 25g of butter.  I peeled 2 good sized raw beetroot (ignoring the 'Psycho' red splattering on hands, kitchen tiles, chopping board and apron) and 2 similar-sized potatoes, chopped them and added them to the pot.  After being just covered with Marigold veggie stock, the pot simmered for half-an-hour and was then blended with a stick blender until a smooth vision of creamy pinkness emerged.  I stirred in a dollop of creme fraiche and served it with another spoonful on top, some chopped chives (actually, spring onion tops!) and a drizzle of a little more rape seed oil, but these embellishments are optional - just plain and simple, it was a soup of sweet, smooth earthiness.

Perfect Sauteed Potatoes

Well, perfect as far as we're concerned!  The secret of a perfect sauteed potato is time.  And a non-stick frying pan.  If you rush your spud, it will brown too quickly and not be cooked on the inside.  Don't par-boil them, either, as they go mushy.  The other secret is not to stir them too often.  And use waxy new potatoes, as maincrop will just go mushy too.  OK, so that's four secrets, not one, but I like to give you value for money.  Chop as many spuds as you like, but make sure you have a big enough pan for them to be in one layer.  Cubes of about half an inch, or the metric equivalent, will be fine.  Heat 3 tablespoons of oil (I never said these were low fat!) in your pan - I like a blend of rape seed and extra virgin oil.  Keep the heat to medium and let the oil heat properly before adding the spuds, which should gently sizzle as they hit the pan.  As they do, toss them in the oil, shake them out to an even layer, sprinkle in some salt and pepper, and LEAVE THEM ALONE.  Let them cook at a moderate sizzle for a good 5 minutes without disturbing them.  Meanwhile, chop a large red onion and a clove or 2 of garlic.  After 5 minutes, stir and toss the potatoes and throw in the onions and garlic.  Stir again, then leave for another 5 minutes.  Stir every 5 to 10 minutes until all sides are brown and the onions have gone a delicious caramelly gooey texture.  Taste the potatoes after half an hour.  Add more salt and pepper, and if they are cooked through, turn up the heat and fry briskly until everything is crisp.  Keep an eye on them so they don't burn and adjust the heat accordingly.  Chop a handful of flat-leaf parsley and stir through at the very last moment before turning into a bowl and eating promptly with whatever takes your fancy - steak, fried chicken, lamb or pork chops, or grilled mackerel, which we had last night.  DEE-lish!

Apologies for the lack of updates

Google Blogger doesn't seem to want me to upload any photos, so I haven't been able to do any posting for a while.  I do apologise, and have a backlog of recipes for when it gets resolved - in the meantime, take a swing through the archives!

Bircher Muesli

It is my poor hubby's first day off in 11 days, so I wanted to give him his favourite breakfast.  Being the (generally) virtuous bloke he is, this isn't a fry-up, but a plate of Bircher Muesli and lots of fruit.  On a lovely sunny early Autumn morning, it hit just the spot.  It is essential to use a good quality muesli base for this, and I like Dorset Cereals - not cheap but great quality.  Start the night before. For three servings (he has the leftovers tomorrow), put 9 heaped tablespoons of muesli in a bowl and pour over fruit juice to just cover - I used apple juice.  stir well, cover and leave in the fridge over night.  The next morning, grate an apple, peel and all, and stir into the muesli with a splash more apple juice.  Now stir in yoghurt, whatever flavour you like, but I went with peach yoghurt to match the flavours of the fruit.  Use as much or as little as you like to get the texture and consistency you prefer.  Spoon into plates and serve with a selection of perfect fruit - I used a glorious French white peach, skinned and sliced, some wonderful scottish raspberries and local strawberries, and a handful of brambles from the wild bit at the bottom of the garden, still warm from the briar.  This could only have been improved by eating it on a balcony overlooking the Devon or Cornish coast, but you can't have everything.  With gallons of tea, toast and homemade marmalade, I hope the old man had an oasis of rest before back to the slog again tomorrow.

Courgette, Mozzarella and Basil Fritters

I know, I KNOW, yet ANOTHER recipe for courgette fritters.  But, in my defence, they are so quick and easy to make, tasty and are a solution to the courgette mountain at this time of year.  And, although I don't own any, I imagine kids would love them.  Tonight's variation, which made plenty for 4 people, is as follows.  Grate 2 medium courgettes, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain in a colander.  After 20 minutes or so, scoop up handfuls and squeeze the moisture out.  In the meantime, crack 2 eggs into a bowl, add about 60mls of milk and 2 heaped tablespoons of self-raising flour.  Whisk into a thick batter.  Season with a little salt (not too much, we've salted the courgettes, remember), lots of black pepper and half a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes.  Finely chop a couple of spring onions and add to the batter.  Now drain a ball of mozzarella and chop into little dice.  Add to the batter along with the courgettes, 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese and a handful of basil leaves, rolled and cut into shreds.  Mix well, and then drop tablespoons of the batter into a non-stick frying pan with half a centimetre of sunflower or rapeseed oil in.  Fry on each side over a medium heat for a couple of minutes until golden brown and lay out on a parchment lined baking sheet.  You can do this well in advance and reheat in a hot oven for 10 minutes until golden, puffy and sizzling.  Lovely served with tomato sauce or sweet chilli dipping sauce.  Definitely under a fiver.

Nigel Slater Kitchen Diaries Vol II

Hurrah!  Event of the year on 13 September, when Nigel publishes Volume II of the Kitchen Diaries.  You can guess what the subject of this blog will be in 2013! http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Kitchen-Diaries-Nigel-Slater/dp/0007256035/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346013811&sr=8-3

Cherry and Peach Crostata

I have blogged various versions of the crostata before, including Fig and Raspberry, Rhubarb and Strawberry amongst others.  We enjoyed last week's combination of cherries and peaches in a clafoutis so much that I thought I'd put them in a crostata with some frangipane on the base.  It was delicious again, with cream or creme fraiche, whichever you prefer.  Make some rich shortcrust by blitzing together 150g of plain flour with 75g of chilled, diced unsalted butter and a tablespoon of caster sugar.  Now mix an egg yolk and a tablespoon of chilled water, and pour over the dry mix in the processor.  Blitz again until just coming togther into a ball, adding a tiny bit of water if necessary.  Tip onto a sheet of cling film, flatten into a disk, wrap and chill for at least an hour.  Bring out of the fridge for about 20 minutes on a warm day to soften, then roll into a rough disk about 14 inches in diameter.  I do this on the clingfilm to make lifting easy.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Now cream 50g of soft unsalted butter and 50g of caster sugar until pale and creamy.  Add an egg, 100g of ground almonds and a dash of vanilla essence.  Quickly mix then spread on the pastry base, leaving a 2 inch border all round.  Pile 3 skinned and chopped white peaches on top of the frangipane, and a big handful of stoned cherries.  Bring the edges of the pastry up around the side - it should be ragged and rustic looking.  Sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of sugar and bake at 170C (fan) for half an hour until browned.  Best served just warm rather than hot from the oven.

Prawn Linguine with Chorizo Tomato Sauce

This recipe is from Lorraine Pascale and when I saw it on her new TV programme, I knew we had to cook it.  The best thing to do is link to her online recipe - I pretty much followed it but used a glass of the rose wine we were drinking rather than cabernet sauvignon.  I also left out the harissa, as we wanted more of an Italian vibe than a southern Spanish/Morrocan one.  The fennel seed is essential though, as is the oregano - all of these make it Italian in spirit. This was a fabulous recipe, and I would urge you to make it!  We made the full amount of sauce and saved half to make Patatas Bravas tomorrow.  Definitely one to make again.  My camera was out of juice, so I have pinched Lorraine's photo.
Photo courtesy of Daily Mail/Lorraine Pascale/myles new

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These are SOOOOO much better than any cookies you can buy, and such a doddle to make.  I use the recipe from Smitten Kitchen's blog which, if you haven't discovered yet, I urge you to visit, if only to keep up with the growing charm of her toddler son.  This is just about the most famous food blog on the planet so you might have seen it already!  Anyway, great recipe, reliable, quick and easy, and I get about 18 cookies from this quantity of dough.  Perfect for a work fundraiser tomorrow, along with some chocolate Vanilla Cupcakes, based on the Hummingbird Bakery recipe I've blogged on here before.

Peach and Cherry Clafoutis

The English cherry season is late this year, and the fruit isn't the best, to be honest - all the rain made for poor pollination and a rather soft and mushy fruit.  But, they are fine for cooking and a good handful made a lovely clafoutis with chunks of ripe, skinned Italian white peaches.  I use Alice Waters' recipe for the batter from her Chez Panisse Fruit cookbook.  She flavours her batter with the grated zest of half a lemon and the merest knife-tip of ground cinnamon.  To make the batter, whisk together 3 tablespoons each of plain flour and casgter sugar, 2 eggs and 150ml each of whole milk and cream.  Stir through a couple of drops of vanilla extract, the lemon zest and cinnamon.  Spread the prepared fruit (a big handful of cherries with the stones removed and large chunks of skinned peach) in a shallow china or glass dish, pour over the batter and bake at 165C (fan) for 30 minutes until golden brown and set.  Leave until warm, dust with icing sugar, and serve with a dollop of Creme Fraiche and some more fruit, if liked.

Baked Parmesan Salmon

I have to admit to nicking this idea from a Hellman's Mayonnaise tv advert!  I tarted it up a little - of course, and they used chicken instead of fish.  The Italians insist that fish and cheese don't go together, but I think, used judiciously, they can make a good pairing.  I wouldn't go down the Cheddar route with salmon, but Parmesan is fine.  For two fillets of salmon, I put 2 tablespoons of full-fat Hellman's mayo in a bowl, stirred in 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a splash of Worcestershire sauce and 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan.  Lightly oil a sheet of foil on a baking tray, put the salmon fillets on and spread the flavoured mayo over each of them.  Top with a little more Parmesan and some black pepper, then bake at 200C (fan) for 12-15 minutes until the fish is just cooked through (this depends on the thickness of the fish so do check early) and bubbling brown on top.  Serve with lemon wedges.  Surprisingly nice and lovely for this hot weather!

Toasted Hummus

Well, toasted is taking it a bit far, but several of the components have been toasted so I think the name is justified!  Also, there is a little more texture than regular hummus.  It is simply hummus made the usual way (which for me is a tin of well-rinsed and drained East End chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of tahini paste, a peeled garlic clove, a teaspoon of ground cumin, the juice of half a lemon, about 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of boiling water, blitzed in a processor).  After blending, I stir in 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil, a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds and 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped.  Add salt and pepper to taste, spoon into a bowl, drizzle over more olive oil, sprinkle over some more sesame seeds and pine nuts and some paprika, and tuck in with toasted pitta breads.  We'll have the remainder in a sandwich tomorrow with grated carrot and lots of salad.  Yum!

Porotos Granados

This is like a kind of Chilean Minestrone, thick with white beans, green beans, sweetcorn and squash.  I adapted it slightly from a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe in his wonderful 'Veg Every Day' cookbook - I added a teaspoon of tomato puree and changed the spicing from smoked paprika to a teaspoon each of ground cumin and dried red chilli flakes, along with his suggested oregano.  It was a really lovely soup, thick and hearty and filling.  It definitely qualifies for the 'under a fiver' challenge, and will feed four people most generously - low fat and very high in fibre, too.  All the ingredients are coming into season now, so it is perfect for drizzly August nights that shade into early September Autumn.  If you are lucky enough to grow your own fresh Borlotti or Cranberry beans - these would be a wonderful alternative to the dried or tinned that Hugh uses in his recipe.  If you are a carnivore, some online versions include slices of fried chorizo, which would be nice too, but we were happy with the veggie version with some toasted ciabatta to provide complementary protein.

Roasted Corn and Tomato Salsa

This was a great accompaniment to some grilled fillets of mackerel last night.  The limey chilli flavour cut through the oiliness of the fish perfectly.  I removed the husk and silk from a fresh ear of corn and rubbed it in olive oil.  Then, it was roasted under a hot grill for about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until lightly toasted and the kernels are tender.  Allow to cool, before stripping the kernels off with a sharp knife, run from top to bottom of the corn head whilst holding it upright on a board.  Meanwhile, finely dice 4 cherry or 2 ordinary tomatoes and add to the corn kernels in a bowl.  Finely chop a small red onion or some spring onions and add to the corn and tomato.  Squeeze in the juice from a large lime, a couple of shakes of Tobasco sauce and a good bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped.  Season to taste with salt - it needs quite a bit - and half a teaspoon of sugar if it is too acidic for you.  Allow to sit for half-an-hour, then serve with whatever you like - mackerel, grilled salmon, sausages, steak, chicken breast, griddled aubergine or courgettes, courgette fritters, or slices of grilled haloumi cheese.  Or just as a dip with tortilla chips.

Tapenade

Such an easy thing to make, and SOOO expensive to buy ready-made, so if you are fond of this spread, make it yourself, and it tastes much better too.  The only consideration is whether to 'anchovy' or not.  I'm not a huge fan of the little fish, myself, so I leave it out, but add a well-drained fillet or two if you like it.  I take a jar of pitted black olives in brine, about 120g drained weight, rinsed well under a running tap.  Bung into a food processor along with a tablespoon of well-rinsed salted capers, half a clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and a spritz of lemon juice.  Grind in lots of black pepper, but no salt, then pour in 3 or 4 tablespoons of good olive oil.  Zazz in the processor for 30 seconds, then scrape the sides of the bowl, add another spoonful or two of oil and zazz for another 30 seconds.  Spoon and scrape into a bowl, pour over another tablespoon of oil, and keep covered, in the fridge.  This lasts well for a couple of weeks in the fridge, and is lovely spread on toasted ciabatta, or spread on a chunky piece of fish before grilling, or as a dip for baby new potatoes, so many things.  A great supper, by the way, is a pouch of Merchant Gourmet ready-cooked Puy Lentils, piled on salad, topped with a soft-boiled or poached egg, and toasted sourdough with tapenade spread on.  I could happily live on this!  In the meantime, on toast for us tonight, to accompany a Dry Martini.  Cin cin!

Creamy Roast Tomato Sauce

When you think of roasted tomatoes, you probably also think of olive oil as the logical fat to use to cook them.  But adding a little butter and cream raises the sweet roasted flavour to a different dimension, as well as mellowing the acidity.  For 2 people, I simply halve 5 large ripe tomatoes, cover with a clove or two of chopped garlic, some salt and pepper and a couple of teaspoons of olive oil drizzled over.  Roast for 30 minutes until starting to go golden and juicy.  Blend in a processor or with a hand blender, then stir in around 25g of butter and a tablespoon of cream, creme fraiche or mascarpone.  Add basil if liked, and stir through 200g of freshly cooked pasta with some freshly-grated Parmesan or veggie equivalent.  Simple, cheap and delicious for a summer supper.  Double up to serve four, and it will still cost less than a fiver, especially as we move into the UK tomato season.