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!

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.