It’s been quite a long time since I did this (hope I haven’t forgotten how!) but January 1st seems a good date to restart!

Since the last blog there’s been a wedding . . my youngest daughter, Alice and Ben

A trip to Cuba . . . .

And Christmas . . .

We had a wonderful 2018 with lots of travel, the great hot summer and new friends made.  Looking forward now to the coming year – a new time to greet old friends like my snowdrops and daffodils and adventures to plan. I always imagine myself on the side of a pool, diving in and discovering a whole new world underneath!

Enough of the philosophy – and back to the cooking!  2019 is going to be the year to escape to the kitchen not from it.  I want you to discover new foods, new flavours, new food combinations.  Go and make friends with your local market, butcher, baker and greengrocer – supermarkets are great for the “big shop” – but, really, if you are only cooking for one, do you need to? You may also decide that, yes, I am just one most days but do you know what – some days I may invite some friends over and have a party – in which case just double/quadruple up! (let me know if every now and then you want me to post some recipes for more-than-one – Ive got lots!)

Today, after all the Christmas richness and eating, I thought we would start January with a simple soup and bread – with a twist!  Something to warm you and titillate the tastebuds.  As it’s a soup, of course, it will serve more than one – but, hey, make a lot now and use the next coming few days catching up with old friends or going for walks (your New Year resolution for more exercise ?) knowing that you will be going home to a tasty snackette (as my husband calls them!)  I give you . .. .

Anything-you-have Coconut Curry Soup

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 -2 cloves garlic, smashed
• small knob of ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• salt to taste
• 1 dessertspoon sugar
• 1 14 ounce can of coconut milk
• 1 pint vegetable stock (from a cube will do)
• the fun part – any vegetables you have in the house!  You can add:
• potatoes/sweet potatoes/parsnips/carrots/courgettes/peppers/mushrooms/spinach – there is always an escaped vegetable at the bottom of the fridge!

Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic and ginger and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the curry paste, turmeric, salt and sugar.  Stir fry again to combine.  Add the coconut milk and stock – and whatever lost vegetables you have found!  Simmer until soft, blend to silky smooth and serve with some crispy fried onions and/or coriander on top.

To accompany (my favourite of the moment) take a warm naan bread, spread with tamarind paste and top with cooked spinach, caramilised onions, drizzle of yogurt and some pomegranate seeds : bit messy but very delicious!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My youngest daughter, Alice,  is coming home for a night and as it’s once again such a lovely evening thought we would have a barbeque. She is marrying the lovely Ben TEN weeks today and he will be joining us later tonight.  It will be easy for us to eat early and then toss some more chicken etc on to the Barbeque when he turns up. Just loving these almost guaranteed blue skies and warm nights and it got me thinking that cooking for one is ideal on the bbq!  You don’t have to have a big one – one of those little trays with the coals already in it  would do.  Of course, with all the cooking skills I hope you have acquired over the last few months, you could always ask a few friends round and have a bit of a party – add a fresh salad and some new potatoes, a bottle of wine or some beer and you are sorted!

You will all know how to build a beef burger – good meat, cheese, onions, lettuce, gherkins and soft rolls – so I thought I would give you 2 new ones – a veggie one and a fish one!

Aubergine burger with Avocado Mayonnaise

• 1multiseed bread roll
• 1 small  aubergine  cut into slices
• ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 small red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1/2 small yellow pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1/2 red onion, finely sliced
• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
•  fresh rocket leaves or baby leaf salad
• 1 large beef tomato cut into thick slices

Avocado Mayo

• 1 small ripe avocado peeled, stoned and roughly chopped
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Light up the Barbie!  (if you haven’t got one, or it’s easier, you can heat up a griddle pan)To make avocado mayo, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and season well. Mash    with a fork and season well. Toast the roll cut side down for one minute. Brush the aubergine slices on both sides with half the olive oil and sprinkle with the cumin and coriander.  Place on the bbq or pan and cook for 4 – 5minutes on each side until soft and lightly charred. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and stir fry the peppers and red onion for 10 minutes or so. Stir in the vinegar and sugar and season. Place the roll base and top with a small handful of rocket then a slice of tomato.  Add the pepper mixture and top with aubergine.  Spoon the mayo on top and cover with the roll top.

Tandoori Fish Burger

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tandoori masala
• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1 x 100g/3½oz pieces skinless cod fillet
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
• 50 grams pickled cucumber or gherkin
• 1 brioche bun
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put 1 tablespoons of the oil, the tandoori masala, 1/2 tablespoon of the yoghurt and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl and stir. Add the cod and coat well. Heat the remaining  tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan over the bbq (or griddle pan if using – or even directly on the bbq if not too hot). Add the cod. Cook gently for 2–3 minutes on each side, then take off the heat and set aside, covered with kitchen foil. Put the red onion and mint in another bowl with the pickled cucumbers, mix and season with salt and pepper .Lightly toast the brioche  and spread the remaining 1 tablespoons of yoghurt over the base one. Place a piece of cod on top of each and top with the onion, mint and pickle mixture and add top.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

When I started this blog, it was an attempt to get everyone back in the kitchen and enjoying the buying of ingredients, preparing and eating delicious, healthy food, even if it is (just) for one.  However, even I, who could spend all day cooking, have been stopped by this hot weather!  I don’t even want to eat that much, never mind bake, so these recipes are little snackettes to keep you going – and using that great staple, bread. There are so many different types out there – crusty white, bloomers, wholemeal, granary, sourdough, wheatmeal – the list is endless – so choose your favourite and make yourself some toast, add some fresh tomatoes and sweet onions on the side and have a go at some of these toppers.  There is no end to the flavour combinations . . . . .

Sticky Goat’s Cheese and Fig – in a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons soft goat’s cheese, 1 tablespoon soured cream (if you haven’t got any, you can put a small teaspoon of lemon juice into some cream and leave to stand for a minute) and a pinch of dried/fresh thyme with plenty of black pepper. Spread over a hot slice of toast and top with a quartered fig, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of walnuts.

Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes and Ricotta   Preheat oven to 200oC.  In a small tin, roast 75grams (3 oz) cherry tomatoes on the vine with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper for 10 minutes till soft.  Spread 2 tablespoon ricotta cheese over a hot slice of toast and top with warm tomatoes, a few basil leaves (optional) and black pepper.  Drizzle over the cooking juices from tin.

Fruity Beetroot (or Hummus), Avocado and Feta Spread a hot slice of toast with 2 tablespoon of beetroot dip or hummus, top with 1/2 slice avocado and 25 grams (1oz) crumbled feta, and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and olive oil.

Use your loaf and let your creativity run wild – let me know what you come up with and I can share it here!

 

 

Just spent another few days on the boat in this glorious sunshine!  Who knew North Wales could continue to be like the South of France! It has been so lovely over the last few weeks realising that you can plan outings etc and know that it will be good weather – even thought my poor garden is suffering from a severe lack of water.  We had a heavy shower the other night and you could almost feel all the leaves and petals open themselves out to the rain!

It is said that if it’s hot, you should drink hot (tea) and eat hot so with this in mind I thought I would give you a curry dish – and because I have been fishing, it should be sea food ( I know you can’t catch prawns off the Welsh coast (John and I tried once, with a net, to fish for them under the rocks and barely got enough for one prawn cocktail!) but I wanted to give you something light for the weather, too.

North Indian-spiced Prawn Curry

• 1 large tomato
• 3 garlic cloves
• 6 grams ginger, peeled
• 3 dessertspoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon panch phoran (find it in the spice shelf at your supermarket – you can use it in all sorts of other recipes to add spice so won’t be wasted)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, whole but pierced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 200g raw prawns
• 1 dessertspoon double cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• some chopped coriander leaves

Blend the tomato, garlic and half of the ginger (grated). Finely slice the remainder ginger into julienne (fine) strips.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the panch phoran and let it sizzle for 10 – 15 seconds.  Add the onion, chilli and ginger julienne and cook until the onions are lightly golden. Add the blended tomato paste, remaining spices and some salt.  Cook for around 15 minutes, stirring often until it thickens.  Add the prawns and enough water to cover them by half.  Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 3 – 4 minutes, until the prawns are cooked.  Stir in the cream, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding the lemon juice if you like. Sprinkle with chopped coriander to serve.

July and August are the main months for this wonderful vegetable – apart from potatoes, I don’t think there is a more versatile one, both in their uses and varieties.  And they are now everywhere! Still green in my garden – I’ve got them in pots and hanging baskets – everywhere else from your favourite supermarket to farmers’ markets to the corner shop is selling them.  I eat the little ones like grapes – and love the huge ones to cook with. So a quick run down of the different ones you can get –

• Beefsteak: these are the biggest tomatoes and have a meaty texture with sweet, mellow flavour.  Good for salads, grilling or stuffing
• Salad (or round): this is the traditional British tomato – a good all rounder
• Cherry: small and very sweet with an intense flavour.  Good in salads, pasta sauces or roasted
• Plum: available as a baby or full-grown tomato, they are an oval shape with a rich flavour and comparatively few seeds.  Good for making sauces and stews. 
• Green: there are 2 types – one is unripe and quite tart but good for chutneys or fried. The other is a variety that stays green when ripe and has a tangy flavour.
• Yellow and orange : great in salads for colour!

And what to do with them?  You can eat them raw, fried, roasted, stuffed; make sauces or soups; add them to just about any stew you want to make!

These are 3 stuffed recipes to try – one with a sauce you could also make for pasta.  By the end of the season, when every home grower is no doubt fed up with them, I will give you some chutney and soup recipes you can make and store/freeze.

Stuffed Tomatoes (1) Fish

• 6oz cooked leftover salmon fillet, flaked
• 1 tbsp shredded smoked salmon
• 1/2  tbsp ready-made mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• splash balsamic vinegar
• 2 large firm tomatoes (I would use beefsteak ones), cut in half from top to bottom, seeds removed and reserved
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the inside.  Lay cut side down on some kitchen paper. In a large bowl, mix together the flaked salmon, smoked salmon, mayonnaise, garlic, ketchup, scooped out tomato flesh and balsamic vinegar until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and pile back into the tomato shells, using the tops as lids.

Stuffed tomatoes (2) – meat

• 2 – 3 beef tomatoes
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 125grams lamb mince
• 15 grams fresh breadcrumbs
• 150 grams button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• salt and pepper

Sauce: 4 medium tomatoes, cut into quarters    25ml rapeseed oil    1 garlic clove chopped

Preheat the over to 200oC/Gas6

Slice the tops off the beef tomatoes, reserving the tops as before.  Scoop out the flesh and put in a saucepan.  Mix the shallot, mince, breadcrumbs, mushrooms and tarragon in a bowl. Season. Stuff the tomatoes with the mince mixture (do not overfill as the mixture will expand when cooking and split the skin) , drizzle with oil and place the lids on top. Place the stuffed tomatoes in the oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes.

Sauce: Put quartered tomatoes into a saucepan, plus the flesh from the beef tomatoes.  Add oil and garlic, season and bring to the boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Place the baked tomatoes on a serving plate and drizzle over sauce

Stuffed Tomatoes (3) Veggie

You’ve probably got the gist of this now – cut off the tops, scoop out the insides and bake in the oven for about 10 – 15 minute at 190 – 200oC.  So veggie ones are just the same – but the beauty of these are you can use anything you like!  Any chopped up (small) vegetables; left over rice, quinoa or couscous, herbs (parsley, mint or basil ), garlic (of course).  Put all the ingredients you want in a bowl with the scooped out flesh, mix well and put back into the shells.  You can put the lids back on or top them with breadcrumbs and or cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can’t believe this hot weather keeps going on and on . . . !  Who would have thought it?  Who would have thought England in the semi-finals?!

So, sorry to be a nag – but are you drinking enough?  It is very important to keep hydrated in this heat – but I understand water can be tooo boring – and alcohol can actually be even more dehydrating so all those beers and even Pimms?  I gave you a couple of drink recipes a few blogs ago (elderflower cordial and champagne) so here is a couple more – and how to quickly cut up a watermelon, the most thirst quenching of all fruit.

Lay the watermelon on a cutting board and trim both ends with a sharp knife.  Slice in half. Stand up the watermelon and slice down the middle to create two big halves.  Lay each half flesh side-down and cut in half again.  You’ll have a total of 4 long pieces.  Turn each quartered piece horizontal and slice into 1″ strips to create triangles. You can freeze the triangles and eat like an ice lolly or chop them up and add to drinks as ice cubes.

Try salting the watermelon before it serve it – it’s totally optional but believe it or not helps bring out the sweetness!

 

The Easiest Ginger Beer

Grate  about 14og of fresh ginger into a mortar.  Add a small handful of Demerara sugar and the zest of 3 lemons.  With the pestle, muddle the ginger, sugar and lemon zest together and mix really well,  Juice the lemons and mix with the ginger.  Pour into a large bottle of fizzy water, allow to sit for 10 – 20 minutes, shaking occasionally.  Strain and chill before serving.

. . . . . and Lemonade

Measure 150g of caster sugar into a pan.  Add 750 ml of water and heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.  Set aside to cool, then refrigerate.  When cold, stir in the juice of 6 lemons.  When ready to serve, top up with fizzy water.

 

We moved into our house 10 years ago this month and the following Valentine’s Day my husband bought me a fairly unusual gift – a gooseberry bush! We planted it in the garden together – and it has rewarded us ever since!  This weekend I picked 20lb of fruit from this one plant!  Covered in scratches from the sharp thorns (and watched by the hens who sat in its shade), they are all now either in my freezer, stewed and in the fridge to eat with yogurt or porridge (don’t knock it till you’ve tried!) for breakfast, some made into the two recipes below – and a few bagfuls to take to my friend today in exchange for blackcurrants.

Gooseberries are low in calories, fat and cholesterol FREE and rich in Vitamins A and C.  They can also be used in savoury dishes to make a sauce for mackerel and duck, cutting through their fattiness.

Gooseberry Shortcake (this will obviously make more than one portion but cut into slices and freeze and it will defrost beautifully whenever you want a taste of green sunshine!)

•  150g unsalted butter
•  75g caster sugar
•  150g self-raising flour
•  75g cornflour
•  250g fresh gooseberries
•  25g walnuts
•  25g demerara sugar

Put the oven on at 180oC. Line the a tin with baking parchment (or a butter wrapper as I do), leaving an overhang at each side to help removal of the shortcake. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and cornflour together and gradually add to the butter mixture. Knead until it comes together, then turn onto the worktop and knead for a further minute. Spread 2/3 of this mixture over the base of the tin, using your hands. Smooth over with the back of a spoon. Cover the dough with the gooseberries. Add the walnuts and demerara sugar to the remaining 1/3 of the mixture and knead well. Gently spread this over the gooseberries and smooth out. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out. Dust the shortcake with icing sugar.

Gooseberry and Elderflower Ice cream

• 950g (2lb 2oz) gooseberries, topped and tailed
• 6tbsp (90ml) elderflower cordial (you could use the one we made last week)
• finely grated zest 1 lemon
• 600ml (1pt) double cream

In a heavy-based saucepan, gently simmer the gooseberries in the elderflower cordial and lemon zest until very soft and pulpy. Remove from the heat, push the fruit through a sieve and leave to cool thoroughly. Lightly whip the cream until it forms soft peaks and fold through the gooseberry and elderflower purée. Pour into a large plastic container and freeze for several hours or overnight.

Serve with the shortcake for a total gooseberry experience!

 

 

 

The hot weather continues (and long may it do so!) so this week we went up to North Wales to our boat.  And before you all get the idea of g & t’s on the deck as the sun goes down – this is a fishing boat, not a gin palace!  I can get terribly sea sick so if I am on it the weather has to be perfect!  And this week, it was.  Wall to wall blue skies and the water like the proverbial mill pond.  There is a small cabin where I slept and we made up a bed for John on the deck (not a hardship as the temperature dipped rarely below 20oC and actually peaked 32oC!). We were up at 6.00am  and out on the water early, chasing mackerel – partly to eat and partly to use as bait for tope – a member of the shark family. We failed on the tope but did manage a few mackerel (there is nothing like the tug of the fish on the feathered line we use), anchored the boat in some shallows off a deserted beach and cooked them there and then. Swam in the sea and sunbathed.  We could have been on the Mediterranean – and without the hassle of airports.

Look out for mackerel in the market and your fishmonger – and make sure they still have bright eyes!

Oriental style citrus Mackerel

• 1 orange, juice only
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• pinch dried chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 mackerel fillet, cut in half
• 1/2 lime, juice only
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
• handful fresh rocket
• 1 orange, cut into wedges, to serve

Place the orange juice, soy sauce, chilli flakes and sesame seeds into a frying pan and simmer for 3 – 4 minutes.  Add the mackerel and cook for 2 minutes on each side.  Remove from the heat, squeeze in the lime juice and scatter with coriander.  Place the rocket leaves into a bowl, pour over the juices from the mackerel pan and stir.  To serve, pile the rocket salad onto a serving place, top with the fish and garnish with orange wedges.

 Smoked Mackerel Pate (this will make more than 1 serving but it will sit happily in your fridge for a couple of days – and you can also freeze it in individual pots)

• 400g smoked mackerel fillets
• 250g crème fraîche
• 2 tbsp freshly grated horseradish
• 1 tbsp creamed horseradish
•  Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• 2 pinches of smoked paprika
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
•  Freshly ground black pepper

Take the skin off the mackerel and break the flesh into flakes, discarding any bones. Mix the crème fraîche with the fresh and creamed horseradish and the lemon zest and juice. Carefully stir in the mackerel flakes, herbs and spices, then add pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and leave to chill in the fridge for 2 hours until firm. Serve with sourdough toast.

 

 

 

 

 

Are you enjoying this hot, sunny weather?  John and I have travelled extensively but have both decided that when the weather is wonderful there is nowhere more lovely than England!  The colours and smells are amazing as everything comes to life and smiles at the sun!

It’s very important, though, to remember to keep hydrated – and I don’t just mean the beer/lager you are drinking watching the football or the Pimms watching the tennis.  The elderflower is out now in full bloom but it won’t last too long in these heat so time to make 2 lovely drinks to put in the cupboard for you to taste the sunshine when it may not be here!

Try and pick your flowers in the morning as the aroma fades with the day

Elderflower Champagne

• 7 heads of elderflowers
• 560 grams of sugar
• 7 pints boiling water
• 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Put the flowers into a big bucket and add sugar, water and lemons. Give it a good stir and add the vinegar when cold.  Bottle into clean plastic bottles  (glass ones have been known to explode – and you can help save the planet using up the plastic!).  Leave for a minimum of 2 weeks to go fizzy!  Serve with lots of ice and sliced lemon

Eldelower Cordial

• 1 kg Granulated Sugar
• 1 litre boiling water
• 50g citric acid (from a chemist) or juice of 2 large lemons
• zest of 2 large lemons
• 15 elderflower heads

Put the sugar and water in a bucket and stir to dissolve. Add the citric acid or lemon juice and zest. Add the flower heads to the sugar syrup and leave 1 -2 days, stirring regularly. Strain through some muslin into sterilised bottles and store in a cool place. To use, put a little in a glass and top with still or sparkling water.  You can even add it to your gin and tonic – and if cooking gooseberries add instead of water!

 

Home again after over 2000 miles driving through France and Spain, through sunshine, rain and thunderstorms and staying on campsites, trucker stops and one Michelin Star restaurant!  A great road trip with my lovely husband, John.

Actually, we were back about a week ago but the hot sun and lots of rain that we had whilst we were away meant all the vegetables I had planted before were completely swamped with weeds and I have had to dig everything out and completely replant – which took lots of time as you can imagine!

Anyway, back to the blog now – with lots of fresh ideas from the Mediterranean.  We ate a lot of fish and chicken, garlic, tomatoes, and salads so the theme for today is a little along those lines.

Chicken thighs with Garlic and Lemon (this will definitely keep the vampires away!)

• 1/2 pint chicken stock (cube will do)
• 8 – 10 garlic cloves (yes, really!)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 dessertspoon of olive oil
• 2 -3 chicken thighs
• 1 small lemon, peeled and pith removed and sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 75 ml of water or white wine
• salt and pepper

Put the stock in a pan and bring to the boil.  Add the garlic cloves, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.  Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan, add the chicken and fry gently on all sides until golden.  Transfer to an ovenproof  dish.

Heat the oven to 190oC.  Strain the garlic stock and reserve.  Put the cooked garlics and sliced lemons into the dish with chicken.  Add the flour to the fat in the pan (from frying the chicken) and cook for a minute.  Gradually add the wine or leftover garlic stock (or a mixture), stirring all the time till thickened and smooth.  Pour over the chicken, cover and cook in the oven for 40 – 45 minutes, taking the cover off about 10 minutes before the end to brown.  Scatter over chopped parsley or basil and serve with new potatoes and a crisp salad.

Bon appetite!