Category: Vegetarian

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Dinner Lunch Quick and Easy Suppers Uncategorized Vegetarian

RADICCHIO & GORGONZOLA RISOTTO

I adore a risotto. For me if is the ultimate in comfort eating and beats a bowl of pasta hands down. And I love pasta….but somehow the tiny swollen grains, infused with all the goodness of stock and aromatics; cooked until just yielding but with a little bite (we don’t want baby food here!) offers just the right amount of solace with a sophistication that is yours to add as you will. Once you have mastered the basic method the risotto world really is your oyster and as long as you always bear in mind flavour pairings you can indulge or not as you please. Vegetarians and vegans need never be left out – a good vegetable stock works just as well as chicken. Cheese can be replaced with a vegan version and no one will ever object to a final flourish of an excellent, grass green olive oil anointing the finished dish. Otherwise I find just a tablespoon of double cream can transform a risotto into something truly special. It is, after all meant to be a creamy dish – achieved by the fat grains of risotto rice bumping slowly into each other whilst being stirred over a gentle heat. Baked risotto will never achieve quite the same as the grains won’t move around if just left in the oven.

This radicchio and Gorgonzola risotto is, for me a sophisticated and thoroughly delicious partnership. I do, often, add in a coarsely grated courgette. It is just a way of keeping the calorie count down but not everyone will want or need this option. I just use a little less rice to make way for the courgette and I think here it goes well. Fennel herb is lovely if you happen to have any in the garden or have bought a particularly frondy fennel bulb but finely chopped parsley will do perfectly.

For Four people

1 tablespoon rapeseed or olive oil and small knob butter

1 onion

1 large or 2 smaller sticks celery

1 clove garlic (optional)

Fresh thyme, picked off the stalk, about 1 tablespoon

4 handfuls of risotto rice (I use carnaroli)

75ml white vermouth (approx) or white wine

One head of radicchio, shredded

750ml (you may need more) proper chicken or vegetable stock (in desperation you could use a gel cube or combine the two)

1 courgette, optional, grated coarsely

100g creamy Gorgonzola dolce

2 tablespoons double cream

Parmesan cheese

Freshly chopped fennel or parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

Heat a large shallow pan. Add the oil and the butter and then gently sauté the onion and celery over a low heat until beginning to soften. Do not let them colour. Add the finely chopped garlic and stir around for a minute or two. Add the rice and stir that so that it is coated in everything.

Have your stock simmering in a separate pan. Pour the vermouth or wine into your rice and stir, simmering until almost all has disappeared. Then add the thyme and a third of the radicchio. Stirring all the time over a gentle heat add ladles of stock. Keep bubbling very gently, it should be just rippling. Stir as much as you have time for, adding stock as soon as the last ladleful is absorbed. After ten minutes add another third of the radicchio. Keep adding stock until the rice is cooked but still with a tiny bit of bite to it. It will take 20 – 30 minutes. Near the end of the rice cooking time, add the cream and chopped Gorgonzola. Stir through with the rest of the radicchio and the herbs. Also the courgette if using. Cook until the radicchio has wilted. Adjust with a little more stock to loosen. Season well with sea salt and black pepper.

Take off the heat and stir through a couple of tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan. Serve with more parmesan offered separately.

Categories
Canapes Dinner Lunch Starters and Salads Uncategorized Vegetarian

Confit of Aubergine & Tomato

Make this to go with lamb, chicken or just have with bruschetta and minted yoghurt. It is best made the day before (or longer) so that the flavours can mingle and make friends but that is all to the better as so useful to have ready in advance.

Serves four to six

1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 large or two small aubergine (approx 350g in weight)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 stick celery, finely chopped
300g cherry tomatoes or ripe red tomatoes
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 dessertspoon capers, chopped
1 dessertspoon balsamic vinegar
1 dessertspoon light brown sugar
Pinch dried chilli (optional)
A few olives
Fresh basil and parsley
Salt & pepper

First brush the peppers with a little oil and put into a hot oven for about half an hour until well roasted. Put into a plastic bag and leave for ten minutes to loosen the skin.

Cut up the aubergine quite small (about 1cm pieces). Heat three tablespoons of the oil in a pan and fry the aubergine until golden and cooked through. (about 10 mins). Remove from the pan and add another tablespoon of oil. Fry the onion, garlic and celery until very soft and tinged golden and then return the aubergine to the pan. Season well and add the tomatoes, cut in half if they are cherry or skinned and chopped if they are vine tomatoes. Add the chopped capers, the vinegar and the sugar (be a bit sparing at first with these). Also the chilli. Skin and deseed the peppers in a sieve so that you can catch any juice. Chop up the flesh and add to the pan along with the saved juices. Add half the basil, chopped and simmer the whole thing for about forty minutes or until nicely reduced and rich. About half way through add some roughly chopped olives, if you are using them. Check the seasoning and stir through the rest of the basil and finely chopped parsley. Serve hot, warm or cold.

Very good on bruschetta or with a dollop of greek yoghurt and a sprinkling of mint.

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Categories
Lunch Starters and Salads Uncategorized Vegetarian

Broccoli Slaw with Buttermilk Dressing and Figs

Serves Four

1 small head of broccoli
1 large shallot
1 tablespoon cider vinegar (organic and raw if possible)
2 spring onions, chopped
3 soft dried figs, chopped
2 tablespoons mixed seeds, toasted (or a mix of pumpkin/sunflower)
2 – 3 tablespoons chopped parsley/chives/fennel/dill
20 almonds, toasted and chopped (or 50g toasted flaked almonds)
125ml buttermilk
2 teaspoons of runny honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Large pinch dried oregano or za’atar
Squeeze lemon juice, to taste
Sea salt & black pepper

Finely slice the shallot. Put into a bowl with the vinegar and leave while you slice your broccoli.

Slice the broccoli very finely on a mandolin or using a very sharp knife. Put into a large bowl and add the shallots and the spring onions.

Add the figs, parsley, mixed seeds and almonds to the bowl. Toss together.

Whisk the buttermilk with the olive oil, honey, the oregano or za’atar and a good amount of seasoning. Add to the bowl and toss well to coat. Add a little lemon juice, adjusting that and the seasoning to taste.

Leave to sit for half an hour to an hour if you can to allow the flavours to mingle. Use it up within a day or so.

Serve on its own or with fresh figs and goats cheese, drizzled with a little honey, lemon and olive oil. Crusty bread essential!

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Categories
Lunch Starters and Salads Uncategorized Vegetarian

LEEK, FENNEL, OREGANO & GOATS CHEESE TART with PARMESAN PASTRY

Funny how the word quiche conjures up something slightly dispiriting; replace with the ‘tart’ and suddenly my mouth is watering. Which is unfair, as the classic quiche Lorraine is a wonderful thing if properly made.
There are those that claim not to be able to make pastry and it is true that there are excellent ready made shortcrusts on the market which will work extremely well with this recipe. But actually, it is really incredibly easy to make your own and will always be that little bit better. Also there is the added advantage of being able to add herbs, cheese, mustard or even nuts. You can use wholemeal flour if that is your thing but the important thing is to keep everything cold and not overwork it. It also needs to be thinly rolled out and whilst I am lucky enough to have an aga, those who don’t really will need to blind bake their pastry case before adding the filling. It will otherwise remain fairly raw on the base and that is the last thing you want.
In order to keep my pastry as thin and under control as possible I roll it out between two sheets of clingfilm. It makes it so much easier to handle. If you are blind baking make sure you leave a little overhang of pastry all the way around the tin. If you don’t, the pastry may shrink in the oven and there won’t be space for your filling.
I always seem to have leeks and fennel in my fridge. They are two of my favourite vegetables and both are so versatile. They combine beautifully here in this classic tart, lovely together with the goats cheese and parmesan. I have a huge oregano bush in my garden and so use that a lot. I have learnt over the years that oregano has much more flavour dried, but you just have to use a lot of it if it is fresh; it really is delicious but any herbs would work well.
Always use a metal tin. It will conduct the heat through so much better and it also helps to have a baking tray hot in the oven ready to cook your tart on – that will ensure a properly cooked base.
We enjoy this with a fennel and grapefruit slaw.

Serves 4

Pastry

125g plain white flour
50g butter (cold, cut into small cubes)
35g parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon English mustard powder
1 small egg
Large pinch sea salt

Tart filling

1 walnut sized knob butter
1 tablespoon rapeseed/light olive oil
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1 large leek
1 small bulb fennel
50g fresh oregano, finely chopped
75g soft goats cheese
100ml whole milk
100ml double cream
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
Sea salt and black pepper
20g parmesan cheese

First make the pastry. I always make mine by hand but you could use a food processor.

You will need a fluted loose bottomed tart tin (metal) 23cm wide and 2 1/2 cm deep.

Put the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Whisk well to break up any lumps. Add the butter and rub in using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the parmesan and mustard and stir to combine. Whisk the egg and add about two thirds of it. Using a knife, cut and fold until you have clumps of pastry forming. You may need to use a little more of the egg, depending on how big it is. Keep any leftover egg as you will need it later. It will take a few minutes but this cutting with a knife will help keep the pastry light. Once it has combined (it must not be sticky) knead very briefly until it is a smooth ball. Put into a plastic bag and chill for at least half an hour in the fridge.
Make the filling. Chop the onion and finely slice the leek and the fennel, discarding any part that might be tough or fibrous. Heat the oil and butter and add the vegetables. Add half of the finely chopped oregano. Sauté very gently over a low heat until softened. Add the rest of the oregano. Season well and put into a bowl to cool.
While your filling is cooling, take your pastry out of the fridge. Roll it out thinly and line your tart tin. If you have an aga you can skip this step but if not, blind bake the pastry at 180c. You will have to line it with baking paper (easiest to scrumple this up first) and add baking beans. Prick all over with a fork. After ten minutes or so remove the baking beans and allow the base to turn a light golden. Allow to cool.
Whisk the egg, egg yolks, milk and cream together and add lots of seasoning. Grate in half the parmesan. Spread the cooked vegetables into the tart case. Add little chunks of the soft goats cheese. Pour over the cream/egg mixture and top with the rest of the parmesan and then bake in an oven at 190c for about minutes until just set and a light golden colour. It should still wobble but be cooked through.
Leave to sit for a few minutes before serving, or allow to cool and eat at room temperature.5CB9A75D-BC3F-4521-B5FB-64B776308A84

Categories
Dinner Quick and Easy Suppers Starters and Salads Uncategorized Vegetarian

FENNEL & SNOW PEA SLAW

What a relief that the days of mayonnaise laden, traditional coleslaws are largely a thing of the past. A 21st century slaw is far more likely to be made with the merest hint of a dressing, relying instead on herbs, spices, nuts etc to provide interest and contrast to the vegetables. Cabbage and carrot may well still feature but are more likely these days to be partnered with arguably more interesting vegetables such as fennel, mangetouts, broccoli or whatever it is that fires your enthusiasm.
Gorgeous with anything from pulled pork, salmon fillets, chicken or just a bowlful on its own, I love making this fennel and snow pea version and although a few hours in a cool place will improve it enormously it rarely lasts long in our house – guilt free pleasure that those on a strict diet can make even more virtuous by reducing the olive oil content and leaving out the dates and pecans.
This is a recipe to play around with according to whatever you have available in the vegetable drawer. Or add in some finely shredded crisp apple. The dressing can be adjusted – a little buttermilk whisked in will render it a little more creamy or even a couple of teaspoons of double cream. I like this simple lemon and olive oil version but if you prefer, use cider vinegar. I discovered the other day that if you dissolve a little sea salt (never table salt) in the vinegar before adding the rest of the dressing ingredients it takes away a lot of the harshness and mellows it nicely.
Add the herbs to taste the amount doesn’t really matter. Just chop and add until to your liking. Seasoning is very important!

Serves 4 (or 2 greedy people)

1 medium bulb of fennel
1 chunk of Savoy cabbage, freshest and greenest bit about size of the fennel
12 snow peas (sugar snaps)
1/2 to 1 shallot, depending on how big it is
1 or 2 pitted medjool dates
30g pecan nuts
Sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Very small squeeze honey
1 lemon
2 teaspoons sumac
Fresh mint (Small handful, chopped)
Fresh dill, finely chopped
Fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Remove the tough outer layer of the fennel and remove the core. Save any fronds. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin finely shred and put into a bowl. Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon.
Finely shred the shallot, snow peas and cabbage. Add these to the fennel with a good amount of sea salt and black pepper. Toss well.
Finely chop the dates and toast the pecans. Chop these and then toss these into the slaw.
Add the olive oil, a tiny squeeze of honey, all the herbs and the sumac. Add any fennel fronds, chopped. Toss all together well and then adjust with more lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, seasoning. Finish with an extra sprinkling of sumac.
Leave for an hour for all the flavours to make friends although that is not entirely necessary. It will keep well for a day or two.

Serve as a side dish with chicken, salmon or pork. Or just have on its own.

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Categories
Puddings Tea time Uncategorized Vegetarian

CHRISTMAS MINCEMEAT

Mince Pies are, for me one of the joys of the Christmas season. 1st December heralds the green light to start baking batches both for the freezer, ensuring that we won’t run out over the big day but also for myself and anyone who shares what could be described as a minor addiction to something not entirely healthy but oh so delicious.

If you are going to go the trouble of making your own then please do make your own mincemeat. Nothing in the shops can ever compare to the flavour and fragrance of a good homemade; I find the commercial brands far too acidic and faintly unpleasant in comparison. Mincemeat is surprisingly easy to make; some recipes call for it to be gently heated before storing in sterilised jars. Some simply stir all the ingredients together. I favour the heating option; I feel the flavours combine better and the mincemeat stores better due to the fat clinging around all the fruits. A good dollop of alcohol will help with the preserving but it is not absolutely necessary. If you prefer not to use brandy or rum then just replace with extra orange and lemon juice; the former is less acidic but I like the tang that lemon adds and so tend to hedge my bets and add some of both, in my case along with a good soaking of both brandy and amaretti liqueur.

The quality and freshness of your dried fruits is imperative. Old bags of stuff that have been open for a while won’t really cut it – like spices, best to buy just before you make your mincemeat or use from unopened packs!

Mincemeat should keep well for at least six months and improves with keeping. I often use jars that I made the year before and have never experienced any problems; on the contrary these left over jars tend to have even better flavour and a lovely mellowness about them.

Makes about 4 or 5 jars

5 sterilised jam jars

200g currants
200g plump raisins
200g sultanas
125g good quality mixed peel
125g chopped apricots/dried figs/prunes/dried cranberries/sour cherries
1 Bradley apple, peeled and finely chopped
250g dark brown sugar (or a mix of light and dark)
75g blanched almonds, finely chopped
150g suet (vegetarian or beef)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons mixed spice
Grating nutmeg
Dash of vanilla extract
2 lemons, rind and juice
1 orange, rind and juice
50ml amaretti liqueur
150ml brandy

Mix everything together in a saucepan except the brandy and amaretti. Heat gently and then cook, stirring every now and then for about fifteen minutes. The fat will melt and coat all the other ingredients. Leave to cool.

Add the brandy and amaretti, or whatever alcohol you prefer and then spoon in to sterilised jars and seal. Store in a cool place until you need it.

When ready to use, add another good grating of orange rind and some more amaretti or brandy.

Categories
Dinner Lunch Uncategorized Vegetarian

Gratin Dauphinoise

GRATIN DAUPHINOISE
Serves six to eight

1.2 kg potatoes (maris piper, desiree or saxon)
300ml whole milk
400ml double cream
Clove garlic
Good grating fresh nutmeg
Knob butter
Salt & pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.

Peel the potatoes and slice very thinly. A mandolin is useful for this. Heat the cream and milk in a pan and add the potatoes, seasoning very well. Add a grating of nutmeg and a clove of garlic made into a paste or very finely chopped. Simmer very gently for about ten minutes. Meanwhile, rub butter around the base and sides of a gratin dish (about 9” square or equivalent).

Put the potatoes into the prepared dish, pouring over any remaining cream. Bake in the oven for about an hour or until cooked and golden.

Either serve immediately or allow to cool. Then stamp out rounds of potato with a pastry cutter or cut into squares. Put onto a baking tray to heat up when required or put into a freezer container and freeze to use at a later date.

Heat at 180C for about 20 minutes or longer from frozen (about half an hour or so).

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Categories
Lunch Quick and Easy Starters Quick and Easy Suppers Starters and Salads Uncategorized Vegetarian

ALMOND BUTTER DRESSING with TAMARI

I have always loved soy based dressings and have recently been using the Japanese tamari in place of the Chinese soy. Tamari is a little richer yet less salty than the traditional soy, adding that elusive ‘umami’ to stir fries and dressings. It is a by-product of miso paste and owing to the absence of wheat is gluten free.
A pot of almond butter has been lurking in the back of my cupboard for ages and I have finally found a most excellent use for it. Combined with the tamari, a little citrus and thinned with cold water (excellent for lowering the calorie content!) this makes a dressing/dip that is quite delicious served over steamed and cooled green vegetables and here I have used purple sprouting broccoli, drizzled with the dressing and finished with a sprinkling of toasted almonds just to add a bit of crunch. It is extremely moreish (that’s the umami for you!) and I hope you like it as much as I do.

Serves Four

4 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 – 4 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Sea salt and black pepper

Using a small whisk, sound and stir the almond butter, lemon juice, tamari and 3 tablespoons of water together until well blended and about the consistency of double cream. Add water to adjust the thickness if need be and a little maple syrup to taste. Season. Adjust according to taste.

One idea is to serve the dressing over steamed/boiled sprouting broccoli and top with crunch toasted almonds. Or use as a dip for crudités.

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Categories
Lunch Quick and Easy Suppers Uncategorized Vegetarian

SHAKSHUKA

This is a great breakfast or lunch dish that you can make your own, changing the spices, vegetables and herbs to suit what you have in the larder. Shakshuka means ‘shaken up’ and is traditionally made with tomatoes and onion, gently spiced with cumin and harissa. You could use coriander, ground fennel seed, fresh chillies, chipotle paste, fresh ginger…..
Some recipes cut the onion and peppers quite finely but I rather like them a little chunky. Just make sure that they are properly cooked and softened. You certainly don’t want a slightly raw piece of onion first thing in the morning or at any time of day for that matter!d
I use tinned tomatoes here and I do recommmend that you avoid the chopped ones and buy the whole ones. They are much better quality and it is also worth forking out on a good quality brand – it is a matter of a few more pence and really does make a difference. Likewise with the tomato purée – I use an organic one (duchy originals) and the flavour is excellent.

Serves 2

1 onion, roughly chopped
1 red pepper (or mix with yellow & orange) roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 to 1 teaspoon harissa (or to taste)
400g tin good quality plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato purée
Sea salt and black pepper
Big handful spinach leaves
4 organic free range eggs
50g feta, crumbled
Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Sumac (optional)

Heat the oil in a shallow frying pan. Add the onion and peppers and cook gently for about ten to fifteen minutes until soft. Try not to colour them too much. Add the garlic, cumin, harissa and paprika and cook for a further two or so minutes.
Add the tinned tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Swill the tin out with a little more water and add that too (about 1/4 tin full). Add the tomato puree. Simmer, uncovered for a further five minutes. Season well.
Add the spinach to the pan and stir until wilted. Then make a well in one side of the pan and break in one of the eggs. Repeat with the other three, cover with a lid and cook very gently for about five minutes or until the eggs are just cooked, with set whites and soft yolks.
Sprinkle over the feta and coriander and serve. A sprinkling of sumac works well as extra seasoning if you have some. Some strained yoghurt (soft labneh) is good on this as well.
Serve in warmed bowls or straight out of the pan! Crusty bread and olive oil is all you need with this.

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Categories
Dinner Lunch Soups Uncategorized Vegetarian

Celeriac and blue cheese soup with sourdough blue cheese croutons

This is a great way to use up some of that Stilton that lingers in the fridge after all the festivities. Celeriac, with its wonderful, subtlety celery flavour and velvet texture pairs wonderfully well with any blue cheese that you may need to use up. Sourdough croutons provide an indulgent crunch, somewhat reminiscent of cheese on toast and unfortunately with all of the guilt. But these grey days that seem so short and dark need a bit of a comfort blanket and a delicious soup is as good a place to start as any.
This will keep well in the freezer.

Serves four

1 tablespoon olive or rapeseed oil
Small knob of butter
1 onion
2 sticks celery
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
1 small celeriac, peeled and chopped
1 litre chicken or veg stock
Sea salt and black pepper
50g blue cheese (e.g Stilton or similar)

CROUTONS

100g sourdough bread, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil
40g Stilton, (or similar) grated
Sea salt and pepper
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Start the soup. Cut the opinion finely and chop the celery. Heat the oil and butter in a pan and add the onion and celery. Sweat gently for a few minutes to soften. Add the potato and celeriac and stir to coat well with the rest of the veg. Cook for a minute or two and then add the hot stock. It should just cover the vegetables, reserve the rest for later. Sinner for about twenty minutes until everything is very soft.

Heat the oven to 200c. Toss the bread cubes with the oil and grate over 30g of the Stilton. Mx well and spread out onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with fresh thyme if using. Bake for about ten minutes until golden and then grate over the remaining cheese. Toss again and return to the oven for another two or three minutes.

Blend the soup with a hand held blender or in a liquidiser and add the crumbled cheese. Blend again until smooth. Adjust the thickness of your soup with the remaining stock and season well.

Heat through and serve with the croutons and a little more fresh thyme leaves. Extra cheese crumbled over the top of the soup is an extra indulgence and rather good.

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