Some of the other recipes have also been reprinted in the Standard but the book is full of innovative, economical recipes and I would go out and get it.
Sunday 12 February 2012
January 5 - Halloumi and Pomegranate Salad
I have followed Niamh Shields' blog, 'Eat like a Girl' for a while and was delighted when her first book was published as part of the Quadrille series, 'New Voices in Food.' I've tried out a few recipes and there are still a lot more that I would like to cook. I bought cooking chorizo from a supermarket to make the pork and chorizo burgers and I used the rest to make the chorizo and cannellini bean stew a few days later. The passion fruit and lime curd made a nice change from lemon curd. The orange and cardamom jellies were a hit but we all thought that some pouring cream over the top of each glass would be better than the clotted cream that is recommended in the book. The halloumi and pomegranate salad (find the recipe here) would make a great starter if friends were coming round and you could just get it all ready and then fry the halloumi when it was time to eat.
Some of the other recipes have also been reprinted in the Standard but the book is full of innovative, economical recipes and I would go out and get it.
Some of the other recipes have also been reprinted in the Standard but the book is full of innovative, economical recipes and I would go out and get it.
November 2 - Ottolenghi Salads and Savouries
It would not be right to devote a whole blog to Ottolenghi recipes but this summer, whenever I was entertaining, I turned to his book.
Tracking down some of the ingredients has been a challenge. His shops sell za'atar but I've also bought the Barts' Spice version from Waitrose as well as sumac and giant couscous. I've found pomegranate molasses in the Portobello Road and bought black sesame seeds, nigella seeds and Cortas orange flower water from the Spice Shop in Blenheim Crescent in Notting Hill.
One Sunday lunch for friends, I cooked the marinaded lamb, mograbiah salad with roasted tomato, aubergine and saffron yoghurt with pomegranate and the green bean and mangetout salad in an orange and hazelnut dressing (below). There was enough leftover for some very special lunch boxes the next day...
Tracking down some of the ingredients has been a challenge. His shops sell za'atar but I've also bought the Barts' Spice version from Waitrose as well as sumac and giant couscous. I've found pomegranate molasses in the Portobello Road and bought black sesame seeds, nigella seeds and Cortas orange flower water from the Spice Shop in Blenheim Crescent in Notting Hill.
One Sunday lunch for friends, I cooked the marinaded lamb, mograbiah salad with roasted tomato, aubergine and saffron yoghurt with pomegranate and the green bean and mangetout salad in an orange and hazelnut dressing (below). There was enough leftover for some very special lunch boxes the next day...
October 1 - Nigel Slater's Moroccan Chicken
Cooking couscous
250g of dried couscous
2 tsps Marigold vegetable stock powder
450ml of boiling water
Grated rind of a lemon
Tablespoon finely chopped parsley or coriander
Black pepper.
Put the couscous into a Pyrex jug which has a lid.
Add the Marigold stock powder and stir through the couscous
Pour on the boiling water, give a quick stir, put the lid on the jug and leave to fluff up for five minutes.
Fork through the couscous and add the lemon rind, black pepper and chopped herbs.
I don't tend to add more salt as the Marigold tends to be quite salty.
Use the juice of the lemon to make an oil and lemon dressing for a green salad.
September 20 - Leek and Celery Soup
I tend to make soups in big quantities and keep some in the fridge and freeze the rest in different size boxes. Then, there's always something for lunch or a quick supper. Using the food processor makes it extra quick to slice up the onion, celery and leek but it's not essential.
I make it the soup into a meal by either adding fried bacon bits as a garnish, eating a stick of cheese or occasionally a piece of wholemeal granary or rye bread.
Leek and celery soup
50g butter
One onion, sliced
3 sticks celery, sliced
4 leeks, sliced
Large clove garlic
800 ml chicken or vegetable stock. ( I use Marigold.)
Double cream to swirl for garnish (or creme fraiche)
Melt the butter in a large heavy pan and add the onion, celery, leek and garlic.
Cook gently for ten minutes until soft.
Add the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for another ten minutes.
Whizz using a hand blender or food processor. You may need to add more stock or water, depending on the size of your leeks.
Serve with a swirl of double cream and a garnish of bacon bits.
I make it the soup into a meal by either adding fried bacon bits as a garnish, eating a stick of cheese or occasionally a piece of wholemeal granary or rye bread.
Leek and celery soup
50g butter
One onion, sliced
3 sticks celery, sliced
4 leeks, sliced
Large clove garlic
800 ml chicken or vegetable stock. ( I use Marigold.)
Double cream to swirl for garnish (or creme fraiche)
Melt the butter in a large heavy pan and add the onion, celery, leek and garlic.
Cook gently for ten minutes until soft.
Add the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for another ten minutes.
Whizz using a hand blender or food processor. You may need to add more stock or water, depending on the size of your leeks.
Serve with a swirl of double cream and a garnish of bacon bits.
September 6 - Nigel Slater Coconut Chilli Chicken
September 1 - Ottolenghi Cakes and Biscuits
I've been a Ottolenghi fan, almost a groupie really, for years and have enjoyed many a lunch, a dinner or a takeaway cake from all the different London outposts.
I've been an Ottolenghi fan for years but to still experience his food while living more frugally, this summer I've cooked my way through his first book.
The lists of ingredients for each recipe are long and they take a long time and sometimes it feels like a treasure hunt to even find them.
I am not going to post any of the actual recipes as I would advise you just go out and buy the book. It will be one of your best purchases. Lots are available here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/yotamottolenghi
and here
http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/blog/category/recipes/
Everything I've cooked has been brilliant and has worked although sometimes I've adjusted the cooking times to suit the vagaries of my oven.
Sour cherry amaretti
I bought a packet of dried sour cherries from Waitrose to make these. They are stunning.
Granola bars
I used the rest of the sour cherries to make these and subbed dates for the dried apricots. Great for energy stuffed into a pocket on a walk.
Orange polenta cake
I think I could have cooked this more but it was difficult to test because of the sticky oranges on the top.
Blackberry muffins
Made with blackberries picked off the common. Have to eat quickly as didn't keep well.
Chocolate fudge cake.
I've made so many chocolate cakes and this rates as one of the best ever.
I've been an Ottolenghi fan for years but to still experience his food while living more frugally, this summer I've cooked my way through his first book.
The lists of ingredients for each recipe are long and they take a long time and sometimes it feels like a treasure hunt to even find them.
I am not going to post any of the actual recipes as I would advise you just go out and buy the book. It will be one of your best purchases. Lots are available here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/yotamottolenghi
and here
http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/blog/category/recipes/
Everything I've cooked has been brilliant and has worked although sometimes I've adjusted the cooking times to suit the vagaries of my oven.
Sour cherry amaretti
I bought a packet of dried sour cherries from Waitrose to make these. They are stunning.
Granola bars
I used the rest of the sour cherries to make these and subbed dates for the dried apricots. Great for energy stuffed into a pocket on a walk.
Orange polenta cake
I think I could have cooked this more but it was difficult to test because of the sticky oranges on the top.
Blackberry muffins
Made with blackberries picked off the common. Have to eat quickly as didn't keep well.
Chocolate fudge cake.
I've made so many chocolate cakes and this rates as one of the best ever.
July 21 2011 - Marinated Feta
I am addicted to newspapers and can waste too much time at the weekend reading them but stumbling across this recipe on the net was a real find. The first time, I tried it with two pieces of feta; one made from sheep's milk that I had bought from M and S in a bargain deal, and the other, an Economy cow's milk 'feta' from Sainsbury's. The textures were different when I put them in the dish but by the time I had marinaded them overnight, muddled them up and served up, it was difficult to tell the difference.I added more coriander before serving to give a fresh and astringent bite to the dish and served up the cheeses with a green salad of leaves from a tub in the garden, and some cucumber and avocado to mix in with the juices. They are also good in a lunch box.
The recipe is here and I've also made an equally successful Mediterranean version, subbing a tablespoon each of chopped fresh rosemary and thyme for the chilli and coriander and adding chopped fresh parsley for a garnish.
The recipe is here and I've also made an equally successful Mediterranean version, subbing a tablespoon each of chopped fresh rosemary and thyme for the chilli and coriander and adding chopped fresh parsley for a garnish.
17th June - Mediterranean Comes to Suffolk
I am on holiday in Suffolk, but the heatwave made me feel like I was in the Mediterranean and I wanted to make and eat easy food. Sliced mozzarella and tomatoes, sprinkled with basil leaves, then seasoned and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil is so simple and quick that it doesn't need a recipe.
Celeriac remoulade reminds me of holidays in France. Going to a charcuterie to buy some Bayonne ham for a picnic, and then choosing a salad to go with. It's an easy combination to recreate.
Celeriac is a root vegetable, easily available from both supermarkets and greengrocers and looks like a gnarled turnip. I tend to cut off a suitably sized piece, depending on how much I want to make and then cover the cut end with cling film and keep in the fridge until I make something else. I cut the peel off in bits with a sharp knife. It's another of those recipes where you can make any amount you like. This time, I used fresh Delouis Fils mayo, (sold in Tesco and Waitrose) which already has a mustardy kick to it but I've also used home made and Hellmanns.
Celeriac remoulade.
Piece of celeriac, peeled and grated.
Mayonnaise to coat the celeriac Spoonful of grain or Dijon mustard. (Optional. If your mayo is already quite mustardy, then you won't need it.)
Chives,(or spring onion) finely chopped, leaving some for garnish.
Mix everything together and season to taste. Sprinkle with more chives and serve with frills of thinly sliced cooked or dried ham.
Celeriac remoulade reminds me of holidays in France. Going to a charcuterie to buy some Bayonne ham for a picnic, and then choosing a salad to go with. It's an easy combination to recreate.
Celeriac is a root vegetable, easily available from both supermarkets and greengrocers and looks like a gnarled turnip. I tend to cut off a suitably sized piece, depending on how much I want to make and then cover the cut end with cling film and keep in the fridge until I make something else. I cut the peel off in bits with a sharp knife. It's another of those recipes where you can make any amount you like. This time, I used fresh Delouis Fils mayo, (sold in Tesco and Waitrose) which already has a mustardy kick to it but I've also used home made and Hellmanns.
Celeriac remoulade.
Piece of celeriac, peeled and grated.
Mayonnaise to coat the celeriac Spoonful of grain or Dijon mustard. (Optional. If your mayo is already quite mustardy, then you won't need it.)
Chives,(or spring onion) finely chopped, leaving some for garnish.
Mix everything together and season to taste. Sprinkle with more chives and serve with frills of thinly sliced cooked or dried ham.
May 1 - Quick Raspberry and Rhubarb Jelly
I was thrilled to pick our first harvest of rhubarb from the garden in Suffolk. I experimented with some of the thin pink Champagne rhubarb to make a quick low carb jelly. The ironic thing was that I found it too sweet while the rest of the family liked it. 
4 sticks pink rhubarb
Packet of Hartley' raspberry sugar free jelly.
Cut the rhubarb into inch long strips. Put in a microwave suitable dish in a single layer and add a couple of tablespoonfuls of water. Cover with cling film and microwave until the rhubarb is tender but still holds it shape. The length of time this will take depends on the thickness of the stalks and the power of the microwave. Mine took three to four minutes. Gently spoon the rhubarb into four glass dishes.
Make the jelly up according to the instructions on the packet, using a little less water if you have some rhubarb juices to add. Spoon or pour gently into the glasses so as not to break up the rhubarb pieces and leave to set.
4 sticks pink rhubarb
Packet of Hartley' raspberry sugar free jelly.
Cut the rhubarb into inch long strips. Put in a microwave suitable dish in a single layer and add a couple of tablespoonfuls of water. Cover with cling film and microwave until the rhubarb is tender but still holds it shape. The length of time this will take depends on the thickness of the stalks and the power of the microwave. Mine took three to four minutes. Gently spoon the rhubarb into four glass dishes.
Make the jelly up according to the instructions on the packet, using a little less water if you have some rhubarb juices to add. Spoon or pour gently into the glasses so as not to break up the rhubarb pieces and leave to set.
29 April - Street Party Royal Wedding Cake
Our street was planning a party for the Royal Wedding. My neighbour S volunteered the two of us to make a suitable cake. She had bought a set of three cake tins from a car boot sale and then I said, 'Oh, yes, three tiers, one lemon, one chocolate and the top one could be the fruit cake' 'Well,' said H, 'I can get some special wedding ribbon from a contact at the Palace. We were on. 'As the day drew closer, we both secretly worried about what on earth we were going to do but then were saved by an article in Sainsbury's' magazine by royal cake baker Fiona Cairns which gave instructions on how to make and assemble a three tier circular iced lemon cake. The only problem was that S's tins were square and of uneven sizes. No matter. I did some calculations and made two giant sponges. S used her family Simnel cake recipe for the top layer.
I bought copious amounts of fondant icing and marzipan and we visited a local specialist shop for cake boards and plastic tubes to make sure the different layers didn't all collapse down into each other.
We were all set to go. It took us nearly all day to assemble, ice and decorate the cake. We made lemon syrup and butter cream for the middle of the bottom tier and chocolate syrup and butter cream for the next tier. Then we marzipanned and iced each cake, iced the bottom board and created forget-me-nots out of some fondant icing coloured blue. As S is a landscape architect, she took charge of the final assembly, cutting and driving the plastic tubes into the cake to support the boards, as if she were sorting out some concrete foundations.
I totted up how much we had spent; just over £70. If any of our respective daughters ever get married, at least we know now how to make the cake.
I bought copious amounts of fondant icing and marzipan and we visited a local specialist shop for cake boards and plastic tubes to make sure the different layers didn't all collapse down into each other.
We were all set to go. It took us nearly all day to assemble, ice and decorate the cake. We made lemon syrup and butter cream for the middle of the bottom tier and chocolate syrup and butter cream for the next tier. Then we marzipanned and iced each cake, iced the bottom board and created forget-me-nots out of some fondant icing coloured blue. As S is a landscape architect, she took charge of the final assembly, cutting and driving the plastic tubes into the cake to support the boards, as if she were sorting out some concrete foundations.
I totted up how much we had spent; just over £70. If any of our respective daughters ever get married, at least we know now how to make the cake.
27 April - Simnel Cake
We had imposed a no Easter egg rule. The only ones that snuck past were the Lindt ones around the Simnel cake - modelled on the cakes my mother used to make, right down to the fluffy yellow chicks.
Easter Day 26 April 2011. Chocolate fondue
On a weekend away in Cambridge, E and I went into Hotel Chocolat intending go exchange newspaper coupons for free chocolate, and exited with half price chocolate dipping sets costing £15 as well. As E remarked, a clever marketing technique for them and an equally original present for us both to take home.
My set made a brilliant pudding on Easter Sunday. I melted the four little pots of 70 per cent dark, milk, caramel and white chocolate, one by one in the microwave and served them with the accompanying surrounded by extra bowls of strawberries, bananas and grapes.
It was so successful that next year, I'll just copy the concept and do my own versions in ramekins.
My set made a brilliant pudding on Easter Sunday. I melted the four little pots of 70 per cent dark, milk, caramel and white chocolate, one by one in the microwave and served them with the accompanying surrounded by extra bowls of strawberries, bananas and grapes.
It was so successful that next year, I'll just copy the concept and do my own versions in ramekins.
19 April 2011 Soupe au pistou
I often watch the foodie programmes and say I must make that and then never do. Still on holiday, we were all fixated by Raymond Blanc's easy Gallic charm on Kitchen Secrets, and although a stay at Le Manoir au Quat' Saisons is not on the menu at the moment, I decided his soupe au pistou should be straightaway. He said the flavour of the spring vegetables meant that you could just add water and didn't need stock. He was right. We ate the soupe with added parmesan and the option of the leftover black olive bread from Pump St Bakery. It made a great quick supper with some leftover for my lunch the next day. The recipe is here.
18 April 2011 Frying pan fridge frittata
These days, I make all kinds of frittata and eggy bakes.
Originally, I used the leek and ham frittata recipe from Orlando Murrin's book, Table in the Tarn but without the potato and flour. It's another of my favourite books and you can find his original recipe at the end of the link to the book here. Now I vary it according to what's in the fridge. Sometimes I cook them wholly in the frying pan or sometimes completely in the oven.
I made this version for lunch on holiday, using what was in the fridge and started it off on the hob before grilling to finish it off.
Frying pan fridge frittata
2 tbsp sunflower oil or light olive oil.
A large onion, chopped.
Two cloves garlic, crushed
A red and a yellow pepper, sliced into thin lengths
Tbsp of mixed fresh herbs from the garden, thyme, marjoram
8 eggs
100ml double cream
150g strong cheddar cheese, grated.
A large tomato, sliced
Seasoning
Heat the oil in the frying pan and gently fry the onion and the pepper until soft. Add the garlic for a minute and then the sliced ham. Add the herbs and seasoning to taste. While it is cooking, mix together the eggs and the cream. Heat the grill. Add the egg and cream mixture, and cook slowly pulling the cooked sides in from the edge. When it is becoming set, add the cheese and stir in a bit, then arrange the sliced tomatoes on top. Place the frying pan under the grill to finish cooking the top.
Serve in wedges with a salad.
Originally, I used the leek and ham frittata recipe from Orlando Murrin's book, Table in the Tarn but without the potato and flour. It's another of my favourite books and you can find his original recipe at the end of the link to the book here. Now I vary it according to what's in the fridge. Sometimes I cook them wholly in the frying pan or sometimes completely in the oven.
I made this version for lunch on holiday, using what was in the fridge and started it off on the hob before grilling to finish it off.
Frying pan fridge frittata
2 tbsp sunflower oil or light olive oil.
A large onion, chopped.
Two cloves garlic, crushed
A red and a yellow pepper, sliced into thin lengths
Tbsp of mixed fresh herbs from the garden, thyme, marjoram
8 eggs
100ml double cream
150g strong cheddar cheese, grated.
A large tomato, sliced
Seasoning
Heat the oil in the frying pan and gently fry the onion and the pepper until soft. Add the garlic for a minute and then the sliced ham. Add the herbs and seasoning to taste. While it is cooking, mix together the eggs and the cream. Heat the grill. Add the egg and cream mixture, and cook slowly pulling the cooked sides in from the edge. When it is becoming set, add the cheese and stir in a bit, then arrange the sliced tomatoes on top. Place the frying pan under the grill to finish cooking the top.
Serve in wedges with a salad.
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