Monday 4 January 2016

Christmas Day nut roast


Wow I'm posting this back in the place I started this blog last March - 10 months ago. We are back skiing in Villars and I've got a moment after a very hectic December to recall the 'centrepiece' of H's Xmas lunch - nut roast. He had it with cranberry sauce and all the other normal vegetables. I used Ella's recipe which was ok. I would go for peppers again but mushrooms etc were nice in it. Think I would pre-roast the nuts too god added flavour and bite. The rest of us had a very large, stuffed butcher's chicken but my MIL and I definitely had a bit of the NR to try it and keep H company!

Sunday 29 November 2015

Roasted butternut, borlotti and barley with creamy tahini dressing


Eating roasted butternut squash in season is so amazing. Really sweet and intense. Used pre-made Jamie Oliver grains from a packet which is such a great time saver. I chopped a bit of apple into the mixture too to add sharpness and the creaminess in the tahini sauce was from tofu, spiked with garlic and lemon. Such a comforting recipe.

Lemon sole with braised fennel and harissa cous cous


I got the idea for this really brilliant, easy supper recipe from a friend of my MIL's who did it with potatoes and monkfish instead. I loved the idea because you can  make the sauce well in advance and then warm it back up, steaming the fish on top with a lid on. Very very easy, healthy and delicious. Definitely one to do again!

Seared tuna with spelt pasta salad


This is a Jamie Oliver 15min spesh and it really was easy and quite popular with both young and old for a weekend lunch. Spelt pasta is lighter than normal and therefore works well with filling tuna. I had leftovers for lunch the next day and it was excellent still with its salty olives which really zing.

Monday 16 November 2015

Mega-boost flapjacks

I made these as something sweet for after supper as he misses chocolate at that time. Turned out to be a great recipe for him particularly as it had loads of omega 3 packed linseeds but also because they had bananas, honey and porridge oats all of which I gather promote good sleep - a clever second benefit! My sister even liked them despite them not tasting that sweet.

Salt and pepper squid with a vegetable stir fry

Now this was good... The squid I was taught on a brilliant one day fish cookery course at Abinger Cookery School in Surrey. Amazing to eat in the comfort of your own home as I normally think of it as real restaurant cooking, especially with the deep-fried parsley, garlic and chilli garnish (hate that word). As it was a main course I did an easy veggie stir fry with it, consisting of egg noodles, crispy veg and black sesame seeds. 

Spiced three bean stew with pomegranate and coriander


The base here was red thai curry paste then of course onions, chickpeas and mushrooms. Very autumnal and filling especially with brown rice. I actually froze quite a bit of it for another night which I know will taste maybe even better second time around. 

Saturday 31 October 2015

Ginger and apple cake with honeyed pecans


As I think I've mentioned before, vegan puds are the greatest challenge for me. I pinched this recipe from a good American blogger who clearly knows her stuff because it turned out really well. The icing is very sweet and needs refrigerating to make it go anything like solid but everyone claimed to enjoy it. Icing was made out of soya butter, vegan soft cheese and icing sugar.  It's very like a carrot cake but using (home-grown) apples which keeps it moist and prevents the sponge itself being too sweet. It felt like a good pudding for Halloween and Autumntime.

Baked gnocchi with fried mushrooms, smoked tofu and crispy sage


Very seasonal and very delicious were the comments from my diner. Big meaty favours jumped out of this quite humble dish that was very interesting to eat in terms of flavours and textures. Baking gnocchi was an idea I stole from Nigella a few years ago - I think nicer than the slimey boiled versions and perfect for he who loves something crispy!

Squash and chickpea filo tart


Ripped out of the Times magazine this recipe was a massive hit. The pictures show the cooking process which was two phase - the filling then the filo pastry but it wasn't at all tricky. I will definitely make this again for friends as it feeds 4. I liked it with a simple green salad with added pomegranate seeds.

Skate wing with capers and kale


A classic where you flour the fish then add capers, lemon and parsley at the end of the cooking process, leaving you with a very moreish, piquant sauce. I've always loved skate but watch out as it does go off much quicker than other fish so buy it and eat it fast. 

Lemon sole with quinoa, tomatoes and a lime and ginger sauce


This recipe is a great example of how easy and quick fish is to cook. Probably took 10mins or so from start to finish. The nutribullet whizzed the sauce for me and the quinoa was pre-cooked. Before this year a dish like this wouldn't have excited me, but I think the more you cook and eat fish the more you love it.

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Sweet potato, beetroot hummous and a green salad

One of the things I love about cooking vegan food is how much it lends itself to creativity. When you pare back the ingredients so much, it forces you to turn simple things into something wonderfully tasty. Like this very easy supper... Potato, chickpeas and salad was made into a seriously punchy plate of food. You've just gotta know which store cupboard ingredients to throw at it. Everyday hummous got fennel and beetroot, sweet potato got rosemary, some warming spices and spring onions and the old salad got a classic French dressing. Frying some of the tamari seeds on with some coriander lifted it even more. When you aren't spending money on meat and cheese which are expensive you can afford to get a good variety of fresh herbs, seeds, nuts, spices etc to lift everyday veg into something really special.

Monday 12 October 2015

Japanese broth with udon and rainbow veg

This was such a wholesome, zingy bowl of goodness. Harry ate his in half the time that I did which just shows how much he loved it. The mixed seeds on top were fried with a dash of tamari which gives them a very savoury, marmitey taste. Great one if you have a cold to blow it away!

Sizzling Moroccan prawns

Jamie Oliver's recipes are always reliable,  delicious and modern. I cooked this fab dish for Harry's birthday supper. Prawns were Sainsbury's frozen Taste the Difference and were excellent. A very pretty looking plate too!