Aloo Gobi Soup

With 11 months of new recipes behind me I am making headway in trying out the recipes torn from magazines in previous years. Today I tried Aloo Gobi soup torn from a Tesco magazine and I am not disappointed. Easy to make with store cupboard ingredients and very tasty. 

The recipe states it serves four but with the large portions I served today as a complete meal it would only serve three. A normal sized portion at lunch would serve four perfectly.  I also found that some of the timings were not quite sufficient for complete cooking so I've made notes and suggest you listen to your instinct and test consistency before moving onto next step.

Ingredients:

• 2 maris piper potatoes (about 200g) cut into cubes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 head of cauliflower (about 200g), roughly chopped into small florets
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 5cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 Tbsp tomato puree
• 400g chopped tomatoes (I didn't have any so used passata)
• 1 vegetable stock cube, made up with 500ml water
• 100g Greek style yoghurt ( I used feta cheese)
• 1 tsp nigella seeds (I didn't have any so used cardamom seeds)
• handful fresh coriander, finely chopped

Method:

• Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and simmer for 8 minutes until just soft. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile heat half the oil in a large, heavy based pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to soften. Stir in the cauliflower, garlic, chilli and ginger. Cook for 1 minute and then add the ground cumin and turmeric. Fry for 2 minutes, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5-6 minutes (or longer) until soft.
• Remove the lid and stir in the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes. Bubble over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes (I found it took longer) until thickened. Stir in the stock and half the cooked potatoes. Remove from the heat and blitz with a stick blender until smooth (or you could use a food processor). Stir through the yoghurt and return to the pan on a low heat. Season.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a small frying pain over a high heat. Add the reserved potatoes and fry for 4-6 minutes turning frequently, until golden and crispy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. 
• Serve the soup on bowls, scattered with the potatoes and topped with the nigella seeds and coriander.

Warming Winter Sausage and Apple Bake

This recipe was one that my grandparents made and has never been written down. I haven't cooked it in years and when I made it today I wondered why it had been so long. I was given a glut of home grown cooking apples and thought of as many ways to use them as I could.

The quantities are variable and feel free to adjust them to suit you.

Ingredients: 

• 1 pack of sausage meat
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 1-2 cooking apples, peeled and sliced
• Enough potatoes to mash and cover your baking dish (I'm not good on weights)

Method:

• Cut the potatoes and cook until tender, then season and mash. Meanwhile:
• Press half the pack of sausage meat onto the base of a casserole dish or baking dish.
• Spread the sliced onion evenly across the sausage meat to cover the dish.
• Dot the remaining sausage meat over the onions.
• Arrange the sliced apples over the mixture to completely cover the meat and onions. Top with the mashed potato, place in the oven and cook 35 minutes until golden.

Serve with whatever accompaniment you fancy. We had stir fried cabbage and carrots but baked beans would also go well.

It might not look the most attractive meal but it's a tasty supper which is perfect for an Autumn evening

Best Christmas Pudding Ever

I spent most of my life never venturing into the world of puddings. I must admit that I've never really liked Christmas pudding. In my view it was dark and bitter and had none of the enjoyment I've experienced in a Christmas cake. And then I had a revelation when we visited Australia over Christmas and their pudding was a whole different ball game. It was light and delightful (although I wasn't so keen on it being served with cold custard). And so began the mission to find the right recipe.

I have made Christmas cakes since my 20s but some-how I thought puddings were too complicated.  How wrong I was!  My first attempt I scoured the internet for lots of different recipes. I followed recipes by both Jamie Oliver and Nigel Slater. This involved a lot of pudding eating to make a final decision. The first year I made them we enjoyed both but by the following year we had forgotten which we preferred. Then followed more pudding tasting. I made both in various sizes and then we cooked portions of both and tasted together to compare. The third year I decided to mix and match the best of both and create my own. 

This year I have also increased the mixture size so that I can create more loveliness to last me through the year. My recipe is predominantly inspired by Jamie Oliver but has a distinct ginger twist. His recipe is intended to fill one large 1.5 litre pudding bowl and I prefer a selection of smaller ones. Therefore instead of one large pudding I have increased the ingredients by half again and made three puddings. The saying goes that a dog is not just for Christmas and I believe the same applies to puddings!

• Ingredients:
• 250g raisins
• 250g sultanas (possibly add more if you feel it's not dense enough)
• 80g cherries
• 100g apricots
• 100g cranberries
•  160g dates
•  100g finely chopped crystalised ginger
• 180g plain four
• 150g fresh bread crumbs
• 185g suet ( used whole 200g pack)1
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 80g macadamia nuts (or mix with almonds)
• 2 eggs
•  200ml milk (or adjust according to texture)
•  Zest of one orange
• 1-2 tsp ground ginger (add whatever spices tickle your fancy)
•  Pinch of salt
• 140ml ish of alcohol (your favourite liqueur, mine is amaretto)

Method:

·         I like to soak all the fruit overnight with the alcohol … don’t worry if you leave it longer. Chop the dates and apricots. I also like to cut the cherries so there are more pieces in each mouthful.

·         Start by greasing your pudding basin with a knob of butter. I found that these quantities made three 2-pint puddings with basin filled ¾ full; or one 2pt basin and two 1pt basins filled to brim.

·         In a bowl beat the egg and milk together and put aside.

·         In a large bowl mix all the other ingredients together. Pour the egg and milk mixture into this bowl and stir or mix with your hands until everything is combined.

·         Spoon this mixture into the greased bowls and cover with a layer of buttered greaseproof paper. If steaming without specific designed lids add a double layer of foil and secure these layers around the rim of the bowl using a piece of string. I use purpose made basins with lids.

·         Place the bowl (s) in a large saucepan and pour cold water into the pan until it comes halfway up the side of the bowl. Bring the water to the bowl, then cover with a lid and simmer for 2-3 hours. If using a small bowl adjust cooking time.

I use an electric steamer and can fit more than one bowl in at a time. Ensure the pan does not boil dry and top up as indicated. 

·         If storing puddings, reheat for further 2-3 hours before serving. Remove greaseproof paper and turn out. Enjoy with your favourite accompaniment … brandy butter is Jamie’s recommended indulgence; my husband likes brandy sauce and I like custard. Even ice-cream is good but it needs to be a good Madagascan vanilla.

Oat and Raisin Cookies

I had never made cookies before discovering this recipe and now they are a regular feature in our cake tin. They are simple to make and have been a great success at every event I have taken them to. Although the recipe says to use raisins I often use sultanas as they seem a better size to go in a cookie. I also love ginger and thought how I could adapt the recipe. My friends seem to like the ginger best but it's an easy variation. Once the basics are mastered you can try out any combination of favourite flavours. I'm now thinking about Christmas and maybe cranberry and white chocolate would work; or even orange and dark chocolate ... let me know what you try!

Ingredients:

• 100g SR flour
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 100g butter
• 100g oats
• 1 egg
• 50g raisins (or chopped crystalised ginger)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or 2 tsp ground ginger)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180*C / 160*C

Mix the four and cinnamon together in a bowl. 

Cream the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and beat until smooth.

Add the flour and mix well.

Stir in the oats and raisins to make a stiff dough.

Put the dough onto parchment paper, shape into 20cm / 8" cylinder wrap and chill until firm (I have made in advance and left chilled for 24hrs until I'm ready to bake). Lightly grease 2 baking trays.

Cut dough into 7-8mm / 1/4" thick slices and place on greased baking trays, maintaining round shape.

Bake for 18-20 mins.

Cool on baking tray for 3 minutes before lifting onto wire rack to finish cooling.

Allow to cool if you can before tucking in ... be warned, they are very moreish!

Chimichurri

I have been enjoying bunched carrots for decades but until this month I had not considered eating the lush green tops. They have always been donated to a friend's rabbit. Unfortunately the poor bunny will now be going hungry as I have discovered Chimichurri. This is a sauce or marinade that originated in Argentina / Columbia and Uruguay. Traditionally made with parsley or coriander I have discovered a recipe using carrot tops, so ... waste not want not!  As per usual there are numerous versions but this is the one I settled on and I have eaten it every day for two weeks. I may branch out and try a few variations but I'm happy enough with my first attempt. Once the carrot top season is over I shall continue to make it and adjust proportions of parsley and coriander; I may even add in fresh chillies rather than dried.  

All ingredients are store cupboard staples for me so it's easy to knock up in a few minutes and Hey Presto we have a tasty dip ready.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely chopped carrot tops (or parsley / coriander
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp sweet paprika (when I ran out normal paprika works just as well)
• 1/2 tsp crushed chilli flakes
• 1/4 tsp cumin (I ground them)
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• ground pepper

Method:

This is the simple bit ... Mix all the ingredients together!

Eat and enjoy in whatever way you fancy. I particularly like it with crusty bread, but it was also divine as a topping on a pan fried tuna steak.

Fruited Apple and Almond Tea Loaf

This recipe is one that I tore out of a Waitrose magazine a year ago and it's taken me this long to get motivated enough to actually make it. I wish I hadn't waited so long as it's delicious and definitely on my regular bake list.  One word of warning: if you're as spontaneous a baker as me please be aware that you need to allow time for soaking the fruit before you start. I was all set to bake for VE Day and ensured I had all the ingredients available but it wasn't until I set out to make it in the morning that I realised I should have soaked the fruit overnight. I compromised by soaking for four hours instead, and it turned out fine but maybe I could have had an even more succulent loaf if I'd been better prepared.  

I apologise that this is an inadequate photo but we'd eaten nearly all of it before I thought that I would need a photo to share this amazing recipe with all of you!

It supposedly serves 10 (possibly tiny fairy people with minuscule appetites!)

Allow cooking time of 1 hour 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 200g mixed dried fruit
• 200ml strong, freshly made English Breakfast tea, tea bag left in
• 30g salted butter, melted (plus extra to grease)
• 175g self-raising flour, sifted
• 150g demerara sugar, plus 2tsp for the top
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 85g ground almonds
• 1 braeburn apple (about 150g), skin on, 1/2 grated, 1/2 sliced into thin wedges
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp milk

Method:

• Put the dried fruit and tea in a bowl. Cover and leave until plumped - about 4 hours, or preferably overnight. 
• Grease a 900g loaf tin; line with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 160*C. Drain the fruit over a bowl; reserve the tea and discard the tea bag. Put the flour in a large bowl; stir in the sugar, spice, almonds and a pinch of salt.
• Add the melted butter, soaked fruit, grated apple, egg, milk and 2 Tbsp of reserved tea and stir into a thick batter. 
• Spoon into the tin and level the top a little. Dip the apple slices into the leftover tea, scatter over the cake and press in a little, then sprinkle over 2 tsp sugar.
• Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, covering with foil for the final 20 minutes if the top is browning too much. When ready, the cake will be risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean or with just a few damp crumbs.
• Cool in the tin for 30 minutes and then lift out using the paper, and cool on a rack. 
• Serve warm or cold, spread with butter if like.

We found it was perfect as it was and did not need butter.

Give it a go and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Chargrilled Halloumi with Chilli Pesto

A little taste of summer to keep me going through the winter. I am a great one for collecting magazines and not reading them for months. Therefore this recipe from the Summer Waitrose magazine was waiting in a stack to be read and when I eventually got around to cooking it we were in winter rather than summer but who cares?  The recipe may be intended for summer barbecues but all of the ingredients can be found at any time and it worked perfectly as a starter for us.

Supposedly served 4-6 but I halved the pesto mix and we had a generous amount for two of us. For the halloumi I just bought the pack size in the supermarket and sliced it evenly for the two of us. I have a very gung ho approach to cooking that used to worry me and now I embrace it!

Ingredients: 

• 750g halloumi, thickly sliced lengthways
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juice

For the Pesto:

• 150ml light olive oil
• 75g pine nuts
• 2 red chillies, roughly chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed (I didn't bother halving this ingredient)
• 50g mint leaves
• 50g basil leaves

Method:

• First, make the pesto. Put the oil, pine nuts, chillies, garlic and a pinch of sea salt in a food processor, then blend to a coarse paste. Alternatively use a pestle and mortar and a fair amount of effort.
• Set a dry frying or griddle pan over a high heat (or prepare your barbecue so that the coals are at a medium-high heat). Brush the halloumi slices on both sides with olive oil, grill for 2 minutes on each side, until golden and lightly charred. Lay them on a warmed serving plate, spoon over the pesto, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve at once.

Duck with Spiced Plum Jam and Watercress

I'm a little late in posting this but it was a meal served for Valentine's Day and went down exceedingly well. I'm usually a bit reticent about cooking duck at home as I once filled the kitchen with black smoke from all the fat. However, this was easy to cook and divine to eat with no nasty smoke to ruin the mood.

Photography is not my strong point ...
the perspective implies enormous pak choi and tiny duck 

The recipe is one that I've had sitting neglected in a file for a while, but now it has been given the attention that it so rightly deserved. So get to the butcher and order juicy duck breasts and get quacking!  As always the recipe is designed for four but I amended it to suit the two of us. I used a whole breast each but the recommended three would work well for four as we were very full!

Ingredients: 

• 2 heads pak choi
• 3 duck breasts
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a bunch of watercress to garnish

    for the plum jam:

• 200g caster sugar
• 200ml white wine vinegar
• 1 medium chilli, chopped
• pinch of chilli powder
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• squeeze of lime juice
• splash of soy sauce
• 6 plums, stoned and chopped
• 1 Tbsp chopped coriander
• salt and ground ginger

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180*C / gas mark 4. Break the pak choi into individual leaves, then split each leaf down it's length. Set aside.
• Prepare the duck breasts by removing any sinew from the underside of the breast; use a very sharp knife to score the skin with a series of slashes, being careful not to cut too deeply and cut into the flesh.

• ** This is where I would skip to the plum jam and start making that before setting off on meat cooking ... timings will overlap so read through the recipe thoroughly and decide how you want to time things**

• Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add the breasts, skin side down; and cook for about 3 minutes until the skin has caramelised. Pour off the excess fat and reserve.
• Lay the duck breasts, skin side down, in a roasting pan and place in the oven for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
• Pour the reserved fat and any fat in the roasting tin back in the frying pan and set over a medium heat. Once hot add the pack choi and toss in the hot duck fat. Remove from the pan and season with salt and pepper.

** To make the plum jam:

• Heat the sugar and vinegar in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then cook until the mixture starts to thicken.
• Add the chilli and chilli powder, garlic and lime juice and soy sauce. Then stir in the plums and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender.
• Add the coriander, then remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and ground ginger.

Carve the duck into slices and divide between four plates, then serve with the pak choi and plum jam, garnished with watercress.

We both loved this, particularly the plum jam; we decided it would work really well with pork chops too ... see what you think.

Vietnamese -style Caramel Ginger Chicken

Another recipe torn from a Waitrose Magazine and then left to languish in a folder for over a year. It has finally seen the light of day and was a great success. My only reservation was the mess it left in the bottom of the pan when it caramelised. I have learnt that it is a thin line between caramelised and burnt.

It was tasty and worth the effort to make. It was even worth the washing up.  We halved the recipe and it worked well enough. I'm not a great one for accurate measurements and it isn't easy to halve small quantities so some of the spices were not adjusted proportionately and it tasted great.

Serves: 6; Preparation: 20 mins plus resting; Cooking: 55 mins

Ingredients:

6 chicken legs (I used them whole and didn't bother to joint)

5 Tbsp unrefined light brown soft sugar

4 Tbsp nam pla fish sauce

1/2 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely ground

2 Tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil

100g fresh root ginger, peeled and thickly sliced

1 red onion, finely sliced

8 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 red chilli, finely sliced

3 salad onions, finely sliced

Method:

• Divide the chicken legs into thighs and drumsticks (please yourself!), trimming off and discarding any excess skin. Toss in a large bowl with a pinch of salt, 1 Tbsp of sugar and 1 Tbsp of fish sauce, set aside. Mix the remaining 4 Tbsp and 3 Tbsp fish sauce with black pepper and a pinch of salt, set aside.
• Heat 1 Tbsp oil in  a very large, wide casserole (or heavy based frying pan) and fry the ginger, red onion and garlic over a medium -high heat, until soft and lightly golden - about 8-10 minutes, remove and set aside on a plate. 
• Heat the remaining  1 Tbsp oil in the pan and add the chicken, skin side down. Cook in batches if needed over a medium - high heat for 4-6 minutes, until the skin is deep brown and caramelised.
• Turn the chicken and repeat, caramelising in on the other side, then return the onion, ginger and garlic to the pan. Pour in the fish sauce and sugar mixture, cover the pan and gently bring to the boil. Uncover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced to a thick syrup and the chicken is cooked through; add a splash of water if it starts to catch. Cover and rest for 5 minutes, then scatter with the chilli and salad onions. Serve with rice and greens if liked.  (I served it with chilli and garlic roasted broccoli as I can never get enough chilli)

Saag Aloo

My intention to cook new recipes is tying up perfectly with my stack of torn out recipes; ... this time from a Tesco magazine. I have often ordered side dishes from my Indian take-away involving spinach so this was perfect to try at home.

Fresh spices, chilli and ginger ... I just know that I will love this

Serves 6 as a side (We had it as a main dish just as it was)

Ingredients:

1 kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces (I rarely peel potatoes as most of the nutrients lie beneath the skin)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsps mustard seeds

1 onion, finely sliced

3 large garlic cloves, crushed

3cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 Tbs tomato puree

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp hot chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

250g bag spinach

1 red chilli, finely chopped

Method:

• Simmer the potatoes for 10 mins our until tender (I steam everything as I never boil) Drain and leave to steam dry
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, lidded pan over a medium-low heat. Add the cumin seed and mustard seeds and fry for 1 minute or until they start to sizzle. Add the onion; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, tomato puree, the remaining spices and 1 Tbsp water. Cook, uncovered, over a low heat for 5-10 mins until softened. Add the potatoes and stir to coat.
• Add a large handful of the spinach and 100ml boiling water; cover and cook for 2 mins or until the spinach wilts. Add the remaining spinach. 
• Scatter with chopped chilli to serve.

A little blurred due to the steam rising off it.

Leek and Potato Soup

This is an old classic but one that never fails. It is quick and easy to make and uses minimal ingredients. I've had the recipe for so long now that I cannot remember who was the original author to credit them. I do recall that it is supposed to be a quantity suitable for four people ... that doesn't apply to our family.  Depending on the size of the servings and the hunger experienced by the diners it could be a starter for four but I tend to double the quantities and there is always enough with a little left over for another lunch.

An impressive soup from three simple ingredients

Ingredients:

1 pint / 550ml stock 

4 oz / 100g chopped onions

4 oz / 100g sliced leeks (thoroughly washed to shift any grit)

8 oz / 225g chopped potatoes (I often leave skins on for extra nutrients)

1 oz / 25g butter or oil

salt and pepper

Method:

• Cook the onions and leeks slowly in the butter for 10 minutes
• Add the rest of the ingredients and stock
• Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 40 minutes until all vegetables tender
• Allow to cool slightly and liquidise

I like to liquidise about half or more and leave some as it is. This provides a little more texture and interest without it being a sloppy broth with bits which I'm very good at spilling in transit from spoon to mouth!

Lurkin' Squeaky Pie

I challenged myself to try a new recipe each week and now I've taken it up a level ... I've invented a new recipe.  As a new invention it had no name so I had to start somewhere. I looked to see what was lurking in the fridge at the end of the week and considered making Bubble and Squeak. I'm never sure which ingredient is the bubble and which the squeak but I didn't have cabbage. I then thought I'd like it to be a complete meal so it needed a bit extra to make it more substantial.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
Left over vegetables from Sunday roast (I used roasted potatoes, carrots and parsnips)
More potatoes, steamed or boiled (I didn't have enough left over potatoes - we'd been too hungry on Sunday!) No quantities ... just what looks right for two people
oil for frying
1 Onion, chopped
1 courgette, grated
Chunk of Parmesan cheese, grated 
Chunk of Cheddar, grated (approximately 60g)
knob of butter
1 tomato, sliced
Celery Salt
Garlic granules
Salt and Pepper

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180*C
• Steam or boil scrubbed potatoes until soft 
• Gently fry onion in a little oil until soft
• Using food processor roughly chop left over roast vegetables (alternatively mash with potato masher). Tip into large bowl
• Use food processor to chop and bind steamed potatoes and onions when cooked, add a knob of butter. Tip into bowl with other vegetables
• Add grated courgette and grated Parmesan and mix together (easiest to use clean hands) until fully incorporated
• Season with celery salt, garlic granules and salt and pepper to taste. I tend to just sprinkle in with a gung ho attitude but approximately 1/2 tsp celery salt and 1 tsp garlic granules. This is a new invention so add whatever takes your fancy.
• Spoon into a shallow dish and level baking dish and smooth out surface.
• Cook in centre of oven for 25 minutes and then remove to add grated cheddar and sliced tomato. Return to oven and cook for further 10 minutes until cheese melted and top browned.

I served this topped with a poached egg. There are no photos of the served meal because it did not maintain its structural integrity well. However despite it's appearance it was incredibly tasty and will definitely be made again. 

Embrace your inner inventor and see what's lurking in your fridge.

Broccoli and Stilton Soup

I love soup and have always followed recipes when making one. This soup is the exception as I could not find one in my collection of recipe books. I turned to the internet for instruction but did not have a leek as specified in the first recipe I looked at. As an avid soup maker my next thought was "how hard can this be?"

I've never been great at paying too much attention to measurements ... perhaps this is why I'm not very good at baking cakes!  So ... this is what I did:

Ingredients:

1 Litre of chicken stock (I made my own from the Sunday roast carcass)

Oil for frying

1 onion, finely chopped

3 small - medium potatoes, diced (not peeled because I'm trying to keep as many nutrients as possible)

1 head broccoli - stalk finely chopped, remainder chopped

Half a pack of Stilton (approx 120g)

Salt and pepper

Method:

• Fry onion in a little oil on a medium heat until soft but not browned (approx 5 mins)
• Add diced potatoes and finely chopped stalk from broccoli and fry for 2-3 minutes. 
• Cover and reduce heat and sweat for 10 minutes. 
• Add stock and bring to the boil, simmer for 10 -15 minutes until vegetables tender
• Add rest of broccoli and cook for further 5-10 minutes until soft. I added garlic granules at this stage to make up for the fact that I didn't have a leek.
• Puree all soup in batches and return to pan
• Season to taste
• Add crumbled stilton and heat gently until Stilton is melting (perhaps leave a few small lumps)
• Serve hot but not boiling

It surprised me how good it was; the perfect texture and filled with flavour. It must have been really good because my friend kept repeating how tasty it was, and my husband complained that he hadn't been given enough!  So I must have done something right.

Celeriac, Potato and Chilli Soup

On cold winter days there is nothing more comforting than a warming bowl of soup. The addition of chilli to this soup makes it even more warming with a delightful spicy kick.

This is another Riverford recipe that I found hiding in a jumble of old recipe cards dating back several years. I can't believe that I haven't made it before but I shall definitely be making it again. I am always at a loss as to how to use celeriac when it arrives in our veg box. It can be a large vegetable and will provide several meals. I particularly like it mashed up with parsnips and potatoes in a tray-bake and made into a refreshing Asian slaw. I now have a tasty soup to add to my repertoire. 

Ingredients: 

1 Tbs oil
I large onion, peeled and chopped
I clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1-2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped (I kept the seeds in for extra kick!)
1 small celeriac, peeled and chopped
2-3 medium to large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1.2 - 1.5Litres veg stock
salt and pepper

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and fry gently for a few minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a couple more mins. Add the rest of the veg and chillies. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes, until the veg is tender. Blend until smooth. Season to taste.
• Thin with a little extra stock if too thick. Serve with a swirl of yoghurt or creme fraiche and sprinkled with chopped coriander (I didn't bother with this stage at all).

Sumac Roasted Potatoes

Sumac is a spice that I bought for the Esme Salad recipe and I thought it had limited use. However, having found this recipe from an old recipe card sent from Riverford I discovered that there are other uses. I may never make ordinary potato wedges again! 

This recipe supposedly serves four. I just prepared the amount of potatoes that two of us would eat and then used the same quantity of spices because I like lots of flavour.

Ingredients:

800g potatoes, scrubbed, skins on. Either left whole if small potatoes or cut into wedges

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 heaped tsp sumac

1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

Method:

Mix together the olive oil, sumac and paprika in a bowl. 

Add the potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat in the oil/spice mixture.

Place in an ovenproof dish, season well and roast in the oven at 180*C for about 45 minutes or until cooked through.

I served these potatoes with previously posted Green Beans with Za'atar and salmon. However they would complement any meal or could even be enjoyed as an indulgent spicy treat served with dips ... either chilli salsa or cool yoghurt dip.

Roasted Green Beans with Za'atar

Riverford  is a never ending inspiration in my search for tasty meals when I'm stuck for an idea; and today was no exception.  I have always been unimaginative when it comes to runner beans but Riverford came to the rescue. 

Quick and easy to make and far more delicious than I expected ... I shall certainly be making it again. If you fancy something a little bit different I would recommend this. I served them with Sumac Roasted Potatoes to complete the Middle Eastern flavour ... watch this space for that recipe too.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp sumac

1 Tbsp dried marjoram

1 Tbsp dried thyme

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp sea salt

400g green beans, topped and tailed (I halved mine so they fitted on the plate better)

Olive oil

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200*C / Gas 6
• Gently heat the sesame seeds in a frying pain until golden and toasted. Remove from the heat.
• Use a pestle and mortar to pound half of the sesame seeds with the sumac, marjoram, thyme, oregano and salt. Then add the rest of the sesame seeds.
• Put the beans in a baking dish and toss with just enough oil to coat (I think I used too much so err on the side of caution). Roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until just tender but retaining some bite. Sprinkle over a little of the za'atar to serve.
• Any unused za'atar can be stored in a jar for later use ... I added some to yoghurt and used it as a dip with spicy potato wedges.

I served the beans with potoatoes and salmon fillet poached in orange juice and sliced garlic.

Banana and Date Cake

The start of a new year and a new decade and once again I am filled with good intentions. I have previously challenged myself to try one new recipe a week for a year and it resulted in discovering some new favourites. Therefore I am setting myself the same goal for 2020. I am not restricting myself to only one recipe a week if I am inspired to create more, but by the end of this year I shall have sampled a minimum of 52 new dishes.

Starting today with the sweet delight of cake. I tore the recipe out of a magazine some time last year and cannot now recall which magazine it was; however the footnote records that the recipe originally came from 'Palestine on a Place' by Joudie Kalla. 

I didn't have Medjool dates but I am quite happy with the substitution of the dates that I did have left over from our Christmas treats. I also only had 3 bananas so could not decorate the top with banana slices. Despite these changes I am very pleased with the result and would urge you to give it a go. It is certainly easy to make and very tasty. Ordinarily I don't like chocolate in cakes but the discretely hidden nuggets added a perfectly decadent dimension.

Ingredients:

300g salted butter, softened

300g golden caster sugar

3 eggs

3 bananas, plus 1 sliced for decoration

9-12 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

100g milk or dark chocolate, broken into smallish pieces

350g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180*C /Fan 160*C and line a 27cm round baking tin with baking parchment.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and light. Add the eggs and beat again until well combined.
• Peel and mash the bananas in a bowl until just smooth with a few chunks. Add to the cake mix with the dates and chocolate and fold in gently. Carefully fold in the flour and baking powder.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and arrange the sliced banana on top. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Leave it to cool then serve with tea or coffee.

Somehow it seems even better served on my special springtime bunny plate. 

Sorry there is not a photo of a complete cake ... I couldn't wait to cut it!