Recipes

Just skidding in before the month of May moves on.  I’m not sure why I didn’t post this earlier, given how aware I am of time passing.  Counting the daily fall in Covid cases and the lessening of restrictions – long may that last! – and watching the unfolding of spring each day.  Time has slowed down in so many ways…and yet filled up in other ways.

Aside from a website glitsch – yes, that’ll help put the brakes on – I’m also wondering if it’s because my routine has changed.  Suddenly more working time for online webinars, and more free time to walk and weed.  And these wonderful light evenings.  Sitting outside or taking time to water the garden, looking at each plant, seeing how it’s doing in this unusual heat.
Cooking more!  Planning meals and writing food lists so that ‘unnecessary journeys’  for extra food shops don’t happen.  Are you spending more time cooking or thinking about food?  I certainly am!

This recipe is a lockdown version of a fab Rebel kitchen recipe from years ago.  And apparently that was a follow on from Rick Stein’s Indian cookbook chicken kebabs.   So it’s covered some miles with a few tweaks here and there to make it one’s own.  I’ve taken the kebab out of it because I preferred it baked, turned out so tender and moist.

We’re loving it so much it’s a weekly repeat since lockdown began – sometimes with salmon fillets instead of chicken.  And more recently lathered on cauliflower florets, delicious!  Such an easy recipe, and that combo of lime, ginger and cardomon is divine.
If you use fish, then I’d suggest a more solid one like salmon, rather than a flaky white.

The marinade is pale and you don’t want to overbake to get colour, so I’d suggest adding a bright mixed salad or some rainbow veg to zhuzh it up.  To make it look like it’s amazing taste.
Here, in this photo, the chicken’s on a bed of mashed butternut-sweet potato instead of rice.  I couldn’t find a green mango the second time we ate it, when I thought, yes, a photo’s needed because this must be shared.  It works well with mashed starchy vegetables, but I do love that green mango rice!

Ingredients

Serves 2
2 chicken breasts cut into bite-size portions
60g grated fresh ginger
1 lime, juiced
1 red chilli, seeds removed and chopped finely
2 tbsp yoghurt (use coconut yoghurt for dairy free; or you could use coconut cream instead!?)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Mango fried rice

140g mixed rice (brown, basmati, wild)
1-2 tbsp tamari sauce
1 green mango, cubed
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp oil
a generous handful of toasted slivered almonds – save some for decoration at the end

Method

Mix together the lime juice, grated ginger, spices and yoghurt then add the chicken cubes and mix well.  Let marinate for at least four hours, ideally overnight.
When ready to cook, place the chicken in its marinade on baking paper or parchment in a 160C degree (360 F) oven for approx 20-30 mins (depends on the size of those chunks and whether it’s a fan-heated oven).
Meanwhile, boil the rice and set aside when done.
When the chicken is almost ready, put the rice into a heated pan with oil.  Add the cubed mango, lime juice, tamari and most of the toasted almonds and fry for about 5 minutes.
When ready, place the chicken on the rice – sprinkle the remaining almond slivers on top – and serve alongside colourful steamed veg or a rainbowl salad.
Let me know how you like it!

Here’s a photo of the ingredients I was able to find at the moment in lockdown for a green curry paste.  The recipe’s from a cookbook I was given almost thirty years ago when Thai food was really popular in Sydney – still is!  Each page gives evidence of how often it’s been used, splashed with sauce from my beaters or from sticky fingers mid-read.

So much better – & healthier – making your own base as there are no preservatives and you can add and subtract to suit your own taste.  I couldn’t get some of the ingredients as the Thai store is currently closed.  I’ll make mention of the ones I’ve not included (in italics in brackets) and how I replaced them.  This recipe as is definitely stands alone, it’s delicious!  And a great base for any green curry dish whether vegetarian or with fish, chicken, lamb, duck.
Next month I’ll try to post a recipe for a chicken curry dish where I’ve used this as the base.
Enjoy and stay safe!

Ingredients:

Makes about 8 tablespoons
(I used 5 tbsp for 4 servings)

1 tsp cumin seeds (I only had ground cumin powder which was fine)
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
8 fresh green chillies, seeded and chopped
2 shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 stalks lemon grass, outer hard leaf removed, flat-knife-crushed then chopped
3 dried large kaffir lime leaves, chopped, central stem removed
(3 coriander roots, chopped) I added 3 extra tbsp chopped coriander leaves & stems instead)
(3 cms galangal)  I used 3 cms fresh ginger, chopped & would probably stick to it, delicious
(2 tsp shrimp paste)  I used a dollop of fish sauce instead.  for a vegetarian version you can get that extra layer with miso paste or even a splash of tamari
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Heat your pan and add the coriander and cumin seeds (or powder) until you have aroma.  Then crush them in a pestle and mortar or a small blender together with the peppercorns.

Now add the rest of the ingredients and blend anyway you can. I use a hand held stick blender and it works fine as long as I chop the coriander leaves small.  You can also pound it all by hand.

This is a great starter for any green curry and can be stored in the fridge up to 4 weeks.

Here we go, February’s delayed post and Shrove Tuesday’s delayed pancakes.  ‘Twas a hard month that ran away with me but better late than never.
I have an idea for my March post bubbling away, so I’ll be on the case soon 🙂

I tried a vegan version of this I saw on Instagram.  The pancake looked great but when I tried – several times, sigh… it kept sticking to my copiously oiled pan, refused to cook through, didn’t want to stay in a circle and basically wouldn’t play nicely.  It needed an egg which made in into one of the tastiest pancakes I’ve eaten.
I used to not be a huge fan of buckwheat but now I have a number of delicious combos that work.  I think the mashed bananas really makes it, but delicious without if you want it as a base for your second egg, or low salt baked beans, mushrooms and so on.  See what you think!

Ingredients:

6 small pancakes
80g buckwheat flour
tsp gf baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
2 mashed ripe bananas
250 ml coconut milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 egg
Enough light olive oil or odourless coconut oil to create a good base in your choice of pan so the mixture doesn’t stick; approx 2 tbsp worked for the small pan I used.

Topping:
Coconut yoghurt, berries and a sprinkling of cinnamon, that great blood sugar balancing spice.

Method:

Mash the bananas, beat the egg then add them to the coconut milk, maple syrup and vanilla essence, then mix together. Gently add the sieved buckwheat flour, sea salt and gf baking powder.  Stir until well mixed.

Heat either odourless coconut oil or a light olive oil in your fave pancake pan (some pans really don’t respond well to pancakes – my oldest one loves them).
Pour a little mixture in the pan; when you see bubbles forming on the top of the pancake it’s ready to flip.  Gently ease your ‘flipper’ beneath it as the mashed banana can sometimes stick to the base.

I make small pancakes mainly because my first one or two seldom work; I don’t want to waste too much batter in wonky shapes.  Also, this way you can pile up a few, add your yoghurt and fruit topping to create a small pancake tower.
Easy to freeze and take out as and when you need a bread replacement.

Not just for Shrove Tuesday!

I love the days in between Christmas and new year when the crazy festive bustle is over and New Year’s Eve seems a way to go.  Some quieter times can suddenly happen when you meet up with a friend for a cuppa, or play with some of your Xmas presents, or even go on an outing (that felt very brave – surely I needed to cook for a gaggle or clear up the festive mess, change bedlinen?)

Here’s the result of one late afternoon’s play with a cookbook by Gizzi Erskine.
A quirky mix of recipes with a bit more ‘meaty’ than I expected, but also delicious vegetable dishes with fascinating flavours, a combination of Asian and Polish and more….

When I stand in a bookstore and leaf through a cookbook I instantly see some stand-out recipes, the ones that make me want Ownership of the book.
This recipe is one of those.  The curry miso soup has so many decadently delicious ingredients, just reading it made my mouth water, already tasting the heady rich miso-soy broth.

My recipe here is slightly different to the original; I’ve made it mine.  Still gluten and dairy free, I added some roasted gem and chicory because they were in our kitchen and I love leafies.
I left out the tofu and kimchi only because we needed a holiday from tofu, and the kimchi had magically vanished.  I did offer a side dish of other pickled veg, but it remained untouched.  Our plates already had enough going on – and yes, I should make mention here that there is also quite a bit going on in the making of this dish.  You’ll have a warm glow of achievement when you serve up, lol!

There is a lot of elbow room to be creative.  You could add different roasted veg, like I did.  Or make it vegan by leaving out the egg, or swap it for marinated chicken or add more noodles.
I’ll be sticking to this one as it was delicious.

Ingredients for 2 portions

(the soup part is enough for 4 portions)

2 tbsp coconut oil or virgin olive
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red onion, finely chopped
4 cms ginger, chopped
2 tbsp curry powder (I used Steenbergs organic)
1/2 tsp turmeric (I used Rachels’ turmeric paste; worked fine)
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (or the amount to suit you; OR add 1 tbsp soy bean chilli oil instead)
200g white miso paste (I used Clearspring)
3 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp Marmite (oh joy it was still in our larder from our youngest son)
2 tbsp tamari sauce
1.2 litres boiling water
400ml soy milk or any non-dairy milk (I used Mylk)
200g shiitake mushrooms, sliced (I used portabello & ‘exotic mix’ )
100ml teriyaki sauce
2 free-range eggs, boiled for 6 minutes, then put in iced water, then peeled
80g buckwheat noodles per person, cooked al dente (then dunked in iced water to stop the cooking process)
3 slices roasted butternut squash per person
1 roasted gem lettuce, halved
2 roasted red chicory, halved
spring onions, chopped
tsp sesame seeds

Optional: 200g firm tofu, thickly sliced, or pieces of marinated chicken….

Method:

In a medium pot or deep pan, heat the oil and add the chopped onion till it softens, about 10 mins.  Add the garlic and ginger and sweat a few minutes before adding the turmeric, coriander and curry powders, then the chilli flakes (or above mentioned chillli oil).
Stir for a couple of minutes then add the water and whisk in the miso paste and marmite.  Add the mirin and tamari.  Cook on a low simmer for 30 mins to reduce, then add the non-dairy milk.  Blend till smooth and put aside until you are ready to reheat.

Meanwhile, in a little oil roast the butternut slices in the oven until slightly caramelized.  Add the halved chicory and gem lettuce for the last  8 or so mins of that roasting.  You want these to be slightly charred on the outside but still with some crispness, some body.

Whilst roasting, put the cooked, peeled eggs in a bowl of teriyaki sauce, coat and leave until you’re ready to put the meal together.
Fry the sliced mushrooms in oil and put aside when done.  If you’re adding tofu or chicken then you could fry these now and also marinate them in teriyaki sauce.
Cook the buckwheat noodles in boiling water; they only need a few minutes but follow the packet’s instructions, then dip in iced water and place on the side until you put the dish together.

Putting it together:

Reheat the soup.
Divide the noodles between the two bowls as well as the roasted butternut slices, 1/2 roasted gem lettuce and chicory.
Pour in the hot soup so some of the ingredients are peeking out.  Remember there will be liquid left over for you to repeat another meal of two portions, hooray!
Add the halved egg, and if you’re using tofu or cooked chicken, add those.
Sprinkle the chopped spring onion over the top (& the sesame seeds I forgot in this photo, lol).

Now enjoy your delicious work of art!

This creamy (no-cream) soup always tastes so special because I only ever make it at Christmas, plus chestnuts are still somewhat exotic for me.  They simply weren’t on our family’s radar when growing up in Australia.
I first came across them when I moved to Germany.  Roasted chestnuts, oh my!  Love at first bite.
This is a minimum effort maximum effect dish.   Its few ingredients tell the whole story with no pips ‘n squeaks or complications.  No room to go wrong.
I usually cook it a few days before Christmas as it freezes well, plus it makes me believe I’m organised, lol.   I’m surprised I haven’t posted the recipe before now on my website (was I keeping it all to myself??!)
My gift to you this Christmas, (and I just spy Merchant’s chestnuts are halfprice @ Tesco’s online.  Yessss, double portions this year).

Ingredients

4 peeps (for 6, add another pkt chestnuts and 0.5 litre veg broth)

2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium or 2 small red onions, chopped finely
c 8-10 sage leaves, chopped, plus extra whole leaves for garnish
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 litre vegetable stock
400g vacuum-packed chestnuts, roughly chopped

Method

Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat and sweat the onion until soft and translucent.  Add the sage and garlic; gently fry for a minute before pouring in the stock and adding most of the chestnuts – save some for garnish, together with a few extra fried whole sage leaves.
Cook for about 15 minutes, remove from the heat, cool slightly and blend.
That’s it!
Return to the pot and reheat gently when it’s time to serve with a garnish of fried sage leaf and some chopped chestnut.  You could also add a dollop of yoghurt for a non-vegan option.

This is such a quick soup to make it surprises me everytime!  And it only takes a few potent ingredients to have this delicious flavour and a colour to wow your dinner guests.
Each time I’ve made it I’ve played around with the amounts.  Sometimes I didn’t have enough beetroot, other times not enough red cabbage.  The soup is very forgiving – tastes delicious every time.

Both beetroot and red cabbage are rich in minerals and vitamins, esp A, C & K; not to mention both having great fibre content.  The nitrates in beetroot result in relaxing & dilating blood vessels (one reason its juice was such a trend some time ago; shame, however, not to eat it whole esp due to that bowel-healthy fibre!)
Studies show these nitrates, after being converted in our body, not only have the potential to lower BP but also improve cognition due to increased blood flow to the brain.  Something to be aware of is that beetroot is a FODMAP food (note: far less so when pickled!) so, if you have IBS issues you may want to do some gut healing first.

The DIM and sulforaphane in cabbage have been widely researched and written about due to their cancer-protective properties, so I won’t say any more than that.  Well worth reading about.
The vibrant colour of both these veg give away the fact they contain potent polphenols, those protective anti oxidants so vital to good health.  Betacyanin in the beetroot, and anthocyanin in red cabbage give it their colour and are just two of the many polyphenols within.

With all these benefits this is certainly one deliciously powerful recipe I’m keeping in my immune-supportive arsenal for the coming winter months…hope you enjoy it as much as we do x

 Ingredients:

(serves 4-6)
6 cooked beetroot
1 medium red cabbage
1 clove crushed garlic
800ml rich vegetable broth
4-5 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
an optional few dollops of maple syrup
garnish of leaves; basil and parsley worked for me

Method:

Cut the cabbage into chunks and steam until soft.  Put in a pot with the roughly chopped cooked beetroot, garlic and vegetable broth.   Heat then add the apple cider vinegar – and optional maple syrup.

Take off the heat, cool a little then blend to the consistency you like.

Taste test!  You may wish to add a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, or add more vegetable broth if you find it too thick.
Serve and garnish with basil or parsley leaves.
A rich, hearty soup – and so quick and easy!

I wanted to try making a gluten free version of this delicious flan that a friend baked for a recent picnic.  I also wanted it dairy-free – although I ended up keeping the butter in the pastry.  Butter is low in lactose, contains less casein (protein) and is generally better tolerated than other dairy foods.

After Takes 1 and 2, the following recipe is the one that went down well with friends and family.  Even though everyone liked the crumbly texture I might try adding a little potato starch/flour next time.  See what you think…
As I’ve had quite a few plays with this over a short period of time – and my cup really does runneth over with beetroot – I’ll not be tweaking this version again in the near future, lol.
Enjoy making it!

Ingredients:

Serves 6-8 using an 11″ or 28cm flan dish

300g organic beetroot, cooked then peeled
3 eggs
200ml coconut-based yoghurt (like Koko or Coconut Collaborative here in UK; or regular yoghurt/creme fraiche if you’re fine with dairy)
160 ml plant-based milk (like whole coconut milk from Mylk or Oatley or…)
200g goat’s cheese, broken up/chopped
freshly ground pepper, sea salt
1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh fennel fronds, or dill
1 large or 2 medium fennel bulbs
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
virgin olive oil
50g broken up walnuts

Pastry:

150 g butter
150g chestnut flour
100g brown rice flour
1 egg yolk
pinch salt
1-2 tbsp cold water, if necessary

(note: if you want to use regular flours, the original recipe was 150g plain flour; 100g wholegrain rye)

Method:

Cook the beetroot until soft.  Peel when cooled then slice quite finely.  Set aside.

For the pastry, cut the butter into small cubes and blitz with the flours and salt in a food processor.  Add the yolk.
If the pastry hasn’t started to ‘form’, add a little cold water.
Shape into a ball and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.

When ready, take the ball of pastry and knead into the oiled flan dish.  I tried rolling out my pastry but it really was too crumbly.  I gently pushed it into the base and sides of the flan dish – worked well (& felt quite therapeutic!  Memories of those halcyon playdough days….)

Pre-bake in the middle of a 160 degree oven (320F) for about 10 minutes.

Whilst it’s baking cut the fennel in half, remove the hard core and finely slice.  Saute in a low-heat pan with some olive oil for about 5 minutes.  Add 1-2 tsp of balsamic vinegar at the end. Put aside.

Mix together all the filling ingredients: coconut-based yoghurt, coconut milk (or whatever milk is your preference), the beaten eggs, goat’s cheese, pepper, salt and finely chopped fennel/dill).

Scatter the sauted fennel across the pre-baked base, then add half the yoghurt mixture.  Place the sliced beetroot on top, arranging in a layer.  Add the remaining yoghurt mixture and scatter with the crushed walnuts.

Return to the oven and bake for 30-40 mins.   Despite a common heat temperature, ovens vary, so check after 30 mins and continue baking if necessary until the liquid has firmed up.

Serve with a delicious salad of your choice.

The name’s a bit of a mouthful.  The original title “Chocolate chestnut cake” didn’t do it justice as I thought it tasted more of almonds than chestnut flour.

I came upon this recipe on Instagram earlier in the year on the fab Rebel-kitchen-recipe page.  Not one of her recipes, apparently, but a cake she was raving about online and kindly shared on her page.

I forgot about it until last week when I unearthed my scribbles from a pile of to-do papers.  I’ve changed the original topping recipe as it included almond flour which is not easy to find, and is also expensive.  Dark melted chocolate with a hint of maple syrup is an easy, glossy topping on a deliciously moist cake. Divine!  And then any seasonal fruit you want in order to give it height since it’s a flat cake (a bit like your tin of baked brownies might be). I use a small 8″/20 cm cake tin.

I will often refrigerate it once cooled as I discovered early on, when we were enjoying the remains of it the following day, that our ‘seconds’ tasted even better!

 Ingredients:

120g almond flour (ground almonds are fine and less expensive. The cake has a slightly coarser texture)
120g chestnut flour
100ml coconut oil, melted
500ml coconut milk (or any other plant milk)
80g sugar (coconut sugar if you have it)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
5-6 tbsp cocao

Maple-chocolate topping

100g dark chocolate, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp naturli vegan butter
a little water to whisk in to help it stop clumping

Topping on topping

Seasonal fruit, edible flowers or dusted icing powder (I add mini toy deer when I make it at Christmas 🙂

Method:

Grease a medium-size round cake tin with coconut oil.  Beat all the cake ingredients to a smooth batter.
Bake in a 160 degree oven (350 fahrenheit) for about 30-40 minutes, or until just cooked in the middle – my toothpick came out a bit sticky.
To make the topping, place the broken up chocolate in a bain-marie together with the maple syrup and naturli vegan butter so they all melt together.  If you can’t get the latter, whisk in some water instead to avoid it becoming claggy.  Keep whisking over the bain marie, adding a little more warm water if the chocolate starts to set, then smooth over the cake and top with berries or any seasonal fruit.
Enjoy!