For those of you who have been following for a while, you will know that this blog is all about getting you interested in the shopping, cooking and, of course, eating of good food.  It’s not about the speed of doing it nor batch baking “to save time” (be honest, how many of you have unlabelled bags/boxes in your freezer the content of which you have no idea?).  However, sometimes, I make up a recipe that is so ridiculously non-challenging and moreish, that I just have to pass on!

John and I went out to dinner a few days ago (even people who love cooking like eating someone else’s!).  He ordered a cheese and leek pate – and it was so delicious I asked the waiter if he could ask the chef for the recipe (I’ve done this a few times and usually manage to blag them!).  Back came the answer that he would give me the ingredients – gelatine, eggs, cheese, leeks, butter etc but not the “how to”! I thought it about it on the way home, did a couple of  experiments and this is the result.  You will never make anything so tasty and so easy in such equal measurement!

Ailsa’s Cheese and Leek Pate

• 1 leek (only the white and pale green parts. I was also making some mashed potato at the time so put the darker parts in with that! Waste not, want not . . . )
• knob of butter
• 200g packet of cream cheese (I only used about 2/3 of it – you never know when a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon is the only thing to satisfy)

Cut the leek up into thin slices – I cut down the middle and then slice.  Melt a little butter in a pan with some salt and coarse pepper.  Saute the leek very slowly until soft (keep an eye on it and move around the pan as you don’t want it to burn).  Put the cream cheese in a bowl, tip over the hot leek and blend with a stick blender until pate-like. Put into a small bowl (if you want to be super-posh in your serving, line a small tin with cling film and spoon it in  – when set in the fridge you then tip it out and slice like a cake on a plate with salad and bread).  Personally, I just eat it almost immediately with crusty bread/toast/or favourite crispbread!

Beloved Sir and I have just had a great 24 hours near Tenby, South Wales.  We stayed in a lovely hotel with the most beautiful outlook over the estuary (see below). 

We went for a walk – and found a carpet of wild garlic:

so it was back to the car for a bag to collect it!  Dense clusters of green spears thrust from the woodland floor in spring and are a sign that the woodland you are walking in is very old. This lovely weather must have brought it out early and I couldn’t wait to get home to make soup with it.  I know I am usually asking you not to batch make but it has to be done in this case as the season is really short. This recipe is enough for 4 but freezes beautifully! Not only is it delicious but also helps lower cholesterol and high blood pressure!

Wild Garlic Soup

• 1 onion sliced
• 2 – 3 potatoes (these are for thickening the soup so depends on size)
•  500 ml water
• stock cube (I use a vegetable one)
• milk/crème fraiche/cream

Saute the onion in a little butter in a large saucepan.  Add chopped potato, stock cube, and water and bring to the boil.  Cook until the potato is soft.  Lay 3 – 4 handfuls of the garlic leaves on the top and allow to wilt and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Cool slightly and, using a hand blender, puree.  Put back into the saucepan and add milk or cream or creme fraiche to taste along with plenty of pepper.  It never lasts long in our house but will keep in the fridge for 2 – 3 days – or ladle into bags to freeze.  Serve with crusty bread and a dollop of creme fraiche.

You might like to try this, too, to add to any other flavoured oils you may have

Wild Garlic Oil – blanch several handfuls of leaves in boiling water for 5 – 10 seconds then immediatly drain and toss into iced water (this keeps the colour). Drain again and wrap in an old tea towel and squeeze all the liquid out. Chop up into small pieces and put in a jam jar or bottle and top up with 150 ml of olive oil.

 

 

This week celebrates a whole year of recipe blogging!  Who knew when I started that I would have followers from USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Ireland and even the United Arab Emirates!  I really hope it has all been worth it and many of you have (re)found a love of cooking – and are now actually doubling up to have a friend or two over.

This recipe is stupid easy. All you do is toss everything together, put it on a baking sheet, pop it in the oven and you’re done.  It’s also definitely one you can double, even quadruple up and as its so simple will give  you plenty of time to uncork a bottle or two and enjoy your guests.

Tray chicken curry  with pickled onions

• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 – 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (you can use olive if you haven’t got any)
• 2 chicken thighs, skin on
• 1/4 – 1/2  head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• small whole tomatoes
• Coriander leaves, to garnish

*Pickled Onions

• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 star anise pod
• ½ tsp coriander seeds
• 300ml-330ml apple cider vinegar
• pinch of sugar

First, make the pickled onions. Put the onion slices in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine 170ml water, the black peppercorns, salt, garlic, star anise and coriander seeds in a small pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the apple cider vinegar and sugar, then pour directly over the onions. Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge. The pickles are ready to eat as soon as they’re cool. These should last for a few days stored in a covered jar or bowl in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 200C (220C non-fan). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine the garlic, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, ginger and coconut oil and work them into a paste. Toss the chicken and cauliflower in the paste to coat. Spread the chicken in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, then add the cauliflower and tomatoes and roast for another 15 – 20 minutes. Serve topped with the pickled onions and coriander leaves.

* you can, of course, miss out the onions but they really do add to the dish.  You can put any left in a jam jar in the fridge and they will keep for a week or so.  I am sure you (now) talented cooks will find lots of other dishes to eat them with – even if it’s only cheese and biscuits!

Love from Pookie and I (she’s 19 this year but still going strong!)

 

Today, 5 February, is Chinese New Year and the start of the Year of the Pig, the 12th in the 12 year cycle of Chinese animals. Myth has it he came late to a party called by the Emperor because he overslept!

I thought, at first, I might not be able to do a Chinese dish as most dishes seem to involve lots of different platters and people – but I think you will find this one completely fits the bill cooking for one – but can easily be doubled/quadrupled up if you invite some friends over the New Year.  And so much better for you (and cheaper) than a takeaway!  It uses a traditional Chinese method of pouring extremely hot oil (BE CAREFUL!) over the dish just before serving to really bring out the flavour.

Baked Cod Loin with sizzling spinach, ginger and chilli

• 1 cod loin
• 12 mls rice wine (or sherry)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 150g baby spinach leaves
• 2 salad onions
• 5g fresh root ginger
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded (use the seeds if you like it HOT)
• 12ml sunflower oil

Preheat the oven to 200oC, gas mark 6.  Place a large sheet of foil on a baking tray and sit the cod on top.  Drizzle over the rice wine, 1/2 soy sauce and the garlic.  Massage the dressing into the fish and tightly seal the foil parcel.  Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or so.  Meanwhile, cook the spinach for a few minutes in some boiling water until wilted and drain.  Cut the onion into small lengths then into small slivers.  Do the same with the ginger and chilli.  Dilute the remaining soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of boiling water.  Arrange the spinach on a plate.  Top with the cod and any cooking juices.  Heat the oil in a pan over a high heat.  Pile up the ginger, onion and chilli onto the cod. When the oil is extremely hot, almost smoking pour it over the fish and vegetables so that it sizzles.  Pour over the diluted soy sauce and eat immediately with a salad of tomato, onion and beansprouts.  Yum yum!

John and I don’t look a lot like Popeye and Olive Oyl – but we definitely eat a lot of SPINACH.  It’s available nearly all the year round and so good for you, being packed with Vitamins A, B2, C and K and rich in iron.  It would be difficult finding another vegetable so great at restoring energy, increasing vitality and maintaining blood and bone health.  Even my hens seem to love it as I am always shooing them off the garden when it’s growing!

I put it in just about anything – we certainly have it daily in some form or another.  Any soups, any pasta, any casseroles or stews, any salads, most stir frys.  Cook it in the microwave; put in a colander and simply pour boiling water over it; simmer in a few tablespoons of water; fry it with shredded cabbage, garlic and onion.  Any fish or chicken pieces sit beautifully on top of a mound of it; eggs love it – think Florentine/eggs benedict. No wonder a quarter of my vegetable patch is laid down to perpetual spinach. You can buy it fresh, tinned (mash with olive oil, garlic and lots of black pepper) or frozen.  A giant amongst greens!

One of my favourite recipes at the moment is below – a little bit of cheating (I buy the gnocchi – ssh! – it’s usually found in the chilled counters in supermarkets) and is very easy and flavoursome and decidedly a comfort food.

Creamy gnocchi – with SPINACH

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 400g fresh gnocchi (it’s a form of potato dumpling)
• 100g cream cheese (this could be plain or garlic and herbs – whichever you have or takes your fancy!)
• 100 g frozen peas, cooked
• raw spinach (I can’t give you an exact amount as I just add it till I get enough in but you will probably need half a bag!)
• finely grated zest of lemon (DO NOT MISS THIS OUT AS IT TOTALLY LIFTS THE DISH!)
• 50 – 100 Ml milk
• 20 g grated cheddar
• fresh breadcrumbs

Heat the oil in a  pan and add the gnocchi.  Fry, stirring occasionally until they start to soften and turn golden.  Add the spinach and when it starts to wilt fold in the cream cheese, peas, lemon zest, seasoning and milk, lastly, to loosen.  Pile into a dish, cover with breadcrumbs and grated cheese and put under a grill till golden and bubbling.  Serve immediately with a crisp salad (with perhaps even more fresh spinach!)

PS when cooking the gnocchi, you could also add diced courgettes, onions, garlic – it’s a very fluid dish – so just go with the flow!

 

 

 

 

It’s the Weekend . . . .  It’s dreich (old Scots word for miserable weather) . . .  I’m getting a cold (obviously not the man flu Sir had!)  . . . .  Because they are nice  . . . . Because they are naughty . . . . who cares?  Some Simple Puddings for one – just because you can!

Simple Puddings

Spoon some Greek yogurt into a small dish. Cover either with brown sugar or demerara sugar. Put in fridge for several hours. Serve on its own or with poached fruit.

Crush some biscuits and put into small dish  Beat some cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice to taste together. Put on top of biscuits and leave in fridge to set. Add a spoonful of poached fruit/jam/amaretti biscuit – whatever takes your fancy!

Put some berries (fresh or frozen) into a small dish Make up half a jelly with ½ pint water (or leftover wine). Pour on top and leave to set.

Take some tinned or rice pudding and fold in an egg yolk. Put into oven proof dish. Make a meringue (whipped egg white with 2 oz sugar) and put on top. Bake in oven 180oC for about 10 mins till brown

Break up some bought meringues and fold into whipped cream and berries for a simple Eton Mess

Make a crumble mix – 2 oz butter rubbed into 4 oz plain flour. Add 2 oz sugar (also oats or nuts if you want some texture)  Spread onto a baking tray and bake 180o for about 10 – 15 mins until golden.  Allow to cool then break up and put in an airtight jar till wanted. Poach any kind of fruit in a saucepan or microwave and top with as little or much of the crumble mix as you want.

Woke up to a very cold, frosty morning – and we have only a sprinkling of snow  compared to other parts of the country!  My poor hens looked frozen so after giving them a big warm dish of meal, the best thing to do was to get back in my lovely warm kitchen and start cooking!  John’s gone fishing and will be back soon complaining of cold and hunger so obviously the best thing to do was soup!

Most of this blog is all about getting you to love cooking, even if just for yourself, so I have tried to avoid “make some and freeze some” recipes but it’s a bit difficult making soup for one! So enjoy the below today, freeze some for another – or even take some round to a sick friend or elderly neighbour.  It’s so full of goodness, it practically does cartwheels by itself!

SATAY SWEET POTATO SOUP

• 2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks (save peelings*)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 garlic clove (more if you like it)
• 1 inch fresh root ginger, grated
• 1 – 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 1 tin tomatoes
• 60 g red lentils
• 1 pint vegetable stock
• juice of a lime (don’t miss this out as it really makes a difference! )
• 2 dessertspoons peanut butter
• optional – a teaspoon of red thai curry paste – if you like some heat!

Heat the oil in a pan and fry onions, garlic and carrots to soften. Add ginger and chilli, potato chunks, tomatoes, lentils, stock and lime juice. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.  Add the peanut butter.  You can leave it chunky or whizz up with a blender, adding more water if needed to loosen.  Serve in big bowls with crisp peelings* and lime wedges.

* to crisp peelings, scatter them on a baking tray and toss through some oil and seasoning.  Bake at 200c for 15 minutes until golden.

DO NOT DO what I did which was get them to the perfect stage, switch off the oven but leave them in there – so that when you go back to them they are black cremated offerings!  Pride/smugness comes before a fall!

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! (If this looks like it was posted later than Jan 1st, it’s because I had to move where it lived on the blog!)

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!

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!